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  • 21 Aug, 2019

  • By, Wikipedia

Presentation Brothers College, Cork
Presentation Brothers College (PBC Cork) (Irish: Coláiste na Toirbhirte; colloquially known as Pres) is a Catholic, boys, private fee-paying secondary school in Cork, Ireland. As of 2020, Presentation Brothers College was ranked as the top boys secondary school in Ireland and regularly places first in the annual top performing schools table rankings conducted by The Irish Times.

History

The college was founded by the Presentation Brothers in 1878, in the South Mall. Soon afterwards it moved to the Grand Parade and, in 1887, to the Western Road. In 1985, the college moved to a new building on the Mardyke on the site of the college's rugby facilities; the Western Road premises is now owned and used by UCC. The college has developed new rugby facilities at Dennehy's Cross and has its own rowing club, located on the Marina.

In 1969, Jerome Kelly returned home from missionary work in the West Indies and was appointed principal of the college. He organised a series of workshops, in which the students of Presentation College were encouraged to think globally and act locally:

"Imbuing teenagers with a sense of responsibility and social consciousness is a vital part of any education, and it was with this in mind that Brother Jerome sent his senior Pres students out to walk the streets of Cork..."

The result was the founding of the charity Students Harness Aid for the Relief of the Elderly in 1970. SHARE expanded and now includes pupils from other secondary schools in Cork city.

In 2005, the Preslink organisation was founded in the school; a group of junior students whose stated aim is to forge links with other Presentation Brothers communities. In 2006, the organisation received an "Edmund Rice Award", which recognises groups that work to improve the lives of others.

In November 2009, ownership of the school, along with seven other Presentation Brothers schools in Ireland, was handed over to a group of lay trustees

It is one of the few private fee paying schools in Cork.

Curriculum

See also: Education in the Republic of Ireland
A man in a blue suit stands in a government debate chamber
Mícheál Martin TD, former Taoiseach and former teacher at PBC

The school offers both the Junior and Leaving Certificate cycles. The current curriculum teaches first years religion; Irish as L2; English as L1; mathematics; Latin; French as L2; German as L2; science; business studies; history ; geography; CSPE; SPHE; art; and physical education. In second year, the students may choose to drop two of the L2 foreign languages. Unusually for a private school, streaming is not used until third year.

After completing the Junior Certificate, the college requires students to complete a mandatory Transition Year. In fifth year, students begin the Leaving Cert cycle. At the Leaving Certificate level, the college offers a wide range of courses. Irish as L2, English L1 and mathematics are compulsory. One language must be taken from French as L2, German as L2 and Latin. Any three optional subjects may be taken from the sciences (physics, chemistry, biology), the businesses (business studies, accounting, economics), history, art, applied mathematics, geography, politics and society and religion.

Rugby

Ronan O'Gara wearing a green Ireland rugby jersey
Ronan O'Gara, past pupil of PBC

The college sport is rugby union. As of 2024, the college has won 32 Senior Schools Cups and 32 Junior Schools Cups respectively, and has produced 22 Irish Rugby Internationals. In 2007, the school won both the Senior Schools Cup and the Junior Schools Cup (the first time they had won both in the same year since 1995, when Ronan O'Gara was the Senior Captain). Six players have played for the Lions - Tom Kiernan (1962 & Captain in 1968 ), Jerry Walsh (1966), Michael Kiernan (1983), Ronan O'Gara (2001, 2005 & 2009), Simon Zebo (2013) and Peter O'Mahony (2017).

In March 2014, PBC won the Junior Schools Cup for the first time in five years in a 17–12 win over Crescent.

The school participates in a number of Munster under-age School-Boy competitions: McCarthy Cup A, B & B Schools (U-15), The Junior Schools Cup (U-16), The Kidney Cup (Junior B), The Bowen Shield & B Schools (U-18), The Barry Cup (Senior B), and The Senior Schools Cup (U-19). Pres have won every cup at some point and several teams have won every competition.

The school playing fields are located at Dennehy's Cross, Wilton. There are 4 pitches, one walled and one flood-lit.

Extra-curricular activities and sport

Drama

Close up image of actor Cillian Murphy
Actor Cillian Murphy is a past pupil

The college drama society performs one production of a dramatic play annually. This is very often the play studied by Leaving Cert students of that academic year. Previous productions have included Sive (2013) and All My Sons (2014).

Sciences

In 2012, three students were invited to partake in the European Science and Maths Olympiad, based on their Junior Certificate results in Maths and Science. These students participated in the Olympiad in DCU. In 2004, the Pres team won the first Cork Robotics Competition for Schools, which was launched by the Cork Electronics Industry Association (CEIA) at the National Software Centre in Mahon Point.

Rowing

PBC has had a number of students who have been members of the various Cork rowing clubs since 1890, some of whom have won Irish Championships with these clubs but never as Pres College Rowing Club. In 1985, the Presentation College Rowing Club was registered officially for the first time with the Irish Amateur Rowing Union and began rowing out of Shandon Boat Club on the Marina. The equipment used was bought second-hand from Dungarvan Rowing Club. In its existence to date, the club was a tennant of Shandon Boat Club, Cork Boat Club and Lee Rowing Club, but has subsequently constructed its own club, located next to Lee RC. The club now owns 3 eights, 4 fours, 3 pairs and 7 singles along with a selection of blades, coaching launches and a boat trailer.

Other sports

Other sports played at the college include basketball, GAA, soccer and golf. The school has won the GAA Lord Mayor's Cup five times in the last six years. The school golf team has also won the Cork County Championship consecutively in 2006 and 2007. PBC reached the All-Ireland basketball U-16s cup final for the first time in 2009 and defeated St. Columbs college from Derry to win PBC's first ever All-Ireland. The school has also won several soccer titles, including Cork Cups at First Year, Minor, Junior and Senior level. In February 2015, PBC won the Munster Schools Senior Cup.

Selected alumni

Business

  • [Ben Dunne (businessman, born 1949) |Ben Dunne]], businessman

Law

Media

Politics

Rugby

Other sport

Notable staff