Limerick ‘cram’ school to shut

ONE of the country’s first so-called ‘cram’ secondary schools, Bruce College yesterday told students and parents in Limerick that it is closing.

Anxious parents are faced with the task of looking for secondary school places after Bruce College announced that it will not be reopening next September.

The €5,500 a year fee college opened 21 years ago and initially catered for Leaving Cert and repeat Leaving students. Five years ago it started taking in first year, second year and junior certificate students.

It has 100 students and employees 15 full-time and 15 part-time teachers.

Owner Liam O’Hora said Bruce College in Cork, which he also owns, will not be affected.

Last year he sold the Bruce College in Dublin.

Mr O’Hora said he was closing the Limerick Bruce College for personal reasons.

He said that many students will be able to transfer to the other private school in the city, Limerick Tutorial.

Parents of the younger students will have to get places in secondary schools as Tutorial does not cater for Junior Certificate students.

Mr O’Hora said: “This is a very sad day and I would like to thank the parents and our teachers, many of whom have been here for years.”

Education sources said that the teacher/student ratio at the college did not make it viable in the long term.

The sixth-year students at Bruce will complete their Leaving.

The college has 26 students in fifth year who will have to seek alternative placements.

A spokesperson for Limerick Tutorial said: “We could take them all if they measure up to our entrance criteria.”

However, Tutorial only caters for Leaving Cert students.

Bruce has 12 students in first and second year and they will have to find alternative places in local secondary schools or move elsewhere for schooling.

‘Very successful in Cork’

BRUCE College owner, Liam O’Hora started out as a secondary teacher at St Clement’s College in Limerick after he left college.

When there only a year he saw an opening for a private college in the city and opened Bruce College.

It went very well and he then expanded and opened up Bruce Colleges in Cork and Dublin.

Mr O’Hora, who is in his 40s, is a native of Co Mayo.

He will continue to run Bruce College in Cork, which he says is very successful and has about 200 students.

In Limerick he was faced with major competition from Limerick Tutorial which has 330 students. It is run by former Cork All-Ireland winning hurler, John O’Halloran.