Community college to cater for students from three counties

Jimmy Woulfe, Mid-West Correspondent

The Minister for Education, Mary Hanafin has given the go-ahead for a new Community College in Abbeyfeale.

This will involve the amalgamation of the existing secondary schools in the town, Abbeyfeale Vocational School, St Joseph’s Post Primary and St Ita’s College. The town caters for a wide secondary school hinterland catering for students from West Limerick, North Kerry and North Cork.

The new college will cater for more than 1,000 students.

It will be located in the grounds of the convent in the town where the Department of Education has acquired a large site.

Design consultants will be appointed to carry out a needs assessment of the requirements of the college. When completed, County Limerick Vocational Education Committee can move the project to tender stage. Michel Collins, TD, welcomed the decision of the minister.

“I look forward to the construction of a state-of-the-art facility for the new community college. When opened, it will afford pupils, staff and management every opportunity to deliver the highest quality post-primary education to the area.”

Local business people have asked that adequate off street parking is provided in the new school campus.

“This will be necessary,” said Mr Collins, “as the town of Abbeyfeale is now choked with traffic at peak times.”

The VEC said a wider range of subjects will be on offer to the students attending the new college.

It is hoped that the new community college will be ready to open by 2009.