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Athenry, Co.Galway, Ireland

Athenry Local News

Site not yet agreed for Athenry all-Irish College

NO site has been agreed for the all-Irish secondary school, Coláiste an Eachreidh, in Athenry and according to Co. Galway Vocational Education members it could be located in the campus of Athenry Vocational School.

At Monday’s meeting of the VEC the CEO Philip Cribbin said reports in a newspaper last week that a site had been agreed were untrue.

VEC member Cllr. Sinéad Connaughton, who is also a teacher at Athenry Vocational School, raised the matter saying that teachers at her school were worried when they read the report in which the Coiste Bunaithe of the proposed school said a separate site for the building had been secured in Athenry.

“It is not true that a site has been agreed. No guarantee of a specific site was given to anyone and that information suggesting a site had been secured did not come from the VEC,” said Philip Cribbin.

“Staff at Athenry Vocational School thought they had been hoodwinked when they read the report,” said Cllr. Connaughton.

The CEO had met with them earlier in the week to allay some fears that an all-Irish secondary school in the town, even under the patronage of the VEC, might impact on the numbers attending their school and could ultimately affect teacher numbers there.

Another VEC member, who is also a teacher at Athenry Vocational School, Seamus Hynes, told the meeting that while not opposing the proposal the teaching staff at the school had genuine concerns.

“The staff at Athenry Vocational School have no fears provided the school gets priority for its additional classroom requirements and that these needs are not diluted.

“We do not want another concrete building in the town unless ours are taken care of first and the pre-fabs at Athenry Vocational School are replaced with permanent buildings,” he said.

Cllr. Connaughton added “We are not saying we would not co-operate but there is a need for upgrading facilities at Athenry Vocational School if a second school is to come on stream and the staff have been worried about the ambiguity.”

Cllr. Michael Mullins said putting the new all-Irish college on the existing site of Athenry Vocational School would make sense and this was agreed by most of the members.

The CEO told the meeting that the Department of Education wanted consultation with all parties concerned before any site was agreed for the proposed all Irish college for Athenry.

“The Department of Education is not interested in imposing a solution and progress will only happen with full consultation with all concerned.”

It was agreed that a sub committee be set up by the VEC to examine the situation and to meet with the planning officers at the Department of Education.

Those on the committee are the Chairperson and CEO, Cllrs Sinead Connaughton and Jarlath McDonagh plus VEC members Seamus Hynes and Tommie Glynn.

The proposed all-Irish college in Athenry hopes to cater for students from wide area of Co. Galway including Tuam, Ballinasloe, Loughrea and Oranmore. It is planned to have it open by September 2006.