‘The fire was a warning, but next time, it could be much worse’

The shocking state of disrepair that the former Kildalkey National School has fallen into is causing serious concern in the village in the wake of a recent fire in the derelict building.

For years, locals have been highlighting the poor state of the property and the fire over the Halloween break has prompted widespread concern and a call for action.

Local resident Craig Ryan, who runs a coffee shop opposite the old school, contacted the Meath Chronicle following the fire, to highlight what he described as a "long-standing issue in Kildalkey that has recently escalated".

"The old Kildalkey National School, which has been left derelict for years, was set on fire recently, and it’s a serious cause for concern," said Craig. "While the fire was thankfully contained, this is just one of many incidents that have highlighted the risks posed by the neglected building. It’s become a hub for anti-social behaviour, with easy access and no security, and the local community has been raising the alarm for quite some time."

He said for years residents have been trying to get this issue addressed but despite the best efforts of the community "not one politician, nor any member of the Church who holds the lease on the site, has made any significant progress in resolving the situation".

"It’s incredibly frustrating for residents who are left to walk by this eyesore and safety hazard every day. The building is deteriorating further, and as it stands, it’s an accident waiting to happen. The community feels completely let down by the lack of action from both the Church and local politicians who have done nothing to move this forward.

"The question now is how much longer will we be expected to wait before something serious happens. The fire was a warning, but next time, it could be much worse. The community deserves better than this, and it’s high time the Department, the Church, and local politicians took responsibility for resolving the situation.

"If this issue can gain the attention it deserves, there is a real opportunity for the community to take control of the site and make it a resource for local families. But it seems as though everyone has been passing the buck for far too long."

When contacted about its intentions for the property, St Finian's Diocesan Trust said in a statement: "The Minister for Education holds a Leasehold interest over the property and we have been endeavouring to have this released for some time now. Consequently, St Finian’s Diocesan Trust can make no decisions about the future of the property until the Minister’s interest in the property is released. This has taken an extraordinary amount of time but we are hopeful that the matter will be concluded without any further delay."

The matter was also raised by Cllr Noel French at the November meeting of Trim Municipal District where he asked if Meath Co Council could issue a derelict site order in relation to the former school, commenting that it had been "half burnt" during Halloween. He said the Department of Education say they are not the owners of it so he presumed then it is the Diocesan Trust that own it.

Cllr Ronan Moore said he had raised it with the council last July because of the dangers and asked for it to be looked at. He added that an inspection was carried out which determined that the site was deemed to be derelict and was told the council was in the process of ascertaining ownership and opening a line of communication to discuss the best outcome for the site.

"Hopefully those lines of communication have been opened up and hopefully it is more urgent after that fire."

Director of Services Des Foley said he would follow it up with the derelict sites section and get an up-to-date report.

The Department of Education had not responded to our queries in relation to the property at time of going to press.