Pres & Mercy to amalgamate

Date Published: 15-May-2009

TWO of the oldest and best known girls’ secondary schools in the city – both of which were set up as the educational arms of two different religious orders – are to amalgamate within the next two years.

Presentation Secondary School on Presentation Road and Meanscoil Mhuire in Newtownsmyth are due to merge by the year 2011, housing the pupils of both schools in the premises currently used by Meanscoil Mhuire, which is due to be refurbished in advance of the amalgamation.

Both schools are the responsibility of the CEIST organisation, which has the trusteeship of a number of Catholic secondary schools throughout the country.

The CEO of CEIST, Ann Kellegher told the Galway City Tribune the decision had been taken in order to ensure a quality education and the best possible resources for the areas that are currently served by both schools.

“This was a strategic decision taken to continue providing a Catholic education to girls in the city of Galway. The educational climate we operate in now is one where there is no longer the monopoly that the Catholic Church or Church of Ireland traditions used to have – you have the VEC providing education, Educate Together coming along, and Muslim schools and so on, and we want to continue
to give parents a real choice in terms of a very high-standard Catholic school for the area.

“Rather than…