About Us
In Coláiste Chamuis we introduce our students to the living Irish language where it is a daily reality, in the Gaeltacht – a very different language situation and context from the classroom. Students stay in local Irish-speaking houses during courses where they are looked upon as members of the family. Through immersion in the everyday life of the Gaeltacht students become active members of this thriving and very special language community.
Benefits of Coláiste Chamuis
- 45 years experience
- First class facilities
- Team of dedicated, professional, energetic and fully qualified staff
- Great host families
- High return rate of students and staff; tradition continues into the next generation as children of former students now attend
- Comprehensive and varied programme of fun sctivities – you learn without even realising it!
- Modern comprehensive curriculum
- Special activities
- Excellent Gaeltacht course where the language is a living reality
- 50% of Leaving Cert marks for language (oral and aural)
- Language immersion rule – proven to be the best way to learn
- Significant progress in spoken and written Irish
- Best modern interactive teaching methods
- Irish as a living language
- Significant fluency at the end of your course
- Teamwork
- Leadership skills
- Personal development
- Social skills
- Living with others – working with others
- Emphasis on each student’s active participation
- Low staff/student ratio
- Digital Detox
- Our motto on courses is sona, sásta, slán sábháilte le sár-Ghaeilge: be happy out, be safe and well, and learn lots of Irish
- Carefree holiday in the pure Connemara air
- Love for and commitment to the language
- The beauty of Connemara
- The living tradition of Irish in the Gaeltacht
- A new understanding of the culture of the Irish language and the Gaeltacht
- Identity
- Pride in your own heritage
- Meeting new people from many different backgrounds
- Understanding of and pride in your Irish heritage
An Ghaeilge
In Coláiste Chamuis we introduce our students to the living Irish language where it is a daily reality, in the Gaeltacht – a very different language situation and context from the classroom. Students stay in local Irish-speaking houses during courses where they are looked upon as members of the family. Through immersion in the everyday life of the Gaeltacht students become active members of this language community.
Experience over many years has taught us that immersion in Irish is the best way to learn any language, and international research proves this correct. We expect our students to speak Irish at all times and during all activities during courses. In order to ensure that students experience language immersion during courses, and thus that they have the best possible learning experience and benefit from courses, we implement a language rule that requires students to speak Irish all the time.
The total immersion approach to learning Gaeilge is of immense help to our students when approaching Leaving Cert. Now that 50% of Leaving Certifcate marks are for the living language (Oral and Aural), with a further c.30% for language-based skills in the written papers, students are benefiting more than ever from participation in excellent Gaeltacht based language courses such as those provided by Coláiste Chamuis. Therefore, with 80% of overall marks in the Leaving Cert being awarded for fluency it is more important than ever that your child is confident in their Irish Language skills. We also want your child to thrive and fall in love with Gaeilge and the Gaeltacht.
Students achieve significant fluency in spoken Irish on our courses and feel a great sense of achievement and pride in doing so. The most important thing concerning the immersion approach to language learning is that, in addition to it being best practice, we have seen over 45 years that it consistently works and that our students have a very positive and rewarding experience learning Irish.
Our History
Coláiste Chamuis was founded by Gearóid Denvir in 1973, with 52 students, 2 teachers and 10 host families willing to take the chance with a new venture. Those students are still fondly remembered cycling the roads of Camus in all weathers in August 1973. 37 of that group returned the following year and the success story of Coláiste Chamuis was born. Numbers increased every year and a July course was added in 1978. A second centre was opened in An Tulach in 1985 due to demand. Máire, Gearóid’s wife, came on board full time in 1987 as manager. A third centre was opened at Ros a’ Mhíl in 1992.
The ever increasing popularity of Coláiste Chamuis with students and parents created the need to expand again – this time in the form of our own purpose built state of the art facilities at Ros a’ Mhíl. Phase 1 of Teálta na hÓige, was opened in 2000. Phase 2 of Teálta na hÓige opened in the summer of 2009. These facilities (as with our other locations in Tulach, Camus and Ros a’ Mhíl) include a large hall, extra state of the art classrooms with the most modern teaching facilities, playing fields and hard courts.
Coláiste Chamuis caters annually for some 1,700 students from all over Ireland on our 10 courses. Over 70,000 students have received “Fáilte Chroíúil na Gaeltachta” from us since 1973. It has been, and continues to be a privilege, to introduce An Ghaeilge to our students as a living, vibrant language. As our motto says “Is fiú agus is féidir”.
The Denvir tradition continues as the second generation of the family are now involved in all aspects of the Coláiste Chamuis.
Meet our Team
