St Francis College Rochestown
Secondary school in Cork, Ireland
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
St. Francis College Rochestown, sometimes known as Rochestown College or abbreviated as Roco,[3][4] is an all-boys secondary school in Rochestown, Cork, Ireland. The school's foundation dates to 1884 when a friary was formed by the Franciscan Order.[5]
| St. Francis College Rochestown | |
|---|---|
| |
| Location | |
 | |
| 51.869°N 8.376°W | |
| Information | |
| School type | Secondary school |
| Motto | Make the Difference |
Religious affiliation | Catholic |
| Founded | 1884 |
Principal | Marie Ring[1] |
| Gender | Male |
| Enrollment | 768 (2019)[2] |
| Colors | Black and white |
| Nickname | Roco |
| Website | stfranciscollege.ie |
History
In the 1870s the Capuchin (Franciscan) order of friars opened a church and monastery on the Rochestown-Monkstown road near Cork city.[6] In the 1880s, a school for novitiates (those seeking to join the order) was opened on the site.[6] While this novitiate school was moved to Kilkenny and elsewhere for some decades, in the 1930s the school returned to the Rochestown friary.[7] In the late 1960s and early 1970s, coinciding with a move to free education in the state, the college expanded into the friary itself, and "dormitories were converted into classrooms".[7] The school continues to operate as a voluntary secondary school under the trusteeship of the Capuchin Franciscan Order.[8]
Extra-curricular activities
Sporting and extra-curricular activities in the school include debating, Gaelic football, hurling, soccer, basketball, badminton, debating and chess.[9]
Notable graduates
- Alan Cadogan - Cork GAA[10]
- John Cashman - Cork GAA[citation needed]
- Niall Cashman - Cork GAA[citation needed]
- Alan Connolly - Cork GAA[citation needed]
- Edwin Fitzgibbon - Capuchin priest and professor of psychology at UCC, who donated the Fitzgibbon Cup for inter-varsity hurling.[11]
- Josh Honohan - professional footballer[12]
- John Kelly - Rugby union player with Munster and Ireland[13]
- Shane Kingston - Cork GAA[14]
- Dominic MacHale - actor (The Young Offenders)[citation needed]
- Alex Murphy - actor (The Young Offenders)[citation needed]
- Kilian O'Callaghan - ballet dancer and choreographer[citation needed]
- Darragh O'Mahony - Rugby union player[15]
- Terry Shannon - Lord Mayor of Cork in 2011[16]
- Paul Wallace - Rugby union player[17]
- Richard Wallace - Rugby union player[citation needed]
- Niall O'Flaherty and Patrick O'Connell - members of The Sultans of Ping FC.[18]