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Tag Archives: Gaelcholaiste an Chlair

GALLERY: Minister opens €12.5m extension at Ennis school

THE principal of Ennis Community College/Gaelcholáiste an Chláir has hailed the “greatly enhanced resources” available to students thanks to the school’s new €12.5 million extension. Minister for Education Norma Foley was the special guest last Friday of Limerick & Clare Education & Training Board (LCETB) to open the state-of-the-art development that has added 4,500 square metres of teaching accommodation to the school. The new building has three floors, with a range of specialist and general teaching spaces, along with an external area where students can play and socialise. As well as a significant number of new classrooms, the project also includes a new Science Lab, Home Economics room, Art room, Library and General Purpose Hall. Additionally, a full-size PE Hall, fitness suite and changing facilities have been delivered as part of the project. At the official opening the school’s principal Brian O’Donoghue said that it is many years since the idea for the extension emerged. “It began in 2010 when …

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Ennis students’ appeal as they take over SVP Charity Shop

ENNIS students are urging the public to help them become a ‘Secret Santa’ to those most in need in Clare. Transition Year students at Ennis Community College and Gaelcholáiste an Chláir joined forces with the St Vincent de Paul and next week they will be taking over the Vincent’s Charity Shop in Ennis. This is just one of a variety of actions the students are taking to support the St Vincent de Paul, with a clothing and food drive and a no-uniform day also planned. On Thursday, December 1 the Ennis teenagers will take on the entire running of the charity shop from 9am until 9pm, doing everything from manning the tills to managing the floor. And for those hoping to pick up some bargains ahead of the festive season, there are plans for a flash sale with up to 50% off items teacher Martina McNamara reveals. Ms McNamara explains that the theme of this year’s annual fundraising campaign by …

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Clare family counting cost of pursuing education through Irish

A MILTOWN mum-of-six is facing a bill of €200 per month so that her children can avail of their entitlement to be educated through the medium of Irish.  Erica Burke has been making intensive efforts, over the last 18 months, to secure school bus transport from the family home in Miltown to Gaelcholáiste an Chláir in Ennis, the county’s sole provider of secondary education through Irish.  The school is highly supportive of the family and has made every effort to accommodate the two children attending. Due to the schedule of public transport, the children, who are in first and second year, are unavoidably late, by at least half an hour every day. That has resulted in them losing out on what Principal Brian O’Donoghue estimates is four full school days to-date, through no fault of their own or their family. Mr O’Donoghue noted that the Gaelcholáiste is the county provider of secondary school education through Irish and “absolutely thrilled” to …

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Students have their fingers crossed with CAO offers imminent

STUDENTS across the county will have their fingers crossed this Thursday as the first round of CAO offers for college places are released. Among those are Ennis students Daniel Saunders and Emmanuela Moses who last week were delighted with their Leaving Certificate results. Daniel who was a student of Gaelcholáiste an Chláir is hoping to do an arts degree and study law at University of Galway. While Emmanuela of Ennis Community College has her heart set on Biotechnology at Maynooth University. Principal of both schools Brian O’Donoghue congratulated all of his students on the results of their exams, while reminding anybody disappointed that their school is there to offer support. “We are very proud of all of our students. Leaving Certificate results day is always a proud day for us all and we are delighted for all of our students.” He paid tribute to the hard work and dedication that the students have shown during a difficult two years due …

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Teenage takeover of Ennis this Sunday!

TEENAGERS are taking over the town of Ennis this Sunday for Discover Ennis Heritage Day. The free event this Sunday, April 3, has been organised by the Transition Year students of St Flannan’s College and Gaelcholáiste an Chláir in collaboration with Experience Ennis and Shannon Heritage. From 1pm to 5pm the town locals and visitors to the town will have the opportunity to experience an afternoon jam-packed with activities and live entertainment. Heritage activities will include historical reconstructions of spinning wool, churning butter, iron-age weaponry and strawcrafts. There will also be plenty of live entertainment including trad music, Irish dancing, face painting, and lots lots more.  Free student-led walking tours will leave the Chapel Lane Market Building on the hour from 1pm to 4pm. At 4pm in the Chapel Lane Market Building there will be story-telling for adults and children (over seven years of age) by the world-renowned seanchaí, Eddie Lenihan. This collaboration between the Transition Year students of St Flannan’s College and Gaelcholáiste an Chláir is …

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Clare students raise more than €4,000 for SVP

ENNIS students have raised more than €4,000 for charity, while also highlighting barriers to education which have left some youngsters ‘Locked Out of Education’. Gaelcholáiste an Chláir Transition Year students recently presented the St Vincent de Paul with a cheque for €4,259.45, the proceeds of a fundraising and awareness raising campaign last December. The campaign highlighted that many young people face being ‘Locked Out of Education’ because of rising rents and other costs while also raising funds for the St Vincent de Paul and was organised as part of their Young Social Innovators project. As part of their fundraising, the students camped out for a night at the school, and operated the St Vincent de Paul shop in Ennis for a day. Gaelcholáiste an Chláir Transition Year Co-ordinator Martina McNamara has expressed appreciation to all of those who supported the students in their fundraising efforts and awareness campaign. She explained that the students were moved to act when they discovered …

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Appeal to minister over secondary places

AN ENNIS principal has appealed to the education minister for a speedy conclusion to talks on the system of allocation of secondary school places in Ennis. In recent years, there has been an unprecedented demand, with some schools receiving more than twice as many applications as available places. As Minister Norma Foley visited Gaelscoil Mhíchíl Cíosóg this week, Príomhoide Dónal Ó hAiniféin availed of the opportunity to highlight the issue. He said the stress of trying to secure a place gave the “wrong impression” of secondary school as students were making a key transition out of primary education. Referring to an ongoing consultation process, which was developed in response to the controversy, Mr Ó hAiniféin expressed the hope that it might soon be brought to a successful conclusion by the autumn. “For children in sixth class, it gives the totally wrong impression,” he said. “I’m certain the secondary schools will benefit from the positivity that will come from this, and …

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Gaelcholáiste An Chláir win social innovator award by highlighting poverty through SVP shop initiative

AN Ennis school was honoured at the Young Social Innovators of the Year Ireland (YSI) Awards for its positive impact in helping to create a more equal, fair and sustainable world. Picking up the‘Fun-raising’ award, the team from Gaelcholáiste an Chláir, was recognised for its Poverty is 24/7’ project. This award recognises teams that have brought awareness and raising funds in for a cause in an innovative way. The Gaelcholáiste an Chláir students organised a fundraising event last December in which they took over the running of a local St Vincent de Paul Charity shop for 24 hours to help communicate a message that poverty is 24/7 while also raising funds for SVP. The 16 members of the 4GC class at Gaelcholáiste an Chláir completely managed the Vincent’s shop on Parnell Street for 24 hours offering a Christmas shopping experience with a difference. The students, with the support of teacher Martina McNamara, raised more than €5,500 in funds for the …

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