On Friday 22nd November, Bishop Denis Nulty (pictured below) officially blessed and opened the new facilities now completed in Sallins – Cluain Mhuire meeting rooms, KDSI horticultural centre, community playground, all weather pitch, refurbished grotto and the newly completed car park. Printed below is a short extract from speech given on the day by Rita Walsh (picture below with Fr Liam), chairperson of KDSI Kildare Branch.
“…Just to finish— I would like to say, last Thursday, I was wandering back down to An Garraí Beag and I stopped for a minute to appreciate how far we have come and how lucky we are. I could hear the children in the schoolyard at the school and the smallies in the playground when they play with the wind chime. I could hear the train coming into the station. Of our 18 students, 10 of them are travelling independently here to Sallins by train or bus and that is wonderful. I could see people coming and going from the hall and I could see that we are nicely in the shelter of the Church, and so, my hope is that if the good Lord is not too busy that he might look after all of us who come to An Garraí Beag – whether it is to learn or to teach, to work or to volunteer, to find peace from being close to nature or in the company of good friends – keep us and our families in the palm of his hand.”