Award for efforts as Gaeilge

PUPILS from both sides of the border have been recognised for their innovative efforts to promote spoken Irish in school.

President Mary McAleese turned up at Croke Park to honour the 16 schools who have used various mechanisms to encourage the use of Gaeilge and which each received and award worth €3,000.

The Gleo scheme, organised by Foras na Gaeilge, resulted in two primary schools and one second-level school from each region being selected for their best practice in promotion of the language. Among the award winners, some of the activities for which they were chosen included the use of signs and posters in Irish around the school, and Irish being used to teach subjects such as music, drama and physical education.

Other schools organised table quizzes and concerts through Irish, staged Irish classes for parents and arranged scholarships to the Gaeltacht, with some schools awarding prizes to pupils who speak Irish among themselves.

Mrs McAleese congratulated all the schools and students who took part. “I am delighted that this best practice is being shared amongst you, both in the North and the South, and that schools throughout Ireland and are learning from one another.”

Foras na Gaeilge chief executive Ferdie Mac an Fhailigh said the variety of projects undertaken and the level of innovation by the schools was extremely impressive. “We have every confidence that the Gleo scheme will make a very significant contribution to converting the interest in the Irish language into more regular and active use of the language in our communities in the years to come.”

Mr Mac an Fhailigh said the president’s attendance at the ceremony testifies to the value of the awards scheme, which was first run by Foras na Gaeilge in 2006.