Beallairmín, An Chéim, B.Á.C. 18

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Oscailt Oifigiúil Official Opening

A leithéad de lá a bhí againn ar an Aoine, 5 Márta!  Ba é an t-aisteoir agus réalt teilifíse, Hector Ó hEochagáin a rinne buanfhoirgneamh nua Ghaelscoil Thaobh na Coille a oscailt go hoifigiúil. Tháinig pobal na scoile le chéile chun an oscailt oifigiúil a ceiliúradh.  Bhí an ghrian ag taitneamh, agus bhratacha ar foluain. Bhí sceitimíní ar gach uile pháiste, múinteoir agus tuismitheoir faoin lá seo.

 

Hector agus Emer

 

Osclaíodh Gaelscoil Thaobh na Coille don chéad uair i mí Meán Fómhair 1995.  Bhí sí ag feidhmiú as foirgnimh réamhdhéanta i gClub Rugbaí De La Salle Palmerston i gCill Tiarnáin ón lá sin ar aghaidh . Faoin am gur shroiceamar an fhoirgneamh nua bhí 267 dalta sa scoil.

 

Thug Hector cuairt ar gach seomra agus bhí focal aige le gach páiste (agus le fear an phoist ó Bolivia – ach sin scéal eile!).  Chuir sé go mór leis an ócáid.  Mar is gnáth, bhí sé lán de bhrí agus  thaispeáin sé do gach uile duine gur rud ‘cool’ í an Ghaeilge a labhairt agus gur teanga bheo í.  Tá an cúpla  foca sa bhreisl le cloisint I measc na dtuismitheoirí sa chlós ón lá sin ar aghaidh.

 

Mar is eol daoibh tá ard-caighdeán sa teicneolaíocht againn i nGaelscoil Thaobh na Coille  ach  nuair a chonaiceamar cad a bhí á dhéanamh ag Alan Binley agus a fhoireann bhí iontas orainn.  Bhí an ócáid go léir ar taispeáint ar an idirlín, ar scáláin lasmuigh sa chlós agus ar thaispeáint ar na cláracha cliste sna seomraí ranga.

 

Nuair a bhí deireadh leis na hóráidí foirmiúla chuir daltaí na scoile seó siamsíochta ar stáitse.  A bhuíochas don sár- obair a bhí déanta ag na múinteoirí leis na páistí a ullmhú bhí siad ar fheabhas ar fad.  Chuaigh an grúpa ceoil a cuireadh le chéile go speisialta don oscailt oifigiúil ar aghaidh len iomaíocht a dhéanamh i bhFeis Átha Cliath ó shin agus thugadar an corn abhaile leo.  Comhghairdeas  leis an  múinteoirí Tomás Mac Uileagóid,  Cormac Chambers agus ár mbanna ceoil tradisiúnta.

 

 

Ag deireadh an tsearmainais bhí sóláistí ar fáil ag gach duine.  Teasc mhór ab ea í sin freastal ar an oiread sin daoine ach níor chruthaigh sé deacracht ar bith dár dtuistí díograsacha a thug faoin obair agus a chur bia blasta den scoth ar fáil do gach duine.

 

Ach, níor stop imeachtaí an lae ag an scoil.  D’eagraíodh Coiste na dTuistí Ócáid Mhór Cheiliúrtha is t’oíche in Óstán an Stillorgan Park agus bhí an-oíche ag gach duine ansin.

 

Buíochas speisialta don phríomhoide, Emer Nic Chonchradha as ucht an méid obair a rinne sí leis an ócáid a tharraingt le chéile.

What a day we had on Friday 5th March.  The new school building was officially opened with extraordinary panache by Hector Ó hEochagáin.

 

 

The school first opened its doors in September, 1995 with just 20 children and had long outgrown its temporary accommodation in the grounds of De La Salle Palmerston in Kilternan.  By the time we walked through the doors of our new building we numbered 267.

 

Hector visited every classroom and had a word for almost every pupil.  He even shared a cúpla focal with our Bolivian postman (but that’s a story for another day).  His inspiring speech extolling the possibilities of speaking Irish in every aspect of your life has left a real and lasting impression on the school’s community and our parents can be heard uttering their cúpla focal  a little bit louder these days.

 

 

Bunting fluttered in the spring breeze, the sun shone, the parents smiled and the children cheered as the ribbon was cut.   Pupils from every year were represented as 15 balloons were released into the blue sky.

 

As you all know by now, we have come to expect the most up-to-date technology in Gaelscoil Thaobh na Coille, but even we were impressed with Alan Binley and his team who managed to live-stream the whole event on the internet.  It was also relayed back into the classrooms so that nobody missed a moment.

 

 

Once inside, a concert, in which every child played a part was put on in the hall.  The children staged a great show with confidence thanks to the many hours of preparation and hard work put in by their teachers.  One group of traditional players have since gone on the steal the show at Feis Átha Cliath – congratulations to Muinteoir MacUilegóid, an Múinteoir Chambers and our traditional players.

 

When the formalities were over everyone was invited to a lunch.  Feeding 400+ is no mean feat but it doesn’t phase our parents.  Guests were treated to a delicious array of food.

 

The festivities continued in the Stillorgan Park Hotel where a gala dinner dance was held the celebrate this milestone in our history.