Schools hoping it will be last year in temporary buildings
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Wednesday September 01 2010
TWO Swords primary schools welcomed their newest sets of pupils this week in what is hoped will be their final year in temporary accommodation. Work on a pair of 16-classroom primary school buildings and a new community centre got under way early last month, which will provide homes for Gaelscoil Bhrian Boroimhe and Swords Educate Together. Both schools have spent more than 10 years in temporary accommodation and following a number of delays, planning permission for the scheme was finally granted in February and is scheduled for completion on April 1st.
' Building started in the first week in August,' Gaelscoil principal Seamus Seaghach said. ' They're currently working on ground works and getting the site levelled.
' The department said it will be a six-month build, so hopefully it will be completed before the end of the current school year. We're looking forward to it. ' When you work so hard at something, you're waiting for other plans to come to fruition, but thankfully it is coming to fruition.'
60 new junior infants started at the school yesterday, bringing its population to 335 this year. A further 60 infants will also join Swords Educate Together this week where principal Gerard Kelly said he was delighted to at last see the delivery of a permanent home for the school.
' It's certainly a beehive of activity at the moment,' Mr Kelly said. ' We're really pleased that they've finally started to build there.
' It took a long time to smell diesel down the road from us or see clouds of dust coming from the trucks coming and going, but there's great excitement around it. As a school, it's important that we transplant the ethos and atmosphere of the school. We will not be taking possession of a new school – we will be taking possession of a new building.'
Each school will consist of 16 classrooms, support teaching spaces and ancillary accommodation, with the shared facility containing an indoor sports hall, office accommodation and shared changing facilities.
- Robin KIELY
