FAQ’s

Homes for accommodating students are licensed by the Department of the Gaeltacht who subsidises the accommodation cost (€220- for 3 weeks). The department stipulates the number of students per room (size dependent – averages at 3 students per room) and the overall number of students that can stay in a “teach loistín”. The average number of students per house range from 8-12.

The afternoon session focuses on sport & physical activities. The Coláiste provides the necessary specialised and safety equipment needed.

A maximum of three acquaintances will be accommodated together. They will be allocated different rooms to share with new acquaintances of similar age. In and around 38% of applicants do not have an accommodation request and are unattached to a friend for accommodation purposes. Best practice dictates that groups of friends are not accommodated together as this makes it more difficult for individual students to mix and gel with one another. Ideally no more than two acquaintances should be accommodated together but this creates a problem when there are three people involved. The absolute maximum is therefore three.

Friends are allocated different bedrooms so as to share with a new acquaintance of similar age.

The Bean an tí acts in loco parentis while students are in her care. Dinner time – 5:00pm to 7:00pm and from 10:00pm until 9:00am the following morning. She will contact parents/guardians should a student feel unwell or if any other issue arises regarding the students in her house.

All it takes is a few bright sparks to light the fire, and gradually people start to gather around it. Communication, interaction, and proactive support for one another is at the heart of all our success, and will always be the foundation for realising your own personal goals and potential development. This opportunity to partake in such a journey for self-realisation and fulfillment is made enjoyable, unique, and unforgettable by the shared experience with fellow students. It may seem obvious, but this is exactly what you need to do:

• Step outside your own comfort zone
• Reach out to new acquaintances
• Don’t feel intimidated in communicating with new friends
• Be proactive – don’t wait for someone else to start a conversation
• Be complimentary – It’s nice to be nice
• Share your passions and talents

Cinnirí tí are 16/17-year-old students who act as house prefects. They have previously attended the Coláiste and have volunteered to help younger students get the most from the cúrsa Gaeilge.

Their role is primarily to ensure that safety procedures are adhered to while students are in transit between the teach lóistín and the Coláiste. Most students are bussed to and from the Coláiste with walking distance being a max of 15 mins.

There are four language learning classes each morning (Sunday excluded). Three of the periods are high-intensity sessions where conversational materials are thoroughly rehearsed while the 4th period involves students making their own recordings of the morning’s work via their OIDE account. These recordings will be evaluated and will receive feedback.

Learning Gaeilge is a conscious activity that is usually applied inside a classroom while acquiring Gaeilge is a subconscious process that thrives on active participation and extended exposure.

Language immersion is language acquisition in its purest form.
By committing wholeheartedly to a 3-week immersion course, language acquisition follows automatically.

Central to a balanced approach is having a language learning programme (classwork) that complements language acquisition (outside of classwork)
This means that communication/conversation/everyday dialogue & chit chat/ pronunciation are all key elements in the learning program.

Focus on becoming conversational. Working and practicing with real conversation leads to real progress. Concentrate on everyday exchanges, as these can be put to immediate use.

OIDE is a unique and innovative online language lab that is being developed on an ongoing & voluntary basis by Col. Lurgan.

The parroting of accent & inflection may initially feel silly but this is due to self-consciousness and will quickly pass as you become familiar hearing your own voice speak as Gaeilge.

The more focused listening and repetition you do, the more comfortable you become with the phonics and sound patterns.

The best way of doing this is by recording your own speech. Recording yourself and listening back is a great way to hone in on your strengths & weaknesses

While the pupil/ teacher(instructor) ratio is 20:1, the overall pupil to staff (Teachers / Instructors/ Bean an tí / 3rd Level Helpers ) ratio is 5:1. This provides ample opportunities for students to informally chat with staff.

There are a high number of Irish language 3rd level students working on each course. These young adults are dedicated & enthusiastic and invest a lot of time and effort in promoting best practices regarding acquiring the language.

Cainteoirí are 15/16-year-old native Irish language speakers who provide language support to students in an informal manner.

It is the policy of Coláiste Lurgan to promote the welfare of all young people involved in their Summer Colleges. Coláiste Lurgan work towards this by:

• Creating a culture of a telling Organisation in relation to bullying.
• Implementing support strategies for targets and perpetrators of bullying.
• Educating all staff and students on the Coláiste’s Code of Behavior.
• Maintaining a safe and supportive social environment at Coláiste Lurgan.
• Providing child protection refresher training every three years for staff.
• Regularly updating the Child Protection Officers’ training.

It is the policy of Coláiste Lurgan to promote the welfare of all young people involved in their Summer Colleges.

This policy will ensure a trained and vetted workforce and an environment where young people and staff are protected and safe.

Coláiste Lurgan work towards this by:

• Liaising with HSE and Gardai in child protection issues
• Designating staff as Child Protection Officers
• Regularly updating the Child Protection Officers’ training **
• Including Garda vetting as part of our staff recruitment.
• Establish a pool of vetted teachers / facilitators / Mna Tí.
• Providing child protection refresher training every three years for staff **
• Defining reporting procedures for reporting disclosure / suspicion of abuse
• Defining good practice guidelines for use in the Teach Lóistín
• Defining good practice guidelines for trips away involving young people
• Defining good practice guidelines for working with young people
• Creating a culture of a Telling Organisation in relation to bullying
• Implementing support strategies for targets and perpetrators of bullying
• Educating all staff and students on the coláiste’s Code of Behaviour
• Maintaining a safe and supportive social environment at Coláiste Lurgan

Coláiste Lurgan work towards adhering to best practice in child welfare by:

• Liaising with HSE and Gardai in child protection issues
• Designating staff as Child Protection Officers
• Including Garda vetting as part of our staff recruitment.
• Establish a pool of vetted teachers / facilitators / Mna Tí.
• Defining reporting procedures for reporting disclosure / suspicion of abuse
• Defining good practice guidelines for use in the Teach Lóistín
• Defining good practice guidelines for working with young people
• Providing anti – bullying procedures

Students requiring medical attention are brought to the local medical centre / WestDoc (out of hours GP care) or to the outpatients at the Regional hospital in Galway.

Regarding cases of serious misbehaviour as outlined below, the staff of Coláiste Lurgan, while adhering to a specific process in forming a decision, will decide in relation to a student’s further participation in the cúrsa Gaeilge and will inform parents/ guardians of the outcome of that decision. Cases of serious misbehaviour include:

• Leaving the teach lóistín after curfew.
• Intentionally going outside and leaving the areas where the course takes place.
• Involvement with alcohol or soft drugs.
• Extreme cases of bullying.
• Students who might pose a threat to themselves or to other students.
• Blatant disrespect.
• Students who would wilfully destroy property.

WE ASK PARENTS TO CLEARLY EXPLAIN THE FOLLOWING TO THEIR CHILD.

If he/she is unhappy or feels uncomfortable with any aspect of his/her stay in Coláiste Lurgan it is imperative that he/she contacts parents/ guardians as early as possible. This message is strongly emphasised by the principal, and students are encouraged to contact home for whatever reason they feel is important. Parents can relay concerns to the Principal who can discreetly investigate the matter. Students may of course approach members of staff with their concerns but it is vitally important parents/guardians are kept involved & informed.

Keeping in contact with parents is the great advantage of mobile phones. However inappropriate use of mobile telephones has in the past led to privacy issues and infringement of the basic rights of others. For this reason, we insist on adherence to the following guidelines regarding the use of mobile phones:

IN GENERAL:

• Parental contact via mobile phone is restricted to 6:00pm – 7:00pm
• Parental contact between 9:30 am and 5:00 pm should be only via the school office 091-593182.

IN THE COLÁISTE:

• Students’ phones must be switched off during Coláiste hours (9.30 am- 5.00 pm) unless otherwise directed by teachers.
• If a phone goes off in class/activity session etc it will be confiscated for 24 hours.
• No photographs or recording either video or audio can be made on the phone on the Coláiste’s premises without permission
• Incidents, where students use a mobile phone to bully others by sending offensive messages or calls, will be investigated under the Coláiste’s Anti-Bullying policy

IN THE TEACH LÓISTÍN:

• All mobile phones are switched off and handed over to the Bean a’ tí at 10:30 pm.

• 8:45am – Bricfeasta
• 9:40am – Morning Assembly
• 9:50am – 11:10am – Two language learning sessions(40min each)
• 11:10am – 11:40am – Sos
• 11:40 am – 01:00pm – Two language learning sessions(40min each)
• 1:20pm – 2:20pm – Lunch in the Coláiste
• 2:30pm – 4:00pm – Afternoon Sports
• 4:00pm – 4:40pm – Trá (Weather Permitting)
• 5:00pm – 7:00pm – Dinner in the teach loistín
• 7:30pm – 9:30pm – Ceilí / Shows / Discos / TG Lurgan / Competitions
• 10:00pm – Supper in Teach Loistín
• 11:00pm – Lights Out

Breakfast, Dinner and Supper are taken in the Teach Loistín while lunch is served in the Coláiste.

Three music videos are recorded per course, students can be involved as much as they would like.

Students can be involved in every aspect of the music video if they wish from singing, recording, styling, creative direction, choreography, dancing, etc…

Music videos are uploaded on our social media platform and were also previewed on the tv show “Lurgan Beo” – as seen on TG4, which was a great success and a new version of the show will be produced in 2021.

There is a laundry facility, which is overseen by Bean a’ tí. It is primarily intended to wash sports clothes/towels etc. for everyday activities. There is a minimal cost of €1 – €3 euro depending on the volume.

Pocket money should be kept separate from the balance of course fees. Students should lodge their pocket money themselves at the beginning of the course. Pocket money for lodgement in the Coláiste’s “Bank” should preferably be in a cheque / bank draft / money order and be made payable to “Banc Coláiste Lurgan”.

The bank will be open each day from 11.10am to 11.40am.

The Coláiste provides all the specialized & safety equipment needed for the various activities. Bed linen/Sheets/Duvets are provided by the bean an tí.

• Waterproof coat – essential.
• Sports clothes & footwear. Students usually dress in sports clothes and runners up to dinner time -5:30pm
• Old runners for water sports (Very useful!)
• There are many themed nights / ceilí’s, where students dress up – pajamas, jerseys, colours, fancy dress, etc.
• Musical instruments – the care of musical instruments/equipment is the owner’s responsibility.
• Swimwear and a beach towel.
• Sun cream.
• Towels.

The time of arrival at the Coláiste for students not traveling by bus is approximately 3:00 pm. Please note that this is set down only as parking is very limited.

All luggage should be clearly labelled with the student’s name and home address. Suitcase size should enable it to be stored under a bunk bed. Oversized suitcases can cause inconvenience and lead to storage problems.

We ask parents not to visit on the first weekend of a course. Visits by parents should be restricted to the second and third Sundays of each course.

• Students may be collected from the Coláiste between 11:30 am and 12:30 pm and should be returned to the Coláiste no later than 8:00 pm
• Written permission from parents/ guardians, is required where students leave the confines of the Coláiste in the care of a designated adult other than parents/ guardians

Our sole mission in Lurgan is to promote Gaeilge, the cornerstone of Irish identity and culture. Establishing and maintaining the all-Gaeilge characteristic of each course is first and foremost. Our goal is to help you realise your potential in becoming a confident & competent Irish language speaker. We want you to put caution to the wind and make a real go of living the language without fear, hesitancy, or uncertainty. This is not at all difficult to achieve – all that is needed is some honest effort on your part, but it will require support and help from your friends. This positive peer influence needs to be mutually supportive and progressive.

Engagement with the language during a cúrsa Gaeilge occurs at various levels.

1. Partaking in classwork – interacting with the teacher, learning materials, and fellow students during class.
2. Chatting informally with staff i.e teachers, instructors, bean an tí, 3rd level students, etc…
3. Chatting informally with fellow students during organised activities where language behavior is being supervised i.e. afternoon & evening sessions, mealtime etc.
4. Chatting informally with fellow students when language behavior isn’t being directly supervised by a staff (teacher, Bean an tí, etc.) i.e. in the bedroom in teach loistín, break time during classes & activities, etc….

The fourth scenario goes to the very crux of partaking in a cúrsa Gaeilge as using the language during personal, informal exchanges is the highest level of engagement. (the lowest being classwork)
Relying solely on supervision & monitoring as the source of “encouragement” to speak Gaeilge will have a negative effect as it reinforces the notion that speaking Gaeilge is an involuntarily act.
On the other hand, the positive experience of freely using Gaeilge with peers (wanting to instead of having to) will have a profound effect on how the language is perceived.

Developing positive language learning behaviour involves making a conscious decision to use Gaeilge even though it is much easier to use English. Each time you voluntarily choose Gaeilge, especially in private & personal exchanges, it subsequently becomes easier. The more you practice, the easier it gets.

Students give this undertaking on application. “I fully intend to use Gaeilge in all conversations, including private & personal exchanges, with my fellow students during the cúrsa Gaeilge”. They will be fully expected to adhere to it.

While the primary concern of teachers, instructors, mna tí and third-level students is to provide support and encouragement they also assume the role of monitoring language behaviour.

A “Yellow Card” is issued to students who deliberately speak in English without trying to include Gaeilge in their conversation.

• They receive a formal warning from either the Principal or Vice-Principal outlining that recurrence will lead to their dismissal from the course.
• Parents are contacted and informed that a warning was issued and are advised to contact their child and to consult with him/her accordingly.

Having to sanction a student for language behaviour issues is deeply disappointing as it signifies failure and missed opportunities.

Following a “Yellow Card”, a further transgression will require parents/guardian to remove their child from the course.

• I/We fully understand the language behaviour condition as outlined (see ‘Iompar Teanga’).
• I/We have discussed in detail the implications of a breach of language behaviour condition with our child.
• I/We believe that (s)he understands fully the consequences of deliberately conversing in English while attending the cúrsa Gaeilge.
• I/We agree to fully co-operate with the staff and management of Coláiste Lurgan in the implementation of Language Behaviour Condition as outlined on in ‘Iompar Teanga’.
• I/We agree to abide by disciplinary decisions taken by the staff and management of Coláiste Lurgan regarding cases of serious misbehaviour, as outlined in this correspondence.
• I/We understand that there is no refund of fees in the case of dismissal.

Evening sessions focus on social occasions – Ceilí / Themed ceilí / Shows / TG Lurgan Projects/ House Competitions/Discos etc.

Kayaking / Canoeing / Snorkeling. Wetsuits, buoyancy aids are provided. Participants MUST be able to swim.

Bicycles & helmets provided. Students need to be comfortable on a bike. There is a selection of trips ranging in how challenging they are.

A wide variety of field sport & games such as Tag Rugby/ Ultimate Frisbee/ Olympic Handball/ Rounders/ Obstacle courses.

Yoga / Boxercise / Kettle Bells / Aerobics / Core Exercises / Circuit Training. There is an emphasis on building fitness.

An Spidéal / Teach an Phiarsaigh / Bóthar an Phortaigh / Coill Seannadh Mhóinin.

Tag Archery / Bubble Soccer / Jump Boots.

The directions to the Coláiste are as follows: Take the Barna Rd/R336 from Galway City to Spiddal Village. Keep driving for a further 3/4km and you will see a Top Petrol Station on the left-hand side and Coláiste Lurgan is slightly further down on the right.

Address:

Colaiste Lurgan
An Cnoc,
Indreabhán,
Co.na Gaillimhe
H91 E938

A chara,

Please read the attached document provided by Public Health

General advice on preventing the spread of COVID-19 during Residential Summer Courses.

In accordance with these directions, a vigorous/ continuous monitoring procedure will be in place directed at identifying related symptoms of COVID-19 amongst students/staff.

Should a student/staff member display possible symptoms the Bean Tí / Management will contact parents / Guardians and also consult a healthcare professional.

Should the opinion of healthcare professionals be that the student needs to isolate in accordance with public health directions we will ask the parent/guardian to collect the student at their very earliest convenience. Students can return to the course once they have been cleared to do so by a family GP.

Mask wearing: We intend to promote mask-wearing on buses (both traveling to Gaeltacht and local transport) and also when all students are in large groups ( 40+) inside.   We will have a plentiful supply of 3 ply masks to hand out.

Hand washing/sanitizers: Will be placed around the campus and at all entrances.

Temperature Checking: Tithe Loistín will have an in-ear thermometer to check the temperature if required.

Classroom Ventilation: We are fortunate that our learning areas are spacious and very well ventilated.

Avoiding Cold / Appropriate Clothing: As cold symptoms are similar to COVID symptoms it is very important to avoid catching a cold. Not getting wet / wearing warm clothing in chilly weather are common sense approaches that will help in avoiding catching a cold.

 From the HSE:

https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/covid19/symptoms/overview/

Symptoms of COVID-19

The most common symptoms of COVID-19 (coronavirus) are:

• fever (high temperature – 38 degrees Celsius or above) – including having chills
• dry cough
• fatigue (tiredness)

COVID-19 symptoms can be like symptoms of cold, flu, or hay fever.

It can take up to 14 days after you are infected for symptoms to show. You can spread COVID-19 during this time.

Less common symptoms of COVID-19 include:

• loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – this could mean they’re completely gone or just different to normal
• nasal congestion (runny or blocked nose)
• conjunctivitis (also known as red-eye or pink eye)
• sore throat
• headache
• muscle or joint pain (aches and pains)
• different types of skin rash
• nausea or vomiting
• diarrhea
• chills or dizziness

If you have any symptoms of COVID-19, even mild ones, you should:

• self-isolate (stay in your room) until 48 hours after your symptoms are mostly or fully gone
• wear a face mask if you have to be around other people

Do these even if you completed your first round of COVID-19 vaccination, had a booster, or had COVID-19 in the past.