FAI 5 a side

Recently, the wonderful all-weather pitch at Drinagh Rangers played host to a FAI Primary Schools 5-a-Side Soccer Competition. 16 schools from across West Cork came together for what proved to be a fantastic day of football, fun and great sportsmanship.

Togher N.S. were magnificent throughout the competition and produced some excellent performances to reach the final. After progressing through the rounds, they faced The Model School, Dunmanway in what turned out to be a very exciting and closely contested final.

At the end of normal time the teams were level at 1–1 and the match went to extra time. Both sides battled bravely and gave it their all, but it was The Model School, Dunmanway who managed to score a late goal to secure the victory.

While the result was disappointing for Togher N.S., the children can be extremely proud of their fantastic performances throughout the tournament. Both teams displayed great skill and sportsmanship and represented their schools superbly.

Most importantly, the children had a wonderful day and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

We would like to extend a sincere thank you to everyone involved in organising the tournament.

Well done to all the schools who participated and congratulations to The Model School on their victory.

Cycle Sense

The children have started the Cycle Sense cycling course.

This Cycle Skills and Safety Training programme combines both practical and theory-based learning, helping pupils understand what it takes to stay safe on the road.

Over the coming weeks, they’ll explore road safety, build their cycling knowledge, and develop essential practical skills. To bring their learning to life, the children will also be putting these skills into practice right here in the school yard.

We’re excited to watch their confidence and independence grow as they pedal their way through the programme.

Yoga

The children have been absolutely loving their Yoga and Mindfulness sessions this term. These weekly classes are giving children the chance to build flexibility, strength, coordination, and body awareness, while also supporting their focus and sense of calm. A huge thank-you to our brilliant Parents’ Association for generously funding this wonderful activity.

The West Cork Jesters Rugby Club

We were thrilled to welcome back former pupil Emily Cotter to Togher N.S. Emily plays for the West Cork Jesters Mixed-Ability Rugby Club, and this summer she took part in IMART 2025, the International Mixed Ability Rugby Tournament held in Pamplona, Spain.

At the tournament, the women’s squad from the West Cork Jesters joined forces with the Ballincollig Trailblazers to represent Ireland.  The combined team was awarded the Spirit Award for 2025, symbolising their outstanding teamwork, sportsmanship camaraderie and inclusive spirit. Emily proudly brought the Spirit Award trophy to the school, and it was wonderful for the school community to share in this special achievement. Congratulations, Emily, and to all members of the Jesters and Trailblazers — we are incredibly proud of you.

Nature Hunt with Jessica Mason

The younger children had a great time taking part in a nature hunt with Jessica Mason from Heritage in schools. They explored the school grounds to find different items from nature, including a leaf, bark or wood, grass, a seed, a stick, soil, a flower, a rock, a feather, a bug, something shiny, and something round. Everyone enjoyed the challenge and discovered just how many amazing things can be found right on our doorstep. The activity helped the children learn more about habitats and the living and non-living things that make them up.

Thank you to Jessica for such a fun and educational outdoor adventure.

Big Changes in Our School Garden

We’ve been very busy in our school garden. As part of our Creative Schools project, we decided it was time to give our garden a major upgrade.

Our visiting gardener Chloe Dempsey shared some invaluable advice, helping us shape a clear plan for the months ahead. Since then, the children have been hard at work — pruning, weeding, composting, identifying, eating, lopping, cutting, moving, digging, turning, bending, weaving, dragging, plucking, planting, gathering, trimming, snipping, hammering, heaping, assessing, throwing, pulling, laughing, moaning, asking, drilling, holding, sharing, cooperating, lifting, cleaning, arguing, agreeing, bossing, googling, levering, watering, sweeping, sketching, planning, measuring, painting, sawing, carrying, stacking, tying, sorting, designing, collecting, raking, smiling, and celebrating — all the countless tasks that make up a thriving school garden.

It’s been messy, fun, and full of learning. The garden is starting to take shape, and with our new plan in place, we know it will all be worth it in the end.

County Champions

We were thrilled to welcome the Dohneys Ladies GAA Football Team, newly crowned Junior A County Champions, to our school today. The players arrived with their impressive trophies, to huge applause from the children.

It was a proud moment as the team — including our own Miss Noonan and past pupil Kelly Ann — shared their impressive journey to victory. Congratulations to all the Dohneys ladies on this fantastic achievement — you’ve made us all so proud.

Dohneys GAA

The Senior Room was full of excitement this week as we surprised Miss Noonan with handmade cards and drawings to wish her the very best of luck in the Junior A football final. She’ll be lining out with the Dohneys Ladies GAA team this weekend, and we couldn’t be prouder. Come on the Dohneys!