New Gaelcholáiste in Dundrum – Gaelcholáiste an Phiarsaigh
November 1, 2011
For the past five years a committee made up of parents from local Gaelscoileanna (Irish language primary schools) has been campaigning for the establishment of a new Gaelcholáiste (Irish language secondary school) in South Dublin. We are delighted to inform you of the good news we thought we would never hear that the proposed Gaelcholáiste will open in Dundrum in 2014. The suggested name for the school, which is likely to be based at Sydenham Road in Dundrum Village, is “Gaelcholáiste an Phiarsaigh” in honour of Pádraig Pearse, an innovative educator and founder of the first Irish language school in 1908 which subsequently moved from Cullenswood House in Ranelagh to St. Enda’s Park in Rathfarnham in 1912 where it served the community until 1932. Confirmation of the establishment of Gaelcholáiste an Phiarsaigh was received in a Departmental letter following an official statement from Ruairí Quinn, Minister for Education and Skills during the summer of 2011.
We offer all of the parents, pupils and teachers who demonstrated such vocal support and contributed enormously to the success of the campaign our heartfelt gratitude for helping us to reach this significant milestone in the provision of genuine choice in education and the promotion and support of the Irish language in the south of our city.
While we are disappointed for the children in 6th and 5th class this year who were hoping to be able to attend the Gaelcholáiste, we are delighted that children from 4th class and onwards will now be able to avail of the choice of a top class second level education that the new Gaelcholáiste will offer. Children leaving our local Gaelscoileanna will, from 2014, have access to an improved choice of Irish language secondary schools and for many families this will be the first time they have had a genuine opportunity to seriously consider second level education through Irish for their children.
Department of Education rules about the establishment of new schools mean that the patron of the school will be chosen on a competitive basis. Co Dublin VEC has been the committee’s patron of choice since 2005 and have been extremely supportive of our campaign. The VEC will be applying to become patron of Gaelcholáiste an Phiarsaigh and we believe that their unique combination of experience, access to resources and state funding places them in a position of strength in the selection process. The hundreds of letters of support from parents, pupils, and existing local schools along with all statements of support from local community groups and public representatives have recognised that Co. Dublin VEC was to be the school’s patron and we will be communicating this fact to the Department in a letter from the committee in support of the VEC’s application. It is expected that prospective patrons, including Co. Dublin VEC, will be issuing information to schools and parents regarding the new Gaelcholáiste in the coming weeks and a general meeting has been proposed for November 29th at a location yet to be determined.
Over the coming months and up to 2014 we intend to run a number of sporting and cultural events for the students currently in 4th class in all of the local Gaelscoileanna. We hope that this will help to generate the inter-school network of friendships which will serve as the foundation for the sense of community necessary to put the Gaelcholáiste on a strong initial footing. We will contact you with further details as events draw nearer and, as ever, all assistance in helping to organise and run the events will be most welcome.
Is sinne le mór-mheas,
Coiste Bunaithe,
Gaelcholáiste an Phiarsaigh,
Dún Droma
