Minister tours FET facilities in TipperaryVisit to Nenagh and Templemore
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Pictured at Tipperary ETB Head Offices at Tyone, Nenagh, are, from left: Clodagh Kelly, Tipperary ETB Chief Executive; Ryan O’Meara, TD; James Lawless, TD, Minister for Further and Higher Education; Alan Kelly, TD; Liam McGrath, Tipperary ETB Director of OSD; Colin Cummins, Tipperary ETB Director of FET.Image 2 of 3
Minister for Further and Higher Education, James Lawless, TD, talking to Youthreach students at Tipperary FET College – Templemore.Image 3 of 3
RIGHT: Minister for Further and Higher Education, James Lawless, TD at Tipperary FET College – Templemore. From left: Lisa McGrath and Lorraine Duane, Tipperary ETB Youth Work Team; Ryan O’Meara, TD; Clodagh Kelly, Tipperary ETB Chief Executive; James Lawless, Minister for Further and Higher Education; David Young, Youthreach Templemore Co-ordinator; Margaret Bourke, Music Generation Tipperary; Colin Cummins, Tipperary ETB Director of FET; Martina Maher, Tipperary ETB REALT; Micheál Lenihan, Principal of Tipperary FET College – Templemore.Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless , visited Tipperary ETB locations in Nenagh, Templemore and Clonmel as part of his trip to the Premier County last week..
The minister met staff and students as part of a day of events which focused on the development of Tipperary FET (Further Education and Training) College campuses across the county.
Minister Lawless was joined by North Tipperary TDs, Ryan O’Meara and Alan Kelly, during a tour of the Head Office facilities at Tyone, Nenagh. He then travelled to Tipperary FET College – Templemore where he met and answered questions from our Youthreach students at the campus.
A tour of the Templemore campus also took in the National Hairdressing Apprenticeship facilities, as well as the wider campus facilities which house a broad range of full and part-time courses. Staff from the Tipperary ETB Youth Work Team, Music Generation Tipperary and REALT also got the opportunity to meet the Minister during the visit to Templemore.
Later in the day, Minister Lawless visited Tipperary FET College facilities at Kickham Barracks, Clonmel, where planning continues for a ‘College of the Future’ campus in partnership with TUS.
He was accompanied on the tour of the Barracks by South Tipperary TD Michael Murphy, Tipperary ETB Chairperson Cllr Roger Kennedy, local councillors, Board members, Tipperary County Council CEO Sinéad Carr, and TUS representatives Mary Cregg, Director of Campus Services and Capital Development, and Seamus Hoyne, Dean of Flexible and Work-Based Learning and Head of Centre, Thurles, among others.
During a public address, the Minister reaffirmed the Department’s commitment to the College of the Future project, which will redevelop a large portion of the Kickham Barracks’ campus into a state-of-the-art further and higher education centre in the heart of the town.
Chief Executive of Tipperary ETB, Clodagh Kelly, thanked all stakeholders for their ongoing support for the project, particularly ETB staff, the department, Tipperary County Council and TUS. The new development will allow students to study programmes from levels 1-10 on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) on the one campus in Clonmel.
The redevelopment of Kickham Barracks represents a powerful statement of intent — that this historic site will once again be a place of activity, opportunity, and community life. It aligns strongly with the broader regeneration vision for Clonmel, helping to revitalise the town centre, attract investment, and create a vibrant, future-focused urban environment.