Page 4 - Galway Prospectus

Introduction

Since the announcement earlier this year of the amalgamation of Our Lady’s College and St. Mary’s
College a Steering Committee and the Management of both schools have been working tirelessly to
ensure the smooth opening of this new entity in September 2021. Coláiste Nua will operate under
the joint patronage of CEIST (Catholic Education An Irish Schools Trust) and the Bishop of Galway,
Bishop Brendan Kelly.

Speaking about the amalgamation, Bishop Kelly noted that he is looking
forward to very exciting and historic time for local Catholic education.

'We are going to see enormous change with the merger of these two schools,
who have contributed so much to education in Galway over the past decades,
into one single authority and this will be a priority for me.'
He acknowledged the importance of both school communities, the Staff,
Students, Parents and Boards of Management who were playing central roles in
the new development and thanked them for their contribution.
Having met with those involved in the project, it has been hugely encouraging
to see the level of co-operation and care being taken to ensure that the
amalgamation of these two historic schools runs smoothly for all involved, and to maximise the
standard of education and facilities which Galway students will now have access to.

Clare Ryan, CEO of CEIST reported that all vested parties are very
excited by the upcoming venture. “As in all urban areas, we have
the growing challenge of maintaining numbers due to changing
demographics. This new arrangement will allow us build on the
strong traditions of religious and facilitate all those families and
students who wish to avail of the option of Catholic education in
the city. We are delighted with the enthusiasm and response from
the surrounding population todate and look forward to bringing
the project to fruition over the coming months.”

With 107 superb schools all over Ireland, CEIST are excitedly
looking forward to welcoming the new community at Coláiste Nua
to our CEIST family and working with students, parents and the wider community to provide a school
of excellence for future generations in Galway.