Fermanagh and Omagh District Council has agreed to support a proposal to increase pupil numbers at Dean Maguirc College in Carrickmore.

The decision was made at a council meeting on Monday, following a request from school principal James Warnock.

The proposal, known as Development Proposal 765, has been put forward by the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools (CCMS). It seeks to raise the college’s annual admissions number from 80 to 100 pupils and increase its approved enrolment to 600 from September 1, 2027, or as soon as possible thereafter. The Education Authority has also backed the proposal.

Mr Warnock stated in his letter that the current approved numbers do not reflect the school’s actual pupil population of 678. For over ten years, the school has had to seek temporary variations to accept all pupils seeking places.

He noted that Dean Maguirc College is very much at the heart of its rural community and asked for council support for the proposal.

Council members voiced their support. Councillor Roisin Lynch highlighted the college’s important role in education and for young people in the rural community. She proposed that the council support the proposal and submit a letter to the Department of Education as part of the public consultation.

Councillor Patrick Withers seconded the proposal, praising the school’s academic and extracurricular achievements. He said the popularity of the school had outgrown its approved numbers and referenced the college’s 60th anniversary, suggesting the increase would be a fitting way to mark the milestone.