An artist’s impression of what the new St Mary’s College school would look like
Building work has commenced this week on the new post-primary school at St Mary’s College.
The news was announced today in Dublin by Minister for Education Jan O’Sullivan and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Brendan Howlin. The building work is part of the government’s Public Private Partnership (PPP) programme and will be built by BAM and funded by AIB Corporate Banking and German bank KfW IPEX-Bank.
In total 720 jobs will be generated during the construction phase at St Mary’s College and in three other projects in Tulla, Co Clare, Carrick-on-Suir, Co Tipperary and Skibbereen, Co Cork.
With accommodation for up to 900 pupils, the new St Mary’s College post-primary school will have specialist classrooms for subjects including technology, construction studies, home economics and design while there will also be a learning support room. There will also be a library, purpose-built science laboratories, a music/drama room with staging area, over 20 general classrooms, a physical education hall with changing and fitness suites. The plans also include a general purpose hall as well as catering, staff offices and other ancillary space.
External works will provide five ball courts, GAA playing and training pitches, covered bicycle racks, landscaping and 65 car parking spaces. Some 17 of the almost 130 trees on the campus will have to be felled with seven of these identified as requiring removal as they are diseased. In addition, the ground level of the site is being raised in areas as a flood prevention measure.
It is hoped that the new school will be ready for classes to commence in September 2016.
In other school related news, new extensions have been given the go ahead for St Joseph’s NS in Muirhevnamor and CBS Primary School in Chapel Street.
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