Gaelcholáiste an Phiarsaigh opened its doors for the first time on Tuesday, August 26th. The new Gaelcholáiste is located in Loreto Abbey on the Grange Road in Rathfarnham.
“They say ‘Patience is rewarded’; the Gaelcholáiste community has been very patient but excited about this historic day,” said Joe Mac Suibhne, the school’s principal.
“Credit is due to the school’s founding committee, to the school patron, An Foras Pátrúnachta, to the Department of Education, to the design team and also to the builder Seán Ó Dúill from CTS Construction for the great refurbishment work which has been done to the building.”
It was a lovely Tuesday when the principal and some of the teachers, An Múinteoir Fionnuala, An Múinteoir Pádraig and An Múinteoir Rachel welcomed the school’s first pupils as well as their parents and relations.
The school’s opening was also a source of great pride for the school’s Chairperson, Lorcán Mac Gabhann for the other members of the board who were present on the day.
The principal spoke about the importance of the occasion and the way in which pupils and the whole school community are on the threshold between the time that has past and the radiantly bright period still to come.
“The welcoming hall was named ‘An Tairseach’ on the day as a continuous reminder to the school community of the importance of the threshold, that plenty can be learned from history and of the need to move onto the future. This conserved school will have the most modern facilities,” said Mac Suibhne.
Caoimhín Ó hEaghra, General Secretary of An Foras Pátrúnachta, said: “There is a strong link between the Irish language and the Irish medium education in this area, with the Pearse museum just up the road, a place where Pádráig Mac Piarais ran Coláiste Éanna from 1910 to 1916. We are very happy to promote the Irish language and the Irish culture through this school for generations to come.”
Osclaíodh doirse Ghaelcholaiste an Phiarsaigh den chéad uair ar an Máirt, 26 Lúnasa 2014. Tá an Gaelcholáiste nua seo lonnaithe sa Mhainistir ar bhóthar na Gráinsí i Ráth Fearnáin.
“Faigheann foighid faoiseamh” a deirtear agus bhí pobal an Ghaelcholáiste thar a bheith foighneach ach ar bís ag fanacht ar an lá stairiúil seo,” arsa Joe Mac Suibhne, príomhoide na scoile.
“Tá creidiúint mhór ag dul do Choiste bunaithe na scoile, do phátrún na scoile, An Foras Pátrúnachta, don Roinn Oideachais agus Scileanna, don fhoireann deartha agus go háirithe don tógálaí Seán Ó Dúill, CTS Construction as an obair iontach athchóirithe atá déanta ar an bhfoirgneamh.”
Ba lá álainn an Mháirt inar chuir an príomhoide agus roinnt de na múinteoirí, An Múinteoir Fionnuala, An Múinteoir Pádraig agus An Múinteoir Rachel fáilte roimh na chéad scoláirí agus a dtuismitheoirí agus a ngaolta.
Ba chúis mhór bhróid a bhí in oscailt na scoile do Chathaoirleach an Bhoird, Lorcán Mac Gabhann agus do chomhaltaí eile an Bhoird a bhí i láthair ar an lá.
Labhair an príomhoide faoi thábhacht na hócáide agus faoin mbealach a bhfuil na scoláirí agus go deimhin pobal iomlán na scoile ar an tairseach idir aimsir atá caite agus an tréimhse lonrach gheal atá le teacht.
“Ainmníodh ionad/ halla fáilte na scoile mar ‘An Tairseach’ le meabhrú do phobal na scoile de shíor go bhfuil tábhacht leis an tairseach, go bhfuil neart le foghlaim ón stair ach go gcaithfear bogadh ar aghaidh sa todhchaí freisin.Beidh na háiseanna is nua-aimseartha den scoth in úsáid sa scoil chaomhnaithe seo,” arsa Mac Suibhne.
Bhí an méid seo le rá ag Caoimhín Ó hEaghra, Ard Rúnaí ar an bhForas Pátrúnachta: “Tá ceangal láidir leis an nGaeilge agus le hoideachas lán-Ghaeilge sa cheantar seo, le hIarsmalann an Phiarsaigh díreach suas an bóthar, áit ar rith Pádráig Mac Piarais Coláiste Éanna idir 1910 agus 1916.Tá an áthas orainn ar fad an Ghaeilge agus an cultúr Gaelach a chur chun cinn tríd an scoil seo do na glúine amach romhainn.”