We had one student last year who set up his own shrine to Kurt Cobain. He was a nice fella, huge into Nirvana. He had posters, tapes and all sorts of bits and pieces from concerts. He used to ad lib his own version of ceili dancing too. It was a cross between modern dance and ceili dancing.

The age range we get is between 12 and 18, and some of the younger children get homesick at first. But if they can stick it out for the first couple of days, they'll be all right. The mna ti take good care of them.

During the first week they find it difficult to adjust to having to speak Irish all the time. But when they get used to it they pick up the words they need very quickly, and by the end of the three weeks they are able to carry out full conversations through Irish. When they are immersed in Irish, it's a case of sink or swim. There are 70 students on each course, from all over the country. Once we all get to know each other, there is a great sense of community. In the morning they learn Irish and in the afternoon they play sport through Irish. They play football, basketball, volleyball, table tennis and rounders. Every evening there is a ceili where they learn Irish dances and songs. There are nine or 10 students in each house, and between them they have to compose a song in Irish and write and perform a play in Irish too. It keeps them busy. When the weather is fine we go to the beach. I'm with them morning and evening. I never have discipline problems. We haven't had any bullying in the four years I've been teaching here. They quickly realise they are all in this together for three weeks and they just get on with it.

There are a lot of romances. They have a chance to mix during afternoons and at the ceili. First the boys have to ask the girls to dance and then vice versa. So if they fancy someone then they'll head in that direction at the ceili. We always visit the houses after the ceili to make sure everyone is happy and accounted for.

On the last night there is a ceili mor with songs and dancing. We present prizes for sport, for the best male and best female student, and for the student who has made the most progress in Irish.

After the ceili mor they all cry and kiss and hug. It is an amazing scene. I'm sure lots of promises are made. I haven't seen a course yet where there hasn't been tears at the end when they have to go home. There used to be a tradition where after the ceili mor they would all go back to their houses and then break out later - the phrase is briseadh amach in Irish so I tend to translate directly - and meet up in the sand dunes and spend all night talking. We weren't too happy with that tradition. The rule now is that they must stay in their houses. A teacher does an all-night watch in each house to make sure that they don't break out. The next morning the hall is open at 7 a.m. so they can go and see each other then instead, and say goodbye one last time.

It is a long day of work for me, but it gives me a lot of satisfaction. I like Irish and this job is a diversion for me from the normal school year. If the weather is good, you wouldn't want to be doing anything else. At the weekends I take a few hours off to go and visit my family who live nearby. I'll take a week off in Gran Canaria when it's all over and I'll be refreshed and ready to start teaching again (at Corrchloch National School in Navan) in September.

In conversation with Katie Donovan.