EDUCATION Minister Norma Foley paid tribute to the ambassadorial role being played by students when she officially opened the new €20 million Coláiste Chiaráin Community College campus in Croom on Friday.
After commenting on the welcome she received from the student council, Minister Foley said that it spoke volumes about the school and its ethos.
“I am always impressed when a school has confidence to put their students to the front. A school that has the confidence to allow the students to do the talking, the students to be the ambassadors, the students to lead the way, then that’s a school that knows it’s doing a good job,” she declared.
Construction of the new campus commenced under the direction of the Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board in October 2018 on a 22-acre greenfield site.
Despite the disruption caused by the Covid pandemic, the project was completed on schedule and on budget despite the pandemic, with the school community moving on campus in March/April last year.
The 10,000m² two-storey building houses 50 classrooms, physical education and general purpose halls, a fitness suite, and dressing rooms, as well as six external ball courts and three playing pitches as well as extensive parking and set-down areas.
The extensive facilities also include a state-of-the art media studio, a STEM innovation space, an extensive new school library and an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Hub.
Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board chief executive George O’Callaghan said they were justifiably proud of Coláiste Chiaráin for the excellence of the teaching and learning that takes place there.
“This new building stands as a testimony to that educational tradition and will serve to enhance that education for the next generations of that community,” he said.
Coláiste Chiaráin principal Gerard O’Sullivan, Principal, said the school community was grateful to all who were part of the delivery of the new school campus.
“We are equally grateful to welcome all present who continue to work with us to provide opportunities and support for our staff and students,” he added.
