St. Louis Secondary School Dundalk

On 12th May 2018, an overnight fire caused devastating damage to St. Louis Secondary School, Dundalk. The 1950’s building school complex on the Castletown Road was completely gutted by the blaze. In June 2018, MDE was appointed as Principal Contractor to carry out the refurbishment works of the school which consisted of but were not limited to the following items: Builder works – Asbestos report and removal; complete site clearance; site excavations; electrical ducting; foul and storm drainage reinstatement; roof works reinstatement; block work reinstatement; fit-out of new technology suite to latest design specifications; renovation of existing Arts rooms; window replacement; AOV replacement; fireproofing works; ceiling replacements; plastering/dry laying; internal joinery works; painting of internal walls; sanding and sealing of existing wooden floors and reinstatement of feature walls and steps. Electrical works – Complete upgrade of M&E services to include the following: installation of new ESB substation; complete replacement of containment and sub mains infrastructure; complete replacement of lighting & emergency lighting in affected areas; installation of new LV main switchgear and sub-distribution boards; installation of a new CAT 6 A data installation throughout; installation of the new fiber-optic ring; installation of new intruder alarm, CCTV & access control; installation of the new fire alarm system; installation of Audio AV in specific areas and a complete professional clean to School Principal BOM Standards. Mechanical works – Replacement of existing gas ring mains; replacement and upgrade of existing boiler house; installation of heating and plumbing pipework; installation of new ceiling-mounted radiant panels; complete insulation of newly installed pipework; installation of new fire hydrant ring main; installation of new gas shut valves and controls; installation of new BMS front end controls and installation of sanitary ware where required.

Key Facts

MDE was appointed as the Principal Contractor and carried out the full duties of PSCS. MDE appointed full site Management team within weeks to execute the works. MDE managed and coordinated up to 100 site operatives during peak periods to ensure works were completed on time. All works had to be completed within a 12-week period to allow the school to return on 31st August 2018. What seemed to be an unrealistic task at the start became a reality when over 500 pupils and staff returned to St. Louis Secondary School on 31st August 2018. They returned to a fully operational and refurbished school. Testimonial from Acting School Principal: “Just wanted to take some time to let you know how much progress was made in St. Louis Dundalk over the summer months! The design team and all the contractors worked incredibly hard to make sure staff could work together safely on Monday 27th August and that students could be on-site from Tuesday 28th to resume lessons. The new Technology room and Art rooms are completed. The finish in the rooms is excellent in every way. Semple & McKillop were easy to work with and were in contact with us throughout the project getting the highest possible standard of work from the contractors for the school. The MDE Team were also on-site ensuring the work was completed and the site left pristine before students returned. MDE planned every aspect of health and safety to avoid any issues for staff or students. We are so delighted with the level of investment, the quality of the work, the good working relationships with the consultants and the contractors. While the entire process might have been a nightmare, in fact, it has been a wonderful example of how a large team can work together to get a job done well and on time”.