April marks the season when education projects move off the page and onto site. Budgets get unlocked. Tenders get awarded. And increasingly, the question is not “What does it cost?” but “Will it work – and will it look right?”
That’s especially true when we talk about fencing in schools, universities, and early years settings. Because in 2025, a fence isn’t just a barrier – it’s a design decision, a safeguarding measure, and the first thing anyone sees when they pull up to a campus.
TU Dublin, Supporting a Diverse Range of Needs & the Evolving Brief
At one end of the scale, you’ve got TU Dublin – where heritage stone meets modern security needs. At the other, you’ve got national schools adapting to new legislation around outdoor areas for neurodivergent students.
In both cases, the brief is the same in spirit:
- Keep people safe
- Make it look good
- Don’t break the budget
As Anthony, our Health & Safety Advisor, put it:
“We’re not just a contractor that rocks up with a fence. We work with the client, the design team, the contractor. We share our experience and get it done right.”
In environments designed for individuals with additional support needs especially, it’s about more than just compliance. The fence can’t feel punitive. It needs to be secure and inviting. That means careful product choice, colours that feel friendly, and details like anti-climb specs that don’t look intimidating.
Tricon CBS, Dundalk: Special needs outdoor play area – Irish Fencing completed the fencing part of the project.
Recent projects in National Schools.
Not a Commodity. A Solution.
One thing we’re clear on at Irish Fencing – we don’t sell fencing as a commodity. We’re not in the race to the bottom.
Eoin, our Contracts Manager, explains it like this: “You can’t just call us and ask for a price over the phone. That’s not how we work. We go to site, look at the conditions, talk through the needs – then we offer a tailored solution that suits the project.”
That solution could include:
- Mesh, palisade or railing systems
- Custom-built gates (often automated)
- Access control integration
- Advice on ducting, futureproofing and fixing to walls
- Early-stage input to avoid expensive design changes later
If we’re in the room early enough, we can help architects turn their vision into something buildable. And if we’re not? We’ll solve the problem anyway – just with more head-scratching and a few deep sighs.
Shane Winters, Managing Director.
First Impressions Matter
“What’s the first thing you see when you drive up to any school or university? The fence. The gates. The boundary.”
We believe that matters. Architects do too. The best ones don’t just want something functional – they want it to look the part. But that only works if we’re brought in early enough to make it happen.
Got a School or College Project This Summer?
We’re already lining up summer works for education clients across the country. If you’ve a job in planning, on the desk, or even still in your head – drop us a line. Better we talk now than after someone’s built a wall we can’t drill into.
Anthony Smyth, Health & Safety officer.
To learn more click here: https://www.irishfencing.com/products/