Today is an amazing day an amazing day for Athy, for Kildare and for education.
I am delighted to welcome the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills Mary Coughlan here today to our town of Athy, represented by Cathaoirleach Cllr James Mahon and our county represented by Mayor of Kildare Cllr Brendan Weld. Minister you are very welcome and today we assure you that the investment in our education in Athy is indeed an investment in the future. Your investment in Athy will not be wasted. Not only with our education partners but with the wider community will our facility be shared. We already play host to Athy Film Club, through our access cinema, we offer a wide and ever expanding range of adult education programmes and look forward to sharing our facilities even more as we develop our role within the community.
The new edifice which we open here today is more than just a school but is the herald of a new beginning for our town. It is a vote of confidence in a RAPID town, a town which has seem much change over the years and which is now armed with the tools to face the future with a new confidence.
This year as we left the old building we took with us the caring and pioneering character which has always been part of our school. From the opening of the old school in 1940 to the opening of the new school in 2010 our pioneering and innovative spirit has been visible through the years and in several arenas.
This pioneering spirit nurtured through the VEC is a resource for our town our county and our country as we face an uncertain future.
Since the foundation of the VEC we have cherished the values of multidenomination and co-education and we are delighted to share a campus with St. Patrick’s Primary School, Athy Gaelscoil and currently our closest neighbours and housemates Athy Model School
