The Department of Education is pleased to announce the opening of a new round of Creative Clusters (Press Release). The deadline for receipt of applications is 10th May 2024.
Each Creative Cluster will receive grant funding of €3,000 per school over a two-year period to implement their project 2024–2026.
- 3 schools would receive €9,000
- 5 schools would receive €15,000
In addition to financial support above each cluster will also receive:
- A Creative Cluster Facilitator
- Teacher Substitution to attend Workshops and Meetings
- Room hire, travel & subsistence
Please see the following link for more details: Creative Clusters 2024 (www.gov.ie)
Applications are to be completed online using the following LINK, should you need assistance, please contact your Athlone Education Support Centre (list at Appendix 1 of Guidelines document on DE website) or use this link Appendix 1
Any queries, please contact Deborah in Athlone Education Support Centre This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or email National Arts in Education Administration This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Ficheall 2024/2025
Ficheall.ie is the national network of primary teachers promoting chess in their schools for the social and cognitive benefits it has for primary school students. Ficheall teachers use chess as a tool to teach through and an opportunity for their students to develop new skills and values, as well as representing their school at Ficheall tournaments called Féile Fichille (chess festival).
The Ficheall.ie website contains many excellent resources created by fellow primary school teachers such as:
Ficheall Summer Course
Monaghan Education Centrehave hosted the Chess for Social Skills summer course previously with great success. Upon completion of this course teachers can play chess (most attend the course having never played chess before) and can teach the basics of chess to students in their class while also teaching key SPHE curriculum objectives from 1st to 6th class (all of this without worksheets).
Féile Fichille Chess Tournaments
Féile Fichille tournaments are non-competitive chess tournaments organised annually in Term 2. No medals, prizes or trophies are presented. Instead, the day is a celebration of the students learning chess and social skills as well as their teachers’ leadership skills to introduce the initiative in their school. For many students it is their first opportunity to wear their school jersey and represent their school. More details about Féile Fichille Tournaments can be found here (including a checklist to ensure students are ready for the Féile Fichille)
Féile Fichille Timeline
- September:Registrations Open
- October: Registrations Close
- November:Schools informed of tournament date and venue
- January/ February/ March: Féile Fichille tournament will be scheduled in term 2. Registered schools will be allocated one Féile Fichille tournament to attend. Schools are required to be at the venue at 9.30am with the event concluded by 2pm
Contact Us
If you have any queries regarding the Féile Fichille Tournaments please contact Ficheall using the Contact Us link here.
