Ministerial boost for campaign to establish Irish language secondary school in Mayo county town
The Gaelcholáiste Mhaigh Eo campaign has welcomed comments by Minister Dara Calleary highlighting the urgent need to expand Irish-medium education and ensure that students have a clear pathway to continue their education through Irish beyond primary school.
Responding to recent reports that no new Irish-medium schools are currently planned before 2032, Minister Calleary stated that expanding education through Irish would be a key priority and expressed concern at the absence of plans for additional Gaelcholáistí.
The campaign said Minister Calleary's intervention reflects the reality facing families across Mayo, where students who attend Irish-medium primary schools have no opportunity to continue their education through Irish within the county.
A spokesperson for the campaign said: "We are grateful to Minister Dara Calleary for publicly recognising the need for greater provision of Irish-medium education and for highlighting the importance of a complete educational pathway for young Irish speakers.
"Since 2020, the Gaelcholáiste Mhaigh Eo campaign has worked constructively towards establishing an immersive Irish language secondary school in Castlebar.
"Minister Calleary's comments demonstrate an understanding of the challenges faced by students who complete their primary education through Irish only to find that no second-level option exists locally."
The campaign noted that Mayo remains one of 13 counties without a Gaelcholáiste despite having a strong network of Gaelscoileanna and growing demand for Irish-medium education.
Recent national figures demonstrate the scale of the challenge.
Approximately 60% of pupils attending Gaelscoileanna are unable to continue their education through Irish at second level, while only four new Irish-medium post-primary schools have been established nationally since 2014.
The campaign believes these figures highlight the urgent need for action.
"Every child who begins their education through Irish should have the opportunity to continue that journey.
"The absence of a Gaelcholáiste in Mayo means many students lose the chance to maintain and develop their fluency during their teenage years," the spokesperson said.
The campaign also noted that almost 1.9 million people reported an ability to speak Irish in Census 2022 and that demand for Irish-medium education continues to outstrip the available provision nationally.
Castlebar remains the campaign's preferred location for a county-wide Gaelcholáiste due to its central position and accessibility for families across Mayo.
The spokesperson continued: "We welcome Minister Calleary's commitment to raising this issue at Government level and we look forward to continuing our work with him, local elected representatives and the Department of Education to ensure that Mayo's young people have the same educational opportunities available elsewhere in the country."
"This is not simply about education. It is about fairness, cultural heritage, language rights and ensuring that students in Mayo are not disadvantaged because of where they live."
The campaign reaffirmed its commitment to working positively and constructively with all stakeholders to secure the establishment of Gaelcholáiste Mhaigh Eo and to ensure that Irish-medium education is available to students from primary through to secondary level in County Mayo.