What is a Gaelscoil na gCloch Liath?

Gaelscoil na gCloch Liath is an all-Irish primary school that was founded in 2008 by a group of parents (bunchoiste) under the patronage of Foras Pátrúnachta na Scoileanna Lán-Ghaelacha. The bunchoiste met in 2007 in order to fundraise and create an awareness of the need for a gaelscoil in Greystones.

During the summer of 2008 the school took on a life of its own with the employment of Múinteoir Eoghan as Teaching Principal and Múinteoir Rita as a class teacher. All the while the site and the building were being tirelessly work on by the hard-working team of builders in order to complete the project by 1st September. The keys of the school were handed over on 29th August 2008 and the parents busily organised the setting up of our temporary accomodation in the Educate Together school until the second school building was complete. This followed shortly on 10th October 2008.

All their hard work came into fruition in September 2008 when our doors opened for the very first time with a total enrolment of 24 children between Junior Infants (17), Senior Infants (2) and 1st Class (5). The Board of Management was set up in November 2008 followed shortly by our Parents' Association. All of these partners in education worked and continue to strive to ensure that Gaelscoil na gCloch Liath provides all its pupils with a high standard of Education through Gaeilge while providing the school with all the resources required to perform this task to our best ability.

In September 2009, our numbers doubled with the intake of 26 Junior Infants. By the end of September 2009 we had 52 children enrolled in the school with classes as high as 2nd Class. With the arrival of the new children came our new teacher Múinteoir Daithí and our part-time Learning support teacher, Múinteoir Louise. We hope to have 87 children by September 2010 thus ensuring us a new class teacher and a full-time Learning support teacher.

We are a school in which all subjects are taught through Irish in an attractive encouraging environment. We use Immersion education to ensure that the children gain proficiency in Gaeilge as early as possible. English is not taught until the second term in Senior Infants. Irish is the language of the school community, between children, teachers, management and parents. The children are fully developed through a wide ranging complete curriculum. The gaelscoil functions under the normal rules and regulations of the Education Departments both in the North and South of the country.

Our school is going from strength to strength, as is the children's Gaeilge. We are very thankful to all who contribute on a daily basis to encourage and promote the positive attitude which creates in our school a happy, welcoming learning environment.

Why should I send my child to a gaelscoil?

Your child will learn Irish through music, play, gestures and rhymes. They will enjoy learning the language and they will be proud to be able to speak it.

International research shows that being bilingual helps intellectual and cognitive development.

Children who are bilingual can often have enhanced self esteem.

Children who speak Irish understand their own cultural identity as Irish citizens and as Europeans. There is a better chance that they will understand and respect people of other races and cultures who speak different languages.

Being bilingual will help your child learn a third and a fourth language when they are older.