Gaelscoil an Chaistil has helped me in many aspects of my life. It has helped develop my confidence through endless opportunities to participate in various plays, quizzes, feises and fleadhs. It has given me the confidence to speak my mind and stand up for myself – something that I will always need in life.

Gaelscoil an Chaistil has also helped me by enabling me to sit my Irish GCSE in Primary 7. Not only did this exam give me a great start to my academic life and a little taste of what GCSEs would be like, it also matured me a little bit which helped me get ready for the big step from primary to secondary school.

I am proud of being from Gaelscoil an Chaistil. I am proud of being a Gaelic speaker and of being a Gael. Whatever happens in my life, Gaelscoil an Chaistil is a special place and I will always be a Gaelscoiler!

I am 19 years old and I am a past pupil of Gaelscoil an Chaistil and now work in the Naíscoil, my dream job!. Gaelscoil an Chaistil provided me with a great education and in many ways inspired me to work with children. I found parts of my post primary years tough as transition from a homely school to a bigger college can be a bit scary. However with support of my teachers in Cross and Passion as well as Gaelscoil an Chaistil (even though I was by now a past pupil!) I completed my GCSE Irish in second year which gave me confidence in myself and my work.

Working with children has always been what I have wanted to do and to be able to share with them what I have learned from this school, for me, is my biggest achievement of all. The staff and governors of the school have always provided opportunities for past pupils to play a part in the school, be that through voluntary work, paid work experience or full time work. I am delighted that I have the opportunity to continue my studies while working in a job I love, through a language I love, in a school I love. It couldn’t be better, Ar dóigh!!

I was one of the first pupils at Gaelscoil an Chaistil along with five others. I am so proud of the school and proud to say that I was a part of this community that has gone from strength to strength since then. I have two nephews that attend the school who always have a smile on their face at school and continue to speak the Language at home, and the fact that I can have a conversation back in Gaelic makes it even more special for us all. One of the things I admire the most about the school is the passion the teachers have to teach the language and the respect both staff and pupils have for each other. Past pupils have always been welcomed back to the school and given opportunities to take part in school activities, indeed some are now working at the school. Since leaving Gaelscoil an Chaistil, it has always remained important to me and always will. It provided me with opportunities I never thought I would have. I was able to complete my Irish GCSE and A level at an earlier age whilst also excelling in my other subjects. One thing I found was that, because of my bilingualism, I was able to understand new languages more quickly than my peers. Gaeilge gave me the opportunity to attend University to continue my study of the language. I am now in my final year at Ulster University and will be graduating with a honours degree in Gaelic and I have Gaelscoil an Chaistil to thank for that. I would also like to thank my parents, for their belief in me and for giving me an education that I will always treasure and a language I will never stop speaking!.

“When I look back on my time at Gaelscoil an Chaistil, I always fondly remember a very educationally balanced and rewarding atmosphere. I will always remember the care that was brought into the classroom by Pádraigín whose teaching standard was always beyond reproach.

The school allowed me to excel in my educational development whilst also maintaining a strong focus on the arts and creative development. It always allowed me a dramatic and musical outlet. This was an aspect that was very strongly encouraged. What was also important to me is that the school provided me with a unique sense of self and personal identity. It emphatically reinforced my positive traits and allowed me to develop as a person.

It is from Gaelscoil an Chaistil that I was able to develop confidence in my abilities and where I developed a willingness to be open to new ideas and experiences.

Gaelscoil an Chaistil inspired me to develop my Gaelic language standard to a very high level. This allowed me to me ace my advanced level studies, which gained me entry to a B.Eng Hons in Mechatronic Engineering in Dublin City University. This love of the language has provided me with opportunities and friendships which I never otherwise would have been granted in the creative arts. I speak the language daily and am grateful to be able to call myself a Gaeilgeoir

I was amongst the first group of children who attended Gaelscoil an Chaistil. At that time we had no building of our own, no government help and less than 10 pupils attending the school. This did not stop my parents taking a risk to provide me with an education through the medium of Gaelic, even though they had no Gaelic themselves!. Well I have to say it was one of the most rewarding gifts they could have given me. Now we have a big beautiful school with over 100 pupils!

I had the best years in my primary school and I would put that down to the care and effort my teachers put into me. I was not the easiest child to work with,as Padraigín and Brídín will tell you, but it did not stop them from putting the extra time and effort in with me and making me the person I am today.
After obtaining all my GCSEs and A Levels I decided I needed a year out and went back to my Gaelscoil and worked alongside my former P1 teacher as a P1 classroom assistant. I loved my time back and it just reminded me how loved and respected the school is by everyone. I am now studying Gaelic at University of Ulster and love it there.

I am aware that many parents ask themselves 'how can a child be educated adequately in English, if most of their curriculum is through Gaelic for 7 years?'.  I could quote the hundreds of scientific papers that say that the form of education they provide in Gaelscoil an Chaistil actually improves English. For me, my personal experience is more powerful and all I can say is that my results as well as those of my classmates in English and, in French for that matter, were As and Bs all the way through. Bilingualism a concern? No, not at all, it helped me advance!
I am not sure what exactly I will do after my degree is finished, be it teacher training, or one of the many other opportunities that are unfolding for young Gaeilgeoirí in media, lecturing or IT, that part of my life isn’t written yet. No matter what though, I will always have Gaeilge, that was my life gift from Gaelscoil an Chaistil which will always be a part of me.

Gaelscoil an Chaistil is a place close to my heart. It is a close-knit community in which teachers and students all have mutual respect for each other and get along very well. The teachers always have the children’s best interests at heart and always strive to develop everyone’s own unique talent and interests whether it is sport, music, acting or academic subject.

Gaelscoil an Chaistil not only provided me with a great education it also gave me the gift of Gaeilge which means I am fully bilingual. Being bilingual has provided me with so many opportunities and insights that not very many young people living here have. Gaelscoil an Chaistil also provided me with a first-rate education, a foundation from which I am still reaping the rewards.

Gaelscoil an Chaistil maintains its close links with its past pupils and I return every Thursday to help the newest generation of Gaelic speakers at the school and get worthwhile work experience necessary for university courses. The staff at Gaelscoil an Chaistil never forget about you and find every opportunity for us to come back and play a part in the school community, something I find really rewarding.

I will always treasure the memories I have from Gaelscoil an Chaistil and with the way the school is growing and my current involvement with it – there will definitely be more fond memories to come!