CREAGH COLLEGE BECOMES SCHOOL OF SANCTUARY
CREAGH COLLEGE students enjoyed a taste of culture as part of a large gathering which saw the secondary school follow in the footsteps of Bunscoil Loreto and become a School of Sanctuary.
The event was a collaborative one, and saw the school’s Culture Club invite students to create a unique and authentic festive treat for everyone to enjoy which ranged from haggis to pies and pudding.
Principal Paul Glynn said that Creagh College becoming a School of Sanctuary simply matches the already existent identity of the school, that being of promoting and embracing diversity.
‘As a school we have always celebrated our diversity and being inclusive, becoming a school of sanctuary is just another way of expressing this. We have well over 40 nationalities within our study body, which I feel is one of the best things about the school, and we want to promote awareness going forward around the issues facing oppressed and disadvantaged groups.
‘We felt being a school of sanctuary fits in to our identity as a school and of what we aspire to be’.
Principal Glynn said that the school were first made aware of Places of Sanctuary Ireland earlier this year, when teenagers from asylum seeker families were enrolled to the school.
He explained that the new students brought with them enthusiasm and appreciation for learning, and a refreshing gratitude for the things many take for granted.
He said that conversations began at that stage and over time students and staff saw that some difficult situations those seeking asylum have come from are unlike anything that Irish people could imagine.
He said that being welcoming towards those seeking sanctuary should be something that is naturally part of Irish instincts.
Paul said that there was an atmosphere of celebration around the school on the day, and that teenagers, asylum seekers included, just want to have a sense of belonging and normality in their lives.
‘There was a great buzz around the place on the day as our culture club, made up of students and staff pulled everything together.
‘What we need to develop now is that as we are an inclusive school, we need to me more forthright in expressing it to educate the students and the community around diversity, and make it a more apparent feature of our school,’ he said.
The Places of Sanctuary Ireland vision sees that Ireland will be a welcoming place of safety for all and proud to offer sanctuary to people fleeing violence and persecution.
Going forward, Creagh College recognises the contribution of migrants and refugees in Ireland and pledges to learn more about the lives of refugees, take action to support those seeking sanctuary in their daily lives and also commits to sharing this new knowledge and understanding further with the wider community and beyond.
Resident asylum seekers from the Courtown Hotel were invited to the event, as was Tiffy Allen, national coordinator of Places of Sanctuary Ireland.