Mary Daly and Rosie Mealiff are mothers who have children with a moderate learning disability (MLD). They tell a story that is repeated time and again throughout the State. Like every mother, they simply want their sons to have the best education they can possibly have, taking account of their particular needs.
After years of lobbying (with the help of the Offaly and Tullamore Mental Handicap Associations) for appropriate education services, they say their lives have been transformed by the opening of the new unit at Killina Presentation Secondary School.
Pβdraig Mealiff (15) and Eric Daly (18) have both settled into the new special learning unit and happily chatted about their day's schoolwork to The Irish Times this week.
Rosie's son, Pβdraig, has Down's syndrome and a hearing impairment.
"He spent the last four years prior to coming here in a local national school in Durrow. This has made a huge difference to him socially. He might not have learned a lot academically, but he has adapted well with the other children and he is learning life skills," Ms Mealiff says.
"Pβdraig also has a sister, Lisa, who started here at the same time. I wondered whether it might be a bad idea for her but it wasn't at all. He has settled in very well and he's mixing great. The support here is great and it really makes me sit back to see the level of acceptance from the other students."
Mary Daly's son, Eric, also has Down's syndrome. He went to the same national school as Pβdraig in Durrow.
"It's a dream come true for me. He has adapted very well," Mary says. Eric has a heart condition and the teachers have been very understanding, allowing him to rest when he needs to during the school day.
Both women feel their sons' verbal and social skills have improved greatly thanks to their integration with their peers in the other classes.
A formal programme is still being developed by the NCCA, but all the students have an individual programme tailored to their needs and regularly escape the classroom setting to learn cookery, woodwork and other skills.
While everyone acknowledges there were some initial fears and consequent delays in the project, the parents have huge praise for the principal of the school and the Presentation Sisters, who were so open to allowing the unit be built.
They also praise the resource teacher, Anita Dillon, who keeps in regular contact with each of them to report on their child's progress.
Anita, from Tullamore, came to the school three years ago. She also teaches maths and biology to some of the mainstream classes but clearly enjoys the one-to-one interaction with this small class.