Breifne plan could cater for 1,200 students
The Cavan Monaghan Education and Training Board (CMETB) is understood to be awaiting approval from the Department of Education to alter previously approved plans for Breifne College in a manner that would be “advantageous” for the Cavan Town secondary school in dealing with “rapidly increasing” enrolment numbers.
Having already completed the first stage of the design process, the existing plans provide for an extension to house four general classrooms, seven Special Education and Training (SET) rooms, three Science labs and two prep rooms, two engineering rooms, two tech rooms and two more prep rooms, a graphics room, art room, textiles room, five project stores, two-classroom SEN base, and other ancillary accommodation.
However, The Anglo-Celt understands the new plans will almost double the footprint of part of the school, and allow student enrolment stretch to 1,200 going forward, making it one of the biggest schools in the region.
A €10m extension at Breifne College was only opened in 2019, after an existing gym was demolished to make way for an extension comprising of nine new classrooms, a design and communications graphics room, two multimedia learning labs, two science labs, and rooms featuring art/craft, a home economics, technology, a 60-seat lecture room, a PE hall, Special Needs Unit, group room, music and drama area, religion room with meditation area and chaplain’s office.
Speaking to ETB board members at their May monthly meeting, buildings officer Bernie Power said the executive were awaiting on approval for a “change that would be advantageous” for the school.
A spokesperson confirmed that the, as yet unannounced change, would indeed be “major benefit to the development of Breifne College” in the long term “as it will cater for the rapidly increasing enrolment numbers” at the school.
Kingscourt school
Meanwhile, plans to extend Coláiste Dun na Rí in Kingscourt are set to move into the Detailed Design phase, Ms Power informed board members.
She said approval had been received from the department, and that “all going well” it was envisaged that the project could begin to break ground before the end of 2024.
Though, she said, quarter four was estimating the timescale conservatively, and Ms Power said she hoped to “make or try cut time off” if possible.
She said that the ETB is still awaiting “statutory approvals” for the proposed development that includes 23 new general classrooms, two-classroom SEN base, five SET/Pastoral rooms, a multimedia room, a DCG room, three Science labs, two prep areas, a Home Economics room, Art room, Construction Studies room, Engineering room, tech prep room, three project stores, a new staff room, and GP/dining room.