Local Fine Gael TD and past pupil of Crookstown NS Martin Heydon has said that it is a very proud day for him and all the local community to attend the official opening of the long awaited new state of the art primary school at Crookstown.
“The new school has been fought for since before I was a TD and it was one of my main aims to see it a reality once I was elected to Dail Eireann. As the population of the parish of Narraghmore grew significantly in the past 10 years, space was at a premium and the old school was no longer suitable.
“A lot of work has been put in by many hardworking people including in particular principal Nuala Costello and the Board of Management led by their dedicated chair David O’Grady. Fr. Frank McEvoy has also been hugely supportive and the generous donation of the site from the diocese really got the project up and running. Former members of the Board of Management and all who have played their part in helping the school project should feel a huge sense of pride and achievement today.
“From the confirmation of funding by the Department of Education in June 2013 to the turning of the sod in March 2014 all milestones have been welcomed by the residents of the area both old and new.
“I am working with Fr. McEvoy to develop suitable community uses for the old school building and I look forward to progress on this front in the near future.”