Kerry students recognised for efforts to promote Irish language outside the classroom
The students, hailing from Castleisland Community College, Gaelcholáiste Chiarraí Tralee, Pobalscoil Chorca Dhuibhne and St Brigid's Secondary School Killarney, were honoured at a ceremony at Mary Immaculate College in Limerick this week.
The students were involved in committees which organised initiatives to promote the Irish language in their schools.
These initiatives included an Irish language tech workshop, an art competition, a céilí, set dancing, singing workshops and a treasure hunt.
St Brigid's Secondary School was also awarded a special prize 'Is maith an scéalaí an aimsir' for particularly outstanding work inspiring other schools with their creative ideas on social media. This award was revealed as a surprise during the presentation of flags.
The Kerry students received flags for their schools in the eleventh year of Gaelbhrathach, which is a national scheme run by Gael Linn that encourages primary and secondary students to speak Irish outside the classroom.
A total of 130 flags have been awarded to post-primary schools this year – almost double the figure from last year. Flags were awarded in recognition of students' efforts to inspire and empower their school communities to speak Irish.
Edel Ní Bhraonáin, bainisteoir gaelbhratach said the initiative gives young people of any age or background the opportunity to use and develop their Irish language skills outside of the traditional classroom setting.
'The programme aims to put the student voice at the centre of their learning through the Gaelbhratach committee. The student-led committee plays a central role in guiding Gaelbhratach initiatives throughout the school year, empowering students in Kerry to take active ownership of their language use and learning while promoting Irish in meaningful, self-directed ways,' Ms Ní Bhraonáin said.
'The scheme is going from strength to strength, with 65 schools being awarded a flag for the first time this year. It's inspiring to see young people's growing passion for the language. The most rewarding part of the scheme is hearing feedback from both students and teachers about how they've woven the language into their daily lives and the positive impact it has made.'
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