West Cork children face 160km daily commute for Irish-speaking secondary education

More than 600 Gaelscoil pupils have no local option to continue second-level education through Irish after primary school

When students complete primary school and wish to continue their education through Irish, they must travel to Gaelcholáistí in Ballyvourney, Ballincollig or Carrigaline.

Children in West Cork who want to continue their education through Irish at second level have no choice but to undertake daily round trips of up to 160km, as there is currently no Irish-medium secondary school in the region.

At present, there are four Gaelscoileanna (Irish-speaking primary schools) in Bandon, Clonakilty, Skibbereen and Oileán Chléire (Cape Clear Island), with an estimated 625 pupils attending them.

However, when students complete primary school and wish to continue their education through Irish, they must travel to Gaelcholáistí in Ballyvourney, Ballincollig or Carrigaline.

Fianna Fáil councillor Deirdre Kelly raised the issue at a recent meeting in County Hall, saying this places children who want to continue their education through Irish at a distinct and unfair disadvantage.

“So, for example, if a child in Skibbereen was accepted into a school in Carrigaline for second level education this would involve a 160km roundtrip,” Ms Kelly said.

She pointed out that a lobby group recently undertook a survey to assess demand for an Irish-speaking secondary school in the region. As well as receiving responses from Bandon, Cape Clear, Clonakilty and Skibbereen, it also received responses from the Beara Peninsula, Dunmanway, Rosscarbery and Schull.

She said that if a child from the Beara Peninsula secured a place at the Irish-speaking secondary school in Carrigaline, the daily commute would total 266km.

“Aside from the from the fact that a Gaelcholaiste (Irish-speaking secondary school) is desperately needed in West Cork region for the current Gaelscoileanna pupils if it were in place, it would encourage schools that are even further away to continue learning in the Irish medium,” Ms Kelly said.

Ms Kelly also pointed out that the council's County Development Plan (CDP) forecasts a 20% increase in the population of the West Cork region by 2034, meaning demand for such a facility is likely to grow.

Fianna Fáil councillor Gillian Coughlan, who is chairperson of Cork Education and Training Board (ETB), said the most suitable location for a new Irish-speaking secondary school would be Clonakilty.

She plans to formally propose at next Monday's Western Division meeting that the local authority write to the Department of Education and Youth and Education Minister Hildegarde Naughton, urging them to implement the relevant commitments contained in the council's County Development Plan.

The plan already identifies the lack of an Irish-medium secondary school as a gap in educational provision across the region.

Ms Coughlan is also seeking for the department to identify a suitable site in West Cork, purchase it and fund the construction of the new secondary school.