The effort wasn’t just for the sake of helping out - it also served as their Construction Studies project for the Leaving Certificate.
In the summer of 1993, ten fifth-year students from St. Paul’s Secondary School in Monasterevin, took on an unusual project.
Instead of spending their holidays as most teenagers would, they worked together to build a two-room extension for their school.
The effort wasn’t just for the sake of helping out - it also served as their Construction Studies project for the Leaving Certificate.
The new classroom and storage facility cost £16,000, a sum largely raised through community fundraising.
Busy at work: From the RTE archive
Had the school contracted the job out, it would have cost over £80,000 and taken much longer than the ten weeks the students dedicated to it.
The group worked Monday through Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., often putting in extra hours to meet their deadline.
Deirdre Lovern, one of the students, shared her satisfaction with the project. "I’m very proud of it, delighted to see it finished," she said, reflecting on their achievement.
Leo Kelly, another student, valued the practical experience he gained, noting that it provided lessons beyond what could be learned in a classroom. However, he knew that construction wouldn’t be his career path, saying, “I’ll stick to the farming.”
Leo Kelly: "I'll stick to the farming"
Headteacher Noel Maher expressed gratitude for the financial support from the local community, which was crucial in making the project possible.
He hoped the Department of Education would contribute at least £6,000 to cover outstanding costs, but the department maintained that buildings constructed without prior approval weren’t eligible for grants.
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