1. Your children will learn Irish through music, play, gestures, and rhymes. They will enjoy learning the language and they will be proud to be able to speak it. 2. International research shows that being bilingual helps intellectual and cognitive development. 3. Children who are bilingual can often have higher self-esteem. 4. Children who speak Irish understand their own cultural identity as Irish citizens and as Europeans. There is a better chance that they will understand and respect people of other races and cultures who speak different languages. 5. Children who attend a Gaelscoil at primary level are at an enviable advantage when they reach secondary school as studies have shown that Irish is an exam subject in which they excel.

We understand that the majority of children in our school do not have Irish as one of their home languages. School staff welcome new children every year. Teachers use songs, body language, gestures, pictures, rhymes, repetition, to make sure that the children can understand them and that they can understand the children. It won’t be long before your child will start using the Irish they pick up in school, and they’ll be keen to teach you as they learn themselves.

You can do a lot to encourage your child to become fluent in Irish without being able to speak the language yourself. The vast majority of parents whose children go to a Gaelscoil don’t have fluent Irish. Show your child that you’re interested in learning along with them and they’ll be motivated to teach you. There’s no better teacher than the child who comes home from school every day, excited to share what they’ve learned. Take a look at www.irishforparents.ie. This website has simple lessons to help you to learn Irish yourself at home, as well as a number to call when you need help with your child’s homework. Some parents also use the English Versions of their children's textbooks as a reference when supporting homework.

Gaelscoil na gCeithre Maol is a mixed primary school. Our school operates under the patronage of An Foras Pátrúnachta. Gaelscoil na Ceithre Maol aims to foster a pleasant, safe and well-organized environment. An environment where the children in our care can develop fully, spiritually, physically, culturally and intellectually. Another aim of Gaelscoil na Ceithre Maol is to nurture the goodness in every child. The Roman Catholic faith is taught and children are prepared for the sacraments. We foster respect and care for our environment in the entire school community. Irish is the language of the school. The children participate in everything at school through the medium of Irish. We aim to foster Gaelic culture, so that Gaelic music, dance and games form an integral part of the curriculum. We want the school community to be proud of the Gaelscoil and that children will leave the school with a positive attitude towards education through Irish and Irish culture. Our school motto is ‘United we‘re stronger’.

Our goal is to ensure that all of the children in our school reach their full potential. They will receive the most suitable education through the medium of Irish based on their individual talents and abilities. Our school receives the exact same supports for students as other schools such as SNA provision, Special Education Teaching, etc. Being in an Irish-medium/immersion education environment has long been recognised by research as being beneficial to the learning and progress of students with special educational needs. Much research has been carried out both in Ireland and Internationally about Special Educational Needs in bilingual settings. Some of these can be found here: www.gaeloideachas.ie

Gaelscoil na gCeithre Maol is located in the heart of Ballina Town. We have 2 entrances. Our main entrance is located on Market Square, opposite Tesco. There is another entrance via Pound Street, beside the Fire Station.

School Gates open at 8.30 am. School begins at 8.40 am Infant School Day ends at 1.20pm Rang 1-6 School Day ends at 2.20 pm After School Club runs until 4.20 pm

Gaelscoil na gCeithre Maol is situated on a large open site in the town centre. We have a very spacious school yard, a football pitch, a large sports hall, numerous classrooms, learning support rooms, a school library, a play room, and an after-school room. Music, dance, arts activities and sports form an integral part of our curriculum. We also have many IT resources including Smart Interactive Panels or Boards in all classrooms, laptops, Ipads, etc. Due to our central location we are within walking distance of many local amenities and we regularly enjoy attending events in the Jackie Clarke Museum, Library, Arts Centre, etc. Our school and pupils have access to many additional supports as part of the Deis and School Completion Programmes. Furthermore our involvement in Erasmus Projects affords many of our pupils an opportunity to travel abroad on school trips.

We have an After School Club at the school from Monday to Friday during the school term. The club runs from 1.20 to 4:20pm.

We would be happy to answer any of your questions. You can phone the school on 096 73828 or 087 9152568. You can make an appointment to meet with our school principal or you can email any questions you may have to scoilnagceithremaol@yahoo.ie