Long-awaited extension underway at Scoil Lorcáin

The long-awaited extension to Scoil Lorcáin's Boy's National School, St. John's Park, which will see the school treble in size, is finally underway.

The 4.25 million euro extension, funded by the Department of Education and Science, started three weeks ago and should be completed for the beginning of the next school year in September 2007.

Principal of Scoil Lorcáin, Harry Flynn said, "We've been waiting for this for the past six years and the school badly needs it because our class sizes continue to grow and grow with the increase in population in the surrounding area". He explained: "There's currently about eleven teachers teaching in Portakabins because we have such little room".

The new development will see an addition of twelve new classrooms along with a general purpose room, a library/computer room, tuition rooms and extra area for playgrounds and parking".

"When the extension is completed, the school will be three times bigger so we're hoping to move into the new rooms while we refurbish the rest of the school", said Mr Flynn.

Even though disruptions are likely to be caused by such a large project over the coming year, the staff and 335 pupils in the school are getting on with their work and looking forward to the end product.

"Of course we're going to have to be flexible during the construction and even though our yard space is a little confined at the moment, I'm sure it will ease eventually", said Mr Flynn.

"We've been waiting so long for this now that we're willing to put up with a little disruption because we're confident that the end product will be worth it".