17 fluffy chicks flock to Cork city primary school
Three weeks ago the First Class girls at Scoil an Spioraid Naoimh in Bishopstown began monitoring 21 eggs, which they kept in an incubator.
Under the watchful eyes of the girls and their teacher, Iníon Ní Choileáin, 21 eggs have become 17 lovely little chickens.
Last week the class returned to school to find some broken eggs, but there was no fowl play involved - a peep of chickens had in fact hatched over the weekend.
Understandably, there was quite a lot of excitement.
Those first three chicks were covered in black feathers. Since then, 14 more have hatched, and they range in shade from yellow, to brown and even orange.
The schoolgirls have been kept busy making sure their little charges are fed and ensuring they have enough water to drink.
It is an important learning experience for the seven-year-olds, and in addition we're hopeful they'll soon discover just why the chicken is always crossing the road.
Soon the little flock of chicks must fly the nest and join their families in their native West Cork, but until then they are in safe, loving hands with the girls of Scoil an Spioraid Naoimh.
