Success for Whitechurch school campaign — at last

PUPILS, teachers and parents of a primary school in Cork are celebrating the start of building work on a new school after a decade-long campaign.

And their access to nearby sporting facilities are set to be the envy of schools around the country.

Main contractors Walls Ltd, from Dublin, have moved on site to begin the construction of a new 16-classroom school for the pupils of St Patrick’s NS in Whitechurch, on the outskirts of Cork city.

It is hoped works will be completed by August 2012.

Principal Tom Hallahan said the project was the dawn of a new era for the teachers and pupils.

“This will be the final piece of a jigsaw that will ensure Whitechurch has an array of facilities which will be the envy of communities everywhere,” he said.

The campaign for a new building started in 1999 when the school’s authorities began lobbying the Department of the Education.

Mr Hallahan said many obstacles had to be overcome, including land purchase issues, drainage problems and the securing of funding. But he said successive boards of management, together with KOBW Architects, were “unwavering in their efforts” to get the project over the line.

The new school is being built on the site of the existing school and it will incorporate part of the former community field.

It will be located next to an array of community facilities, including a new playground, four new tennis courts, two football pitches, a juvenile playing pitch, a rugby pitch, all-weather astro-turf pitches, as well as a sports hall and a drama hall.

“It is heart-warming to see such development and great credit is due to the local community as well as the school community,” Mr Hallahan said.