- Teaching religion to children of two denominations was manageable initially, since there is huge common ground between these two Christian religions.
- The areas of difference between the two, however, related to deep-seated doctrinal matters. These emerged in first class during preparation for the Roman Catholic sacrament of first Holy Communion.
- In spring 2001, the principal, Tomás Ó Dúlaing, began a school-wide consultative process in which all parents had opportunities to express how they wanted to see the delicate matter of "difference" handled.
- The response from the majority of parents - whatever their denomination - was that no one wanted to see children segregated on religious grounds.
- At a general meeting in June 2001, there were angry exchanges between different parents.
- At another meeting that month, despite tensions, a policy was finally hammered out. It suggested matters of doctrinal difference - such as communion - be handled outside school hours.
- However, in September Foras Patrunachta rejected this policy and said it had its own policy which the school must adhere to. It said the school in Dunboyne was inter-denominational and was "obliged" to deliver the full religion programme within official school hours. It rejected the charge that it was promoting segregation.
- On March 4th, 2002, chairwoman of the board of management Susan Power wrote to parents and said the school had to implement the policy of Foras Patrunachta. She said children who did not want to avail of the religious instruction could make alternative arrangements. "However the remaining pupils within the school also have rights to receive, within school hours, the full religious education programme," her letter read.
- On March 15th, principal Ó Dúlaing sent a letter to parents which said the policy of the board and Foras could "seriously damage the workings and future development of our school". He said the Foras policy should be rejected and parents and teachers had already come up with their own policy, independent of Foras.
- A fortnight ago, the board of management sought the consent of Foras to dismiss the principal, prompting parent protests at the school gates and anger from the INTO, which represents teachers at the school.
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