A vocational school was opened in Béal an Átha Móir in 1982 as a result of a campaign organised by a local committee, Coiste Chú Uladh.  The committee decided on this name in honour of the local writer, Peadar Mac Fhionnghaile. Mac Fhionnghaile spent his life dealing with matters of the Irish language, he wrote a number of books and also was the President of Conradh na Gaeilge for some time.  Cú Uladh was the pen name he used in his writing.  The goal of Coiste Chú Uladh was to ensure that the young people of the Gaeltacht Lár would be educated through the Irish language at second level.  They achieved this goal in September 1982.

Maitiú Ó Murchú was appointed principal when the new school opened. The school was located in a temporary building and the teachers were only employed on a part-time basis.  In spite of the difficulties faced by the school, twenty four students enrolled in first year, however due to the uncertain future of the school and the lack of facilities the enrolment figures fell from 1982 onwards. In 1986 there were only thirty five pupils in the school, with only four in first year.

In 1986 the Department of Education decided to invest in the school, and provided three prefabricated classrooms and gave the school a trial period of four years(until this point the school operated on a yearly basis). This was a huge step in the right direction for the school, and things began to improve gradually.  A permanent building was built in 1993, and when it was officially opened in 1994 there were 167 on the school roll.

Donnacha Ó Dochartaigh was appointed principal in 1987 and Fionnuala Uí Channaí took over the reins in 1988 where she remained until she retired in 2004.

The increasing  numbers and the development of the school continued from 2004.  A major extension and refurbishment of the school took place in 2007 where a sports hall, canteen, staff room, practical rooms and other facilities were builgt. In 2012 the school was extended further when two general classrooms and offices were added.