Looking back... New technical school was to be built in Newtownabbey

A controversial decision was made by Antrim County Education Committee in 1959 to build a new technical school in Newtownabbey.

The facility was to be established at a cost of £30,000.

The decision met with an angry reaction from Carrick councillors who believed that the school should be build in their town.

However, the director of education, Mr KA MacCormac, stated that the decision was made according to projected population growth.

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The population was expected to expand to 60,000 in Newtownabbey compared to 30,000 in Carrick.

Mr MacCormac indicated that he had considered building three new schools - in Carrick, Rathcoole and Whiteabbey.

However, it was decided that Carrick had not a “strong case” for the new educational facility.

The chairman of Newtownabbey Urban Council, Mr H. Robinson, said that there were more people living in Rathcoole, than in Carrick.

The education official pointed out that 75 per cent of pupils in Carrick would require transport to school compared to 44 per cent in Rathcoole and 40 per cent in Whiteabbey.

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