Murals adorn walls in new Longwood school

Pupils at St Nicholas' National School in Longwood got a great surprise when they returned to school last week to find three large murals painted in the hallways of their new school. Longwood NS moved into its new 12-classroom school in June and, during the summer holidays, long-standing Navan artist Seamus Smyth was commissioned by the school's management to paint the three murals. School principal John Ennis said funding had been secured through the Department of Education's Percentage Art Scheme for new buildings and they decided to use part of it for murals. "We felt a number of the walls lent themselves to murals. Because the school is dedicated to St Nicholas, the first one you see as you come into the main lobby is St Nicholas blessing children," said Mr Ennis. The mural, measuring eight square feet, depicts three children also with the papal insignia and the insignia of the Bishop of Meath. The second mural shows Longwood's two bridges. Seamus Smyth has painted from under the arch of the railway bridge, and the mural shows a curved road leading to the bridge over the canal. The third mural depicts Longwood Church and includes balloons, bubbles, butterflies, birds and aspects of nature. Seamus Smyth spent the summer working on the project and the murals were ready when the pupils returned to school for the new term last week. The official opening of the school and unveiling of the murals, to be performed by President Mary McAleese, will take place on a date yet to be fixed. Mr Ennis said the mural of the docks showing the two bridges of the canal and railway were chosen to include local features and he said a lot of people associate Longwood with the Boyne Dock. The upstairs mural is an artist's impression looking from the Dock back towards the village 30 or 40 years ago before all the development in Longwood. "The children and parents were really impressed. While some of it is pure art, there is also children's art so they are both children and adult-friendly. Seamus did a great job and was meticulous. He worked right through the summer holidays," added Mr Ennis.