It’s full steam ahead for Coláiste Abhainn Rí in Callan.
Kilkenny’s newest school sees the amalgamation of Coláiste Éamann Rís and St Brigid’s College and KCLR News revealed that major development’s been approved with a range of extra rooms and state of the art facilities. (Details on that here).
Sally Ronayne is Acting Principal at St Brigid’s College and she says “We open our doors in September 2022, our trustees are now in the process of appointing an interim board of management and they will oversee the appointment of a new Principal and they will also ensure that the building work that has been sanctioned by the Department will now progress in a timely fashion and come to fruition, so we’re absolutely delighted, it’s another step along the journey”.
She also says the addition of an ASD unit is particularly welcome, noting “I think the inclusion of the ASD unit is really welcome news as well to families in the area, it’s a fantastic facility and anybody in the area that has a child with autism will know that these places are very valuable and it’s just fantastic to have one so close to home so we’re absolutely thrilled”.
While Principal of Coláiste Éamann Rís Majella Gleeson says it’ll provide a wider range of subjects for all, telling KCLR News “It’s going to provide huge opportunities for a new co-educational school in Callan combining the talents of St Brigid’s College and Coláiste Éamann Rís, the boys and girls are going to have access to a much broader range of subjects, the girls are going to have access to woodwork, metalwork, the boys are going to have access to music, home economics”.
At the moment, students from each school swap across for certain subjects and Ms Gleeson says not having to have them travel between two premises from September 2022 is something to look forward to as well, noting “It’ll be great to have on one site where students have the choice to do whatever subjects they want to do for their junior cycle and senior cycle, great excitement, it’s great to see Coláiste Abhainn Rí is becoming a reality and we’re now are working towards our new school which will be opened in September 2022”.
And it seems one other aspect’s set to be finalised in the coming days.
Teacher representatives from both schools, Emer Hickey and Lorna Cody, have been working on the new uniform, with a decision due on that by next week.
Ms Gleeson says “In the last few weeks the parents of our feeder schools, parents of both our schools in Callan, have been given forms to vote on what they would see as the prefered colour jumper, skirts for the girls, trousers & shirts for the boys, this week we hope to confirm the complete uniform for Colaiste Abhainn Ri”.
Check out the options for that here:
