Great first few days in Ehrwald, Austria on Skibbereen Community School’s inaugural ski trip.
Fantastic ski resort, located right on the slopes.
Students are making great progress, having lots of fun and making life long memories. Their resilience, enthusiasm and laughter has been noticed by all on the slopes, from the locals to the ski instructors.
All eagerly looking forward to what lies ahead for the rest of the week.
Despite Storm Chandra looming, over 1,000 athletes from schools all over Cork and Kerry ,lined up for the South Munster Schools Cross Country races at Tramore Valley Park yesterday.
Under high winds and torrential rain, the underfoot conditions deteriorated very quickly and the races became as much of a mental challenge as a physical one.
Caoimhe Flannery ,representing SCS ,made light of the conditions, coming home in 2nd place in the Senior Girls' race.
With the first 15 individuals and 4 teams qualifying for the Munster Schools, Caoimhe will now proceed to the Munsters on Thurs Feb 12th .
Well done Caoimhe.
5th Year LCA students welcomed experienced horticulturist Michael Burke into their class.
He discussed the importance of horticulture in terms of environmental and economic benefits.
He emphasised the importance of 'grow it yourself' culture with all students sowing their own seeds of chamomile, and starting their own growing journey.
Pictures from the Rebel Óg awards held in the Clayton, Silversprings, Cork on Friday 16th January.
The Senior A ladies football All-Ireland winning team were in attendance for winning the March award. Congratulations to all involved.
Congratulations also to the girls involved with the Cork minor ladies football team who won the overall award for their All-Ireland win.
Pictures of the SCS farming club’s trip to the Millstreet Spring Farm Machinery Show.
Our Transition Year students recently took part in an engaging and highly informative driving course at Bantry Driving Academy. The programme offered students a valuable introduction to road safety and responsible driving.
Each student received a 20‑minute practical driving lesson, giving them hands‑on experience behind the wheel in a controlled and supportive environment. They also completed a reaction test and a mock theory test, helping them understand the skills and focus required to be safe road users.
A highlight of the day was a visit from the local Fire Brigade crew, who delivered a powerful presentation on the real-life consequences of dangerous driving behaviours, including speeding, drink-driving, and mobile phone use. Their message reinforced the importance of making smart, safe decisions on the road.
Well done to all our TY students for engaging so positively with the programme and taking an important step toward becoming responsible future drivers.
This week, a group of TY students traveled to Bandon to take part in a certified barista training course with Barista School Ireland. The intensive course focused on both the theory and practical elements of making great coffee. Students were pouring perfect, delicious cappuccinos by the end of the day.
The trip also included a visit to The West Cork Heritage Centre, on North Main St in Bandon. Our knowledgeable guide, Alexis, took us on a fascinating journey through the history of Bandon and West Cork. The 400-year-old church building is crammed to the rafters with artefacts and exhibits from our region.
This week, our first-year students experienced their very first retreat at SCS.
It was a fulfilling time that gave students the opportunity to step away from the academic side of school life, focus on themselves, and build meaningful connections with others in their year.
A huge thank you to Declan and Annemarie Browne for facilitating the two days and making the retreat such a positive experience for all involved.
Our Agricultural Science students enjoyed a highly informative and engaging visit to Liam and Dolores O’Donovan's dairy farm. This is a progressive spring-calving farm that demonstrates best practice in modern Irish milk production.
Students learned about excellent calving and calf-rearing husbandry, including cow care around calving, the importance of colostrum, calf health, nutrition, and high welfare standards.
The farm operates a leader–follower grazing system, where calves graze paddocks first, followed by the milking cows. This ensures young stock receive the highest-quality grass while cows efficiently clean out paddocks afterwards, improving overall grass utilisation and performance.
A strong focus of the visit was the importance of grass as the primary feed source on Irish dairy farms. Students learned how grass quality directly affects milk yield, milk solids, and milk quality, and why good grazing management is central to profitable and sustainable dairy production.
Students were particularly interested in the wide range of modern technologies used on the farm, including a rotary milking parlour which allows for efficient and calm milking, automatic drafting gates to assist with easy cow management, and activity meters that support accurate heat detection and ongoing herd health monitoring. Animal welfare was further enhanced through the use of rotary brushes, while automatic scrapers helped maintain clean and hygienic housing conditions. The students also learned about the benefits of automatic calf feeders, which ensure consistent nutrition for young calves, and Low Emission Slurry Spreading technology, which plays an important role in reducing environmental impact and improving nutrient efficiency.
Students were highly engaged throughout the visit, asked great questions, and really enjoyed seeing Agricultural Science in action on a working dairy farm. It was a valuable and enjoyable learning experience.
A huge thank you to Liam and Dolores O’Donovan for their time, hospitality, and for sharing their expertise, passion and knowledge with our students.
Regular school attendance is crucial for good results.
For the next two week, the school will be putting an increased emphasis on attendance and punctuality in class.
All students in every year who attend every class on time will be in with a chance of winning AirPods. We encourage all students to partake.
Best of luck to each year group.
Pictured here are our 4th year students Jim Houlihan, Donnacha Collins, Aodh Whooley and our Attendance Officer Ms. Orla O’Sullivan promoting this initiative.
This year’s webinar will include speakers from The Accommodation and Community Life Office, UCC Campus Accommodation and representatives from many of the Privately Owned Student Complexes.
This session will cover the following topics and would be of interest to prospective students/parents/guardians/guidance counsellors and any other interested parties.
Campus Accommodation options, prices, and application process.
Private Student Apartment Complexes options, prices, and application process.
Other accommodation options outside of student-specific apartment complexes.
Thanks to local writer Caragh Bell for visiting our Literacy students yesterday in the LRC.
She gave an interesting insight on the life of a writer which was enjoyed by all.
We are delighted to invite you to our UCC CAO Live Q&A Online Session, an informative and engaging event designed to support you as you explore your options.
This session is a great opportunity to:
• Ask our team questions about UCC courses and student life
• Get the information you need to make the right decision for your future
By joining our Open Days and Live Q&A sessions, you are taking the first steps on your UCC journey. Become part of a vibrant community of over 25,000 students from more than 100 countries.
👉 To register, simply complete the short online form here.
We’re delighted you’re considering UCC and look forward to welcoming you online on Wednesday, 14 January at 4 pm.
Explore our Interactive UCC Undergraduate Guide 2026 and ucc.ie/cao to see if UCC feels right for you.
SCS Drama club's Christmas performance of Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol'.
Dear students & parents/guardians,
University College Cork (UCC) and Munster Technological University (MTU) are collaborating to host a **DARE and HEAR National Information Session**. This is a drop‑in event designed to support anyone considering applying through the **Disability Access Route to Education (DARE)** or the **Higher Education Access Route (HEAR)**.
🗓️ **When:** Saturday, January 10th 2026
⏰ **Time:** 10:00am – 2:00pm (Drop‑in)
📍 **Where:** Nexus, Student Centre, MTU Bishopstown Campus
What to expect:
- Guidance on eligibility and how to apply for DARE and HEAR
- Tips on documentation and common application questions
- Information on supports and services available to students
- Opportunity to speak with staff and ask individual questions
*Who should attend:
Prospective students, parents/guardians, and guidance counsellors interested in DARE and/or HEAR.
No registration required — drop in anytime between 10 am and 2pm.
If you require any accessibility accommodations for the session, please let us know in advance so we can support you.
We look forward to seeing you at MTU Bishopstown Campus!
You can email any queries to :
DARE: dare@ucc.ie
HEAR: hear@ucc.ie
Kind regards,
The Access UCC Outreach Team
Access UCC Website
6th Year Students took part in a Study Skills Workshop on Tuesday 6th of January 2026 - a great opportunity for all to reflect on how they approach study, to reset for the new year and to gain some new skills and tips which will help students to effectively prepare for upcoming Pre Exams and for the Leaving Certificate Exams in June.
