Archbishop McHale College is involved in Erasmus+ Projects since September 2016. These projects are funded by the European Union and provide opportunities for students and teachers from different countries to engage in an educational project of interest. From 2016 to 2019 we were partner with three school from Ponteareas, Galicia, Spain . Groups of teachers and students engaged in projects and exchanges for the duration of the programme. Students from Archbishop McHale College visited Spain each year to experience life in a different school setting and engage in immersion learning.
Irish and Galician Language Workshops
As part of the Erasmus+ programme students engage in Irish and Galician language workshops. The aim of these workshops is to aid students language development and to highlight the importance of protecting and promoting the Gaelic and Galician languages. Students make jewellery using the Early Medievel Ogham alphabet. Students also engage in YoGoTe sessions where they learn an international sign language to aid their language development. Students also developed an YoGoTe App that can be used for future language development.
Gaelic Games Workshops
Irish and Galician students participated in Gaelic games workshops to promote and highlight the importance of these in Irish history and culture. They learned about the origin of and the history of Gaelic games. They engaged in some football and hurling training sessions where they refined some of the skills of our national games. As part of this they visited the home of Gaelic games, Croke Park, which has been at the heart of sporting life for over 100 years. During this visit they were immersed in Irish culture. A football tournament was organized by the local Galician team in Ponteareas to put all newly learned skills to practice.
Erasmus Results
For the duration of the Erasmus+ programme students developed a selection of resources.
Music and Dance
During the Erasmus+ programme students learned about the links between Irish and Galician music and dance.