Coralstown/Kinnegad GAA viewing stand given the nod

Followers of Gaelic games in Coralstown and Kinnegad were given a boost on Thursday last, August 28 with the news that the Coralstown/Kinnegad GAA grounds off the Mullingar Road, Kinnegad will be equipped a supporters" stand in the near future.Last week, Coralstown/Kinnegad GAA Club was granted planning permission - subject to three conditions - to build a state-of-the-art viewing stand on one of the wings of the club"s main pitch, which is located behind the Manorfield estate in Kinnegad.The viewing stand will accommodate 1,356 people with seating for the club"s home GAA matches, as well as games involving visiting teams. The project is part of ongoing development at the club, which is located in the centre of one of Westmeath"s primary areas of growth.The new stand area will also feature a presentation area, a press box, terrace area, public toilet facilities and a store room. The club has also been granted permission to build four turnstiles, which will link the existing car park facilities with the new stand area.Coralstown/Kinnegad GAA Club originally applied for planning permission on July 11.The club"s first string team are currently campaigning for a place in the knockout phase of the Shay Murtagh Ltd. Senior Football Championship.Pupils settle into new school buildingOn Thursday last, August 28, the pupils of St. Etchen"s National School, Kinnegad settled into their multi-million euro new school building for the 2008/9 school year.The premises was completed by the main contractors, Sammon Contracting Ltd. in the space of seven months and delivered with playgrounds, shelters and parking facilities for both cars and buses.It houses the Kinnegad school"s sizeable population of 420 pupils, with expansion necessitated by the huge surge in population experienced in Kinnegad over the past ten years. The two-storey building will house senior students from St. Etchen"s (4th, 5th and 6th classes).St. Etchen"s NS principal Matt Melvin and the Board of Management, chaired by Fr. Tom Gilroy (P.P., Kinnegad), were proud to have the project delivered in the time for the start of the new school year.The main school building features eight new classrooms, one of which will function as a general purpose room. One of the prefabs used as temporary accommodation during construction will be maintained, and an official opening and blessing of the new school will take place in the near future.Rathwire houses refusedOn Wednesday of last week, August 26, Westmeath County Council refused Seamus Gillen planning permission to build two two-storey houses with a garage attached to each at Rathwire Upper, Killucan.On July 2, Mr. Gillen had also sought planning permission to equip the houses with connection to existing services, provide soak pits and public road access. One of three reasons given for refusal was that should the houses be built and occupied, they would contribute to overloading the Killucan-Rathwire Wastewater Treatment Plant.