A Galway city school has revealed that there are 78 cultures and ethnicities represented amongst its student body – and that richness of diversity was underlined on two very special occasions at Coláiste Muire Máthair Galway over the last week.

That survey carried out by the Student Council was the trigger for the first CMMG Culture Day, organised by students and staff to give those students an opportunity to showcase their cultural heritage, and to educate others about their background.

They underlined their cultural identities through food, art, traditional dress and literature – proving very popular with their fellow students on the day.

Honorary guest was Galway City Mayor, Cllr Eddie Hoare, who was treated to some live entertainment from a number of students, reciting poems, performing dances and singing songs from their respective countries.

The Mayor in turn addressed the student body, reminiscing about his days as a student of the school – when it was St. Mary’s College- and how Galway city is indeed a city of many cultures, of which the College students are a very welcome part.

He stopped off at each of the stalls, where he sampled many of the traditional foods on display, and posed for countless photographs and selfies – before declaring the event to be a ‘brilliant initiative’.

Irish culture was celebrated later in the day, when seanchaí and storyteller – and St Mary’s past pupil – Níall De Burca regaled the students with stories about his travels and adventures, before enthralling them with his unique delivery of an Irish ghost story.

The unique delivery was delivered in both English and Irish, and despite the diverse range of backgrounds present the students were engaged throughout.

The second event taking place in the College saw a visit from Government Chief Whip, Minister Hildegarde Naughton, and the Hungarian Ambassador Gergely Banhegi, marking both Europe Day 24 and the inaugural staging of the Galway Bay League, an event further celebrating student Diversity.

This saw students from special education classes from eight Galway schools – the Bish, Coláiste Einde, Galway Educate Together, Galway Community College, Merlin College, Coláiste Iognáid, SC Ciarán Ceathru Rua and CMMG – come together to participate in a special inclusive sports day on the College grounds.

Students from Moderate Learning Difficulty Classes and Autism units participated in sports such as sack races, wheelchair basketball and penalty shoot outs, before coming together for a meal in the College canteen followed by a medal presentation.

Minister Naughton, in the capacity of her new position with responsibility for Special Education and Inclusion, spoke to the students, teachers and parents at the medal presentation, thanking them for their participation and dedication, while acknowledging the great work being done to accommodate the diversity of the student groups by each of the teachers and classes from the various schools.

Pictured: Mayor of Galway, Cllr Eddie Hoare, visiting the Phillipino students’ stand at the Coláiste Muire Máthair Culture Day 2024.