A PARENTS’ initiative to establish an Irish-speaking school for secondary students in Clonakilty is gathering momentum.

The vision is to bring together students from Clonakilty, Bandon, Cape Clear, Skibbereen, Dunmanway and beyond.

There are currently around 650 pupils in Irish education in the four towns and on Cape Clear, but the closest Irish secondary schools is in Carrigaline.

Aisling Ríordan, who is part of the initiative, said the drive for the school came about after parents saw a clear need for it and received backing from teachers and other parents.

‘It’s something that’s important to the government and we are trying to figure out how it’s going to work,’ she said.

‘This is not just for a clique of people but for anybody who would like to consider Irish as a medium of education.’

Ms Riordan pointed out that Clonakilty had an Irish unit teaching 90 students at Clonakilty Community College up to the early 2010s, but it was closed down without much consultation after a change of leadership.

Former principal of Clonakilty Gaelscoil, Carmel Ní Airt, and board of management member Traolach Ó Donnabháin have been campaigning for a Gaelcholáiste since 2019.

Organisers have assessed community interest and demand for their project through a survey of 500 people. Some 95% of respondents expressed their support for a local gaelcholáiste, and 80% said they would consider sending their children to the school.

The top five answers to the question why parents would want to send their children to a gaelcholáiste were: the benefits of Irish medium education, co-education in classes mixed of girls and boys, culture and wellbeing, academic standards and an inclusive, supportive environment.

And 90 people who took the survey said they wanted to be active in the campaign for the school, showing the parents group has struck a chord with many others.

A key element of the proposal is dedicated special education supports, enabling students with additional needs who have thrived in Irish-medium primary schools to continue their education in Irish at secondary level.

‘It’s particularly difficult for children with special needs to transition from an Irish-language school into an English school,’ said Aisling Ríordan.

The school would be open to children from all primary schools and gaelscoileanna, and from all nationalities and backgrounds.

Parent Neil Grant said his two children attend a gaelscoil in Clonakilty but there were limited options for them to continue their education in Irish at secondary level.

He added: ‘By having our kids in an immersive Irish school we are seeing them flourish and they should have the option to continue that.’