Pupils leave gallops for new school

The corporate boxes at Fairyhouse Racecourse were vacated by their most unusual visitors for the last time yesterday. The students and teachers of the recently established Ratoath College, who spent the last two years at the racecourse in Co Meath, said goodbye to their temporary accommodation yesterday.

They marched with the Garda Mounted Unit and the Garda Band and the Bishop of Meath, Rev Michael Smith, former Irish football manager Brian Kerr and Fianna Fáil TD Mary Wallace to their new school at Jamestown.

The students were taught at the racecourse because Ratoath, Ireland's fastest growing village - some 32 per cent of the population in the area is under 14 - did not have its own secondary school.

Racecourse management was approached because they had the largest premises in the area. They obliged and in 2005, 66 first-year students began their lessons at the racecourse with six teachers.

Settling in had its challenges, according to school principal Máire Ní Bhróithe. She said they had to vacate their rooms 17 times during the two years to accommodate the racing schedule.

"Easter and Christmas were the hardest, we had to pack everything into a 40-foot container," she said. "Everything was on wheels and foldable, the notice boards came down off the walls. We became expert movers."

In their second year the school expanded into a bar on the first floor and art lessons were taken in the jockeys' weigh room. On Wednesdays the entire school took a bus to Dunshaughlin Community College to make use of their science, home economics, woodwork and music facilities. Ms Ní Bhróithe said racecourse management was very helpful to them during their stay and pupils and teachers would miss the view from the corporate suite, as well as racing around the track on foot.

The school has 183 pupils and expects to grow to more than 800 over the next few years. The new school at Jamestown has 56 classrooms and modern facilities. Ms Ní Bhróithe said yesterday's event was "a celebration for the whole community".