€5m redevelopment for one of Cork City's oldest schools

The student population at Coláiste Éamann Rís has surged from 200 in 2015 to about 500 this year, and the school is also the most improved in Cork for third-level progression

Announcing the €5m funding for an extension at Coláiste Éamann Rís in Cork were, from left: Cllr Mick Finn, chairman, board of management; Bro Ben Cusack; Aaron Wolfe, principal; and Kevin Barry, deputy principal. Picture: Denis Minihane

One of the oldest schools in Cork City is set to get a €5m-plus extension following a doubling in its student population in just a few years.

The management board of Coláiste Éamann Rís, formerly Deerpark CBS, described the project as "transformative" and said the new facilities, as well as being of benefit to students, will also become a community resource.

The Department of Education has approved funding for two new science rooms, a second home economics room, a second construction studies room, a textiles room, a music room, a technical graphics room, a design, construction and graphics room, and four special education needs (SEN) suites, which include classrooms, meeting rooms, toilet and shower areas, social spaces and sensory rooms.

The school, under the patronage of the Edmund Rice Schools Trust, was one of the first in Ireland to run autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) classes. It currently runs four ASD classes.

Students at Coláiste Éamann Rís welcome news of €5m in funding for the new extension. Picture: Denis Minihane

The announcement has been hailed as a major vote of confidence in the school, which has turned its fortunes, including a move to co-educational status in 2019, in recent years.

“The student population has increased from 200 students in 2015 to 480 this year and we are well on track for a return to the 500 mark,” school principal Aaron Wolfe said.

“According to CAO statistics, our school is the most-improved school in Cork for third-level progression and the second in Ireland.

“This success is down to the hard work of the board as well as school management, teaching staff, SNAs, pupils and parents."

A design team is to be appointed immediately and it is hoped the facilities will be operational within three years.

First-year student Lacey Kelly gives a thumbs-up for the announcement of €5m in funding for an extension at Coláiste Éamann Rís. Picture: Denis Minihane

Chair of the school’s board of management, former lord mayor Mick Finn, a past-pupil of the school, thanked the department and local TDs, especially those at the Cabinet table, for their support.

“Our school was the first in the country to open ASD special classes and at times it seemed that we were carrying this responsibility on our own," he said.

“As our student numbers have increased, we were quickly running out of space so this announcement secures our school’s future."

The school was established as Scoil Neasain, Sullivan’s Quay, in 1828 before moving to its current location on St Patrick’s Road in 1968 to become Deerpark CBS.