Gaelscoil Oilibhéir - looking for information

Mary28

My husband and I would like to send our son to a Gaelscoil if possible.
Does anyone have any feedback on Gaelscoil Oilibhéir in Coolmine?
Does it have a decent reputation?
Anyone with personal experience of it on this forum?
We live in Ongar so will we be able to send our son there? Does it enroll from a catchment area or how does it's enrollment policy work?

Any information or advice welcome.

Nevyn

If you get in touch with the school they can send you out a copy of thier enrollment policy.

Mary28

Thanks Thaedydal.
I only seem to have time to think about these things at the weekend. I'll get in contact next week.

Gaspode

We had our children there for a few years, and while it was Ok, when we had an issue with the behavior of a particular teacher, the school didn't want to know and closed ranks to protect her. We were very disappointed and upset with this as it didn't inspire any confidence in the ability of the school to protect our children.
The standard of education is high though, and if your child likes Irish dancing they're away in a hack!

suey71

And if you and your husband both speak Irish your also away in a hack, but if you's don't speak Irish, then your not in a hack:D.

I heard its impossible to get your kids into this school if you don't pass the oral examination. And its not your kids that are tested but you.:eek:.

But I heard its a popular school.

Gaspode

Well when ours went there there was no oral examination for the parents or the children!
I'd check with them on their policy OP if I were you.

I would have liked to have mine stay in that school, as other than the particular incident I mentioned, I didn't really have many complaints about the school.

jane17

My eldest son attended school there for 8 years.Very high acedemic standard but I would feel very traditional old fashioned approach to learning.

Skyhawk1990

Ex-student here. I left about 6-7 years ago. Looking back the eductaional standard was good. However, I found that the main focus in the school was maths, irish and religion(that takes up a good bit of time around communion and confirmation times as can be expected). English and history wasn't done that often. And don't really remember other subjects being taught. Once I was in fifth and sixth class we were given the option of doing french after school. PE is done once a week. They also have football and hurling teams as well. The hurling is getting off the ground at the minute while the football team hasn't won anything since I left!:P There was also irish dancing lessons once a week as well but I think these have died down/stopped as there were many complaints against the teacher from us and from other students since. [mods if you feel you have to remove this last comment feel free]

The teachers there were good and I'd get on well with them if I met them on the street or whatever (yes I was a good boy in school:p). My brother just left the school last year and had a teacher that taught englidh through irish, no joke. I used to joke about it when I went into secondary but he experienced it. That teacher is a one off really so I wouldn't be too concerned.

Now being honest it has been a while since I was there and this most likely have changed. I did all higher throughout my time in secondary so take from that what you want and most others did well for themselves in secondary as well. But in all fairness, what you put in is what you get out at the same time.

Also I think that the irish interview for parents was gotten rid of years ago but I am for to correction on that

littlebitdull

(I am Gaspode's wife so he has covered some of what I may have said. )

The advantage of attending the irish language school for our children has been to open their minds to other languages. My daughter has studied French, German and Japanese in secondary as well as maintaining the high level of Irish she gained from S.O.

When I attened for the interview for our children to attend the school it was conducted via english and we still got a place. In both our childrens classes there were students whose parents were from the UK - so they had no Irish at home. But they did fine.

When we had our kids there the enrollment forms were available from just after the october midterm break and you enrolled for the following school year. So the forms would be from this Oct 2010 for school year starting 2011. They also had a cut off of 4 by February of the school year - so my son only started at 5.5 years.

Mary28

Thanks a million for the replies everyone. I have a big genuine interest in Irish for lots of reasons, I think it's important for cultural reasons and I also think it's very good to have a second language, any language, all the better for it to be our native language.
I've plenty of proven interest which will hopefully go in my favour - I repeated Irish for the leaving myself just 3 yrs ago, I've just finished a 2 yr postgrad which had Irish as a subject and I'm starting a 2 yr diploma in Gaeilge in September. I was in the Gaeltacht last summer and my husband has been a few times. I'm not fluent by any means, I'm better at writing it than speaking but I'm improving. I know my son can learn Irish in any school but I'd love for it to start strong at an early age and for it to be second nature for him as it's always been such a slog for me, it never came easy and my parents had a bad attitude towards it.

I still haven't been in contact with the school. I get busy in work and find it hard to make calls during the day time. I was half afraid I'd ring and they'd speak Irish to me and I wouldn't understand them and make a tool of myself. I feel better about calling them now and am happy with everyone's experiences of the school so thanks a million again for all the responses.
Mary

Gaspode

The school wont speak to you in Irish when you ring unless you initiate it by talking in Irish yourself!
Also, you'd be amazed at how much the Irish comes back to you when you are surrounded by it. I'm no gaelgóir by any means but I held my own talking to the teachers there, and helping out with homework.

Toto Wolfcastle

Mary28 wrote: »

Thanks a million for the replies everyone. I have a big genuine interest in Irish for lots of reasons, I think it's important for cultural reasons and I also think it's very good to have a second language, any language, all the better for it to be our native language.
I've plenty of proven interest which will hopefully go in my favour - I repeated Irish for the leaving myself just 3 yrs ago, I've just finished a 2 yr postgrad which had Irish as a subject and I'm starting a 2 yr diploma in Gaeilge in September. I was in the Gaeltacht last summer and my husband has been a few times. I'm not fluent by any means, I'm better at writing it than speaking but I'm improving. I know my son can learn Irish in any school but I'd love for it to start strong at an early age and for it to be second nature for him as it's always been such a slog for me, it never came easy and my parents had a bad attitude towards it.

I still haven't been in contact with the school. I get busy in work and find it hard to make calls during the day time. I was half afraid I'd ring and they'd speak Irish to me and I wouldn't understand them and make a tool of myself. I feel better about calling them now and am happy with everyone's experiences of the school so thanks a million again for all the responses.
Mary

As you have Irish yourself, if your son does attend the Gaelscoil you should keep an eye on his grammar. I have no experience of this particular school but have plenty of experience of teaching kids in secondary school who attended a gaelscoil and who had terrible grammar in Irish.

littlebitdull

You may also wish to consider sending your child to a Niaonra. There is still one in the community centre in Blanchardstown Village - behind the church. Its there monday to thursday mornings.

Flimbos

OP - there's a Naionra in Blanchardstown village, there is also one in Ongar as far as I know, you'd need to have your child enrolled in one to have a chance. But from what I know about Scoil Oilibheir it is very difficult to get a child in. There seems to be a very closed policy. Siblings and children of teachers are prioritised, which is fair enough, but this year that meant there were about six places remaining. And the interview process is still there. But I know at least two teachers from other schools in recent years, with fluent Irish who have not been able to get their child in.

So I'd say go ahead and apply by all means, but definitely have a plan 'b', I'd look to the Gaelscoil in Dunboyne or even Leixlip.

kmccormack

I went to Scoil Oilibhéir for 8 years and I have to say it was absolutely fantastic! It's not necessary for your family to have fluent irish to get in. There is no "Oral Test" for parents, what the school is looking for is an interest with the parents in putting time into their children's education and not just putting them into a school. I got an amazing education there as I am now an honour student in my final year at secondary school, and I attribute Scoil Oilibhéir with giving me the skills to being confident in facing this final year. I don't agree with another user who said that they focus on Irish, Maths and Religion. We were taught all subjects equally, English, Irish, Maths, History, Science etc.There is a large focus on religion as this is a catholic school. I left the school 5 years ago and every time I go back or see any of the teachers it's like being welcomed home, the school is like one big family. I am still very close with fellow students who went to different secondary schools after graduation in sixth class. So, I highly recommend parents to send their children to Scoil Oilibhéir.

brightkane

Sorry to bump an old thread but is still relevant.

Anyone know what secondary school it feeds into?

eimsRV

If you are looking to continue education in irish for secondary, then Colaiste na Tulchann has started as Irish-medium Unit based within Luttrellstown Community College in D15. I believe its started this year about about 40 pupils.

brightkane

Thanks for that. Does it have an actual feeder school or is it back to catchment for them?

eimsRV

I don't know. My daughter is in the Gaelscoil in Tyrellstown, but we've a few years before we decide on secondary.