Pupils march their way to new school
August 29, 2013
It was a long, long, road which, in the end, culminated in a short walk that brought a town to a standstill. People lined the streets of Clonakilty , Co Cork, yesterday to cheer hundreds of pupils as they walked from a rented school to a new, state-of-the-art €3.17m home.
A gaelscoil was founded in the West Cork town in 1994 and, since then, pupils and staff had a fairly nomadic life. Yesterday represented their seventh and, hopefully, final move. Gaelscoil Mhichíl Uí Choileáin is named in honour of locally-born General Michael Collins, the state’ s first finance minister.
Among the teachers is Lorna Ni hAoda who had been a pupil at the gaelscoil in 1996. “At the time, we were in a house in Emmet Square. We had three classrooms and no proper facilities. There was no hall and a tiny yard. The facilities here are amazing. It’s absolutely beautiful. It’ s like all our Christmases have come together,” she said.
Principal Carmel Nic Airt, meanwhile, was the first teacher to launch the gaelscoil with 20pupils. “At one point, from 1999 to 2009, we were in a field with 29 prefabs. There was damp everywhere and, every weekend, we had to spray the walls to get rid of the mould, ” she said. “Now we have 12 mainstream classroom, three ASD (Autistic Spectrum Disorder) units, four support units, basketball courts and a soft surface play areas for autistic pupils. If you were to write a wish list for a school this has everything and more. ”
The pupils vacated the school’s last leased accommodation, at The Waterfront yesterday, walking behind a garda escort provided by local gardaí Liam Ryan and Keith Prendergast. As they strode through the town, people spilled out of shops and clapped them all the way to their new home at Fernhill Rd on the western side of the town.
Parent Carmel Brennan described it as “a wonderful and historic day”. She said some of the conditions pupils had endured over the years “were less than ideal”. As the children entered the school, they gave ‘high fives’ to curate Fr Eddie Collins. They then sang the national anthem and raised their own
school flag. Relatives of General Michael Collins, including grandnephew Maurice Collins, grandniece Fidelma Collins and great grandniece Muirenn O’Sullivan, were among the guests of honour. She told pupils Collins would be very honoured to have the school named after him.
To cap the occasion, Timothy Crowley, who runs a local Michael Collins Interpretive Centre, presented the school with a small replica statue of the great man. It’ s a miniature, but an exact copy of a seven-feet high sculpture, unveiled by actor Liam Neeson in the town’ s Emmet Square 11 years ago.
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Is Leor Beirt ar ais i gCeatharlach!
August 27, 2013
Doors to 11 new schools set to open
August 27, 2013
Tears flowed for infants and parents parting at the classroom door for the first time, but they are not the only ones marking new beginnings this week.
The doors to 11 new schools will swing open over the coming days in response to the latest baby boom. These are newly established schools, separate to new buildings that may be occupied by existing schools. Among them are seven primary schools taking in their first infant classes, five in Dublin, and one each in counties Cork and Kildare. There are two new Galway second-level schools and one each in Dublin and Meath. All 11 are multi- denominational schools under the patronage of Educate Together, local education and training boards (formerly vocational education committees), or An Foras Pátrúnachta. Many are in temporary premises until new purpose-built schools are ready to occupy, but they will only be enrolling infant or first-year classes each year, so it will be a number of years before they all need to have permanent full-capacity accommodation.
The largest new primary school is the Rochestown Educate Together National School in the southside suburb of Cork. It will eventually have a 24-classroom school although it will not be completed this year. But the infant class has already had a taste of what lies ahead in their temporary home at the Douglas Hall soccer club grounds. A play day for incoming pupils at the weekend gave children and parents a chance to meet each other and their teacher Noirín Moore. “The children were very excited to see where their new school will be. We look forward to meeting them all for their first day of school on Thursday, and having a cup of tea or coffee with the parents to mark this special occasion in the lives of their family,” said principal Alan Sheehan. While there are no faith-based schools opening this year, two new denominational second-level schools are set to enrol their first students in 2014. Education Minister Ruairi Quinn announced a year ago that a Church of Ireland school is to open in Greystones, Co Wicklow.
A new school will also open in a year’s time in the Mulhuddart/ Tyrellstown area of Dublin under the patronage of Le Chéile Schools Trust. The eight other second- level schools set to open in Sept 2014 include three all-Irish schools, in Carrigaline, Co Cork, and Balbriggan and Dundrum in Dublin. An all-Irish unit is to be attached to a new school opening in Maynooth, Co Kildare, with the prospect of it becoming an independent Gaelcholáiste if enough enrolment interest is shown in the first four years.
www.irishexaminer.com
Sharp rise in numbers enrolling for primary school
August 27, 2013
Tóin ag titim amach as an Ghaeilge mar ábhar GCSE
August 27, 2013
Irish language party in Guildhall Square
August 26, 2013
Details of the second birthday bash for a drive to get as many people as possible speaking Irish by 2015, have been announced.
In January the Sentinel reported how the Líofa (fluent) party would take place in Londonderry this year. Breithlá Líofa 2012 will be a free event in Guildhall Square on Sunday (September 8) from 1pm to 4pm. It’s now been announced Fearghal Mac Uiginn will host the party, which will feature performances from Gweedore songstress Aoife Ní Fhearraigh, traditional collective Sontas, and acclaimed Scottish singer Maeve Mackinnon who will be joined by Ross Martin and Angus Lyon. Last year Líofa’s first birthday, which took place in Custom House Square, Belfast, attracted criticism from Traditional Unionist voice (TUV) MLA Jim Allister as it cost upwards of £17k.
But Líofa supporters claim the drive has been used to bring communities together, not least at a major cross-community event in Londonderry organised by the Grand Orange Lodge and the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). The organisers of the the forthcoming party are inviting everyone to come along whether they can speak Irish or not. There will be traditional music from Ireland and Scotland, children’s activities and fun for all the family, the organisers say.
www.londonderrysentinel.co.uk
Dream fulfilled as Clon gets purpose-built gaelscoil
August 26, 2013
It is the long-awaited fulfilment of a dream for many families and teachers in a West Cork town.
On this Wednesday, students and teachers will march through Clonakilty town to a new, purpose-built gaelscoil. At 10.15am, they will assemble for the last time at the school’s leased classrooms in the Waterfront Buildings on Clarke St. From there, they will leave on foot, walking through the town centre to the new state-of-the-art Gaelscoil Mhichíl Uí Choileáin on Fernhill Road at the western end of Clonakilty. School principal Carmel Nic Airt said the walk should take approximately 20 minutes. “On arrival, there will be a ceremonial raising of the school flag at the new building,” she said. Furthermore, local historian Tim Crowley and wife Dolores, who run the Michael Collins Centre, will present one of a limited series of miniature statues of Michael Collins — similar to a seven feet monument erected at Emmet Square.
The miniature will be on display at the new Gaelscoil building. Ms Nic Airt said that a member of Michael Collins’ family will also be present at the occasion, as will the Mayor of Clonakilty, Phil O’Regan.
Gaelscoil Chloch na gCoillte, as it was first known, started in Sep 1994 with Carmel Nic Airt as its only teacher in charge of just 20 pupils. “Over the years it has moved half a dozen times to rented buildings in various locations around Clonakilty town as pupil and staff numbers grew,” This week, the new term will witness more than 265 pupils and 25 staff move into the new building.
www.irishexaminer.com
Highland Council unveils Gaelic schools map
August 23, 2013
Áiseanna ar logainm.ie
August 22, 2013
DFP staff received ‘Irish’ promo memo
August 19, 2013
ERSTWHILE Finance Minister Sammy Wilson said he didn’t approve the circulation of a free Irish language translation service number for public sector workers amongst his Department in April.
But he said staff at the Department of Finance and Personnel were informed of the helpline’s existence. Mr Wilson said his personal approval was not required but the circular was sent out as it represented value for money. Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) Jim Allister asked the Minister whether he approved the circulation of the document “Courtesy Translation. Re:Freagra – Irish Language Helpline/Gaelchultúr” to departmental staff, and if so, why. Mr Wilson replied: “My officials were notified of the existence of this free helpline in April 2013 and in the interests of value for money advised staff of its existence. There was no requirement for my approval.”
Gaelchultúr was established in 2004 with the aim of promoting the Irish language and various aspects of Irish culture, including music, song and dance, in Dublin and other parts of Ireland. Since 2005, it’s been providing specialised Irish language training to public sector bodies.
www.londonderrysentinel.co.uk
Foilsithe ar Gaelport.com 19 Lúnasa 2013
Londonderry Sentinel – Kevin Mullan
