The state's only seven-day boarding school for girls was on the verge of closure just three years ago. But now Colaiste Ide in Dingle, Co Kerry, is facing a bright future, thanks to a new 35-year lease and ambitious development plan.

At the helm of the plan is manager of the Irish-language school, Fionnan O hOgain. "Things are looking up now we have the long-term lease," O hOgain explains. "We plan to increase the number of students attending the school and to develop the educational resources and extra-curricular facilities. We want to let students live and learn in a strong Irish environment."

Already students can avail of well developed facilities at the school, including horse-riding at Colaiste Ide's own stables. Sixty acres of land, including 40 acres of woodland, affords the school plenty of room for growth. Extensive natural resources in the school grounds, including a lagoon and the sea shore of Dingle harbour, are to be developed for practical classes; a walled organic garden is also being planned on the school grounds. Eighty students, including 21 first-years, made Colaiste Ide their home at the start of the new school year. And this is only the beginning of the secondary school's resurrection; numbers are expected to rise to 140. An intake of 26 pupils each year will ensure the financial viability of the school, says O hOgain.

In the long term, Colaiste Ide will continue to build on its links with American colleges in Connecticut and Massachusetts, with a view to establishing summer courses in Irish culture at the college for visiting students from the US.

The former house of Irish scholar Padraig O Siochfhradha on the school grounds is to be developed as a museum and educational centre, making Colaiste Ide an international centre for Irish learning and culture. O Siochfhradha's personal library, donated to the school by his relatives, will be housed in the new building.

In October, a delegation from the school will travel to the US with cultural and economic organisations from west Kerry to promote the school and strengthen American links with the area.

These ambitious plans contrast greatly with the Colaiste Ide of three years ago. As numbers of vocations to the Sisters of Mercy fell, the school's future looked bleak; activities were gradually decreased between 1992 and 1996, when there were just 42 pupils attending the college.

However, a group of campaigning parents, ex-pupils and local businessmen, under the banner of Cairde Colaiste Ide, came to the aid of the school and negotiated a 35-year lease with the Sisters of Mercy. Although its teaching staff is dominated by lay teachers, Colaiste Ide continues to be run with a strong Catholic ethos; a nun from the Presentation Order, Sister Canice Barrett, will supervise the "spiritual development" of the students.

"The story went out that the school was closing," O hOgain says. "I have been doing a lot of publicity in the last few weeks, promoting the school on local radio and in newspapers. It is important that we inform people that the school is open and we are developing ourselves again."

The school's board plans to maintain annual fees at Colaiste Ide at £1,850, which is modest in light of the prices charged by other boarding schools. "We felt we had to stay within the Department of Education's free-education system, because we want students from all backgrounds to be able to attend the school," says O hOgain.

The majority of pupils accommodated in the school's four dormitories are natives of Munster; 30 per cent coming from the surrounding Dingle Gaeltacht. Pupils return home every third weekend, with school buses taking them to Tralee and Killarney.

As part of the plan to increase student numbers the principal, Maire Bean Ui Mhurchu, is seeking reduced airfares for students flying between Dublin and Farranfore to encourage students from other areas of Ireland and abroad to attend the school.

Colaiste Ide, formerly the home of Lord Ventry and a preparatory school for primary teachers, is just three miles from Dingle. Ten full- and part-time teachers and 16 staff are employed in the school. Dedicated to the preservation and development of all aspects of Irish culture, the college also offers sports such as basketball and soccer, debating, drama and music.

"Everything is done through Irish from classes to the activities after school," O hOgain says. "Students can find it difficult coming to grips with the language during their first three months at the school, but after Christmas nearly all our pupils are settling in well."

A language tutor helps first-year students raise their standard of Irish at the beginning of the year; this helps weaker students settle more quickly. O hOgain admits boarding is not for everyone, but he says it can help the personal development of adolescents. "Boarding schools suit children of very busy parents, and can help unsettled and weak students; there are not as many distractions here as there are at home. Past pupils say the school gave them a good grounding and discipline for life."

There are just seven male members of staff at Colaiste Ide, but the predominantly female environment doesn't bother O hOgain in the slightest. "It's great, I'm enjoying it here," he jokes. "I go out for a cup of tea and a chat with some of the lads from maintenance every now and then for some male companionship."

O hOgain seems completely preoccupied with developing the blueprint for Colaiste Ide's future. "We have a chance to build the school up again," he says. "People are very optimistic that this place can continue to provide a very high standard of education through the Irish language."