Parents' joy as extra gaelscoil class sanctioned for Dunshaughlin
After months of fighting for extra gaelscoil places for Dunshaughlin to meet the unprecedented demand for places, a second junior infants class has been sanctioned for Gaelscoil na Ríthe.
The news has been widely welcomed by the parents of up to 30 children who wanted to have their child educated through Irish and follows intensive pressure being put on the Department of Education to facilitate that demand.
Parents had taken their campaign to the gates of Leinster House on two occasions in recent months to make their case and call for extra gaelscoil places to be provided.
The Board of Management of Gaelscoil na Ríthe had indicated at an early stage that it was willing to put on a second junior infants class but the Department of Education had as recently as 26th May stated that there were no plans for a second class and that additional capacity had been provided in Dunshaughlin Community National School.
Aine McKenna, whose daughter Niamh is due to start school in September, said it was a huge relief that the second class had been approved after a stressful couple of months.
Like several parents she had eventually accepted a place in Dunshaughlin CNS for fear of being left with nothing but remained committed to doing everything in her power to push for extra places to be provided in Gaelscoil na Ríthe.
She has thanked principal Rónán Mac Giolla Ruaidh for working with parents throughout the process and also the school's board of management for agreeing to facilitate a second class. She also thanked Meath East TD Helen McEntee for her role saying she had played a huge part in turning it around.
"Parents are so delighted that their children will be walking through the Gaelscoil gates in September," she added.
One of the stumbling blocks had been how a class could be accommodated given that there is no available space in the school and the Department of Education is continuing to work with the school to finalise this with a prefab expected to be put in place once planning is secured.
Principal Rónán Mac Giolla Ruaidh said: "The Department of Education and Skills today sanctioned a second Junior Infant class here at Gaelscoil na Ríthe, Dunshaughlin for September 2026.
"This class will be accommodated in an interim arrangement organised by the school pending delivery of additional modular accommodation. An Bord Bainistíochta are happy to accommodate this additional class, even at this late stage as it will give those families in the area who have expressed a preference for accessing Irish medium primary education for their children the opportunity to do so".
Meath East TD Darren O'Rourke has welcomed the news and paid tribute to parents involved in the campaign. "Tremendous well done to the local parents who worked so hard to make this happen. I've never seen anything like it. Their dedication and commitment was incredible. Credit too to the Gaelscoil's Board of Management, principal and patron and to the local representatives who helped."
He added that it was brilliant to see such enthusiasm for our native language and Irish medium education and added that this decision means every child who wants a gaelscoil education in Dunshaughlin this year will have that opportunity.