When I began my teaching career, I worked in a school that had eighteen prefabs. Many of them were leaking from the roof and many were in very poor repair.

However we got on with the work as best we could, and of course we had our dreams to keep us going. We dreamed of having more space, of having better technology, of having better communications systems and of having the resources to cater for all our pupils' needs. The old BCS building was revolutionary and under the guidance of Dan Murray, many of our dreams as educationalists were fulfilled.

Now, however, we move into a new and exciting phase. I will leave it to others to list all the advances and advantages that we now enjoy - suffice it to say that we believe that we now have a magnificent educational establishment.

On behalf of the teaching staff, the parents and the pupils, today I salute our principal Sean Slowey. Sean had the energy, vision, and determination to pursue the idea of Public Private Partnership in education. We are all indebted to you, Sean and generations of young people in Ballincollig will go on to enjoy these first-class educational facilities.

We have always had high standards in Ballincollig - having worked the new facilities for over six months, I am convinced we are moving to even greater heights.