Excerpt from irishpost.com
An island community group has launched a campaign to purchase their local school building to preserve it for future generations.
Located in west Cork, the Sherkin Island Development Society (SIDS) has launched a fundraising initiative to purchase Sherkin Island’s national school buildings and gardens for island community use.
Under the ‘Neart Initiative’, SIDS wants to keep the school in community ownership and is asking for public donations to cover the initial purchase of the school to create a Neart Hub.
‘Neart’ is the Irish word for strength and has been taken from the Irish saying, ‘Ní neart go cur le chéile’ which means ‘there’s no strength without unity’.
The group has set a fundraising target of €80,000 to cover the purchase of the school, after which a decision will be made by the community regarding its upgrade, development and future as a hub for diverse uses – such as educational, heritage or cultural activities.