Mol an Óige an Tiocfaidh sí!!!
This year’s two week Coláiste Charn Tochair has, yet again, been very successful summer college. Over 130 nursery and primary school children from all over South Derry attended the college. The college was the perfect setting for young Irish speakers to meet other Irish speakers and for non-Irish speaking children to learn a “cúpla focal” or a song or two.
Coláiste Charn Tóchair 2010
The college’s aims were to promote the Irish language through the medium of fun and to raise its awareness of our native language in the local area. Week one was conducted completely through the medium of Irish which 75 children from all of the Gaelscoileanna in South Derry attended. An amazing 55 children attended the bilingual week (Week 2) during which both Irish and English were the everyday vernaculars.
A young, well trained and motivated staff was on hand to deliver interesting and stimulating workshops such as art, song and dance [traditional and modern], team building tasks, sport, board games, environmental studies and adventure trips. These workshops were not just designed for the children to experience fun and achievement but also for encouraging them to use and develop their social, thinking, creative and leadership skills all through Irish.
The highlight of week 1 was a visit to Ardclinis near Ballycastle where the children participated in various activities all conducted through the medium of Irish. During the second week environmentalists Pól Mac Cana and Deaglan Ó Doibhlin visited the college and took the children on a nature walk around the large garden adjacent to the college. The children observed and learned names of local plants and insects that live in near-by trees and pond and all of this conducted at appropriated levels through Irish and English. The children learned how to break dance from dance instructor Tura – a young man from Zimbabwe, with fluent Irish. All of the children really enjoyed these dancing sessions.
The feedback from the children and parents has been very positive. One child said “Bhí sé ar dóigh, bhí na tascanna uilig iontach suimiúil”. A parent of a child said that “I’m amazed of how quickly she [her daughter] learned so much Irish in just a week”. We are already looking forward to next year’s Coláiste Charn Tóchair which promises to be bigger and better.
The Summer College coordinator, Seán Mac Giolla Fhiondáin would like to thank the children, parents and all of the staff for their support during the past two weeks. He is very grateful to Foras na Gaeilge for funding Coláiste Charn Tóchair this year once again.
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