About

Brief History of the School

Scoil Mhuire has been in its present location (in Muskerry Estate) since 1975. Before that the Girls’ School was situated on Station Road within the present Scoil Eoin building.

Up to 1975, the Scoil Eoin building housed both the Boys’ and the Girls’ schools. These two schools, while sharing the same building, were kept separate from each other and were known respectively as St. John’s and St. Mary’s.

In the late Seventies Ballincollig was experiencing unprecedented population growth. It was fast becoming a satellite town of Cork City. It was clear that one building could no longer house the two schools. Plans were made to build a new school in Muskerry Estate and on its completion in 1975, the Girls’ school moved across the road to its present location.

Scoil Mhuire opened in 1975 as a 16 classroom building. Not all classrooms were occupied at that stage. It was built with the rapidly growing population of Ballincollig in mind. Very quickly the building became too small to house the growing number of pupils. By 1980 prefabs were already being added. In spite of the opening of two further Primary schools in Ballincollig during the 1980’s (Gaelscoil Uí Riordáin and Scoil Barra), more space was needed. In 1989 an extension building with 6 further classrooms was opened.