St. Mary’s College and Our Lady’s in the city to merge

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Galway Daily news Major refurbishments planned for amalgamated city secondary school

St. Mary’s College and Our Lady’s College in Galway city have announced that they will merge in to a new unified school.

The patrons and trustees of the two schools announced that they plan to amalgamate to create a “large, Catholic, co-educational school in the heart of Galway city.”

A new school is expected to open on the campus of St. Mary’s College for September 2021.

A joint statement issued by the two schools said “This new school will bring together the traditions of the Diocesan St Mary’s College and the long and distinguished history in education of the Mercy and Presentation Sisters.”

The current St. Mary’s celebrated its centenary anniversary in 2012, founded as a boarding school for boys by the diocese.

Our Lady’s opened its door as an amalgamation of Presentation Secondary School and Meanscoil Mhuire Newtownsmith in 2016.

That same year, the Bishop of Galway proposed to CEIST, the Irish Catholic Schools Trust, that it could merge with St. Mary’s to keep student numbers up.

It’s hoped that the new co-ed school will revitalise services and grow student numbers to the region of 1,000 at the new campus on St. Mary’s road.