Limerick secondary school moving to new campus next month

A NEW ERA in the educational life of Limerick will kick off next month as a new state-of-the-art school opens to the east of the city.

Limerick Educate Together secondary school’s new premises at Towlerton will welcome students from Friday, September 8.

It means for the first two weeks of the new school term, the 640-student secondary will operate from its temporary premises at the old Salesian school in Fernbank, just off the North Circular Road.

It opened the school here in 2018 when it counted just 56 students and 12 staff.

Once the new school year commences on Friday, August 25, there will be 640 students and 80 staff.

The news was confirmed to parents this Tuesday by principal Eoin Shinners.

He said it was always the intention that the handover of the new state-of-the-art school from the Department of Education would take place on September 8.

“It's a very exciting time. It's come off the back of a lot of hard work from staff, parents, students and our other stakeholders in the school community.

“We are delighted and we are looking forward to making the move to our state-of-the-art campus,” he told the Limerick Leader.

Mr Shinners thanked the staff, students and teachers of the school throughout its opening years in Fernbank.

“They have collectively been extremely patient and supportive of the school. Particularly over these summer months.

“We are delighted now to finally be able to put a plan in place to make the move to the school, and we look forward to welcoming the 640 students and equally the staff and parents in the coming weeks,” the principal said.

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The new school, which is anchoring what will eventually be a new suburb of Limerick in Towlerton, will open in two phases.

The first will be September 8, with the second following shortly after - either toward the end of October or early November.

The multi-storey facility is built in the shadow of Northern Trust at Bloodmill Road, and will boast almost 60 classrooms.

It's expected to cater for up to 1,000 students by next year.

A large number of additional permanent teaching jobs are set to be created.

“By the time we get to Christmas, we'll have the full campus operating where it will cater for 1,000 students and in excess of 120 staff over the next few years,” added Mr Shinners.

The new secondary school, serving the fastest-growing suburb of Limerick has been in the planning since 2015.

It was then when former Limerick City TD Jan O'Sullivan, Education Minister at the time, green-lit two new secondary schools for the city.

These were for the Monaleen and Castletroy area, which Educate Together is serving, and in Mungret, where a new community college is open.

The Covid-19 pandemic delayed construction on the new Educate Together school, with permission being granted in 2020.

The facility school will see a large outdoor learning courtyard, plus a sports hall with a fitness suite.

In a first for local schools, gender-neutral toilets will be fitted on each of the complex's three floors.

Educate Together schools are unique in that children are accepted regardless of religious belief.

Decisions are sought democratically with the views of teachers, students and parents all carrying an equal weight.