Opposition to the potential divesting of one out of eight Catholic primary schools in north County Dublin erupted in full view yesterday. The Department of Education are looking at Catholic primary schools in Portmarnock, Malahide and Kinsealy with a view to transferring one of them to a multi-denominational or non-denominational Educate Together school. Staff in at least three schools have written letters to parents warning of the possible consequences of a divestment of Catholic patronage, such as the ending of preparing children for the sacraments in school time and the celebration of feast days. Parents took to the airwaves and expressed their own objections. One woman told Ciara Kelly’s Newstalk show that her daughter has had six years of a Catholic Gaelscoil education but, if the school’s ethos changes in September, she will be forced to forfeit a Catholic education or move to another school and forfeit her Gaelscoil. Other parents complained of a lack of information of what might follow a divestment of patronage.