Gaelscoil students to get new accommodation by September

Students at Gaelscoil Eadan Doire will begin the next school year in new school accommodation, the Offaly Independent can reveal.

After a long wait work began last Monday on new school buildings for both Gaelscoil Eadan Doire and Scoil Bhride.

Speaking to the Offaly Independent today (Thursday), a spokesperson for the Department of Education said work on the new Gaelscoil building is expected to be “substantially completed” nine months from the contract date.

Kildare-based company Sammon Contracting Ltd were offially awarded the contract to build Gaelscoil Eadan Doire’s new school on December 18 last, along with a new school building for Scoil Bhride.

In a statement this week Gaelscoil Eadan Doire looked forward to the move.

“The entire school community has greatly received the news that the construction of their new school building is to commence immediately,” the statement said. “It is an eight month build and will be ready in time for the school to relocate there for September 1, 2014.”

Gaelscoil Eadan Doire first opened its doors in September 2008 with 21 students. Over the past five and a half years the school community has worked hard to establish a school at Edenderry Business Park that now has 109 children enrolled from junior infants to sixth class.

It’s set to hold an open night next Thursday, January 16 from 6pm until 8pm, where parents can talk to teachers and view plans for the new school building.

Scoil Bhride will have to wait a while longer to move meanwhile. According to the Department of Education its new school will take some 13 months from the contract awarding date to complete.

Principal Kevin Duffy told the Offaly Independent recently he expects the school’s 400 plus students will be able to move to the new accommodation next Christmas.

New buildings for both Scoil Bhride and Gaelscoil Eadan Doire have been in the pipeline for some time now. Both new builds were given planning permission in 2012, and quick build projects taking 26 weeks were due to be completed by the beginning of last September.

However last May it was confirmed quick build projects would not be going ahead after tenders received were in excess of the norm for similar school projects.