{"id":424209,"date":"2026-04-07T10:14:20","date_gmt":"2026-04-07T10:14:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/424209\/"},"modified":"2026-04-07T10:14:20","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T10:14:20","slug":"inside-the-only-girls-boarding-school-taught-entirely-through-irish-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/424209\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside the only girls\u2019 boarding school taught entirely through Irish \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

Col\u00e1iste \u00cdde on the Dingle<\/a> Peninsula in Co Kerry<\/a> is the last surviving girls\u2019 boarding school taught entirely through the Irish language<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The school operated as a preparatory college for native Irish speakers to become primary school teachers from the 1920s to the early 1960s. It was bought from the State by the Sisters of Mercy to set up an all-girls boarding school through Irish in 1961.<\/p>\n

With declining student numbers and ageing Sisters, the school was about to close in 1996 when a concerned group of parents opted to lease it for a peppercorn rent. The Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy gifted the school and its 100-acre grounds (57 of which are in woodlands) to the lay trust, Cairde Chol\u00e1iste \u00cdde Teoranta, in 2014.<\/p>\n

With 125 students across six years, Col\u00e1iste \u00cdde is now confident of its future. With boarders coming from all over Ireland and beyond, it has a strong presence in the Dingle Gaeltacht, with the students participating in cultural and sporting activities in the wider area. The addition of Transition Year in the current academic year has boosted numbers further.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a strong connection to South Kerry and Kenmare, with family traditions of sending their girls here. Some of the local primary school teachers also came to the school,\u201d explains Conall \u00d3 Cruadhlaoich, principal of Col\u00e1iste \u00cdde. The current intake includes girls from 18 counties, including Donegal and Dublin, as well as one student from London.<\/p>\n

\"GrandGrand entrance at Col\u00e1iste \u00cdde boarding school. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw\/The Irish Times \"AA limestone plaque gives details of Col\u00e1iste \u00cdde history. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw\/The Irish Times <\/p>\n

The fee-paying school began taking in day students in 2003, and about 10 per cent of its numbers now come from the local area. Fees for the 2025-26 academic year were \u20ac8,900 for boarders and \u20ac3,950 for day students.<\/p>\n

Although all classes and extracurricular activities are held through Irish, it is not the first language of the majority of the students. \u201cLess than 10 per cent of students come from Irish-speaking homes; about 20 per cent were in Gaelscoileanna around the country, and the rest went to English-medium primary schools,\u201d says \u00d3 Cruadhlaoich. <\/p>\n

However, all the teachers, except the Hungarian music teacher, are native Irish speakers. Most of the boarding house staff and even the kitchen staff are fluent Irish speakers, as the majority of them come from the Dingle Gaeltacht. \u201cThe students do speak English from time to time, even if they are not allowed. But compared to a Gaelchol\u00e1iste in Dublin or Kildare, the girls are hearing Irish spoken around them most of the time,\u201d says \u00d3 Cruadhlaoich.<\/p>\n

[\u00a0Gaelchol\u00e1iste Chill Dara: \u2018We want to create leaders of the future … to help create community\u2019Opens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

\u201cIf a student is struggling to say something in Irish, they can say it in English, but they are also told the Irish phrase for it. Also, sometimes if a girl is upset after an exam or is missing home, she is allowed to explain it in English,\u201d adds Aoife N\u00ed Laoithe, manager of Col\u00e1iste \u00cdde. <\/p>\n

\"ColáisteCol\u00e1iste \u00cdde boarding school: from left are Aoife N\u00ed Laoithe (bainisteoir), Siobh\u00e0n N\u00ed Chathall\u00e1in (leas-bhainisteoir), Cl\u00edodhna N\u00ed Chonch\u00fair (leas-phr\u00edomhoide) and Conall \u00d3 Cruadhlaoich (pr\u00edomhoide). Photograph: Nick Bradshaw\/The Irish Times <\/p>\n

Research into the academic benefits of being bilingual is borne out by the above-average results the students at Col\u00e1iste \u00cdde achieve in both English and Irish in State exams. \u201cWe get a lot of feedback from parents that their Irish has improved so much after being in the school,\u201d says N\u00ed Laoithe. <\/p>\n

The introduction of Transition Year in the current academic year has added another dimension, with students from other schools opting to board for a year at Col\u00e1iste \u00cdde to give themselves a full immersion experience of learning through Irish.<\/p>\n

All classrooms and dormitories are housed in the extended Georgian house, which was originally home to Lord Ventry. There are four big dormitories, with 20 separate cubicles where first- to third-years sleep. The senior cycle students are in two, six or 10-bedded rooms. The sixth-year students also have a sittingroom with cooking facilities in a kitchenette.<\/p>\n

Boarding Schools<\/p>\n

This is part of a series by Sylvia Thompson on boarding schools in Ireland \u2013 life inside the schools for students and teachers, pros and cons, the costs involved, and the freedoms and limitations. And why parents would choose to send their children to a boarding school in 21st century Ireland. <\/p>\n

Read<\/b><\/p>\n

Some of the country house ambience, with original mahogany doors and window shutters and a large front portico, mingles with Catholic iconography (grotto in the grounds and Virgin Mary statues scattered throughout the building) added by the Sisters of Mercy.<\/p>\n

The lay trust has maintained the Catholic ethos of the school. While Mass is no longer said daily before school starts, the boarders do sing in the choir at weekend Mass in St Mary\u2019s Church in Dingle or when Mass is held at the school chapel. There is no requirement for boarders to be members of the Catholic Church to attend the school.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe chapel at Col\u00e1iste \u00cdde boarding school. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw\/The Irish Times <\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a more open gate to the community than existed in the past, with community athletics, basketball and karate clubs using our facilities that our girls join in,\u201d explains N\u00ed Laoithe, <\/p>\n

\u201cThere is also far more use of digital technology with wifi in all the rooms than when the nuns were here. But, Covid fast-tracked that in schools across the country,\u201d says \u00d3 Cruadhlaoich.<\/p>\n

The school does, however, operate a strict mobile phone policy, with boarders only given access to their phones for 45 minutes before school begins and 90 minutes after evening study ends. \u201cOur mobile phone rule is very firmly in place, but the girls have access to the school phones in the office at any time if they need it. And I have an open-door policy if any of the girls need to come to see me for a chat,\u201d says N\u00ed Laoithe.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe Col\u00e1iste \u00cdde library. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw\/The Irish Times \"SomeSome of the country house ambience, with original mahogany doors and window shutters and a large front portico, mingles with Catholic iconography added by the Sisters of Mercy. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw\/The Irish Times <\/p>\n

\u201cThe students themselves \u2013 especially the sixth-years \u2013 are very conscious of the younger students,” adds S\u00edobhan N\u00ed Chathall\u00e1in, deputy manager of the school. \u201dAnd, if they hear a stupid argument about something, they\u2019ll come to you and say you need to talk to them.”<\/p>\n

While the school closes every second or third weekend for boarders to go home, many return home more often for family or sporting events, as seems to be the case in all boarding schools nowadays.<\/p>\n

[\u00a0I want children to know that reading as Gaeilge isn\u2019t just obair bhaileOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

Liz Connor, who works in accounts, was a boarder at the school from 1988 to 1993. She says the atmosphere of the school is much more relaxed now compared to when she was there. \u201cWe weren\u2019t allowed to talk in the corridors and we had Mass every morning before breakfast. It was seven-day boarding, and we went home every four weeks. We didn\u2019t go out much compared to now, when the girls go to the cinema, the Aqua Dome and shopping at the weekends,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n

\"DormitoryDormitory room door at Col\u00e1iste \u00cdde. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw\/The Irish Times \"DormitoryDormitory corridor. Boarders get access to mobile phones for 90 minutes after evening study ends. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw\/The Irish Times <\/p>\n

The other big change Connor notes is how mobile phones have allowed much more communications with families. When she was a boarder, she recalls, \u201cWe had to put our name down in advance to phone our parents. And then, wait in line with coins to use one of the two telephone boxes inside the front door.\u201d<\/p>\n

Views from the boarders<\/p>\n

C\u00e1it N\u00ed Laoire Nic Aodh<\/b> (Sixth-year student from Cork City): \u201cBeing a boarder here is like having a second family. I\u2019m the second youngest of six, and my sister came here too. I have made friends for life here. I have become more open-minded and independent. And I appreciate being outside in nature more. And my Irish has become much more natural. I hope to live in Irish-language accommodation at University of Galway next year.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"PupilsPupils Katie N\u00ed Cholg\u00e1in, C\u00e1it N\u00ed Laoire Nic Aodha and Nancy N\u00ed Chonaill. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw\/The Irish Times <\/p>\n

Mallaidh N\u00ed Bheol\u00e1in Sabhaois<\/b> (Sixth-year from Ventry, Co Kerry): \u201cI only became a boarder for sixth year so that I could study more. I was a day boarder before that, staying until 9pm each evening. I feel everyone is friendly and you\u2019re allowed to feel comfortable and be yourself. You can gauge when someone is having a bad day because you know the different quirks in their personality and you learn not to wrong spot them or press their buttons.\u201d<\/p>\n

Katie N\u00ed Cholg\u00e1in<\/b> (Fifth-year from Co Offaly): \u201cI came here because my parents wanted me to have my education through Irish, and there wasn\u2019t any Irish secondary school near me. It\u2019s hard being so far from home, but the teachers and supervisors make it easier when I feel homesick. I found it difficult in first year, but I love the place now. I\u2019ve become more confident getting public transport.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Ell\u00e9-Kate Nic Raith<\/b> (Transition Year): \u201cI came here from Scoil Mhuire in Cork to improve my Irish for Transition Year. Hopefully, I\u2019ll have a better flow to my Irish after the year. I enjoy the horse-riding, rugby and athletics. And, I feel I am developing academically and socially, living with girls from all over the country. Being here is also a transition from being a child to an adult. You gain a lot of maturity, not having your parents constantly on you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Temi Aderonmu<\/b> (Third-year from London): \u201cIt was really hard at first because I only knew my numbers in Irish. By second year, it got easier. My mum went to boarding school and she really enjoyed it. She used to work in Ireland, but I had never been in Ireland before I started school here. Now, I enjoy the quiet here when I come from the great aliveness in London. I play the drums in the Na Harm\u00f3nacha group, which came second in the national Scl\u00e9ip music competition [a national talent competition for post-primary schools run through the Irish language]\u201d. <\/p>\n

\"PupilsPupils Mallaidh N\u00ed Bheol\u00e1in Sabhaois, Temi Aderonmu and Asia S\u00fcmegi. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw\/The Irish Times <\/p>\n

Aisa S\u00fcmegi<\/b> (Second-year from Donegal): \u201cMy parents are Hungarian, and I already spoke Hungarian and English before I came to school here. My parents thought it would be good to learn to speak another language. I think in boarding school, you form really tight bonds with your friends and they also become your family when you are here. I was always a shy person, but I\u2019ve learned to speak out more.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nancy N\u00ed Chonaill<\/b> (First-year from Dublin): \u201cI went to Scoil Bhr\u00edde in Rathmines and I\u2019ve been coming to Dingle since I was a baby, as I have extended family from Kerry. It was scary at first because I\u2019m the only one in first year from Dublin. But, making friends is easy. It\u2019s very different living in the countryside compared to the city.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Col\u00e1iste \u00cdde on the Dingle Peninsula in Co Kerry is the last surviving girls\u2019 boarding school taught entirely…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":424210,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[3],"tags":[9,10,189677,189678,18,13,14,6,19,17,11,12,15,16,5,7,8],"class_list":["post-424209","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-headlines","tag-breaking-news","tag-breakingnews","tag-colaiste-ide","tag-dingle-peninsula","tag-eire","tag-featured-news","tag-featurednews","tag-headlines","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-latest-news","tag-latestnews","tag-main-news","tag-mainnews","tag-news","tag-top-stories","tag-topstories"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/116362901597810451","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/424209","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=424209"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/424209\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/424210"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=424209"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=424209"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=424209"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}