Construction work at St Finian's and St Mary's SS set to commence

Construction work on the new multi-million expansion and renovation of St Finian's College is set to begin in the coming weeks after the project was given the green light to proceed by the Department of Education.

The expansion of St Finian's, along with the delivery of a new home for St Mary's Special School on the St Finian's campus, are part of a bundle of seven large-scale projects that are being delivered by the Finance Agency (NDFA) for the Department of Education across schools in Tipperary, Kilkenny, Westmeath and Kildare.

In a statement released yesterday, Minister for Education Norma Foley said that relocation of St Mary's from Delvin to the St Finian's campus “will provide new opportunities for integration and inclusion in the years ahead”.

The planning application for St Finian's includes details for the upgrading and refurbishment of the main school building, which is a protected structure, and the construction of a two-storey western extension to the main school building, with a new entrance point at lower ground floor level, as well as the upgrading and refurbishment of the gymnasium and the construction of a new changing building.

There are also plans to construct a new two-storey building to the north to accommodate technology classrooms and science laboratories, and a new three-storey building to the east to accommodate art classrooms.

The planning notice also includes details for the demolition of the exiting single-storey western entrance and associated classrooms, the existing single-storey classroom block and the two-storey ancillary accommodation wing at the rear of the main school building, the existing maintenance sheds, two-storey changing building and the single-storey WC block.

The new home for St Mary's will include a single-storey eight-classroom building, which will incorporate associated teaching and clinical spaces, a general purpose/dining hall, a library and staff room, as well as solar panels at roof level.

The news that construction work on both St Finian's and St Mary's is set to begin shortly has been warmly welcomed by local politicians.

Deputy Robert Troy, a past pupil of St Finian's, said that when finished it will be the start of a bright new chapter for both schools.

He added that St Mary's will soon have a new home that is fit for purpose and that given the increase in student numbers at St Finian's since it became a co-ed school, the new facilities are much needed.

Minister Peter Burke said that he was “delighted that St Finian's College Mullingar and St. Mary's Special School, Delvin have moved to the commence construction phase of their school building pogramme”.

“The projects are part of Project Nore, which will see significant investment of €250m on seven major projects.”