Laois school with a Grá for Gaeilge wins national award

Laois students have been recognised for their grá for Gaeilge after a year spent brushing up their Irish speaking skills.

Students from Timahoe National School have been presented with a Gaelbhratach (Irish flag) at a ceremony in Roscrea,  Tipperary, for their promotion of the Irish language.

Their big effort had included holding a weekly school assembly through Irish, creating podcasts and art projects among other activities set up and run by the school's student committee.

The school announced their success on their website.

"Chuaigh an coiste gaelbhratach go dtí Ros Cré chun gaelbhrarach a bailiú. Bhain muid an taitneamh as an lá.

"The Gealbratach Committe travelled to Cistercian College Roscrea for the Gaelbhratach Award Ceremony. We received a flag in recognition for all our work in learning Irish through games, assembly and comhra, etc. 

"Foras na Gaeilge organised a fantastic day of fun for the children and all through Irish. They had a treasure hunt, a tug of war, dodge ball, the floor is lava and much more. We ended the day with ice-cream," the committee said.

Run by Gael Linn, ‘Gaelbhratach' is a national initiative that encourages primary and secondary school students to speak Irish outside of the formal classroom setting. Over 70 flags will be awarded to primary school students across Ireland - the most awarded in any one year. Flags are awarded in recognition of their efforts to inspire and empower their school communities to speak Irish.

Barry Ó Siochrú, the first full-time Irish language officer in the Students' Union, University of Galway, was the MC for the event and Niamh Ní Chróinín, TV presenter at TG4, presented the flags to students.

Niamh Ní Chróinín, TV presenter at Cúla 4, TG4 presented the flags.

“I was excited to present the Gaelbhratach flags on behalf of Cúla4 at the award ceremony this year. Congratulations to all the dedicated students who are using Irish in such fun and exciting ways. Being able to speak Irish has brought me so many opportunities and it is so encouraging to see so many young people engage with the language. The Gaelbhratach scheme is a fantastic way for students to take charge of their own use of the language, bring it into everyday life and make it enjoyable.”

Edel Ní Bhraonáin is Bainisteoir Gaelbhratach. 

“We are delighted to award primary school students from Laois with a Gaelbhratach. Gaelbhratach gives young people of all backgrounds the opportunity to use and develop their Irish language skills in an interactive and non-traditional way. The programme aims to put the student voice at the centre of their learning through the Gaelbhratach committee. The role of this student-led committee is to direct the Gaelbhratach activities throughout the school year - empowering students in Laois to take ownership of how and when they use their Irish.

“We have new schools hoping to join the scheme each year and it is inspiring to see young people’s passion for the language. The most rewarding part of the scheme is hearing feedback, from students and teachers alike, on how they have integrated the language into their everyday lives and the impact it has had.”

Gaelbhratach is an Irish language scheme focused on promoting Irish in primary and secondary schools around the country. Each year, Gaelbhratach organises the post-primary Gaelbhratach Awards Ceremony to celebrate the significant contributions made by teachers and students around the country towards the promotion of the Irish language in their schools.

Further information about the Gaelbhratach scheme is available here.

Gaelbhratach is a reward scheme, run by Gael Linn, which is open to schools across the country at both primary and post-primary level. Schools are recognised for their efforts in promoting the active use of Irish outside of the ‘rang Gaeilge’. The focus is on linking the language with activities the students enjoy such as music, sport and art and creating regular opportunities to practice through adapting daily routines to include more Irish. Gaelbhratach is funded by Foras na Gaeilge, the Department of Education and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media through the National Lottery and Straitéis 20 Bliain don Ghaeilge.