Stair na Scoile
1982 bliain thionscanta Scoil Gharbháin, mar sin tá sí os ceann cúig bliana is tríocha ag freastal ar dhaoine gur rogha leo Gaeilge mar ghnáth-theangain scoile dá bpáistí.
Ní iarracht gan dua a bhí i mbunú na scoile seo agus cé go raibh duine nó beirt as Rinn ó gCuanach páirteach sa bhfiontar ba iad Muintir Dhúngarbháin féin ba dhíograsaí i mbun na hoibre agus aisteach go leor níor dhaoine iad a raibh aon mhór-thrácht orthu i ngluaiseacht na Gaeilge ach gnáthdhaoine go raibh an mórtas cine ina gcroí istigh.
Sa sean scoil aon tseomra a tógadh sa mbliain 1847 le hais reilg Eaglais na hÉireann a thosnaigh an scoil. Ba é Deághan an Leasa Mhóir, an tUarramach Mayse a thug dúinn a bheith istigh ann agus ba é a bhí fáilteach, fial linn.
Is mó póirse agus prochlais ar lonnaíomar ann d'réir mar a bhí an scoil ag fás agus is mó tiartháil a d'fhulaing na tuismitheoirí ag iompar troscán agus earnáil na scoile ó áit go chéile sular tógadh an scoil nua i 1994.
Ba iad na hAibhistínigh a thug láthair na scoile nua dúinn agus bhíodar i gcónaí fial faoi úsáid an tséipéil, hallaí agus faichí imeartha na meánscoile. Bhíodh Aibhistínigh ar an mBord Bainistíochta ó am go ham agus is minic duine acu a bheith mar shéiplíneach na scoile thar na blianta.
Cuireadh breis seomraí leis an scoil sa bhliain 1996, tógadh Naíonra nua i 2007 agus halla scoile breá nua, Halla Shéamuis, i 2016.
Tá an scoil fé ghradam anois agus breis is dhá chéad is ochtó scoláire ag freastal uirthi. Mar sin is tráthúil go ndéanfaimís díogras agus dílseacht na dtuismitheoirí i bhforbairt na scoile, mar aon leis na múinteoirí a thréaslú leo, agus fós ár mbuíochas a ghabháil leo siúd a fhreastail ar an mBord Bainistíochta anuas tré sna blianta, ach caithfear an chraobh a thabhairt don ocht gclann go raibh sé de mhisneach acu a bpáistí a chur ar Scoil Gharbháin sé bliana is tríocha ó shin, mar ba ochtar a bhí ar an rolla sa mbliain tosaigh fé'n Múinteoir Siobhán Ághas ó Chiarraí.
Tá ar a laighead Gaelscoil amháin i ngach Contae in Éirinn anois agus na meánscoileanna ag dul i líonmhaire chomh maith, agus is mór an chúis mhórtais dúinn go n-áirítear Gluaiseacht na nGaelscol i gcomhthábhacht leis an gCumann Lúthchleas Gael agus Comhaltas Ceoltoirí Éireann, ar na gluaiseachtaí is mó go bhfuilimíd ag brath orthu chun saíocht agus aitheantas chlanna Gael a chaomhnú agus a bhuanú ins na saolta amach romhainn.
Ailbhe Ní Neachtain
Cathaoirleach an Bhoird
School History
Scoil Gharbháin was founded in 1982 by a group of parents who wanted to give their children the opportunity to receive an education through the medium of Irish. We were very proud to celebrate 35 years of the school in 2017.
The combined efforts of a group of individuals was the kick start to Scoil Gharbháin, one or two of those from the nearby Gaeltacht of An Rinn, but the majority of them locals from the Dungarvan area. We started out in an old school building with one room, built in 1847, next to the Church of Ireland graveyard in Dungarvan. The school derives its name from the saint associated with the town St. Garvan. We took up residence in many a building over the following two decades, trojan work from our dedicated groups of parents making each move possible.
We have reached many milestones over the years. Our greatest achievement being that our pupils are now educated in a permanent building. The Augustinians thankfully sold us some land adjoining their secondary school. The Augustinians have been generous to us over the years, we make regular use of their facilities, St. Monica’s Church, the gym halls and playing fields to name a few. From time to time over the decades the Augustinians served on our Board of Management and very often, over the years, it was an Augustinians who worked as our school chaplain.
We opened the doors of our new school, located in Abbeyside, in 1994. An extention was added, providing us with extra classrooms in 1996, the Naíonra building was built in 2007, and the most recent addition, Halla Shéamuis was officially opened in 2016. The school began with 8 pupils; we now cater for over 280 pupils. It is only fitting that we pay tribute to the diligence and dedication of the parents who developed the school, the teachers and Boards of Management who worked here over the years, but most of all we thank the eight families who had the courage to send their children to us when we began over thirty five years ago, for it was those eight children who were signed into the rolla in 1982 by Múinteoir Siobhán Ághas.
There is a Gaelscoil in every county in Ireland at this stage, and it is an immense source of pride for us that the Gaelscoil movement is recognised, in conjunction with the Gaelic Athletic Association and Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, as a vital component in the preservation of the Irish language and culture.