Gaelcholáiste

A Gaelcholáiste is a secondary level school in Ireland, both in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, outside Gaeltacht areas, where Irish is the primary language of teaching and communication.

Gaelscoileanna and Irish language-medium schools in the Gaeltacht are supported and represented by Gaeloideachas and also by An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta & Gaelscolaíochta or COGG

Gaelcholáistí are supported and represented on a practical day-to-day basis by Gaeloideachas (who also support Irish-medium schools in the Gaeltacht) and are also supported and represented by An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta, whose name translates into English as The Council for Gaeltacht and Gaelscoileanna Education, or COGG.

There are 31 Gaelcholáistí and 17 second-level aonaid Gaeilge (Irish language units) on the island of Ireland attended by over 11,000 students. A further over 3,000 pupils are receiving their second level education through Irish in the Gaeltacht.

Northern Ireland

Irish MMA world champion Conor McGregor attended Gaelscoileanna at both primary and secondary level

Irish presenter and comedian Dara Ó Briain attended Gaelscoileanna at both primary and secondary level

Future Gaelcholáistí

An announcement from the Department of Education & Skills in 2012 ^[1] said that three new Gaelcholáistí were scheduled to open in September 2014: -

In 2015 Northern Ireland's second Gaelcholáiste Gaelcholáiste Dhoire opened in Dungiven Castle.

It is expected that a Gaelcholáiste will open in Maynooth servicing North Kildare in 2019 and there are several campaigns running for new Gaelcholáistí to be set-up in other parts of the island of Ireland also.

See also

• Gaelscoil

References