HISTORY OF ST. NATHY’S COLLEGE, BALLAGHADERREEN:

1810 – 2007. - [Page 5]

For several years the Sports Complex remained unfinished and, largely, barely functional. The then Minister for Education, Micheal Martin, accepted an invitation to visit the school in September 1998. To his credit, the minister was sympathetic and promised assistance. He later sanctioned €100,000 from his Department to assist with the completion of the building.

Most of this financial assistance went towards the laying of a floor and the completion of other structural works. However, it soon became obvious that, with the building boom of the late nineties, it would require significant and substantial financial funding to fully complete the project.

Costings were obtained for Phase II of the Sports Complex which would provide the necessary changing / toilet / shower facilities as well as providing heating to the existing building.

That cost was estimated at €500,000. Minister Michael Woods was sympathetic to a request for assistance and, in June 2001, his Department sanctioned this amount. Work began on the final stages the building in September 2001 and, just a few days before being opened by Taoiseach Bertie Ahern T.D. on February 28th 2002, the building was finally completed. The contractor had been Noel Regan, Ballaghaderreen. The architect was Niall J. Kearns, Galway.

In September 2004, the College added to its sports facilities when it took possession of a reclaimed and now all-weather football pitch – a project which had begun in March 2001 by Sean Hegarty, Donegal.

Recent modifications to the campus also saw the 1985 building being reroofed as well as adjustments being made to internal corridors in June 2004. The architect responsible for the project was Niall J Kearns, Galway. The roofing contractors were Coleman Lynch, Ballaghaderreen. In June 2005 the entire school campus was broadband enabled with broadband access provided to all rooms on campus. This project had been carried out by Eircom.

In June 2006, the Old Military Barracks, as well as the 1916 and 1941 buildings, were totally rewired and upgraded for fire alarms. The contractors were Matty Conaty, Mullingar. The Consulting Engineers were Delap & Waller, Dublin.

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