Pictured above Students Saorlaith Ní Dhughaill and Ronan Davies, and Principal, Mr Oliver Mooney receive Sciath an Athar Uí Mhuirí (the Father Murray Shield) from President of Comhaltas Uladh, Mr Niall Comer.

Pictured above are St Paul’s students along with Head of Irish Miss Ciara McCoy, Irish teachers at St Paul’s, Mr Dáithí Murray, Mr Jarlath Burns &  Mr Stephen Quinn Principal Mr Oliver Mooney, and Mr Niall Comer, President Comhaltas Uladh 

Students and staff at St Paul’s High School were celebrating following the awarding of Sciath an Athar Uí Mhuirí (the Father Murray Shield) to the school’s Irish department.

The awarding of the prestigious shield recognises the quality of spoken Irish among the student population, and carries with it a number of scholarship awards for students who will attend Irish language summer colleges in the Donegal Gaeltacht this year.

Comhaltas Uladh (the northern branch of Conradh na Gaeilge – the Gaelic League) visits schools to speak to students and assess their level of Irish for various competitions.  President of Comhaltas Uladh, Mr Niall Comer, congratulated the students on their fluency in the Irish language, and their confidence in using the language every day.

Miss Ciara McCoy, Head of Irish, praised the hard work of the staff of the Irish department and the students of St. Paul’s for their fantastic achievement.  “I am very proud that we have won this shield. The hard work and dedication of the staff in the Irish department helps develop and create an atmosphere of enthusiasm and love for Irish among our students.  The students of St Paul’s embrace the Irish language when the begin in year 8 and it is very rewarding to see many of then leave as fluent Irish speakers at the end of year 14”.

Principal of St Paul’s, Mr Oliver Mooney, welcomed Mr Comer to St Paul’s, and paid tribute to the dedication of Comhaltas Uladh to strengthening Irish in schools and in the community.  Mr Mooney thanked Mr Comer for the support offered by Comhaltas Uladh, and extended his best wishes to the students from St Paul’s who will visit the Gaeltacht this summer.

More the fifty students from St Paul’s will visit Gaeltacht colleges at Loch an Iúir, Machaire Rabhartaigh and Bun an Inbhir in County Donegal this summer.