Kevin Moran's decision on childrens’ access to heritage sites is a knockout

WHEN he was 12, Kevin Moran decked an opponent a foot taller than him on a football field in Athlone because he felt a teammate had been fouled. He has been known as “Boxer” ever since.

This time round, as minister of state for the Office of Public Works, Moran is using brains rather than brawn to stand up for our younger citizens.

In a simple but inspiring move, he has announced that, from Saturday next, all children under 12 will be admitted free to all heritage sites managed by the OPW. All schoolchildren already have free access to these sites under the Schools Visits programme as an adjunct to the educational curriculum.

But not all learning takes place in school. Mr Moran’s initiative is family-focused and, hopefully, will encourage parents to bring their younger children to visit historic sites like Clonmacnoise, Newgrange and the Rock of Cashel to learn in a hands-on way about our rich heritage.

Top of the class, minister!