The local school begins accepting enrolments this week for its first-ever co-ed intake of first-year students in 2025
The Convent of Mercy in Roscommon town has relaunched as Mercy College Roscommon, the move coming as, from this week on, the school begins its transition to becoming a co-educational facility.
Opened by the Sisters of Mercy in 1929, the institution has an established reputation for providing exceptional education – even being listed as the fourth highest performing school in all of Connacht by the Irish Times in 2023.
Located on the Convent Road in Roscommon town, the school’s near 100-year legacy is reflected in the facility’s exterior – with the main building’s traditional stone facade being iconic to the school and indicative of its decades-long history. Inside however, the school has undergone substantial refurbishments in recent years, modernising its facilities to provide students with the latest resources and highest possible standards of education – with even more upgrades to come to the school in the near future.
The Roscommon People visited Mercy College Roscommon this week to speak to principal Miriam Hunt and staff about the transition the school is going through, and to get a look at the new refurbishments that have taken place.
Ms Hunt calls this relaunch as a co-educational facility, “a new and exciting development in the history of the school”, telling the Roscommon People this week that significant efforts have been made in recent years to further broaden the range of educational resources and options available to students – from physical refurbishments, to an extensive expansion of the curriculum and subjects on offer.
The Roscommon People had the chance to get a taste of these developments this week, kicking off the visit with a trip to the school’s newly-refurbished home economics room, where some of the school’s TY students were getting prepared for their class. The room, which is set to receive an official opening on December 12th, boasts a state-of-the-art, fully-equipped kitchen comprising ten self-contained units. The upgrades are consistent with the stellar home economics education the department has been providing to students over the years, and offers pupils the best possible facilities with which to complete all culinary elements of their subject.
Next, the Roscommon People got a look at another of Mercy College Roscommon’s newly-renovated spaces – one of the school’s science labs, where students were busy starting the morning’s chemistry class. This refurbishment received special acknowledgement last week on Friday, November 15th, when it was officially unveiled by Dr Mick Henry from the Environmental Protection Agency, who shared an inspiring presentation with the students regarding environmental protection.
There has been significant investment in developing the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) facilities at the school in recent years, and the lab’s recent renovation is but one example of the excellent resources being made available to students to empower them to pursue and excel in vital scientific fields. During this week’s visit, the Roscommon People got a chance to see another such resource, which, introduced just a few years ago, has already proved a wonderful addition to Mercy College Roscommon – the school’s design lab.
The state-of-the-art lab – a bright, modern, and playful space located just off the school’s canteen (also upgraded in recent years to feature a games area for students in addition to providing hot/cold food and refreshments) – boasts the latest equipment and technology for pupils studying applied technology (junior cycle) and technology (senior cycle). This includes access to laser-cutting, 3D-printing, and 3D-design CAD software. While being shown around the lab this week, the Roscommon People had the opportunity to see, in person, the fruits of Mercy College Roscommon’s investment in this field, getting a look at a couple of the impressive projects students have recently completed. Pupils have risen to the high standard of equipment made available to them, achieving significant success in every regard – in terms of their grades and recognition at regional/national awards, but also in terms of evolving their interest and creativity when it comes to technology.
Fitness Hub
Another area that has seen transformative renovation is the school’s fitness resources, most notably with the opening of a brand new fitness hub last month – the official opening being carried out by Olympic boxer and Castlerea native Aoife O’Rourke. So expansive is this facility’s offerings, that when speaking to sixth-year students during this week’s visit, pupils found it difficult to list off, in entirety, the full range of equipment at their disposal in their new hub – which boasts everything from rowing machines and spinning bikes, to treadmills and weight training equipment. Evidently, the new hub provides students with every possible piece of equipment they may need to excel in Leaving Certificate physical education, as well as playing a pivotal role in promoting physical activity among students in general and complimenting the school’s established reputation for sporting success.
Across the board, the school continues to provide a high standard of education in every discipline. For instance, the school library (which has been also renovated) remains open as a quiet space to students during lunch, promoting and facilitating reading for students. Another example is the school’s wonderful co-curricular and extra-curricular music programme, with Mean College Roscommon’s regular musical productions and award-winning chamber choir being but two of their most notable and celebrated offerings for interested students.
Principal Miriam Hunt noted that an intentional emphasis is placed on ensuring “that the individual needs of each student are addressed”, and this is reflected in not just the broad curriculum on offer, but also in the approach taken to create an inclusive and supportive environment for all learners – including neurodivergent students. To get a sense of the work being done in this regard, the Roscommon People got a chance to step into the school’s Suaimhneas Suite this week – a specialist classroom officially opened by Minister for Education Norma Foley early this year, which also incorporates a multi-sensory room and outdoor recreation area. This area represents the school’s commitment to ensure all students are able to thrive in their educational environment, even when traditional schooling methods/practices are unsuitable.
Into the future, Mercy College Roscommon is keen to keep building on its resources for students: “We are also embarking on a major new building project involving a multi-million euro extension approved by the Department of Education”, Ms Hunt highlighted. “This will complement the existing extensive facilities together with the recently-refurbished state-of-the-art science lab, home economics room, applied technology room, and fitness hub”.
The relaunch of Mercy College Roscommon as a co-educational facility, and the various refurbishments it has undergone and looks forward to, are reflective of the school’s established ethos of pursuing excellence in all areas of education and encouraging each student to reach their full potential. Looking ahead, Mercy College Roscommon is committed to continuing to provide an exceptional education for all students as it moves forward into this new era.
Open Day
Mercy College Roscommon’s open day takes place today (Thursday, November 21st), from 6 pm to 9 pm. For more information, visit rosconvent.ie, email info@rosconvent.ie, phone 090 6626321, or keep up to date with Mercy Convent Roscommon on social media.
