School building bonanza in Westport

PROGRESS School Principal Orla Brickenden is excited by the news

Áine Ryan

IT could be the oldest school in Connacht but now more than 200 years since it opened on the Newport Road, Westport, Holy Trinity National School is set to get a brand new building. Ironically, the new school will be developed on the site of Altamont Street’s Scoil PhΡdraig, which is already under construction and due to move to a new state-of-the-art building on the Newport Road.  
The announcement, which was made on Wednesday last by the Minister for Education and Skills, Ms Jan O’Sullivan, has been widely welcomed.  
“We are thrilled by this news. While we love our old school building, it really is no longer fit for purpose. We are excited at the prospect of a modern, well designed new home for our children and staff. The children are particularly pleased that they will have a much larger and more suitable playing areas. A larger more modern school will allow us to expand the number of pupils on the roll book and the number of teachers, both of which have been constrained by the limits of the old building,: said Orla Brickenden, Principal of Holy Trinity NS.
Welcoming the announcement, Board of Management chairman, Julian Ellison said: “Holy Trinity National School is an integral part of the social fabric of Westport and surrounding area. We foster an inclusive ethos, offering an alternative option to families which is not widely available within the province. Confirmation that we are included in the New Schools Building Programme guarantees that we will be well positioned to continue to serve the community in Westport and beyond.”

Commitment and support
He acknowledged the hard work, commitment and support of the Board of Management members, Ms Brickenden, Minister for State, Michael Ring, Cllrs Tereasa McGuire and Christy Hyland and Mayo County Council’s Peter Hynes, Simon Wall and Martin Keating.
Local Church of Ireland Rector, Rev Val Rogers said: “This is such good news. We’re so grateful for our new site. We are happy that the Government has agreed about the value of the education we offer and our need for a decent building to offer it in. There’ll be a lot of work for our School Board and community before the doors open, but with the help of Westport’s people it seems certain now that the town will come to have yet another fine school for its children.” Work is scheduled to begin on the new school in 2018. Eight other schools will also receive funding as part of the announcement. They are Scoil Naomh Bríd, Culleens, Ballina; St Mary’s Secondary School, Ballina; Scoil Iosa, Ballina; Sancta Maria College, Louisburgh; St Brid’s Special National School, Castlebar; St Joseph’s Secondary School, Castlebar; St. Joseph’s Community College, Charlestown and Scoil PhΡdraig, Westport.

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