St Francis College Rochestown Explained

St. Francis College Rochestown
Motto:	Make the Difference
Location:	Monastery Road, Rochestown, Cork, Ireland
Schooltype:	Secondary school
Religion:	Catholic
Founded:	1884
Principal:	Marie Ring^[1]
Gender:	Male
Enrollment:	768 (2019)^[2]
Colors:	Black and white
Nickname:	Roco
Website:	stfranciscollege.ie

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]

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 and chess.^[9]

Notable graduates

• Alan Cadogan - Cork GAA^[10]
• John Cashman - Cork GAA
• Niall Cashman - Cork GAA
• Alan Connolly - Cork GAA
• Edwin Fitzgibbon - Capuchin priest and professor of psychology at UCC, who donated the Fitzgibbon Cup for inter-varsity hurling.^[11]
• John Kelly - Rugby union player with Munster and Ireland^[12]
• Shane Kingston - Cork GAA^[13]
• Dominic MacHale - actor (The Young Offenders)
• Alex Murphy - actor (The Young Offenders)
• Kilian O'Callaghan - ballet dancer and choreographer
• Darragh O'Mahony - Rugby union player^[14]
• Terry Shannon - Lord Mayor of Cork in 2011^[15]
• Paul Wallace - Rugby union player^[16]
• Richard Wallace - Rugby union player
• Niall O'Flaherty and Patrick O'Connell - members of The Sultans of Ping FC.^[17]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Marie Ring steps down as principal of Loreto Fermoy . The Avondhu . avondhupress.ie . 5 July 2018 . 14 May 2019 .
2. Web site: Subject Inspection in Mathematics - Report - St Francis Capuchin College . Department of Education and Skills . 17 October 2019 . 19 January 2021 . St Francis College is a voluntary boys' secondary school, operating under the trusteeship of the Capuchin Franciscan order [..and..] has a current enrolment of 768 students.
3. Web site: Chríost Rí beat Roco in Corn Uí Mhuirí . Irish Examiner . 18 January 2017 . 11 September 2017 .
4. Web site: Roco Win Interschools Chess . Stfranciscollege-rochestown.ie . 11 September 2017 . 30 November 2016 .
5. Web site: St Francis College, Rochestown, County Cork . National Inventory of Architectural Heritage . buildingsofireland.ie . 15 November 2018.
6. Web site: The Founding of Rochestown College - A Brief History . IrishCapuchins.com . 11 September 2017 .
7. Web site: History - St. Francis College, Rochestown 1884-2006 . Stfranciscollege-rochestown.ie . 11 September 2017 .
8. Web site: Whole-School Evaluation Report - St Francis College, Rochestown, County Cork . Department of Education and Skills . 22 October 2014 . 11 September 2017.
9. Web site: St. Francis College Rochestown - Extra Curricular . Stfranciscollege-rochestown.ie . 11 September 2017 .
10. Web site: Torn between two passions, Alan Cadogan wonders why not? . Irish Examiner . 20 December 2015 . 11 September 2017 . "[Alan] Cadogan is [..] back in his alma mater of Rochestown College" .
11. Web site: Fitzgibbon, Edwin, 1874-1938, Capuchin priest . Catholic Archives Catalogue . catholicarchives.ie . 10 June 2022.
12. Web site: From 'Rags' to Riches . IRFU . irishrugby.ie . 24 May 2002 . 10 June 2022.
13. Web site: 6 players from Harty Cup finalists on Cork minor hurling panel for Munster quarter-final . The42.ie . 3 April 2015 . 11 September 2017 . "[Shane] Kingston is one of six Rochestown College players included" .
14. Web site: A tale of two cities . Irish Examiner . 7 April 2004 . 15 November 2018 . [Darragh] O'Mahony grew up in Rochestown in Cork City and was educated in the non rugby-playing environment of Rochestown College.
15. Web site: St. Francis College Rochestown - Newsletter - December 2011 . Stfranciscollege-rochestown.ie . 2011 . 11 September 2017 .
16. Web site: Keeping it in the family . Irish Times . 4 April 1998 . 11 September 2017 . "Paul Wallace [..] was educated at a non-rugby school, Rochestown College" .
17. Web site: The rise and fall of iconic Cork band Sultans of Ping . Irish Examiner . irishexaminer.com . 19 January 2018 . 19 January 2021 .