St Malachy’s Primary School in Armagh is to move to the former St Brigid’s High School site to facilitate the construction of their new school building.
That new state-of-the-art building on Chapel Lane will consist of seven classrooms over two storeys, as Armagh I revealed back in February 2023.
A spokesperson for St Malachy’s said: “Design work for the new build St Malachy’s Primary School is progressing and a decision regarding the planning application is anticipated within the coming days.”
They added: “In advance, temporary relocation works will be undertaken on the former St Brigid’s High School site to create a fit for purpose facility for the primary school.
“The use of the former high school building has been agreed with the Trustee”.
The work will be carried out in three phases and will mean the Chapel Lane school site being largely out of bounds during the construction process.
The news that works will be undertaken to make the St Brigid’s High School building at Windmill Hill fit for purpose for the primary school will no doubt come as a relief for many as concerns have been raised locally due to the condition of the site.
Social media videos have recently emerged of young people trespassing in the premises, with poor conditions and vandalism noted inside.
A past pupil of the former St Brigid’s High School recently contacted Armagh I to hit out at inaction over the ‘continuing decay’ and vandalism at the old building, saying it was, “very disappointing to see such a large building in such a sad state of disrepair”.
St Brigid’s High School was built in 1971 and was the source of many fond memories for generations of Armagh folk.
However, it was announced in 2014 that it was earmarked for closure – amalgamating with St Patrick’s Grammar School at the latter’s Sandy Hill site the following year.
For a time, the site was taken over by the Southern Regional College in Armagh while the new college campus was being built on the Lonsdale Road.
