Construction work on the new school for Coláiste na Coiribe will commence in Knocknacarra at the end of this month, after an announcement by the Galway and Roscommon Education and Training Board.
Following a tendering competition in recent months, Galway contractor Stewarts was selected to construct the new school, football pitch, and 380m access road. The construction budget for the project is in excess of €10 million, and a total investment in excess of €16 million will be made by the GRETB in this new facility for the all-Irish secondary school.
Approximately 100 construction workers will be employed during the construction phase and 60 permanent teaching and support staff positions will become the long-term future for Coláiste na Coiribe in Knocknacarra.
The new school, which will accommodate 720 pupils, will be completed by August 2015. This will provide Coláiste na Coiribe with state of the art facilities, comprising five science laboratories; two woodwork rooms and two art rooms; additional practical rooms for metalwork, technology, and music; and a language laboratory. A large, fully fitted, sports hall will also be constructed.
Coláiste na Coiribe currently accommodates 450 pupils in dispersed temporary accommodation since 1992. The school has operated successfully, despite challenging accommodation conditions. The new facility will see Coláiste na Coiribe become Ireland’s largest Gaelcholáiste, with 720 attending and an annual first year intake of 120 pupils from 2015.
Due to the large volume of applications for Coláiste na Coiribe, with 1,600 applications on file for first year places for 2015 to 2023, the design team led by Coady Architects Partnership has incorporated potential expansion of 30 per cent for future development of the building.
