Thousands of students protested around the State yesterday at the effects of the ASTI dispute. South-east: More than 2,000 secondary school students disrupted traffic in Kilkenny, while there were protests also in Gorey, Enniscorthy, New Ross and Wexford town, writes Chris Dooley. In Kilkenny, students used mobile phones to send text messages to each other as apparently spontaneous protests gathered momentum, culminating in a joint march to the Town Hall.
While the demonstration was good-humoured, gardai were concerned at the level of disruption to traffic and business.
Sgt Pat Phelan said the lack of planning involved made it impossible for gardai to prepare for the protest. "There was no way of knowing what route it was going to take and we would be concerned that this type of leaderless protest gives rise to the potential for tragedy."
Students from St Kieran's College, Kilkenny CBS, the Loreto and Presentation convents, Colaiste Phobail Osrai, the Vocational School and other schools took part.
The scene was replicated in several towns in Co Wexford, including New Ross where students from St Mary's and the CBS brought traffic to a standstill.
In Wexford town, students from the Presentation School, the CBS and St Peter's College marched to the Loreto School, where they were joined at lunchtime by a number of students for a march to St Peter's Square. Fianna Fail TD Mr John Browne met protesting students in Enniscorthy, while his Fine Gael counterpart, Mr Michael D'Arcy, held discussions with about 700 students who protested at Gorey Community School.
Cork: Gardai had to restore order when students from the North Monastery and St Vincent's secondary schools became "boisterous" and started to throw eggs as part of their protest against the teachers' strike, writes Dick Hogan. An estimated 200 students gathered outside the schools. Galway: Students marched through the streets of Galway and pupils from several schools are set to take part in a mass rally and meeting at Eyre Square this afternoon.
Some 200 students staged a protest outside St Enda's College in Salthill, while up to 500 pupils at Presentation College, Athenry, stayed away from afternoon classes after staging a walkout at lunchtime. Tipperary: Students in Roscrea took to the streets and called on their constituency TD, Mr Michael Smith, to push the Minister for Education into negotiations with the ASTI. As many as 350 pupils at Colaiste Phobal, Ros Cre, left their school at 9.20 a.m.
Students at Our Lady's Secondary School, Templemore, also walked out. Louth: About 200 Junior and Leaving Cert students boycotted Our Lady's College, Greenhills, Drogheda, yesterday afternoon.
Kerry: Some 500 students from St Brendan's College and St Brigid's Secondary School marched through Killarney. The students received widespread support.
In Colaiste na Sceilige, Caherciveen, 300 students did not attend classes. Classes were also interrupted in Castleisland and Rathmore.
Other areas: Students at St Mary's School, Naas, Co Kildare, staged a protest at noon which continued until about 4 p.m. Students at St David's School, Greystones, Co Wicklow, went out on protest after lunch break. Some students from St Aidan's, Collins Avenue, Dublin, also protested. Up to 700 students from St Eunan's College in Letterkenny, Co Donegal, staged a walkout at 11 a.m. They were joined by over 30 Leaving Cert students from the nearby Loreto Convent. Eggs and missiles were thrown during the protest which lasted several hours.