Public rallies round for arson-hit school for autism by donating €8,000

The principal of a school for children with autism has thanked the public for donating €8,000 to replace toys and sensory equipment which were destroyed in an arson attack earlier this year.

Emir Duffy, the principal of Cara National School on the northside of Cork City, said they were devastated by the June arson attack. Two vandals torched a school yard storage shed which contained a toy kitchen, saucepans, diggers for use in sand, and balls used by children with autism and intellectual disabilities.

But yesterday, Ms Duffy said she was heartened by the generosity of members of the public. And she said she wanted people to see how their donations had been spent, and how they have benefitted the children: “We didn’t fundraise as such. The story obviously touched a nerve. It was literally just the response of the public. We really have been overwhelmed by the generosity of strangers. Most of the people who donated cash to the school had no direct connection to us and did not know our pupils or their families.