The first sod has officially been turned on the site of the new Gaelscoil Charraig na Siúire by the Education Minister.
Fianna Fail’s Norma Foley visited Carrick-on-suir this afternoon (Thursday) to handle the ceremonial shovel, where work is already underway at the site of the former St Joseph’s College building on the Clonmel Road which has now been demolished
It’s part of a wider investment in Project Nore, a bundle of seven large-scale school building projects across Tipperary, Kilkenny, Westmeath and Kildare.
The 117 students are currently in pre-fabs on a temporary site but Minister Foley says the new school will be state of the art:
”It’s an excellent project here for the Gaelscoil, and it’s a €220m investment really,
and it’s about delivering state-of-the-art facilities, it’s about future-proofing, making
sure that our schools have the facilities that they need, and it’s an acknowledgement as well that we move with the times.
”We don’t stand still in education, so whether it’s in terms of the infrastructure in our buildings, also in terms of the work that we’re doing with curricular reform, whether it’s a primary or post-primary level, we have a new senior cycle that we’re working on to make it more student-friendly, to make it more 21st century.”
Principal Linda Nic an Bháird says the sod-turning marks a massive milestone for the school and for the whole community in Carrick-on-suir:
”It’s a hugely significant day. We’re so, so proud. The school is 25-years-old and I’ve
been part of the school for the last 24 years. It’s hard to believe those years have just
flown by.
”It’s hugely significant for the whole community, our whole school community today. The turning of the sod represents the future of the school and it’s really, really bright.”
