Tá DVD leath uair  againn den ócáid ar fad agus ta súil againn go mbeidh sé le fáil tríd na Scoile a bhí ag glacadh páirt.

Agallamh le Fergal Uí Riain ag pléigh an feachtas ar Radio na Gaeltachta.

An interview with Fergal on Radio na Gaeltachta about the campaign

€213m of Education budget still unspent

Remember that our Gaelcholáiste will cost about €1.5-2m at most. That’s eh… 0.24% of the total budget or 1.7% of the savings made this year.

Ah no, that’s way too much.

Chonaic muid inné nach bhfuil an t-easpa airgid an fáth nach bhfuil aitheantas faighte againn don Gaelcholáiste ón Roinn. Tá an t-eileamh ann, an pátrún ann, an foirgneamh ann, anois tá an t-airgead ann. Cén fath nach bhfuil an scoil ann fós?

Yesterday we saw that the lack of money was not the reason that we haven’t yet received recognition for the new Gaelcholáiste from the Department of Education. The demand is there, the building is there, now the money is there, why isn’t the school there yet?

Tuileadh eolais/More information
“Calls to approve capital projects”
“Minister urged to use unspent €396m on school projects”

We all had great fun at our Football Blitz in Naomh Eoghan’s Broadford Road pitches. We were particularly happy to see the growing friendship between players from different schools who were on the same team in our competition. We hope that they will get the chance to increase this friendship in the Gaelcholáiste. (Go here for the remainder of the post in English)

Bhí slua maith páistí, tuismitheoirí agus muinteorí ann, ag baint taitneamh as an gcéad lá grianmhar don bhlian beagnach, agus chur sé sin go mór leis an t-atmaisféar don ócaíd.

Cé go raibh sé orainn limistéar a chuir ar an méad páistí a raibh in ann glacadh páirt (níos lú ná leath na ranganna) bhí níos mó ná 70 páistí ann ag an lá. Is cinnte go dtaispeánann sé seo an méid éileamh atá ann do Gaelcholáiste nua.

Ba mhaith linn ár mbuíochas a rá arís leis na príomhoidí, na muinteoirí, na tuismitheóirí, an coiste agus na caillíní agus na buachaillí go léir as ucht tacaíocht.

Ní Coláiste nua go cabhair

The candidates were treated to a colourful and good natured display from the children from our local primary level Gaelscoileanna wearing our “an bhfuil cead againn dul go dtí an Gaelcholáiste?” t-shirts which ask for them to be allowed continue their education through Irish at second level.

Senator Alex White (Labour)

Senator Maria Corrigan (Fianna Fáil)

At the event we pointed out that there had been a huge increase in the number of students attending Gaelscoileanna in the area:

The students from the various Gaelscoileanna were very enthusiatic about the opportunity to come together in a new Gaelcholáiste after Rang a Sé

Since 2001 there has been a massive increase in the number of children attending Gaelscoileanna in South Dublin. While 93 students graduated from 6^th class in 2001, there were 183 leaving the same schools in 2009. There will be a projected 203 pupils leaving 6th class from the six Gaelscoileanna in this area in 2011. That represents a 226% increase since 2001. There has been no corresponding increase in the provision of second level places teaching through Irish. Where exactly will the additional students go after ‘Rang a Se’?

Elizabeth Davidson (Green)

Shaun Tracey (Sinn Féin)

We have shown that there is enough demand to fill a 350 pupil secondary school in South Dublin twice over. We have a suitable building available here which will cost at most €3million to refurbish to the appropriate standards. This is relatively very little in comparison to the €20million or so which a standard 350 pupil-school built on a green field site would cost. This refurbishment need not be done all at once, but can easily take place on a rolling basis where the cost could be spread over some three to five years as the student body expands: that puts a price tag of €575,000 per year over five years for the entire school.

We drew on the thoughts of Dr Finbarr Bradley to point out that linguistic diversity and innovation, which is seen as the only way out of our current economic difficulties, go hand in hand:

According to Dr Bradley in a recent publication by Iontaobhas Gaelscoilaíochta:

“This is why Irish-medium education is so crucial. In an innovation age, the Irish language is central to the development process, both north and south. It does this through its contribution to wholeness, integrity, civic responsibility, aesthetic sensibility and ecological concern.”

Councillor Aidan Culhane (Labour)

Councillors Pat Hand (Fine Gael) and Tony Fox (Fianna Fáil)

Up until now there has been a barrier placed in the way of the development Irish language education in this area. This barrier prevents the further development of the Irish speaking community in this area and it denies many of the children of Gaelscoileanna the right to carry on their Irish language education into second level. This barrier also stands in the way to the growth of modern, technical education…we ask that this barrier be removed by the sanctioning of the school by the use of a little imagination and forethought from the Department of Education which could sanction the opening of this school at relatively little cost to the taxpayer.

In attendance were parents and children from GS Thaobh na Coille, GS Chnoc Liamhna, Scoil Naithí and Lios na nÓg, Senators Alex White (Labour candidiate for Dublin South) and Maria Corrigan (Fianna Fáil), Dublin South Candidates Elizabeth Davidson (Green) and Shaun Tracey (Sinn Féin), Councillors Aidan Culhane (Labour), Pat Hand (Fine Gael), Tony Fox (Fianna Fáil) and Sinn Féin’s candidate for DLR County Council Oonagh O’Reilly.

Oonagh O'Reilly (Sinn Féin)

Thanks to all for the support

Ní coláiste nua go cabhair!

Bhí roinnt lucht tacaíochta an fheachtais ag an Seoladh Seachtain na Gaeilge ag scaipeadh an scéal.