Fun ‘as gaeilge’ at Coláiste Eoin camp
Iúil 30, 2013
OVER 100 kids enjoyed a ‘Gaeltacht at Home’ recently as Colaiste Naomh Eoin held their first summer Irish camp in the grounds of Colaiste na hInse in Bettystown.
Two two-week courses ran during July catering for a wide range of students aged between 8 up to 18 and both courses were a huge success.
Students had formal classes in the morning with sport, activities and arts and crafts in the afternoon.
For the younger pupils, it was a chance to have fun with Irish, according to principal Nuala Uí Cheallaigh, while the Leaving Certificate students had the opportunity to hone their oral skills ahead of next year’s exams.
‘For the junior kids it was about the love of the language and developing their vocabulary for day-to-day interaction while the Leaving Cert classes spent time improving their oral skills, which is particularly important now as their oral work counts for 40% of the points.
‘It was all done through Irish with a focus on using Irish through fun so it really was a Gaeltacht at home,’ said Ms Uí Cheallaigh.
She said students travelled from as far afield as Annagassan, Malahide and Rush to take part in the courses as well as from Drogheda and East Meath.
‘We had five Ceilís on over the course and I was amazed that all these kids would go home and still come back, even from as far away as Rush, for the Ceilí evey evening at 7.30 p.m.
All the students really enjoyed the course and it really was a huge success, ’ said Ms Uí Cheallaigh, who is from the Dublin Road and had been principal of the Colaiste Naomh Eoin Irish School in Ashbourne before the opening of the Bettystown camp.
‘It was my idea to open it here, I know from living in the area that the demand was there and people would often ring looking for help with Irish for their kids. People really want to improve their Irish and it was amazing to see the difference, particularly in the Leaving Cert students, they absolutely loved it and you could see their confidence growing as each day went on.
‘We have loads of kids already looking to come back again next year, it was a great success and it is here to stay.’
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