Tullamore College build start date revealed

The new Tullamore College school building project is to begin in March/April next year, the Offaly Independent has learned.

Education Minister Ruairi Quinn announced today (Friday) the project is one of 70 to be built in 2014 at an estimated total cost of €470m.

Speaking to the Offaly Independent Tullamore College principal Edward McEvoy said the new build – which will begin almost 13 years after the school was damaged by fire – has been a long time coming.

“On behalf of the staff, students and parents we’re really delighted that the project is coming to fruition,” Mr McEvoy said. “We’ve a great school, fabulous staff and great support from parents. It’s about time we have the facilities to match the quality of what’s going on in the school.”

A contractor for the project has not yet been put in place for the project, but Mr McEvoy said that will happen “quickly” and work will begin in the early months of 2014.

The new school building planned for Tullamore College at the corner of O’Carroll Street and Riverside will include 14 general classrooms, two social studies rooms, three science labs, a demonstration room, two art rooms, two home economics rooms, two business and computing rooms, two technical graphics/CAD rooms, two construction studies rooms, two engineering rooms, a guidance suite, a library and a gym as well as pastoral offices, staff room and a first aid room.

The building that will stretch to more than 7,000 square metres will take some 18 months to complete, and will welcome its first students in September 2015.

It will have the capacity for 585 students – less than 20 more than Tullamore College’s current student body number – but Mr McEvoy said further expansion if necessary in the future will be possible.

Current students will continue classes in the current school building while construction on the new building is ongoing, and that building will then be demolished to make space for basketball and tennis courts.

Countrywide the 70 projects set to proceed to construction in 2014 include 22 new primary level schools, twelve primary level extensions, twelve new second-level schools, 20 second-level extensions, three new special schools and one major special school extension.

The projects will deliver over 21,000 additional school places, while construction will support an estimated 3,200 direct jobs and 640 indirect jobs in 2014.