A €7.5 million extension to Coláiste Iósaef Community College in Kilmallock will ensure that it can offer the full curriculum and all the subjects needed for progression in modern Ireland.
That’s according to Minister of State Patrick O’Donovan who unveiled a commemorative plaque to mark the official opening of the new building last Friday.
He described the event as a day “that will lay out a chart for the future of what second level education will look like in this part of South Limerick and the relationships it will have particularly with the primary school network in the greater Kilmallock area”.
“Today is a day for celebration, particularly for the students who are here and for the students who are yet to come in here and the parents who may very well have come through this school in its current guise or in its previous configuration as the old VEC or the convent.
Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board chief executive George O’Callaghan said that the substantial value of the building project reflected the commitment of the ETB to enhance the social and economic infrastructure of Kilmallock and the surrounding area.
“The project was completed on programme and on budget,” he added.
Coláiste Iósaef Principal Noel Kelly said that the school community had grown significantly in the past number of years and the new extension reflected the growth in student numbers and the commitment of the ETB to provide the very best facilities and resources.
“Our expansive school campus is a pleasure to learn and work in and is a fantastic environment for the delivery of high quality learning and teaching for a modern era.
“We have forged strong relationships with primary schools in the area which we are very grateful to in making the transition from primary to post-primary as seamless as possible. We have also nurtured strong bonds with organisations in the town and in surrounding areas to involve our community as much as is possible for the benefit of our students.
“The new extension consists of a three-storey building over 3,000m², designed by Healy Partners Architects and built by Conack Construction.
“The general and specialist classrooms include two science rooms, a technology room, a music room and a new ICT suite. A new full-sized PE Hall along with new outdoor playing facilities provide for a diverse range of extra-curricular activities which contribute significantly to the physical and mental health of the students in the school,” Mr Kelly concluded.
