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The Enrichment Programme in Gaelic Studies, which is geared towards schools where Irish is not normally available, commenced during the 1995-96 academic year. Initially the EPSG was offered in the Western and North Eastern Education and Library Board areas and was taken up by 11 schools, some of which offered the programme more than once during the year.

The programme consists of a series of lectures/workshops on the following topics:

1) Placenames - Their meaning and origin
2) Surnames - Their meaning and origin
3) The influence of Irish on the English spoken in Northern Ireland
4) The Ulster Protestant Gaelic Tradition
5) Learning Irish - A Protestant perspective
6) A history of the Irish language and it's present position
7) The Ulster song tradition
8) A communications course in Ulster Irish

Experts in the various fields were employed to deliver the series and provide handouts on their own topic.

During 1996-97 the Programme was extended to the Southern and South-Eastern boards and will be extended to the whole of Northern Ireland during 1997-98. Evaluations carried out by Gael-Linn and by CCRU have shown that participants felt the Programme to be very useful. Many students said that the content of the various lectures was completely new to them and indicated a desire to continue with their own study of the subject areas and the Irish Language in particular.

A number of teachers from schools offering the Programme have availed to our scholarship scheme to attend the Gael-Linn Adult Irish course in Gaoth Dobhair, County Donegal.

The interest in the EPGS has grown steadily and looks set to continue.