Terms & Conditions – Coláiste na bhFiann Summer Courses

Introduction

Welcome to the Coláiste na bhFiann online website (“website”). By accessing our website, browsing our website, purchasing or making bookings from our website, you acknowledge that you have read, understood and fully accept our Terms and Conditions as detailed here. These Terms and Conditions have been compiled to assist our clients in getting the most they can from using the services of Coláiste na bhFiann. Our Terms and Conditions may change over time.

General

The Terms and Conditions at time of booking apply. Revised Terms and Conditions apply to subsequent bookings. Coláiste na bhFiann has no liability in respect of the content of other websites that are linked to www.cnb.ie. These provisions (terms, conditions, disclaimers and exclusions) shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the Republic of Ireland. If any of these provisions are deemed or found to be unlawful, void or for any reason unenforceable then the provision or provisions so found shall be deemed severable and shall not affect the validity and enforceability of the remaining provisions.

Pre-course Information and assessment meeting

Before attending a Coláiste na bhFiann course, each student, accompanied by at least one parent/legal guardian, must attend an information meeting. This involves an assessment and an informative talk. It is necessary to attend for the full duration. Our experience has shown that the time spent at this stage proves invaluable to both students and parents. It enables us to assess each student’s standard of Irish while giving both parent and child an insight into all aspects of a Coláiste na bhFiann course. Any queries a parent may have will be discussed along with the student’s personal, dietary and/or medical issues, where applicable. All students who completed a course in 2023 and 2024 will not be required to attend this meeting for 2025 courses.

A prerequisite for attending a Coláiste na bhFiann course is learning Amhrán na bhFiann for the information meeting. Acceptance onto the course is dependent on successfully completing the assessment at the information meeting. Failure to complete this stage will result in cancellation of the place by Coláiste na bhFiann. A refund of deposit (minus a €20 administrative charge) will be available up to 7 days after the information meeting in the following circumstances:

In the event that the assessor feels that the course would be too challenging for the student
Should the parent decide for any reason not to continue with the application.

Medical Information

In the interest of your child, Coláiste na bhFiann must be informed of any of the following:

Illnesses, medical conditions (Hay fever, Asthma, etc.)
Medications (All)
Dietary requirements (vegetarian, vegan, etc.)
Allergies (food, medicine etc.)

Parents will be invoiced for any doctor/hospital visits/prescriptions necessary for the student while on the course.

Personal Information

In the interest of your child, Coláiste na bhFiann must be informed of any of the following:

Special Educational needs (e.g. Dyslexia, Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Hearing/Visual Impairment etc.)
Family Circumstances (unemployment, separation, divorce, bereavement, illness, etc.)
Any other information that you may feel is beneficial for our team to know so that we can look after your son/daughter in the best possible way.

This information is dealt with in the strictest confidence.

Fees

Payments are only accepted through our online booking system. All payments can be made by Debit/Credit card. Unfortunately prepaid credit cards are not accepted through our booking system (Stripe). Fees and prices are subject to change without notice. Fee at time of booking applies. The course fee includes accommodation, meals, tuition, 24 hour supervision and daily course activities. There may be a number of items on offer during the course at an additional cost such as Coláiste na bhFiann merchandise, water activities, sweet shop, etc. These are the only additional costs on the course and are completely optional.

The balance of the fee is paid after the information meeting by logging into the parent’s account on www.cnb.ie. Failure to pay the balance of fee on time may result in cancellation of the booking. If there is a waiting list on the course, this place may be offered to those on it. A deposit is required for students on waiting lists but is fully refundable should a place not become available. For those who are not required to attend an information session, fees will be payable by 21st February 2025.

Cancellations and Refunds

All cancellations and changes must be received by email to [email protected].
A refund of deposit will be available up to 7 days after the information meeting (excluding a €20 administration charge).
All other cancellations are subject to €100 administration fee up to 20th April. Late cancellations (after 20th April) will forfeit full deposit (€300).
Cancellations within 21 days prior to the chosen course will forfeit full fee. All late applications will be subject to this cancellation policy.

Course Attendance

Coláiste na bhFiann reserves the right of attendance on our courses. At least one parent/legal guardian must accompany the student to the course on the first day at a set time. Likewise, a parent/legal guardian must collect the student at the set time on the final day of the course.

Coláiste na bhFiann do not organise transportation to/from the course on the first/last day of the course. Coláiste na bhFiann is responsible for the students from the time they arrive at the college until the time they leave.

The duration of our courses is 20 days and 20 nights with the exception of the 2 week course Droim Rí Óg which is 13 days and 13 nights. Each student must be available to attend the course for the full duration. Students are not permitted to leave the course at any time other than as specified during visitation. Friends and family members will not be housed together under any circumstances. Girls are assigned to houses/dormitories for girls and boys are assigned to houses/dormitories for boys.

In the unlikely event that Coláiste na bhFiann has to cancel any course, for whatever reason, a full refund will be provided.

Visits

Visits, if required, take place on Sundays between 2.30 – 4.30. Students may not leave the area of the College with relatives or friends, other than their parents/legal guardians, without written permission from the parents/legal guardians and only at the set visiting times.

Students who are not receiving a visit have the opportunity to receive a phone call from home, if necessary, on Sunday. This should be pre-arranged with the Bainisteoir, in advance. Special activities are arranged for those students remaining in the college during these times.

Personal Items / Insurance

Whereas Coláiste na bhFiann has full Public Liability insurance, the cost would be prohibitive to provide Public Liability insurance for students’ personal belongings e.g. musical instruments, sports equipment, jewellery and designer labelled clothing. On the advice of our insurers, we are recommending that any valuables the students bring with them on the course be covered under the ‘All Risks’ section of their home insurance. Musical instruments and sports equipment are the most likely items in question. We cannot guarantee that they will be locked away at all times. Each student is responsible for keeping their musical instrument in its case.

All the student’s clothing, sports equipment, musical instruments etc. should have their name stitched or labelled in Irish on them. All students will be responsible for their own personal belongings and we strongly advise that they do not lend them to other students.

Coláiste na bhFiann does not accept responsibility for any items that go missing, under any circumstances. We strongly advise that all students check their belongings before leaving the centre. Coláiste na bhFiann will not be responsible for items left behind on courses.

Items prohibited on all courses

Please note that prohibited items will be confiscated and Coláiste na bhFiann accepts no responsibility for them. It is strongly recommended that students do not bring the following:

English books / dictionaries
Media players / electronic equipment / smartwatch
Hair straighteners etc
Aerosols
Chewing gum
Digital Camera
Mobile Phone

We employ a zero tolerance policy on possession or use of the following items on the course, visiting times included. This policy entails instant dismissal from the course.

Alcohol
Cigarettes, vapes and lighters
Drugs
All other items prohibited by law

Behaviour

Coláiste na bhFiann reserves the right to discipline or expel a student in the event of behaviour deemed inappropriate and/or non-compliance with our terms and conditions.
Good conduct is expected at all times.
Students should show respect for themselves, their fellow students, and staff at all times.
Threat or physical hurt to another student or staff member will not be tolerated.
Students must respect the property and are obliged to pay for any damages for which they are held responsible.
All students will participate in keeping the college clean and tidy. This encourages students to take on responsibilities for the environment in which they live.
A student may not visit any other house, other than the house they have been assigned to (Gaeltacht Rosmuc/Gaoth Dobhair)
A student may not visit any other dormitory, other than the dormitory they have been assigned to (Droim Rí).
A student may not leave their house after supper (Gaeltacht).
A student may not leave the Accommodation block after supper (Droim Rí).
A student may not leave the college grounds, for any reason, without permission.

Bullying

Coláiste na bhFiann has an Anti-bullying policy in place which is regularly reviewed.

Rule regarding the speaking of English

Students who accidentally speak English, will receive a warning. If such an incident is repeated, parents will be contacted and asked to speak to their child. If they speak English again, we will have no option but to send the student home. However, deliberate speaking of English will not be tolerated and any student found doing so must leave the course without warning and with no fee refund. (These rules are enforced from the time the student arrives on the course).

Appeals Procedure

In the event of a student being dismissed for breach of the English rule, Coláiste na bhFiann has an appeals procedure in place. This must be availed of immediately before the child leaves the course.

Customer Satisfaction

Coláiste na bhFiann strives to maintain high standards in all services provided. We therefore welcome all feedback, both positive and negative. Surveys are sent out on a regular basis requesting feedback on our services. In the event of dissatisfaction with the services provided by Coláiste na bhFiann, please notify us immediately by email [email protected]. Should you become aware of an issue during the course, by letter, phone call, or during a visit, we recommend that the course manager be made aware of this so that it can be responded to immediately.

Promotion and Publications

At all Coláiste na bhFiann events, photographs and videos are taken which may be used in promotional material. Should you wish for your child not to feature on such material, please inform us and this will be dealt with with absolute discretion.

Communications

All correspondence from Coláiste na bhFiann is sent by email. It is essential that Coláiste na bhFiann is kept up-to-date with any changes to your email address. This is the same email used when registering with the CNB.ie website. It is the parents responsibility to regularly check their emails for communication regarding their bookings.

All communications between Coláiste na bhFiann and the family is with the parent/legal guardian only. All students will be posting letters home during the course using the Irish version of both the child’s name, family name and address. Please ensure that your son/daughter has pre-addressed and stamped envelopes including the eircode. Please notify your postman that you will be receiving mail addressed in Irish.