Stiúrthóir Cúnta ag teastáil ó Naíonra i gContae na Mí
Meitheamh 11, 2013
Post páirtaimseartha fadtéarmach atá i gceist, ag tosú i Mí Mean Fómhair 2013.
Is gá go mbeadh líofacht na Gaeilge ag an iarrthóir (scrúdú TEG B2 molta), mar aon le cáilíocht Leibhéal 5 nó níos airde sna Luathbhlianta.
Ba chóir go mbeadh na cáilíochtaí seo a leanas ag an iarrthóir chomh maith, nó é a bheith sásta tabhairt fúthu:
– Dianchúrsa FNT
– Traenáil gharchabhrach
– Traenáil ‘Tús Áite do Leanaí
Beidh gá le dhá theistiméireacht (scríofa) freisin agus le imréiteach a fháil ón nGarda Síochána.
Má theastaíonn tuilleadh eolais uait faoin bpost seo is féidir dul i dteagmháil le Joanne Uí Chuana ar 0831004362, nó seol CV chuig naionrabettystown@gmail.com chun cur isteach ar an bpost.
Is é an 28 Meitheamh 2013 spriocdháta an fholúntais seo.
Rialacha Nua Iontrála ina Bhagairt ar an Ghaelscolaíocht
Meitheamh 10, 2013
Is fada daoine i saol na Gaeilge ag magadh faoin Ghaelscoilis, an ghibiris bhriotach úd a bhíonn á labhairt ag daltaí Ghaelscoileanna fud fad na tíre. Ar ndóigh bhí a theanga ina phluic ag an scríbhneoir Liam Ó Muirthile nuair a bhaist sé an t-ainm sin air mar níl aon cheist ach go bhfuil ag éirigh thar cionn leis an chóras Gaelscolaíochta cumas i bhfad níos láidre sa teanga a thabhairt dá scoláirí ná mar a bheadh acu i scoileanna lán-Bhéarla. Níl aon cheist ach an oiread gur chéim mhór ar gcúl a bheas ann do chaighdeán na Gaeilge labhartha sna scoileanna seo má chuirfear na rialacha úra iontrála do scoileanna atá beartaithe ag an Aire Oideachais, Ruairí Quinn, i bhfeidhm.
Déanfar leithcheal ar mhórán bealaí ar dhaoine atá ag iarraidh a gclann a thógáil le Gaeilge má leanfar leis an chéad dréacht de na rialacha nua seo. Ní bheidh Gaelcholáistí ábalta, mar shampla, tosaíocht a thabhairt feasta ins an chóras iontrála do dhaltaí a fhreastalaíonn ar bhunscoileanna friothálacha lán-Ghaeilge. Ina áit sin, beidh orthu glacadh le scoláirí ar bhonn tíreolaíochta.
I bhfocail eile, ní gá go dtabharfadh freastal ar bhunscoil lán-Ghaelach buntáiste iontrála do dhalta le hais an té a d’fhreastail ar bhunscoil Bhéarla ach a bhfuil cónaí air sa cheantar máguaird. Is ceart a rá go bhfeidhmeoidh na réamhchoinníollacha seo i gcás na bunscolaíochta fosta agus tá tuismitheoirí a chuireann a gcuid páistí go naíonraí lán-Ghaeilge buartha chomh maith céanna nach mbeidh áit sa Ghaelscoil ar fáil dóibh. Ní bheidh de thoradh ar an riail sheafóideach seo ach creimeadh ar chaighdeán na Gaeilge i nGaelscoileanna agus i nGaelcholáistí na tíre.
Cothroime don Aonteangachas Bhéarla
Murab ionann is na ceantair Ghaeltachta, is iondúil go mbíonn pobaltheanga na gcathracha agus na mbailte móra scoite amach óna chéile. De thairbhe é sin, thiocfadh go mbeadh daltaí ag taisteal ó chian agus ó chóngar le freastal ar Ghaelscoil. Anuas ar sin, níl aon chinnteacht ann go mbeidh an Ghaelscoil sin in achomaireacht scread asail don Ghaelcholáiste. An bhfuil an baol ann mar sin nach gceadófar do pháistí leanstan lena gcuid scolaíochta lán-Ghaeilge mar nach bhfuil cónaí orthu laistigh d’achar faoi leith?
Dealraítear go gcuirfear deireadh fosta leis an riail go dtugtar tús áite do pháistí iarscoláirí na nGaelcholáistí sa chóras iontrála. Ní gá gur drochrud é sin mar gur iomaí iardhalta a bhaineann mí-úsáid as an bhuntáiste seo agus nach gcuireann a gcuid páistí go bunscoil lán-Ghaelach siocair fios maith a bheith acu go mbeidh tearmann ar fáil faoin seancharbhat scoile. Níl tosaíocht tuillte ag a leithéid, dar liom, ach is dócha ná a mhalairt go nglacfar le cionmhéid an-teoranta daltaí ar an bhealach seo feasta.
Tuigim fosta cad tuige go mbeadh an tAire Quinn ag iarraidh deireadh a chur leis an nós go dtugtar buntáiste iontrála do dhalta a bhfuil a chuid deartháireacha nó deirfiúracha ag freastal ar an Ghaelcholáiste. Ar ndóigh tá a leithéid leatromach ar theaghlaigh le páiste aonair nó go deimhin ar an pháiste is sine i dteaghlach. Ach bheadh sé áiféiseach dá mbeadh páistí i dteaghlach ag fáil a gcuid oideachais i scoileanna éagsúla siocair gur séanadh áit sa Ghaelcholáiste ar bhall amháin den teaghlach. Óir is mian le chóir a bheith achan tuismitheoir go bhfaighfeadh a dteaghlach a gcuid scolaíochta ar an aon láthair amháin.
Ní Fál go hAer Fós É
Is dócha, áfach, gurb é an moladh is tromchúisí atá ag an Aire Quinn ná nach mbeifear in ann idirdhealú dearfach a dhéanamh a thuilleadh i leith daltaí atá á dtógáil le Gaeilge. Ní cheadófar feasta tosaíocht a thabhairt do dhaltaí ar an bhonn go bhfuil a dtuismitheoirí inniúil ar an Ghaeilge. Bhí sé de nós ag roinnt scoileanna lán-Ghaeilge réamhagallamh a chur ar iarratasóirí lena chinntiú go raibh an caighdeán cuí acu. Déarfadh lucht a cháinte go ndéanann a leithéid de chleachtas éagóir ar dhaltaí nach bhfuil neart acu ar pheacaí a sinsir. Ach is le croí mór maith a nítear na hagallaimh seo lena chinntiú go bhfuil ar a laghad smeadar Ghaeilge sa teaghlach, ach is cinnte go dtiocfaidh deireadh leo anois.
Níor mhiste a rá, áfach, nach bhfuil aon ní greanta i gcloich go fóill agus tá neart ama ag na heagrais Ghaeilge agus ag tuismitheoirí gur cás leo an t-oideachas lán-Ghaeilge a chur ina luí ar an Aire Quinn agus ar a gcuid iondaithe tofa go bhfuil a mhalairt de shlí ann. Ar an rud is lú ba cheart a éileamh go ndéanfaí eisceacht de na Gaelcholáistí i leith an riail nach dtig tosaíocht a thabhairt do scoláirí a fhreastalaíonn ar scoileanna friothálacha sa chóras iontrála. Sa chomhthéacs sin, níor mhiste a chuimhneamh gur ceadmhach go fóill idirdhealú a dhéanamh de réir sainmheon creidimh. Tá deis ann go fóill mar sin maolú a dhéanamh ar an chuid is déine de mholtaí an Aire i leith na Gaelscolaíochta. Gan sin déanfar dochar as cuimse do chaighdeán labhartha na Gaeilge sna Gaelcholáistí.
Caingean Saibhseála a Thionscnamh
Ar ndóigh má theipeann ar an fheachtasaíocht, b’fhéidir gur fiú a bheith ag machnamh ar chaingean saibhseála a thionscnamh. D’fhéadfadh sé seo tarlú má dhiúltaítear áit i nGaelcholáiste do dhalta a bhfuil Gaeilge aige. É sin nó go dtiocfadh le heagrais Ghaeilge ar nós Gaelscoileanna nó an Foras Pátrúnachta a bhfuil locus standi – nó leas acu san ábhar – caingean saibhseála a ghlacadh. Tharla a leithéid cheana i gcás John Stokes, gasúr de bhunadh an lucht siúil a mhaígh go ndearna an dúnghaois iontrála a bhí i bhfeidhm meánscoil i gCluain Meala, Co. Thiobraid Árann, leithcheal air. Ins an chás sin, chaith an Chúirt Chuarda amhras i dtaobh tosaíocht a bheith ag páistí de chuid iarscoláirí, ach nuair a deineadh achomhrac chun na hArd-Chúirte rialaíodh go raibh de chumhacht ag an scoil idirdhealú den chineál sin a chur i réim ina dúnghaois iontrála.
Ach b’fhéidir go mbeadh faoiseamh le fáil ag lucht na Gaeilge i gCúirteanna na hEorpa. Rialaigh an Chúirt Eorpach um Chearta an Duine i mBealtaine na bliana 2001 gur sháraigh an Tuirc an Coinbhinsiún Eorpach um Chearta an Duine cionn is go ndearna siad leithcheal ar chearta oideachais phobalteanga ins an chuid sin den Chipir atá faoi sheilbh na Tuirce. Rialaíodh nach raibh soláthar meánscolaíochta cuí déanta do Chipirigh Ghréigeacha a bhí ina gcónaí i dTuaisceart na Cipire agus a fuair a gcuid bunoideachais ina dteanga féin. An bhféadfadh go bhfuil fasach i gcás dlí na hEorpa a bhainfeas tuisle as moltaí an Aire Oideachais?
Breandán Delap
Students today must struggle with the peculiarities of the modh coinníollach
Meitheamh 10, 2013
This, I guess, is the dreaded day for many Leaving Certificate students.
Today it’s Irish (Paper I) and students without a convenient exemption must struggle with the vexatious complications of the briathra neamhrialta and the peculiarities of the modh coinníollach in a tongue the vast majority have never used naturally.
Likely most candidates will find themselves deeply resenting the remaining compulsory aspects of Irish as they grope to find an appropriate saor briathair to impress the examiners. And indeed I can’t blame them, for at school I didn’t care much for “ár dteanga féin” either. To a 1970s teenager, the language seemed preposterously unfashionable and irrelevant. Then, later events changed my viewpoint.
Encountering other nationalities, speaking their native tongue with pride, I began pondering the ironies of being constantly mistaken on my travels for an Englishman abroad. So I undertook a few Irish classes, did a couple of residential Gaeltacht courses and became cuísach maith as Gaelige. But then, like the terrier that caught its own tail, the question arose, what next?
Immediately apparent was the sad fact that Irish woefully lacked everyday utility. There were unpromising encounters with those, líofa as Gaelige, who usually seemed to inhabit the upper echelons of the public service. Opening a conversation with these exalted polymaths was invariably an intimidating experience. It wasn’t that they weren’t tolerant of those less linguistically endowed: it just always seemed strange and contrived for two English-speakers to struggle with a very one-sided conversation in another tongue that only one had mastered.
Then there were the inevitable encounters with the grammatically obsessed. Once in an Irish club when I ventured that the way ahead for the Ireland lay with a “dhá teanga” policy it was pointed out to me rather sternly that this tactic offered few possibilities – a “dhá Theanga” approach might, however, have some merit.
Otherwise, the attitude of most Irish people seemed one of benign indifference tinged with some embarrassment at an inability to answer even the most basic greeting as Gaelige. Indeed, Irish conversation seemed to make sense only between fluent Gaelic speakers or as a cunning ploy used abroad for exchanging private jokes about the idiosyncrasies of other nationalities.
Yet on my hillwalking trips across the Irish Sea, I noticed how ordinary people had proudly embraced Welsh as an expression of national identity. Why were things different in Wales, I wondered? Was Irish independence the culprit? Had it somehow removed our need for the national distinctiveness that is still desired by those nations remaining within the UK and also among the Catholic community of West Belfast, where there is now a thriving Gaeltacht Quarter?
Certainly, one reason any sentimental attachment to the language by Irish people was immediately defenestrated after our independence, was the rash over-enthusiasm of successive governments. We have a long history of rejecting that which is imposed upon us; the Norman Conquest, the Protestant Reformation, the Act of Union, Guinness Light. So compulsory Irish was all wrong for our national psyche and it is only recently that the language has begun to recover from this well-intentioned but dissolute policy.
Indeed, green shoots have sprouted. Gael Scoileanna have been a huge success and increasing numbers of Gael Coláistí teach through Irish at second level. For Leaving Certificate Irish, 40 per cent of marks are awarded for oral competence while TG4 has succeeded in making the language accessible in a way that the worthy, but extravagantly dull, RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta never did. Salutations in Irish are now noticeably more common in daily life; and there was no fuss when the 2013 Hurling League final was broadcast with commentary as Gaelige.
Despite such positives, it is still rare to encounter functional use of Ireland’s first language. I have noticed, for example, that students leaving Gael Coláistí will almost inevitably revert to English once beyond the school gates. And so the old problem remains that while there is much goodwill towards the language, few opportunities exist to speak it.
My own pet solution involves designating the Irish section of our libraries as relaxing bilingual areas with people encouraged to come along, socialise and use whatever cúpla focal they have. Failing this, I’m afraid we must invoke the nuclear option and entirely ban the language. Given the peculiarities of our national psyche, this should ensure that within a short time we would be proudly embracing Irish as ár dteanga féin once again.
www.irishtimes.com
Foilsithe ar 10 Meitheamh 2013
The Irish Times, An Irishman’s Diary – John G O’Dwyer
Dioplóma i Múineadh na Gaeilge do Dhaoine Fásta
Meitheamh 7, 2013
Beidh an Dioplóma i Múineadh na Gaeilge d’Fhoghlaimeoirí Fásta á reáchtáil ag Ionad na dTeangacha, Ollscoil na hÉireann, Má Nuad arís i mí Mheán Fómhair. Is i gConamara a bheidh an cúrsa ar siúl i mbliana agus tá sé á thairiscint le tacaíocht ó Údarás na Gaeltachta agus ón Roinn Ealaíon, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta.
Seo cúrsa bliana ar bhonn páirtaimseartha atá oiriúnach do dhaoine atá ag iarraidh cáilíocht a bhaint amach i múineadh na Gaeilge d’fhoghlaimeoirí fásta. Cuirtear béim láidir sa Dioplóma ar an gcleachtadh teagaisc sa seomra ranga. Chomh maith le freastal ar 10 gceardlann oiliúna, déanfaidh rannpháirtithe 40 uair an chloig de chleachtadh teagaisc le linn an chúrsa. Beidh deis ag gach rannpháirtí tacaíocht agus comhairle a fháil ó mheasúnóir a thabharfaidh 3 chuairt ar an rannpháirtí le linn dó / di a bheith i mbun teagaisc. Déanfar taifeadadh físe ar dhá cheann de na cuairteanna sin agus beidh na taifeadtaí físe mar bhunús le hobair leanúnach an chúrsa. Tá béim ar an bhféin-anailís, ar an bpiar-mheasúnú agus ar thacaíocht phraiticiúil don mhúinteoir.
Beidh na ceardlanna ar siúl i gConamara ar Shathairn idir mí Mheán Fómhair 2013 agus mí an Aibreáin 2014.
Chun cur isteach ar an gcúrsa tá foirm iarratais le líonadh (roimh an 16 Meitheamh) agus tá scrúdú iontrála agus agallamh le déanamh san ollscoil i Má Nuad ar an Satharn 29 Meitheamh. Tá an fhoirm iarratais ar fáil ar líne ag http://www.nuim.ie/language/courses/cert-irish.shtml.
Tá tuilleadh eolais faoin gcúrsa le fáil ó ailin.nichonchuir@nuim.ie nó is féidir teagmháil a dhéanamh le hIonad na dTeangacha ag (01) 708 6417 nó (01) 474 7145.
Ionad na dTeangacha
Ollscoil na hÉireann, Má Nuad
Má Nuad
Co. Chill Dara
Teagmháil: (01) 708 6417
Féile Loinneog Lúnasa
Meitheamh 7, 2013
Na píopaí ar an aer i nGaoth Dobhair do Loinneog Lúnasa
Ó tharla go raibh Gaoth Dobhair ar an ghearrliosta de na háiteacha is fearr le cuairt a thabhairt orthu in Éirinn i bpobalbhreith de chuid an Irish Times ar na mallaibh agus ó fógraíodh gurb é Dún na nGall an contae leis an méid is mó tránna le Bratach Gorm sa tír, níl am ar bith níos fearr le cuairt a thabhairt ar an cheantar bríomhar Gaeltachta is faide thiar thuaidh sa tír.
I measc na mbuaicphointí cultúrtha sa cheantar, tá Loinneog Lúnasa, ceiliúradh ar an tsaibhreas atá forleathan san áit.
Tá lucht eagruithe Loinneog Lúnasa gnóthach leis na h-ullmhúcháin do dheireadh seachtaine fada de cheol, cultúr agus craic i nGaoth Dobhair, i nGaeltacht Dhún na nGall. Seo an tríú bliain den fhéile chultúrtha, agus beidh sé ag tarlú ar fud na paróiste ón 8-12 Lúnasa.
Mar pháirt de chlár na bliana seo tá tionól speisialta de phíobairí uillinn, áit a mbeidh sraith de imeachtaí eagruithe i gcomhar leis Na Píobairí Uillinn. Beidh scoth na bpíobairí as fud fad na tíre ag taisteal le freastal ar cheardlanna agus ceolchoirm le leithéidí Gay McKeon, Tommy Keane, Emmet Gill, Sean Óg Potts agus go leor eile.
Beidh oíche speisialta den “Chuisle Seanchais –Abair leat” in Ionad Naomh Pádraig, Dobhar ag cuimhniú ar na bannaí máirseála go léir a bhí sa cheantar thar na glúnta.
Mar bhuaicphointí eile den chlár, beidh ceol le amhránaithe cáiliúla idirnáisiúnta chomh maith le tallann óg.
Fillfidh an ceoltóir cáiliúil idirnáisiúnta le Clannad , Máire Ní Bhraonáin le oíche speisialta ceoil a chur ar fáil i dTábhairne Leo , lena clann óg ceolmhar féin ina cuideachta.
I ndiaidh ceolchoirm draíochtúil a thug siad i mí Feabhra, fillfidh Mairéad agus Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill ar Theach Hiúdaí Bhig do oíche spreagúil eile i gcomhar le Laoise Kelly ar an chláirseach.
Cuirfear tús leis an fhéile le ceolchoirm bríomhar leis an ghrúpa óg áitiúil An Crann Óg i dTeach Mhicí i nDoire Beaga. Seo an deis dheireanach lena gcluinstin sula dtéann siad thar lear don chéad uair le ceolchoirmeacha a dhéanamh sa Ghearmáin ag deireadh mhí Lúnasa!
Tá éagsúlacht de imeachtaí teaghlaigh ag tarlú i rith an lae agus neart seisiún ceoil agus damhsa ins na tábhairní agus óstáin áitiúla.
Deir Cathal Ó Gallchóir , ball de choiste eagruithe Loinneog Lúnasa “ Bhí muid ag iarraidh féile a chruthú a dhéanfadh ceiliúir ar an traidisiún láidir atá sa cheantar, ach a dhéanfadh spreagadh ar cheoltóirí óga an traidisiún sin a iompar ar aghaidh. Sin an fáth a bhfuil béim againn ar cheardlanna agus ceolchoirmeacha leis na ceoltóirí is fearr. Tá bród mhór orainn go ndéanann Loinneog Lúnasa an tobar domhan seo de thálann áitiúil a cheiliúradh agus a chothú.”
Teagmháil:
cfgd@eircom.net
0749532208
Tuilleadh eolais: www.loinneoglunasa.com
Ceachtanna Feadóg Stáin ar líne do Scoileanna
Meitheamh 7, 2013
Seo chugaibh suíomh spreagúil nua feadóg stáin atá oiriúnach le húsáid ar chlár bán idirghníomhach: www.feadogonline.com
• Cuidíonn le múinteoirí an fheadóg stáin a mhúineadh (beag beann ar chumas ceoil)
• Ceachtanna roinnte i dtrí chúrsa (oiriúnach do rang 1 go rang 6 nó do ranganna ceoil don Teastas Sóisearach, nó san Idirbhliain)
• Soláthraíonn plean praiticiúil do sheinm an cheoil sa scoil
• Cliathnodaireacht agus litreacha ar fáil i ngach ceacht
• I ngach ceacht: fuaimrian feadóige, fuaimrian de thionlacan pianó; gearrthóg físe
Tabhair cuairt ar ár suíomh le rang samplach a fheiceáil nó déan teagmháil linn ag an uimhir thíos nó cuir ríomhphost chugainn le triail 21 lá saor in aisce a eagrú
Ríomhphost: info@virtualclassroom.ie
Teil: +353 86 3371360
Irish language classes at Conradh na Gaeilge
Meitheamh 7, 2013
Conradh na Gaeilge is running its annual three week Irish language classes this June with classes commencing on Tuesday June 11 at the Conradh na Gaeilge offices, 45 Dominick Street, Galway.
The classes are run twice a week, and with three different levels, the courses are suitable to all with a desire to learn our native tongue. The fee for the course is €125 and it is a great starting point for those looking to immerse themselves in the Irish culture.
For further information and to register for courses see www.cnag.ie or call 091 567824.
www.advertiser.ie/galway
Campa Riabhach – Irish language summer camp
Meitheamh 7, 2013
Ar mhaith leat cuidiú le páistí s’agatsa? Ní i nGaillimh nó i gConamara amháin atá fáil ar thacaíocht don aos óg maidir le Gaeilge.
Beidh campa samhraidh ar siúl don dara bliain déag as a chéile do leanaí bunscoile, ón 6ú go 17ú Lúnasa. Cosnaíonn sé €45 ar pháiste ar feadh seachtaine nó €90 ar feadh coicíse. Tá lacáiste ar fáil do theaghlaigh. Tugann an campa deis do pháistí Gaeilge a fhoghlaim in atmaisféar súgartha. Bíonn cluichí, ról-imirt, ealaín agus a lán eile ar siúl ann. Má tá spéis agat ann, tar I dteagmháil linn ar 091 871718 nó oifig@lochariach
Help your child get ahead. For the 12th year in a row there will be an Irish language summer camp in Loughrea. The summer camp will run from August 6 to 10 and from August 12 to 17. The cost is €45 per child per week or €90 for the fortnight. A family discount applies.
The main aim of the camp is that children enjoy themselves as they learn and improve their Irish while having fun. Qualified teachers will be in charge of the camp and will use games, role-play, art, quizzes, and much more to make language learning an enjoyable experience.
If you are interested in the camp, contact the office on 091 871718 or oifig@lochariach. A deposit of €25 per child is required to secure a place.
www.advertiser.ie/galway
Examiners on trend with music and fashion
Meitheamh 7, 2013
Little Mix, Michelle Obama and Kilkenny hurler Henry Shefflin all got a mention.
Music, technology, celebrities, and tweeting dominated this year’s Junior Cert Irish papers as examiners made a concerted effort to produce a current and culturally relevant exam.
Students opened up the higher level paper 1 and were greeted with a large picture of Little Mix, the 2011 winners of The X Factor. The girl group were used to test Irish grammar.
Although there was much online chatter over the inclusion of a comprehension piece on tweeting (#gtúit) as Gaeilge, teachers felt that some of the vocabulary used – including the word líonrú (networking) – would be unfamiliar to many teens. “I’ve been teaching Irish for over 20 years and I had to look the word up in an online dictionary,” said Robbie Cronin, ASTI subject representative for Irish and a teacher at Marian College, Ballsbridge, Dublin. Manchán Magan Paper 1 also featured a language test built around a TG4 programme hosted by travel writer Manchán Magan.
On higher level paper 2, the contemporary relevance continued, with students required to write about a video they saw on YouTube, or about a band or musician they like or to compose an angry missive to the editor of the local newspaper protesting over a referee’s decision in a sports game.
The response to paper 1 was mixed. A reading comprehension question about a lonely monkey in the Congo was probing but fair, according to Séamus Ó Fearraigh, TUI subject representative for Irish and a teacher in Gairmscoil Chú Uladh, Co Donegal, but some students criticised a question that asked them to write about the sad eyes of the monkey.
Mr Ó Fearraigh said that some of the essay topics – such as “How I Spent my Last Birthday”, “Fashion for People Today” and “Why friends are Very Important in People’s Lives” – would be challenging enough for people to write about in English, let alone Irish. Plain prose The response to paper 2 was more favourable, said Mr Cronin. “It received very positive feedback from both students and teachers. Generally the hardest parts for the boys I teach are the unseen prose and poetry pieces, which can be incomprehensible – not so this year,” he said.
There were no shocks or upsets in the ordinary level paper, where celebrities also featured: US first lady Michelle Obama and Kilkenny hurler Henry Shefflin – regarded by some as the greatest hurler of all time – both made an appearance. Questions were asked about Ms Obama’s children, her family, and her upbringing.
“The topic was current because the Obamas were in Ireland last year and Michelle Obama is due to make a return visit with her children,” said Mr Ó Fearraigh.
But not all students were happy. One boy took to Twitter to moan: “Why can’t I do honours Irish?! They got Little Mix while pass got Michelle Obama.”
www.irishtimes.com
Knocknacarra’s bilingual community national school
Meitheamh 7, 2013
With only a few days to do so, the City of Galway VEC continues to seek expressions of interest for Galway’s first bilingual community national school in Knocknacarra.
The proposed bilingual model delivers the Department of Education and Skills’ primary education curriculum through two languages, Irish and English, to enable progression to post primary education through the medium of either Irish or English, and welcomes children from all linguistic and cultural backgrounds.
The bilingual community national school will aim to ensure that students are sufficiently competent in Irish to progress to Coláiste na Coiribe, City of Galway VEC’s Coláiste lán-Ghaeilge in Knocknacarra, which recently topped The Sunday Times’ table for university progression in Connacht, should they wish to do so.
Community national schools deliver the Goodness Me! Goodness You! programme, a multibelief programme which caters for children of all beliefs and none. It forms part of the daily teaching and learning in the school.
Full information on the programme can be found at www.cgvec.ie/cns
There has been a high level of interest from parents to date and the VEC is asking all interested parents to register an expression of interest at www.cgvec.ie/cns on or before June 10. You can also contact the City of Galway VEC at 091 549 400.
If successful, the City of Galway VEC’s bilingual community national school will open in Knocknacarra.
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