You know there's something extraordinary afoot when dozens of students turn up at their school during holiday time, writes Paul Cullen at Palmerstown CS
The atmosphere at Palmerstown Community School in west Dublin yesterday was a bit like that on Leaving Cert results day, what with the shrieking and cheering of boisterous sixth years.
However, on this occasion, the only result being celebrated was the one this class had been working for so energetically during the last week - the return to Ireland of their deported classmate, Olukunle Elukanlo.
"He's going home, Kunle's going home," the students chorused regularly during their spontaneous celebration of the unexpected U-turn by Minister for Justice Michael McDowell.
"I just can't believe it. It's unreal," said Neil Burke, the main organiser of the campaign to "bring Kunle home".
"Credit to the Minister for changing his mind."
Meanwhile, his classmates waved banners, cheered loudly for the television cameras and greeted the arrival of principal Padraic Gallagher with a lusty cheer.
Mr Gallagher, who kept a media silence during the controversy but allowed his students time off to attend protests, declared his own delight at the outcome.
"This is a fantastic day for the school and particularly for Kunle, who is still a student at this school. Our original request prior to deportation was that he be allowed to sit the Leaving Cert and we are delighted the Minister has seen fit to accede to that request.
"School, staff and parents are proud of the fact that it was the students, and in particular his friends in sixth year, who decided that this wasn't good enough and who set out to bring to the attention of the public the plight of Kunle."
As the news spread, supporters of the students' campaign turned up for the party, including Green Party TD Paul Gogarty and Rosanna Flynn of Residents against Racism.
Ms Flynn, a doughty English antiques restorer turned anti-deportation campaigner, has been the bane of the Department of Justice over recent years. Even those who disagree with her on the issue express admiration for her unstinting work on behalf of vulnerable asylum seekers.
"We're over the moon that he's been brought back, and now our aim is to have everyone on last week's flight returned."
The campaign run by the Palmerstown students is a textbook example of an efficient, directed exercise in "people power". The first the students heard of Kunle's deportation was in an article in The Irish Times last Tuesday week, according to Neil Burke.
"Kunle rang me later in the day and said 'you have to do something for me, can you help me'. So, next day, 60 of us organised a march spontaneously outside the Dáil."
Socialist Party TD Joe Higgins met the students and offered his help. Neil and his friends rang journalists and canvassed support locally and then nationally.
By the start of this week Kunle's case was on the front pages of the newspapers and the politicians were starting to take notice. Local Fianna Fáil TD John Curran expressed his concern and the Archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin, lent his support.
As Marian Butler, chair of the local community council, put it: "They've shown politicians what people power can do. These are the voters of tomorrow."