Hedgestown National School in Lusk turns the sod on a bright new future!
Grainne Whelan, Damien O’Donoghue and Liam Fitzgerald at the turning of the sod at the new Hedgestown NS building.
A little bit of history has been made at Hedgestown National School in Lusk with the turning of the sod on a long-awaited new school building.
Construction of the new, eight classroom state-of-the-art school is expected to be completed by the summer of 2023, a day which cannot come quick enough for the students, staff and local community who have been working towards this day for over 26 years.
Lusk Parish Priest, Fr George Begley was in attendance to bless the site, the construction workers and the staff and students of Hedgestown NS, and the ground was officially broken by the Chairman of the Board Liam Fitzgerald and School Principal Damien O’Donoghue.
Speaking to the Fingal Independent at the site, Principal Damien O’Donoghue said: “This is a proud day for Hedgestown National School and the future is bright for the students and staff.
“The community has been working towards this project for a very long time and I am delighted to see these efforts come to fruition today.
“We will have a state-of-the-art education facility for the rural community here in Lusk, and it will enable us to provide a wonderful educational experience to all our students, present and future for years to come”.
Chairperson of the Board of Management, local solicitor, Liam Fitzgerald expressed his delight in being a part of such a historic moment in the history of the school.
He said: “It is a privilege to be a part of this day and a true testament to the resilience and perseverance of everyone involved over the years in working towards this day. On behalf of the Board of Management, I would like to wish the pupils and teachers the very best in the future and I look forward to watching the school being built over the coming months”.
As someone that has been on the staff of Hedgestown National School since the start of this project 26 years ago, Deputy Principal Aine Doyle was delighted to finally see the sod turned.
She said: “This is a very special day for the students and staff of Hedgestown NS and a day we won’t forget quickly. Great days are ahead of us and we will watch the progress of the build with great excitement over the coming year.”
Jane O’Kelly, past pupil and member of the Board of Management, explained how Hedgestown NS holds a special place in the hearts of the local community: “Generations of families have attended the school through the years. We are very fortunate to have teachers of the highest quality at Hedgestown National School, and children that are excited and happy to go to school every day. It is fantastic to think that as well as this, our children will now have a school building of the highest quality where they will receive their primary education.”
