Coláiste Íosagáin, Ballyvourney
School in Ballyvourney, County Cork, Ireland
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Coláiste Íosagáin was a Catholic gaelcholáiste (Irish language secondary school) in Ballyvourney, County Cork, Ireland. The school was built in phases in the 1930s.[1]
co-educational (from 1974)
| Coláiste Íosagáin | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
 | |
Ireland | |
| Coordinates | 51.9453°N 9.1645°W |
| Information | |
| Established | 1940 |
| Closed | 1989 |
| Gender | Male (until 1974) co-educational (from 1974) |
| Religious order | De La Salle |
The boarding school was opened on 4 July 1940[2] by the De La Salle Brothers as a preparatory school, i.e. a secondary school to prepare pupils to become Irish language primary school teachers. Located in the Muskerry Gaeltacht, its admission criteria prioritised Irish speakers, especially native speakers.[3]
Closure
The school closed in 1989 and was amalgamated with nearby Gairmscoil Ghobnatan (opened in 1950) to form Colaiste Ghobnatan.[4]
The building fell into decay. It was purchased in 1998 for IR£215,000 by Údarás na Gaeltachta.[5] Several plans were made for new uses of the site, but all fell through, including a 1999 plan for a £1.5m national all-Irish education facility for which education minister Michael Woods turned the sod in 1999.[5] An industrial estate was built on the former playing field.[2]
Renovations began in late 2022, and in April 2023 Údarás na Gaeltachta announced that part of the building would become a ‘Gteic’ regional digital hub with offices and hot-desk facilities.[6] This hub is the first step in a plan which is proposed to include a training base, exhibition hall and offices for agencies such as Údarás na Gaeltachta itself and local community organisations.[7]