By Sam Griffin
A private Limerick business school, which had recently been forced to shut down, may now reopen with a Dublin college expressing interest in purchasing it.
Management at HSI Limerick Business School informed staff and students in early September that the college would not be reopening for the coming academic year with a failure to attract students for full-time and part-time courses cited as the reason for the closure. Management worked throughout the summer to avert a closure. However, a liquidator was appointed to HSI over the summer months.
The college employed five full-time staff and 30 part-time staff members.
Plans were being made for its 100 current and incoming students to take up places in Griffith College in Dublin, or have their €250 deposits returned to them.
However it has since emerged that another Dublin institution, McQueen’s International College, has expressed an interest in buying the Limerick College.
Speaking to the Limerick Post, Principal Director of McQueen’s Patrick McKernan said: “McQueen’s International college, Dublin is interested in speaking directly to the receivers about the purchase of the former HSI business,”
When asked if the sale of the college was an option, HSI said they had no comment to make on the matter at this time.
HSI was set up in 1951 by the late Nora McNamara. In recent years her son Michael, the former 2fm DJ, had taken over responsibility of running the college. HSI has seen more than 80,000 students pass through its doors in its 60 year history.
However, in recent years the college had struggled to attract overseas students because of recent changes to European laws. These changes meant students from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) could not travel to Ireland for part-time or distance learning courses.
Fianna Fail TD for Limerick Niall Collins said the loss of the college was a big blow for the area.
“The HIS, as an institution, was well known right across Limerick and held in the highest regard. It filled a gap in the market that existed for a long, long time and it’s unfortunate that such a longstanding institution has been forced to close down due to a lack of finances.”
Past pupils of note who attended HSI include former Progressive Democrat TD Liz O’Donnell and writer John Liddy.
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