Children lead protest over school cuts

Children were in the frontline last night as they joined their mums and dads, friends and neighbours in a protest against Government cuts that will eke into the heart and soul of rural ireland.

Ten-year-old Laura O’Shea, from Traflask in the Beara peninsula, said she had a simple message for Taoiseach Enda Kenny.

“I would say to him, ‘please leave our school alone’, we have lovely teachers and we are all friends at our school.”

Her father Tim said Laura and other pupils are all in the near future at risk of facing a 45-minute bus trip to Castletownbere.

“The education they receive at the moment is good. And a good education is a basic right.”

Like many of the small rural schools in West Cork, the families that protested in Bantry last night against school cuts can trace their links with local schools back four generations and more. Teacher Julie Harrington said: “Our school is there since 1850, it’s always been central to the parish, my own grandparents and great grandparents attended there.”

On a neighbouring penisula, 26 children from Kilcrohane national school had personal messages delivered to the Taoiseach last night after he arrived at a private function in Bantry for retired Fine Gael TDs.

Margaret Daly, whose daughter Shauna is in second class, said: “In the letters they all wrote that they love this school, their teachers and their friends. They all have new smart-boards and they love them.”

Kilcrohane is one of three schools in the Sheep’s Head peninsula and parents feel a closure of one or more of the schools is inevitable.

Anne O’Donovan said she had no children attending the schools but believed teachers, parents and pupils deserved the support of the whole community.

The protest was organised by the Save Our Small School West Cork campaign. Mr Kenny swept into the harbour town just an hour before midnight but the protesters, raging at the proposed cuts, remained passionate but dignified.

Although West Cork is a Fine Gael heartland with three Government TDs in a three seat constituency, Mr Kenny was left in no doubt rural Ireland is squaring up for a fight.

“We will have our voices heard and will stand up to you,” people roared as the Taoiseach passed.

The local campaign, involving 56 schools was launched months ago. A local principal, Clara McGowan, said: “West Cork is leading the way at the moment. Schools in nearly every county are watching us and are preparing to come on board a bigger national campaign.”