President's first Meath engagement next week

President Michael D Higgins will conduct his first visit to Meath since his inauguration when he officially opens Scoil Naomh Eoin's new school at Clonmagadden, Navan, next Monday, 27th February. Scoil Naomh Eoin opened its doors in 2003 on a temporary site with just one portacabin and 20 pupils. Since then, a portacabin was added to the confined site each year to accommodate the growing numbers, before the school finally moved to its permanent school building on 31st August last. The school now has almost 400 pupils and 20 teachers who are accommodated in a state-of-the-art building with 16 classrooms, six resource rooms, a large general purpose room and an extensive sports and play area. Principal Mary McMahon said it had been a "hard battle" to get this far and said the teachers and children love their new school with its spacious classrooms, interactive white boards, library and computer room.