Castlecuffe N.S.

Tr na Spraoi was opened on Friday the 14-12-07 beside the Community Centre. Clonaslee Development Association provided the site and helped Laois County Council to get the equipment that is in the playground. Earlier in the year a man from Wales came to our school and told us that there would soon be a playground in Clonaslee. The man gave us a sheet of paper with lists of equipment and a box to tick beside each one. We all got a chance to fill in the sheet and we were told that the equipment that had the most boxes ticked would go into the playground. Rosenallis and Clonaslee schools had a chance to choose equipment too.

Then we got a letter from Laois County Council telling us about a competition to name the playground. Four pupils from our school entered the competition and one of the pupils from our school named Ellen Conroy named the playground Tr na Spraoi (Land of Fun).

On the opening day, everyone went into the community centre to listen to the speeches. All of fourth class had to say something because they were the guests of honour. After the speeches everyone went outside to look at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Father O'Reilly blessed the playground and then Ellen and the Mayor of Laois cut the ribbon. The very minute the ribbon was cut the children ran up the path to the playground and the photographer took a picture of them.

After a while we went into the community centre and got a drink, a bag of crisps and a lollipop. Then everyone went home around five o'clock.

We hope that in the next couple of years the playground will still be there for more young people to play in and that people will take care of it. When we get older we might even extend the playground and put more equipment into it.