New Galway school close to starting works after 20 years waiting for 'badly needed facility'
The local community has been campaigning for a new school for two decades
A new Galway school which has been described as a “badly needed facility” is close to having construction started on the site after 20 years of campaigning.
Galway East TD Seán Canney has said that the contractor who will spearhead the construction of the new Athenry national school in Carrabane will soon be appointed with a start expected just shortly after the New Year.
Canney confirmed the approval of the school after long negotiations between Department of Infrastructure and Department of Education.
There will be eight classrooms in the new school alongside a sensory room and another additional supports building on site with Minister Canney adding that the contract will be signed by Board of Management shortly.
He said: “I’m delighted to confirm that approval has been given for the awarding of the contract for construction of the new national school at Carrabane.
“This is a badly needed facility. The local community has been campaigning for a new school for two decades, and I want to pay tribute to the Principal, staff, Board of Management, parents, past students and former parents who have campaigned for so long.”
Elsewhere, another Galway school has been given the green light to add another building to its site as long as five conditions are adhered to.
St Jarlath’s College in Tuam will begin its building of a single-storey premises on the school grounds.
The 226-year-old school, which welcomed female pupils through its doors for the first time in 2023, is renowned for its rich footballing history.
The proposal describes the construction of a “a single-storey building, located in the northern part of the school grounds, including removal of existing trees, connection to existing services and infrastructure and associated site works. The proposed development is on the site of the protected structure (RPSRef. No.33). The works proposed do not involve any alterations or interventions to the Protected Structure”.
One of the conditions that must be met is that the outside of the building must be “grey green or black in colour unless otherwise agreed in writing with the planning authority and shall be maintained in a tidy manner at all times throughout the five year timeframe”.
There will also be a temporary classroom used on the school site for “a limited period only, which shall expire five years from the date of grant of planning permission, after which time the structure shall be removed, unless in the mean time an additional permission has been granted by the planning authority for the retention of the structure and uses for a further period”.
The other conditions apply to water discharge with a soakaway system to be used.