Work to commence shortly on new school in Carrigaline

Construction will begin shortly on a multi-million euro secondary school which is set to open its doors in the busy town of Carrigaline next September.

But parents and students do not have to wait until then to find out what it will be like. A new website is already providing information, news and updates on progress in relation to all aspects of the development of the Edmund Rice College, which will be the third post-primary school for the area.

Construction is scheduled to start early next year on the brand new Catholic voluntary school which will eventually have capacity for 600 students but which opens, to first-year students only, in September 2016.

Already 70 prospective first-years have signed up t the state-of-the-art building at Kilnagleary. Until it opens, they can follow the progress of their new school on the official website, http://erccarrigaline.ie

“The school is currently in the planning stage,” said board chairman Padraig Barrett. “Construction is expected to begin in the Springtime and the website is the first step – it is the first thing parents will see in the public arena concerning the school.”

He said the website would feature information on school policies, staff and school principal. “The name of the principal will be announced in the next fortnight. He or she will be taking up their position on February 1, 2016.

“The website is essentially a forum for parents and students to gather information about the new school and ask questions of the board of management.

“The school will start off with first-year students, and will build up to sixth year, so it will be 2022 by the time it will have a Leaving Certificate class,” he said.

“The board is very excited about the new school and the opportunity to deliver an additional second level option within the Carrigaline community.

“We are eagerly looking forward to the opening of the school next year. Under the patronage of the Edmund Rice Schools Trust we are committed to providing a secondary school which promotes Catholic values and excellence in Carrigaline based on partnership with local parents and the community”.

The website was launched by locally-based Minister Simon Coveney who welcomed plans being at an advanced stage.

“Carrigaline is an area with a large young population which has grown significantly in the last decade,” he said. “The population increase must be matched by an increase in infrastructure, in particular, infrastructure for our young people.

“Since becoming minister, I been working to ensure that we have education recourses to match this growth year on year in Carrigaline.

“Along with extensions to existing schools in the area, the new school is making Carrigaline a key educational hub in the south of the city area.