THREE MOBILE classrooms at an Irish-medium school in Co Down have been destroyed in a suspected arson attack.
PSNI officers and forensic experts are inspecting the remains of the temporary accommodation at the Bunscoil Beanna Boirche in Castlewellan.
The school was reported to be alight in the early hours of yesterday. Fire crews attended the scene, but were unable to save the classrooms used by the 60 pupils.
It is the latest in a spate of suspected and confirmed arson attacks on schools throughout the summer. The bulk of schools targeted to date have been in Co Antrim and Belfast.
School principal Aedin Geary said the destruction was “just heartbreaking”.
She said the fire had coincided with the granting of planning permission for a new school.
Replacement temporary classrooms have been identified and will be in place in time for the commencement of the new school term on Tuesday.
Education Minister Caitriona Ruane condemned the incident and the others over the summer months.
“These attacks are an affront to everyone in the community as they disrupt the education and wellbeing of our young people.”
She added: “These attacks result in scarce public resources having to be spent on repairs and rebuilding instead of being used for other programmes benefiting everyone.”
Her Assembly colleague Willie Clarke, whose daughter is a pupil at the school, said: “This arson attack has destroyed this school and has shocked the community, the teachers and those who attend the school.”
SDLP councillor Eamonn O’Neill said he believed those responsible had pushed a supermarket trolley filled with burning material close to a classroom. “As a member of the management committee I know at first-hand the amount of hard work that has gone into this school . . . Let me make this clear, that hard work will continue.”
He added: “Unfortunately lots of records and reports and the labours of years of hard work by both teachers and pupils have been destroyed but thankfully, over time, these can be replaced.”
Arson attacks on schools, churches, Orange halls and GAA clubs have been mounted since early summer.
The Co Armagh home of Sinn Féin Minister for Regional Development Conor Murphy has also been targeted.