The Minister talking to pupils at the new school.

AFTER 70-weeks under construction Tramore’s new Ardscoil na Mara catering for 1050 pupils and providing employment for close on 80 teachers and costing in the region of €10m is just complete and will be formally handed over by the builders on Tuesday, March 18.

As the final touches were being put to the street storey building  covering 10,500 square metres at Ballycarnane the Minister for Education and Science, Rúairi Quinn visited the school to meet the new principal Padraig Cawley and visit classrooms, the new library, science rooms and the huge teacher staff room and computer departments.

Ard Scoil na Mara has been developed on a 16 acre greenfield site by BAM Contractors as part of a public private partnership with the Department of Education. The turn-key development which will be fully fitted out and ready for occupation within the next week will not, however, become the formal seat of secondary education in Tramore until September.

From March 18 and for the next 25 years BAM will be responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of the school – including daily cleaning – and after that period the facilities will be handed back to the Department of Education & Skills.

(See full story in next Tuesday’s edition)