Colour a real tonic for Fybough NS
have to be commended for the way they handled it. They stood in front of him and stopped him going out the back. I was impressed with them,” he said.
Judge Waters said that his main concern was that Mr O’Connor was not taking the situation “seriously” and that Mr O’Connor “felt it was a bit nothing”.
Defence solicitor Brendan Ahern said that his client had contacted Mr Cahill to convey an apology after the incident and that he is aware he is in the wrong. He said that Mr O’Connor is a 46-year-old man with two sons and that this incident has “brought shame and embarrassment” on him.
One of his sons is a talented boxer and Mr O’Connor travels with him and is involved in his coaching.
The court was also told that he is not in great health and suffers from rheumatoid arthritis. A SCHOOL that was hit hard by cutbacks several years ago saw one of its classrooms, that was once a haven for learning and creativity, become a spare and empty four walls.
But instead of accepting that; the teachers and pupils at Fybough National School in Castlemaine spotted an opportunity and with that, they transformed the room to give it a new lease of life.
The school was chosen to receive a bursary this year as part of Kerry County Council’s Artists in School’s programme and with the help of artist Nicky Foley, that once blank room is now filled with colour, paintings, games and, most importantly, pupils.
Principal Catherine Ní Mhuircheartaigh said the process of decorating the room was almost as wonderful as the outcome.
“We were so delighted for our school’s application to have been one of the chosen for this programme,” Principal Ní Mhuircheartaigh said. “With Nicky, the children all worked on ideas of what they wanted in the room and they all created mood boards. It’s a room for the pupils, by the pupils. Nicky helped them to bring their ideas to life.”
The room is broken into sections such as games, culture and reading. Murals fill the walls and homemade cushions and added bean bags add to the room’s comfort.
“It’s a relaxing space where we bring the pupils in to get a break from curriculum schedule. They can read their books or play games – we’re trying to shift their focus from laptops so they’re learning to play things like chess while they’re in there,” Principal Ní Mhuircheartaigh continued.
Throughout the brainstorming and decorating process, the pupils were involved in sewing, knitting and sketching and they learned skills they might not normally get the opportunity to.
“We are so grateful to the council for this. The room was looking drab and it was such a shame but now it’s something so wonderful and the children are so proud of it.”