Údarás na Gaeltachta Brings 133 Connemara Schoolchildren to the sea for World Ocean Day 

One hundred and thirty-three children from five Connemara schools came together this spring for Lá Mara na Scoileanna at Ionad Pobail Chill Chiaráin, a day of hands-on marine discovery organised by Údarás na Gaeltachta through Nua Mara to mark World Ocean Day 2026.

The five schools, Scoil na hAirde, Scoil Mhuire Charna, Scoil Cholmán Muighinis, Scoil na hAirde Móire, and Scoil Chill Chiaráin, have been working together as part of a collaborative pilot programme, bringing Gaeltacht primary schools in the Carna and Cill Chiaráin area closer together around shared learning. What made the day particularly special was that the children themselves asked for it, reflecting the deep relationship these coastal communities have always had with the sea.

Children took part in a rich programme of activities throughout the day. Bord Iascaigh Mhara brought the ARC, their Aquaculture Remote Classroom, giving children an immersive introduction to seaweed farming and its environmental benefits. A touch tank delivered in partnership with ATU and University of Galway gave children the chance to get up close with live lobster, velvet crabs and other local species, generously supplied by local shellfish company Sliogéisc Seoighe.

The Marine Institute SmartBay showcased underwater ROV technology, The Sea Collective ran ocean awareness activities, local artist Elizabeth Moylan led a marine art session, and the day closed with a Dioscó as Gaeilge, celebrating Irish language and community alongside the sea.

Tomás Ó Síocháin, CEO of Údarás na Gaeltachta, said: “It is so important that our young people understand the extraordinary opportunities that the sea brings. Almost 90% of the Gaeltacht is situated on a coastline, and the jobs that coastline can support are evolving rapidly, from aquaculture and fisheries to marine technology, robotics, and ocean science. Days like Lá Mara na Scoileanna show children that those careers are not somewhere else, they are right here on their doorstep, and that is a powerful message for any young person growing up in a Gaeltacht community.”

Máire Ní Éinniú, Head of Nua Mara, said: “The children of these five schools live beside one of the most extraordinary stretches of coastline in Europe. Days like this matter because they build a real, lasting relationship with the sea, and that connection is ultimately what will protect it. We are proud to deliver this as part of FásFeam and OLAMUR, and to work alongside Óir na Farraige and all our partners in making it happen.”

Gareth Murphy, CEO of Óir na Farraige, said: “Seaweed farming has an extraordinary role to play in the future of our oceans, but that future depends on the communities who live and work beside the sea understanding and believing in what we are trying to do. Lá Mara na Scoileanna brought that to life in the most direct way possible, with 133 children from five Connemara schools experiencing the marine world around them with their own hands. That kind of connection is invaluable, and it is exactly what FásFeam and OLAMUR are about.”

World Ocean Day, observed globally on 8 June each year, highlights the ocean’s vital role in sustaining life on earth. For the communities of Cill Chiaráin and Carna, that is lived reality.