Work begins on major extension at big secondary school in Offaly

CONSTRUCTION of a major extension to Colaiste Choilm in Tullamore has begun.

The all-boys second level school will expand by over 2,000 square metres with the addition of the new three-storey building.

That will bring the school's capacity up to 750. Last year, prior to the beginning of the new term this month, there were 696 students on the roll.

In all, 11 classrooms will be added in a construction project which is valued at about €7.25m.

Included in the development are two special educational needs (SEN) base rooms. SEN classes are for entrants on the autism spectrum and the school's first special class was established in 2021.

Along with the classrooms, 22 car parking spaces and other facilities, including a sensory garden will be developed. There will be electric car charging points and many more bicycle parking spaces.

The existing school welcomed its first students in September 2011 and in that school year it had an enrolment of about 540, a figure which was close to double the roll from about eight years earlier.

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It was designed to cater for 575 and quickly grew to that number, and substantially beyond.

Construction work on the existing school began in 2010 and that facility was built on the site of its predecessor, which had been demolished.

The school's origins date back to the Christian Brothers Classical School close to the Grand Canal in 1912 and in 1961 it was established in its current location with a substantial extension added in 1988.

The three-storey extension is expected to take about 15 months to complete.

The extension is being built at the Bachelor's Walk (New Road) end of the Colaiste Choilm complex and an entrance for construction vehicles has been opened on that road.

The main entrance to the school is on O'Moore Street, opposite the Tullamore Court Hotel.