Deireadh i ndán do 14 eagraíocht
November 20, 2013
Gaelscoil na Giúise have a new website
November 20, 2013
Gaelscoil na Giúise have launched a lovely website. Congratulations to them!
The position of principal at Gaelcholaiste an Phiarsaigh has been readvertised
November 20, 2013
See http://www.foras.ie/vacancies/
Gaelscoil Pheig Sayers to protest against new policy
November 19, 2013
Local Gaelcholáiste giving priority to children from English medium primary schools
Gaelscoil Pheig Sayers will gather in Blackrock in Dublin tomorrow, Wednesday 20 November 2013 at 12.15pm to protest the new enrolment policy of Gaelcholáiste Mhuire in Cork.
The group will travel from Cork to Dublin to express their dissatisfaction with the Edmund Rice Schools Trust who controls the policies within Gaelcholáiste Mhuire.
The cause of the controversy is the decision taken by Gaelcholáiste management to no longer recognise Gaelscoil Pheig Sayers as a feeder school. According to Gaelscoil Pheig Sayers, the gaelcholáiste has always provided Gaelscoil children with a place at the post-primary school however, the new school manager, who was put in place following the Edmund Rice Schools Trust’s decision to abolish the school management board, has taken the decision to introduce a two stream system within the school. Under this new system only 58 children will start first year next September, as opposed to 89 last year, and four English medium schools in the region will be given priority over pupils of Gaelscoil Pheig Sayers.
Principal of Gaelscoil Pheig Sayers, Adrian Breathnach said that this new policy goes against the Education Act 1998 as the trusts failed to include parents in the implementation of any enrolment policy. He also said that the priority given to children from English-medium schools will end a long-standing tradition between the local gaelscoil and gaelcholáiste.
The protest will be held outside the office of the Edmund Rice Schools Trust in Blackrock, Dublin, on Wednesday 20 November 2013 from 12.15pm.
Foilsithe ar Gaelport.com
The President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, is to celebrate forty years of Gaelscoileanna Teo. at their annual Educational Conference
November 19, 2013
President Michael D. Higgins will attend the opening of the Gaelscoileanna Teo. two-day conference, ‘From Evidence to Excellence’, on Friday 22 November 2013, in the Johnstown House Hotel, in Enfield, Co. Meath.
Bláthnaid Ní Ghréacháin, Chief Executive Officer of Gaelscoileanna Teo., explains the rationale in choosing the theme From Evidence to Excellence. “We wish to recognise the accomplishments of both long-established and newly-founded Irish-medium schools, from their foundation to their growth and development, and it is a great source of pride to Gaelscoileanna Teo. to have had a central role in facilitating this development over forty years”.
Looking to the future, she states, “We’re very much looking forward to the opportunities ahead of us; to continue with our support and coordination role for the Irish-medium education sector, to ensure the continued provision of Irish-medium education across the length and breadth of the country and to support the schools, as an institution that facilitates and provides an exceptional standard of education and that enables a high level of competence in the Irish language”.
Referring to the President’s visit, she says “We are delighted that the President of Ireland has accepted our invitation to join us for the organisation’s forty year celebration. We view his attendance as recognition of the sector and the value of Irish-medium schools to society”
If you wish to register for the Conference, please contact Gaelscoileanna Teo. at 01 8535195. All information on the Conference can be found at www.gaelscoileanna.ie. Gaelscoileanna Teo. wishes to thank Foras na Gaeilge for providing the funding to organise this conference.
Scéal Ghael-Linn
November 19, 2013
Gael Linn are celebrating 60 years of work this year and will close this commemorative occasion by launching Scéal Ghael-Linn on Thursday, 21 November 2013.
The organisation was founded in 1953 by Dónall Ó Móráin, Riobard Mac Góráin and Séamus Mac Crosáin to encourage new Irish language ventures and to demonstrate the effectiveness of funded language promotion to the Government. Gael Linn continues to promote Irish language and heritage projects more than ever now after sixty years.
The history of Gael Linn has been compiled by Mairéad Ní Chinnéide and includes the various projects undertaken by Gael Linn over the years such as the An Damer theatre which was based on Stephen’s Green and was central to the Irish language social calendar in Dublin from 1955-1976, films Mise Eire and Saoirse, Gael Linn agri-industry projects in Galway and Donegal and the timirí who would collect money every week around the country on behalf of the Gael Linn pools.
Educator and author Fionnbarra Ó Brolcháin will launch Scéal Ghael-Linn in the John Field in the National Concert Hall, Dublin on Thursday, 21 November 2013, at 6.15pm.
Foilsithe ar Gaelport.com
Allowances granted by Department of Arts, Heritage and Gaeltacht
November 19, 2013
As we approach the end of the year, it is encouraging to see that Minister of State in the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Dinny McGinley, still has a few coffers left with many grants announced over the past week or two.
Among funding grants awarded were:
- €10,164 to Scoil Chuimsitheach Chiaráin in addition to a previous grant of €70,000 awarded for refurbishing work on tarmacadam at and around the school.
- €8,395 awarded to Coiste Forbartha Dhobhair Teo to purchase equipment for Ionad Naomh Pádraig.
- €35,304 to Comhairle na Mumhan (GAA) in support of activities run through Irish in Gaeltacht schools over the academic year 2013/14.
- €2,085 awarded to Meánscoil San Nioclás, An Rinn, Co. Waterford, to enable them to purchase curtains, lights and stands for the school hall.
- €23,436 awarded to Coiste Meitheal Oibre Chill Éinne for improvements to dressing rooms at Cill Éinne football pitch.
Comhdháil Náisiúnta na Gaeilge will soon be penning their letter to Dinny na Nollag, setting out our wishlist for 2014. If you have any suggestions for this letter, feel free to leave a comment in the discussion panel below, or to send us an email at eolas@gaelport.com.
Foilsithe ar Gaelport.com
Stage 2 of New Funding Model
November 19, 2013
Gaelport.com reported last week that the first shortlist under the new funding model had been selected by Foras na Gaeilge.
It is understood that 15 applications were received in the first stage of this process. Other media have reported that 13 applications were received by organisations who are currently core-funded by Foras na Gaeilge, with two applications being received by external parties, but this has not been verified by Foras na Gaeilge.
A meeting was held last Friday, between Foras na Gaeilge and the organisations whose expressions of interest in stage 1 were successful. These organisations must now prepare a substantial submission before 6th December 2013.
During the course of the meeting, the organisations were made aware that a committee has been selected to judge the applications. This committee will include two members of Foras na Gaeilge senior management, one Foras board member, and an external consultant on language planning. An independent adjudicator will oversee the process to ensure best practice is employed. Foras na Gaeilge representatives at the meeting referred to potential conflict of interest but siad that the normal rules in relation to conflicts of interest could not be put into practice for this process, as to do so would disqualify each member of Foras na Gaeilge senior management from taking part in the adjudication process.
Further shortlisting will apply before Stage 3 of the process. Chairpersons and Heads of those organisations who are deemed successful in Stage 2, will receive an invite on or before 23rd December 2013, to attend an interview between 6-8 January 2014. Organisations who are unsuccessful in Stage 2 of the process, will be informed of this on or before the 23rd December, and will have six months to wind down their organisations before their funding is cut completely.
As an integral step in the process, Foras na Gaeilge informed organisations on 25th July 2013, that a Consultant in Change Management would be made available for all of the 19 core-funded organisations in autumn 2013 to aid them in the process. At Friday’s meeting, An Foras announced that the appointment of this consultant would now not take place until January 2014, a point when the lead organisations will already have been chosen.
Members of An Fóram, (a group which comprises 80% of those organisations currently core-funded by Foras na Gaeilge) have written to Ministers from both sponsor departments expressing their opinion that it would be more sensible to employ an expert in change management to assist the organisations prior to Foras making their final decision. As Foras na Gaeilge have indicated they themselves were not the cause of the delay, An Fóram has written to the ministers of the sponsor departments asking them to ensure the process as set out on 25th July is employed in entirety, in accordance with best practice.
Foilsithe ar Gaelport.com
Roll the dice for Ireland’s first board game festival
November 19, 2013
Organisers are feverishly planning three days of tournaments, workshops and have-a-go sessions which will feature just about every board game you’ve ever heard of — and then some.
The board game extravaganza will take place in more than 18 venues in the West Cork town of Clonakilty and will feature everything from backgammon, to chess, chess as gaeilge, Monopoly, Scrabble and Where’s Wally.
The organisers, who are this week putting the final touches to a special website on the event, also promise an Inventor’s Corner — Neil Crowley, inventor of Crooks; and Clonakilty resident Murray Heasman, the inventor of the award-winning game Tara will attend the festival which is scheduled to run from February 7 to 9, while Una O’Boyle, the Irish chess champion will be available to meet fans, and is scheduled to give some chess tutorials as gaeilge.
“It’s a nice indoor, family fun event and February is a very quiet time of year, so we thought it would be good to have something cheerful happening around then,” said Miriam Cotton, one of the organisers.
The festival is the brainchild of board game fans and local business people, Phil Newton and Karen Moroney of Clonakilty Business Solutions. Phil recently started the Clonakilty Backgammon Club which, after just four months, is already the biggest in Ireland.
“We want to flag the fact that the festival is happening,” explained Ms Cotton.
“Our intention is to make it an annual event but at this stage, we have no way of knowing how popular it will be, though there seems to be a lot of enthusiasm about it already.”
She said: “Lots of board games will be represented — all the major ones and there will also be a centre with games that would not be as well-known, like Carcassonne.
“Some board-game players, for example in chess, bridge or backgammon, take it very seriously, while others just like playing the games for fun, and although we do our best it’s not about prizes or championships, more about family fun.
“We want to begin generating interest in the festival now in the hope that people will note the event in their diaries and make a commitment either to come along or to get involved. The festival is a free event, organised by volunteers so we need all of the support we can get!”
www.irishexaminer.com
Gaelscoileanna Teo. celebrating 40 years
November 18, 2013
‘From evidence to excellence’ to be discussed at annual Eagraíocht na Scoileanna Gaeltachta Teo. & Gaelscoileanna Teo. on 22 and 23 November 2013.
All areas of Irish medium education to be discussed on 22 and 23 November 2013 at the annual Eagraíocht na Scoileanna Gaeltachta Teo. & Gaelscoileanna Teo. conference on 22 and 23 November 2013.
The annual Eagraíocht na Scoileanna Gaeltachta Teo. & Gaelscoileanna Teo. conference will take place in the Johnstown House Hotel, Enfield, Co. Meath, on Friday and Saturday, 22 and 23 November 2013.
This annual conference is open to anybody associated with Irish medium education, teachers and principals from both primary and secondary levels in particular, and a series of lectures, focus groups and workshops takes place over the weekend.
This year will see Gaelscoileanna Teo. celebrate 40 years of work and President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins will attend the official opening of the conference on Friday as part of the celebrations.
Chief Executive Officerof Gaelscoileanna Teo., said, “We are delighted that the President of Ireland eagerly accepted our invitation to join us for the organisation’s forty year celebration.
We welcome this recognition of the importance of the sector and the value of Irish-medium schools to society, and their role in implementing the 20-Year Strategy for the Irish Language”.
The conference will focus particularly on the implementation of the Literacy and Numeracy for Learning and Life 2011 – 2020 Strategy and Irish-medium schools’ highly effective approach in cultivating Literacy and Numeracy skills in students through immersion education.
Workshops, expert groups and sessions with representatives from the Department of Education and Skills will discuss the big issues of the day from language planning, immersion education, maths, the marketing of schools, the influence of school panels and pre-school bilingual education.
Gaelscoileanna Teo. CEO explained that “The Education Conference 2013 is an opportunity for the organisation and for Irish-medium schools to celebrate the substantial ongoing growth and development of the Irish-medium schools. When the organisation was founded in 1973 there were 12 primary schools and 5 post-primary schools in the country; and now, with 144 and 36 schools respectively, it’s evident that they’re in great demand and held in high regard as an educational institution that provides an excellent standard of education and enables a high level of competence in Irish”.
For more information and for registration details visit www.gaelscoileanna.ie.
Foilsithe ar Gaelport.com
