Profile: Gaelcholáiste Luimnigh

Type: Co-educational
Age group: 12-18 years
No of students: 513 – boys: 250, girls: 263
Founded: 2006
Fee-paying: No
Uniform: Yes
Website: gcluimnigh.ie


Gaelcholáiste Luimnigh is the only co-educational interdenominational all-Irish Post-Primary college in the Limerick City region, and is the only second-level college in the area to offer boys the chance to learn through Irish at post-primary.

The relatively new college is located in the custom built Neville House in Sir Harry's Mall. Gaelcholáiste Luimnigh is now the biggest co-ed gaelcholáiste in Ireland, but this was not always the case. Its growth has been rapid.

The school had a mere 31 pupils when it opened in 2006. That number has risen to 513 pupils in 2013, making it the fastest growing gaelcholáiste in the country.

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Gaelcholáiste Luimnigh are renting the building they are currently housed in, but the Department of Education is due to carry out a review of all post-primary colleges in Limerick and management are confident a new school will be provided for them in the near future.

With a very strong focus on subject enrichment through IT, the school boasts state of the art facilities including: a technology room, laboratory, art room, music room, computer room, home economics room, language laboratory and resource room.

They also have a yard with a full sized basketball court and access to the Grove Island Leisure Centre Swimming Pool and Hall.

In addition they have a canteen, dressing rooms, and a library.

One student flexed his technical skills recently at the Smart Futures competition – a national campaign for second-level students in Ireland, highlighting career opportunities in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM). The winner of the Smart Futures Junior Cycle category (1st-3rd year) was James Corneille from Gaelcholaiste Luimnigh for his website – allaboutgenetics.net – which he designed and created.

JOHN HOLDEN