Mount Temple Comprehensive School Development
Published 20 November 2025
The new Mount Temple Comprehensive School development, located on the grounds of the existing campus on Malahide Road, Clontarf, Dublin 3 is due for completion in Q4 2026. This project will deliver a 10,685 sqm post-primary facility designed to accommodate 1,200 pupils.
Spanning 9.49 hectares, the scheme involves the phased demolition of six existing buildings totalling 6,251 sqm, consolidating all school activities into a single new building. It also includes a separate 20-classroom Special Educational Needs (SEN) facility for St Michael’s House, complete with play areas, traffic management measures and associated site works. The new facility spans over 2.02 hectares and is carefully integrated around existing astro-trug pitches and protected structures.
Waterman Moylan was appointed by the Department of Education to provide full civil and structural engineering services, working in close collaboration with Wejchert Architects, Mythen Construction Ltd as main contractor, KSN and Varming Consulting Engineers Ltd. Five of the buildings scheduled for demolition are currently in use by the school, including the 1960s Mount Temple Hall, the maths block and two prefabricated units, while a disused sports pavilion is located to the south of the site. To minimise disruption to the live school environment, the project team implemented a carefully sequenced demolition strategy that allows education to continue uninterrupted throughout the construction period. Dual access points from the northern and southern boundaries support efficient logistics, and a clear separation between the existing and new school areas enables phased construction and a smooth transition of pupils from the old to the new buildings.
The historic Mount Temple House and its iconic clock tower, dating back to the early 1860s, were carefully considered early in the design process. Sightlines and clearances guided the placement of the new school building, with a tiered terrace area installed between the Malahide and Howth Road entrances to form the footprint. To accommodate the site’s existing terraces and ensure full accessibility, the design incorporates a series of internal and external retaining walls, along with a sloping boulevard integrated into the landscaping to comply with Part M of the Building Regulations. Planning conditions required measures to ensure privacy and separation from neighbouring properties, and the site’s steep topography necessitated the design of a retaining wall and boundary fence along the western elevation. The design of this wall also protects a line of sensitive mature trees, with mini piles used to minimise disruption to their roots.
Several unique structural elements have been incorporated into the final design, including feature bow string trusses and skylights in the new sports hall, a three-storey entrance atrium, and a cantilevered library with a prominent staircase overlooking the atrium. The scheme also includes an external store, ESB substation and switch room, 72 car parking spaces, new site lighting and associated hard and soft landscaping.
Sustainability is central to the design, with photovoltaic panels installed along the southern elevation and a sustainable urban drainage system (SuDS) integrated into the site. An underground attenuation tank manages stormwater runoff efficiently, and, in line with the government’s Low Carbon Design requirements introduced in 2024, all concrete used on site incorporates a minimum of 30% Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GGBS), significantly reducing the carbon footprint of the construction process.
