As a parent whose daughters attended St Colmcille’s primary schools and Sancta Maria College I am appalled that some members of the education community in Ballyroan seem intent on denying the young pupils of Knocklyon their long-awaited new school. Over 500 pupils have been educated in sub-standard prefabs in Knocklyon since the 1980s. I feel that the scaremongering about primary school pupils interfering with the education or examinations of secondary students is outrageous. St. Patrick’s National School is adjacent to Sancta Maria. My daughters tell me that when St Patricks’ pupils played on the playground for 40 minutes a day that Sancta Maria pupils and teachers were oblivious to them. Surely there will be enough co-operation between the Boards of Management of St. Colmcille’s and Sancta Maria to guarantee that the primary pupils will not disrupt examinations, no more than the pupils at Saplings and St. Patrick’s currently do. I understand that its the older pupils from St Colmcille’s who will spend 18 months at the temporary school. The majority of these walk or cycle to school so will not impact on traffic. In these times of depression in Ireland I appeal to all involved to ‘Live and Let Live’ After all the issue is only about a group of kids being educated for a year and a half near a local secondary school at the only suitable site in the Rathfarnham/Templeogue area. It’s only fair that this would happen.
My daughter started in Sancta Maria in sept. She went to loreto primary were they built apartments on their playing fields so she has not had the privilege of pitches like these until now, and yet again she must suffer because of some overturned agreement. SCC TEMPORARILY relocated Educate Together into the old loreto secondary school in nutgrove while their school was rebuilt in crumlin. They are still there over 10 years on! While i agree with rebuilding colmcilles I believe a more suitable long term location could be found. If people do not voice their opinion then they cannot complain when maybe in 10 years time colmcilles doesnt get built and they are still on the gaa pitch.
Why is this only coming to our attention now, when was the school aware that this was happening? Surely it would have been preferable to put in objections to a planning application rather than have the task of trying to overturn an approval? Is Ballyboden breaking a legal agreement regarding the land? What provisions will be put in place with regard to sanitation, traffic, noise levels? How close to SMC will the prefabs be located? Will sport be affected for the SMC students?
I think people should get off their high horse in these times. The location for a temporary school is ideal and as mentioned above I think the great support Ballyboden gets from the people of Knocklyon that its only fair they give something back. There is lots of space for children to play and it would be a benefit to Sancta Maria in the future as a way of promoting the school. The temporary situation is for 2 years only.
I am shocked to see that only 29 people responded. I think a meeting needs to be called for people to voice their opinion and for us to get legal advise on the contract with Ballyboden and then take an injuction against them. We need to get a move on.
I’m horrified by the idea that 700 new students sharing our grounds. The traffic is already bad enough, with the new students it will be chaos. And a risk to health and safety.
As well, I will be studying for my leaving cert soon. And the noise level will be through the roof. This is going to effect my future! I am outraged, I have worked too long and too hard to be put in a position like this.
The best thing about our school is the pitches. And with this it means that we will lose time on it for matches and p.e. etc……I am very upset and annoyed.
I hope that this plan never goes ahead.
I disagree with the new prefabs being put up in the grounds of ballyboden gaa. St. Colmcilles senior national school should find grounds more appropriate in Knocklyon not Ballyroan.
This will have a huge affect on students in Sancta Maria College, especially during state exams when quiet is needed.
I disagree completely with this!
This is not about denying 700 Knocklyon pupils a new school. It is about the protection of the rights of the students in SMC to be educated in a comfortable environment. Colmcille’s proposed temporary school will be 22m from SMC classrooms. St. Patrick’s is 200m at its nearest point from SMC classrooms and is separated by many GAA buildings. It was bad planning that allowed Colmcille’s to expand way beyond its designed capacity. SMC is older than Colmcille’s, in worse condition and also in need of a new school. Gael Scoil Knocklyon has only got Prefabs! The roads around Templeroan and Boden Park are so dangerous that is not safe for young children to walk from any area in Knocklyon to this location. There will be no access to the temporary location from Templeroan.
The Leaving cert and Junior cert exams are in June. Could the primary school close in June and work in July instead – just for 2 years!!
3% of Colmcille’s students go to SMC. 80% of Colmcille’s student go the St Colmcille’s Community School. How about being located in its own parish or is Knocklyon parish only too glad to see the back of this over sized school which grinds the community to a halt every wet day. How about opposite St Colmcille’s Community School.
I object strongly to the proposal to locate pre-fabs for a two year period adjacent to Sancta Maria College to facilitate St.Colmcilles Senior School albeit on a temporary basis. I agree with a recent comment that there are suitable sites in Knocklyon for these pre-fabs to be located – an alternative could be the playing fields behind the Community School which are similar in area to the proposed site beside Sancta Maria College.
My principal objection is the obvious disruption to pupils of Sancta Maria both during the installation period and of more concern when students are trying to concentrate in class and undergo exams in close proximity to 700 children (I understand that some of the pre-fabs will be located only 22metres from the school building)
I am quite prepared to lobby to have this proposal overturned and I urge other interested parties to take action now!
Anne O’Sullivan’s word “scaremongering” is unnecessarily provocative. All the comments I read are based on facts and are expressing genuine and real concerns. The facts are clear: Colmcille’s wants to be based beside Sancta Maria so they will have use of the pitches for which Sancta Maria has priority. And Ballyboden GAA wants Colmcille’s there so they can collect funds from the Department of Education. The entitlements and needs of Sancta Maria students have not been seriously considered by Ballyboden or Colmcille’s. Sancta Maria is also awaiting a much-needed building project. Saying it is only for 18 months or 2 years is also inexcusable as we know that if Colmcille’s exits pre-fabs after two years, then Ballyroan Boys School or Gaelscoil Knocklyon will want to use them. Sancta Maria are not the “bad guys” in this situation. It is interesting that Anne O’Sullivan is saying in the “Rathfarnham/Templeogue” area when Colmcille’s school is in Knocklyon!!! Sancta Maria should not be demonised over this situation which is not of their making and which does not accord due respect to the needs of their students.
I completely agree with Patricia above. There is a ‘very close’ – even cosy – relationship between Colmcilles and Ballyboden St Enda’s who are riding rough-shod over all the residents in the Templeroan/Boden Park area, there was no consultation with either during the planning application process, and indeed the argument was used – “How could you possibly object?!”. The same with the parents of the various concerned schools. It is appalling that concerned parents and residents be treated in such a cavalier manner. Knocklyon Parish has been allowed to expand beyond its original boundaries to ensure that it will have access to students in the newer estates so that they can maintain their inflated numbers. A new school in the Ballycullen area would be more appropriate, meaning less traffic in the Knocklyon area and eliminate the need for the rebuild. The existing school in Colmcilles (not the prefabs) are actually in better condition than Sancta Maria and yet they are proposing to demolish them. The issue should be raised at the up-coming AGM of Knocklyon Community Council on 31st May (although this is also a very cosy, closed organisation)- submit before 17th May. Also, let’s get the media involved – Let’s ‘Talk to Joe’
I agree with Anne O Sullivan. The children of Knocklyon deserve proper classrooms. Sancta Maria’s pupils deserve better facilities too. It beggars belief that two schools so close to each other would fail to cooperate. There is no other suitable site in the locality for this ‘temporary’ school. The planning permission from South Dublin County Council states clearly that the temporary school can only remain at the Ballyboden St Endas grounds for a maximum of two years. I understand that Knocklyon’s new school is the biggest primary school building project ever undertaken by the Department of Education. There is huge support for this project from thousands of families in Knocklyon which is still a developing community. I fear that if this project is scuppered on the grounds that the St Colmcilles senior pupils will be ‘too noisy’, ’cause traffic congestion’ or ‘interfere with PE/Games in Sancta Maria’ for the year and a half or so that they will be there, that the reputation of the people of the Ballyroan and Knocklyon will take a hammering in the media. I can just imagine the headline:
‘South Dublin Secondary School Stops Building of Ireland’s Largest Primary School- hundreds of construction jobs lost because of disagreement between two Southside schools.’
With closer co-operation between the two schools surely the issues of concern can be sorted out. Common sense should prevail in the interest of both schools, otherwise neither Knocklyon nor Ballyroan may ever get proper school accommodation. The Boards of Management of the two schools must be afraid of that scenario. That’s why they should work together for the benefit of future pupils in both schools.
I am appalled and disgusted that planning has been approved for the prefabs. These buildings will be almost adjacent to our school I will not appreciate the screams of 700 primary school children during my Leaving Cert! Not only will our priority for the pitches be denied (where else will these pupils play during lunchtime?), but the noise levels will disrupt learning and the Templeroan and Ballyboden entrances will no longer be safe for pedestrians.
It is not just the alumni and staff of SMC that will be affected. Templeroan has a huge traffic problem every morning adding any more cars will be ridiculous. This is incredibly foolish approval. How will this benefit Colmcilles in any way? I find it hard to believe they will safely fit 30 prefabs into the proposed location. Problems such as staff parking, lunch areas, safety issues etc will have to be addressed.
Our local TDs Tom Kitt, Olivia Mitchell and Alan Shatter have let us down allowing this planning permission to go ahead. I will not be supporting any of these polititions in the next elections.
The proposed two years could easily turn into ten.
As Alison mentioned, the Colmcilles building are newer than SMC’s. Will we ever get a school building that reflects our great community spirit? Or will we continue to be passed over?
Having reared my family in Templeroan I was looking forward to peace and quiet in my later years, I now am faced with more noise and traffic in the area thanks to the people involved. Also as my house will be overlooked by this two storey prefab I am being forced to move. Did anybody stop and consider parishoners who have reared their families and contributed to this parish over the years.
I am now a third year student in sancta maria and i disagree with the building of the two storey school.. It is going to be very busy and will block the sun from coming into the 3rd years class and also many of the 3rd years will be distracted from them screaming and we do not need the extra distractions from our exam studies …
All depends on what you mean by ‘suitable’ Anita?
Is it suitable that only the financial benefits to Ballyboden GAA and Colmcille’s are considered. Ballyboden gains financially by getting a fully serviced foundation the length of the pitch for free, which they will be able to build a stand and clubhouse on, similar to Shamrock rover’s grounds in Tallaght. This financial gain is clearly in breach of the lease agreement, which was entered into with the Mercy order. Colmcille’s gain by getting free use of the Ballyboden resources to the detriment of the students of SMC.
The planning permission does not state an exact start date or end date. Start in 2010 end in 2013 – so already it has stretched to 3.5 years.
Where is the evidence of huge support, no vote was taken, no consultation with the residents of Templeroan, Ballyboden, Ballyroan. Every area in Knocklyon rejected the temporary location in their area.
Sancta Maria College is already in dire need of refurbishment and upgrading. To add this proposed site share will most certainly have a detrimental effect on the SMC pupils, who deserve to have their rights protected. This is not about denying 700 Knocklyon pupils a new school. It is about the protection of the rights of the students in SMC to be educated in a comfortable environment. I am not in favour of the proposed site share bearing in mind the above point and the volumes of young people and volumes of traffic involved. Sancta Maria needs new buildings and certainly does not need this at this stage!
I have a daughter in Sancta Maria and a daughter in St Colmcille’s. I am concerned for both of them. From the Sancta Maria perspective, the noise levels, the traffic and the total disregard for the students learning welfare is outrageous. As for my younger daughter in St-colmcille’s I am concerned about where her yard and PE will take place given that SMC have priority for the use of the pitches (rightly so). Her learning environment will be changed suddenly in the middle of the school year which will impact on her & her classmates. The further distance she will have to travel to get to school is ridiculous. There is nothing wrong with St-Colmcille’s Junior or Senior National school and if their principals stopped widening the catchment area of the school, there would be no need for any of this. I strongly disagree with all of it. My understanding is that there were numerous objections to this but the planning permission was granted regardless. Its all wrong! Not to mention that Sancta Maria are in dire need of new facilities. I fail to make any sense of this. Amazing that they couldn’t find room on any of the other Ballyboden sites or Knocklyon open green spaces, or, as pointed out by Margaret above, what’s wrong with the Community School’s grounds? I am a Knocklyon resident and fail to understand why the school is being moved to Rathfarnham.
First of all how on Earth did this idea get approved? Placing 700+ primary students beside Leaving Cert. and Junior Cert. students while they are doing their State Exams! It will be a complete and utter disaster. As for some of the people leaving comments saying ” the issue is only about a group of kids being educated for a year and a half near a local secondary school”, What about the sancta maria students who will be finishing school after the move? should they just let a bunch of loud noisy kids just 22m away ruin their chances of getting their desired college courses. Because the reality is that the St. Colmcilles students make noise, the Sancta Maria students can’t concentrate on their exams, get lower leaving cert. points than needed and therefore don’t get their desired college course.
I’m at a loss to know how the children are to access St Colmcilles in the mornings. The permission granted to Ballyboden St Endas states that the gates cannot open before 10AM. Is Boden Park to become an unofficial car park for the parents of the majority of children who will now have to drive?
Who will police the traffic management plan as outlined in the planning application? Ballyboden St Enda’s? St Colmcilles? or do we wait for a child to be knocked down? The issue of the safety of the children has been over looked to the shame of all involved.
Many sites had been identified closer to the existing school in Knocklyon which are more suitable for the purpose. I think the colour of money might be swaying this one.
Although every child has a right to a proper school to be educated in, I feel by building this beside SMC you are denying them this right. It’s not as if they have a state of the art school themselves. Why should one school suffer in order to enhance another one. Surely there are many vacant areas the can be used to facilitate St.C for the period they require. It took SMC years to get their pitches only to have them taken away. I wonder if it was the other way around and SMC wanted to build beside St. Colmcille would they be so accommodating.
As a parent whose daughters attended St Colmcille’s primary schools and Sancta Maria College I am appalled that some members of the education community in Ballyroan seem intent on denying the young pupils of Knocklyon their long-awaited new school. Over 500 pupils have been educated in sub-standard prefabs in Knocklyon since the 1980s. I feel that the scaremongering about primary school pupils interfering with the education or examinations of secondary students is outrageous. St. Patrick’s National School is adjacent to Sancta Maria. My daughters tell me that when St Patricks’ pupils played on the playground for 40 minutes a day that Sancta Maria pupils and teachers were oblivious to them. Surely there will be enough co-operation between the Boards of Management of St. Colmcille’s and Sancta Maria to guarantee that the primary pupils will not disrupt examinations, no more than the pupils at Saplings and St. Patrick’s currently do. I understand that its the older pupils from St Colmcille’s who will spend 18 months at the temporary school. The majority of these walk or cycle to school so will not impact on traffic. In these times of depression in Ireland I appeal to all involved to ‘Live and Let Live’ After all the issue is only about a group of kids being educated for a year and a half near a local secondary school at the only suitable site in the Rathfarnham/Templeogue area. It’s only fair that this would happen.
My daughter started in Sancta Maria in sept. She went to loreto primary were they built apartments on their playing fields so she has not had the privilege of pitches like these until now, and yet again she must suffer because of some overturned agreement. SCC TEMPORARILY relocated Educate Together into the old loreto secondary school in nutgrove while their school was rebuilt in crumlin. They are still there over 10 years on! While i agree with rebuilding colmcilles I believe a more suitable long term location could be found. If people do not voice their opinion then they cannot complain when maybe in 10 years time colmcilles doesnt get built and they are still on the gaa pitch.
Why is this only coming to our attention now, when was the school aware that this was happening? Surely it would have been preferable to put in objections to a planning application rather than have the task of trying to overturn an approval? Is Ballyboden breaking a legal agreement regarding the land? What provisions will be put in place with regard to sanitation, traffic, noise levels? How close to SMC will the prefabs be located? Will sport be affected for the SMC students?
I think people should get off their high horse in these times. The location for a temporary school is ideal and as mentioned above I think the great support Ballyboden gets from the people of Knocklyon that its only fair they give something back. There is lots of space for children to play and it would be a benefit to Sancta Maria in the future as a way of promoting the school. The temporary situation is for 2 years only.
I am shocked to see that only 29 people responded. I think a meeting needs to be called for people to voice their opinion and for us to get legal advise on the contract with Ballyboden and then take an injuction against them. We need to get a move on.
I’m horrified by the idea that 700 new students sharing our grounds. The traffic is already bad enough, with the new students it will be chaos. And a risk to health and safety.
As well, I will be studying for my leaving cert soon. And the noise level will be through the roof. This is going to effect my future! I am outraged, I have worked too long and too hard to be put in a position like this.
The best thing about our school is the pitches. And with this it means that we will lose time on it for matches and p.e. etc……I am very upset and annoyed.
I hope that this plan never goes ahead.
I disagree with the new prefabs being put up in the grounds of ballyboden gaa. St. Colmcilles senior national school should find grounds more appropriate in Knocklyon not Ballyroan.
This will have a huge affect on students in Sancta Maria College, especially during state exams when quiet is needed.
I disagree completely with this!
This is not about denying 700 Knocklyon pupils a new school. It is about the protection of the rights of the students in SMC to be educated in a comfortable environment. Colmcille’s proposed temporary school will be 22m from SMC classrooms. St. Patrick’s is 200m at its nearest point from SMC classrooms and is separated by many GAA buildings. It was bad planning that allowed Colmcille’s to expand way beyond its designed capacity. SMC is older than Colmcille’s, in worse condition and also in need of a new school. Gael Scoil Knocklyon has only got Prefabs! The roads around Templeroan and Boden Park are so dangerous that is not safe for young children to walk from any area in Knocklyon to this location. There will be no access to the temporary location from Templeroan.
The Leaving cert and Junior cert exams are in June. Could the primary school close in June and work in July instead – just for 2 years!!
3% of Colmcille’s students go to SMC. 80% of Colmcille’s student go the St Colmcille’s Community School. How about being located in its own parish or is Knocklyon parish only too glad to see the back of this over sized school which grinds the community to a halt every wet day. How about opposite St Colmcille’s Community School.
I object strongly to the proposal to locate pre-fabs for a two year period adjacent to Sancta Maria College to facilitate St.Colmcilles Senior School albeit on a temporary basis. I agree with a recent comment that there are suitable sites in Knocklyon for these pre-fabs to be located – an alternative could be the playing fields behind the Community School which are similar in area to the proposed site beside Sancta Maria College.
My principal objection is the obvious disruption to pupils of Sancta Maria both during the installation period and of more concern when students are trying to concentrate in class and undergo exams in close proximity to 700 children (I understand that some of the pre-fabs will be located only 22metres from the school building)
I am quite prepared to lobby to have this proposal overturned and I urge other interested parties to take action now!
Anne O’Sullivan’s word “scaremongering” is unnecessarily provocative. All the comments I read are based on facts and are expressing genuine and real concerns. The facts are clear: Colmcille’s wants to be based beside Sancta Maria so they will have use of the pitches for which Sancta Maria has priority. And Ballyboden GAA wants Colmcille’s there so they can collect funds from the Department of Education. The entitlements and needs of Sancta Maria students have not been seriously considered by Ballyboden or Colmcille’s. Sancta Maria is also awaiting a much-needed building project. Saying it is only for 18 months or 2 years is also inexcusable as we know that if Colmcille’s exits pre-fabs after two years, then Ballyroan Boys School or Gaelscoil Knocklyon will want to use them. Sancta Maria are not the “bad guys” in this situation. It is interesting that Anne O’Sullivan is saying in the “Rathfarnham/Templeogue” area when Colmcille’s school is in Knocklyon!!! Sancta Maria should not be demonised over this situation which is not of their making and which does not accord due respect to the needs of their students.
I completely agree with Patricia above. There is a ‘very close’ – even cosy – relationship between Colmcilles and Ballyboden St Enda’s who are riding rough-shod over all the residents in the Templeroan/Boden Park area, there was no consultation with either during the planning application process, and indeed the argument was used – “How could you possibly object?!”. The same with the parents of the various concerned schools. It is appalling that concerned parents and residents be treated in such a cavalier manner. Knocklyon Parish has been allowed to expand beyond its original boundaries to ensure that it will have access to students in the newer estates so that they can maintain their inflated numbers. A new school in the Ballycullen area would be more appropriate, meaning less traffic in the Knocklyon area and eliminate the need for the rebuild. The existing school in Colmcilles (not the prefabs) are actually in better condition than Sancta Maria and yet they are proposing to demolish them. The issue should be raised at the up-coming AGM of Knocklyon Community Council on 31st May (although this is also a very cosy, closed organisation)- submit before 17th May. Also, let’s get the media involved – Let’s ‘Talk to Joe’
I agree with Anne O Sullivan. The children of Knocklyon deserve proper classrooms. Sancta Maria’s pupils deserve better facilities too. It beggars belief that two schools so close to each other would fail to cooperate. There is no other suitable site in the locality for this ‘temporary’ school. The planning permission from South Dublin County Council states clearly that the temporary school can only remain at the Ballyboden St Endas grounds for a maximum of two years. I understand that Knocklyon’s new school is the biggest primary school building project ever undertaken by the Department of Education. There is huge support for this project from thousands of families in Knocklyon which is still a developing community. I fear that if this project is scuppered on the grounds that the St Colmcilles senior pupils will be ‘too noisy’, ’cause traffic congestion’ or ‘interfere with PE/Games in Sancta Maria’ for the year and a half or so that they will be there, that the reputation of the people of the Ballyroan and Knocklyon will take a hammering in the media. I can just imagine the headline:
‘South Dublin Secondary School Stops Building of Ireland’s Largest Primary School- hundreds of construction jobs lost because of disagreement between two Southside schools.’
With closer co-operation between the two schools surely the issues of concern can be sorted out. Common sense should prevail in the interest of both schools, otherwise neither Knocklyon nor Ballyroan may ever get proper school accommodation. The Boards of Management of the two schools must be afraid of that scenario. That’s why they should work together for the benefit of future pupils in both schools.
I am appalled and disgusted that planning has been approved for the prefabs. These buildings will be almost adjacent to our school I will not appreciate the screams of 700 primary school children during my Leaving Cert! Not only will our priority for the pitches be denied (where else will these pupils play during lunchtime?), but the noise levels will disrupt learning and the Templeroan and Ballyboden entrances will no longer be safe for pedestrians.
It is not just the alumni and staff of SMC that will be affected. Templeroan has a huge traffic problem every morning adding any more cars will be ridiculous. This is incredibly foolish approval. How will this benefit Colmcilles in any way? I find it hard to believe they will safely fit 30 prefabs into the proposed location. Problems such as staff parking, lunch areas, safety issues etc will have to be addressed.
Our local TDs Tom Kitt, Olivia Mitchell and Alan Shatter have let us down allowing this planning permission to go ahead. I will not be supporting any of these polititions in the next elections.
The proposed two years could easily turn into ten.
As Alison mentioned, the Colmcilles building are newer than SMC’s. Will we ever get a school building that reflects our great community spirit? Or will we continue to be passed over?
Having reared my family in Templeroan I was looking forward to peace and quiet in my later years, I now am faced with more noise and traffic in the area thanks to the people involved. Also as my house will be overlooked by this two storey prefab I am being forced to move. Did anybody stop and consider parishoners who have reared their families and contributed to this parish over the years.
I am now a third year student in sancta maria and i disagree with the building of the two storey school.. It is going to be very busy and will block the sun from coming into the 3rd years class and also many of the 3rd years will be distracted from them screaming and we do not need the extra distractions from our exam studies …
All depends on what you mean by ‘suitable’ Anita?
Is it suitable that only the financial benefits to Ballyboden GAA and Colmcille’s are considered. Ballyboden gains financially by getting a fully serviced foundation the length of the pitch for free, which they will be able to build a stand and clubhouse on, similar to Shamrock rover’s grounds in Tallaght. This financial gain is clearly in breach of the lease agreement, which was entered into with the Mercy order. Colmcille’s gain by getting free use of the Ballyboden resources to the detriment of the students of SMC.
The planning permission does not state an exact start date or end date. Start in 2010 end in 2013 – so already it has stretched to 3.5 years.
Where is the evidence of huge support, no vote was taken, no consultation with the residents of Templeroan, Ballyboden, Ballyroan. Every area in Knocklyon rejected the temporary location in their area.
Sancta Maria College is already in dire need of refurbishment and upgrading. To add this proposed site share will most certainly have a detrimental effect on the SMC pupils, who deserve to have their rights protected. This is not about denying 700 Knocklyon pupils a new school. It is about the protection of the rights of the students in SMC to be educated in a comfortable environment. I am not in favour of the proposed site share bearing in mind the above point and the volumes of young people and volumes of traffic involved. Sancta Maria needs new buildings and certainly does not need this at this stage!
I have a daughter in Sancta Maria and a daughter in St Colmcille’s. I am concerned for both of them. From the Sancta Maria perspective, the noise levels, the traffic and the total disregard for the students learning welfare is outrageous. As for my younger daughter in St-colmcille’s I am concerned about where her yard and PE will take place given that SMC have priority for the use of the pitches (rightly so). Her learning environment will be changed suddenly in the middle of the school year which will impact on her & her classmates. The further distance she will have to travel to get to school is ridiculous. There is nothing wrong with St-Colmcille’s Junior or Senior National school and if their principals stopped widening the catchment area of the school, there would be no need for any of this. I strongly disagree with all of it. My understanding is that there were numerous objections to this but the planning permission was granted regardless. Its all wrong! Not to mention that Sancta Maria are in dire need of new facilities. I fail to make any sense of this. Amazing that they couldn’t find room on any of the other Ballyboden sites or Knocklyon open green spaces, or, as pointed out by Margaret above, what’s wrong with the Community School’s grounds? I am a Knocklyon resident and fail to understand why the school is being moved to Rathfarnham.
First of all how on Earth did this idea get approved? Placing 700+ primary students beside Leaving Cert. and Junior Cert. students while they are doing their State Exams! It will be a complete and utter disaster. As for some of the people leaving comments saying ” the issue is only about a group of kids being educated for a year and a half near a local secondary school”, What about the sancta maria students who will be finishing school after the move? should they just let a bunch of loud noisy kids just 22m away ruin their chances of getting their desired college courses. Because the reality is that the St. Colmcilles students make noise, the Sancta Maria students can’t concentrate on their exams, get lower leaving cert. points than needed and therefore don’t get their desired college course.
I’m at a loss to know how the children are to access St Colmcilles in the mornings. The permission granted to Ballyboden St Endas states that the gates cannot open before 10AM. Is Boden Park to become an unofficial car park for the parents of the majority of children who will now have to drive?
Who will police the traffic management plan as outlined in the planning application? Ballyboden St Enda’s? St Colmcilles? or do we wait for a child to be knocked down? The issue of the safety of the children has been over looked to the shame of all involved.
Many sites had been identified closer to the existing school in Knocklyon which are more suitable for the purpose. I think the colour of money might be swaying this one.
Although every child has a right to a proper school to be educated in, I feel by building this beside SMC you are denying them this right. It’s not as if they have a state of the art school themselves. Why should one school suffer in order to enhance another one. Surely there are many vacant areas the can be used to facilitate St.C for the period they require. It took SMC years to get their pitches only to have them taken away. I wonder if it was the other way around and SMC wanted to build beside St. Colmcille would they be so accommodating.