Nuachtlitir an Fhómhair
October 18, 2013
Rúin 2013
October 17, 2013
Admission to Schools Draft Bill for Primary and Post-primary Schools
October 16, 2013
Comhdháil uile-Éireann ar Fhorbairt na Ceannasaíochta sa Scoil Lán-Ghaeilge
October 11, 2013
Fearg agus Frustrachas i measc na Naíonraí
October 8, 2013
BBnaG visits Galway and Leitrim
October 1, 2013
Irish language seminar for postprimary students, ‘Buntáiste Breise na Gaeilge’, to visit Galway and Leitrim.
In two weeks time, Comhdháil Náisiúnta na Gaeilge will begin the autumn series of Irish language careers seminars, ‘Buntáiste Breise na Gaeilge’ in four different locations across Ireland for students in fourth, fi¬fth and sixth year in secondary schools. In recent years Comhdháil Náisiúnta na Gaeilge have organised over twenty five such seminars with 7,000 students from 201 post-primary schools from all over the country having attended the seminars nationwide.During the seminar, the advantages which the Irish language may afford you in your chosen career will be discussed. Guest speakers will give lively accounts of their own experiences, and will encourage students to consider Irish as they choose their own career-paths in the future.
On 16th October, the Landmark Hotel in Carrick-on-Shannon will host the first of this series of seminars, with a similar seminar taking place the very next day at the Salthill Hotel in Galway. Longford native Ciarán Mac an Bhaird, a lecturer in Business in Fiontar DCU will take to the stage in Carrick-on-Shannon alongside broadcaster Barbara Nic Dhonnacha who will speak about her role as a bilingual broadcaster on iRadio. Barra Mac Thiarnáin a native of Kiltubrid in Co. Leitrim who works as a Youth Officer with Coláiste na bhFiann will give an insight into the advantages that Irish gave him in carrying out his daily work with young people. Seán Ó Súilleabháin who originally hails from Longford but who has settled in Co. Leitrim for many years will speak about the role the Irish language played in his post as a County Librarian for over thirty years.
The Salthill Hotel in Galway will host the seminar on Thursday morning 17th October 2013. The former Galway hurler and GAA icon, Joe Connolly will give an account of the advantages the Irish language afforded him personally. Connolly’s 1980 speech as he raised the Liam McCarthy Cup in Croke Park is remembered in the history books as one of the most memorable speeches of all times. Actor Lochlann Ó Mearáin who plays Dara in the TG4 soap Ros na Rún will give an account of the doors the Irish language opened for him while RTÉ newsreader Siún Nic Gearailt and TG4 Jig Gig presenter Róisín Ní Thomáin will give an insight into their work within the media sector.
In November the seminar will take to the road again, with seminars to be held in the Silversprings Hotel in Cork on 13th November 2013 and the Malton Hotel in Killarney on 14th November. Among the panels of guests at these seminars are GAA legends Seán Óg Ó hAilpín and Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh. Questions from students will be welcomed during the seminars, and students will be encouraged to take an active role in the discussion, and will have a chance to ask questions of the speakers, and to take part in what promises to be a lively debate.
If you are a secondary school teacher or an individual who would like to attend any of the upcoming seminar which may be taking place in your region please contact Brígíd at Comhdháil Náisiúnta na Gaeilge, 01 679 4780 / brighid@comhdhail.ie
As spaces are limited all schools must be registered before attending these events.
Foilsithe ar Gaelport.com
ESG to be dissolved
October 1, 2013
At an extraordinary meeting held last Saturday a decision was made by the Bord of Directors of Eagraíocht na Scoileanna Gaeltachta (ESG) to wind up the company.
ESG, based in Baile Bhuirne, Co. Cork was established in 2006 as an umbrella body for primary and secondary schools in the Gaeltacht areas. The Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht has announced it will not provide funding to the organisation from the beginning of next year. Since 2007, funding of €780,000 has been approved by the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht for the organisation to employ a CEO and an administrator and to cover operating costs. .
The Bord contend ESG has an important role which is central to the implementation of the 20 Year Strategy for the Irish Language and that the organisation should be available to represent and lobby on issues pertaining to Gaeltacht education.
ESG and Gaelscoileanna Teoranta have been in talks towards amalgamating the two organisations for over two years, but while certain progress was made in this regard, the failure of both funders – Foras na Gaeilge and the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht – to come to a solution in relation to future funding caused an insurmountable obstacle to the progression of the merge. The Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht claim it would have been inappropriate to get involved in talks relating to the amalgamation of two voluntary organisations while this process was still underway.
At the end of May, speaking at a conference held by An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta (COGG) Seán Ó Foghlú, General Secretary of the Department of Education and Skills announced his department is to undertake a full review of the provision of Irish medium education in Gaeltacht schools.
Ó Foghlú explained the objective of this review was to recognise the different choices in the provision of the Irish medium education which suit the needs of the Gaeltacht area planning according to The Gaeltacht Act 2012. It would seem strange that the recently announced decision by the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht to pull the plug on ESG funding should come in advance of the results of the review.
Mairéad Ní Chualáin, Chairperson of ESG said this is “a critical time for Gaeltacht education given the review intended by the Department of Education and Skills as well as the changes to curriculum being implemented in the next year. Now, the Gaeltacht schools will have no input in either of these processes”.
Foilsithe ar Gaelport.com
Minister Quinn announces patronage of new primary schools to open in 2014
September 26, 2013
Educate Together appointed patron of new schools in Sandymount/Ringsend and Knocknacarra, Galway
The Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn T.D., today announced the outcome of the patronage determination process for new primary schools due to open in 2014.
This is a further step in the process that began in June 2011 when the Minister announced that 20 new primary schools are to be established up to 2015 in a number of locations to cater for increasing pupil numbers.
At that time the Minister also announced new criteria and arrangements for the recognition of the new schools. The arrangements included the establishment of a New Schools Establishment Group (NESG), an independent advisory group, to advise the Minister on the patronage of the new schools following its consideration of a report prepared by Department officials.
Announcing the patronage of the new schools, Minister Quinn said: “In making the decisions on the patronage of these schools, I was particularly conscious of taking into account the clear parental demand for plurality and diversity of patronage.
“The new schools getting the go-ahead will optimise parental choice and strengthen diversity of provision in the areas where they are being established”.
Educate Together has been appointed as the patron of a new 16-classroom school for the Sandymount/Ringsend area in Dublin and of an 8-classroom school for the Knocknacarra area in Galway.
The Minister said that consideration is to be given to the establishment of a further 8-classroom school for the Knocknacarra area in 2015 under the patronage of Lifeways Ireland Limited. This will be subject to further prior confirmation that parental demand will support this model and size of school adequately at this time.
The Minister has agreed to defer the establishment of new primary schools for Swords in Dublin and for Middleton/Carrigtohill in Cork pending further reviews of these areas by the Department.
In assessing the applications received in all cases, all of the published criteria as set out were considered, including the extent of diversity in existing schools and the scale of diversity to be provided by the new school or schools. This was considered in conjunction with the level of parental demand for each of the patron applicants.
The Minister expressed his thanks to the members of the NSEG for their valuable input to the process.
He said: “I initiated the revised system for the establishment of new schools and the appointment of the school patron so that it would be an objective and transparent process. The role of the NESG is critical to achieving these aims and I want to thank them for their work in this area.”
Department officials will be in contact with Educate Together shortly in regard to the logistics of establishing the new schools that are going-ahead.
The Report of the New Schools Advisory Group is available online at: http://www.education.ie/en/Schools-Colleges/Information/Establishing-a-New-School/New-Primary-Schools/Report-of-the-New-Schools-Establishment-Group-on-the-Patronage-of-Primary-Schools-Scheduled-to-Commence-in-September-2014.pdf
Lifeways Ireland Ltd. is a company limited by guarantee with charitable status. It is currently the patron body for two Steiner National Schools both of which have provisional recognition from the Department.
Foirgneamh nua Ghaelscoil Phort Laoise
September 25, 2013
Gael Linn announce an exciting programme for young people
September 16, 2013
Young Irish speakers will be given the opportunity to take part in various projects relating to the language through an inclusive programme of schemes for 2013/2014 recently announced by Gael Linn.
Primary schools, secondary schools and third level colleges take part in a range of various schemes every year including debates, music, radio programmes and public speaking.
The demand for the Gael Linn schemes is always very high and as competitions are due to begin shortly, applications are now being accepted for the following schemes:
Comórtas Díospóireachta Uí Chadhain: A debating competition for schools in which subjects are taught through Irish. The winners of the junior competition will be presented with Corn Uisne and a cheque for €1,000 and the winners of the senior competition will be presented with Corn Gael Linn and a cheque for €1,000.The closing date for this competition is the 20th of September, 2013.
Comórtas Díospóireachta an Phiarsaigh: A debating competition for schools in which subjects are not taught through Irish. The winners in both the junior and senior competitions will be presented with Buanchorn Gael Linn and a cheque for €1,000. The closing date for this competition is the 27th of September, 2013.
Siansa: A competition for young traditional music and singing groups with a prize fund of €4,500. Help and advice is given to young participants through workshops given by well-known professional musicians. The Siansa finals will be held in the National Concert Hall on the 14th of April, 2014. The closing date for this competition is the 8th of November, 2013 and the discs have to be in before the 9th of December, 2013.
Comórtas Clár Raidió Gael Linn: This competition is open to all senior cycle second level students, North and South, and is particularly suitable as a Transition Year project. The winners will be presented with generous cash prizes in a studio of and on a programme in RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta. Also, if the winning entry is of a high standard it will be broadcast by RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta. The closing date for this competition is the 7th of February, 2014 and the radio programmes must be in by in by the 14th of March, 2014.
Coirm: A series of festivals in top class theatres throughout the country at which children, mainly from gaeltacht schools and gaelscoileanna, perform a variety show of 20 minutes duration. The closing date for this competition is the 16th of December, 2014.
Abair: A public speaking competition for second level schools in Ulster. A prize will awarded to those who finish in first and second place in each section. The closing date for this competition is the 15th of November, 2013.
Tráth na gCeist: A series of Irish language table quizzes for second level schools in Northern Ireland. Those who come in first and second place will be presented with prizes. The closing date for this competition is the 15th of November, 2013.
Bréagchúirt Uí Dhálaigh/Gael Linn: Bréagchúirt Uí Dhálaigh is organised by Gael Linn in honour of the late Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh, ex-President and ex-Chief Justice of Ireland. The competition, in the form of a moot court, is for third level students who are studying law and are fluent in Irish. The winners will be presented with the Cearrbhall Ó Dálaigh Memorial Trophy as well as a cheque for €600. This year’s court will be held in the Four Courts, Dublin on Friday 8th of November 2013.
Díospóireachtaí Tríú Leibhéal: Gael Linn provides funding and support for Irish debating competitions in various third level institutions. The final of this year’s intervarsities debating competition will take place during the Oireachtas festival in Killarney on the 2nd of November. The winners will be presented with the Irish Times Cup as well a cash prize.
Further information and application forms are available at www.gael-linn.ie or through contacting Gael Linn: 01 6751200 / seanc@gael-linn.ie.
Foilsithe ar Gaelport.com
