31 August 2015
By Bryan T. Smyth
bryan@TheCork.ie
Waterpark House, is the name of the mansion which gave the Waterpark housing estate its name. The house now sits surrounded by schools and houses,
The Chief Executive of Cork Education and Training Board (Cork ETB), Mr. Ted Owens, was in Carrigaline this morning (Monday) to welcome the first class of students to Gaelcholáiste Charraig Uí Leighin.
The new first year students will be housed in Waterpark House, the temporary building for the new Gaelcholáiste. The building will act as the temporary premises whilst the planning and construction of the permanent €19 million campus is ongoing.
The Chief Executive of Cork Education and Training Board (Cork ETB), Mr. Ted Owens, was in Carrigaline this morning (Monday) to welcome the first class of students to Gaelcholáiste Charraig Uí Leighin.
Speaking at the school Mr. Ted Owens commented: “I am delighted to be here this morning to meet with the new students on their first day of secondary school. This is an important day for the students and their parents, but also for the greater Carrigaline community.”
“Cuimhneofar ar an lá stairiúil seo i saol an phobail agus ar ndóigh i saoil na ndaltaí féin” a dúirt príomhoide na scoile, Áine-Máire Ní Fhaoláin. “Beidh an scoil seo ann le freastal ar na glúine daltaí amach anseo agus táimid cheana féin ana-bhrodúil as an ngrúpa daltaí a bheidh ag tosú linn innu.” The school staff extended a warm welcome to the students, their parents and representatives from the community and the school’s patron.
The campaign to establish a new post-primary school for the area began in 2008. Thanks to the tireless campaigning by the school’s founding committee, the Department of Education & Skills approved the establishment of the school, and declared in 2012 that the school would open under the patronage of County Cork VEC, now Cork Education & Training Board. The new permanent Gaelcholáiste will form part of a three-school campus which will include a Gaelscoil and a SONAS Junior primary school. The campus will accommodate over 1,000 pupils when completed.
Cork ETB will be patron of the second level Gaelcholáiste which will be 4,800 square metres in size and will accommodate up to 500 pupils. The building will include 24 general classrooms as well as specialist accommodation and a state of the art PE Hall. For more information visit www.corketb.ie.
