A €1 million extension to an island school with a teacher for every two students was opened yesterday by Education Minister Mary Hanafin. She flew by helicopter to Tory Island, off Co Donegal, to open the first school accommodation to be built on the island for 150 years.
It is an extension to the island's community centre which has doubled as Scoil Pobail Cholmcille since the secondary school was set up in 1999 as part of the Government's islands development policy.
There are seven teachers and 15 students, six full-time and one part-time, who specialise in various subjects. The school has 10 boys and five girls.
The new extension includes a home economics room, a technology room, a science laboratory, a reception suite, staff room and principal's office.
Students and teachers will also continue to use three rooms in the community centre.
Most of the 180 inhabitants greeted the Minister with a céilí and buffet.
King of Tory Patsy Dan Rogers welcomed Ms Hanafin, who was led to the school by a piper. Patsy Dan's title dates back to the sixth century when St Colmcille set up a monastery on the island and appointed the first king of Tory.
The Minister told islanders in Irish, their first language: "This is an historic day not just for the students here today but for future generations of students who will come to school here."
Before the school started in the community centre seven years ago, island youngsters had to travel to the mainland. They stayed in B&Bs and returned by boat to their families at weekends.