COLÁISTE ÉAMANN RÍS – A SCHOOL OF GREAT TRADITIONS – Bozu Elena
Coláiste Éamann Rís is the second most improved school for college progression in Ireland. It is also the oldest school on Cork’s south side, originally founded by the Christian Brothers in 1828 on Sullivan’s Quay. The school got the name it has today in September 2019, when it became the first English–speaking co-educational Catholic secondary school in Cork City. The name “Coláiste Éamann Rís” was chosen to represent the school’s change in status as a co-educational school and to honor its founder, Blessed Edmund Rice. Also, in 2019, it was the first time when the school opened its gates for girls, increasing the number of students from 200 to 610 at the moment.
As we walked through the school’s entry, we were welcomed by its Principal, Mr. Wolfe, and the school’s “anxiety dog”, Cora – a six month old Goldendoodle, which let us cuddle her as the Principal told us more about the school. He explained that students start school with a morning prayer at 8:45 and they have free lunch from 13:03 to 13:33 in the open yard. Mr. Wolfe also told us that there are currently 70 teachers at the school and 20 staff members for the students with special needs.
The school is well-equipped, with several science laboratories, computer rooms, a carpentry room and a big sports yard, the students having a lot of activities besides their ordinary classes, like English, Irish, Math and Spanish. Also, the school organizes many events for holidays, such as Christmas, Easter, Halloween and St. Patrick’s Day.
In conclusion, Coláiste Éamann Rís is a great Irish school, where students benefit from a proper educational system, they have caring teachers and staff members and a stable learning environment.
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SHANDON BELLS & TOWER – Bozu Elena
There are 135 steps in total to reach the viewing balcony in the tower. Along the way you get to ring bells and see some interesting features, like the mechanism of one of the largest caged clocks in Europe. You also get to climb through a belfry, where the 6 tonnes of bells ring out, on your way to a spectacular view of Cork City.
St. Anne's Church is one of the only Churches in the world that allow its visitors to ring their bells unaccompanied. The Shandon Bells have been dedicated poems and songs and are the symbol of the city. They are fixed bells, so when you pull the rope, the clapper hits the bell and the bell doesn't move. This is called an Ellacombe Chiming method. There are 8 ropes for the 8 bells and you can choose from a selection of songs, following the numbers and pulling out the ropes. The songs of the bells can be heard from all across the city. On the first floor you can also see the statues of Bob and Joan, the old water-powered bellows and the clock weights.
There are other great things to discover as you climb the stairs towards the balcony. On the 2nd floor you can see the pendulum of the clock, the heartbeat of the building, and some information about the urns. On the 3rd floor you will see the mechanism of the clock, one of the largest caged clocks in Europe. Or as locals call it, the four-faced liar! After the 3rd floor, you will be climbing through the belfry, where the 6 tonnes of bells ring out. This is the most difficult part of the climb as the tower narrows to less than half a metre and there are some wooden steps to climb. At the top, a breathtaking nearly-360-degree view of the city awaits for its visitors.
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