Bower sport facilities to be ready by September 2024

The major wellbeing, sports and recreation development at Our Lady's Bower secondary school is expected to be completed in its entirety by September of next year, according to Principal, Anne Beades.

Work on the project, which is set to cost in excess of €2 million, began on the site last April and Phase One and Two have already been completed, with the exception of the six-lane running track. “We had to postpone the laying of the running track due to the bad weather prior to Christmas,” said Ms Beades, “but it is hoped that this work can be carried out next month.”

The first two phases include a 3G multi-purpose playing pitch, and a long jump, shot putt and Petanque area, along with a 250m walkway for students. “All of these areas are now in use and we encourage staff and students to use the walking area at lunchtime on a Tuesday and Thursday as part of Our Lady's Bower's own Operation Transformation,” said the Bower Principal.

As well as being used for football, soccer and camogie training for Bower students, the 3G multi-purpose playing pitch is also being used by all PE classes in the school, including the Leaving Certificate PE exam class.

The Bower has had to embark on “a significant fundraising campaign” for their new outdoor sporting facilities and while Anne Beades admits it has been going well to date she adds “a lot done, more to do.”

The total cost of the project is expected to be in the region of €2.3 million, and so far the school has managed to secure €1.3 million. This is thanks to the financial support secured from the trustees of the school, La Sainte Union Sisters, a generous legacy gift from the late Sr Christopher, funding from the Department of Education School's Building Programme, and an ambitious fundraising campaign being undertaken by a volunteer Campaign Committee comprising of a small number of parents, alumnae and staff.

“We have had a really positive response from our school community as well as businesses within the town, all of whom understand the importance of this campaign in the context of not only providing essential sports facilities for the students, but also in terms of looking after their physical health and mental wellbeing,” said the Bower Principal.

Ms Beades said a number of members the alumnae community from the Bower has supported the fundraising campaign to date, but this is one area the school is hoping “to strengthen in the months ahead.”

She added that the purpose of the Super Draw held in May of last year was not only to raise funds for the development “but also in the first instance to raise awareness” of the project. “While we knew it was never going to yield the €2 million plus needed to fund the entire development, it did provide initial funding towards Phase One and it raised awareness among our school community.”

Ms Beades said the Bower has “a long tradition of meeting the needs of a particular time with initiative, creativity and always with the holistic development of its students in mind” and said the current development is the schools response to “the challenging needs of the post-pandemic environment in which we now live.”

She added that with the constant reminders of the importance of “personal health and wellness, connectedness with each other and nature, and the importance of wise use of leisure time” the school felt it was the right time to embark on its ambitious plan to provide students with the wellbeing, sport and recreation facilities that had been lacking in the school environment.

“The positive impacts of participation in physical activity are well documented, citing not only the benefits to physical health, but also to mental and emotion wellbeing,” she points out, “so this development will enhance the Bower experience for all our students today and into the future.”

Looking at the overall cost of the development, which now allows the school to offer PE as a Leaving Certificate subject, Anne Beades admits that it is “an ambitious project” but adds that it is also “a really important one” which will have a positive impact, not just on the almost 700 students, but will also benefit the wider school community.

Since the Le Sainte Union trustees closed the former Bower convent/boarding school and sold the building and grounds in 2014 – which included a tennis court, basketball court and a gravel hockey pitch – the all-girls school had to lease external sports facilities and rely on the goodwill of other sporting agencies in order to allow students to participate in sport as the delivery of PE and extra-curricular facilities was limited predominantly to the indoors.

Anyone wishing to get involved in fundraising for the major development is urged to get in touch with Our Lady's Bower Secondary School Principal, Ms. Anne Beades by email: development@ourladysbower.com or by phone: 09064 74777