The original Glasheen Boys’ National School (Scoil Mhuire Gan Smál B) first opened its doors in SEPTEMBER 1897, in the old school house in Glasheen village, with an enrolment of 53 pupils. At that time, Glasheen was a quiet and peaceful village, outside the hustle and bustle of the city.
In 1955, a new building with 9 CLASSROOMS was built on the site of the present school at School Avenue, a hundred metres up the hill from the original site. In 1972, a further new two-storey building, which included 6 CLASSROOMS and a substantial SCHOOL HALL/GP ROOM, was built.
Today the school has excellent facilities, with both buildings being completely renovated. Works included new WINDOWS, FENCING and FIRE DOORS, throughout the campus, as well as FLOORING and WATER CONSERVATION measures. The school was further enhanced in 2011 to include an OUTDOOR CLASSROOM, as well as improved WC, DISABLED ACCESS facilities and an INDOOR SENSORY ROOM.
In 2014, to accommodate growing demand for places, there were 3 FURTHER NEW CLASSROOMS added and linked to our single-storey building. We also created three, bright, senior infant rooms and opened a NEW INFANT PLAYGROUND, a new outdoor SENSORY PLAYGROUND, a new HOME SCHOOL COMMUNITY LIAISON ROOM and a SCHOOL GARDEN, where our boys learn about planting. Later in 2014, we opened NEW OFFICES and a reception area downstairs. This was followed by a new ROOF being fitted on our Junior Building.
Further improvements took place in 2015, including YARD RESURFACING, a POLYTUNNEL, a new PARENTS’ ROOM, new ENTRANCE DOORS being fitted, as well as exterior PAINTING. Further developments got underway in 2016, with two new classrooms and three resource rooms arriving in autumn 2017. In 2018, further RENOVATION, FLOORING, PAINTING and general revamping, took place, as well as the opening of our new ASD Class and new furniture for pupils. In 2019, planning was granted for a FURTHER SCHOOL EXTENSION, with work getting underway in August 2019 & completed by summer 2020. Our ASD ‘Cairde’ class relocated to another, purpose built room and a new Staff Room / Meeting Room was also opened. In 2021, two further support rooms were added with many plans in place for additional outdoor facilities in 2022.
We have excellent academic and sporting traditions. Out of 25.000 competitors, our boys have finished in the Top 5 in Ireland at The All-Ireland Credit Union Quiz Finals several times, including finishing as ALL-IRELAND RUNNERS UP twice. We are a HEALTH PROMOTING School, we have our 7th GREEN FLAG, our AMBER FLAG for Mental Health, have our EUROPEAN BLUE FLAG, our ACTIVE SCHOOL FLAG, our YELLOW FLAG for inclusivity, as well as being a DIGITAL SCHOOL OF DISTINCTION. Recently, Glasheen Boys’ School also won the PORT OF CORK interschool AWARD, the FAI CORK & MUNSTER SCHOOLS SOCCER Competition, the Interschools CRICKET Competition and the LOUGH LEAGUES Finals. We also recently won the Interschools TUG-OF-WAR competition for the 34th consecutive year.
Past Pupils
We are very proud of the achievements of the thousands of past pupils of Glasheen Boys’ school, many of whom have gone on to enjoy fame in various walks of life. Former pupils are now very successful in the Business, Academic, Medical, Legal, Science, Teaching and other Professional worlds in Cork and further afield. Areas of Television, Journalism, Politics, Sport and Research are also well represented among the career paths of our past pupils.
We love to hear about our past pupils and to discover the paths they have taken in life. PLEASE NOTE THAT THOSE MENTIONED ONLY REPRESENT A SMALL CROSS SECTION OF OUR MANY WONDERFUL PAST PUPILS, about whom we hope you enjoy reading.
Some examples in the Media include, BILL O’HERLIHY (recently deceased) and TONY O’DONOGHUE, who have/had high profiles in the RTE Sports Department, while KEVIN LINEHAN, former Commissioning Editor of RTE, is also a past pupil. EOIN ENGLISH, Senior News Reporter with The Irish Examiner and DAVE HANNIGAN, Evening Echo columnist, are also former pupils.
In the legal field, well-known Cork defence solicitor, FRANK BUTTIMER attended our school, as well as the late Judge SEÁN O’LEARY. Cork solicitor, NEAL HORGAN, League of Ireland, FAI Cup Winner & author of ‘Death of a Football Club’ and ‘Second City’, is also a proud past pupil of Glasheen BNS.
In the medical field, DENIS O’MAHONY, is the recently appointed Professor of Medicine at nearby U.C.C.., while PROFESSOR CALVIN COFFEY is the Professor of Surgery at University of Limerick’s Graduate Entry Medical School (In October 2016, it was announced that he has made a major breakthrough in medical research). SÉAMUS O’MAHONY, Consultant Gastroenterologist at CUH, was Person of the Month for November 2016, while well known Cork medical specialist, JOHN COULTER, is also a past pupil and recent past parent.
Our famous sportsmen in Glasheen include MICK BARRY (Honorary M.A. 2003, UCC), who lofted the Chetwynd Viaduct with a 16 oz bowl and was regarded as the greatest bowler of all time. IAN MAGUIRE, who is the current Captain of the Cork Football team. LIAM MILLER, International Soccer player, also attended our school in the early 1990s. JIMMY BARRY MURPHY, Former Cork Footballer, Hurler & Hurling Manager, PATRICK O’LEARY (Paralympian 2016 & 2021), who lectures in the School of Chemistry in NUI, Galway and BRIAN SCOTT who played with the Munster & Barbarian Rugby teams, are all past pupils of Glasheen BNS.
Examples of past pupils in the academic world include recently retired DR. NEIL DE BUITIMÉIR (Irish Department, U.C.C.), DR. PÁDRAIG Ó DÁLAIGH (Senior Placenames Officer), with Doctorate degrees from U.C.C., University of Ulster, D.C.U. & Mary Immaculate College. Economics Lecturer at U.C.C., DANIEL BLACKSHIELDS is also a past pupil, as well as Dr. KEN BRUTON, Lecturer & Researcher in Industrial Manufacturing System Analytics (C.I.T. & U.C.C.) & winner of UCC ICT Invention of the Year Award.
When in 6th Class in 2012, HARRY MORAN became the world’s youngest Apple App Developer, while one of our 2011 graduates, SÉAMUS HICKEY, became leader of the Cork Youth Orchestra in 2016/17. Meanwhile, 2013 graduate, CRAIG McSWEENEY, was Young Carer of The Year for 2016.
In music circles, JIMMY MCCARTHY, musician, singer, songwriter, as well as PHILIP KING, musician, film maker, broadcaster and Emmy Award winner/Grammy nominee, both attended Glasheen Boys’ School.
Internationally renowned Businessman, BRIAN MCCARTHY, (Hon Dr. of Law, UCC), founder of Fexco in Killorglin, which employs 2,000 globally, is a past pupil of Glasheen BNS. He is also the first and only non-Kerry person to have been named ‘Kerry Person of the Year’ (2016).
MICHAEL DALY (Our Recently Retired Principal), DONAL McCARTHY & DAVID MCGREGOR (Teachers), TONY HEALY (Retired Deputy Principal) have all returned to Glasheen School, as staff members, while MICHAEL SEXTON, former Principal of nearby Coláiste an Spioraid Naoimh and current Chief Executive Officer of Presentation Brothers’ School Trust, is also a past pupil of Glasheen BNS. PAUL HEALY, our website designer & CONOR NELLIGAN, Cork County Council Heritage Officer, both attended Glasheen Boys’ School.