Creche
The accessibility of high-quality child-care options close by is a high priority for many students and it’s a vital component of an academic community that promotes improved work and home lives. Our crèche is located within the college grounds and is registered with and inspected by the HSE.
The purpose-built facility, with child friendly environments, furniture and equipment which are age and stage appropriate, is bright, airy, challenging and carefully laid out with “interest areas” for the children. It was completed in 2012 and can accommodate 100 children with facilities for baby, toddler, playgroup, Montessori and after school activity.
- Age groups catered for: 6 months-8 years
- Baby Room: children from 6 to 12 months.
- Wobbler Room: children from 12 to 21 months.
- Toddler Room: children from 21 months to 2½ years.
- Playgroup: children from 2½ years to 3½ years.
- Montessori: children from 3½ years to 5 years.
- After school: children from 5 – 8 years.
The children’s meals are prepared daily from fresh produce and are designed to be healthy and nutritional The children have access to a safe and secure outdoor play area within the grounds of the crèche which is the central hub of the building and which all of the rooms open on to. This space is expertly designed and laid with a colourful sponge like, soft surface. There is a sand pit, planting areas, slides, tunnels and a woodland, together with limitless space for play with bikes and trikes.
Pearse College students have first priority for 50% of places in the crèche, at very reasonable and subsidised rates. These places need to be reserved so early application is advised to those who wish to avail of this provision. All enquiries can be made by contacting the nursery directly.
Pearse College Community Nursery
Pearse College
Clogher Road
Crumlin D12
01 4164625
The Sunflower Café
We are lucky enough in Pearse College to have a restaurant on site – The Sunflower Café.
Run by a professional catering firm, it caters for the needs of our students and staff providing a wide-range of sustainable, nutritious and affordable hot and cold meals including vegetarian, celiac-friendly and healthy options.
Quick snacks, teas and coffees are available from 8.30 am until 3 pm.
And for those warm sunny days, the Sunflower Cafe has a bright, outdoor patio!!
Whether you’re looking for breakfast, lunch or a delicious quick-bite we have what you’re hungry for. Bon appetit!
Library & Resource Room
The Library is available to all students who are enrolled in the College. There is also a Resource room attached to the library with more computers available for student access. The Library facilities include:
- Computers with broadband internet access
- Printing / photocopying facilities – available for the preparation of course work / assignments etc
Allotments
In October 2009, Pearse College identified the general areas of Horticulture and Sustainable Practices as key sectors for growth. The expertise of the staff along with our facilities meant that we had the resources available to allow us to develop further in these areas and so Pearse College and the City of Dublin Education and Training Board developed some of its land to set up allotments.
The piece of land in question has been used for educational purposes for over 45 years and the development of these allotments in the first instance is a direct result of the interest and needs of the courses within the Environment Department in Pearse College:
- Amenity Horticulture
- Organic Gardening
- Architectural Draughting
- Computer Aided Design
- Sustainable Construction
- Technologies
- Landscape Design
- Sustainable Landscapes
- Ecology in Ireland
In conjunction with Dublin City Council and local community groups, Pearse College drew up a plan that would meet the needs of the local community as well as our own.
There are 133 plots in total, each measuring 80sq. metres, aside from 5 raised beds which provide wheelchair accessible growing spaces. 10 of the plots are retained by the college for use as common areas and student plots, and the remainder are leased to local people.
The Allotments are a wonderful example of the mutual benefits of situating a community allotment within a horticultural college, and the college teachers and students link directly with the plot holders regularly. The sharing of expertise is a two way street as the older allotment holders have a reservoir of knowledge and experience which they are happy to share.
The plot holders have access to a number of free facilities, including:
5 large storage containers that provide storage space for tools and equipment; a clubhouse; our own water, pumped by a wind turbine from a well and fed throughout the site; bark mulch; horse manure; a small shared composting facility, though allotment holders are encouraged to compost on their own plots; access to shower and toilets; an orchard, planted with fruit trees and shrubs; a common area consisting of a BBQ area, seating, lawn and flowerbeds; a wildlife corridor, with native trees and shrubs and plans for bee hives; communal herb planters; a safe play area in the centre of the site for small children.
The plot holders are for the most part local residents drawn from the Dublin City Council, Crumlin and Drimnagh Allotment waiting lists. This area of Dublin has a long tradition of allotments and in recent times the number of people wanting them far exceeds the amount available.
An important aspect of allotments is the development of a community. Many of the plots have been taken up by families and groups of friends. Therefore the Pearse College Allotment community is made up of between 130 and 250 individuals. Plot holders and their families spend weekends, evenings and sometimes weekdays on their plots. People help out neighbours, more experienced growers have advice and tips for beginners, and people gather to chat when taking a break from their work.
One of the best aspects of this sense of community is the amount of “gatherings” that take place over the year. Some are organised by the Pearse College Allotment Committee – open days, talks, sales of plants and seeds, competitions for the best storage container or the biggest turnip, harvest and midsummer parties, and some are impromptu – when the sunny days bring everybody out to their plots, the BBQs are lit and groups of friends and neighbours gather to chat and share expertise and experiences…
There is a waiting list for any plots that might become available. Contact the general office in Pearse College on 01 4536661 to add your name to the list. The annual fee for a 80m² plot is €200.
The allotment committee have set up a page which you can visit on Pearse college allotments advice