BREAKING: Planning permission granted for huge new Laois secondary school

There will be celebrations in Portlaoise with the confirmation that a huge new secondary school building has just been given full planning permission by Laois County Council.

Dunamase College / Coláiste Dhún Mhac, a young secondary school only founded seven years ago, has been given the green light by planners for a 1,000 place new building. 

Laois Offaly Education and Training board (LOETB). who are the patrons of the co-ed, non denominational Irish/English language college, confirmed the approval to the Leinster Express / Laois Live on Thursday, January 29.

The application was first sent to Laois planners in May 2025, but the council had requested further information on several issues including storm water drainage, traffic, lighting, ecological impact and an updated public water connection confirmation. 

The new school project will now move to the next stage with the Department of Education, and wait to be approved to go to construction tender stage. 

It is planned on 9.42 hectares of land in The Downs, Portlaoise behind the former equestrian centre. It will have general classrooms, specialist classrooms, a general-purpose hall, a PE hall, offices, staff room, library, sanitary facilities and ancillary spaces. The students are currently 

See full plans for the new Dunamase College here.

The news comes just one day after an announcement of an approval to start tendering to build the new Coláiste Iosagáin secondary school in Portarlington within the next two years.

Cllr Caroline Dwane Stanley expressed delight at the news. She said she had fought to get the Aonaid Irish speaking section in the school. 

 “I am on the Board of Management at Coláiste Dhún Másc and I am also on Laois Offaly Education Training Board,” she told the Leinster Express / Laois Live in reaction to the approval. 

“In 2016 I canvassed the whole summer for about a month or six weeks knocking on doors to secure the patronage for that school for the ETB,” she said. 

She recalled at the time thinking the new school would be built in around three or four years and said it was hard to believe that planning was only approved now ten years on. 

She described it as “brilliant news” and revealed the school had to cap numbers because it simply didn’t have the capacity. 

“I am delighted that we are now moving ahead to get the school built. I know the school is oversubscribed every year so it is badly needed,” she remarked. 

Cllr Dwane Stanley said the school needs to be built and there needs to be adequate ASD classrooms included. 

“I am absolutely delighted now to hear that the planning permission is approved,” she said.  

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Approval from the Department of Education was also given for an extension to St Francis School for children with learning disabilities, with both projects badly needed for some years.