to view College Newsletter Spring 2014

Pres boys Peter O’Mahony and Simon Zebo
star for Munster, Ireland and The Lions
Report by Principal Ken Whyte
This issue of the Pres Gazette is overshadowed by the
untimely passing of Daniel Crowley, one of our 2nd Year
students last November. Our deepest sympathies go to
Daniel’s family- his parents Majella and Donal, and his
siblings, Seán (Class of 2013), Katie and Alannah. I
would really like to commend and thank our students,
both past and present, and our staff for the dignified
way they responded to this most tragic event, and in
particular, the way they shared Daniel’s final journey.
Daniel brought joy to all who knew him, may he now
rest in peace.
This Gazette is a record of the many aspects of ‘Pres’
life; academic, sporting and cultural that have occurred
since the last edition. In essence, it celebrates the
learning experience in its totality.
In particular, we celebrate the exceptional results of our
students in the 2013 Leaving Certificate and Junior
Certificate examinations.
This year’s Leaving Cert highlights include an average
CAO points achieved by all students of 472. Within this
average, 67% of our students achieved over 450 points,
with 39% of students achieving over 500 points and
three students achieving a maximum points total.
In the Junior Certificate, results were excellent yet again
this year. National averages were significantly beaten by
our students with two students achieving the maximum
of 12 A grades and two others getting 11 A grades.
In the sporting world, as we enter the initial rounds of
the Junior and Senior Munster Schools’ Rugby cups, we
wish our teams and their coaches much success.
The Pres Gazette requires quite a lot of preparation. I
would like to thank our editor Don Buckley, for putting
together the various articles and co-ordinating its design
and printing.
Finally, I would like to thank all those staff, students,
parents and past pupils who help to maintain the
traditions of ‘Pres’ and wish them all well for 2014.
Ken Whyte
Ken Whyte
Principal
Leaving Certificate 2013: Six PBC students score over 600pts!
Photo shows (l-r) Eoin McSwiney (Law, UCC), David O’Halloran (Medicine, UCC), Conor Casey (Math Science, UCC),
Oisín Kidney (Medicine, Magdalen College, Oxford), Seán Crowley (Medicine, UCC), Jack Owens (Veterinary, UCD)
and 6th Year Head, Deirdre O’Keeffe. We wish them the very best of luck in their future careers!
Junior Certificate 2013: PBC students achieve maximum grades!
Photo shows (l-r) 4th Year students, Fiachra Kelleher and Shane McCarthy,
pictured after receiving awards for attaining the maximum 12 A Grades in the 2013 Junior Certificate Examination.
SHARE Fast and Collection Christmas 2013
During the Christmas of 1970, SHARE was born. Founded by the late Brother Jerome Kelly and a group
of 12 students from Pres, it has changed the lives of so many of Cork’s senior citizens for the better.
SHARE has grown bit by bit each year and now provides over 200 homes across the city.
This Christmas (2013), the new SHARE executive continued this uniquely Cork tradition when we ran
the annual Christmas Fast and Collection in the city. I’m sure you saw us in our bright yellow jackets,
with the familiar crib in Daunt Square. It is SHARE’s only collection of the year and all money raised goes
straight into providing services for SHARE residents. We braved the weather and spent ten hours on the
streets of the city every day for nine days. It was a huge challenge for us, but an experience that we
will always take pride in.
This year’s Executive, the 43rd version of same, consists of 56 students from 20 schools right across the
city. We meet every Thursday in one of the SHARE complexes and together we plan our projects. We
met for the first time in late September, which is hard to believe as we have grown so close over the past
few months, especially on the lead up to Christmas when we attended several Christmas parties and
dinners for the residents. This was a great chance for us to bridge the growing gap between our
generations and make friends we wouldn’t normally be given the chance to make. Our work continues
for the entire year as we organise various events and visit the residents each week at their homes.
Now for the rest of the school year it is our chance to think of new ways to contribute to the ever
evolving entity that SHARE has become, and shape it in a way that we believe will further benefit the
residents and the executives that will follow us into the future. Our theme for this particular year is
‘Passion, Dignity and Respect’ and as an Executive, we hope we have promoted these ideals and striven
to live by them during our work.
As Chairman, I would like to thank everyone who supported us during the Christmas Fast and Collection.
Your generosity is greatly appreciated and you can be assured that it makes a big difference to the lives
of many senior citizens in Cork.
Michael McGrath,
Chairman,
SHARE Executive
Br Martin Kenneally (Congregation Leader, Presentation Brothers) with Michael McGrath (Chairman, SHARE)
at the launch of the 2013 SHARE Christmas Fast and Collection.
SHARE Chairman Michael McGrath, launches the
2013 SHARE Fast and Collection at Daunt Square.
Also included is Co-Deputy Chairman Caolan O’Flynn.
Pictured outside the Br Jerome Kelly Day Centre (l-r), Co-Deputy
Chairmen SHARE, Martin O’Farrell and Caolan O’Flynn with
Br Martin Kenneally and SHARE Chairman Michael McGrath.
A group of SHARE collectors pictured in the city centre during the SHARE Christmas Collection 2013
(l-r) Michael Whooley (PBC), Michael Sheehan (PBC), Neil O’Brien (CBC) and Rory McCarthy (CBC).
A large group of SHARE collectors pictured in Daunt Square, December 2013
with, from left: Michael McGrath (Chairman, SHARE), Bishop of Cork and Ross, John Buckley, Lady Mayoress Cllr Catherine Clancy,
CoI Bishop of Cork, Cloyne and Ross Rev Paul Colton and Co-Deputy Chairmen, SHARE, Caolan O’Flynn and Martin O’Farrell.
PresLink Committee 2014
Back Row (l-r): Ronan Dennehy, Dean Callanan, Tom Murphy, Shane O’Brien, Andrew O’Riordan, Ken Greally,
David Geaney-O’Brien, Ben Murphy and Dylan Dineen.
Middle Row (l-r): William O’Brien, Evan O’Brien, Shane McCarthy, Shane Donegan, Jack O’Sullivan, Eoin O’Shea, Conor Ormond,
Brian O’Mahony, Jimmy Costello, Michael Shinkwin, Fiachra Kelleher and Darragh Holmes.
Front Row (l-r): Alex O’Carroll, Daniel Griffin, Martin Keohane, Ryan O’Connell, Kane Collins, Luke Holmes,
James O’Connor and Jack O’Mahony.
Ruairí McIntyre and Cian Morgan accompanied by the 1st Year bodhrán players
open the Christmas Carol Concert with the ‘Little Drummer Boy’.
PresLink Goldrush and Bag Packing raises almost e8,500!
We started the year with our Goldrush event with 1st, 2nd and 3rd Years collecting all their spare coins over the
summer months. Once again, we were thrilled with the response to this very exciting event, with a grand total of
e3,171 raised. Class 2/1, the eventual winners thoroughly enjoyed their prize!
As in previous years, the Annual Bag Packing was a resounding success this year. They took place on Friday,
December 20th and Saturday December 21st in Dunnes Stores, Bishopstown Court. We would like to sincerely
thank Dunne Stores, for facilitating this event during their busiest time of the year.
2nd and 3rd Year students participated, raising over e5,171 for a great cause - Presentation Brothers’ projects
abroad. We really appreciate the effort made by the students who took part, and particularly all of their parents
for making the event possible.
A big ‘Thank You’ also to members of Pres staff and the PresLink Committee who gave up huge amounts of their
spare time over that weekend to supervise our bag packers.
We are really grateful for your continued support of our efforts.
Dylan Dinneen and Jack O'Sullivan,
4th Year PresLink Committee
PresLink - exciting forthcoming events!
We have a number of exciting fundraisers planned for the 2nd term. Guesstimation Elevation will be run for all
year groups. The aim of the game is to guess how many rugby balls can fit in the school lift. This will show how
much we really know about rugby!!
We are also looking for ideas on a variation of a non uniform day, maybe funny hats? The odd shoe? An alternative
tie? Please let us know!
The biggest of this year’s events, however, was certainly the 4th Year Ball, held recently in The Montenotte Hotel.
We are hoping that this might become an annual event, because of the huge success of the night!
Once again, the entire PresLink Committee would like to thank you all for your continuing support and we hope
that you are enjoying the various fundraising events.
Next year, be ready for the Christmas Jumper Day!!!
Daragh Holmes,
4th Year PresLink Committee
Photo shows 4th Year PresLink Committee counting the proceeds of bag packing.
PBC Graduate News
Peter O’Mahony
A member of the Class of 2008 and Senior Rugby captain
that year, Peter is now established as one of Munster and
Ireland’s best and most influential players. Having
cemented his place in the Munster team, Peter was first
capped at senior level against Italy in 2012. In 2013, he
succeeded Doug Howlett as Munster captain and was
Ireland’s captain for last year’s tour of North America. He
was part of the Ireland team that lost so narrowly to New
Zealand in November 2013, and has since returned to the
Munster set up, leading them to the knockout stages of
this season’s Heineken Cup and scoring the bonus point
try versus Edinburgh. He’s now preparing for the Six
Nations Championship and will have been buoyed by the
recent news that he has been nominated for this season’s
ERC European Player-of-the-Year. Well done Peter!
Simon Zebo
Simon, also a member of the class of 2008, has enjoyed
a meteoric rise to rugby fame in the last two years. Two
Heineken Cup hat-tricks against Northampton and
Racing Metro in recent seasons placed him firmly in the
media spotlight and he was first capped by Ireland
against New Zealand in June 2012. His 2013 rugby year
is best remembered for his outrageous ‘heel –flick’ that
set up a try and a victory against Wales in the 2013 Six
Nations, and undoubtedly led to his selection by the
Lions, playing a part in their winning series in Australia
this summer. Simon was also nominated Cork Personof-the Month for February. After a recent injury, Simon
returned to the Munster squad in last month’s Heineken
Cup games against Gloucester and Edinburgh, scoring a
late try against the Scottish team. Go for it Simon!
Conail Murphy
Conail, Head Boy 2009, recently graduated from UCC
with an Honours degree in Process and Chemical
Engineering. He has received a prestigious Petronas
Scholarship to study for a Masters Degree in Petroleum
Engineering, and will travel to Malaysia next May to
begin that exciting course. We are delighted to hear
about his academic achievements to date and all at PBC
wish Conail every success in the future!
Conail Murphy
UCC Medicine Graduates 2013
Seven past pupils from Presentation Brothers College graduated in Medicine at the 2013 University College Cork Summer Conferrings.
Photo shows (l-r): Philip Bredin, Aiden Twomey (Deputy Principal, PBC) Charlie Sullivan, Deirdre O'Keeffe (6th Year Head PBC),
Peter Moriarty, Joe Clair, Tim Keady, Colum Dennehy, Sam Marks and Kevin Murphy.
All at Pres are very proud of the new doctors and wish them every success in their careers!
NUI Galway Sports Scholarships 2013 / 2014
Photo shows (l-r): Kevin Neville (Rowing), Ronan O’Sullivan (Basketball) and Paddy Higgins (Rowing) who received Sports Scholarships
from NUI Galway. We congratulate the lads and look forward to reading more about them on the sports pages in the years ahead!
PBC Dramat
Every year, Presentation Brothers College run a production of a play chosen by our director Kieran Ahern. The play
chosen this year is ‘All My Sons’ by Arthur Miller.
The play selected this year will present yet another brilliant and dramatic story: ‘All My Sons’ exposes the desolation
of the American dream through a story of love, loss and hope. In Joe and Kate Keller's family garden, an apple tree
- a memorial to their son Larry, lost in the Second World War - has been torn down by a storm. But his loss is not
the only part of the family's past that they can't put behind them.
‘All My Sons’ is a moving, powerful drama and the first great play from one of the finest playwrights of the twentieth
century.
This year’s production will showcase a remarkable collection of young talent as we have the return of 5th Year's Tom
Monahan and Rory Holohan taking the roles of Joe Keller and Jim Bayliss respectively, and a return of Mount
Mercy's Ailsa Coughlan in the role of Kate Keller. Our newcomers from 4th Year are Matthew Palliser-Kehoe,
Fiachra Kelleher and Ronan Dennehy, who will be taking up the roles of the son Chris, friend George and neighbour
Frank, respectively.
We have been fortunate enough to recruit marvellous new talent for our female roles, as Mount Mercy's Eva Doyle
and Cathy Brown and St Aloysius' Jodie Herrity will tackle the roles of the torn Annie, the troublesome neighbour
Sue and the bubbly neighbour Lydia, respectively. Last but not least, our very own 1st Year student, Cian Morgan
will be playing the kid Bert, from across the street. Our production this year is yet another display of this College’s
remarkable creative talent which is, of course, only possible under the accomplished direction of Kieran Ahern.
Photo shows back row (l-r): Rory Holohan, Ronan Dennehy, Tom Monahan, Cian Morgan, Matthew Palliser-Kehoe and Fiachra Kelleher.
front row (l-r): Cathy Brown, Ailsa Coughlan, Eva Doyle and Jodie Herrity.
A well deserved standing ovation for the cast.
Cast and Crew of ‘All My Sons’:
Back row (l-r): Andrew Daly, Eanna O’Leary-Hegarty, Rory Holohan, Kieran Ahern (Director), Ronan Dennehy, Tom Monahan,
Cian Morgan, Matthew Palliser-Kehoe, Fiachra Kelleher, Kate McCarthy, Aoife Coffey and Julie McStay.
Front row (l-r): Justin Aherne, Daniel Griffin, James Scanlan, Cathy Brown, Ailsa Coughlan, Eva Doyle, Jodie Herrity,
Rebekah O’Doherty. Louise Dinan and Shauna Williams.
Foreground (l-r): Colin Maguire and Tony O’Donoghue.
Pres Debating Society
Photo shows top row (l-r) Mel Holohan, David Higgins and Mark O’Connor.
Middle row (l-r) Oisín Kirby-McNamara, Tony Cusack, Tadhg Cowhig, Hugh Fitzgerald, Mark O’Gorman,
Jack Madden and teacher Annette Barry.
Front row (l-r) Cian Harley, John Whyte, Misha O’Flynn, Joshua Greene, Cian O’Shea and Adam Hallissey.
Junior Debating
1st Year Debating - There were two major competitions for 1st Years in the period up to Christmas. The November
League was run over three weeks with local schools, Mount Mercy, St Aloysius and ourselves taking part in a high
quality and fun-filled event. The Matheson Mace Debate (Munster Section) was held in November in Pres,
consisting of five debates held over a single day . Ruairí McIntyre and I subsequently won through to the National
finals .
The weekly inhouse debates were very enjoyable, but also topical in the motions chosen. For instance, we had a
debate about the relevance of Seanad Éireann and its potential abolition shortly before the actual Seanad
Referendum was held in October. These debates certainly help us to prepare for more competitive debates outside
of the College. The Senior debaters have also been very helpful by adjudicating and giving us honest and relevant
feedback after each in-house debate.
Overall, my involvement with the Debating Society to date has been a most positive and educational experience,
and has certainly motivated me to continue debating into the future.
Tadhg Cowhig,
1st Year
2nd Year Debating - It has been an eventful and most enjoyable year yet again for the Junior members of the Pres
Debating Society. Our regular Friday afternoon meetings (where new members are always welcome!) kept us busy
from the beginning of September. We have also been busy at county, provincial and even national debates!
Pres students did outstandingly well in the Matheson All-Ireland Mace Debate, Munster Round, held in the Dan
Donovan Theatre, where four of our students qualified out of a total entry of 72! These included two 1st Years,
for whom this is an achievement not to be forgotten.
The traditional competition, the Cork City Schools’ Shield is also well underway with the upcoming final taking
place late in January. John Whyte (1st Year) and I have qualified for the final as a team and Hugh Fitzgerald (2nd
Year) has gone all the way to the final as an individual speaker!
2nd Year Debating (continued)
The debating year is far from over though, and I would urge any Junior students with even a passing interest in
public speaking to come along to our meetings and join in the fun.
I would like to thank Ms Annette Barry for the tremendous effort she has put into the development of the Society.
I would also like to thank the very hardworking and enthusiastic Senior members of the Debating Society, who come
along to adjudicate and provide excellent advice to us on our speaking.
So as you can see the Debating Society has come on in leaps and bounds, and we don't plan on stopping yet! A
bright future most certainly lies ahead!
Adam Hallissey,
2nd Year
Senior Debating
Back (l-r): Colm McBride, Shane McCarthy, Ian Coleman, Dan O’Mahony, Timmy Peters, Sam Browne and teacher Ronan O’Mahony.
Front row (l-r): Rory Holohan, Fiachra Kelleher, Brian Walsh, Areeb Mian, Cathal Walsh and Daire O’Herlihy.
Senior Debating 2013 / 2014 - So far this year, Senior Debating in the school has grown quite considerably. This
is great for the Society and indeed the school, as more and more Pres students are now learning the art of rhetoric
and acquiring skills that will stand to many of them in the years to come!
We in the Society have also enjoyed a good start to our competitive year with two teams and an individual getting
through to the semi-finals of the UCC Philosophy Debate, which will take place later on this month. Back in
September, Daire O’Herlihy and Dan O’Mahony reached the Semi-Final of the UCD L and H Mace. Congratulations
must also go out to Cathal and Brian Walsh, who reached the quarter finals of this competition.
Our teams have also done very well in the many Youth Parliaments that have taken place in Cork and Rotterdam
this year. In particular, special congratulations must go out to Brian Walsh, who received an Honourable Mention
for his outstanding work within his committee at NatMUN in UCC back in October.
For the next few months, we hope to continue the development of the Society, as well as continuing with the
important coaching and organisation for Junior Debating, that many of our Senior members are only too happy to
help with.
Finally, we would also like to thank our fantastic Debating Teacher and mentor Ronan O’Mahony for the tremendous
commitment and expertise he gives the Society on an ongoing basis.
Dan O’Mahony,
5th Year
SCIENCE MATTERS
PBC Lego Robotics Team 2014
Photo shows (l-r): Sean O'Reilly, Cian Harley, Hugh Fitzgerald and Luke Schumm.
Students from the PBC Lego robotics team who participated in the inter-schools competition on the 6th
of February in CIT. The students prepared for the competition by attending classes in UCC and CIT and
collaborated with their mentor Dr Khosrov Sadeghipour from the Tyndall National Institute. The students
then programmed their robot to complete a number of tasks at the competition.
Lynda Meiklejohn
CanSat Competitors 2014
Photo shows (l-r): Brian Casey, Eoin Treacy and Martin Keohane.
BT Young Young Scientist 2013/2014
The BT Young Scientist Exhibition is the largest youth science competition in Ireland. It was set up in 1963. Since
then, it has grown to become one of the most prestigious and highly renowned competitions in Europe. The total
entries were over 2,000, of which 550 exhibited in the RDS. Only one group from PBC was selected to enter and
present for exhibition. This 5th Year group of John Ryan-Purcell, Areeb Mian and Colm McBride decided to do a
continuation of our previous year’s project entitled ‘The Best Way to Write’, with the main goal of the project being
to find the best handwriting posture. Poor handwriting has existed since the invention of the writing instrument.
No doubt that Romans carving into wax tablets with their styli suffered from the same pains and aches that we do
today after long periods of writing. Good handwriting practices can lead to faster, neater and more efficient
handwriting. We endeavoured to work out the various ways to improve your handwriting, while still maintaining
legibility and control. Last year, we used simple pressure sensors on pens to determine roughly which style was the
most efficient, particularly with regard to the force exerted on the pen. This year, we expanded on that concept,
building a pressure sensor glove which was capable of determining the pressure exerted on specific points on the
hand (primarily the fingers) which are associated with holding the pen. This enabled us to vastly improve our results
and obtain a far larger data set, which in turn improved the accuracy and conclusions of our project. We also
developed an iOS Application that is currently available on the Apple App Store.
The exhibition itself was hugely rewarding. We received a ‘Highly Commended’ award in the Senior Category of
the Chemical, Physical & Mathematical section of the competition. To any students thinking of participating next
year, we would definitely recommend it, as it truly was a worthwhile and brilliant experience! Areeb Mian, 5th Year
Photo shows (l-r) Micheál Martin TD, Areeb Mian, John Ryan-Purcell, Colm McBride and Gill Madden, BT PR
at the BT Young Scientist Exhibition where the Pres lads won a 'Highly Commended' award for their project.
1st Year students enjoying the exhibits during Science Week
Photo shows (l-r) James Ginnely, Mark Fitzgibbon, James McCann, Fergal Hayes, David Hyde, Mark McLoughlin, Peter Hyde,
Max Kelleher, Peter Dunne, Harry Fitzgerald and Abdullah Khan.
The Gaisce Awards
Last year, during our Transition Year, Luke Gayer and I completed The Gaisce President’s Award. The main objective
of these awards is to develop young people through the achievement of personal challenges. We both completed
the Bronze Award, in which we had to complete four different types of activities.
These were community involvement, personal skills, a recreational activity, and an adventure journey, all of which
had to be completed over 26 weeks. We needed to do one hour of each activity for thirteen weeks and an additional
thirteen weeks for one of the activities.
For my community involvement, I did tennis coaching in Ballinlough Tennis Club. Every Wednesday afternoon, for
a 2½ hour period, I coached a group of primary school children, aged 6-9 (with a little bit of assistance of course!).
This was by far the most fulfilling of the activities, because it actually forces you to do something that you wouldn’t
ordinarily be used to or comfortable with.
The recreational activity was by far the easiest. In this all you have to do is play a sport once a week, now how hard
is that??? As it happened, for my personal skill, I chose to do the ECDL, and as this was a module already in place
in the TY programme in Pres, I was able to incorporate it into the Gaisce. This was absolutely ideal for me as it freed
up additional time for the outside school activities.
Strictly speaking, everyone in Transition Year completes the adventure journey. When we complete our Outdoor
Pursuits Module in the first week of the school year, that is the obligation fulfilled. Once you commit to your
activities at the start of the year you can’t change them, and every few weeks your log has to be signed off by your
Gaisce PAL (your mentor). So it’s crucial to keep your log up to date.
Overall, I found the Gaisce to be a thoroughly enjoyable and worthwhile experience. Although it does involve a
commitment once you sign up, I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending the Gaisce Awards to anyone.
Ian Coleman
5th Year
Photo shows (l-r): 5th Year students Ian Coleman and Luke Gayer who both received Bronze Gaisce Awards during their Transition Year.
Class 1/1 2013
Class 1/1 with Class Teacher Ronan O’Mahony
Class 1/2 2013
Class 1/2 with 1st Year Head Mary O’Connor
First Year students of 2013
We warmly welcome all our new First Years and hope they enjoy their years in Pres.
Copies of the 1st Year class photographs are available to purchase.
Please visit www.adrianoherlihy.com for details.
Class 1/3 2013
Class 1/3 with 1st Year Head Mary O’Connor
Class 1/4 2013
Class 1/4 with 1st Year Head Mary O’Connor
Tobar na Gaeilge - An Foireann Soisireach
An Foireann Soisireach (l-r): Reggie Kavanagh, Bean Uí Mhurchú agus Seán MacCraith.
Arís i mbliana bhí dhá fhoireann díospóireachta againn a ghlac páirt i gComórtas díospóireachta an Phiarsaigh. Rinne an dá
fhoireann dul chun cinn an-mhaith ach tháinig deireadh lena réimeas i gCathair Phort Láirge ar an 14 Eanáir 2014. Thug an
dá fhoireann taispeántas den scoth an oíche sin ach ní bhfuair siad an lámh in uachtar... Beidh lá eile ag an bPaorach!
Tobar na Gaeilge - An Foireann Sinsireach
An Foireann Sinsireach (l-r): Micheal MacCraith, An tUsal Mhic Eoin, Fiachra Ó Ceallachair agus Dara Holmes.
Pres unlucky not to retain their title in Cork Schools French Quiz
6th Year Team (l-r): Neil Collins, Conor O'Donovan, Patrick Lee and Aaron Daly.
Our 6th and 5th Year teams took part in the annual Cork Schools’ French Quiz in Bishopstown
Community School last November. We won this quiz in 2012 and were unlucky to retain the title this
year, when, after a lot of hard work, we came second. Congratulations to all the lads on both teams on
their heroic efforts.
Mrs O’Connor
Movember: Staff and students unite in fight against male cancers
Back row (l-r) PBC staff members Eoin Hennessy, Sean O’Brien, Colmán Ó Tuama, Carl Sweeney, John Mullarkey,
Fran Keane, Kieran Ahern and Deputy Principal Aiden Twomey.
Middle row (l-r): Ciarán Cremin, Cathal Murphy, Sam Browne, Eoin Molloy, David St Leger, Brian O’Mahony, Conor Murphy,
Patrick Fitzgerald, Jerry Clifford, Dave O’Brien, Dylan Desmond and Shane Guerin
Front row (l-r): Cian O’Brien, Cormac Mulcahy, Ultan Hill, Rory O’Sullivan, Stephen Punch, Richard Burke, Denis Desmond,
David O’Sullivan, Michael Grufferty, Robin Reidy and Brian McCarthy.
Class 3/3 triumphant in College Maths Quiz!
The team from 3/3 who won this year’s Maths Quiz (l-r): Gunjeet Ahawalia, Jack Blake, Cillian Barry and Ruairí Collier.
Maths Poster Competition Winners 2013
Maths Poster Competition Winners (l-r): Alex Guerin (1/1), Daniel Ghori (1/2), Rory Ip (1/4) and Scott Keating (1/3).
Maths Week was held nationwide in October. Students participated in various Maths events throughout the week.
1st Years drew some fabulous posters with a Math’s Theme which were displayed around the College.
Congratulations to the winners of the 1st Year Math’s Poster Competition Alex Guerin 1/1, Daniel Ghori 1/2, Scott
Keating 1/3 and Rory Ip 1/4. Thank you to the Art Department, Nora Walsh and Brian Casey for their assistance.
3rd Years participated in a Maths Table Quiz over six rounds. The result was close and a tie-break was avoided! The
eventual winners were a team from Class 3/3 with Cillian Barry, Ruairí Collier, Jack Blake and Gunjeet Ahluwalia.
The collaboration between Pres and UCC Maths Department continues with students invited to participate in Maths
enrichment class in UCC. In addition, the Maths Circle is run in school for 1st Years one evening per week. They
are encouraged and helped in dealing with Maths problems in a fun atmosphere. This year, a past pupil, Brian
Treacy, returns under the direction of the UCC Maths Department Enrichment Programme as a tutor. Thanks Brian!
The Irish Beaver Computing Contest (IBCC) took place recently. Students who had participated in the Irish European
Science Olympiad were invited to take part. The challenge focused on encouraging and engaging students in
computational and logical thinking. The students involved thoroughly enjoyed the experience. A huge thank you
to Willie O’Keeffe for facilitating the contest in the Computer Room.
4th Year History visit to Glasnevin Cemetery, Dublin
When we first heard the news that both 4th Year history classes would be visiting Glasnevin Cemetery in Dublin, we
were very excited and we’re sure the rest of the classes felt the same way! We made our initial journey to Glasnevin on
January 10th, accompanied by Ms Walsh, Mr O'Riordan and Mr Gleeson. On our arrival, we were immediately blown
away by the sheer size of the cemetery itself, and we later learned that over 1.5 million people are buried there. We
were brought into the museum, which houses many interesting artefacts from different periods of history, and were given
an informative lecture from our tour guide. We later visited the cemetery itself.
We were told that if you walked all the way around the cemetery, it would take you over two and a half hours, and
after only experiencing just a fraction of what it had to offer, we can confirm that that is no lie! We visited the graves
of many great Irish historical figures including Daniel O'Connell, Eamon De Valera and Michael Collins. Interestingly,
there is actually a grave that you can purchase which is located only a few metres away from Michael Collins, but it
would cost you e70,000! We really enjoyed the tour and only wish we had more time to walk around and experience
it fully. Afterwards, we returned to the museum and were each given a historical character or event to study, the objective
being to come up with a presentation to share with our classmates when we returned two weeks later. On January 23rd,
we returned, accompanied this time by Mr Sheehan and Mr Gleeson. After a week of painstaking research and learning,
we were confident and excited about presenting our work, as well as a little nervous! We really enjoyed giving our
presentations and were very taken by our classmate’s research. The trip was certainly one of the highlights of 4th Year
thus far and we must thank the College and all the teachers involved for making this possible. We felt truly privileged
to have visited such a renowned historical landmark, and we would encourage every student who has a passion for
history to strive to be involved in such a worthwhile experience.
Dean Callanan, David O’Donovan, 4th Year
The 4th Year students who visited Glasnevin Cemetery with teachers Eleanor Walsh, David O’Riordan and John Gleeson
The grave of Charles Stewart Parnell in Glasnevin Cemetery
Senior Ski Tour 2013/14 to Sansicario, Italy
This year, during the Christmas holiday period, a combined group of 5th and 6th Years, together with a number of
teachers, set out for a week’s skiing in Sansicario, located in the northwest of Italy, right on the border with France.
The first leg of the journey involved a bus trip to Dublin, and once we got there we were delayed for two and a
half hours, grounded because of storm force winds.
Nevertheless, we eventually made it to Milan, with the dubious prospect of another three hour bus journey ahead
of us! Once we got to the hotel and collected our ski gear, we did exactly what was expected of a group of lads
who rarely see snow, we had a massive snowball fight!
Despite the early wake up call, our first morning immediately got off to a good start when Mr O’Regan turned up
to breakfast wearing vibrant yellow salopettes! After our first morning on the slopes, it was easy to see that all the
talent was on display in the advanced group, yet beginners clearly won out in the entertainment stakes! After
lunch, in our eagerness to get going again, all fourteen of the rookies took off down the slope out of the hotel. The
combination of the first man falling trying to avoid a family out walking, lead to a hilarious fourteen-man pile up.
From then on, anything involving beginners was recorded for posterity!
The days consisted of four hours of lessons and two hours of free skiing, with lunch and dinner being used as a
facility to catch up on all the latest videos and deciding who had the best fall of the day. The evening entertainment
varied from a table quiz to a poker night. We rang in the New Year in a very loud manner, and Sansicario may well
have gained a new tradition: forming a circle around a man who was screaming ‘Twist ‘n Shout’ at the top of his
lungs!
As the week went on, Antonio’s (the much put upon ski instructor!) patience with us beginners eventually wore thin!
There was only so much of Crazy Horse’s antics and Sully’s refusal to turn going down the slope that Antonio could
take, and this coupled with our inability to control our speed brought about some spectacular crashes!
On our final day of skiing, Eugenio and Emmanuel (God help him!), took their groups across the border and cries
of ‘My Group’ rang out in France for the day. It was a fantastic achievement to be able to say we skied from Italy
to France and back. Once we alighted from the final cable car we were greeted by a sign which informed us that,
on a scale of 1-5, the likelihood of an avalanche was a four and we were in the middle of a blizzard. Still, we carried
on and had an outstanding day of skiing.
Our return to the hotel sadly meant it was time for packing and that our trip was almost at an end. That said, in
arriving back in Cork with no injuries to speak of, we had created a new ski-tour record for a PBC group!!!
Denis Desmond
Pres students on a rare moment of relaxation during the Ski Tour to Sansicario, Italy, Christmas 2013 (l-r) Paul Collins, Bryan O’Sullivan,
Jack Murphy, Jamie Diggin, John Barry, Richard Burke, Niall Horgan, Don O’Mahony, Jack Carrigy and Donagh McCarthy.
Munster Schools Swimming Championships 2013-14.
The Gala was held in UL on Sunday December 15th 2013, and we left Pres at 6.00am with the warm-up beginning
at 8.00am. Four students competed, travelling to the event with Denis Hegarty and Swim Coaches Diarmuid
McAuliffe and Brian Clifford. Unfortunately, a lot of our older swimmers have now left school and are studying in
UCC, where I am glad to say they are still involved in swimming. Therefore, although we were depleted in numbers
this year, the good news is that we have a significant number of competitive swimmers entering Pres next year.
Our team - although narrowly missing out on winning medals - did very well. You must consider that of our squad
of four, only two are current competitive swimmers, Cian Harley (Dolphin Swim Club) and Ross McAuliffe ( Sundays
Well Swim Club). Ross is also a member of the Cork High Performance Squad, a group selected from the top
swimmers in Cork City and County.
Squad Results:
Daithí Kent
David Higgins
Cian Harley
Ross McAuliffe
21st out of 29
18th out of 22
9th out of 25
20th out of 41
10th out of 16
4th out of 31
5th out of 16
Junior 100m Breaststroke
Junior 100m Frontcrawl
Intermediate 100m Breaststroke
Junior 100m Frontcrawl
Junior 200m Individual Medley
Intermediate 100m Backcrawl
Intermediate 200m Individual Medley
The Squad also competed in both the Intermediate Medley and Freestyle Relays finishing 5th and 6th respectively.
Brian Clifford, Coach
Pres Swim Team pictured at the Munster Schools Swimming Gala held at the University of Limerick, December 2013.
(l-r): Cian Harley, Daithí Kent, David Higgins, Denis Hegarty, Ross McAuliffe and Brian Clifford.
Cricket in Pres is thriving!
Good weather over the summer months proved to be the inspiration for some superb performances from young
cricketers within the College. Chief amongst them was 17 year old Ian Coleman, who represented his school, Cork
County CC, and his province throughout the season. The young opening batsman and wicket keeper helped Cork
County win Division 3 of the Leinster League, securing promotion to Division 2 and he topped the wicket keeping
averages by taking 21 catches and 3 stumpings throughout the course of the season! An unbelievable feat for
someone so young, who without a doubt is destined for international honours in the near future. Well done, Ian!
At underage level Aidan and Brian Kelleher, Martin Keohane, Cian and Diarmuid Carey and Harry Scannell were all
capped for Munster, taking on a Leinster U15 side at the Mardyke. The Munster side, captained by our very own
Aidan Kelleher, enjoyed a superb win over their provincial rivals. Aidan took matters into his own hands by scoring
a match winning 43, which helped secure Munster’s first win against Leinster for many years. Aidan proved to be
a great leader and an inspirational captain. Well done again Aidan!
The summer also saw the founding of a new inter-schools competition, ‘The Galty Cup’ between Pres and Christians.
The inaugural game of this new cup was won by Pres, thanks to some outstanding batting performances from Ian
Coleman and Martin Keohane, allied to some hostile bowling from Hugh O’Brien who has now left the school and
moved on to UCC. We wish him well. This was yet another great achievement for Pres Cricket, and we hope that
‘The Galty Cup’ will now become an annual tradition.
It should also be noted that Diarmuid Carey, currently in 1st Year, was selected for the Ireland U13 squad during
the summer. This is an another outstanding achievement considering his age, and very well deserved.
In other news, Cork County CC won the treble this year for the first time in their history, consisting of the Leinster
Division 3 title, the Munster Division 1 title, and the Munster Senior Cup. Their Senior team included plenty of Pres
pupils, both past and present. As their main feeder school, Pres can lay claim to many Cork County players at all
levels.
This coming summer promises to be a very busy one for the school side. With games organised against local rivals,
Christians and St Mary’s College in Dublin, there will be no lack of match practice for the side. Also, later on in the
school year an indoor blitz will be organised for all 2nd Year students, with each class having their own team. There
will be some excellent prizes so all 2nd Years are advised to get practising.
Finally, much credit must go to past pupils, Ross Durrity and Kevin Bray, for their huge commitment to coaching in
Pres. It is hoped that many new players will emerge this coming winter, with training in the school gym taking place
every Friday after school from 3.15pm to 4.30pm, and every Saturday morning from 10.30am to 12.30pm
All are very welcome to come along!
Dermot Giltinan, Pres Cricket Coach
PBC Cricket Team 2013
Back row (l-r): Ryan O’Connell, Areeb Mian, Cian Carey, Aidan Kelleher, Mike Varnum and Harry Scannell.
Front row (l-r): Diarmuid Carey, Brian Kelleher, Ian Coleman, Cian O’Mahony and Martin Keohane.
Exciting times for PBC Rowing!
National Schools Champions 2013
The National Schools’ Regatta which took place in Farran Woods at the end of June last, proved to be a very
successful day for the school, with Pres picking up two titles on the day. Twin brothers, David Keohane and Brian
Keohane, took gold in the Open Pair’s event with Andrew McCarthy and Michael McGrath picking up an impressive
win in the Open Double Sculls. Well done to both crews on a fantastic achievement!
Belfast University Boat Race
The college was invited to compete in the inaugural Schools Boat Race which was held as part of the annual Queens
University-Trinity College Dublin Boat Race.
We were also invited alongside four northern schools; Portora, MCB, RBAI and CAI along with Blackrock College
Dublin to participate in a six school race held on the River Lagan in Belfast. After a great days’ racing, Pres was
narrowly beaten into second place by Portora Royal School from Enniskillen.
Internationals
Four Pres RC athletes were selected to represent their country this summer and took part in the European
Championships of Junior Rowing at the Coupe de la Jeunesse in Lucerne, Switzerland in August. This is the highest
number of athletes selected in one year from the college’s rowing team and the first time that there have been
athletes selected at European level, so a number of records have been set this past season.
Brian Keohane and David Keohane were selected to represent Ireland in the J18 Coxless Four and Eight, and David
Twomey achieved the great honour of being selected as cox to both the men’s and women’s Eights at the Coupe.
Kevin Keohane had the distinction of being selected to represent Ireland at the Home International Regatta in
Nottingham in July, and then being drafted into the Coupe squad as a very late injury replacement for one of the
original crew members. This resulted in three Pres brothers rowing for Ireland in the Fours event in Lucerne. A very
proud day for themselves, the Keohane family and the college. Heartiest congratulations on a magnificent
achievement!
Cork Sculling Ladder (September 2012 – March 2013)
The annual Cork Sculling Ladder which starts in September finished up at the end of March with the college picking
up an impressive hat-trick of wins. The competition, which saw over 120 single ‘scullers’ from all over Munster
take part in the event over the winter months, finished up with wins in the Junior 16 (Brian Keohane), Junior 15
(Martin O’Farrell) and Junior 14 (Tom Cregan)
categories. Well done to the three winners who recently
received their awards at a presentation held in Cork
Constitution RFC.
Pirates and Piracy
Thanks to everyone who attended our recent fundraiser
where Stephen Hyde gave an excellent talk on his three
year adventure sailing around the world. Thanks to all
those who helped out on the night and it was great to
see so many past pupils turn up to show their support.
Past pupils continued rowing success
Well done to past pupil John Griffin who won the
Intermediate Four and Pair events at the National
Championships in July representing UCC, and to Kevin
Neville and Patrick Higgins who were members of the
NUIG Eight that won the Intermediate Eights event. Well
done also to all three of them as they each picked up a
rowing scholarship from their respective universities in
recognition of their achievements.
Mens Pairs Winners at the Schools Regatta
(l-r) David and Brian Keohane
Pres International Rowers
Mens Double Sculls Winners at the Schools Regatta
at the Coupe De La Jeunesse, Lucerne, Switzerland, August 2013
(l-r) Brian Keohane, Kevin Keohane, David Twomey (Cox)
and David Keohane.
(l-r) Andrew McCarthy and Michael McGrath
As always a sincere thanks to all the coaches, athletes, parents and supporters for all the commitment and dedication
shown over the past year. It is greatly appreciated and valued.
Fran Keane, Senior Rowing Coach
Pres Rowers at the University Boat Race, Belfast 2013
(l-r) Michael McGrath, Martin O’Farrell, Brian Keohane, Jamie Mulcahy, Daniel Brohan, Tom Bond, Michael Grufferty,
David Keohane and Kevin Keohane. Front: David Twomey (Cox)
PBC Rugby 2013/14 Mid-Season Review
1st Years
It's hard to believe that it's January already! Settling in and getting to know their new classmates in September is
soon replaced by new bonds forged not only within the school, but also on the rugby pitch in Wilton. Rugby is the
ultimate team sport, where each player must constantly rely on his friends and team mates for support. Indeed,
anyone who has watched our 1st Year teams play this year would recognise that team spirit is particularly high in
this group. They have huge regard for each other and play for the team, rather than for themselves. I firmly believe
that our 1st Year group has both the talent and determination to develop into a very successful panel of players over
the next few years.
On the pitch there have been many highs, with recent victories over CBC, Rockwell and Clongowes just to mention
a few. Off the field, our trip to the Aviva Stadium to see Ireland play Samoa was a great success as the boys got
to see past pupil, Peter O’Mahony, play outstandingly well in a 40-9 victory.
The season is far from over with games coming up against our great rivals, CBC as well as Terenure College and St
Mary's College from Dublin, to name but a few. Rugby will continue into the third term and from then into the
summer, with a huge focus on skill development.
2nd Years
This year for the first time, following a proposal made by PBC, the McCarthy Cup was extended to two teams per
school. Both PBC teams qualified for their respective semi-finals on the competition, only to lose out to Crescent
in two very hard fought games. The teams continue to train and play with quality games coming up against
Clongowes, Terenure, CBC, Bandon, Castleknock and St Mary's. A trip to the Aviva Stadium to watch Ireland play
Italy is also being planned for the Six Nations game on March 8th next. This group will also play rugby in the third
term, and a supervised strength and conditioning programme is also scheduled to take place in Wilton over the
summer months.
Junior Rugby
This year has been a very positive year so far for all boys involved at Junior Cup level, with over 50 boys training
and playing every week since last August. Competition for places in the Junior Cup squad has been intense and
the coaches have had the welcome headache of having to choose from such a large and talented group.
PBC Junior Cup players pictured in their 2014 Junior Cup kit, jointly sponsored by Tom Murphy Menswear, Patrick Street and
Newmarket Motors Volkswagen (l-r): Jack B O’Sullivan, Jack O’Sullivan, Dean Callanan and Conor O’Flynn. Very best of luck lads!
The Kidney Cup team lost their semi-final to the eventual winners of the competition, Castletroy College, going
down to a penalty awarded in the last minute of the game. They have continued to play games and at the moment
are on a very good run, having beaten both Midleton College and St Mary's College in recent weeks. Next year,
like the McCarthy Cup, the Bowen Shield will be extended to two teams per school, so our Kidney Cup team will
have a lot to play for next season!
The Junior 1st XV also won in Dublin recently, beating St Mary's by 14-9. In the last few months, the boys have
clocked up a lot of miles, playing in Dublin on five occasions and also in Belfast against RBAI. In Belfast, to cap off
a good weekend, the boys visited the exciting Titanic Experience.
The business end of the season is at hand and on February 5th next, JCT captain Jack O’Shea will lead his charges
out at Musgrave Park to face CBC. Christians are many people’s favourites for the Junior Cup this year, but nothing
brings out the best in a Pres team more than the sight of that red, yellow and black jersey of our greatest rivals!
PBC Abu!
Bowen Shield
This year, for the first time, the Bowen Shield squad was fully integrated into the Senior Rugby set up. The boys
also benefitted from a new arrangement with UCC and the Mardyke Arena, whereby they were facilitated over the
summer months with supervised conditioning sessions. As a result, many of the boys returned to school in excellent
physical condition for the season ahead.
We see this group as a work in progress, and as such the focus in training has lately been largely concentrated on
skill development and tactical awareness. That does not mean that all their games are over. A new initiative this
season will see this squad take on the four regional Munster Club Development Squads as well as playing CBC and
Rockwell College in the coming weeks. This group also has the small matter of a development tour to Italy to look
forward to in June! After that tour, the Mardyke Arena will then be available for supervised gym sessions in
preparation for the 2014/15 season.
Photo shows (l-r): Former CBC, Munster and Ireland scrum half Tomás O’Leary, presenting a London Irish jersey to
PBC Senior player Caolan O’Flynn, on the occasion of the visit of London Irish RFC to the College in August 2013.
Senior Rugby
The Senior Cup Preliminary Round was a very tense affair. We expected a tough game and got it in spades. Bandon
Grammar are a good side, widely acknowledged as their best team in years. We did what we had to do to get into
the next round and it is a credit to the lads that we came back from 9-0 half-time deficit to win 15-9. It was a hard
battle, but one that can only benefit us in the games that lie ahead.
Pres took on St Munchins in the 1st Round proper of the Senior Cup on January 29th in Musgrave Park. The game
itself was a hard fought contest, ending in an 8-8 draw, the Pres scores coming from a Conor Flanagan penalty and
a brilliant Cian Collins try. Unfortunately, as St Munchins scored the first try of the game, they were deemed winners
and were rewarded with a home quarter final. Pres must now travel to Limerick to take on the Cup holders and
favourites Crescent Comprehensive, in a game that will take place on Wednesday February 12th.
I would also like to take this opportunity to invite all parents of Pres students to attend the Cup games at both Senior
and Junior levels. Pres is a community in which the parents play a vital role. It would be great to see the whole
Pres community in Musgrave Park supporting the ‘Black and Whites’ in the coming weeks.
Coaches
PBC Rugby could not function without the dedication of the teachers involved and all of the parents who give up
their free time to help with each age grade. On behalf of the College, I would like to thank the teachers and these
parent/coaches for the gift of their free time and energy. It is hugely appreciated!
I would also like to thank Principal Ken Whyte and all the staff for their continued support of rugby in PBC. Finally,
in closing, I would like to thank Val, Marie, Edwin and Barry for all the unseen work that they do behind the scenes
for PBC Rugby. Without their contribution, we would all be lost!
Caleb Sheehan, Games Master
Munster Schools U18 Representatives 2013-14
Photo shows (l-r): Paul Kiernan (Munster Captain), John Poland, Joe Ring and Caolan O’Flynn.
We congratulate the lads on their selection for Munster and look forward to seeing them in the senior red jersey in the near future.
PBC Rugby: A big ‘Thank You’ to all our sponsors
As rugby continues to evolve and develop, some believe
it will shortly become a completely elitist sport, and deny
some boys the chance of fulfilling their dreams by
putting on the Pres jersey and playing for the school.
However, the PBC philosophy with regard to schools’
rugby remains steadfast: ‘There is a place in Wilton for
all boys to play rugby at a level which they can enjoy,
and where they can learn the skills of the game.’
We would like to sincerely thank all our partners and
sponsors who help us to maintain the PBC ethos on an
ongoing basis to fund a rugby programme for all levels,
that is run throughout the entire school year.
Tom Murphy Menswear, Patrick Street and Newmarket
Motors together with Volkswagen are the sponsors of
PBC’s Senior and Junior Cup teams for 2014. Their
financial support helps run five U14 teams and four U15
teams, as they travel to Dublin and Limerick for fixtures.
Over 200 boys now play regular rugby throughout the
year, and in so doing learn the basics of the game.
A huge ‘Thank You’ must also go to the PBC Board of
Management; all the teachers, ancillary staff, volunteer
coaches, cheer leaders, parents and past pupils. Without
them and their valuable contributions, nothing would
happen on or off the field and boys would become
disillusioned. But, as the old Irish seanfhocal says, ‘Mol
an óige agus tiocfaidh sí.’ Céad míle buíochas to all the
partners and sponsors of PBC Rugby from the extended
rugby community of the College! You are very much
appreciated!
Damien Philpott
Photo shows (l-r): Senior Rugby players Conor Murphy and
Rob Reardon pictured in their 2014 Senior Cup kit.
Photo shows (l-r): PBC Senior Rugby players, Paul Kiernan (Senior Captain), Conor Murphy, Rob Reardon and Cormac Dineen
pictured in their 2014 Senior Cup jerseys, jointly sponsored by Tom Murphy Menswear and Newmarket Motors Volkswagen.
Also shown are (l-r) Margaret Barrett (Newmarket Motors), Paul Barr (PBC Senior Rugby Coach),
DJ Browne (Commercial Specialist, Newmarket Motors), Damien Philpott (Asst Games Master, PBC),
Annette Browne (Newmarket Motors), Michael Fitzgibbon (PBC Senior Rugby) and Caleb Sheehan (Games Master, PBC).
Window to the Past: Notable Past Students
Dick Fitzgerald, Sportsman
Richard Fitzgerald (1882-1936), was born in College
Street, Killarney on 2nd October 1882. His father was a
merchant with a successful business, which specialised in
the export of eggs, poultry and butter. Dick, as he was
popularly known, was educated at the Monastery School,
Killarney, after which he attended the St Brendan’s
College, the Kerry Diocesan Junior seminary. Though he
blossomed as a gifted footballer at St Brendan’s, the
strong emphasis on Latin and Greek did not appeal to
him, so he transferred to Mungret College, a Jesuit-run
boarding school in Limerick. He stayed one year in
Mungret, before transferring to the commercial class at
Presentation College Cork, in 1902. While a student in
Pres, Dick played Gaelic football for the GAA team, ‘Nils’,
even though he was still only sixteen years of age.
Dick Fitzgerald
On his return to Killarney, Dick joined his local GAA club Dr Crokes, and for several years was the club’s outstanding
player. He was duly chosen to represent Kerry and went on to be a member of Kerry All-Ireland teams between
1905 and 1914. Dick married Catherine Dillon from Killarney in 1925. Sadly she died eighteen months later. Dick
himself died when he fell from the roof of the courthouse in Killarney in 1930. His funeral was held in Killarney the
day after Kerry played in the 1930 All-Ireland Football Final. He was author of one of the first books on Gaelic
football ‘How to Play Gaelic Football’ (1914). (Looney, King in a Kingdom of Kings. Dublin: Curragh Press: 2008)
Frank Gallagher, Writer
Frank Gallagher (1898-1962), was born in Cork in 1898.
He attended Presentation College, Cork, together with
his two brothers, starting in the Junior School and
continuing through Secondary School to First University
Examination in Arts. It will be recalled that, up to 1909,
Pres prepared students for the Arts examinations of the
Royal University of Ireland. Gallagher later related how
Brother Ignatius Connolly found him his first job as a
reporter on The Cork Free Press, thereby launching him
on a distinguished journalistic career:
‘The Man came one day, an essay of mine in his hand,
and asked me if I would like to work in a newspaper
office. I grasped his free hand in reply. Thus was I
launched on a career which led me into wars and
insurrections, into jails and prison camps, into strategies
and hunger strikes for many a glorious year’. (Gallagher,
F, ‘Memories’, Ext Souvenir, 1954, 49-53).
Frank Gallagher
Gallagher joined the Irish Volunteers and, from 1919 to 1921, he worked with Erskine Childers on the underground
Irish Bulletin. It never missed an issue. He sided with the Republicans after the Treaty and was imprisoned. He went
on hunger strike and survived. In 1931, when Eamonn De Valera founded The Irish Press, he made Gallagher its
first editor. In 1936, Gallagher became deputy editor of Radio Éireann. From 1939 to 1948, and from 1951 to 1954,
he was Director of the Government Information Bureau. From 1954 until his death, he worked at the National
Library preparing a Dictionary of National Biography, which, unfortunately was never completed. His publications
include ‘Days of Fear’ (1928) and ‘Four Glorious Years’ (1953). Always grateful for his early educational formation
in Pres, he died in Dublin in July 1962.
Down Memory Lane
Presentation Brothers College Cork
The unbeaten rowing crew of 1939
Standing (l-r) A Hoare (No 2) and K Murphy (Bow)
Sitting (l-r) E O’Mullane (Stroke), D Hurley (Cox) and DA Ahern No.3.
Daniel Crowley RIP
Dear Mr Whyte and all at PBC,
Majella and I would like to sincerely thank you and all
at Presentation Brothers College for all your prayers
and support during Daniel’s illness and funeral.
There are a number of teachers we would
particularly like to mention: Aelín O’Donoghue,
who kept in regular contact on Daniel’s welfare
and provided great support in assuring us that the
school would facilitate us in any way we required.
Claire Lynch, his class teacher both during 1st and
2nd Year, the light you sent to bring him home was
a lovely gift and one he really liked.
We appreciate the many times he was prayed for at
various masses and during daily school prayers. Thank
you to School Chaplain Liam Lynch.
We would also like to thank Claire Lynch and Enda
Ronan who organised all the letters he received from
his class mates in October.
When Daniel read these he visualised being back in
Pres with his many friends, and it gave him a really
great lift. Although he only attended PBC from
September to November 2012, he really enjoyed it
and fitted in straight away. He was really excited
about his basketball and had huge regard for his
coach Seán Murphy and his pals on the team.
We greatly appreciated the mark of respect that you
all gave Daniel during his funeral, with the closure of
the College, the huge attendance by both Pres
teachers and students and the various Guards-ofHonour, both at the church and the graveyard.
Daniel was an extraordinarily brave boy during his
illness and we will be forever proud of him!
Many thanks again for your hugely valued support.
Donal and Majella Crowley
Pres Gazette design: Charlie Neville t 431 4244
We’d also like to thank you for the many gifts that
Aelín O’Donoghue and Claire Lynch organised, the
signed rugby ball, signed Munster jersey, the class
Get Well Card etc.