Consultation over plans for new Irish medium school in Glengormley

Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council has received a Proposal of Application Notice (PAN) for the Gaelscoil Eanna construction project at Hightown Road.

There are 205 pupils enrolled at the school which admitted 26 pupils into primary one during the last academic year, 37 in 2020/21 and 29 in 2019/20.

Gaelscoil Eanna opened in September 2007 with a primary one class of 12.

The school says that the promotion of Irish medium education and the language has been a “long valued tradition” at St Enda’s “inspired by that of a previous President of Naomh Éanna CLG who taught Irish in the Seventies and Eighties in the boiler room of the clubhouse”.

Gaelscoil Éanna says it is “committed to developing a high standard of education through the medium of Irish”.

“Our primary objective ensures the holistic development of children through an education which nurtures their self-confidence and identity and which is based on the Irish language and culture, music, sport and drama. Irish is the working language of the school and the language of instruction.”

The proposed development seeks to provide a s single storey primary school and nursery unit building at a new site south of St Enda’s GAC clubhouse.

The new building will be comprised of seven classrooms, a playroom, multi-purpose hall and a library. There will also be office space, student and staff toilets, school meals and kitchen facility and outdoor play space including multi-use games area.

The multi-purpose hall will be accessible from a public area to allow it to be used after school hours for community events.

Access is proposed at Hightown Road. Car parking will be provided as well as a bus parking space and set down/pick up area. The site is currently agricultural land.

In 2016, then Education Minister John O’Dowd confirmed that the school at Hightown Road which had 160 pupils enrolled at the time was one of 10 schools set to benefit from new build projects.

However, he cautioned that the development may not be completed for several years, depending on the availability of funding.