Planning application for new Irish medium school in Glengormley

A new-build has been proposed by Gaelscoil Eanna at Hightown Road which will be comprised of seven classrooms and nursery unit to the west of St Enda’s Gaelic Athletic pitch and sports hall.

Access will be provided at Hightown Road which is set to be extended to the school site. Car parking will be provided with a set-down/pick-up circulation area and a bus parking space.

A new site in the vicinity of the existing school has been earmarked for development “given the site constraints of the existing school” and Department of Education criteria. It is currently an agricultural field.

The proposed development seeks to provide a single-storey primary school and nursery unit building to consist of classrooms, a playroom, a multi-purpose hall and a library as well as several ancillary rooms such as administration and office spaces, student and staff toilets, external and internal storage areas, resource areas, school meals areas and multi-purpose rooms as well as outdoor play space including a multi-use games area.

It is expected a new multi-purpose hall will be accessible to the public for the use of the community during after-school hours. Car parking is included in the plan with a set-down/pick-up circulation area and a bus parking space.

Academic Year

Gaelscoil Eanna opened in September 2007 with a primary one class of 12. In the 2022/23 academic year, there were 33 admissions to primary one; 26 in 2021/22 and 37 in 2020/21. There are 205 pupils enrolled in the school at present.

The school says 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.”

Michelle Weir, Local Democracy Reporter