Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn TD, has announced that Gilroy McMahon Architects is the winner of an international design competition for primary schools.

The winners receive a €10,000 award, with the second and third placed entries each receiving a prize of €2,000, with the commended entries receiving €1,000 each.

The Department of Education and Skills (DES), will use the results from the competition and feedback from the one-day conference in Dublin Castle, 'Designing Primary Schools for 21st Century Learners' to inform the future design of primary schools.

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It may also decide to use the designs in the building of new primary schools when appropriate.

Commenting on the winning design, Minister Quinn said: "The aim of this competition was to focus on creating innovative places of learning, fit for the students of today and tomorrow.

"The brief was simple – to design a school which would incorporate 16 mainstream classrooms and specialist accommodation for pupils with Special Educational Needs.

"I am very pleased with the standard of entries and wish to congratulate Gilroy McMahon Architects for their winning design."

54 entries were received for the competition with 13 coming from abroad, including teams from Denmark, Italy, Portugal and Australia.

(CD/JP)