'At least they'll have someone to converse with': Only two pupils enrolled in new gaelcholáiste

Following the announcement of plans to transition Synge Street CBS to a gaelcholáiste in September 2024, ASTI president Donal Cremin said students, parents, and teachers had been 'ignored, bypassed and disregarded'. File picture: Sam Boal/Collins

Only two students have enrolled to attend the new gaelcholáiste at Synge Street in Dublin in September following a controversial decision to transition the famous secondary school to an Irish-medium institute.

The move was announced in 2024 in response to a campaign for a dedicated gaelcholáiste in the area amid criticism that there had been “zero consultation” with parents or teachers.

Incoming pupils will be taught through Irish in first year from September, while the school’s existing 250 students will continue at Synge Street CBS as English-medium education is phased out.

More than 100 people attended a demonstration outside Leinster House last February, demanding a timeline from the Government for the opening of the new gaelcholáiste.

Campaigners have also called on the Department of Education to purchase a former monastery building beside Synge Street CBS for €3.75m due to fears that the existing school would have insufficient capacity to meet demand.

However, the Edmund Rice Schools Trust (ERST), which is the patron and trustee of the school, has confirmed that only two students have enrolled for the new term in around nine weeks’ time.

“To date, two students have enrolled for the gaelcholáiste at Synge Street for next September and a Gaeilge-only section of the school is being created over the summer for these students,” said a spokesman.

“The students commencing this autumn will be fully supported in learning and socialising as Gaeilge.” 

Asked about the low level of enrollment for the upcoming semester, a spokesperson for the Association of Secondary Teachers (ASTI) reiterated its call for the transition to be paused to allow for consultation on what is best for the school and wider community.

The father of a student at Synge Street, who spoke on condition of anonymity, expressed relief that a second child had decided to enroll in the new gaelcholáiste in recent weeks.

“Last I heard, there was only one, and we were wondering if they were going to have to talk to themselves in order to become proficient in the Irish language. At least now, they’ll have someone to converse with,” he said.

“On the bright side, the new Irish-medium school is going to have the best pupil-teacher ratio in the country.” 

Synge Street CBS is one of the country’s most famous post-primary schools, counting many celebrities, political figures, and sports stars among its alumni. It has been referred to as “the Eton of Ireland”.

For a period in the 1970s, both the taoiseach and president — Liam Cosgrave and Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh — were Synge Street alumni, while RTÉ icons Gay Byrne and Mike Murphy have also passed through its doors.

Other previous attendees include former finance minister Richie Ryan, former Formula 1 boss Eddie Jordan, and Ireland international footballers Don Givens and Andy Reid.

Following the announcement of plans to transition Synge Street CBS to a gaelcholáiste in September 2024, ASTI president Donal Cremin said students, parents, and teachers had been “ignored, bypassed and disregarded”.

He said the transition had been a “unilaterally imposed decision”, and called for consultation.

The spokesman for the ERST said the trust “has been and is fully supportive of the school’s decision to transition to a gaelcholáiste”, adding that it was “delighted” there was already interest in 2027 enrolment.

“In this context, it’s worth noting that the school’s lán Gaeilge summer camp (for fourth, fifth, and sixth class students) is over-subscribed,” he added.

The Department of Education did not respond to queries.