Hundreds of students at a Dublin school yesterday occupied their hockey pitches to protest at plans to sell school property to a housing developer.
Up to 400 students of Alexandra College, Milltown rushed onto the school's sports ground at 9.30 a.m. to make known their concerns at the proposed sell-off of the land.
The school's governing body has been in talks with a major developer over the potential sale of a large parcel of land, which includes some sports grounds used by the students.
The students say they were not consulted about a move which would have a significant impact on their school lives.
"They want to completely build up our school so we don't have any space at all," one student said. "If they go on with it, we're not going to have any space any more - we're just going to have a school, a bunch of apartment blocks and no sports field.
"At the end of the day, we haven't been told anything, and as the student body, we should be informed. "
The 135-year-old, all-girls school is attended by more than 600 students, and is under Church of Ireland management. The chairman of the governing body, the Most Rev John Neil, Archibishop of Dublin, yesterday declined to comment on the protest.
However, parents at the school have warned that they intend to increase their opposition to any sale of the land, as they believe only a small minority of the school's council is actually in favour of such a move.
A committee of concerned parents has been formed specifically to address the issue.