THE Irish Department at St Dominic’s is celebrating the success of its students who participated in Feis Bhéal Feirste last week.
Feis Bhéal Feirste is a long-running Irish language competition which affords students from schools in the Belfast area an opportunity to participate in an Irish language poetry competition or an Irish language speaking competition. The competition is open to students in Years 8-12.
Ana Dennison
For the poetry element of the competition, students in each year group can choose one of two poems to deliver on stage in front of a wide audience of students and teachers from other schools. Students are encouraged to deliver the poems with animation while focusing on accurate pronunciation of the language.
The speaking element of the competition involves students having a conversation with an examiner about several topics that they will have studied at school.
The girls in St Dominic’s are always very keen to take part in the competition and they dedicate themselves to preparing and practising for the competition.
The Falls Road school is delighted that the pupils’ efforts really paid off this year with 14 students being placed either first, second or third in their relevant categories. Two of the girls – Emily McAteer and Ana Dennison – were also awarded a cup for overall best in poetry in their year group.
Emily McAteer
The girls’ enthusiasm for the Irish language is very refreshing and it is great to see them embracing opportunities to develop their confidence with the spoken language and to showcase the language as much more than simply a classroom subject.
Beatha teanga í a labhairt!
