Irish

The strength of the Irish language has become one of the distinguishing features of Sandford Park School in recent years, a strength that has come into being as a result of the adoption of a policy to marry together academic endeavor with revivalist enthusiasm. Sandford has had for some time, in percentage terms, the highest rate of participation in and achievement of the honours standard in Leaving Certificate Irish of all the predominantly English-language schools in the state.

We have taken part in the Gael Linn national debating championships for some twenty years now, during which time Sandford Park has won two Leinster titles and has reached the All-Ireland semi-final stage of the competition in three consecutive years, a feat never before achieved by any school. We have established the La Geal Gréine initiative, a influential group with significant links to the Irish Language movement in Europe, Australia but particularly North America. This school-based organization is dedicated to the task of establishing temporary Gaeltachta­ in communities at home and abroad. It has met with no small success and as a result the school was presented with the national GLEO award for good practice by the President of Ireland, Mary McAleese, last May. Sandford Park is the first secondary school in South Dublin to be thus honoured.

Le Scoil Pháirc Sandford ag obair mar atá sí­, níl aon dabht ann ach go mbeidh lá geal gréine in Éirinn fós.