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UPDATE 25/10- The registration deadline has passed, however if you are interested in taking part, please registar at the link above and we will make every effort to help you.

Will your school take part?

The main event of the first term is back! Gaeilge24 is great challenge for the class, the year or the whole school.


Register early to get sponsorship cards at the start of the term!


25/10/23

Deadline to register

(but it is better to register early to receive sponsorship cards)

09/11/23

Packages arriving

The packages should arrive at your school between the 8th -10th of November

14/11/23

The big day- Gaeilge24

(or another day that suits your school)

Days
:
Hours
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Minutes
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Seconds

left to register

(you will receive a package with posters and sponsorship cards by October 27th)

Céard é Gaeilge24?

What is the aim?

Inspiration

The aim of this challenge is to encourage young people to try speak Irish non-stop for one whole day, 24 hours: at home, at school, in shops and businesses, around the town, in sports clubs and with friends!

Positive Experience

This challenge will help to open the minds of young people and allow them to experience the Irish language in a unique and positive way.

Challenge

Gaeilge24 has grown to become the most exciting nationwide school event of the first school term. Thousands will be taking part again this year. We hope to have over 300 schools and 30,000 students taking part in 2023.

What's the aim?

Why should our school take part?

The Oral Exam - Particular emphasis on speaking Irish

Gaeilge24 will help any senior student preparing for the Irish oral examination (which is now 40% of the total marks for the Leaving Certificate). A whole day of speaking Irish will help improve their fluency and confidence.

A living language - Outside of the classroom

Gaeilge24 provides a unique opportunity to take the Irish language out of the classroom. Other subjects could be taught through Irish. Sports days or school tours in Irish could be organised.

Normalisation of the Irish language - Outside of school

Speaking Irish is normalised by linking with local shops and businesses with Irish, local Irish language community groups, and state services through Irish. This campaign shows how anybody can live their lives through Irish.

Why take part?

Pictures from the day: 

  • Curragh Post Primary


The Package

We are asking each student to colect €10 / £9 for the charity.
Each student who collects money will receive this package.

Below is a chart with more information about t-shirt measurements from the t-shirt company.

Size women (UK size) Inches/cm
5-6 years   28” / 72cm
7-8 years   30” / 77cm
9-11 years (S) 8-10 32” / 82cm
12-13 years (M) 10-12 34”-36" / 87-93cm
Large (L) 14-16 41”-43" / 104-109cm
Very Large (XL) 18-20 44”-46" / 112-117cm
Very large (XXL) 22-24 47”-49" / 119-124cm

We recommend asking the students themselves which size t-shirt they prefer to wear - there is a space on the sponsorship card where they can choose a t-shirt themselves.

Sometimes the students have to wear the shirts over school clothes, it's worth taking that into account if that's the case in your own school.

Every body is different of course but for the most part when the Conradh na Gaeilge team are taking part they usually wear between 12-13 (M) or large (L) t-shirts and a few XL.

More information can be found about the t-shirt sizes in the FAQ section below

The package

Timeline - how to register 

1- Register early

As soon as you are registered we will send you a package with sponsorship cards and posters for your school. This will give you some more time to work out how many students want to take part. Don’t worry if you haven’t got all the information now, we will confirm everything with you before the due date; October 25th 2023

You can register here

2- How many students?

We recommend ordering more cards than you think you’ll need, in case you run out. Schools, whether big or small, can take part - some schools registered with 500+ students last year, and some other schools only had 30 students! A single class could register for Gaeilge24, or the whole school could take part!

3- Hand out the sponsorship cards

A package with a sponsorship card will come in the post a few days after registration. Hand out the sponsorship cards to the students that expressed interest or to the entire school if you’d prefer. Assign them a due date to let you know what size t-shirt they want.

NB: According to feedback It is a lot harder to collect money from students once the day is over.

4. Confirm numbers with us

Make sure to confirm the number of students before October 25th. We will order the t-shirts and packages then. You can do this by emailing us or contacting us by phone.

5. When will the t-shirts / packages arrive?

We will order the packages at the start of the mid-term break when we have received the last order. We will send the packages by courier a week before the challenge is set to begin.

Every package should be received between November 8th-10th .

“Labhair Gaeilge liom inniu” stickers will be included in the package for the other teachers in the school.

6. Payment and certificates

The money collected doesn’t have to be sent on until the end of November. When payment is received we will send a receipt to you with the certificates.

Timeline

2023 Theme: The Future of the Irish Language 

This year, Gaeilge24 is focusing on the theme of the Future of the Irish Language.

There will be a range of activities organised for the day, that will give an overview of the wide range of ways that Irish could add to your life in the future, and that discusses the future of the language in various contexts - at school, at home, in the area, at work and as a language activist.

This theme was decided by teachers, through last year’s feedback forms.

Below are just some of the events that we plan on organising for the day. Some of these activities will be pre-recorded, so that you can watch them at any time of the day:




1. A panel of guest speakers LIVE 2pm

The Panel discussion is now over but you can look at a recording of the event at this link 

We will have a live discussion panel on Zoom with guest speakers at 14:00

Register Here- Only the teacher / person presenting need register

Séaghan Ó Suilleabháin- @KerryCowboy, Réalt Tiktok
Niamh Ní Chróinín- Cúla4 & TG4
Conchúr Ó Muadaigh- An Dream Dearg, Laochra Loch Lao, Glór na Móna

Bean an Tí- Síomha Ní Ruairc: Conradh na Gaeilge, TG4, Grá ar an Trá

The theme of the discussion willl be "The Future of the Irish Language"

Questions from attendees welcome. The panel will last 40 minutes in total. Only the teacher need register for the webinar in advance, to present in front of the class. You can register at this link.

We will record the Panel discussion and place a link here after for any schools who want to watch at another time.

2. Irish & Technology- Video

This workshop is available as a 7 minute video at this link: https://youtu.be/SAm--PlD7Xc

How to get your phone and apps in Irish, more information about websites and apps that are available through Irish.

3. Careers with Irish- Video

an interactive workshop about the opportunities that there are with Irish now and in the future.

A video workshop that has been put together for Gaeilge24.

Includes discussion on the varios sectors where the Irish language can be used, with interviews from people in Communication, Public Sector, EU and the Irish language sector.

The video lasts 17 minutes with various videos intertwined which have been collected by Foras na Gaeilge and GradIreland

Link: https://youtu.be/UnOV52-gsVU

4. Tráth na gCeist LIVE

Takes place at 11:30, register here.

With questions about the Irish language. (over 1,500 took part in this live event last year)

More information coming closer to the day.

6. The Irish language in your area

we can suggest local guest speakers that can come to speak about the Irish language in your own area.

Contact us if you are looking for someone to come and speak on the day.

2023 Theme

The Charity: 
Where do the profits go?

Any profits made from the campaign this year will go towards our efforts to promote and support the Irish language. Conradh na Gaeilge is a registered charity: Charity Number RCN 20003869. 

This year Gaeilge24 will specifically help:

  • 1. Campaigns:

    Gaeilge4All:  A campaign we started a few years ago to strengthen and defend the Irish language in our education system and to ensure that every student can have a positive, meaningful and fulfilling Irish language learning experience from preschool to third level. So far we have 12,000 signatures and are hoping to continue putting pressure on the government. www.Gaeilge4all.ie

    Dúshlán: A fun competition we started where teams have to complete 30 challenges within 50 hours. The competion is strong every year with over 200 teams taking part in 2023. Profits from Gaeilge24 helped provide more prizes to schools. www.cnag.ie/dushlan

  • 2. Events:

    We hope to build on the events we have started to train and empower second level students.

    Training:  This year we will be organising 4 Regional Training Sessions for Secondary School Irish Officers in conjunction with ADIÉ / ISSU. 

    Ard-Fheis na nÓg:  took place for the third time in Gaoth Dobhair this year with over 100 students from 20 schools.  We hope to grow and develop this event with our next Ard-Fheis na nÓg taking place in Corca Dhuibhne in April 2023.

  • 3. Support:

    Raidió Rí-Rá: We are working to keep Raidió Rí-Rá live on air 24/7 with the hope to be live on FM in the future. 

    Mythbusting: We are updating the Mythbusting campaign with free resources and lesson plans for every school.

The Charity

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there any registration fee?

Schools sign up for free! We will send out a package with sponsorship cards and free posters within a few days. It will give you more time to find out how many people want to participate.

Can the School pay for the packages instead of the Students?

Of course! Many schools pay for Gaeilge24 with their own Irish language budget. Let us know when you register in the "Anything else to add" box  and in this case, we will not send you the sponsorship cards.

Can we take part in Gaeilge24 on another date?

Yes! Many schools participate on another day if the14th of  November doesn't suit them. The only difference is that schools will not be able to participate in the live online events on the day, and that the 14th of November is mentioned with the posters / cards.

The students come back from the mid-term break on 6 November and the earliest we can ensure that your packages will be on time is 9 November 2023.

If you intend to take on the challenge on another day be sure to let us know in the "Anything else to add" box when registering.

Can teachers also get a T-shirt?

We would love for all teachers to be involved in the Gaeilge24, - and not just Irish teachers!

This year for the first time we will send one free t-shirt to every school with over 20 registered students. Special "Labhair Gaeilge liom inniu" stickers will be placed in the package for other teachers on the day.

The shirts are very expensive, and unfortunately, as a charity we cannot afford to give them out for free to all teachers. However we have 2 options.

  1. We can order t-shirts for the teacher for €5 for every 20 registered students (For example, with a school of 200 registered students, one t-shirt goes to the school for free and we could send another 9 t-shirts for €5 per shirt). In this case, include the total amount of t-shirts in your order and leave a note in the "Anything else you want to say?" box when you register / confirm numbers with us.
  2. Sometimes there are t-shirts left over from other years that we can offer to the teachers for free. We cannot be sure that we'll have the correct measurement and there is a chance that they will be different colors. Ask us in the box "Anything else you want to say?" when you register / confirm numbers with us.
What size t-shirts should we go with?

Because Gaeilge24 deals with primary & post-primary schools, there are options for children's t-shirts (5-6 years, 7-8 years, 9-11 years, 12-13 years) and options for adults' t-shirts (L- large, XL-large, XXL large). We don't use S (small) or M (medium) t-shirts because the 12-13 shirts are bigger than an S t-shirt and this creates confusion for everyone!

Because of all this, we say that a 9-11 years t-shirt is the same as an S (small) t-shirt for an adult. And 12-13 is an M (medium) t-shirt for an adult. There is not much difference between them.

We recommend asking the students themselves which size t-shirt they prefer to wear - there is a space on the sponsorship card where they can choose a t-shirt themselves.

Sometimes the students have to wear the shirts over school clothes, it's worth taking that into account if that's the case in your own school.

Below is a chart with more information about t-shirt measurements from the t-shirt company. We have included a photo in "the package" section above showing different people from our own team wearing the different size t-shirts.

Size women (UK size) Inches/cm
5-6 years   28” / 72cm
7-8 years   30” / 77cm
9-11 years (S) 8-10 32” / 82cm
12-13 years (M) 10-12 34”-36" / 87-93cm
Large (L) 14-16 41”-43" / 104-109cm
Very Large (XL) 18-20 44”-46" / 112-117cm
Very large (XXL) 22-24 47”-49" / 119-124cm

Every body is different of course but for the most part when the Conradh na Gaeilge team are taking part they usually wear between 12-13 (M) or large (L) t-shirts and a few XL.

Can we Raise money during Gaeilge24 for a different charity?

Many schools have links with different charities that Gaeilge24 can raise money for. In this case, we will just ask you to cover the cost of the packages - any extra money you raise can be used to support your chosen charity. Contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you would like to discuss this option with us.

Can we make changes to the number of packages ordered?

Any change can be made to the number of packages ordered until 25 October 2023. We will send you a confirmation form a week before this deadline.


Everything will be ordered on that day and no major changes can be made after that. If there is an urgent need to make a minor change after that date, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we will try to help you if the box has not already been packed, it would be best to make contact as soon as possible before the packing dates (6-7 November).

Can we return the packages if we don't use them?

Unfortunately each and every package is specially ordered for the school you are in when we confirm the numbers with you before 25 October. We cannot accept packages that have been sent back to us.

Can we take part without the package?

All schools/colleges/businesses are very welcome to participate without the packages.

We ask you to still register with us and tell us how many students you intend to participate without the packages. In this case we will keep you informed about the day and send you resources via email, as well as a link to the events for the day.

When do we have to pay for the packages?

We would be grateful if the money collected can be forwarded to us by Friday, 1 December 2023. When the money has been paid, you will get a reciept. We will send you the Gaeilge24 certificates when everything is paid if you have to ask for them - you will receive an email with the different certificate options. There is no need to send the sponsorship cards back to us!

What is the best way to pay for the packages?

There are 3 different ways to pay for the packages

A: Bank Transfer / Lodement: Be sure to quote the School Name and reference number with the payment.

IBAN: IE44AIBK93208684130070  
SWIFT AIBKIE2D 
Account number: 84130070
Sorting Code: 93-20-86
Account Name: Conradh na Gaeilge
Branch: AIB, 7 Sráid an Dáma, Baile Átha Cliath 2

B. Credit Card: Payment can be made at our donation page at this link. Be sure to quote the School Name and reference number.

C. Cheque: Make the Cheque out to "Conradh na Gaeilge". Address: 6 Sráid Fhearchair, Baile Átha Cliath 2

All profits will be given to Conradh na Gaeilge to support the promotion of the Irish language throughout Ireland. Conradh na Gaeilge is a registered charity – Charity Number: RCN 20003869.

FAQs

Register here

If you don't have all the details you can still fill out the form and confirm the details with us before Wednesday 25/10/23.

Contact us with numbers or any questions:
+353 (0)1 4757401 | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

10 Ideas for the Teacher 

  • 1. Make a timetable with all the different things happening in the school in Irish

  • 2. Take part in the activities "Todhchaí na Gaeilge" that we have organised for the day

  • 3. Make a big sign and posters for the day 

  • 4. Give a sticker to each teacher who can speak Irish

  • 5. Do an official launch with a local guest speaker who has Irish

  • 6. Inform the local radio station about the challenge taking place in the school

  • 7. Sports Day in Irish / tour in Irish or record a music video in Irish

  • 8. Organize games like scrabble, countdown and hangman in Irish

  • 9. Give pages with useful phrases to local shops and parents. Explain the role everyone has in completing the challenge. (the students can pick a shop as a project / homework in the weeks leading up to the day)

  • 10. Connect with other schools that are taking part in the challenge - Zoom in Irish

Primary Schools

This year a different package will be available for primary schools as well as additional support to help teachers:

  1. A new phrasebook & posters aimed specifically at primary school students

  2. 3 sample plans for the entire school day

  3. A sample Tráth na gCeist / Table Quiz
  4. A sample letter to send home to parents about the day
  5. Useful phrases for school staff, parents at home and local shops

  6. Links to films and music, steps for the céilí as well as other useful resources

Ideas

Contact the Gaeilge24 team......

Contact

Conradh na Gaeilge

6 Harcourt Street, Dublin 2.
Phone: +353 (0) 1 475 7401, Fax: +353 (0) 1 475 7844, Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.