Cork’s €60m music school gets green light

CORK School of Music can expect a fourfold increase in student numbers following the Government’s endorsement of plans for construction of a new €60 million premises.

The Department of Education yesterday gave the project the green light to proceed to construction as part of a Public Private Partnership (PPP) scheme with Jarvis.

Pupils and staff last night welcomed news that Ireland's first purpose-built school of music will be located Leeside.

An emotional CIT director, Pat Kelleher, said the announcement marked a happy day for Cork Institute of Technology (CIT), Cork city, the county and Ireland.

"We will soon have a beautiful building in which to play beautiful music," he said.

Dr Geoffrey Spratt, the director of the school of music, congratulated the Government on recognising the needs of students and teachers alike.

"What the staff and students had to put up with for the last three years has been absolutely incredible. I think they will accept those conditions for another two years now they know they will be in new facilities by September 2006."

Michael Delaney, CIT's head of development, said that he was delighted with the favourable decision after the long delay in the planning process.

"We are very pleased to have reached what is a definitive decision. We now know where we're going," he said.

"We currently have about 100 students. We hope to increase the third level cohort to 400. We hope to phase that in over a period it'll mean new courses," he said.

Construction of the new school of music is due to start this June and will be finished by 2006.

Degree students Ronan O'Driscoll from Carrigaline and Carolyn Goodwin from Ballincollig said the development will eliminate the inconvenience of crossing the river Lee from the old school to Moore's hotel for classes.

"It's been a difficult time over the last two years. There was a time when I thought this day would never come," Mr O'Driscoll said.

The classical guitar student is in the second year of his degree course.

Even though the new building will not be ready when he sits his final exams, he said yesterday's announcement would encourage him to pursue a Masters music course in Cork.

Carolyn Goodwin is in the third year of her degree course studying the saxophone.

Plans to build a new school were announced when she started college, she said.

"I thought I'd be in a new building at this stage. Rooms in the old school are crap, carpeted rooms are not ideal, particularly for wind instrument players, and in summer the rooms in the hotel get very warm," she said.

Both pupils said yesterday's announcement would encourage more music students to stay in Cork.

Health Minister Micheál Martin said he was thrilled the project was going ahead.

"I am delighted that this state-of-the-art school of music will be located in Cork. I am glad to have been associated with this project from the outset," he said.

CIT has been to the fore in the development of PPP schemes.

The National Maritime College is currently under construction in Ringaskiddy.

Up to €100 million worth of PPP projects will be underway at CIT when the school of music project commences.