Oideas Gael

Chrissie

I’ve just returned from a weekend at Oideas Gael, & what can I say!!! Tá sé ar feabhas!!!

Oideas Gael is located in the Donegal Gaeltacht village of Glencolmcille on the southwest coast of Donegal.
Glencolmchille is just a little remote village with a couple of shops, couple of bars & a chapel, good old rural Ireland, eh??
The scenery in the area is just spectacular. Rugged cliffs, sparkling blue water, golden sandy beaches, dolmens, old towers, holy wells, little cottages, sheep wandering the roads, & so on.
It’s like going back in time almost, the area is so quiet & peaceful & almost seems to move at a slower pace. It’s absolutely wonderful.

Oideas Gael provide Irish language courses for adults throughout the year, offering some weekend courses as well as week long courses. Courses are provided at all levels, making sure everyone gains maximum benefit from their course.

They provide much more than language courses though:- offering activities such as hillwalking, bodhrán, flute, tin whistle, harp lessons, art, pottery lessons, dancing lessons, etc, etc, etc, so there’s much more to do than simple learning Pól is ainm dom!!

It is structured in such a way that everyone from every class mingle, so by the end of your time there, you should know just about everybody.
Evening activities such as dancing & singing are organised just to add to the cultural experience of your time there.

Accomodation comes in the form of self catering cottages, B&B’s, a hostel or a hotel situated a little out of the village. The self catering cottages are so quaint & cosy, an absolute perfect accompaniement to the surrounding environment.

Food can be eaten in the restaurant adjoining the Oideas Gael building called An Cistín, or at the hotel, or in an old converted school located in cournty side, a short & very scenic car journey away. You also have a wide selection of sandwiches in the local shop & not forgetting the Tasty Options Chipper outside Biddy’s pub!!!

Night time activities involve going to the locals, such as biddy’s & Roarty’s, where students, teachers & locals alike mingle & enjoy the craic agus ceol.
Local musicians provide traditional music & everyone is encouraged to sing along, or sing a song of their own.

The cost of courses & accommodation is very very reasonable, a lot cheaper than similar courses offered by other organisations. It is very plain to see that this service is provided more for the love of Irish & for the efforts to keep it alive, than for pure money making.

To be honest, my review does not do the place justice. It’s an absolutely wonderful place, & Oideas Gael provide a fantastic & very friendly service.
Practically everyone who comes to Oideas Gael make a return visit, such is it’s charm.
It really is another world, yet at the same time it feels like a home away from home.
Most people arrive on their own, so everyone is keen to make friends, so in no time it feels like you’ve been best friends all your life.


As I’ve said, I’ve just returned from my weekend trip, I’m just about to book a week long course & hope to return again for another weekend course later in the year, such was the fantastic time I had there, I miss it already!

I was really nervous about going there on my own. Never in a month of Sundays did I think I’d be writing up a post like this.
If you’ve got an interest in the Irish language & or culture, or you’d like to improve your cúpla focail, or you just want a different holiday than the norm, I couldn’t recommend this place enough.
(BTW, I’m just another satisfied customer of the Oideas Gael experience. I have absolutely nothing to gain by posting this, I am in no way involved with Oideas Gael, so you can take this as being 100% unbiased)

Slán.

dranoel

I was there for a week last summer, it was just like you described, absolutely loved it.:D

Gael

Glad you enjoyed it. Yes I've heard a lot of good things about the place.