Long-awaited extension to Trim school finally underway

The sod was turned yesterday (Tuesday) on the long-awaited new extension to St Mary"s Primary School in Trim, which will include 14 new rooms and a PE hall. Local parent Gerard Reilly, Teaguestown House, Effernock, who made a donation towards the building of the new hall, formally turned the sod on the development and the Bishop of Meath, Dr Michael Smith, blessed the site. Parents, teachers, board of management representatives, pupils and members of the community gathered for the ceremony at the school. The €3.2m extension will include nine new classrooms, five special education rooms and a large new PE hall. The Department of Education is funding the extension but because St Mary"s is building a larger hall than standard, the school has to come up with €250,000 in funding. Mr Reilly made a financial contribution to the project and has earned the naming rights of the new hall when it is opened, which he has chosen to name after his mother, Dr Eileen Reilly, a GP in the Trim area for many years. Dr Reilly (nee Flannelly), along with Dr McEntee and Dr Brody, provided GP care to the whole Trim and wider area for many years and Dr Reilly was a well-known and highly respected doctor. She died in 1968 and Mr Reilly said people still speak fondly about her and her compassion and how she never turned a patient away. Mr Reilly has been on the board of management of the school for the past seven years and said he is 'delighted to be able to make a financial donation towards the hall'. He said extra funding was needed for the PE hall and he was delighted to be able to help. Mr Reilly was accompanied by members of his family for the ceremony yesterday. School principal Coilín ' Coigligh said that work has already begun on the new extension, which is being built by Aidan Elliott Construction. The foundations are currently being laid and Mr ' Coigligh said the extension would take about one-and-a-half years to complete. The school will be moving in by September 2010. St Mary"s now has €175,000 for the hall raised through various initiatives and has a further €75,000 to raise. The principal said the naming rights of the hall was part of their corporate fundraising as well as their sponsoring a plaque initiative. The latest initiative was launched yesterday and is called 'buy a brick". Parents and past pupils are being encouraged to buy a brick and their names will be included on a sponsors board in the hall. The extension is phase three of an overall plan for St Mary"s that began in the summer of 2000. During the summer of 2000 and 2001, the existing school was refurbished and the final piece of the jigsaw is the new extension, which means all of the school can now be located on one site. At present, several classes are taught in the old convent school building across the street from the school and Mr ' Coigligh said that, when the extension is completed, they will be handing back the convent to the Mercy Sisters. The principal said the extension had taken a long time but said there were various reasons for the delay that were not all to do with the Department of Education. He said part of the delay was due to St Mary"s wanting a bigger hall than standard and they had to secure funding and show how it would be paid for. 'We dealt with the Department of Education and the system worked for us. There was no political pressure, it was all done through the system. Even though it took a long time, the system did work and we were one of the lucky schools that got to go ahead,' he said. Meanwhile, there will be an open day at the school on Thursday 5th February at 11.15am. This is an opportunity for parents and prospective parents to see the school in action. There will be a short talk by the principal, followed by a tour around the school to see the children participating in various classes. A cup of tea will conclude the proceedings.