Plans on display to build largest ever secondary school in Laois and Offaly

Aerial view of the new Coláiste Iosagáin in Portarlington.

placeholder image — Aerial view of the new Coláiste Iosagáin in Portarlington.

Portarlington school seeks approval for 136,000sqft building

Students, staff and families in Portarlington are awaiting a crucial planning decision for their brand new school, after 10 years already waiting for those plans to get off the ground.

The multi-million new Coláiste Iosagáin, at 1,300 pupils and over 136,000 sqft will be the largest school ever in Laois or Offaly.

The application was sent to Offaly County Council planners in late July and their decision will come in late September, if no further information is sought.

Designed by Kennedy Fitzgerald Architects, the new school will be a part three-storey, part two-storey building, covering a vast 12,646sqm.

The multi million cost will be paid by the Department of Education. It will be built on the GAA field at the back of the existing school. The 6.2 hectare land is owned by the board of management.

The new school will have 48 classrooms, 24 specialist teaching rooms with associated preparation rooms, four special needs classrooms with a Special Needs Education suite, a double height multi-purpose hall with associated PE accommodation.

There will also be a library, staff rooms, administration rooms, toilets, stores, accommodation and also a double height General Purpose hall with its own kitchen and store.

Outside there will be a covered area, a construction studies store, bin store, an Air source heat pump and an ESB substation.

There will be 104 parking spaces and six universal parking spaces. There will also be 120 bicycle parking spaces.

After it is built, the existing school will be demolished and prefabs removed, and a new GAA pitch built, as well as seven MUGA multi purpose playing courts.

The application includes a Road Safety Audit which recommends barriers to stop cars parking on Patrick Street so pedestrians and cyclists can get to school safely. There will be little change to the existing entrances.

It also includes a Natura Impact Statement which advises that with appropriate mitigation measures on surface water drainage, there will be no impact on the SAC protected River Barrow and River Nore.

A Heritage Impact Statement notes that there are no monuments or protected structures on the site. However it recommends a test dig with an archeologist of the grassy pitch ahead of works.

The school principal Justin Brown has given a statement on the need for the new school.

Plans can be seen in full on the Offaly County Council planning website.