Last night (Wednesday, March 26) residents from the Montenotte Park Residents Association held a public meeting in Cork where they voiced their concerns about the recent decision by An Bord Pleanala to give the green light to an application to build a new school building for Gael Scoil An Ghoirt Alainn in Mayfield.

Speaking ahead of last night’s meeting, Tom Creedon, Chairperson of the Montenotte Park residents Association said that local residents were “appalled and dismayed” by the decision by An Bord Pleanala to override the recommendation of their own planning inspector and members of Cork City Council not to allow the school to go ahead saying that locals were anxious to safeguard the only playing field in the area.

Mr Creedon said that residents now hope that the council will refuse to sell the land proposed for the school to the Department of Education  and the trustees of the Gaelscoil.

However, Fine Gael’s Dara Murphy said that he along with other city councillors had already approached the City Manager, Joe Gavin on this issue and that Mr Gavin had said that it has already been decided, following a vote by the council, to sell this land to the Department.

Cllr Murphy said that the whole situation had been difficult for those on both sides of the fence saying, “no one side was ever completely right and no one side was ever completely right”.

Meanwhile, Sinn Féin city councillor Annette Spillane said that while she respected the opinions of the resident’s association, she welcomed the decision by An Bord Pleannala to give the go-ahead for the construction of a new school building. “Pupils and staff at Gael Scoil An Ghoirt Alainn have been waiting over fourteen years for their new school. In the mean time they have been accommodated in prefab classrooms in the grounds of Brian Dillons GAA Club. For children to have to put up with such conditions in twenty-first century Ireland is totally unacceptable, “ she said.

Despite the best efforts of the Cork Independent, a spokesperson for Cork City Council was unable to comment on the meeting or on whether the council will be selling its land at the Tankfield to the Department.

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