Gaelscoil Ultain – A Brief History
Following an application in early 1986 to set up an All-Irish Primary School in Monaghan town the Department of Education authorised an all-Irish stream as part of St. Mary’s Boys National School. The first class of 23 children was based in the old Brothers’ House adjacent to the St. Mary’s building and commenced in September 1986.
The all-Irish stream, Sruth Ultain, continued for three years and in 1989, the Department sanctioned an independent school, Gaelscoil Ultain. The school has since been situated in the Old Brothers’ School and was blessed by His Eminence, Dr. Joseph Duffy, Bishop of Clogher, in May 1990.
The school remained on the hill for many years until the new school was built on the site of the old army barracks on the Armagh road. We moved to our new home in February 2013.
Bishop Liam S. MacDaid is the patron of the school. It is a parish school and like any other school, it is the principal and the Board of Management who are responsible for its day to day running.
Gaelscoil Ultain is a co-educational school providing for the educational needs of boys and girls from Junior Infants through to Rang 6.
All school subjects, with the exception of English, are taught through the medium of Irish. English is given exactly the same amount of teaching time as in any other primary school in Ireland.
Irish is the primary language of communication within the school. When children begin school the teachers speak only Irish to them. Within a short space of time children understand the language and before long and in the most natural way possible become bilingual.
All areas of our Irish culture are treated with special regard within the school and we endeavour to instil in the children a love for our music, dance and games.
Religion and its teaching are integral parts of our school life and the children are prepared for First Holy Communion and for Confirmation.
There are now more than 150 All-Irish schools in Ireland with full recognition from the Department of Education. Gaelscoileanna are allocated an extra teacher and a higher capitation grant than an equivalent English medium school.
An all-Irish Secondary School, Coláiste Oiriall, was established in Monaghan Town in 2004.