GAVIN was very keen to draw attention to the "drainpipes". Ingeniously situated inside hollow pillars, the water would make music as it fell down the chains inside the hollow columns. The cream-coloured figures of Bacchus, Apollo, Venus and Ceres looked down benignly, obviously enjoying the occasional rainy musical treat.
Teacher, Michell O Braonain, asked his pupils, who were presiding over the model of the Marino casino, why these four figures were chosen to sit on the roof of the casino. "Music" was the answer. But, what did Bacchus have to do with music? "No, he was into the drink... but he was probably musical when he drank," theorised one bright spark.
Sixth class in St David's Primary School, Artane, Dublin, had adopted the casino in Marino and were obviously proud of their baby. They had spent a lot of time studying the classical building and had measured it diligently to produce a scale model.
"Nobody lived in it," was the scornful reply to a tentative query as to its use. Ronan kindly explained that the casino was a house in the garden of a lord and it was used for parties (more music, probably). The model is made with cardboard, plasticine and clay. Clear perspex is used for the windows. The building, which dates from the mid-to-late 1700s, is faithfully reproduced with all its classical balance intact.
A couple of metres away from the casino nestles the Norman village of Newcastle, Co Dublin. The charcoal grey glebe house, old school and churches, are illuminated with tiny lights within. However most of the villagers are outside enjoying the village fair where goods are being bartered.
Kathleen explains that the Protestant church was built in the 1400s but, when the population fell, the roof was removed from part of the building.
Sixth class teacher Eamon Scully and his pupils all cooperated to produce the beautiful model and to stage a drama, make paintings and photograph the village, as well as recording its history.
Meanwhile, the senior special classes in Scoil Cholmcille, Ballybrack, Co Dublin, have adopted an old churchyard in Killiney. They visit the churchyard each week. "It was in bits with a lot of vandalism and rubbish, drink bottles and cider cans strewn about," says teacher Brendan Doody.
Garry explains that he did a lot of work with a wheelbarrow and a shovel, getting rid of weeds and planting daffodil bulbs. "We rubbed the graves with charcoal to see what was on them," he says enthusiastically. The highlight of the year was the ecumenical service which revived an old tradition, long lapsed, says Doody.
The outstanding work of these three schools and seven others can be seen in ENFO, 17 Andrew Street, Dublin, this month. Each of the 10 schools has adopted a local monument as part of a project to create awareness in the pupils of their local heritage. Organised in Ireland bye Dublin Civic Trust, this is part of a larger European project with 15 other European towns and cities adopting heritage sites in the same way.
Back in Dublin, St Louis' Primary School, Rathmines, adopted their entire neighbourhood for their project. They focused, in particular, on Rathmines church, Portobello House and the Grand Canal. St Andrew's College, Booterstown, studied the large 19th century harbour at Dun Laoghaire, combining art work, photography and research.
ST CATHERINE'S School, Donore Avenue, Dublin, took the Huguenot weavers as their theme. "The Tenters is an area in the Liberties between Donore Avenue and Clarence Mangan Road. The weavers worked here. They hung the linen out to dry. The local people thought that all the linen looked like tents. So that's why it is known as the Tenters," wrote the pupils, who also got into the spirit of things by making samples of weaving for their exhibition.
A living monument, Dublin Fruit and Vegetable Market, has been adopted by George's Hill School in Dublin.
The pupils made clay models of some of the fine decorative features of the arcades as well as studying the history and daily activities in the market. Scoil Catriona, Coolock, Dublin, has constructed a model of St Doulagh's church, in Malahide - the oldest stone-roofed church in Ireland still in use for public worship. Pupils presented their project on the church through paintings, drawings and a musical rap.
Delving back further in time, Archbishop McQuaid School, Loughlinstown, Co Dublin, adopted a stone-age dolmen, which they cleaned with the aid of the corporation.
Ranelagh Multi-Denominational National School carried out a project on the nearby residential Georgian square of Mount Pleasant, resulting in a huge collection of paintings, collages, models and written work.
