Donegal ETB

19/06/2026

Letterkenny Cathedral Quarter's annual Literary Festival Writing Competition is now open for applications, and we are pleased to be sponsoring the poetry competition prize this year. The closing date for entries is Friday, 21 August 2026. The Literary festival takes place from Tuesday 13th October to Sunday 18th October. Further details are available here: https://lkcqlitfest.weebly.com/.

Our Director of Organisation Support and Development (OSD), Andy McGovern (left), and Director of Schools, Dr Martin Gormley (right), are pictured with Letterkenny Cathedral Quarter's Donnan Harvey, and Deirdre Hines, poetry competition judge.

19/06/2026

Our English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) students in Donegal Town recently enjoyed their end of year trips with their Adult Educator, Shaza O'Hara. One group enjoyed a picnic at MacManus Estate at Rossylongan and another group enjoyed an impromptu indoor picnic in their classroom due to the wet weather.

Our Adult Literacy Service (Further Education and Training (FET) Service) will provide more classes like this in South Donegal in September. For more information, call our Adult Literacy Organiser Tricia Walsh Gillespie on 086 8207338.


Tá Litearthacht d'Aosaigh arna chomhchistiú ag Rialtas na hÉireann agus an Aontas Eorpach. / Adult literacy is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union. 🇮🇪 🇪🇺

18/06/2026

Are you interested in working with people with an intellectual disability but need a qualification? Our Further Education and Training (FET) Service can help with a number of full and part-time courses starting around the county in the Autumn. Apply through the links below to secure your place.


Intellectual Disability Practice
1. Letterkenny, full-time* (October): https://www.donegaletb.ie/course-detail/?CourseId=505227
2. Letterkenny, part-time (September, Wednesday and Thursday, 9.30am-2.30pm): https://www.donegaletb.ie/course-detail/?CourseId=508642
3. Stranorlar, part-time (September, Wednesday and Friday, 9.30am-1.30pm): https://www.donegaletb.ie/course-detail/?CourseId=510246

Intellectual Disability Studies
1. Stranorlar (January 2027, Thursday 9.30am-2.00pm): https://www.donegaletb.ie/course-detail/?CourseId=510956

* Tá Cúrsaí Oiliúna arna gcomhchistiú ag Rialtas na hÉireann agus an Aontas Eorpach./ Traineeships are co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union.🇮🇪🇪🇺

18/06/2026

Our Crana College Leaving Certificate student Callum Curran wrote a blog last week for the RTÉ Leaving Cert Diary 2026 about his experience of the Construction Studies Higher Level exam. If you missed it, you can catch up here: https://www.rte.ie/learn/senior-cycle/2026/0611/1577983-leaving-cert-diary-2026-business-construction-student-reaction/. Well done Callum!

17/06/2026

The Education & Training Boards Ireland 2026 Summer School for Post-Primary Middle Leaders is taking place in University of Galway's School of Education from 17-19 June with a number of our staff attending. They're pictured with our Director of Schools, Dr Martin Gormley who welcomed delegates this morning.

This year's Summer School theme is 'Supporting Leadership in a Changing World'. It aims to:

- support middle leaders in their professional leadership journey.
- support middle leaders in reflecting about themselves as leaders in educational settings.
- offer a deeper understanding of leadership in a school setting.
- promote discussion and debate about relevant areas of education in Ireland.
- provide opportunities for networking among middle leaders.

17/06/2026

17/06/2026

17/06/2026

We are absolutely delighted with the news that the Little Angels School has won the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) Public Choice Award 2026. Congratulations to McGarry Ní Éanaigh Architects and to all those involved in delivering this incredible school building including Boyle Construction, a company managed by two of our fomer Errigal College students.

Our Chief Executive Anne McHugh said: "We are absolutely thrilled with the news of this national award. It is a fantastic achievement for the Little Angels School and for McGarry Ní Éanaigh Architects who designed it. This beautiful school building is a special building in so many ways that not only represents the vision of the architects but represents the hard work of so many dedicated people. To have that vision and hard work validated with the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland Public Choice award is incredible. This building gives the students and staff an environment they can truly be proud of. It's a wonderful day for the entire school community and we sincerely thank the public here in Co Donegal and across the country for recognising it with this wonderful award."

We would like to sincerely thank everyone who voted for this award.

As we work towards assuming patronage of the Little Angels School in Letterkenny this Autumn*, we are honoured to share that the school building has been nominated for the prestigious Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) Public Choice Award 2026. It's one of forty-four nominations and the only school included in this 2026 search for Ireland's favourite building or public space.

Designed by award-winning Irish architectural practice, McGarry Ní Éanaigh Architects, this new school building "serves an established community of students with diverse educational needs. It seeks to define what such a school should be, not just its function but its expression, atmosphere, and character. Twenty-one classrooms are arranged in three wings off the main circulation route. They share assembly, administration, education, recreation, and therapeutic rooms. The school is set within a landscape of sensory gardens, trails, and amenity areas.”**

Voting is now open, and we are asking our community to vote here: https://www.riai.ie/public-choice-award-poll/. Nominees are listed alphabetically, so please scroll to 'New Special Educational Needs School, Letterkenny'.



Image credit: Richard Hatch Photography for mgné architects.

* https://www.donegaletb.ie/2025/12/18/donegal-education-and-training-board-to-assume-patronage-of-the-little-angels-school/
** https://www.riai.ie/public-choice-award-poll/ -25

16/06/2026

Are you a future Outdoor Pursuits Activity Instructor? We are now accepting applications for our next full-time Outdoor Sport and Recreation Traineeship*, which starts in September in Gartan - apply here: https://www.donegaletb.ie/course-detail/?CourseId=530618).

If you want to find out more about it, this previous blog by course coordinator John explains what the course involves: https://donegaletb.ie/blog/2024/01/02/outdoor-activity-instructor-training/.


* Tá Cúrsaí Oiliúna arna gcomhchistiú ag Rialtas na hÉireann agus an Aontas Eorpach./ Traineeships are co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union.🇮🇪🇪🇺

Outdoor Activity Instructor training is just one of the many specialised training courses provided by our Further Education and Training (FET) Service but what is an outdoor activity instructor and what does this course involve? In our first January blog, Course Coordinator John Boyce, based in our outdoor education and training centre at Gartan where the course is run, tells us more about it: https://donegaletb.ie/blog/2024/01/02/outdoor-activity-instructor-training/.

16/06/2026

Are you a future bus driver but need a qualification? We can help with our next training course, starting in Letterkenny in October. If you have a full clean B driving licence along with a Provisional D category Licence (Learner Permit), apply here to secure your place and you'll be employment-ready in fifteen weeks: https://www.donegaletb.ie/course-detail/?CourseId=504619.


Tá an Clár Oiliúina i Sainscileanna arna chomhchistiú ag Rialtas na hÉireann agus an Aontas Eorpach. 🇮🇪🇪🇺
Specific Skills training is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union. 🇮🇪🇪🇺