Update on St. Colmcille’s Junior and Senior Schools Building Project - 25 March 2011

Following many years of campaigning by the school authorities, parents and the local community, St. Colmcilles Junior and Senior National Schools, Knocklyon,  were  granted permission by the DES in 2007  to construct a new school . The new school will include Modern Classrooms, General Purpose Rooms, Libraries, Meeting Rooms, Special  Education Rooms, Sports Halls, Administration Rooms and Play Areas. The building will be on a phased basis which will necessitate the Senior School relocation to a temporary site for a 2 year period.
The  Board of Management  of St. Colmcilles SNS approached our then Chairman, Paddy Walsh, in July 2007 re. the possibility of relocating the Senior School to the club’s  grounds, adjacent to Sancta Maria College. Following a number of meetings between both parties, the Club Executive agreed in early 2008 to the request that the Senior School could relocate to temporary accommodation on the area of ground which runs parallel to the Prunty Pitch. This generous gesture by the Club is much appreciated by the Boards of Management of St. Colmcilles Junior and Senior Schools representing pupils, parents and teachers. A joint statement that Planning Permission was being sought for the relocation was circulated to the Club and School  Community in Sept. 2008.(see attached)
The Planning Application for this temporary building on the Ballyboden St. Enda’s site was submitted in September 2009 and a favourable decision was received from South Dublin County Council in January 2010.

The location of the temporary school building close to the existing Sancta Maria College building raised concerns regarding additional traffic and noise. It was clarified that the entrance for pupils and staff to the temporary school will be through the Ballyboden St Enda’s entrance on the Green Route and that the existing priority access of Sancta Maria College to pitches will be unchanged. 

A series of meetings took place in 2010 between Paddy Walsh, Noel Sheridan and John Ryan of Ballyboden St. Enda’s, and representatives of Sancta Maria College and St. Colmcilles Schools to consider these issues. Agreement was reached and any further operational issues arising will be addressed jointly by the two schools. We thank the Trustees, Management and Staff of Sancta Maria College for their co-operation and goodwill.

All various stages of tender action has now been completed and a response awaits from DES. As part of the preliminary phase for the construction of the new school, work has already commenced on the building of a new electrical sub-station adjacent to St. Colmcilles SNS/JNS. Cedar  Building & Civil Engineering Contractors will also be  installing an electrical switch room unit alongside the existing switch room on the Ballyboden St. Enda’s site shortly. It is now envisaged that the construction of the new school will commence this year.The above representatives of Ballyboden St Enda’s  will continue to liaise with St Colmcilles Board of Management in relation to this project.

 STATEMENT FOR BALLYBODEN ST. ENDA’S - WEBSITE Sept 2008

In Mid-June the Boards of Management of St. Colmcille’s S.N.S. and J.N.S. received sanction from the Minister for Education and Science to proceed with an application for planning permission to rebuild St. Colmcille’s Senior and Junior Schools.  This planning application was lodged with South Dublin County Council at the end of July.

As part of the rebuilding process, it will be necessary to relocate the Senior School to a temporary site for a limited period of time.  The Club Executive of Ballyboden St. Enda’s G.A.A. club, under the Chairmanship of Paddy Walsh, has agreed to a request from the Board of Management of St. Colmcille’s to relocate the Senior School to temporary accommodation to be installed on the area of ground which runs parallel to the new Prunty Pitch.  It is planned that the extensive mound of earth that runs along the side of the Prunty Pitch will be removed.  

It is estimated that this arrangement will last for a period of 24 months approximately.   On completion of the main school building in Knocklyon, the temporary building will be removed and the area returned to the Club.

The provision of this area of ground to accommodate this temporary facility solves the logistical problem associated with the construction of the new school building and allows the project to proceed.  The Board of Management says that “This generous gesture by Ballyboden St. Enda’s is much appreciated by the Boards of Management of St. Colmcille’s Senior and Junior National Schools representing pupils, teachers and parents.”