A NORTHSIDE community is united in relief, joy and excitement as plans for a permanent school building, which have been 16 years in the making, have finally been lodged.
The excitement in Cabra is palpable since the planning permission notices have gone up to indicate that an end is finally is sight for Gaelscoil Bharra’s highly publicised campaign for a new school.
The Department of Education recently lodged the long-awaited planning application for the development of the school building and a neighbouring sports facility at the Faussagh Avenue site.
The proposal consists of a three-storey school building with a total floor area of 1,775sqm to replace the current damp and rat infested prefabs.
The application also includes the construction of a new all-weather pitch with flood-lighting and a five-metre high hurling wall for Naomh Fionnbarra GAA club.
According to Mossey Byrne, chairperson of the permanent building campaign for Gaelscoil Bharra, the plans are
“everything we’ve been looking for and even a little bit more
?.
“It’s fantastic news,
? he told Northside People.
“We almost don’t want to say anything and just keep our fingers crossed that the planning goes through without any hitches.
“At no time in the history of our campaign have we got to this point. Up until now we’ve gone around in circles banging our heads against the wall with the Department of Education.
?
Mr Byrne who continues to chair the campaign, even though both his children are now too old to benefit from the new school building, said that although the plans are impressive, he doesn’t think anything is worth 16 years of protesting.
“It’ll even be 18 years, 2014, before the school is even built but we’re all very happy that it will be a massive asset for the community,
? he stated.
“We’ve waited this long so two more school years before the build is complete is a walk in the park.
“I’m proud to be the chairperson of the permanent building campaign because of how worthy the cause is and because the ethos has always been to stick with this until the job is done.
“It’s an absolute testament to all who’ve campaigned tirelessly that we’ve got to this point.
?
Local councillor Mary Fitzpatrick (FF) described the development as a
“one giant step forward
? in the realisation of the purpose built school.
“As a city councillor I have consistently supported the campaign for a purpose built school and was happy to support the provision of the site, free of charge, from Dublin City Council to the Department of Education for the benefit of the school,
? she stated.
In March of this year, Gaelscoil Bharra was included on a list of new schools to be built before 2015.
The publication of the school building list confirmed that the run-down prefabs that have housed more than 200 pupils every term over the last 20 years would be replaced with a state-of-the-art new school within three years.
It’s been a long and frustrating journey to get to this point for a Gaelscoil that was never far from the headlines, most notably in 2008 when supporters of the school infuriated the then Minister for Education Batt O’Keeffe when they staged a protest outside his family home in Cork.