Gaeloideachas, the national support and advocacy organisation for Irish-medium education, will welcome primary and secondary teachers from across the country at 2025’s Tionól Forbartha (Development Conference) in partnership with COGG today. This is the largest national conference for the Irish-medium education community and it is specifically focused on teachers in Irish-medium and Gaeltacht schools, and on sharing exemplary practice in the immersion education system.

This year, the Tionól Forbartha takes place in the Rochestown Park Hotel, Cork.

The day’s programme will begin with delegates hearing from the keynote speaker, Paul Bilbao Sarria, who is director of the Armentia Ikastola, a Basque education institute attended by over 1,200 children. Armenia Ikastola provides Basque immersion education to children and young people between the ages of one and eighteen, attending a creche, preschool, primary school, secondary school, and high school. His address will focus on the topic of “Social Use of the Minority Language: Learning from Euskadi” and what is taking place in the Basque Country to promote the language of socialisation.

After the keynote speech, Gaeloideachas President Clodagh Ní Mhaoilchiaráin will officially welcome delegates and Tomás Ó Ruairc, Assistant Secretary of the Department of Education and Youth, who will speak on the theme “Communication, Evidence, Strategy and Policy – Collaboration and Nurturing: The Growth of Irish-medium Education.”

“This year’s Tionól is a very timely opportunity to discuss the biggest issues facing the Irish-medium education sector, particularly in light of the recent publication of the Policy for Irish-medium Education outside of the Gaeltacht and the appointment of a new Minister for Education this week,” said Bláthnaid ní Ghréacháin, CEO of Gaeloideachas. “It will give the Department of Education a chance to hear directly from teachers and principals who are working at the coalface every day, and it’s also crucially important for us as an organisation to hear from our membership about their biggest questions and concerns so that we can continue our advocacy work as effectively as possible.”

“This is not just a fateful time, but it is clear to us that there is a critical window now for the Irish language,” according to Gaeloideachas President Clodagh Ní Mhaoilchiaráin. “As an advocacy organisation with a vision that all children will be able to access immersion education at the highest standard, we must ask the difficult questions to ensure the opportunity to achieve that vision is not lost. We look forward to working with the new Minister for Education, Hildegarde Naughton TD, on these important questions and we hope that she will lend a listening ear to the sector and show the same interest and determination as her predecessor Helen McEntee regarding the Irish language and the Irish-medium and Gaeltacht education system.

The full programme and all information about the Gaeloideachas Development Conference 2025 in partnership with COGG is available on www.gaeloideachas.ie. A wide range of workshops will take place throughout the day focused on primary and secondary schools, in addition to guest speakers, music, professional discussions, collegiate support, and plenty of enjoyment too.

Ends  

Contact  

Bláthnaid ní Ghréacháin, CEO| blathnaid@gaeloideachas.ie | 01 8535195 | 086-8050335   

Clodagh Ní Mhaoilchiaráin, President | clodaghni@gmail.com | 087-6232191  

Notes for the Editor  

Gaeloideachas   
Gaeloideachas is a national lead organisation supporting the development of Irish-medium and Gaeltacht education at primary and second-level.   Gaeloideachas provides advice, help, and support to parents who want to give the opportunity of Irish-medium education to their children, as well as support services and advocacy on behalf of schools within and outside of Gaeltacht areas, together with naíonraí outside of the Gaeltacht.