New school for Glenravel as St Mary's PS and Glenravel PS to amalgamate

St Mary's PS Cargan and Glenravel PS Martinstown are to amalgamate to form a new school, it has been confirmed.
By The Newsroom
Published 20th Jun 2016, 14:26 BST
Updated 25th Aug 2016, 17:18 BST
Bishop Noel Treanor, Rev Tim Bartlett, Rev Gabriel Lyons, Ms AM McDonnell pictured with pupils from schools.Bishop Noel Treanor, Rev Tim Bartlett, Rev Gabriel Lyons, Ms AM McDonnell pictured with pupils from schools.
Bishop Noel Treanor, Rev Tim Bartlett, Rev Gabriel Lyons, Ms AM McDonnell pictured with pupils from schools.

With the two schools set to close, the Board of Governors, in consultation with CCMS, has implemented the Department of Education’s proposal for the amalgamation of the two current schools to form Mary Queen of Peace, Glenravel.

St Mary’s Cargan, formerly known as Fisherstown PS, opened to pupils in 1875, it serve the local community by providing morning and evening classes to teach literacy and numeracy, it followed the National School system until 1960 when an Education Act provided second level education in Ballymena.

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Glenravel Voluntary School opened in 1966 replacing Lignamonagh PS. The school served pupils from Martinstown and surrounding townlands. Because of the demand for places, most pupils have been taught in mobile classrooms for many years, an environment which is not ideal for education and learning.

Today over 240 children are at primary school in Glenravel and the amalgamation of the schools is the community’s contribution to prepare the way for a new building. The local parish has committed £250 000 to enhance the new build facilities for pupils.

It is a concern for parents that the planning issues are still to be resolved, but there are many agencies and representatives working hard to allow for a planning application to be submitted.

The Governors and school communities are very grateful to the principals, Mr C Bonner and Ms AM McDonnell and wish them continued success in the future. They plan to leave their posts this summer.

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During a Mass of Thanksgiving, Bishop Noel Treanor thanked those who worked in the schools and recognised their commitment to Catholic Education for Glenravel parishioners, he said Catholic Education is always ‘a gift to be given and received’.