The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Parents must pay £500,000 for new school in Tralee
April 1995
PARENTS in Tralee are to be asked contribute up to £500,000 towards the cost of a new £5 million co-educational secondary school to be built by the Mercy Order on a 15 acre site in Mounthawk.
The order has already purchased the site and has obtained outline planning permission for the 1,000 pupil school on a portion of the old Tralee golf course at Mounthawk.
Speaking on behalf of the Mercy Order in Kerry, Sr Clare O’Reilly this week welcomed Education Minister Niamh Bhreathnach’s decision to grant approval for the amalgamation of the order’s two secondary schools in Tralee — St. John’s, Balloonagh and St. Mary’s, Moyderwell.
Sr Clare told The Kerryman that the order will provide-the site for the school and that funding of 10 per cent will have to come from the local community.
However, she said that there is some money already in a fund which will go towards this contribution. She anticipated that the parents of the children attending the present schools will contribute to the fund to provide the necessary £500,000 contribution.
At present there are 1,200 pupils in the two secondary schools, but in line with local demographic changes this is expected to have dropped by the time the new school is built.
“It is very hard to say when the new school will open but it normally takes at least two to three years,” said Sr Clare.
She anticipates that the first student intake to the new co-educational school will be in. 1998/1999. Sr Clare said she could not say whether or not the two schools to be closed will be sold or not.
“It is too early to say; we only got the approval from the Minister this week,” she said.
Sr Clare did say that the Mercy run national schools at Balloonagh and Moyderwell will both remain open.
No name has been selected yet for the new school for which the working title ‘Mercy Mounthawk’ is being used. Sr Clare said the school will be run by the Mercy Order.
“While it is too early to say it would be lovely to have a Mercy nun as principal,” she said.
Four acres of the 15 acre site will be used for hard development with the remainder of the site given over to playing fields and recreational areas.
“The Mercy congregation hopes that the new complex, will prove to be a very attractive, stimulating and comfortable working environment for the teaching staff whose dedication and commitment over the years in both schools has always been exemplary.