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Athenry, Co.Galway, Ireland

Athenry Local News

Athenry to have stand-alone Irish College

HE proposed all-Irish secondary school for Athenry, Colaiste an Eachreidh, is to be a stand alone facility on a site adjacent to the Co. Galway Vocational Education Headquarters and not on the campus of Athenry Vocational Schol.

The members of Co. Galway VEC were informed of this at their monthly meeting on Monday at which CEO Philip Cribbin said the Coiste Bunaithe of the proposed school were adamant that it should be a stand alone facility.

But annoyance was expressed by members of the VEC that the Department of Education had not requested Athenry Vocational School to make a submission.

“There is annoyance that Athenry Vocational School was not asked to make a submission.

“While we congratulate the Coiste Bunaithe and agree that an independent Colaiste Gaelach is a good prospect there will have to be major co-operation with Athenry Vocational School for it to be a success,” said VEC member Tommie Glynn.

He added that facilities must be upgraded at Athenry Vocational School especially to meet the demand for shared facilities with the new all Irish college.

But he agreed that as the site beside the VEC headquarters can only be used for their own purposes and if sold the money would have to go back to the Department, it was best that it be used for the all-Irish college which would be under the auspices of the VEC.

CEO Philip Cribbin said he had been in touch with the Department of Education regarding the fact that Athenry Vocational School had not been contacted regarding a submission on this matter.

“Up to last Friday they had not been contacted and I had a meeting with the principal Malachy Naughton about this. I told the Department that they should have been contacted,” he added.

VEC member James Joyce proposed that the principal and assistant principal of Athenry Vocational School should be part of any future discussions with the Coiste Bunaithe and this was agreed by all at the meeting.

Cllr. Tiernan Walsh asked how stand-alone would the new school be and he asked would there come a time when facilities at Athenry Vocational School might be “diluted” because of the impact of the new all-Irish school.

Cllr. Jarlath McDonagh agreed that they bargain for better facilities at Athenry Vocational School as part of their agreement to supply the Department of Education with the site for the new school. He was among a number of members who congratulated the Coiste Bunaithe on their enthusiasm.

VEC member Seamus Hynes, who is a teacher at Athenry Vocational School, said that while the development was welcomed it should also be remembered that teachers at the Athenry school were enthusiastic too and had been since it was first established.

“It is past time that we be looked after with all facilities and especially permanent concrete rooms and not pre-fabs,” he added.

Cllr. Willie Burke added that the provision of the site for the new school should also be used to bargain with the Department for better facilities for Loughrea and Cornamona Vocational Schools.

It is expected that the proposed Colaiste an Eachreidh in Athenry will cater for students who want to have their second level education through Irish from a wide area of Co. Galway including Tuam, Ballinasloe, Loughrea and Oranmore.

But for specialist subjects such as woodwork and metalwok it is expected that it will have to use existing rooms in Athenry Vocational School.

It will start out in pre-fab facilities on the site beside the VEC headquarters and it is planned to have it open by September 2006.