merrion street

Mr. Brian Hayes, TD, Minister of State with special responsibility for the Office of Public Works (OPW) took the opportunity today to remind schools about the ‘Free Educational Visits for Schools’ Scheme. Minister Hayes was in St. Mary’s NS, Greenhills Road, Tallaght to promote this scheme, which aims to encourage school visits to OPW-run Heritage Sites.

Minister Hayes said: “The OPW manages a substantial number of National Monuments and Historic Properties around the country. For some time now the OPW has been operating a scheme that allows national and secondary schools to book free visits to these wonderful sites. Last year, we had almost 86,000 pupils visit our sites and we want to build on that success for this and subsequent years. I feel that now is an appropriate time to draw teachers’ attention to this scheme, when they might be planning school trips as part of the learning experience for the school year.”

The Minister added: “Some of our most popular sites such as Kilmainham Gaol or Jerpoint Abbey can be very busy, so to avoid disappointment, schools should ensure to pre-book a minimum of 21 days before the visit. Full details of the scheme can be found on the OPW’s Heritage Ireland website, www.heritageireland.ie, where information on all of the sites at which OPW provide a guide service can also be found. I would strongly urge teachers to take advantage of this opportunity to introduce their class to the history and culture that is on their doorstep.”