Connect with us

News

New ‘Buddy Bench’ to encourage playground inclusion

Published

on

B

BY MICHELLE CREAN

One local school unveiled an innovative and colourful addition to their school this week – a ‘Buddy Bench’ to promote inclusion and deter playground bullying.

Tiernaboul National School, who recently signed up to become a ‘Health Promoting School’ (HPS), launched the new child friendly bench which was kindly constructed and donated by members of Barraduff Men’s Shed.

“We had heard that other schools around the country had successfully introduced the concept of a buddy bench,” Fiona Cronin, HPS co-ordinator, said.

“The idea is that if a child in the playground feels lonely, sad or isolated and they have no one to play with, they can go and sit on the ‘Buddy Bench’ and then other children will come over and ask them to join in games or just sit and talk.

“We thought it was a great idea; to encourage friendships and inclusion, develop empathy and social skills and prevent bullying by teaching the values of kindness and respect.”

She added that being a small school with a small budget, they are always trying to keep costs down.

“We had read that Men’s Shed groups had occasionally made ‘Buddy Benches’ for their local schools.

“During the summer at a health event, one of the parents, Lynn Swinburne, who is on the HPS committee, met Pat O’Mahony, founder of the Barradubh Men’s Shed, and she asked if they could make a bench for Tiernaboul School.”

Pat kindly agreed to help the school, even though the Barradubh Men’s Shed is only in its infancy.

The bench was then skilfully crafted by Ted O’Leary, a member of the Barradubh Men’s Shed.

It was painted in bright colours by parent John Sheahan, and the school community is incredibly grateful for the time and effort given by everyone to this project, she added.

“The ‘Buddy Bench’ will be used for years to come. It will give children the subtle message that reaching out for help is often a healthy strategy to deal with problems.

“Work will be done on mental health projects in the classroom and children will be encouraged to talk and share their worries, instead of bottling things up; an important lesson to learn for future years.”

Advertisement

News

Community College TY students become qualified baristas

School Dayz Transition Year students at Killarney Community College spent last Tuesday learning the skills to become baristas. They completed a full-day training course and are now qualified to make […]

Published

on

School Dayz

Transition Year students at Killarney Community College spent last Tuesday learning the skills to become baristas.

They completed a full-day training course and are now qualified to make coffee, which could make them very employable in local cafes and restaurants this summer.
Their teachers, who are described as the school’s “resident coffee experts,” were impressed with the students’ hard work and enjoyed the lattes, cappuccinos, and Americanos the students made throughout the day.
In addition to their barista training, the TY students also took a trip to Mallow. There, they learned about the rules of the road, practiced the driver theory test, and many got behind the wheel of a car for the first time. They also learned about the dangers of speeding and driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

Continue Reading

News

Rising stars Amano and Lillie Foley to share stage in ANAM

Two of Killarney’s rising musical talents, Amano and Lillie Foley, are set to perform their first ever joint headline concert at the ANAM Cultural Centre. Singer-songwriter and sean nós singer […]

Published

on

Two of Killarney’s rising musical talents, Amano and Lillie Foley, are set to perform their first ever joint headline concert at the ANAM Cultural Centre.

Singer-songwriter and sean nós singer Amano will bring her ‘Mythilligocial Meitheal Tour’ home for a special live performance of both her contemporary and traditional music.

Joining her on the night is local rising star Lillie Foley, making it a special event to celebrate two young Killarney songwriters making their mark on the Irish music scene. The event is supported by Kerry County Council Arts Office.

Amano, described by Hot Press in 2024 as an “idiosyncratic talent” is comfortable performing in both English and Irish, draws influences from alt-folk, R&B, and traditional sean-nós singing.

Her project THREAD was nominated for Irish language Album and Song of the year at the Gradaim Nós in 2024.

Her recent singles, ‘Burn’ and ‘The Birthing House’, have received airplay on RTÉ Radio 1, Radio Kerry, and Raidió na Life.

Lillie Foley, a 22-year-old singer who recently graduated from the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance with a BA in Voice, has released two debut singles in 2025, ‘Someday’ and ‘That’s Life’, which blend pop, soul, and folk genres.

The event is supported by Kerry County Council Arts Office.

The concert will take place on May 23, at the ANAM Cultural Centre in Killarney, starting at 7:00pm. Tickets are available from €15 plus a booking fee on Ticketpass.org.

Continue Reading

Last News

Sport