Merlin College in Galway city is one of the fastest growing multicultural schools in the country with 55 nationalities currently enrolled.
The school is running a series of events this week to celebrate diversity and inclusion.
'Celebrate Us' looks at the issues chosen by the students themselves including Black History, Traveller History and the LGBT+ movement.
The school, which is located in Doughiska on the east side of the city, had just 62 pupils when it opened in 2013.
Today that number stands at over 700.
It is now one of the most diverse urban centres in Ireland with more than a quarter of families who do not speak English as a first language at home.
This week students are celebrating their individuality and their similarities.
Staff and students have a catchphrase..."Nobody is different in Merlin College because everybody is!"
In recent years the school has been running a week of educational events to encourage integration and understanding of different world cultures.
The students picked issues of importance to them as a way to educate each other about their heritage, their culture and their values.
Blessing Bolatumba is in Fifth Year at Merlin College. She was born in Galway but loves to celebrate her African heritage by dressing up in traditional costumes from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
"I think it's important to learn and understand where we come from because it's often forgotten, especially when we have stuff going on like genocide in our country and like war going on. A lot of people tend to forget where they're from, and their culture and their origin.
"I would say I'm very lucky to be in Merlin College," Blessing says.
"There's a lot of diversity in this school. So it helps us to understand similarities that we may have and differences that we may have as well.
"I've been very accepted in Galway especially when they do Africa Day for us, and especially Culture Day where the teachers are letting us celebrate our home country.
"So I do feel very grateful about celebrating in Galway and in this school," she adds.
"We're all educating each other about our nationalities and religions. We even have a World Religions Day in Merlin College."
Sirine Nemsi is wearing traditional Moroccan clothing. She giggles as she describes her luxury item.
"It's made of silk and it's usually quite expensive. I'm going to be wearing this on Thursday for Culture Day," she says.
"It's really colourful and vibrant. I'm very proud of my heritage. It's a big part of my life. My family speak a little English but at home we speak mostly Arabic.
"I'm practising to write and read in Arabic now.
"But I've lived in Galway my whole life and I feel really welcome in Galway, like I'm very proud of where I'm from, my ethnicity and my hijab and my religion and the school really helps make me feel a part of Galway.
"Merlin College does a really good job of representing nationalities and ethnicities because it's so diverse. We're all educating each other about our nationalities and religions. We even have a World Religions Day in Merlin College."
Students have been creating artwork of key figures they admire like Nelson Mandela and they got an insight into Traveller history.
Des Sweeney is a 15-year-old member of the Travelling community and attends Merlin College with a large extended family from Ballybane.
He is acutely aware of mental health issues in the community, issues which were highlighted this week with stark statistics.
"Here at Merlin College like, there's black people, there's Travellers, there's a load of people from different places and you needn't be ashamed of your colour, your race, your religion.
"This school is a very good place because it accepts all kinds of people and we all learn how to get along," he said.
"I get a fair learning at this school, the same as everyone else and there's no disappointment cos you're different. I've very good friends who are black students and there's no arguing and fighting. We're all better people for it and my head is in a good place thanks to this school."
"I know what it feels like to be seen as inferior to other people and that affects your mental health. That's why education is everything."
His younger cousin, Andrew Sweeney, agrees.
"We learn a lot here in Merlin College. We learn not to disrespect others about their race or their community," Andrew says.
"And we don't look at people differently about what they think or what they do.
"We know about prejudice and being treated badly but we get proper respect here in this school. We're all individuals and we're all different.
"I sit beside Des, I sit beside Charlie. All three of us are Travellers but all three of us are different.
"Yet we're all treated the same in Merlin College. That's the way it should be everywhere. I know what it feels like to be seen as inferior to other people and that affects your mental health. That's why education is everything."
Charlie Conroy is a 14-year-old Traveller who described the recent riots in Dublin as "disgraceful carry-on".
"It was scandalous what happened. People being stabbed and they could easily have died. All because people don't know how to respect each other. That's what we learn here at Merlin College."
Paris and Destiny Sweeney are also very happy to be attending the school.
Again and again, students from vastly different upbringings are united in their regard for the teaching staff. They say they feel very much valued for who they are and that increases their self-esteem and desire to further their education.
Principal John Cleary said this annual event has been transformative.
"It has changed the lives of the students here. It has changed how we perceive ourselves. It has allowed me as an educator to acknowledge what we were doing wrong and to really see and understand where the students were coming from, not just taking it from a code base of learning.
"So the only people that could tell us about where people were coming from were the people themselves, because they're the people who have lived it.
"They're the people who experience it. They're the people who are a part of our new Ireland or new Galway, and they're embracing it and we're loving it. I absolutely love this school. And I love it because of the kids that are here.
Earlier, he engaged in a bit of playful sparring with Charlie Conroy.
"It's not unusual here. We see them from how they're experiencing the world and we try to enjoy that and you know, none of us have a monopoly on how we should be living our lives and how we should be thinking and what we should be interested in and so on.
"And it just so happens that for the Travelling community, and for me as well, we have a shared love of boxing.
"So let's be friends and enjoy our common interest and the same for everything else. And it's really important that students are allowed to express themselves and their interests and be able to develop and grow in a ways that mean something to them.
"They recognise difference and diversity and inclusion but when they come here in first year, they're just children.
"They're 12 years of age, they're innocent, they're nervous, they're curious, they're excited about the future. They are the same as everybody else except they are also very, very different.
"And ultimately we are all humans. We are all here together, and we want to make this work and it is working."
"We're all human beings and in this school you learn so much about respect and tolerance. "That's really what it's all about."
The Sweeney family are hugely proud of their rising soccer star Jack.
The 15-year-old was signed up by Galway United earlier this year and he is excited about his football future.
"I'm thrilled to be playing for Galway United and I'm training really hard. It's all about training and discipline and hard work as well as talent. Who knows what the future holds. I'd love to play for the Premier League in England some day," Jack said.
Christian Ogbemudia is another elite sportsman in the school.
"I'm an All-Ireland U17 Relay Champion and I also won the 100m in 2019. Sport is great for your physical and mental health and hopefully I can help young kids to stay on a good path and be their best selves.
"What happened in Dublin was horrendous and I would appeal to people to be nice to one another.
"We're all human beings and in this school you learn so much about respect and tolerance. "That's really what it's all about."
Students also made bracelets with the school's LGBT+ group.
The college has been accredited as a Safe and Supportive School in a project run by Belong To, LGBTQ+ Youth Ireland.
John Cleary says this model of acceptance and inclusion should be rolled out nationwide.
"I'm calling on the Department of Education to consider using the ‘Celebrate Us' week as a template for how we grow in the future because Ireland will only develop and become a better country when the students and the young people take over. That's because they are a hell of a lot wiser than we are"
There are now 9,000 people living in Doughiska and the numbers continue to grow. There are plans to expand housing further in the coming year.
"What’s most important about Merlin College is that it’s proof that all children no matter what background or community can work at fulfilling their dreams together which include making Ireland their home and an even better place for all people to enjoy living in."
