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THE EDMUND RICE Schools Trust was unaware Education Minister Norma Foley had approved their plans to transform Synge Street C.B.S. in Dublin 8 into a Gaelscoil until just one day before the announcement.
In a statement, the Trust said itself and the school’s board of management, of which two staff members are included, had taken part in extensive engagement and analysis over the decision to allow girls to enrol at the school and begin teaching as Gaeilge.
Additionally long-running campaigns, spearheaded by parents from Dublin 8 and surrounding areas, to have a feeder Gaelscoil in that part of the city were also not informed of the decision.
According to the ERST, the Department told it on Tuesday afternoon that Minister Foley would be announcing, on television the following day, that female students will enrol at the school and first-year classes will be taught through Irish, starting in September 2026
“It was great to get this news but it was unexpected – in terms of the timing,” it said in a statement to The Journal.
Synge Street CBS – one of Dublin’s best-known school’s after it was the centre of the 2016-film ‘Sing Street’ – is an all-boys’ school run under a Christian Brothers ethos. It was founded in 1864 and has been in Dublin 8 since.
It has a coveted list of past pupils, including presenter Gay Byrne, footballer Andy Reid, director John Carney and once-Taoiseach Liam Cosgrave, and has won four BT Young Scientists awards – unbeaten by any other school in Ireland.
It is under the trusteeship of the Edmund Rice School Trust (ERST), a network of over 90 schools in the Republic of Ireland which were formally under the trusteeship of the Christian Brothers. Its schools promote a “Christian concept of the world”.
Discussions over the plan by the school’s Board of Management ended with the approval and support of the ERST and the Department of Education.
The idea to enrol female students and begin teaching in Irish was part of plans to boost the number of students in the school, as local families have chosen in favour of co-educational schools rather than single-sex schools in the area.
RTÉ News has reported that staff were too blind sided by the announcement. ERST has insisted to The Journal that Principal Clare Catterson informed staff of the Minister’s announcing “straight away”.
First-year students entering Synge Street C.B.S. in September 2026 will be the only class that is taught completely as Gaeilge. All other students who enrolled before will continue their education through English.
By September 2032 the school will be lán-Gaeilge.
ERST said that it is working with the Department and is “satisfied” that the necessary steps will be completed in time to allow for female students to start at Synge Street on the date provided.
Supports will also be given to teaching staff who wish to teach through Irish. This includes access to all relevant assistance, such as lessons and improving other technical skills.
“Both the Department of Education and ERST’s network of teachers in Gaelcholáistí will be assisting with this process,” the Trust added, in a statement.
Julian De Spáinn, General Secretary of Conradh Na Gaeilge and chairperson of the Parents’ Committee for Gaelcholáiste 2, 4, 6, 8 – a group of residents seeking a Gaelscoil in the area – has welcomed the move.
De Spáinn added, however, that the campaign had not been contacted by the Department and was disappointed to learn that the school won’t be ‘lán Gaeilge’ until September 2032 – as that won’t cater to existing students in the Dublin 2, 4, 6 and 8 areas.
“What we’ve been looking for, us parents, is a school that is functioning completely as Gaeilge for students when they open. That’s what the campaign was about, not looking for partial immersion education or one unit, we’re looking for full-immersion education.”
Despite this, De Spáinn said he was pleased with the decision as the new Gaelcholáiste would still serve the students in the area into the future and said that he would welcome if similar moves are made by schools in other locales.
He commended the work of parents and other campaigners for their work over the last three years. There are currently no plans for the campaign to meet with the minister and De Spáinn claims it had not had discussions with Foley before.
One parent from the area, who spoke to The Journal and did not wish to be named, said that the decision by Synge Street C.B.S. to transition into a Gaelscoil was a “really smart move” as there is a “real demand” for a Gaelscoil in the region.
“I do think that demand will be filled really quickly,” they said.
Some parents in the locale already believe the area is severely under served when it comes to school spaces.
Louise FitzPatrick runs the ‘Educate D8‘ campaign. The group wants there to be a non-denominational, co-educational school in Dublin 8 and claims that students are leaving the area to seek Education Together schools.
While she welcomed the announcement to turn Synge Street into a Gaelscoil, and congratulated De Spáinn and other parents who were seeking the move, she said she believes the demand will only add to the lack of school spaces.
FitzPatrick says Dublin 8 is “severely under served” when it comes to school places in the area, and the new Gaelscoil will have to have a larger catchment region in order to attract students from other parts of the city.
She also took dissatisfaction with the fact that the new Gaelscoil will still be run under the Christian Brother ethos, arguing that there needs to be a school without a religious ethos, as 60% of residents in Dublin 8 are not Catholic.
“This school is still going to remain in patronage of the Catholic Church, like three other schools in the area, one being part of Church of Ireland,” FitzPatrick told The Journal.
“This means that there is still is not a school in the area – and won’t be a school in the area – for children who don’t want to be educated under a religious patronage.”
FitzPatrick and other parents from the area are to meet with Education minister Norma Foley next month to discuss the issue.
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Attention seeker!
@Micheal Dunne . Hit the nail on the head. Tho after the attention the dentist got you would have to be one stupid mother f#cker to go looking for the same.
My thoughts exactly. Me predicts a spate of these hunts by attention seeking Americans. Just lock em up and say nothing – be far more effective.
I hope she gets all the attention she deserves and that it drives her out of her job and her home. Maybe then she will have time to reflect on her actions.
@The Viking, I suppose it’s something similar to that of a bully seeking attention, performing negative acts to create some kind of bond with humans. It isn’t even real hunting as far as I am concerned as the animal has no chance of escape.
Savages. These humans are far more dangerous than the animals. Killing any animal for fun should bring them a death penalty.
She’s beyond deluded
“There’s a lot of personal things in my life that have happened recently that have added to that. I won’t get into that or disclose those feelings.”
So….every time she gets upset, she has to shoot something……….anger management issues.
People like this give the humans race a bad name.
Ricky Gervais is likely very close to the mark here… comparing her to a serial killer.
This is because this woman is almost certainly a Psychopath – one of the 1 to 2% of the general population unable to feel ‘empathy’, from birth.
Exactly how this manifests depends on their childhood upbringing. At one end of the scale, following an intensely mental and/or physically abused chlidhood, we have people who kill other people… or people who advocate things like genocide & ethnic cleansing like Israel’s Netanyahu, Nazi Germany’s Hitler etc. and many of their associates.
At the other end of the scale, Psychopaths from a loving background will typically not display any aggression towards humans or animals – but the danger is there, given the circumstances.
None of this is contraversial. Recent Brain Scan techniques have confirmed decades of Psychological testing.
This kind of personal cruelty to animals – ultimately killing them – is an absolute red flag in demonstrating significant Psychopathic tendencies.
Another is the ‘Hunt’. The chase, the game – *winning*. Because what motivates people with little or no sense of empathy also creates a very different social animal… one that values *winning* above all others, but also one that *assumes* everyone else is similarly motivated. And when others lose, they are perceived as weaker, or lesser humans, for which our Pstchopaths of course ‘feel’ no sympathy. (But they can and do mimic such things, having learnt what our normal expected human responses are in our highly socialised species. The difference is Psychopaths can appear to be enormously charming and friendly.. but it’s faked, since the behaviour doesn’t originate from felt emotions.)
Not hard at all to find these traits displayed – this woman is a classic example – even here in the comments section.
Not all, but a good few of the usual suspects posting in Journal comments, who plainly don’t care if others live or die, have enough to eat, have a home, medical care etc. are certainly Psychopaths (or very close on the scale, like the 30% of Wall St execs tested, from a sample size of 2000).
There’s no cure at present, or even postulated, for Psychopathy. It’s not generally a problem, except where the ‘nurture’ aspect has compounded the damage, and criminal behaviour results.
But there is one thing we should never allow – Psychopaths in Public Office.
As a tiny proportion of society, and lacking normal human empathy, such unfortunate people cannot possibly reliably *represent* the interests of the majority of citizens. For obvious reasons.
However, Psychopathic traits, guile, game playing, acting, ambition etc. are all very advantageous in achieving high office in most careers – including politics.
Look at Human history, especially the behaviour of the elite, Capital owner class and their propensity to war as a means of conflict resolution – as bad today as at any time. It’s rather obvious that Psychopaths are to blame for a great deal of human suffering.
There’s no need for this. We can, reliably to an acceptable precautionary level (consider the dangers!) test all candidates for public office, and exclude the Psychopathic.
If we don’t – and soon – I don’t see Humanity surviving this century out in anything close to the present population numbers. A perfect storm is coming – conflict over resources AND ecological catastrophe. We will only survive this by putting our human capacity for co-operation and empathy to the fore.
Too long bro…
Great post Mike – fascinating.
Thanks Ross, appreciate the kind words.
There is a further body of work which also helps to explain why Psychopaths in public office can cause such catastrophes as wars etc., besides the obvious Propaganda techniques developed by Edward Bernays, defining much media output today.
The Stanley Milgram experiments (1960s) on authority and mass obedience are something that every citizen should be aware of… (lots of info on google)
Honestly, our ‘education’ system offers precisely *nothing*, *nada*, on preparing young citizens to engage in a participatory democracy…
Psychology, propaganda and mass media control – nothing.
Monetary & macro economics – nothing. Or if you study it at 3rd level, you will receive the opposite of the truth in its key concepts.
The people who have determined our educational curriculum need to be sacked, immediately, for failing to deliver what should be the first priorities in any society trying to call itself a representative democracy. (None of us in US Europe, or much anywhere, except possibly Greece, trying hard since February, live in one of those..)
what really gets me is it’s not exactly like the hunt is fair when they come armed with a rifle!
When you see the sheer power of an animal like a giraffe, you come to realise that a rifle merely evens the playing field. It’s still dangerous to hunt a wild animal on their own territory even with a gun.
Yeah so dangerous to watch an animal from a distance, probably waiting for it to put its head down for a drink of water at the usual spot, with a team of people armed with rifles. Get out into the wild with a homemade spear if you want to feel hard, or better yet don’t kill wildlife for “sport”
how exactly does a rifle even the playing field? what can an animal do from 100 yards away except run?
What playing field is that? Didn’t realise it was a game.
Why somebody doesn’t hunt and shoot that bitch. .let’s see how she would like being terrified and stalked. disgusting carry on.
Don’t hunt a wild animal on its own territory then – simples.
What are you doing then hunting an animal “on its own territory”?????
YOUR words Jason!! Wake up!!
It’s still stupid to hunt animals just for the fun of it.
Jason do you happen to have the statistics of how many humans have been eaten by giraffes in the past year oh and by the way they use guns not bow and arrows to kill these defenceless creatures from a very safe and secure distance away
One herbivore armed with its teeth versus a group of humans with high powered rifles and sights. Yeah Jason, very level playing field. Tw@t
“There’s a connection with the animal, and just because we hunt them, doesn’t mean we don’t have respect for them…” – so on one hand you respect the animal, and on the other you murder it. Well that makes no sense at all. Idiot.
A typically psychopathic viewpoint. How can you respect something and kill it for sport? Deranged.
Fake lips, Fake tits…hope she bursts dying
no giraffes arent dangerous but absolute lunatics like you who have access to guns big enough to kill a giraffe and have the mentality to make up an excuse for killing one , are dangerous. rot in hell u evil human
I hope she gets everything she deserves. connection my arse, wonder how connected the poor giraffe felt. Karma is a bitch. Hope she gets prison.
The French have a saying, ‘Cet animal est sauvage, quand on l’attaque, il se defend’ meaning, ‘this animal is savage, when it is attacked it defends itself’. I have never heard of a giraffe hunting a human or another animal as they only eat vegetatation. The males can give each other vicious kicks when competing for females. If this woman thinks that giraffes are dangerous to her or other humans she must have sh!t for brains.
She has some neck!
You’re only hilarious Jules! I’d say you’re great craic on a night out!!
Your mammy must be so proud of you Mark in your lovely graduation uniform. #plonker.
You’re only massive in your shades selfie..I’d say your mammy framed it for her bedside locker Lol Toss pot;)
When something so ugly murders something so beautiful!
She’ll regret posting that picture. Papers in the U.S have printed where she works. She’s in for a major shock pretty soon I’d imagine.
This is the same mentality as professes that there are no endangered species of animals, no global warming, burning fossil fuels makes no difference, the general population needs more guns (to protect themselves from ???) and a general public health system would destroy the economy.
I just looked at this knob’s facebook and she posts pictures of herself with her bow, the arrows are vicious looking. Unless you hit an animal in the vitals it isn’t going down and more than often will wander around in agony until they’re put out of their misery or die slowly. Don’t get me wrong, I understand families in wilder parts of the world need to hunt, but that’s far from paying thousands and flying to another country to kill an animal.
Yanks are very dangerous!!!!!
What we need is a real version of the Hunger Games where these hunters can hun each other, problem solved. Hunters get to hunt and the hunted die thus reducing their numbers, a win win situation
“Dangerous” giraffes are easily avoided!
This one is a mad cow and needs putting down sad bitch
Wandering around the jungle with just a spear in your hand is hunting. Hiding in a bush with a long range rifle is not!
i read a counter argument that these one-off hunters are actually good for the animal population. they bring big money and basically enlist the local tribes and population to be guardians of these magnificent animals against widespread poaching. worth a read for those interested in a challenging view. Sunday times this week. I dint have a link…. it’s on my kitchen table!
Yeah Louis Theroux made a good doc about the whole thing.
I can’t see anything great about hunting an animal for sport, especially with a bow. The poor old thing gets an arrow in it then wanders around and is tracked by these muppets who think they’re rambo or something.
Yeah, of course there’s maybe a few thousand giraffes and lions left in the wild, so what damage can a few hundred trophy hunters do? That’s the crappiest argument for trophy hunting ever put forward, it’s good for the animals. Far better for the animals and the local economy are photo safaris. And if you feel the need to take a selfie with a lion or giraffe or any other animal, do so while their alive, and win a Darwin award.
Why don’t they just pay the money WITHOUT killing the animals? Why not get as close as they dare then shoot them with cameras? That would take real courage and the pictures would be something worth displaying.
The argument you’ve put forth is just a rationalisation for people who get off on killing defenceless animals from distance. What kind of sport is it when the outcome is rigged and one team doesn’t know they’re playing? Wrestling has more legitimacy.
it’s not my argument Le Tigre. I am merely pointing out there is another side to the argument for those seeking a fuller understanding. One can read one side of it all day long on sites like these. some people like to read other perspectives.
….which is why I said “the argument you’ve put forth” instead of “your argument”.
Lotto, its estimated that because of corruption in African countries, as little as 3% of the money these trophy hunters pay to kill an animal finds its way back into conservation. It’s an excuse hunters use to validate their blood lust
Culling of wild animals is sometimes necessary because of earlier human interference with the natural order. The problem with ‘hunting’ these trophy animals is that human ‘hunters’ know no bounds and will indulge their ‘hobby’ to the point of having these species extinguished. I won’t even mention the cruelty involved .
Uggggghhhhh just looked at her face up close …..yuk … those fake lips … very ugly woman …
More celebrity bandwagon-outrage. Give an animal a human name and it becomes a trending topic on Twitter. Not many people waving placards outside Supermacs, ‘You b@stard, you made a snack box out of Colette the Chicken’.
People are very dangerous, killing beautiful wild animals is disgusting.
Her business is called “Racks & Ridges” selling mainly clothing for hunters. Actually, all she has on offer are 5 different types of t-shirts. Anyway, people should bombard the company email address racksandrudges@gmail.com highlighting their disgust.
That should of course read “racksandridges@gmail.com”.
Americans are very Dangerous too!
If it really is the thrill of the hunt, could she not just use a tranquilliser?
‘Giraffes are dangerous and can hurt you’! The same can be said for pet dogs, cats, budgies and even teenagers. Not to mention, female accountants armed with rifles!!!
And the first contestant to compete on the Hunger games is Sabrina Corgatelli.. (Just a thought)..
She’s pretty hot, maybe all this animal killing is where it’s at
High you’d do better in coppers
What people don’t seem to realise about hunting is that in many cases it actually helps the country. Places like Australia regularly invite hunters for ‘culling hunts’ to reduce the population of invasive species. Hunting by and large helps keep the number of wild animals down in certain areas, preventing wild animals from overconsumption of resources which would drive them into more regular contact with human settlements.
While paying tens of thousands to have one specific animal lured into your sights just for self-gratification is wrong, hunting itself is not a bad thing.
Jason, Lions and Giraffes are not invasive species to Africa, hence the uproar.
Hardly call them invasive if we are building houses over their habitats.
Big difference between culling animals where populations have taken over an ecosystem and hunting endangered animals.
Jason, I haven’t heard of giraffes being overpopulated. What this woman is doing is a long way from a cull of kangaroos or rabbits in Australia
By the same logic it should be open season on humans! Let the games begin!
a complete Cu#t with a capital C
She says Giraffes are very dangerous animals, are there any giraffes in the wild in America for her to bother? The African Natives don’t seem to mind and if they are dangerous, then stay away from them. Just an excuse to satisfy their fetish adrenaline needs.
Some neck on her!
It’s the giraffe that has the long neck, you dope. Your crap joke doesn’t even work.
You’re only hilarious!!! I’m creased over. Gas craic you are
Then we have mass murder of cattle sheep pigs chickens using the humane killer in our country and we like it fresh on our plates. Very few jump up and down for rabbits rights when greyhounds rights are concerned. In the Wild the concept of animal rights does not exist among the animals. If we want to kill we simply switch the “ki” to “cu” sounds almost the same. Big game hunting is what it is. It goes on and is “regulated” in African countries. However our sensibilities get hurt when we see the trophy picture yet when we see a fish hunter displaying the trophy fish we say “wow” what a catch!
The big game hunter pays well for the privilege thus “feeding” far more struggling African families who might otherwise not be fed. It is an African tourist industry. For every picture of the hunter and his/her conquest there are thousands more similar photos and trophies that are never published. If an ordinary animal had been killed rather than Cecil the photo would never have made world headlines. You see the dentist shot the wrong lion because he was guided towards the wrong lion by the trackers. If he had shot the right lion we would never have heard about it. And of course Cecil did not know his name was Cecil. When a lion brings down a wildebeest on camera the crew don’t rush in on humanitarian grounds to save the wildebeest by shooting the lion!!
Well said Micheal as per usual people with no understanding of big game hunting blast the “inhuman people that should be strung up” a lot of animals that are shot are coming close to the end of life and do not breed as they are usually driven out by younger fitter members of the herd and as such nature has already culled them. A hunt is organized by specialized companies and local trackers guide the hunters to kill only specific animals with all kills that are edible given to the local population as bush meat so feed many families. How many commentators on this site have choked on their steak, chicken, bacon or sausages in faux outrage and been quite happy with how these food animals are treated and slaughtered as it is not a “beautiful beast” it is food, hypocrites.
How does your explanation fit with the hunt that killed Cecil then?
Ross, the Lion was killed by a man who was told by local trackers that it was okay to kill this animal, he has said himself that he would not have killed this lion if he was told he could not. I wonder if the animal that was killed was not a local celebrity would there be as much uproar? I think probably not it is just the latest fad for people to get all hot and bothered about. Do people still lament the perfectly healthy Giraffe that was slaughtered in a danish zoo and fed to the carnivores that were resident there? again no. As i have said already people are ignorant on how this industry operates and should educate themselves before condemning what they do not understand. There had been many culls in this country where have been the protests and gnashing of teeth and wailing about the poor little animals?
“A hunt is organized by specialized companies and local trackers guide the hunters to kill only specific animals with all kills that are edible given to the local population as bush meat so feed many families.”
Except…
That hunt was organized by a dubious company and dodgy tracker that guided the hunter to kill a healthy pack-leading lion illegally without the proper permit, whereby the lion was injured, fled and had to be chased for nearly 2 days in pain, until the tracker killed the lion with a rifle – His head and skin were cut off, the corpse left to rot and the tracking collar destroyed to try and cover the evidence. Unfortunately for them, they were traced and caught and that is why this hunter has claimed ignorance – he has been caught hunting illegally before – it’s not his first time.
The People are only now becoming aware of these disgusting hunts and safaris – THAT is why there is so much uproar..
Feel,like getting sick,and going back to bed.
Another pussy with gun, unloved by her parents and in a sexual dilema. She believes that murdering animals from a position of safety is worthy of some sort of praise. It must be terrible to be ugly on the inside as well.
Lady if you respect the animal and love the hunt put away your high powered rifle or crossbow and hunt with what you were naturally given and then if you kill the animal I have no problem.
So many words I could use to describe her, but shouldn’t in the public domain.
If she wants the thrill of the hunt, make a camera the weapon of choice. Shoot photos.
hi sabrina. go away and f##k yourself you moron.
I wonder when we will be the prey! Some many stupid people around.
Yanks and their fascination with shooting things
Yawn! Here we go again!
No one’s forcing you to be here Funky
How can you be sure Peter? Are you looking in my window again? The judge warned you about that stuff again!!!
More outrage about killing animals yes it is shocking, but u where is the same outrage when a human burned a 18 month old is to death …
That outrage would be in the comments section of that article. This is a different article
Sorry Ross Stewart for showing mire concern for a human like my humble apology. . I think not.. my comment is about this article which people are outraged with this vile human killing animals but people showing less outrage when another vile human kill a child which happened last week in Palestine village done by a So called settler. ..
I think you’ll find the most outrage will be on articles about Irish water and corrupt Irish politics- maybe you complain there first?
We are allowed to be outraged at a few things at one time
Another A**H***
What an incredibly stupid bi*ch
There’s the long fought for female empowerment the journal.ie ladies have fought for so long.
She’s like an internet troll looking for attention, except real animals are dying because of her actions.
Thick b….h.
@ Jason. I’m glad you got the spelling right.
If ever an animal could be said not to have died in vain it was poor old Cecil the Lion. His sad end at the hands of a wealthy hunter has focused attention on the plight of endangered wildlife worldwide, and not just the fate of rhinos, tigers, lions, pandas, and hippos.
The whole issue of recreational killing of wildlife has come under the spotlight as people vent their outrage at the sadistic and calculated way that Cecil was made to suffer for “sport.” In Spain and some South American countries, animals are stoned to death at fiestas, goats are thrown off high buildings, and the horns of bulls set alight.
That’s if there isn’t a bull fighting session on to amuse or occupy blood sport fans. Bears are still baited in Pakistan and Afghanistan, dogs ripping into their flesh and inflicting a slow death in scenes that Shakespeare would have been familiar with in Elizabethan England but that some humans seem to crave in the 21st century. Here in Ireland we are less than two months away from another hare coursing season.
An animal whose conservation status is deemed poor and that has all but vanished from many parts of the country is forced to serve as bait for pairs of competing greyhounds They are mere pawns in a silly game of chance, getting mauled or tossed about like broken toys on rain sodden and wind swept fields from Cork to Donegal.
As a song went by Irish singers Clancy and Maken went: “All God’s creatures have a place in the choir.” None of them deserve to be tortured to death or mutilated or terrorised for a laugh or a wager, or to be mounted as a grizzly trophy on the wall of some wealthy connoisseur of carcasses. Now the spectre of Cecil, lying dead and headless and with a smiling hunter posing beside him, hangs over all blood sports.
From the mighty lion to the brooding bear, the wily fox to the humble hare, these creatures form part of the world’s imperiled wildlife heritage. Thanks to the Cecil Factor this treasure that graces our planetary eco-system may yet survive the effects of man’s inhumanity.
Meanwhile some of us continue campaigning…
she is a complete coward to murder a defenseless animal for sport.
I love to track and to find animals in the wild. I find them, stalk them and enjoy the spectacle of watching them I their natural habitat without harming them. I don’t own them, they belong to us all and to nature. For one of us to kill an animal unnecessarily, especially an endangered species, is a crime against ecology, against the richness of the world’s wildlife. There are, roughly, 8 – 9 billion of us humans. There are very few giraffes. If one of us kills a giraffe, the least recompense that should be demanded is that one of us dies in return. As the killer of the animal is absolutely responsible for the offence, that person should pay the price. Let the punishment fit the crime!
Which one is the Giraffe
have your say