Contractor appointed to extend Gaelscoil on Cork's northside

A Cork TD has confirmed that a contractor has been appointed to extend Gaelcholáiste Mhuire AG, on the campus of the North Monastery.

The €16m, 4,600sq m extension, which is being funded by the Department of Education, will provide 25 classrooms.

Fine Gael TD Colm Burke told The Echo that the school “has received approval for a major extension and refurbishment, under the Large Scale Capital Programme”.

Mr Burke said: “This project will provide much-needed space for 750 pupils, with 25 new classrooms and two SEN classrooms, ensuring students have more facilities for their studies and more students can complete their studies as Gaeilge in the northside.

“This is a major boost for education in the northside and a big vote of confidence for both the school and the area.

“I wish to pay tribute to principal Donal Ó Buachalla, and all the staff and parents involved in progressing this project.

“I wish to also thank [education] Minister [Helen] McEntee for her commitment to the project.”

Mr Burke explained that a letter of intent has now been issued, meaning that a contractor has been selected.

“Once all the contract preconditions in the letter of intent have been met and the department has given written authorisation to proceed to contract, a letter of acceptance can be issued,” Mr Burke said.

“Then it moves to construction stage. We must not delay, at this point, in proceeding to construction.”

Fine Gael councillor for the Cork City North West ward and past pupil, Damian Boylan, told The Echo: “As a Mon boy, I am delighted to see the school expand and the support the department is giving for the growth.”

The principal of Gaelcholáiste Mhuire AG, Dónal Ó Buachalla, said that the work was badly needed, adding: “We’ve been significantly oversubscribed for a number of years, so it’s great that we’ll be able to meet the needs of the students who want to attend and be educated through Irish on the northside of the city.

“We will have to continue to keep the school in operation during the building period, so the builders will have to look at that, but we’re very excited by the significant investment,” Mr Ó Buachalla said.

“It will be something for our students to look forward to, state-of-the-art facilities being available on campus.”

The school was built in 2002, but the current intake have “long outgrown that building”, Mr Ó Buachalla said, and the new building will mean they will be able to broaden their curriculum.

“There’s provisions for new design rooms, multimedia rooms, which will allow us to develop science, coding, and digital-media subjects,” Mr Ó Buachalla said.

“We’re looking forward to developing for our students and providing a holistic education.”