Bandon Grammar School () is a

Church of Ireland The Church of Ireland (, ; , ) is a Christian church in Ireland, and an autonomy, autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. It is organised on an all-Ireland basis and is the Christianity in Ireland, second-largest Christian church on the ...

secondary school situated in

Bandon, County Cork Bandon (; ) is a town in County Cork, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It lies on the River Bandon between two hills. The name in Irish means 'Bridge of the Bandon', a reference to the origin of the town as a crossing point on the river. In 2004 Ba ...

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

. Established in 1642, it is one of the oldest schools in Ireland.

General

Bandon Grammar School is a co-educational, boarding and day school founded in 1642, with an historic association with the Church of Ireland. It is managed by a local Board of Directors under the auspices of The Incorporated Society as patron and held from that body under a Lease "as a secondary school recognised as such by the Minister for Education under the rules of the Department of Education for secondary schools, primarily for Protestant pupils".

History

Bandon Grammar School was founded in 1642 by

Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Cork Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Cork (13 October 1566 – 15 September 1643), also known as 'the Great Earl of Cork', was an English politician who served as Lord Treasurer of the Kingdom of Ireland. Lord Cork was an important figure in the continu ...

Sport

Field hockey

With a team that included future Ireland men's field hockey internationals,

David David (; , "beloved one") was a king of ancient Israel and Judah and the third king of the United Monarchy, according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament. The Tel Dan stele, an Aramaic-inscribed stone erected by a king of Aram-Dam ...

and Conor Harte, Bandon Grammar School won the 2005 All Ireland Schoolboys Hockey Championship and also repeated the success in the

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

delayed 2021–22 season.

Rugby

Bandon Grammar School competes in the Munster Schools 'A' competitions. Notable past players include Darren Sweetnam, James French, Gavin Coombes, and Jack Crowley. Régis Sonnes spent two years coaching at the school, alongside coaching at Bandon R.F.C. before returning to top 14 rugby, taking Stade Toulousain to be the 2018 French Champions. He has since returned to Bandon and continues to coach at Bandon Grammar and Bandon R.F.C. Fiona Hayes currently coaches girls rugby at the school.

Notable past students

* Jack Crowley, Ireland and Munster Rugby fly-half * Gavin Coombes, Ireland and Munster Rugby player *

Harriet Cross Harriet Iona Cross (born 1990 or 1991) is a British politician serving as Member of Parliament for Gordon and Buchan since the 2024 general election. Early life Harriet Cross was born in Harrogate and lived in West Cork in Ireland wher ...

, Conservative Party Member of

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of ...

in 2024 * Conor Harte, Ireland field hockey international * David Harte, Ireland field hockey international *

Graham Norton Graham William Walker (born 4 April 1963), known professionally as Graham Norton, is an Irish comedian, broadcaster, actor, and writer. He is a five-time BAFTA TV Award winner for the comedy chat show ''The Graham Norton Show'' (2007–present) ...

, TV chat show host and actor; finished his Leaving Certificate in 1981 * Lennox Robinson, playwright and director * Darren Sweetnam, Ireland and Munster Rugby player and former Cork senior hurler

References

1641 establishments in Ireland Bandon, County Cork Private schools in the Republic of Ireland Boarding schools in Ireland Co-educational boarding schools Educational institutions established in the 1640s Secondary schools in County Cork Anglican schools in the Republic of Ireland {{Ireland-school-stub