IN PICS: Crowds flock to County Derry's 'Hogwarts na Gaeilge' at Gaelcholáiste Dhoire’s ‘Lá Oscailte’ in Dungiven

Despite a frosty morning in the Dungiven town, parents, prospective pupils and grandparents made the journey and spent a couple of hours finding out what is on offer at Gaelcholáiste Dhoire, as well as taking time to meet the staff and students and being treated to some refreshments.

Gaelcholáiste Dhoire is a multi-denominational, 11–19, all-ability, co-educational, Irish-medium, post-primary school and is located within the castle grounds in Dungiven.

The expanding campus currently consists of four buildings including the Castle itself, and the recently refurbished Dungiven Sports Centre, which now belongs to the school, as well as classroom blocks.

Recently being dubbed ‘Hogwarts na Gaeilge’, the majestic castle setting of Gaelscholaiste Dhoire hosted children from the nine local feeder Irish-Medium Primary Schools across the counties of Derry and Tyrone.

Addressing those in attendance, Mr. Ua Bruadair praised the large turnout and said: “Now is an exciting time to be an Irish speaker in the North.

"We have long argued that the most useful and relevant modern language that a young person can learn in Ireland today is Irish. Acht na Gaeilge has placed the Irish language at the heart of civic society, Irish medium schools are set to double in size in the next seven years and the children who will be confident bilingual 18 year-olds when they complete their education in this school are set to benefit from those developments.

“As a small school we work with the Roe Valley Learning Community to offer a wider choice. We share the same timetable and this allows our students to access the subjects they require. Academic pathway pupils like Ferdia who attained 2 As & 2 A*s and is now studying Civil Engineering at Queens are not restricted, and pupils such as Setanta, who followed a vocational route in year 12 and is now managing 500k shop fit-outs, are also facilitated.

“Pupils may not remember more than a small percentage of what the teacher covers in a lesson… but you can be sure that they will always remember how that teacher made them feel! If they feel valued and respected, they remember. If they are made to feel unimportant and unloved they will also remember.

“The quality of relationships and the ease of communication in Gaelcholáistí, where students refer respectfully to their teachers by their first names creates a mutually respectful atmosphere ensures pupils feel valued and are at the heart of the school.”

One of the parents at Saturday’s Open Day said she was impressed by the school and the warmth and openness from both the staff and students.

"Attending an open day is a fantastic opportunity to meet current and former students, parents and staff, and to hear first-hand how the school benefits their lives and learning. The castle looks superb and there was a lovely warmth from everyone I spoke to today including the principal.”

Mr. Ua Bruadair emphasised that anyone unable to attend Saturday’s open day were welcome to contact the school and arrange a visit. This can be organised by contacting the school on 02877 741015 or emailing [email protected]