Third-level college opens new campus on Cork’s northside

Education Correspondent

Around 1,000 students are now taking classes at the new campus of a third-level college on Cork’s northside.

Griffith College has taken over the former St Patrick’s Hospital building, which was home to Marymount Hospice until 2011.

While some night-time classes were already being held in the historic Wellington Rd building, full-time students only moved in last week.

The independent college, with campuses also in Dublin and Limerick, has around 400 full-time students and 600 taking professional accounting and other classes at night.

“The ability to reach our potential has been difficult for the last five years due to classroom space and facilities. What we have here is meeting all our requirements,” said Jim Daly, head of Griffith College Cork.

Having first opened in Cork to offer professional accountancy courses in 1998, Griffith College took over the long-established Skerries College in 2003, but now has its first permanent home after the latest move from Sullivan’s Quay in the south inner city.

Prof Diarmuid Hegarty, president of Griffith College, and Minister

for Agriculture Simon Coveney TD take a tour at the reopening of

Griffith College Cork in the old Marymount Hospice Building.

“It’s also a boost to the northside, having a full third-level college here. It should give a boost to local shops, pubs and other business, as well as accommodation in the area, particularly with host families for our international students,” he said.

Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney officially opened the five-acre campus last night, and said it expands the opportunities for dynamic third-level education and career development.

With full-time and part-time courses leading to qualifications up to honours degree level, students can choose from disciplines like business, law, journalism, and computing. The international students come for varying length of courses, many of them to learn English, with overseas agencies linking them up with Griffith College.

Its president Prof Diarmuid Hegarty said Cork was recognised as an ideal location for international students, who come from Korea, India, China, Brazil, and various European countries.

“Opening a large third-level campus on a substantial site on the city’s northside means greater opportunities, not just for students from the northside but from all over Munster,” he said.

Part of the ex-hospital has been in use since 2013 by St Angela’s College girls’ secondary school, whose staff and students are due to return to their St Patrick’s Hill base when work finishes on a major extension project.