Limerick GAA club provides Gaeltacht on your door step
July 5, 2013
A LITTLE part of East Limerick was turned into the West of Ireland for a week.
Murroe-Boher GAA club through its Irish officer, Helen Regan, organised a five day activity camp as Gaeilge.
In these recessionary times not every parent can afford to send their children to the Gaeltacht during the summer. And it gets even harder if there are a number of children around the same age. The club backed the idea 100 per cent and their first camp attracted 19 teenagers – all girls.
Mrs Regan said it costs between €850 and €950 to send a child for three weeks to the Gaeltacht.
While they charged just €50 for the week.“I know that when you are in the Gaeltacht you are immersed in Irish from the moment you arrive to until you leave.
“Our idea was to provide activities for first and second years through Irish, and improve their conversational Irish in a fun environment. At that age they are gone too old for soccer camps or GAA camps,” explained Mrs Regan.
It was co-ordinated by Martina McNamara, a qualified Irish teacher, and fifth year girls acted as mentors to groups of three or four to pass on their language skills.
Harty Park in Murroe village was the venue. They played tag rugby, made Irish signs promoting Féile na nGael which is being hosted in Limerick this weekend, practiced healthy eating options, played rounders, bingo, drama, poc fada and football and hurling skills.
All through our native tongue.
As there were no boys involved, Boots staff even gave a full skin care routine and make up advice.
“They packed a lot in to the week,” said Mrs Regan, who hoped the girls picked up Irish without even knowing it.She stressed the importance of being able to speak the Irish language due to the changes in the Junior and Leaving Certificate in recent years.
The oral exam counts for a whopping 40 per cent in both exams.
The feedback has been very positive from the girls and their parents who really “bought into the concept”.
Other clubs are taking up Murroe-Boher GAA club’s initiative as well.
“We will do it again. I have mentioned it to others as well. “It is no substitue for the Gaeltacht but it is a new angle to encourage the kids to speak Irish,” said Mrs Regan, who wished to thank Murroe-Boher GAA club for all their support, and everyone who made the week such a success.
www.limerickleader.ie
Summer Reading Challenge for young people
July 4, 2013
Tá dúshlán léitheoireachta Gaeilge speisialta á reáchtáil ag Gaeilge Locha Riach i gcomhar le Leabharlann Bhaile Locha Riach* mar chuid de Scéim Léitheoireachta an tSamhraidh 2013.
Tá an dúshlán léitheoireachta Gaeilge seo dírithe ar na haoisghrúpaí 5-12 agus tá sé i gceist go ndéanfaidh na páistí ceithre leabhar a léamh i nGaeilge le linn na míonna Meitheamh, Iúil agus Lúnasa agus go ndéanfaidh siad léirmheas scríofa gearr maidir le gach leabhar a léifear. Is féidir leis na páistí is óige pictiúr bunaithe ar an scéal a tharraingt. Glacfar leis na léirmheasanna go dtí 31 Lúnasa 2013.
Tabharfaidh foireann na leabharlainne Foirm Léirmheasta amach le gach leabhar agus cuideoidh siad le páistí teacht ar leabhair Ghaeilge a oireann d’aoisghrúpa agus do chumas léitheoireachta an pháiste**. Bronnfar teastais léitheoireachta speisialta ar gach páiste atá páirteach sa scéim léitheoireachta ag ócáid speisialta roimh dheireadh na bliana agus beidh duais speisialta (an ríomhléitheoir Amazon Kindle) ag dul don dhá léirmheas is fearr ar fad agus déanfar iad a chraoladh le cur ar an Idirlíon.
Tá Comhar Creidmheasa Naomh Breandáin (le deimhniú) ag déanamh urraíocht ar cheann de na ríomhléitheoirí Amazon Kindle.
Summer Reading in Irish Challenge
This is a special reading in Irish challenge organised by Gaeilge Locha Riach in conjunction with Loughrea Library* to coincide with the 2013 Summer Reading Challenge.
This challenged is aimed at the 5-12 age group. The challenge for children is to read four books in Irish over June, July and August and to complete a written review of each book read. Younger children can draw a picture based on the book read. Entries (reviews) will be accepted up to the 31st of August.
The library staff will hand out a Review Form with each book and will advise regarding books suited to each child’s ability**. Each participating child will be awarded a special certificate of achievement at a special award ceremony before the year is out and a special prize (Amazon Kindle e-reader) will be awarded for the best two reviews which will also be recorded live for the Internet.
Naomh Breandáin Credit Union are sponsoring one of the Amazon Kindle e-readers.
Nótaí / Notes:
*Tá leabharlanna eile in Oirthear na Gaillimhe in ann leabhair Ghaeilge a fháil duit ach iad a iarraidh. Tarlaíonn sé go bhfuil an leabharlannaí agus a foireann i Leabharlann Bhaile Locha Riach iontach cabhrach i dtacú le páistí atá ag léamh i rith an tsamhraidh agus tugann siad cuidiú is spreagadh do na paistí leabhair Ghaeilge a roghnú. Tá Leabharlann Ghráig na Muilte Iarainn an-chabhrach fosta. / Take out books from any of the East Galway libraries or contact the office for advice on how to join in. The librarian and staff in Loughrea Library are particularily proactive in helping children participate and choose books in Irish. Woodford Library equally so.
**Iarr aon leabhar Gaeilge nach bhfuil ar fáil sa leabharlann ar Ghaeilge Locha Riach. / If there’s a book you want in particular which cannot be found/ordered in your library please come to Gaeilge Locha Riach.
*** Léirmheasanna samplacha: http://www.gaeilge.ie/Books/Book_Reviews_List.asp
*** Sample reviews: http://www.gaeilge.ie/Books/Book_Reviews_List.asp?lang=en
Ní hamháin Gaelach ach iolrach chomh maith
July 3, 2013
SPRAOI ag Tuistí agus Leanaí i gCeatharlach i Mí Iúil
July 2, 2013
Education and Training Boards replace VECs
July 2, 2013
Major reform will deliver more than €2m savings annually
The Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn T.D., has today announced the establishment of 16 new Education and Training Boards (ETBs), that will replace the 33 Vocational Education Committees (VECs).
Minister Quinn said: “Today marks a new era for education and training in Ireland. The new ETBs will strengthen locally managed education and enhance the scale of local education and training. This represents a major component of the public service transformation agenda. At a time when the need for training and reskilling has never been more important, it is crucial to provide appropriate programmes and courses that offer students and learners the best opportunities to progress. We must do all of this while providing value for money to the taxpayer.”
This major reform will reduce the number of Chief Executive Officers in line with the number of bodies and full year savings are estimated at €2.1m.
The new configuration paves the way for exciting new provisions that will provide for the establishment of SOLAS, the dissolution of FÁS and the transfer of training functions to the newly formed Education and Training Boards. The Further Education and Training Bill 2013 to provide for the establishment of SOLAS will be enacted this month. It is envisaged that SOLAS will be formally established before the end of this year.
As part of the change, the Irish Vocational Educational Authority will change its name to Education and Training Boards Ireland (ETBI). ETBI will represent the Education and Training Boards and promote their interests.
“I want to pay tribute to all stakeholders – staff, councillors, managers, parents, teachers and students – who will be instrumental in ensuring the success of the Education and Training Boards,” Minister Quinn said.
www.education.ie
Comórtas grianghrafadóireachta ‘Is álainn í an Ghaeltacht’ – Údarás na Gaeltachta
July 2, 2013
Doirn buailte ar son an ghaeloideachais!
July 1, 2013
Gaelscoil na bhFál – 25 Bliain ag Fás
July 1, 2013
Anseo app: The era of the digital Gaeltacht is upon us
July 1, 2013
A new app for Irish speakers was launched this week by Diaga Teo.
Anseo, which is now available on both the Apple App Store and the Android Marketplace, links up Gaeilgeoirí from all over the country, creating a digital link between Irish speakers, learners, businesses, cultural groups, schools and other Irish language organizations.
The main function of the app is that Irish speakers will be able to find each other through a GPS system. People will be able to seek out others who can speak Irish in their locality, as well as Irish language businesses and organisations and Irish language events surrounding them.
Watch the short video on Gaelport.com
Four Buncrana natives, Colum Óg Mac Lochlainn, Ciarán Mac Lochlainn, Anicka Krajickova and Michael Flanagan developed Anseo, which was funded by Foras na Gaeilge under their Innovation in Business scheme.
“The revolution is coming” is the slogan being used by Diaga Teo for the app, and without a doubt the digital Gaeltacht has arrived, with a new-age network for Irish language speakers in Anseo App.
This is the next level of social networking through Irish, following on from www.abairleat.com and the #Gtuít on Twitter.
More information on the app is available at www.anseoapp.com.
Singer to return for Gaelscoil concert
July 1, 2013
Derry singer and vocal coach Aindree Reece Sheerin will return to the city to perform in a concert to raise funds for Gaelscoil na Daróige.
Mr Sheerin left Derry in the 1980s and was an opera singer for a number of years before a motorcycle accident dramatically altered his life.
The Derry native, who is now a wheelchair user, was determined to remain in music and retaught himself to sing and is now a successful vocal coach and performer. He now performs across the world with his musical partner, Kim Spaargaren, as well as helping others with their singing.
Mr Sheerin said music has always been a major factor in his life.
“I used to be an opera singer but I had a motorcycle accident 17 years ago which left me in a wheelchair. Music was my first love and my mother used to say I could sing before I could talk so I wanted to keep singing but it meant learning to sing all over again.
“Sitting down creates breathing difficulties for singing in terms of the position of the diaphragm so that was something I had to work on,” he said.
He is now part of a musical duo called ‘Too Kool Katz’ and regularly performs across the world. “We perform jazz, blues and swing era songs with a smattering of favourite numbers from Musicals such as Blood
Brothers, Evita, Jesus Christ Superstar and Les Miserables thrown in for good measure so there will be something for everyone,” he said.
The singer said his experiences made him want to help others with his music. “As well as performing I do music therapy for people with Parkinsons and Alzheimer’s.
The Alzheimer’s therapy is purely memory based and no matter where I am in the world or what language is spoken we can always find a song people will know. The Parkinson’s therapy owes more to my operatic training around breathing,” he explained.
Mr Sheerin said he is looking forward to coming back to Derry.
“I’m coming home to sing at a family wedding and it is a great privilege to be asked to do this concert ,” he said.
The concert will take place in Pitchers on August 21 and tickets are now available from Gaelscoil na Daróige and Pitchers.
www.derryjournal.ie
