PLANS to extend a secondary school on the campus of a northside institution have been unveiled with €16m to be invested to address soaring student numbers.

Gaelcholáiste Mhuire AG, on the campus of the North Monastery, has submitted planning for a 4,600sq m extension to the school to Cork City Council in what has been described as “a vote of confidence in the northside of Cork City”.

The proposed extension comprises 25 classrooms, including 15 general classrooms and 10 specialist rooms which include a media studies rooms, two science labs, two design and communication graphics rooms, a technology room, a library and an art room.

There will also be a two-classroom special education needs unit (aonad uathachais), a 250-seater canteen and refurbishment of the existing building and PE hall, and an all-weather pitch.

Principal Dónal Ó Buachalla said that the extension is “a real vote of confidence in the northside” and said that it will make a huge difference to his students.

“It’s the first major investment in educational infrastructure on the northside in a long number of years.”

“We had a €1.8m extension built back in 2015 but this is 10 times the scale of it.

“It’s a great investment in the future of oideachas trí Ghaeilge in the northside of Cork City and the surrounding areas, and it’s recognising the major growth in the school, where it’s grown from 350 pupils in 2010 to currently 670 and at full capacity will cater for 740 students.

“It’s a vote of confidence from the Department of Education of the work being done in the school, that investment in the North Monastery campus, and continuing the great education tradition that has existed since 1811,” he said.

Mr Ó Buachalla said the extension would enhance the emphasis on digital education in the school, with all students having the opportunity to take part in short coding and digital media courses over the last five years.

“The three computer rooms will bring [us] to four ICT rooms, and we have five laptop trolleys, so we’d have over 150 devices available to students at any one time and there are effectively five media studies rooms in this extension so that will greatly add to that.

“We’re very excited with the development and all going well we hope to be in the building by 2025.

“It’s a great credit to staff and parents and students over the years who have supported the school, and going forward we hope will continue the strong tradition of educational excellence which has been a hallmark of the AG,” he said.

Speaking about the extension, the chairman of the board of management, Pat Kinsella, said the board were “delighted” with what he also described as a vote of confidence that the department has put in Gaelcholáiste Mhuire in this development.