Coláiste na bhFiann (CnabhF) is an

Irish language Irish (Standard Irish: ), also known as Irish Gaelic or simply Gaelic ( ), is a Celtic language of the Indo-European language family. It is a member of the Goidelic languages of the Insular Celtic sub branch of the family and is indigenous ...

summer course for students aged 10–18 years. The company was founded by Domhnall Ó Lubhlaí and the first course was in

Rosmuc Rosmuc or Ros Muc, sometimes anglicised as Rosmuck, is a village in the Conamara Gaeltacht of County Galway, Ireland. It lies halfway between the town of Clifden and the city of Galway. Irish is the predominant spoken language in the area, wit ...

, County Galway, Ireland in 1968. Since then, fifty thousand students have studied on their summer courses.

Activities

Some courses are college-based and others are based in the

Gaeltacht A ( , , ) is a district of Ireland, either individually or collectively, where the Irish government recognises that the Irish language is the predominant vernacular, or language of the home. The districts were first officially recognised ...

areas of

, County Galway and

Ráth Cairn Ringforts or ring forts are small circular fortified settlements built during the Bronze Age, Iron Age and early Middle Ages up to about the year 1000 AD. They are found in Northern Europe, especially in Ireland. There are also many in ...

, County Meath. Most courses are three-week residential courses in which students are immersed in an Irish-speaking environment. During these courses, students attend classes and take part in various activities, games, arts, crafts, and sport. As Ireland's longest-established course organiser, several other courses have been founded on the same model. In 1970, ' was founded to provide weekly youth clubs and to give students the opportunity to practise the language skills acquired on the summer courses. As of 2016, there were approximately sixty clubs in the country.

Sexual abuse allegations

Since his death, Domhnall Ó Lubhlaí, the company's founder and first teacher on the courses, has been subject to allegations that he sexually attacked and abused teenage boys in the 1960s and 1970s either at school or during outings.

Locations

Residential - Rule A

*Ros Muc, County Galway. The first teacher here was Domhnall Ó Lubhlaí

Residential - Rule B

Gaoth Dobhair Gweedore ( , officially known by its Irish language name, ) is a Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking) district, and parish, located on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of County Donegal in the north-west of Ireland. It stretches some from Glasserchoo ...

, County Donegal *Baile an Uairnigh (Warrenstown), County Meath (opened 2010) *

Ráth Chairn Ráth Chairn () is a small village and Gaeltacht ( Irish-speaking area) in County Meath, Ireland. It is about 55 km northwest of Dublin. Ráth Chairn Gaeltacht was founded in 1935 when 27 families from Connemara, mostly from Ceantar na n ...

, County Meath

Past pupils

Hector Ó hEochagáin Shane Ó hEochagáin ( ; (of the tribe of Uí Néill) born 17 August 1969), known mononymously as Hector, is an Irish television and radio presenter born in Drogheda, County Louth, and raised in Navan, County Meath. He is best known for travel ...

, television presenter *

Cynthia Ní Mhurchú Cynthia Ní Mhurchú (; born 1966) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician, barrister and former radio host with (RTÉ) who has served as a Member of the European Parliament for the South constituency since July 2024. She presented Eurovision Song ...

, television presenter *

Carrie Crowley Caroline Anne Crowley (born 23 May 1964) is an Irish actress and former radio and television presenter. She had her own chat show, ''Limelight'', and co-presented the Eurovision Song Contest 1997 with Ronan Keating. Her acting credits include ...

, television presenter * Catherine Martin, Irish government minister

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Colaiste na bhFiann Language schools Irish-language education