New gaelcholáiste opens its doors
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Principal Donnchadh O’Croinin, fifth year students Nathan O’Drisceoil and Agnes Garbuz with Pat McKelvey, Director of Schools at Cork ETB, at Gaelcholáiste Charraig Uí Leighín as teachers and student returned from mid-term break to a brand new multi-million school building. Photo: Jim Coughlan Jim CoughlanImage 2 of 2
Second year students Eadaoin Ni Chonaill and Kate Ni Mhathuna. Jim CoughlanStudents and teachers took their first steps into a new state of the art school in Carrigaline this week.
Gaelcholáiste Charraig Uí Leighín opened its doors on Monday after the mid-term break as students and teachers returned to the facility two years after the sod was turned at the Ardnacloughy site on the Ballinrea Road.
The co-educational multi-denominational post-primary school is under the auspices of Cork Education and Training Board (CETB) and offers a mix of traditional subjects and more modern subjects while also placing a huge emphasis on extracurricular activities.
The school is on a multi-facility campus with two other schools - Gaelscoil Charraig Uí Leighín and SONAS Junior Primary School.
The overall campus will now accommodate more than 1,000 pupils, with 500 of these in CETB’s new Gaelcholáiste. The development will signify broadened opportunities for the families of the Carrigaline region and its hinterland.
The new post-primary school building is spread over two stories with learning, administration and ancillary spaces, as well as a PE hall and outdoor ball courts.
In addition to this, a significant amount of preparatory work was required in the area to home the new three-school campus with road improvement works, new site entrances, carparking, set-down spaces, landscaping, paths, signage and boundary walling all included as part of the development.
Príomhoide Donnchadh Ó Cróinín said: “There was great excitement in Gaelcholáiste Charraig Uí Leighin this morning as the new school building opened its doors to the staff and students. The Gaelcholáiste has been located temporarily in Waterpark House for over 6 years, and with our student numbers increasing annually, the completion of this new multi-million euro facility on the Carrigaline Education Campus is a very welcome development,” Mr Ó Cróinín added.
Cork ETB Chief Executive Denis Leamy said that CETB was “delighted to see Gaelcholáiste Charraig Uí Leighín’s new building finally come to fruition.”