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Skibbereen school gets new sensory garden

June 15th, 2016 11:08 AM

By Jackie Keogh

Skibbereen school gets new sensory garden Image
RTE Nationwide was in Skibbereen on Tuesday to film St Patrick's new sensory garden.

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St Patrick's National School in Skibbereen is to get €30,000 new garden.

The boys at St Patrick’s National School in Skibbereen are growing pineapples, rice and tea.

It’s all part of a hugely impressive €30,000 garden project that will be completed within the next two years and feature a number of exciting elements, including a six-metre geodome at its centre.

‘The project began as ‘a plan to build a few raised beds in an unused area behind the school,’ according to the principal, Alan Foley, ‘but has grown into a massive garden project.’

The 222 pupils at the school – including 17 children with autism – are thrilled to be still at the development stage and they took great delight in explaining exactly what’s going on to Niall Morrison of RTÉ’S “Nationwide”.

The TV presenter and camera crew visited the school on Tuesday to film a segment for a special harvest edition of “Nationwide” that will go out in September.

Teacher, Brian Granaghan, who had previously been involved in the development of a sensory garden in a school in Dublin, was also on hand to give them a tour of the stunning new geodome, which was built on site over a four-day period by local man, Tim Farley.

The school’s Parents’ Association have been incredibly supportive of the project, having already raised €10,000 through various events in the community.

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