Public meeting regarding the establishment of an all-Irish secondary school in Mayo

A public meeting and sharing of information regarding the campaign to establish an all-Irish secondary school in Castlebar, Mayo's county town, will take place on Wednesday, February 22, in the Linenhall Arts Centre at 7 p.m.

The evening will involve contributions from guest speakers and presentations which will describe the progress of the campaign to date, the advantages the school will bring to local young people, and the plans to advance the campaign to achieve objectives.

Castlebar is home to Gaelscoil Raifteirí, a highly successful Irish language primary school that delivers excellence in educating and developing the skills of students through Irish. Although established in 1983 as the first Gaelscoil in the county, there has never been a follow-on option for students to continue their immersive Irish language education at secondary school level.

Such is the case too for pupils of Gaelscoil na Cruaiche (Westport), Gaelscoil Uileog de Búrca, (Claremorris), and Gaelscoil na gCeithre Maol (Ballina).

Equally, there is no Irish language secondary school outside of the Gaeltacht areas for students of any primary school who wish to embark on their secondary school education through our native tongue.

The campaign to establish a Gaelcholáiste will ensure that young students from Castlebar and the surrounding towns and villages can access excellence in the provision of secondary education through Irish.

Everyone is encouraged to attend. The event is free but booking is advised as seating is limited. For reservations, log on to www.thelinenhall.com or call (094) 9023733. Further information is available by emailing gaelcholaiste.mhaigheo@gmail.com.