What does it mean to be an Irish European
Irish Students and their school day
Most schools in Ireland start at 9:00 am, so we struggle out of our cosy beds between half seven and eight o’clock…or at least we try to. Generally, it is required in Irish schools for students to wear a uniform. For girls this consists of a skirt, shirt & tie, a v-neck jumper and knee-high socks. For boys the uniform is similar with a shirt & tie, v-neck jumper and trousers.
Most schools have their own colours and crest
as shown in the picture.
Generally we eat a substantial breakfast,
as to aid our concentration during day ahead. Part of our culture
is our traditional foods, and we are well known for the “full Irish breakfast”,
which consists of bacon, black & white pudding, sausage, beans, and
of late ‘hash browns’.
Students however, don’t often have the time or appetite for such a rich meal early in the morning, but it is popular at the weekends
The Journey to school
On our way to school, we are immediately
reminded of our European connections as we as we travel on EU funded road
networks, and pass EU funded. However, our unique Irish identity is very
prominent as one walks to school through the town, the national post service
‘An Post’ has it’s office over which is written the location in both English
and Irish, eg. Thurles & Durlas
Media and Entertainment
We are amused as we travel to school by
our national and local radio stations. These are; Radio 1, 2FM, Today
FM, Beat Fm and local staions Tipp FM and Tipp Mid/West radio. Radio
one is assigned to current affairs, news and serious topics. 2FM,
Today FM, and Beat FM are more light hearted and aimed at younger people;
they play a lot of modern music. Tipp FM and Tipp Mid/West radio
are local stations, which broadcast local and national affairs, and play
traditional music as well as popular music. Radio na Gaeltachta is
the Irish radio station in which broadcasts are in our native Irish language.
A new classical music station has been set up called Lyric FM. On
long-wave we can also tune into European radio, for example French and
English radio stations.
School Day
Our morning classes begin at 9:00am sharp,
this differs from our European counterparts as the tend to begin earlier,
for example in France. Morning classes are forty minutes long, and there
are five of these, until 12:30.
With joy and relief, the school bell tolls
through the corridors and classes are recessed for lunch hour, classrooms
empty as students file through the crowded hallways to the Generall Assembly
Area/GAA. Here students can sit and eat, and chat with friends as
the speakers of the 5th year’s CD player pelt very severe heavy rockmusic
into unsuspecting eardrums! Outside every day training sessions for various
sports teams are held at this time. School proceeds after lunch from 13:30
to 16:00.
We have Irish lessons everyday. During this class we learn to read, write, speak and understand our native language. Although we find learning the language interesting and important we feel that it is not thought in a manner with which we could use it in our everyday lives.
Student’s Opinion’s
“I really like learning Irish, I don’t find
it too difficult and I’m delighted to be learning it”.
-Transition Year Student,
15
“I like to learn Irish because it is our
native language, but I feel it could be made more exciting”.
-2nd Year Student, 13
Here are a few ‘sheanfhocals’ or old
Irish sayings;
“Mol an óige
agus tiocfaidh siad”
Meaning: Praise the
youth and they will suceed
"Tagann an ghrian
I ndiaidh na fearthaine”
Meaning: The sun comes
after the rain.
“Ní hé
lá na baistí lá na bpáistí”
Meaning: children
don't mind the rain
“Tír gan
teanga is tír gan anam”
Meaning: ‘A land without
it’s language is a land without a soul’
– Pádraig
MacPiorais
(Patrick Pearse)
Extra Curricular Activities
At school there are many opportunities for
students to use their personal talents. After school and at break
times, activities such as sport and athletics, speech & drama and debating/public
speaking, music lessons and orchestra’s, and charity & community commitees.
Sport is highly encouraged in schools, among these sports are Hurling,
Gaelic Football, Camogie and Ladies Football. These are our native
sports and promotion of them is a major factor for the GAA (Gaelic Athletics
Association). Interschools hurling and football competitions are
renowned for their high quality and competitiveness, one of the most famous
of these is the Munster colleges hurling competition the Dr.Harty Cup.
Along with classical music, students play
Traditional Irish Music. The Irish ‘Trad’ istruments include accordion,
tin-whistle, flute, fiddle, mandalin, banjo, bodhrán and long whistle.
Students can take examinations in this which are certified by the ‘SCT’.
It is delightful to see a young tradional group playing together and keeping
the music alive. It illustrates how even though we are highly influenced
by the EU we all have our cultural differences.
Other sports in schools include hockey,
soccer, basketball, rugby, volleyball and tennis. This exemplifies
how Ireland has become open to other cultures as their sports have been
introduced into our country.
After doing our homework in the evening
we enjoy watching television. Our National channels include RTÉ
1 Network 2, Tg4 & TV3. Irish soaps are quite popular for example,
Fair City, Bachelor’s Walk, The Clinic, and On Home Ground. British,
American and Australian programmes for example Cornation Street, Neighbours
and Friends are all very popular, we now have access to international channels
via satellite or digital televsion eg. MTV, The Box, Bloomberg, Sky, Channel
4, and the Discovery Channel
Conclusion
This is an example of a typical day in the
life of an Irish student. We see so many things around us in our
daily lives that are connected with our fellow European countries, which
act as constant reminders of our European status. We have both benefited
and grown from our integration into the EU.
Michelle Moloumby, Catherine
Lonergan, Catherine Mulcahy and Siobháin Butler
Transition Year, Ursuline Secondary
School Thurles
