Childrens Ark School Celebrate Tenth Birthday with ICO Christmas Concert
The Children’s Ark School at University Hospital Limerick has celebrated its 10th birthday with a Christmas concert by the Irish Chamber Orchestra.
The hospital has been providing a multi-denominational, comprehensive and holistic education to primary and secondary students aged 4 to 19 since December 2006, when the school was established through the efforts of a team led by retired paediatrician Dr Liam Carroll. In 2014, a state-of-the-art new school building was officially opened following a €320,000 investment by the Department of Education and Skills. The school’s ethos is that “no child in the Mid West will be at a disadvantage educationally if in UL Hospital.”

Childrens Ark School Celebrate Tenth Birthday with ICO Christmas Concert. Pictured: Ryan Kelly, 11, from Shannon, County Clare, conducts members of the Irish Chamber Orchestra watched by Dr Liam Carroll
The Irish Chamber Orchestra – world-renowned orchestra, founded in 1963 and based at the University of Limerick – have been great supporters of the Children’s Ark School, its students and its staff and have made a tradition of performing at Christmas.
“It is a real thrill for us to have such marvellous musicians come in and perform for us,” said Margaret McCarthy, Principal.
“It is something that has developed naturally over the years and is entirely voluntary on the part of the ICO and its members. One of the founding ideas behind our school is that we normalise the hospital experience for children and teenagers. Being in hospital does not necessarily mean you have to fall behind in school. Like any other school, we like to be able to lay on a special treat or two at this time of year. It is a real privilege for us to have the Irish Chamber Orchestra here and the musicians tell us they also enjoy being here greatly.”
To find out more about the Children’s Ark School at University Hospital Limerick click here.
To visit the Irish Chamber Orchestra’s official page click here.
To read more about University Hospital Limerick, click here.