City secondary schools to be merged from September

Two city secondary schools are to amalgamate, a process which is expected to be completed by September of next year.
The Presentation Secondary School on Presentation Road and the Mercy Secondary School in Newtownsmyth are to amalgamate into a new school which will have 500 pupils.
The Boards of Management at both of the all-girls post primary schools have agreed to start the amalgamation process after years of discussing options and proposals.
The idea was first mooted in 2009 and a private consultancy firm was hired to investigate how best to go about it and their suggestion was to move onto the Presentation Secondary School premises, though some refurbishments will have to be carried out and possibly some extra facilities may have to be provided.
Dr Marie Griffin, CEO of CEIST – Catholic Education, an Irish Schools Trust – confirmed yesterday that the two schools would amalgamate into a brand-new school with a new name and new principal.
“The reason for this amalgamation is due to a demographical shift. Both are great schools and had greater numbers in the past. It was getting harder for the schools to remain viable with fewer numbers.
They are both Catholic, all-girls schools and the new school will provide a Catholic education and continue as an all-girls school.
“There is no name yet picked for the new school. That will be something done under a new principal. We have no idea yet what will happen long-term to the premises at Newtownsmyth, but for now I expect it will remain as a facility to be used by the new school,” she said.
The new school will cater for over 500 girls and will allow for a broader curriculum and new programme options, she added.
The Mercy Sisters have been providing second level education in Galway City for 78 years and the Presentation Sisters will celebrate 200 years of involvement in the city’s education this year.

For more on this story, see the Galway City Tribune.