Plug pulled on secondary school for Knocknacarra

Date Published: 28-Nov-2008

THE Government has pulled the plug on the plan to build a new school for Coláiste na Coiribe, the city’s only all Irish secondary school, in the Knocknacarra area.

The decision has been met by anger by one of the school’s Board of Management, who has called on all Galway TDs to campaign for the reversal of this decision.

Councillor Catherine Connolly, who is also a member of the Galway City Vocational Education Committee, said it was “shocking news” that had disappointed everyone at the school, which is currently housed in a former primary school premises, St Brendan’s at Cemetery Cross.

She said she couldn’t believe her ears at Tuesday’s City VEC meeting when the letter from the Department of Education and Science was read out, informing them not to proceed with the purchase of a 5.89 acre site at Fána Búrca Estate, Knocknacarra for the school.

Galway City Council had acquired the land for institutional use and it had always been on the cards that this would be Coláiste na Coiribe’s new and permanent home.

Coláiste na Coiribe, which started in 1993, has grown and expanded and for the past 10 years has been facilitated at Cemetery Cross, where it now has more than 300 pupils and a waiting list for places up until 2014.

The school had …