A BUILDING that was once home to a British Army base in Derry for more than 150 years could soon be turned into an Irish language school.

A group of Irish language educators have put together a proposal to send to the Department of Education at Stormont.

They delivered the detailed proposal today and hope to have the building operating as a Gaelscoil by September 2016.

The Ebrington Barracks was built in 1841 and until 2003, when the 8th infantry brigade moved out of the building, it was a British army base.

It was taken over by an urban redevelopment company, Ilex, after the British Army vacated it and Ebrington Square to the front of the building was developed.

Over its long history, members of the Real Irish Republican Army carried out a number of attempted attacks on it – but the main building remains intact.


If it goes ahead, the new school would be called An Bradán Feasa which translates as the Salmon of Knowledge.

At a meeting of Derry City Council last night, Philip Sheerin, a member of the committee behind the plans, described the lack of an Irish language secondary school in Derry as an "incredible educational disservice".

The Gaelscoil would serve the catchment area of Derry and Strabane – which, between them, have four Irish-speaking primary schools.

In the situation as it stands, pupils from these schools who wish to continue their education through the medium of Irish have limited options.

An initial intake of 20 pupils would be expected for next year if An Bradán Feasa goes ahead but the proposal outlines plans to accept hundreds of pupils over the next few years.