Pictured outside council offices before handing in the plans were Sarah Gilsenan, Head of Land and Buildings, CMETB; Karen McBride, Director of Organisation Support and Development, CMETB; Cllr Clifford Kelly, chairperson, Coláiste Dún an Rí, Board of Management and deputy chairperson, CMETB board; and Dr Fiona McGrath, Chief Executive, CMETB.

Still no figure for modular house build

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Plans for a major extension to Colaiste Dun an Rí in Kingscourt have been lodged with the Council's Planning Department.

The Department of Education had given the green light for the project last December. It's proposed to develop 23 new classrooms, together with two Special Educational Needs classes, five SET/Pastoral rooms, and other specialist rooms for multi-media, science, construction, design and communication graphics and art, as well as a staff room and dining room facilities at the Kingscourt school.

Director of Organisation Support and Development (OSD), Karen McBride, said: "This project marks a significant milestone in the development of the school, and once completed, Coláiste Dún an Rí will have the capacity to accommodate up to 1,000 students."

The extension delivery is a fraction of the estimated €200 million worth of building projects currently progressing on the books at Cavan-Monaghan ETB.

The update was provided to a meeting of ETB board members at The Workhouse in Carrickmacross last week.

Planning is also being sought from Monaghan County Council for a new three-class Special Educational Needs extension, plus ancillary accommodation, at Castleblayney College.

A Stage 2B report from the design team, meanwhile, is awaited in respect of Breifne College in Cavan Town, an extension for which was approved by the Department last December.

The project there provides for four new general classrooms and seven SET rooms, three science labs, two prep rooms, two engineering rooms, two tech rooms and two prep rooms, a graphics room, art room, textiles room, five project stores, and two Special Educational Needs classes.

Other extension projects being worked on include one at Inver College and another at Beech Hill.

Modular builds

With a modular build already complete and erected at Belturbet's St Bricin's College and also Castleblayney, works are ongoing for similar facilities at at St Mogue's in Bawnboy and at Inver College in Carrickmacross. It's hoped they will be ready for August 2024 ahead of the start of the next academic year.

At St Mogue's the new accommodation includes four specialist rooms for art, music, science and woodwork, as well as one SET room.

The Inver development is a larger nine-room project, with off-site works already commenced.

Seamus Enright
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