At the May 2021 PLENARY meeting of Galway County Council held earlier this week in Corrandulla Sports Hall, local Oranmore based Fine Gael councillor, Liam Carroll, proposed the adoption of 2 Section 183 motions transferring the leasehold interest of approximately 1.4 acres of lands which are currently leased to the Oranmore Community Development Association (OCDA) to the benefit of Gaelscoil de hIde and Calasanctius College. Cllr Carroll’s proposal was seconded by the Cathaoirleach of Galway County, Cllr James Charity. The lands in question are situated at the top of the “Respond Road” in Oranmore between the old Convent Buildings and the existing Gaelscoil de hIde and when fully developed will provide much needed additional space for students and teachers, according to Cllr Carroll. In proposing the adoption of the Section183 motions, Cllr Carroll said that the transfer of the leases from OCDA will facilitate both educational institutions in continuing their proud traditions of educational excellence and enable them to continue to promote the full and balanced development of their students in a safe, caring and inclusive community while also promoting excellence in teaching, learning, sport and also provide them with the space required to encourage physical exercise as a healthy habit for life. Cllr Carroll informed the meeting that Calasanctius College had received approval from the Dept of Education to construct 4 new classrooms, 12 Special Needs Education rooms, a textile room and 2 classrooms for the teaching of construction, engineering and technical subjects. These he said would provide a much greater variety of opportunities for students. Gaelscoil de hIde have future plans to extend the Naoinra with the addition of a further 2 rooms. In thanking his colleagues in the OCDA, Cllr Carroll said that once again the Development Association put the local community to the forefront. He further stated that their decision to relinquish their leasehold interest in the 1.4 acres of lands in Oranmore would come as a great relief to parents and guardians of the many pupils who in the future would avail of educational opportunities in both Gaelscoil de hIde and Calasanctius College. Cllr Carroll paid a special tribute to former CEO of Galway County Council, Kevin Kelly, who he said had made a swift decision to accommodate the educational needs of growing communities in Oranmore, Maree and Clarinbridge by granting 50 year leases to each of the schools at a nominal charge of €10 per annum. Cllr Carroll concluded that this was possibly the best piece of Real Estate business he and the OCDA were likely to achieve during his term as a councillor elected to Galway County Council.
