First sod turned on new Ardee Educate Together NS building

The first sod has been turned on the new €7.6 million Ardee Educate Together school building.

Construction of the school began over the last few weeks on lands acquired by Louth County Council on behalf of the Department of Education, off the N53 at Jervis Street, Ardee.

Cathaoirleach of  Ardee Municipal District, Cllr. Dolores Minogue, turned the first sod on the project, a specially designed new build expected to welcome the first staff and students by mid 2025.

A service level agreement is in place between Louth County Council and the Department of Education to deliver Ardee Educate Together National School.

The delivery of this new school follows the needed identified by the Department of Education to increase the special needs accommodation to a four class suite in late 2020. 

The agreement for delivery of eight classrooms and a special needs unit was amended to include the four special needs classrooms, and all associated administrative and ancillary accommodation.

Part 8 planning approval was granted at the Ardee Municipal meeting in March 2022 for the change of accommodation required to include:

• Construction of a single storey extension to the south facing teaching wing containing four classrooms, staff room and associated sanitary accommodation comprising of an additional of 314 sq.m. gross floor area.
• Amendments to the approved internal layout to facilitate two additional special education needs classrooms and ancillary accommodation.
• Provision of 47m2 of photovoltaic (PV) panels on the south facing roof over special needs class bases three and four.

An advance works contract took place in 2020 to divert ESB networks and gas mains across the site and make provision for school connections to these utilities.

The main public access road connecting to Jervis Street will also provide for additional development in the future, along with a vehicular and pedestrian connection to Ash Walk. 

The cost of the main contract including the additional accommodation is €7.6million, excluding vat. After a competitive tendering process, the contractor appointed for the scheme was McDermott & Trearty Construction Limited, Letterkenny.

Following the green light from the Department of Education, works commenced on July 10 2023.