History
Ashton School,
as a comprehensive school, was founded in September 1972 when Rochelle
School and Cork Grammar School merged on the Grammar School site on the
Blackrock Road. A new teaching block and sports' hall were built and
officially opened in November 1975 by the then Minister of Education, Mr.
Richard Burke, T.D.
The first principal of the
new school was Mr. Victor Bond (August 1972 - July 1996). He was
succeeded in August 1996 by Mr.Charles Payne. In turn, Mr. Payne was
succeeded in August 2006 by Mr. Bertie Smith.
A picture taken in June 1996 when Mr.
Victor Bond, Principal 1972-1996, handed over the keys to Mr.
Charles Payne (right), Vice-Principal 1979-1996, being watched by
Mr. Bertie Smith (left), incoming Deputy Principal and P.E. teacher
1974-1996
Another handover took place at
the end of the summer term in 2006 when, on the retirement of Mr.
Charles Payne, the school keys (and responsibilities) were handed on
to Mr. Bertie Smith.
The event was witnessed by Ms. AnneMarie Hewison who has been
appointed as Deputy Principal in succession to Mr. Smith.
In 1972 the Rochelle School
premises were modified to act as a boarding hostel for students attending
Ashton. Numbers boarding in Rochelle declined from a maximum of 90
in the 1970's and 80's until the late 1990's when it proved uneconomic to
keep the boarding facility in operation. The premises finally closed
and were sold in June 1999. They were demolished in the summer of
2003 when the site was redeveloped for apartments.
Rochelle School was founded in 1829,
originally in a premises in South Terrace in Cork. The school moved
to the Old Blackrock Road site in 1872 and prior to merging with Cork
Grammar School in 1972 had 120 girls enrolled. The last headmistress
of Rochelle was Ms. Evelyn Wallace and in 1972 she became the
vice-principal of Ashton School. A final day of nostalgia was held
on 15 May 1999 when more than 300 past pupils return to the school for a
"Farewell Rochelle"
celebration. Rochelle past pupils will be sad to hear that
Ms. Wallace died in Dublin in February 2006.
Cork High School and
Kindergarten was founded in 1876 and Cork Grammar
School in 1882. The schools
merged at an early stage and were originally located in Sydney Place in
Cork. They moved to the Blackrock Road site in 1956 when a new
extension and classrooms were built as an addition to the house on the
original site.
Canon G. H. J. Burrows was the headmaster from 1947
to 1971, being succeeded by Mr. Sam McCutcheon (1971 -1972).Canon Burrows died in October 2003 at the magnificent age of 93.
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