There wasn't a tear in sight at Scoil Choilm yesterday as 83 junior infants from the Porterstown and Diswellstown areas of west Dublin were introduced to their newly established national school.
The children, largely new Irish with parents from countries including Moldova, Nigeria, Romania, Poland and Colombia, appeared confident and eager in blue and grey uniforms as they were greeted by their teachers and school principal, Treasa Lowe.
Ms Lowe was formerly the principal of Gaelscoil Knocklyon and, as a veteran of new set-ups, was aware of exactly what was required to ensure that everything ran smoothly.
The children arrived with their parents in three separate groups throughout the morning, carefully timed to ensure calm.
Parents were given tea and biscuits while the children settled into their classrooms.
The national school, set up at speed by the Department of Education to cater for a rapidly expanding population in the Diswellstown and Porterstown areas, operates from the former Institute of Horology building, just outside the gates of James Connolly Memorial Hospital in Blanchardstown.
The single-storey structure has been adapted to house three classrooms, offices and toilets, and a large prefab holds two further classes.
The school has three classroom teachers and four language support teachers.
It was controversially opened under the patronage of Archbishop of Dublin, Dr Diarmuid Martin, after Minister for Education Mary Hanafin requested the Church's help with its establishment.
The fast-growing area of Diswellstown already has two Catholic primary schools, which are both filled to capacity.
They also have strict enrolment policies, giving priority to Catholic children.
The majority of the children at Scoil Choilm are non-Catholics and Diswellstown was to host the State's first primary community school, with the Co Dublin VEC as patrons.
The community school would, the Minister said last February, cater for the diversity of religious faiths represented in the area and provision would be "for the religious, moral and ethical education of children in conformity with the wishes of their parents".
However, it is not expected to open until 2008.
Ms Lowe said that although Scoil Choilm would have a Catholic ethos it would provide an inclusive form of education.
Issues of religion had been aired with parents last month, she said, and they were "very happy with the arrangements", which include an opt-out from certain religious classes and prayers.
"I really believe in multicultural education, I'm delighted to be working here," Ms Lowe said.
She said she envisages a continued demand for places at the school in years to come, and though a permanent site has not yet been found for the school, she hoped it would be located within the parish for which it is intended as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, for one family at Scoil Choilm, yesterday was a bittersweet experience.
While twins Bethany and Elizabeth Dogo happily settled into their new school, older sister Mary Jane went home with her mother to Porterstown.
Ms Dogo has been unable to secure a place in primary school for the six-year-old, who should have joined first class.
She is currently third on a waiting list and, her mother said, is upset at being left behind.
