Gaelcholáiste Luimnigh's new city campus celebrates official opening
The event was attended by Paralympics champion Róisín Ní Riain
MINISTER for Education, Norma Foley TD has officially opened Gaelcholáiste Luimnigh’s brand new Limerick city school campus.
The multi-million-euro custom-designed building marks a new chapter in the all-Irish co-educational community college’s history, providing students with a state-of-the-art learning campus.
The event was attended by the school community and invited guests, including past pupil and Paris 2024 Paralympics champion, Róisín Ní Riain.
The new 8,000m² school, which accommodates 750 students, is located on the former Kerry Group site on Clare Street and involved an investment of more than €28 million by the school’s patron Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board (ETB), funded by the Department of Education’s Capital Programme for Post-Primary Schools.
Gaelcholáiste Luimnigh principal, Kevin Ó Raghallaigh, said: “Since its establishment in 2006, Gaelcholáiste Luimnigh students have been achieving excellence in languages, the arts, science, technology, traditional Irish music, and sport. Students have always been at the heart of our school".
He continued: “Many talented athletes are alumni of the school, including Paris 2024 champion Róisín Ní Riain who we are delighted to welcome back to the school today”.
“We have students all over the world on various scholarships and that is a great source of pride for us. Our students are the people who inspire us as educators, and we should never forget that everything we do is for the benefit of those students,” he added.
Speaking at the school’s official opening, Minister Foley said: “What a truly wonderful welcome from the Gaelcholáiste Luimnigh school community here today. Thank you to the students who led me on a guided tour of this state-of-the-art new campus and to the students who spoke so passionately to me about their school and some of the exciting new facilities they’ve been enjoying, including the fitness suite, the science lab, the Home Economics room and the Art room”.
“This exciting new development is an endorsement of the school community for their tireless commitment, passion, and endeavour to educating the young people of Limerick and the region through the medium of Irish,” she continued.
The new campus boasts a range of cutting-edge facilities, including a sustainable design, state-of-the-art technology, creative and collaborative spaces, and extensive sports facilities.
Acting chief executive, Limerick and Clare ETB, and founding principal of the school, Donncha Ó Treasaigh said: “We are delighted to share in the celebration of this special day in the history of the Gaelcholáiste Luimnigh school community”.
He added: “This new city-centre campus is an exemplar of partnership involving key stakeholders, including the Department of Education, Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board and Limerick City and County Council, all working in harmony to reimagine a city centre space to deliver such a landmark building that we can all be so proud of.”
The new school campus features 70 teaching spaces including five science laboratories, two Home Economics rooms, an Art and Textiles room, a Graphics room, two Construction Studies rooms, a Technology room, a multimedia room, together with a PE hall, general classrooms, a staff room, a range of external play areas including an astroturf playing space, and ancillary and support facilities.
The Design Team for the state-of-the-art new building was headed up by Thompson Architects and included Rogerson Reddan, Downes & Associates, Don O’Malley & Partners, and Integrated Risk Solutions.
The main contractor for the project was Limerick company Conack Construction. Work commenced on site in 2022 and was completed for handover in January this year.