(Gaeilge) Folúntas: Gaelscoil Eiscir Riada, BÁC
June 15, 2015
(Gaeilge) Folúntas: Gaelcholáiste Cheatharlach
June 15, 2015
President Higgins strikes a vocal chord on West Cork visit
June 12, 2015
As President Michael D Higgins continued his West Cork visit yesterday, one thought struck you: This might be the best spoken-word tour the county has seen for many a year.
Pupils form a guard of honour as President Michael D Higgins arrives to officially open Gaelscoil Mhíchíl Uí Choileain, Fernhill, Clonakilty, Co Cork.Pupils form a guard of honour as President Michael D Higgins arrives to officially open Gaelscoil Mhíchíl Uí Choileain, Fernhill, Clonakilty, Co Cork.
Maybe it was sparked by that photograph that did the rounds on social media recently of the President, opened-shirted and beaming, at Slane in 1985, but the sense of occasion around him seems to be growing.
The people came out in their droves to see him and his wife, Sabina, as they officially opened a gaelscoil in Clonakilty, the West Cork Arts Centre in Skibbereen, and, on the other side of town, the redeveloped O’Donovan Rossa Memorial Park.
President Michael D Higgins speaks at the opening of the O’Donovan Rossa Memorial Garden in Skibbereen, Co Cork, yesterday
They listened as he switched effortlessly, in that much-imitated accent, between English and Irish, as the years seemed to fall off him. He spoke of the importance of the Irish language, and the arts, the great patriots, and the future — a rollover jackpot of the themes he has addressed down through the years.
It began at Gaelscoil Mhíchíl Uí Choileáin, where the handshakes were for the dignitaries but the hugs were for old friends.
As the visiting committee awaited the President’s arrival, principal Carmel Nic Airt spotted two people approaching. “My past pupils!” she exclaimed, embracing Jesse Cronin and Ria Googan. Twenty years ago, the pair were among the first children in the newly formed gaelscoil, which then operated out of the living room in what are affectionately known locally as “the Smartie houses”.
“We didn’t know any different at the time,” Jesse said. “There was only seven or eight of us in our entire class.”
How it’s grown, now with 350 pupils in a brand new building, and how they’ve grown, but Jesse and Ria’s names are still there, written in the first roll book. When they searched and found them after the ceremony, there on page one, Ria said she might cry.
This is what happens when people make things happen, and when the President comes to say “well done” for doing so in the first place.
When the next presidential election rolls around and people complain about all the fuss, consider yesterday: The number of people who turned out, the obvious civic pride on show, the sense of occasion, the effort that went into it all. The memories.
In Clonakilty the children sang, danced, and even did a bit from the musical Annie — as Gaeilge.
In the West Cork Arts Centre, children danced for the President and his wife, and schoolgirl Lucija Kluzniak Madajczak, in a soft voice, read her own poem, Six Observations of the Owl.
“That was a beautiful poem,” said the President.
In O’Donovan Rossa Memorial Park, men with walking sticks listened intently among the throng as the President repeated Padraig Pearse’s famous graveside oration for Jeremiah 100 years ago, bashing out the words “the fools, the fools, the fools!”, his wife suddenly smiling at the thrill of it all.
Children ran and chased around the grass behind him as he spoke, without a care in the world.
“Lá stairiúil,” said more than one person throughout the day, and as the song from Annie goes: “Toicfaidh an ghrian amach, amárach.”
(Gaeilge) Folúntas: Stiúrthóir Cúnta i Naíonra Montessori Chluain Dolcáin, Baile Átha Cliath.
June 12, 2015
Reading in Irish challenge
June 11, 2015
Bríde wins Gradam an Phiarsaigh award
June 10, 2015
Bríde de Róiste, winner of Gradam an Phiarsaigh (the Pearse Award) for 2015, has helped the Irish language flourish in Carlow over the last 35 years.
A native of Dunbeg, Co Clare, she has been teaching in Carlow all her life, setting up the pre-school Naíonra in 1980, followed two years later by Gaelscoil Eoghain Uí Thuairisc.
The natural progression was post-primary education through Irish, and that came about in 1990 when Gael Choláiste Cheatharlach opened.
‘There were 20 children in the Gaelscoil when it opened, and the number is now 500; while from a handful at the start, there are almost 400 students attending Gael Choláiste Cheatharlach,’ Bríde pointed out.
As a consequence, there are almost 1,000 people involved every day in the Irish language in the three schools, not to mention the greater community.
‘Over those 35 years, hundreds of young people have gone through the system, and they are now fluent Irish speakers. The language is alive and spoken in Carlow,’
All of this has helped promote the social aspect, through festivals such as Éigse Cheatharlach.
‘A great milestone was when Carlow was chosen to host the Pan Celtic Festival in 2012 and 2013, and will do so again next year.’
Bríde had special mention for the support from such as Foras na Gaeilge, for the employment of a full-time Irish Language Officer for Carlow since 2008.
In accepting the award, she said it was in recognition of the continued promotion of the language by lots of people through the years. It was an award for Carlow.
Folúntais i gColáiste Oiriall
June 10, 2015
Celebrating Gaelscoileanna
June 10, 2015
Comhairle na Gaelscolaíochta were delighted to be present as John O’Dowd congratulated schools coming ‘top of the class’
Scoil na Fuiseoige and Naíscoil an Iúir were among schools across the north that achieved ‘very good’ or ‘outstanding’ inspection reports from the Education and Training Inspectorate and were awarded certificates at an event on Wednesday 3rd June in Stormont to mark their achievement.
Speaking at the event, Minister O’Dowd said: “Today’s event goes some way to recognising the wonderful work being done in schools day and daily to help our young people succeed in school, in work and as they go forward in their lives. The role that schools play can never be underestimated and today I want to thank school governors, principals, teachers, teaching assistants, parents and the wider school community for their hard work, professionalism and commitment.
£1.5m annual bill for local Irish schools
June 10, 2015
With education services and a local primary school facing the axe because of funding pressures, a total of £1.5million was spent last year on Irish medium schools in Mid Ulster.
Of the five Irish speaking schools in the local area, only one is above the minimum enrolment number, according the latest official figures.
The local district has the highest annual bill outside of Belfast and Derry. The total cost for all of Northern Ireland stands at £13million.
Across Northern Ireland, there are 952 empty seats in the 28 Irish speaking primary schools. The number of pupils being taught through Irish has almost doubled in the last 10 years to just under 5,000 – 830 are in secondary education.
The figures were released this week at the Northern Ireland Assembly by the Department of Education.
Belfast has the highest annual spend at £5.4m, and Fermanagh and Omagh the lowest at £747,693.
The department has defended its support of the schools in spite of their low enrolments.
“The Sustainable School Policy outlines six criteria which provide the framework for assessing the sustainability of schools.
“The criteria are education experience, stable enrolment trends, sound financial position, strong leadership and management, accessibility and strong links with the community. It should therefore be noted that enrolment numbers is one of six criteria that must be examined.”
San Treasa and St Mary’s serve up Bunscol final thriller
June 10, 2015
The Corn Herald brought a fitting conclusion to the Allianz Cumann na mBunscol Áth Cliath hurling and camogie finals day with Scoil San Treasa Mount Merrion and St Mary’s Lucan producing a wonderful decider.
It was San Treasa that managed to eke out a narrow 2-14 to 2-12 victory in a contest that ebbed and flowed throughout and highlighted the excellence on show throughout the day in the glorious Drumcondra sunshine.
Both sides enjoyed pockets of dominance over the 50-minute match with Lucan indebted to the superb Evin Dowling, who chipped in with a massive 2-7 for his side, while Luke Curran and Oisin Ryan shared five points.
However, San Treasa would not be denied as 11 points by Dara Purcell and first-half goals from Cian Donnelly and Rory Durand ensured the claimed the coveted title in thrilling fashion.
In the Sciath Marino, Tom McVeigh’s 3-2 proved pivotal as St Joseph’s Terenure got the better of local rivals Bishop Galvin by 3-11 to 1-10 in another high-class encounter.
McVeigh received valuable support on the scoring front from Cian Sullivan and Niall Fitzgibbon with Michael Foley and Michael Lawlor keeping the tie on a knife edge as they shared nine points for Bishop Galvin.
The day started with Gaelscoil Bharra doing just enough to defeat Gaelscoil Uí Earcáin by 3-10 to 1-10 in their riveting Sciath Oideachais final.
The winners possessed a very strong defence through the efforts of Adam Ó Murchú, Ciarán Mac Amhlaoibh and Lúcás Ó Néill against an excellent Gaelscoil Uí Earcáin side for whom both Eoghan Ó Loinsigh made some stunning saves to complement the tireless efforts of Ben Ó hIomhair, Tadhg Holder, Tadhg Ó Gormáin and Caelum Ó Muireartaigh.
In the Sciath Olly Quinlan, the excellence of midfielder Róisín Ní Chathasaigh helped Gaelscoil Thaobh na Coille to victory over St Agnes’ by 2-8 to 1-4.
Ní Chathasaigh struck 1-8 for her side and her individual battled with the talented Rebecca Dunne proved one of the highlights of the day in a contest that was only decided by Sophie Nic Aogáin’s second-half goal.
Elsewhere, Ryan O’Dwyer struck 2-6 when helping Ballyroan to defeat Scoil Naithí by 4-11 to 5-7 in the Corn Johnston Mooney & O’Brien while Gaelscoil Naomh Pádraig contained two hat-trick heroes in Maitiú Ó Cuagáin and Fionn Bruton when claiming the Sciath Mhic Phiarais against a battling Scoil Maelruain.
