History of our School

It is difficult for us today to imagine the poverty and lack of educational opportunity in Blarney Street area and neighbourhood 150 years ago. Set high above the Marsh area of Cork it looked down onto one of the most affluent parts of the city. But shortly after the great famine there was a glimmer of hope - a school, to be run by a dedicated but relatively young order of Christian Brothers for the education of young boys. The order had been invited to set up a school by the Rev. Daniel Foley and Mr. James Hegarty, a local businessman.​​

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The school was built and situated in what is now the car park and its doors opened on the 1st of May 1849. Soon it had over 300 pupils but so great was the need, that 10 years later additional rooms were needed. There were many more additions, alterations and renovations over the years to the old school.

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Blarney Street CBS was a branch establishment of the North Monastery up to 1927. In that year the Brother purchased Mr. James Hegarty's former property "City View" and moved in and it became a separate community. By the late 50's it was felt that a new school was needed and in June 1963 the Department of Education gave sanction for a new ten-roomed school. The new building was occupied, to the delight of teachers and students, in January 1966 and the official opening was on 19th of June 1967 by the Taoiseach Jack Lynch TD.

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A dedicated group of past pupils, neighbours and friends, showing the same vision as Mr. James Hegarty, set up a Building Committee and through their efforts the necessary funds were raised over many years. And so after more than 150 years, thanks to the efforts of many dedicated people, religious and lay, an establishment of learning has continued to sit over Cork's Marsh.

Obviously there is no comparison to the first school and the present one but one thing has remained constant, the imparting of learning and Christian moral values by the many Brothers and lay teachers.