{"id":1010,"date":"2014-06-01T12:20:28","date_gmt":"2014-06-01T12:20:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/inisironmeain.com\/gaeilge\/?page_id=1010"},"modified":"2018-03-25T22:49:42","modified_gmt":"2018-03-25T21:49:42","slug":"preas","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/inisironmeain.com\/gaeilge\/preas\/","title":{"rendered":"Preas"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Dublin girl finds her place on Inis Me\u00e1in<\/h1>\n

After winning a scholarship to spend transition year in the Gaeltacht, Joy Flaherty loved island life so much that she\u2019s staying for Leaving Cert. Here she recounts a week in her life<\/p>\n

\"http:\/\/www.irishtimes.com\/polopoly_fs\/1.1573178.1382719117!\/image\/image.jpg_gen\/derivatives\/box_620_330\/image.jpg\"
\nJoy Flaherty<\/span><\/p>\n

Monday
\n<\/span>I\u2019m 16 years old and in sixth year at Col\u00e1iste Naomh Eoin, on Inis Me\u00e1in, in the Aran Islands. I started school here the September after my Junior Cert and went straight into fifth year. Before coming here I went to John Scottus School, a fee-paying school in Donnybrook, Dublin. I really liked it, and I only ever planned to leave it temporarily, for transition year, to improve my Irish.
\nIt didn\u2019t work out like that, and island life grew on me. The year on the island was so worthwhile academically that it served as my fifth year, a common occurrence among students who come to Inis Me\u00e1in for transition year. I didn\u2019t have to think twice about coming back for sixth year.
\nWhen the idea of coming to Inis Me\u00e1in was suggested to me first, I was sceptical. To spend an entire school year away from home \u2013 and not just away from home but on a small Irish-speaking island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean? No thanks. But I thought about it a lot and talked it over with my friends and family. I have two older brothers, David and Eoin, who are in college and who I miss a good bit when I\u2019m away. Both of my parents thought moving here was a great idea and completely supported it, although my mam gets a bit sick of being the only girl in the house.
\nIrish had always been one of my favourite subjects, but the idea of being almost completely independent of my parents for a whole year was probably what tipped it for me in the end. The Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht run a scholarship scheme, so I completed the application form, did the interview and was offered an accommodation scholarship.<\/p>\n

My adventure started there and then. This island has attracted great scholars, including\u00a0John Millington Synge<\/a>, William Butler Yeats, Lady Gregory and Patrick Pearse. They were influenced by island life and folklore, as well as learning Irish. That set the bar for my ambitions.<\/p>\n

Tuesday
\n<\/span>I was woken up on Tuesday morning by one of my room-mates getting up early for Irish traditional-music lessons. I really relish these leisurely mornings, because last year my Tuesday mornings started with a chemistry class before school, an option offered to those who take it as an extra subject. I took up construction studies for the first time in fifth year, as it wasn\u2019t offered in my last school.
\nCol\u00e1iste Naomh Eoin has only 28 pupils, with just eight in the senior cycle, and the small size of the school really comes in handy.
\nIn the first week of term the entire school went on a bonding day trip to Galway. We went kayaking on Lough Corrib, using NUIG\u2019s facilities, and then to a big sports centre called Pure Skill. It really helped to break the ice with the new students. By the time we got back to school we were all a lot more comfortable with one another. In such a small school, one person can affect the entire dynamic.<\/p>\n

Wednesday
\n<\/span>Going to school here is completely different from Dublin. You always feel so safe here. The idea of having an alarm on your house or even locking your front door would be laughable \u2013 completely different from having to watch your handbag as you walk around Dublin city. I found it a bit difficult to settle in at first. Not that I was homesick, as such: more that I have always lived in the city. You can jump on a bus into town after school or stay the night at your friend\u2019s house. I\u2019m too busy for that here.<\/p>\n

\n

\"runireland.com\"<\/a><\/p>\n

High Jinks on de Island<\/h2>\n

Peter Delmer<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Peter<\/p>\n

Inis \u201cIron\u201d Me\u00e1in is a tough or tougher if you take in the dunes, 10k(ish) run around the island, which was held on Sunday for the fourth year running. The event is organized in aid of Col\u00e1iste Naomh Eoin, the island\u2019s school. One of our newest Athenry AC members, Sinead Foran, took part again this year and wrote a race report for your reading pleasure.<\/p>\n

The Annual Inis \u201cIron\u201d Me\u00e1in 10k\/11km race is a fundraiser event for the secondary school on the island and has been run in mid-November for the last few years; (this is the fourth one). The focus is on fun running and word-of-mouth for entry, although Sonia O\u2019Sullivan has taken part the last two years!<\/p>\n

A group of friends and I, including fun runners and some more serious runners alike, arrived at Rossaveal just in time for the boat, which has become the place of meeting and greeting for the Inis \u201cIron\u201d Me\u00e1in 10K runners. We got the calm crossing we were hoping for and arrived on Inis Me\u00e1in with just enough time for the pre-race cup\u00e1n tae and scones provided by Padraic and Treasa at \u2018An D\u00fan\u2019. Then on to the halla for registration, where the atmosphere is completely laid back and fun! It\u2019s definitely the fun factor that brings runners back and back to this event on Inis Me\u00e1in.<\/p>\n

A bit of a warm-up and after a quick pre-race briefing from race co-coordinator Lorcan O\u2019Callarain, there was nothing left to do but go to the start line. Weather conditions were pretty unbelievable for November, very still, mild and even a little warm! We were off! This year, the race was led by David Campbell, who narrowly missed the Olympic qualifying time for the 800m in Beijing this year. The first 2k of the course was fairly manageable, though I was now bemoaning Treasa\u2019s pre-race scones, one small hill and on through the meandering boreens until we came to the fork in the road that divided the road run from the beach run. Having originally signed up for the road run, I changed my mind at the last minute and went for the beach run which has traditionally been the most challenging part of the course. We picked our way up and down the dunes and finally onto the beach, where relief quickly replaced any initial apprehension about this part of the course.\u2026. the tide was out a good respectable distance, the sand was nice and solid and it was, thankfully, not too tough this time \u2013 it\u2019s also the first time I managed to appreciate what an amazing beach it is!<\/p>\n

Roughly 2K of beach running later, we were off the beach, back on the boreens and free to enjoy the rest of the charms of this particularly pretty run, complete with islanders carrying bales of hay on pushbikes, residents lining the route at their front doors cheering the runners on. Others provided random and multiple water stops and lots of enthusiastic support.<\/p>\n

I had forgotten how tough this 10K is! A lot tougher though I\u2019m sure for the runners pushing buggies! Lots of hills follow, big and small, nothing though compared with the almost vertical hill at 8k, help! This required more hiking than running to be honest and I was seriously glad to get to the top where we were greeted by yet another water stop and more enthusiastic supporters there to see us through the final kilometer. It was pretty much downhill from there, fairly undemanding and straightforward for the rest of it, right to the finish line!<\/p>\n

Winners were David Campbell in 1st place and approximately 10 mins ahead of his rival for the men\u2019s (around 36 minutes for a very challenging 11km) and a great run by Athenry AC\u2019s Elaine Walshe coming in 1st place for the women\u2019s race. Elaine was positioned 8th overall, finishing in around 47 minutes. Official times are still to be released.<\/p>\n

Back in the halla we were greeted by a fantastic, much appreciated array of refreshments \u2013 all kinds of pastas, sponsored by Magnettis, soups and sandwiches and a great variety of desserts \u2013 making specific reference here to the great lemon meringue! All compliments of the island residents who as per the other years, made us feel so welcome during our stay on the island. Fancy dress themed \u2018the letter P\u2019 followed later and included great outfits such as \u2018peas in a pod\u2019, pineapples, a potted plant, playboy bunnies, Papa Smurf and even special guest appearances from Pamela Anderson and Sarah Palin! So the entertainment, as predicted, really did look after itself and partying went on into the early hours.
\nThe Inis \u201cIron\u201d Me\u00e1in\u2019 course doesn\u2019t get any easier but the craic certainly gets better and better!<\/p>\n

\n

\"Aran<\/a><\/p>\n

Inis \u201cIron\u201d Me\u00e1in 2009<\/h2>\n

By\u00a0ld<\/a>\u00a0on\u00a0September 30, 2009 2:30 PM<\/abbr><\/p>\n

\"LoranA 10 kilometre run over winding roadways, rough terrain, sand dunes and beaches, is what it takes to compete in the \u2018Inis Iron Me\u00e1in\u2019. Every November since 2004, Inis Me\u00e1in hosts one of the most challenging athletic events in the country, a fact confirmed by regular participants such as Sonia O\u2019Sullivan and David Campbell (last year\u2019s winner). The 10 kilometre run was initiated by Lorcain O\u2019Callarain in 2004, the then Muinteoir i bhFeighil of Col\u00e1iste Naomh Eoin as a fundraiser for the new secondary school.
\nFrom late September onwards, the students and staff of Col\u00e1iste Naomh Eoin start preparations for the event. Entry fees must be recorded and acknowledged, the courses (crua agus f\u00edor crua) must be marked out, hot food for after the event has to be organised, maps are prepared, accommodation and restaurants are booked, 10k goody bags are packed and nightly entertainment is decided. This hustle and bustle radiates throughout the island and the whole community gets behind the school, making it one of the most anticipated events of the year.<\/p>\n

However, the weekend does not just focus on strenuous activity alone. It is a chance for friends to meet up and a fancy dress competition is held in the pub on the night of the 10k. Last year\u2019s fancy dress theme had to do with the letter \u2018P\u2019 which saw both islanders and mainlanders dressed up as Popeye, priests, pirates, pink ladies and pea pods!
\nHowever, to participate in the Inis \u201cIron\u201d Me\u00e1in you do not have to be a serious athlete. There is an easier shorter course and you can walk, jog or run. On behalf of Col\u00e1iste Naomh Eoin, we would like to extend much thanks to all of you on the mainland and on Inis Me\u00e1in who supported the event to date, making it an event to remember which goes from strength to strength every year.<\/p>\n

\n

\"Schooldays.ie\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Boarding Scholarships to the Aran Islands<\/h2>\n

Would you like a unique opportunity to study in a small Gaeltacht school?<\/h4>\n

\"StudentsColaiste Naomh Eoin, Inis Me\u00e1in, are offering a limited number of post-primary boarding scholarships to mainland students who wish to enrol in the school for part, or for the entire duration of their second level education. Col\u00e1iste Naomh Eoin is a thriving school boasting both an impressive pupil teacher ratio and a large selection of subjects taught through the medium of Irish to Leaving Certificate level.<\/p>\n

Inis Me\u00e1in, a renowned haven for learners, is one of Ireland\u2019s best preserved jewels where culture and heritage are concerned. Gaeilge, in its richest form is still the spoken language of the people and modern living co-exists with ancient traditions. Students awarded scholarships shall be housed with a Bean an T\u00ed for the academic year returning home for holidays and weekends.
\nSuccessful candidates are expected to have a reasonable command of the Irish language.
\nTapaigh an deis iontach seo chun do chuid oideachais dara leibh\u00e9al a fh\u00e1il i gceartl\u00e1r na Gaeltachta gan c\u00edos, c\u00e1s n\u00e1 cath\u00fa ort ar feadh na bliana!!<\/p>\n

As scholarship numbers are limited similar private boarding packages are also offered at reasonable rates.
\nFor further information and for Application Forms contact\u00a0Mair\u00e9ad N\u00ed Fh\u00e1tharta at 099-73991 during school hours\u00a0<\/span>or by e-mail at\u00a0cneoin@hotmail.com<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

\"irishtimes.com\"The Irish Times \u2013 Tuesday, October 12, 2010<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Fighting for a way of life<\/span><\/h2>\n

LOUISE HOLDEN<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Orlaith<\/p>\n

The 170 inhabitants of the Gaeltacht island of Inis Me\u00e1in fear they will lose their primary school, but principal\u00a0Orlaith Breathnach, who came to the island from Dublin with her two young children, is working hard to protect it. WHAT\u2019S YOUR IDEA OF THE PERFECT SCHOOL? How about a pupil-teacher ratio of one to two, a 100 per cent third-level transfer rate, total immersion in a second language and a view from the classroom of ancient dry stone walls winding down to the Atlantic Ocean? That\u2019s what\u2019s on offer to children on the island of Inis Me\u00e1in at its post-primary school Col\u00e1iste Naomh Eoin, which has 16 pupils and eight teachers (shared with other islands). Inis Me\u00e1in national school has nine pupils and two teachers. \u201cWe live our lives steeped in tradition and culture,\u201d says Orlaith Breathnach, principal of the school. \u201cWe have traditions here that I don\u2019t believe have survived anywhere else in the country. Our school curriculum is broad and colourful and always grounded in the cultural heritage of this island. The children absorb it so readily and love it. We had a Polish girl here for a year and she ended up getting a prize in the feis ceoil for her sean-n\u00f3s singing. The judges didn\u2019t even know she was Polish.\u201d<\/p>\n

Orlaith, from Dublin, spent 10 years of her working life teaching in a school in Ballinteer. She moved to the island in 1996. Why? \u201cA man, why else?\u201d she laughs, but admits that her friends and family looked askance at her decision. Orlaith was not a passionate Gaelgeoir and although she taught the subject as part of her job, she reveals that she sometimes regarded it as \u201ca waste of an hour\u201d.
\n\u201cI came out here without a thought \u2013 it was a big risk, I suppose. But I fell in love with the place and teaching here is completely different to my experience in Dublin. Back then I had to commit so much energy to discipline. In a large class you have to teach to the average student \u2013 you can\u2019t give much extra time to challenge the bright ones or support the weaker ones. Here, it\u2019s completely different. And teaching Irish is a joy \u2013 it\u2019s relevant to the children and they walk out the door and speak it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Walking out the door of Inis Me\u00e1in primary school is a pleasure in itself. Small-scale farming and fishing are the main industries here and these have made little impact on the landscape apart from the animals, the dry stone walls and the little currachs on the shoreline.
\nThere are very few cars on Inis Me\u00e1in \u2013 there is no regular car ferry \u2013 so the aural landscape is equally serene. With only 170 people living here year-round, this is a place without strangers.<\/p>\n

However, there is growing unease among the islanders. There are only five children enrolled at the school next year. Department of Education guidelines suggest that only one teacher can be assigned to every eight primary pupils, therefore the school will probably lose its second teacher. A one-teacher school is perilously close to extinction and the loss of a school is devastating for an island.
\nA number of young families have come to Inis Me\u00e1in in the last five years and there are at least two new islanders on the way. However, even though five children are enrolled next year, there could be only two the year after. \u201cIf we lose our school, then young families will not be able to stay here,\u201d says Marie-Therese de Blacam, who recently married an islander and moved here to set up Inis Me\u00e1in Restaurant & Suites. She is expecting their first child. \u201cIf we can\u2019t get kids to the island, that will have a domino effect on the population here. We have 170 now, 135 is the tipping point. Below that, the island is at risk of complete depopulation.\u201d<\/p>\n

De Blacam and Breathnach say it would be a tragedy to lose the human culture of the smallest Aran island. They are both determined to stay, but the school is central to their ambitions. Breathnach and de Blacam have come together with the principal of the post-primary school, Mair\u00e9ad N\u00ed Fh\u00e1tharta, to devise a strategy to save the school. \u201cThere are families all over the country with a passion for the Irish language who would love to spend a year or more here, educating their children and learning the language,\u201d says Breathneach. \u201cWe have asked the Department of Rural, Community and Gaeltacht Affairs to put in place a scholarship and resettlement scheme to attract families with young children to the island.\u201d<\/p>\n

A similar scheme is already running successfully in Naomh Eoin. \u201cWe have children in the post-primary school who have come here from other parts of Ireland on a scholarship that covers their living expenses with a Bean an T\u00ed, transport back to the mainland every fortnight and all their books and school costs,\u201d she explains. Some have paid to send their children to school on the island and at just over \u20ac4,000 for a year\u2019s tuition and board, the arrangement competes favourably with any boarding school. This scheme has been very successful \u2013 more than half of the students in Naomh Eoin are not islanders. However, this Irish College-style arrangement is not suitable for primary school students, who could only come to the island with parents or guardians.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe believe that there are many families in Ireland who could take a year to live here, or more, learn the language and give their children a taste of island schooling,\u201d says Breathnach. \u201cWe are hoping that the Department will see fit to fund a scholarship and resettlement grant that would bring people here. I know there\u2019s very little money to go around at the moment, but a handful of families would make all the difference to the future of Inis Me\u00e1in.\u201d
\nEven without a scholarship, Breathnach believes that a move to the island could be a viable option for some young parents.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a fantastic broadband connection here, most houses on the island are connected now. We recently had a Wall Street trader living and working on the island. There are planes to Galway every day and the boat crosses every morning and evening. Houses are available to rent at between \u20ac300 and \u20ac500 per month. Otherwise the cost of living is very low, but the standard of living is very high.\u201d
\nLife here is rich and rewarding, say islanders. Many artists, poets and musicians find their creative home here \u2013 a long tradition dating back to John Millington Synge, whose house you can visit. \u201cThis island has a culture all its own. The community is very close. We have our own musical and sporting traditions and events, we even have our own feast days \u2013 Br\u00eddeoig\u00ed and Ceapair\u00ed \u2013 which are thriving and unique to here\u201d.<\/p>\n

Breathnach, de Blacam and N\u00ed Fh\u00e1tharta are genuinely worried for the future of island life, and hope that by reaching out beyond the island they might secure a lifeline for their schools.
\nMair\u00e9ad N\u00ed Fh\u00e1tharta describes why she wants to safeguard island life for her two-year-old daughter Chloe: \u201cThere\u2019s a richness to my life here. My little girl has such freedom. She loves the animals, the landscape, and the community she\u2019s an important part of already. We are not deprived, or cut off. We live on a hidden treasure. I\u2019ve lived the urban life and our standard of living is much higher here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Me\u00e1in of Aran<\/span>
\nWhere is it:<\/span>\u00a0Inis Me\u00e1in is the middle island of Aran, 15 miles off the Galway coast Who\u2019s there: There are around 170 people living on the island year round, although the numbers rise in the summer.
\nWhat\u2019s there:<\/span>\u00a0Inis Me\u00e1in has one main pub, a number of guesthouses and, most recently, a designer hotel and restaurant. There are two schools, a church, a medical centre and a shop. There is also a successful clothing manufacturer \u2013 Inis Me\u00e1in Knitting Company.
\nWhat\u2019s not there:<\/span>\u00a0Noise, streets, crime, or overcrowded classrooms.
\nThe landscape:<\/span>\u00a0Inis Me\u00e1in\u2019s terraced limestone is unique in Europe. There are hundreds of miles of dry stone walls covering the island, enclosing small green fields surrounded by beaches and cliff walks. Bicycles are the main source of transport.
\nServices<\/span>:<\/span>\u00a0Daily 6 minute flights to Galway, two ferry crossings, 24-hour public health nurse and doctor three days a week, broadband, one primary and one secondary school
\nTraditions:<\/span>\u00a0Farming, fishing, sport, and music. Playwright John Millington Synge lived here. Irish is the first language.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A Dublin girl finds her place on Inis Me\u00e1in After winning a scholarship to spend transition year in the Gaeltacht, Joy Flaherty loved island life so much that she\u2019s staying for Leaving Cert. Here she recounts a week in her life Joy Flaherty Monday I\u2019m 16 years old and in sixth year at Col\u00e1iste Naomh […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2812,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/inisironmeain.com\/gaeilge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1010"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/inisironmeain.com\/gaeilge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/inisironmeain.com\/gaeilge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/inisironmeain.com\/gaeilge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/inisironmeain.com\/gaeilge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1010"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/inisironmeain.com\/gaeilge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1010\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2461,"href":"http:\/\/inisironmeain.com\/gaeilge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1010\/revisions\/2461"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/inisironmeain.com\/gaeilge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2812"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/inisironmeain.com\/gaeilge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1010"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}