ATU Celebrates Major Milestone as Landmark Campus Developments Announced for Galway City and Letterkenny Campuses

July 01, 2025

ATU welcomes the commencement of two major projects located its Galway City and Donegal Letterkenny campuses under the Higher Education Public Private Partnership (PPP) Programme.

The Galway campus will benefit from a new state-of-the-art STEM (Science, Technology Engineering, Mathematics) building to be located on the east side of the Galway City campus, facing the Ballybane Road. The 5,500 m² building will provide additional teaching, learning and laboratory space in STEM disciplines, predominantly serving Engineering, Science and Computing.

The Donegal Letterkenny campus will gain a new 5,100m² building, comprising a new state of the art library, computer laboratories, classrooms, lecture theatre, staff office accommodation and extended dining facilities. The project also includes a new through-campus pedestrian and cycleway.

Both buildings act as “bookend” developments, linking into the existing campus buildings and providing the University with the physical infrastructure to support students in a modern, purpose-built environment and enhance the overall campus experience for staff and students.

These developments are part of the Higher Education Public Private Partnership (PPP) programme announced in 2017, which is delivering 11 new STEM facilities across multiple campuses in Ireland.

The other projects in this phase of the programme are at Technological University of the Shannon, Moylish campus, and South East Technological University, Carlow and Waterford campuses.

The Higher Education Authority (HEA), acting as the Sponsoring Agency, worked with the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (DFHERIS) as Approving Authority. The National Development Finance Agency (NDFA), part of the National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA), was responsible for the procurement of this PPP project on behalf of the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. The NDFA will continue to be involved during subsequent phases of the project.

Welcoming the Minister’s announcement, ATU President – Orla Flynn said, “I’m truly delighted to see our two PPP projects commencing in Galway City and Letterkenny, and I want to acknowledge the patience of staff and students alike as these developments were awaited. The new buildings will not only enhance our campuses but provide much-needed space in areas where we have seen significant student growth. I want to especially thank all at the HEA and DFHERIS, as well as our own Building and Estates teams, for their diligent work throughout this long process. Finally, I wish the contractors a smooth building process over the next few years as we look forward to seeing these facilities coming to life on our two campuses!”

Eoin Bradley, Head of Capital Development at ATU added, “This marks a significant milestone in the development of our campus masterplans for Galway City and Letterkenny. These transformative projects are key to the University’s long-term growth and evolution. The new buildings will greatly enhance the campus experience, providing high-quality spaces where our staff and students can thrive. I would like to extend my thanks to our staff, the broader project team, and the design team for their dedication and hard work. We look forward to the realisation of these projects and to working closely with the PPP Company throughout the construction and operational phases.”

The projects are set to commence immediately.

Figure 1 – Proposed Library and General Education Building at ATU Letterkenny

Figure 2- Proposed STEM Building at ATU Galway