Méid an Téacs

Pupils make history at Gaelcholáiste

Meán Fómhair 15, 2014

THE first intake ever of first years into an Irish language secondary school in Fingal is complete and the initial 26 students are settling down to their work at Coláiste Ghlór na Mara in Balbriggan.

After a six-year battle to open a Gaelcholáiste in the town for the first time, the school finally opened its doors in temporary accommodation at Ardgillan Community College last week.

Now that the dust has settled on that historic opening, students are getting down to work and enjoying their new surroundings, and no doubt proud of the fact that they belong to a small club of less than 30 students who will always be able to say they were the first to be educated through Irish at secondary level in Fingal.

At the helm of the new school is Aoife Elster, who spoke to the Fingal Independent as the new school opened its doors.

The Gaelcholáiste will consist of six classrooms, a science laboratory, a learning support unit, art room and a staff room as well as a general purpose area.

Aoife is joined by six other newly appointed teachers, who together will offer pupils an extensive curriculum and choice of subjects – all as Gaeilge.

Ms Elster said it felt ‘great’ to open the first Gaelcholáiste in Fingal. She said: ‘It’s great for the students and their parents and for the community that we can now continue the great work of local Gaelscoileanna here and local children don’t have to travel anymore to continue their education through Irish.’

The school principal said that it was also ‘exciting, on a personal level’ to be involved in the opening of the new school – the second time she has been involved in such a project, as a founder member of a similar school in Kildare.

In 2016, the Gaelcholáiste will move to a 1,000 pupil new build, which will be located adjacent to the new ring road, in order to cater for the 880 pupils already enrolled.

Fingal Independent

Gaelscoil Bhaile Brigin takes part in Euroball

Bealtaine 26, 2014

Using the powerful unifying force that can be sport, a school in Balbriggan has worked with schools in several other countries around Europe to invent a new ball game and the culmination of this two-year project has ended with a tournament in the new sport in Galway.

Over the last two years, Gaeilscoil Bhaile Brigín has been involved along with a school in Loughrea as the Irish representatives on a Europe-wide exchange scheme that has come up with a new sport called Euroball.

The Balbriggan school has been involved in all kinds of educational, sporting and cultural exchanges over the last two years with schools in Hungary, Bulgaria, Turkey, Spain and Croatia and according to school principal, Clodagh Ní Mhaoilchiaráin, the whole experience has been invaluable for both the students and the teaching staff at the school.

She said: ‘It absolutely has been worthwhile. It’s provides us with an opportunity to visit other schools in other countries and have teachers share their expertise and learn from each other and to educate the students on the cultural and linguistic differences between the different countries.’

Out of all of this co-operation has come the sport of Euroball, a ball sport that combines elements of all kinds of other ball sports like soccer, volleyball, Gaelic Football and even Aussie Rules. The sport is all-inclusive and provides for not only cross-cultural participation but also allows boys and girls to compete on a level playing field and also able-bodied competitors alongside disabled team-mates.

As the school principal spoke to the Fingal Independent last week, the Balbriggan school had hosted their foreign visitors before they all set off for Galway to compete against each other in the final climactic tournament of Euroball.

It is a two-year Comenius project, funded by Leargas and it has involved the entire school in Balbriggan in one way or another and contributed to a huge amount of awareness and new understanding of their European neighbours.

Congratulations goes to everyone at the school involved in the project for a very successful and educational couple of years and the new sport it has given to the world.

John Manning, Fingal Independent

Coláiste Ghlór na Mara sa Fingal Independent

Lúnasa 7, 2012

Gaelscoil recognised for anti-litter work

Iúil 9, 2012

IT WAS a proud day in Gaelscoil Baile Brigin as they raised their first ever Green Flag for reducing litter and waste in the school. The flag was raised by outgoing Fingal mayor, Cllr. Gerry McGuire, and Balbriggan Town Council Cathoirleach, Cllr. Larry Dunne. Members of the Green Schools Committee, the Green Schools Co-ordinators, parents and teachers came out to see the flag raised outside the school. The Gaelscoil put a lot of hard work into getting the environmental achievement award from An Taisce. The whole school had to carry out a review of the waste generated in the ground. The challenge was to reduce the litter and waster in the school. A Green Schools Code was introduced and an action plan was created. At lunchtime, food was not allowed outside in the playground. The pupils took home all the rubbish from their lunch, where their parents could divide the waste into the brown bin, green bin and black bin. The pupils learned about the environment and the ways of reducing litter and waste in class. There were huge improvements in the school environment thanks to the committment of the staff and students. From September, the school will start work on attaining a second Green Flag for Energy.

FINGAL INDEPENDENT

Balbriggan set for new Gaelcholáiste school

Eanáir 3, 2012

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Balbriggan Gaelcholáiste could solve capacity crisis

Bealtaine 20, 2011

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