Louth County Council’s Seachtain na Gaeilge celebrations got underway at the Civic Offices in Fair Street on Monday with a vibrant performance of music and songs by students from Scoil Aonghusa.

Eighteen of the school’s students displayed their talents by performing traditional Irish songs, instrumental solos and even an Irish brush dance for the dignitaries and parents in attendance at the Exhibition Room in Fair Street.

Mayor of Drogheda, Cllr Paddy McQuillan, praised expressed his hopes that this event will become a staple of Louth County Council’s Seachtain na Gaeilge calendar in the future.

“It’s fantastic to launch Louth County Council’s Seachtain na Gaeilge celebrations with such an impressive performance from the talented students of Scoil Aonghusa” he said. “The variety of talent on display was amazing, and this event perfectly demonstrates how we can use the Civic Offices as a public space for the community.

“I hope that every Mayor of Drogheda who follows me will embrace this and that it becomes an annual tradition in our Seachtain na Gaeilge programme.”

The event held extra significance for Scoil Aonghusa, Drogheda’s first Irish school which was established in 1981 with the original classroom located in the same building where Monday’s Seachtain na Gaeilge celebrations took place.

Scoil Aonghusa príomhoide Edel Ní Bhroin said it was nice to bring the current students back to the school’s roots: “It was such an honour for our school to perform in the Civic Offices. Back in 1981, when it was known as Villa Maria, the very first Scoil Aonghusa class of 10 students and one teacher was located in this building so it was lovely to come back here and celebrate all that is Irish and showcase our Irish culture.

“We are so grateful to Cllr Paddy McQuillan, the Mayor of Drogheda and Susan Deery, Louth County Council’s Irish Language Officer, for the invitation. Every child has a talent and at Scoil Aonghusa, we encourage them to flourish as Gaeilge and today was a perfect example of that.”

Seachtain na Gaeilge, which runs from March 1st to St Patrick’s Day, is an international Irish-language festival and one of the largest celebrations of Irish language and culture worldwide.

For more information on Seachtain na Gaeilge, visit https://snag.ie/