REVIEW: Minister receives huge welcome during three-stop Kilkenny visit

Minister for Education Norma Foley visited Kilkenny last Thursday, turning the sod on three exciting new school projects locally.

The minister met school officials at the new CBS Kilkenny school site on the Dunningstown Road as well as at Presentation Kilkenny and St Canice’s Primary School as the three city schools embark on landmark new projects.

The local schools have all secured funding under ‘Project Nore’ and are in the process of receiving new and modernised facilities under the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) in a development costing over €250 million.

The three Kilkenny schools join four further schools in  Tipperary, Westmeath and Kildare under the 'Project Nore' scheme.

CBS Kilkenny is preparing to move to a new school building for 1,000 students including special classes, with works expected to last for approximately 18 months, beginning last October.

Speaking to the Kilkenny People at the beginning of the works, local Fine Gael councillor David Fitzgerald, said, it was 'long overdue' and hailed the commitment of principal Tom Clarke, the board of management and staff to get to this point.

"Students will now have the same opportunities as others around the country," Cllr Fitzgerald added.

Presentation Kilkenny will also benefit from the funding with construction on a new school building catering for 1,000 students including special classes under way.

Principal, Shane Hallahan, is positive the school will flourish with its extra capacity.

Speaking to a packed hall in Presentation on Thursday, he praised the minister for her commitment to the project: "I want to express my gratitude to our amazing students, staff and supportive community for making Presentation Kilkenny a beacon of excellence," he said.

"Together with your support Minister we hope to continue to inspire and shape future generations."

Meanwhile, the development of a new 24-classroom school building including special classes is at the construction stage at St Canice's Primary School.

Speaking about the project, school principal Andy Hanrahan, said it would make a huge difference: "It will be an amazing facility to come in to. It will benefit St Canice’s and Kilkenny City for the next 50 or 60 years," he said.

"The new school building is not only designed for the present but also for the future."

"St Canice’s School has grown at a huge rate since the school opened in 1981, originally we’d have two classes for each year group but it has become three in the past 15 years," he said.

The school principal, who has served over a year in the role, said the move from pre-fab classes in parts of the school to permanent classrooms will be ‘great’, observing, 'it's important to move on.'

The first part of the building works are expected to be completed by December 2024, with a provisional completion date of November 2025.

The construction of this bundle of seven school projects has been awarded to a joint venture partnership between JJ Rhatigan and Co. and ABM Design and Build Ltd.