Laois school launches annual Language Scholarships

Portlaoise College has announced the launch of its annual Language Scholarships. 

The scholarships offer students valuable opportunities to deepen their Irish and modern foreign language skills.  The programme, which sees the school fund a substantial portion of each scholarship, is also supported by significant funding from Laois and Offaly Education and Training Board. 

Scholarships cover placements at Cholaiste Mhuigh Eo for the Gaeltacht and at ELC Colleges for modern foreign languages.

This year brings a notable development as Spanish has been added to the scholarship programme for the first time. The decision follows the introduction of Spanish to the Junior Cycle curriculum, with the school’s first Junior Cert Spanish class now in place.

Director of Schools with LOETB, Linda Tynan, attended the launch and expressed her support for the initiative and its growing reach.

Portlaoise College Principal Noel Daly said the expansion reflects both student interest and the college’s commitment to providing meaningful language experiences.

“We are delighted to broaden our scholarship offering this year with the inclusion of Spanish,” he said. “Languages open doors in so many ways and we want our students to have every chance to develop confidence, cultural understanding and real enthusiasm for learning.”

The scholarship initiative continues to attract strong interest from students who are eager to immerse themselves in Irish or study a modern foreign language in a native-speaking environment. With Spanish now joining French and German, the scholarships will appeal to an even wider range of learners.

Applications for this year’s scholarships are now open, and the school encourages students to apply by scanning the QR Code on the poster or clicking the link on their Google Classroom and making an application.