New school for Brackloon

New school for Brackloon


Áine Ryan

BRACKLOON primary school, situated on the outskirts of Westport, is about to get a new four-classroom building after just over three months of intensive negotiations with Department of Education officials, The Mayo News has learned. 
Fianna FΡil’s Deputy Beverley Flynn last week confirmed the new school, which will cost almost €1 million, will be located across the road from the original building.
“This is a red letter day for Brackloon and the entire local community and I am very happy that my representations on behalf of the school have had such  a welcome and positive result,” Deputy Flynn said. She praised Cllrs Margaret Adams and Brendan Mulroy for their proactive roles in helping to deliver the decision.
“I am very pleased for the Board of Management, headed by Simon Wall, and for school principal, Brendan Tunney and his staff, as well as for the parents of the children attending Brackloon NS,” she said.
Built originally in 1849, Brackloon NS, will have 96 pupils on its roll in September next, over three times the number of pupils attending the rural school just a decade ago, in 2000.
“I think the lowest number in the history of the school was 29 in 2000,” Brendan Tunney, the school’s principal, told The Mayo News.
“We now anticipate the new school will be opened by September 2012. As we have been designated with Developing School Status we have been allocated an additional mainstream teacher, as well as Learning Support Resource teacher,” Mr Tunney continued.
Both he and Simon Wall praised the work of the dedicated building committee, led by Gerry Walsh.
Simon Wall observed: “It is almost unprecedented that a proposed project would have such a quick turnaround. We did engage very positively with the department officials from the outset.”
Plans for the new school had been afoot since 2006.
They also acknowledged the great support of teachers, parents and local councillors. The new site, which will be purchased subject to planning permission, will cost €75,000. It will be paid for through fundraising efforts, organised by the Board of Management.
Welcoming the news, Cllr Margaret Adams said that the representations by herself, Cllr Brendan Mulroy and Deputy Flynn to the then Minister for Education, Batt O’Keeffe, during his visit last year, had borne fruit.
“I’m delighted to see a rural area growing and being allocated a new school. I believe a temporary classroom will be made available until the school is built. Myself and Beverley now look forward to progressing Scoil PhΡdraig [in the town] to its next phase of development,” Cllr Adams said.   
Deputy Beverley Flynn also explained that under the grant arrangement, the site will be purchased by the school’s Board of Management  and will be vested in trustees through an official lease.