CONTRACTS ARE SIGNED FOR NEW €10M SCHOOL FOR GAELCHOLÁISTE CHIARRAÍ

GAELCHOLÁISTE Chiarraí’s new €10 million school building should be ready to welcome students in September 2019.

The opening of the new building will see the number of students at the school almost double.

On Tuesday the Kerry Education and Training Board and the Department of Education signed a Service Level Agreement which gives the KETB the green light to proceed with the development of the new school on a site at Cloonmore in Hawley Park.

The 2.7 hectare site – close to the school’s current premises in Moyderwell – was transferred to the KETB by Kerry County Council last March.

The new 600 student school will include 20 general purpose classrooms in addition to specialist art, multimedia, music, design, construction, technology and graphics rooms and science labs.

There will also be a library; student dining area and a full size PE hall.

The KETB will now begin the process of tendering for the project and appointing a main Contractor for the construction of the new building.

Principal Austin Ó Seachnasaigh said the new building is a very welcome development coming at a time when the school is experiencing significant growth.

There are currently 360 students in the school. Due to a lack of space in the current building meant that this year some classes were accommodated to Collis Sandes House on the outskirts of Tralee.

Management expect the student body will increase to around 600 by the time the new building opens in three years.

That would represent a ten fold increase on the 60 students who attended the school when it first opened in 1989.

Pictured at the contract signing for the new service level agreement for Gaelcholáiste Chiarraí were (back) Owen O’Donnell KETB; Tomás Ó Conchúir Gaelcholáiste Chiarraí, Ruairí O’Cinnéide VP Gaelcholáiste Chiarraí and Edward O’Neill KETB . (Front) Colm...