Remembering Craig and the Rodrigues family on his Anniversary today, Nov 16th.

The School Community were honoured to attend Craig’s Anniversary mass in Drimoleague today. The Mass was celebrated by Fr. Liam Crowley and our TY Year Group and teachers prayed with Craig’s family and friends. A Blessing was done at the graveside and everyone was invited back to the Community Hall for refreshments. The family showed a most beautiful video collage of Craig’s life .

We would like to thank the Rodrigues family for sharing their day with us. We would like to thank their friends and the parishoners of Drimoleague for serving the refreshments. We would like to thank our Chaplain, School Staff and Damien Long Coach Hire for the free buses. We would particularly like to commend our TY Students for the respect that they showed today. They were a credit to our school.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Craig and his family today.

Rainbow of Hands in support of Stand Up Awareness Week, Nov 14th - 18th.

Many thanks to our SPHE students and their teachers for making this Rainbow of Hands to mark Stand Up Awareness Week. This is an opportunity to celebrate and recognise our LGBTQ+ community. It is a time when we as a school show solidarity with students to ensure they feel seen, heard, and safe, and to ensure everyone knows that biphobic, homophobic, and transphobic language and bullying will not be tolerated.

DONT FORGET RAINBOW JUMPER DAY ON FRIDAY!!!!!!

School Equestrian Team - Interschools Show jumping

Congratulations to our school Equestrian Team who competed in the Sceilig Interschools Show jumping in Watergrasshill.

A stellar performance from our competitors and their four-legged teammates, for our first event of the season.

Our school was represented in both the team events and the individual classes.

Despite the wet and wind swept conditions, our equestrian team jumped their way into the 'Jump-off's'.

Well done to Muireann O'Donnell, Benjeman Wycherley, Niamh O'Reilly, Éabha O'Reilly & Oscar Wycherley,.

Wins for our Senior Ladies Basketball and Junior Ladies Football Teams today, Nov 14th.

Well done to our U19 Ladies Basketball Team and their coach Ms.Maria Wilson who beat Scoil Mhuire by 48 points to 23 points away today. Hard luck to our U16 Ladies Basketball Team and their coach Ms. Noirín O Brien who lost to their Junior Team. Well done also to our Junior Ladies Football Team and their coach Ms. Anna Ward who beat Carrigaline Community School at home today.

TY Karting and Paintballing in Watergrasshill, Nov 11th

TY students had a ball Karting and Paintballing in Watergrasshill last Friday. Many thanks to Mr. PJ Fitzgerald (Fastest Driver), Ms. Grace Callaghan and Ms. Shirley Wycherely for accompanying the students and thanks also to Ms. Gretta Burchill for organising the event.

U15 West Cork Ladies Football Team

West Cork Ladies beat Mid Cork Ladies in Banteer yesterday in the U15 Divisional Cup Final by 5-13 to 4-15.

SCS had seven students in the West Cork team. Congratulations & well done to Eabha, Emily, Allie , Kate, Holly, Aoife & Abbie on a great achievement.

Parental Involvement on the School's Board of Management, letter from the Principal, Nov 11th.

Dear Parent/Guardian,

Involvement of parents/guardians in the life of Skibbereen Community School continues to be a very important element of our mission, as we strive to develop a ‘Community of Learners’ where everybody works together to ensure that all the members of our school community, parents, staff and most importantly students get the best possible opportunity to grow and flourish.

The support, commitment and co-operation shown by parents/guardians to our school and students over the last couple of Covid driven years has been immense and very much appreciated. However, the restricted contact years of Covid made it difficult to maintain the more formal partnership structures that exist within the school.

First amongst these more formal partnership structures has been the Parent’s Association, which prior to Covid had built strong links and worked collaboratively with the school on a number of projects.

As we now enter a new post-Covid phase we are looking to renew and redevelop our more formal partnership structures and in particular the Parent’s Association.

The primary role of the Parent’s Association is to work in partnership with the school for the betterment of the students in the school in a manner that supports and empowers parents to be active in the best interests of their children’s educational journey.

The Association is open to all parents/guardians of the school but is generally run by a committee who work on behalf of the parents. To date this committee has been comprised of two parents from each year group in addition to the two parent representatives on the Board of Management.

Once formed, the committee then selects a Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer and any other roles it deems necessary. In addition to the Parent’s Association, parents/guardians are represented on the school’s Board of Management. The Board of Management acts as a corporate body to oversee the running of the school on behalf of the Trustees.

The Board comprises of six nominees of the Trustees and two nominees each of parents/guardians and the teaching staff. These nominees are selected every three years which is the term of office of the Board of Management. The Board is about to begin a new three year term. Therefore, two nominees of parents/guardians must now be selected.

We encourage all parents/guardians to take an interest in both of these crucially important roles within our school community. We are now inviting interested parents/guardians to a meeting to select members for both the Parent’s Association Committee and Board of Management.

The meeting details are as follows: Date: Monday, November 14th 2022 Time: 7pm Location: Skibbereen Community School Agenda: Selection of a Parent’s Association Committee Nomination of Board of Management Representatives.

Looking forward to seeing you then,

Anton O Mahony Principal – Skibbereen Community School.

Wins for both our U19 Girls BB Team and Junior Ladies Football Team, Nov 9th

Well done to our U19 Girls Basketball Team and their coach Ms. Maria Wilson who beat St.Angela’s away yesterday in the league and to our Junior Ladies Football Team and their coaches, Ms. Ella Ryan, Ms. Anna Ward and Mr. Ger Carey who beat Scoil Phobail Sliabh Luachra Rathmore in the Munster Championship.

Teagasc Talk to the Farming Club and AgScience Classes, 28th October

Many thanks to Mr. Mike Dineen of Teagasc for giving an excellent talk to the School’s Farming Club and the 6th Year Ag Science class recently. He spoke about the latest research work being done at Moorepark and the latest innovations in dairy farming such as red clover silage swords, mainatining milk fat production during late spring, pasture digestibility and amino acid supply, environmental emmissions and home grown protein sources for winter milk systems. Thanks also to Mr. PJ Fitzgerald, Mr. Peter Swanton and Eoin Keane, 6th year for organising the visit.

Senior Boys Football Team win first game in Corn Uí Mhuirí, October 26th

Well done to our Senior Boys Football Team and their coaches/support staff of Mr. Tony Harrington, Mr. Colman O Driscoll, Mr. James McCarthy , Mr. Chris O Brien and Mr. Elliot Connolly on beating Presentation Secondary School Milltown of Killarney in the first round game of the Corn Ui Mhuiri. The final score was 14 points to 1-9.

Match Report by Murt Murphy, Irish Examiner.

Skibbereen deservedly got their Munster Colleges Corn Ui Mhuiri campaign off to a winning start when they beat Presentation Milltown on a heavy surface at Ballyvourney. However they were made fight all the way by the Kerry side who will regret wasting two great second-half goal chances that might well have cost the West Cork side.

Overall Skibbereen were physically stronger and in centre forward they had their star performer in Niall Daly who troubled the Pres Milltown defence all afternoon and kicked some superb points, while Sean Connolly in the corner was also a thorn in the side of the losers.

Pres Milltown had an outstanding defender in full back Shane Clifford who kept tall full forward Luke Shorten quiet before Shorten moved out the field in the second half and duly did some damage. Gearóid Evans was superb at wingback while the Kerry side dominated midfield thanks to the impressive Liam Evans and Fionann Griffin but lacked penetration up front, the outstanding Dara Hogan was ploughing a lone furrow.

The first quarter saw both sides try to get used to the conditions and they were level at 0-3 apiece after a tit-for-tat spell. Niall Daly converted an early free for Skibbereen but Gearóid Hassett levelled after Mark Murphy was fouled. Skibbereen then took the lead when Sean Connolly converted a mark after Dara Hogan had given Milltown the lead.

While mistakes on both sides saw scoring chances being coughed up Dara Hogan kicked a superb long-range point as Donal O’Callaghan and Hugh O’Donovan forced Pres Milltown turnovers.

Connelly levelled from another mark, before Niall Daly cut through to give Skibbereen a 0-4 to 0-3 lead. Two Dara Hogan frees helped Pres Milltown retake the lead but Skibbereen regained control thanks to the promptings of Daly and Cathal Hegarty and they hit four unanswered points from Shorten, Kevin O’Driscoll and two from Daly to retire 0-8 to 0-5 in front at half time.

Two early second-quarter points from Luke Shorten and Daly saw Skibbereen move five clear and Pres Milltown were under the cosh. But then the turning point of the game came in the 40th minute when Dara Hogan played Fionnan Griffin and he rounded the keeper but found himself seemingly almost too close to goal and somehow put it wide. The miss laid the foundations for Skibbereen to kick on with points from Daly and Connolly but Dara Hogan kept Pres Milltown within range and after another Griffin goal attempt drifted wide, Skibbereen appeared to relax. Hogan dropped a free short in the 61st minute that Darragh Clifford finished to the net, but it was too little too late for the Kerry side.

Scorers for Skibbereen CS: N Daly (0-7, 2fs), S Connolly (0-3, 2marks), L Shorten (0-3, 1m), K O’Driscoll (0-1).

Scorers for Pres Milltown: D Hogan (0-7, 5fs), D Clifford (1-0), T Gosney and G Evans (f) (0-1 each).

SKIBBEREEN CS: S O’Shea (Illen Rovers); D O’Callaghan (Castlehaven) H O’Donovan (Clan Na Gaeil); D O’Hourihane (O’Donovan Rossa), C Hegarty (Tadgh Mac Cárthaigh), F Hurley (O’Donovan Rossa); T Ó Donnabháin (Clonakilty), S O’Connell ( Castlehaven);K O’Driscoll ( O’Donovan Rossa), N Daly (O’Donovan Rossa), B O’Driscoll (O’Donovan Rossa); L McCarthy (Kilamcabea ), L Shorten (Tadgh Mac Cárthaigh), S Connelly (Illen Rovers). Subs: C Coombes (O’Donovan Rossa) for L McCarthy (56), D Cleary (Castlehaven) for K O’Driscoll (59).

PRES MILLTOWN: D Kingston (Beaufort); D O’Connor (Milltown/Castlemaine), S Clifford (Laune Rangers), M O’Callaghan (Keel); D Evans (Listry), D Corcoran (Keel), G Evans (Keel); L Evans (Keel), F Griffin (Keel); T Gosney (Listry), E McCarthy (Annascaul), C O’Brien (Milltown/Castlemaine); D Hogan (Milltown/Castlemaine) , D Clifford (Laune Rangers) , M Murphy (Keel).

Sub: G Quirke (Milltown/Castlemaine) for D O’Connor (45), J Clifford (Listry) for M Murphy (54), M Byrne (Keel) for E McCarthy (58).

Referee: D Hickey (Tipperary)

SCS Students attend Farm to the Future Ideation Day

Pictured below are students who attended the Farm To The Future Ideation Day in Farm Zero C in Shinagh House, Bandon today.

The event was hosted by The Ludgate Hub, AgTechUCD, and Munster Technological University’s AgriTech Ireland Cluster.

Lego Club Halloween Challenge, Oct 25th

Well done to those students who entered the Lego Builders Design Challenge sponsored by our School Completion Programme. The Challenge for these designers was to quickly create a Halloween themed item from a box containing thousands of random lego pieces. Pictured is Ms. Mandy Twomey and the team of deisgners. First prize went to the Tower of Horrors!

First Year Trip to Scala Retreat Centre

First years had the opportunity to attend Scala Retreat Centre this term. It was an occasion for first years to reflect and continue to build friendships and relationships outside of the normal school setting.

A huge thank you to the Scala team and the supervising teachers Ms. R. O’Brien, Ms. D. Hennigan, Ms. O. O’Sullivan, Ms. G. Callaghan, Mr. S. Mannion and SNAs Ms. A. O’Farrell and Ms. M. McCarthy.

Munster Championship Round win for our Junior Ladies Football Team today, Oct 21st

Well done to our Junior Ladies Football Team and their coaches, Ms. Ella Ryan, Ms. Anna Ward and Mr. Ger Carey on beating Mercy Mounthawk, Tralee in a cracking Munster Championship Round match on the All-Weather pitch in Banteer today. The final score was 4-16 to 3-10. Many thanks to Ms. Kate O Donovan for accompanying the squad.

Wins for our U16 and U19 Girls Basketball, October 20th

Well done to our U16 and U19 Girls Basketball Teams and their coaches Ms. Maria Wilson and Ms. Noirin O Brien on beating Scoil Mhuire Crosshaven at home in the league. Final results were 40 to 14 for the U16’s and 40 to 22 for the U19’s. Well done to all involved.

First Year Maths Challenge

Well done to all first years who took part in the SCS ‘Maths Challenge’ today.

Congratulations to the overall winners: Ellen, Carla, Emma, Aoife & Maria who each won a €10 voucher for the school canteen.

Many thanks to Ms. E. Ryan, Ms. M. Breen, Mr. M. Moore & Mr. D. Murphy for organising & to the 4th year Sports Administration class for all their help in running the event.

Transition Year Trip to Leinster House & National Gallery

As part of our TY Sustainability module, 18 students travelled to Leinster House to develop their understanding of how the Oireachtas works and the link between community activism, Law and Politics.  

Research shows that emissions of greenhouse gases from human activities are responsible for an approximate 1.1° global temperature increase since 1850-1890, and finds that rises are expected to reach, or exceed, 1.5°C by 2040 (IPCC, NASA). The world is currently on course for an estimated 3° rise by the end of the century (UN).  

Within this context, students assessed the Government’s climate actions to date. It was surprising to note that Ireland’s emissions rose instead of falling in 2021 (EPA). In advance of the visit to Leinster House, a working group drafted a number of suggestions in the form of an open letter. The letter was signed by 1,282 students and staff at 5 West Cork schools over a 48-hour period: Skibbereen Community School, Sacred Heart Clonakilty, Mount St. Michael’s Rosscarbery and Schull Community College. The letters and signatures were presented to all three Cork South West TDs – Deputies Michael Collins, Holly Cairns and Christopher O’Sullivan – who were very interested in discussing the issues with the students. 

We were given a tour of Leinster House and observed Leader’s Questions in the Dáil Chamber where we were publically welcomed by Tánaiste Leo Varadkar. We also sat in on a discussion in the Seanad where the proposed Electricity Costs Emergency Measures Bill 2022 was being debated.  The visit was an incredible opportunity to witness democracy in action and the experience sparked plenty of healthy discussion, debate and engagement.  

We picnicked in St Stephen’s Green and finished off our trip with a whistle-stop tour of the National Gallery, where we were able to enjoy works by Caravaggio, Goya, Van Gogh, Monet and Picasso!