Seoltar Seachtain na Gaeilge ó cheann ceann na tíre
February 17, 2014
Compulsory English for Irish Language Organisations enforced by Foras na Gaeilge
February 17, 2014
The results of a rationalisation process on the voluntary organisations core-funded by Foras na Gaeilge were announced recently. Six organisations out of nineteen were selected to receive funding under the new model, and the other organisations will have their funding cut from 30 June 2014.
As a part of this process, Foras na Gaeilge wrote to the core-funded groups on 29 January 2014 to inform them that a Change Management Consultant had been appointed and would soon be available to assist the sector in its preparations for the new model.
On 02 November 2011, the core-funded groups under the auspices of An Fóram, wrote to Foras na Gaeilge and to the Ministers of the North South Ministerial Council requesting that a consultant with expertise in change management be appointed to assist the sector in formulating a new model for the sector which would best benefit the language. This request was denied.
There are two ways of interpreting the decision by Foras na Gaeilge. One could reason that the sector faces a major transformation, and that this is an honest effort by Foras na Gaeilge to support the organisations in dealing with the practical implications of this change.
On the other hand, this could be interpreted as a cynical act by Foras na Gaeilge. When the sector requested help in 2011, to formulate a model for the future which would be for the greater good of the language, and which they as a sector could support, their request was explicitly denied. Now that Foras na Gaeilge have announced the new model, and the six lead-organisations have been chosen, there are many who believe this latest action by Foras na Gaeilge to be a box-ticking exercise so that the North/South Body can claim to be supporting the sector.
Both these opinions were widely held by members of the Irish language community, and for those less cynical than others, perhaps this act could have been looked upon as an olive branch of sorts from Foras na Gaeilge. In their letter to the organisations, Foras na Gaeilge offered support in relation to issues such as contracts of employment, planning, salary and conditions of employment, continuity planning and project management.
As some organisations readied themselves to accept the olive branch, it then came to light that Foras na Gaeilge expected these organisations to undertake this work through English.
Some of these voluntary organisations have been operating in the Irish language sector for over 70 years. It was particularly insulting to the staff of these organisations that Foras na Gaeilge chose to announce the cessation of their funding via Twitter prior to contacting the organisations directly to convey the results of the process. It is even more insulting that Foras na Gaeilge would expect these long-standing Irish language organisations to undertake their activities through English in their preparations for the winding down of their funding by 30 June 2014.
In a statement to Gaelport.com, Foras na Gaeilge stated that the chosen consultants were appointed after a public competition on Etenders.
The criteria involved in choosing the consultant included:
Arising from the public competition, Treacy Consulting were appointed by Foras na Gaeilge as they “achieved first place under the criteria set out, especially in relation to experience in this area”.
If the company appointed to assist the sector cannot provide this service through Irish, it is difficult to see how they could gain any marks under numbers 4 and 5 on the list above. To tackle this shortcoming Foras na Gaeilge have explained that Treacy Consulting “have a translator to assist them in their work”.
According to reports on TG4 last week, it appears each of the six organisations chosen as lead-organisations have refused to deal with the consultants appointed by Foras na Gaeilge.
In its statement to Gaelport.com, Foras na Gaeilge said: “While the organisations undertake this vital work, Foras na Gaeilge believe it is of the utmost importance that they have access to the best consultants in terms of expertise, experience and skills who were chosen by way of a public competition”.
Foilsithe ar Gaelport.com
Buaiteoirí Scléip 2014 i gCultúrlann Uí Chanáin
February 17, 2014
Donegal well represented at Lá Mór na Gaeilge march in Dublin today
February 17, 2014
Donegal was well represented at the Lá Mór na Gaeilge march in Dublin today where it was reported that 10,000 took the streets.
Marchers gathered at the Garden of Remembrance on Parnell Square and marched to Dáil Éireann to demand their language rights and equality for the Irish language. Coordinated by Conradh na Gaeilge, Lá Mór na Gaeilge was acelebration of Irish for all the family and a massive march forlanguage rights, attracting both members of the Irish-speaking community as well as those with a love for Irish, and drawing crowds of thousands into the streets to show their support for the language.
Donnchadh Ó hAodha, President of Conradh na Gaeilge says: “Conradh na Gaeilge extends its deepest thanks to the thousands that took to the streets ofDublin to take a stand for language rights, and to show the Governments north and south just how much support the language enjoys among the general public this Saturday, despite the atrocious weather across the country this past week. “Every single one of the ten thousand people that attended Lá Mór na Gaeilge was happy and willing to take a stand for the Irish language, to take proactive action to ensure a future for our language. Supporters of Lá Mór na Gaeilge have now put it up to the Governments north and south – are they now willing to take the challenge to choose a future for Irish by acting immediately on our demands?” In keeping with the Dearg Le Fearg / Red With Rage theme for Lá Mór na Gaeilge, the crowd wore red clothes and waved red flags in a striking symbolic display of their anger and disillusionment with the lack of Government support for Irish on Saturday.
Julian de Spáinn, General Secretary of Conradh na Gaeilge says: “Gaeltacht and Irish-language communities north and south are not happy with either Government, as their basic human right to use their language is neither being supported nor legally protected sufficiently. The aim of Lá Mór na Gaeilge was to drive the Governments to recognise and appreciate the importance and the value of the Irish language for this country, as well as acknowledging the fact that the majority of people on this island have a love for the language, but Saturday’s march is just the beginning – we will continue to campaign our public representatives until we achieve fairness and equality for the Irish-speaking and Gaeltacht communities throughout the island of Ireland.” Conradh na Gaeilge organised Lá Mór na Gaeilge following The Language Commissioner Seán Ó Cuirreáin’s announcement that he would be stepping down on 23 February 2014 as a result of the lack of support for the language rights of the Irish-speaking and Gaeltacht community from the Government in the south.
The campaign for human rights gained momentum with the publication of a report by The Council of Europe on 16 January 2014 which noted that the growth and promotion of the Irish language in Northern Ireland is being blocked by hostile attitudes in Stormont, and a lack of support for its use in the courts and in education. Based on the recommendations of An Coimisinéir Teanga and those voiced at public meetings across the country, below are the demands Conradh na Gaeilge agus the attendees of Lá Mór na Gaeilge are calling for to ensure language rights and equality for Irish:
The Gaeltacht community must be guaranteed State service through Irish, without condition or question, by the end of 2016;
State services must be made available in Irish to the Irish-speaking community at the same standard as they are provided in English;
A comprehensive rights-based Irish-language act must be enacted in the north;
The Official Languages Act 2003 must be strengthened in 2014;
The derogation of the status of Irish as an official language of the European Union must not be renewed after 1 January 2017; and The Irish-language and Gaeltacht community must be recognised as stakeholders in the implementation of The 20 Year Strategy for the Irish Language 2010 – 2030 in the south and in the Irish-Language Strategy in the north.
www.donegaldemocrat.ie
Thousands march for language rights
February 17, 2014
Thousands took to the streets of Dublin city centre this afternoon to protest against the treatment by Governments north and south of Irish-language speakers and Gaeltacht communities.
Organisers said some 10,000 people took part in the march which started at the Garden of Remembrance in Parnell Square and marched down O’Connell Street before gathering for a rally in front of Dáil Éireann.
The crowd, with many wearing red, heard from a number of speakers who condemned the lack of public services available in Irish.
Billed as a celebration of Irish on the streets of Dublin, Lá Mór na Gaeilge attracted participants from all parts of the island and was the largest such demonstration since the 2005 campaign to elevate the status of Irish in the European Union.
Citing the decision in December by language commissioner Seán Ó Cuirreáin to resign in protest over the failure by Government to implement legislation protecting the rights of Irish speakers, Conradh na Gaeilge general secretary Julian de Spáinn said Irish language speakers were “red with rage” at how speakers are being treated by the State.
“We will continue to campaign our public representatives until we achieve fairness and equality for the Irish-speaking and Gaeltacht communities throughout the island of Ireland. ”
Lá Mór na Gaeilge was organised by Conradh na Gaeilge and marks the beginning of a campaign to seek equal treatment for Irish language speakers north and south.
“We are planning a march on Sunday week in Conamara and in Gaoth Dobhair to coincide with the resignation of the Coimisinéir Teanga and on the 12th of April we are planning a large demonstration in Belfast,” Mr de Spáinn said afterwards.
“In addition we are going to focus on the local and European elections. There is a lot to do but today was just a beginning.”
Mr de Spáinn said Conradh na Gaeilge had responded to an offer of a meeting with Taoiseach Enda Kenny and was awaiting a response from the Taoiseach’s office.
www.irishtimes.com
Thousands protest for better recognition of the Irish language
February 17, 2014
Thousands of people marched in Dublin today calling for more recognition of the Irish language.
Organisers of the Lá Mór na Gaeilge protest say those living in Gaeltacht areas around the country are not able to access State services through Irish. They are calling on the Irish Government and the government of Northern Ireland to give more recognition to the native tongue.
www.independent.ie
Coláiste Muire Tuar Mhic Éadaigh offers something for everyone
February 17, 2014
Meánscoil mheasctha Chaitliceach is ea Coláiste Muire, Tuar Mhic Éadaigh, a chuireann oideachas d’ard-chaighdeán ar fáil trí mheán na Gaeilge.
Coláiste Muire is a Catholic voluntary secondary school in the Gaeltacht dedicated to the promotion of Irish as the first language of the community. The school is operated on the basis of the fundamental Christian principle of treat others as we ourselves would like to be treated.
For a small school Coláiste Muire offers an extensive range of subjects at both Junior and Leaving Cert levels as well as LCVP and the transition year programme. Students at the coláiste enjoy the benefits of small classes in a friendly learning environment. A tradition of excellent Junior and Leaving Certificate results exists in Coláiste Muire. One quarter of the students in 2013 obtained more than 525 points in the Leaving Cert with one student getting 600 points. Past pupils have excelled in a wide variety of careers and third level courses. These achievements range from winning university scholarships to national awards.
The school offers a wide range of extra curricular activities for boys and girls such as Gaelic football, hurling, table tennis, soccer, public speaking, drama, and school tours. The purpose of such activities is to foster and develop social and personal skills not directly addressed in the formal curriculum.
Coláiste Muire caters for all students from a wide catchment area, with school bus transport bringing students from all the local primary schools and from Newport, Westport, Ballinrobe, and Castlebar.
Coláiste Muire will be hosting a enrolment and open evening, on Thursday, March 6 from 7pm to 9pm. For more information call 094 9544107, email colmuirtuar@eircom.net or log on to www.colaistemuire.scoilnet.ie
www.advertiser.ie/mayo
Sean Óg celebrates with Gaelscoil Longfoirt on its 15th anniversary
February 17, 2014
There was much to be excited about in Longford last Friday as Gaelscoil Longfoirt celebrated its 15th anniversary at the heart of education.
To add to proceedings, the large crowds that gathered to join in the celebrations waited in anticipation for the guest of honour, himself – Séan Óg Ó hAilpín – left no stone unturned when it came to encouraging the children before him, and highlighting the important role that Gaelscoil’s have in the Irish education system.
Speaking in both Irish and English, the All-Ireland winning Cork hurler, who attended a Gaelscoil himself, said that while he had attended many places during his career, it gave him the “greatest pleasure” going to Gaelscoils. “I started off in a Gaelscoil; I was 10 years old when I came to Ireland and it has been a journey that has made me an incredibly better person,” he added.
“When I look back now at my own parents and their hopes and dreams for me, the two most important aspects were my involvement in sport and going to a Gaelscoil. If we claim ourselves to be Irish, then we must speak our native tongue. Yes, there are people who say what is the point of learning Irish because when you move on, you don’t use it, but I don’t see that argument; Irish is our native language and we should be proud to speak it.”
Mr Ó hAilpín went to encourage the pupils to achieve thier full potential.
“You have a talent that is a gift from God, but what you do with that gift is your gift back to God,” he continued.
“We all need people like our parents and teachers in our lives because it is they who help to bring out those gifts in us. One of the proudest moments in my life was to bring the All Ireland Cup back to my old Gaelscoil; to see the smiles of the teachers that day- everyone was so happy and proud and I knew that I had fulfilled my talent that day.
“ You must fulfil your talents; it may be a sport or it may be academic , but whatever it is find it and fulfill it.”
Amid plenty of cheering and beautiful singing by the pupils of Gaelscoil Longfoirt to mark the special occasion, Mr Ó hAilpín also pointed to his earliest sporting memories of Co Longford.
“I remember the great Dessie Barry – the great left footer, the legend for Longford – you too can be a Longford legend,” he concluded.
The Cork hurling star then planted a tree to commemorate the event and principal Yvonne Ní Mhurchú concluded by saying, “I want to thank all the staff and volunteers, and everyone who made this possible”.
“The next step for us is to secure a new school building within the next couple of years and we are confident that this is going to happen,” she added.
“Irish is alive and well and Gaelscoil Longfoirt proves that we can conduct our daily lives in Irish now.
“I hope that we have instilled pride and loyalty in our past students and I wish everyone associated with Gaelscoil Longfoirt the very best future possible.”
www.longfordleader.ie
Donegal campaign heading to Dublin for march
February 17, 2014
Hundreds of Donegal people are expected in Dublin this weekend for a march for equality for the Irish language.
Organisers of Lá Mór na Gaeilge expect at least 1,000 people from around the country to meet at the Garden of Remembrance, Parnell Square, at 2pm on Saturday for a march to government buildings.
“There’s a 20-year strategy for Irish which has been on the books for four years, but the government refuses to implement it,” said Danny Brown, editor of Goitse, an Irish-language newspaper in the west Donegal Gaeltacht that supports the march. He said the march also arose from the decision of Seán Ó Cuirreáin, language commissioner, to resign this month because of the lack of government support for Irish-language rights.
“What we’re saying is that people need to get out to voice their anger at the government’s inactivity at a very important time in the history of the Gaeltacht,” Danny said. He pointed to the comprehensive 2009 NUI Galway linguistic of the Gaeltacht that warned the future of the Gaeltacht was in jeopardy unless steps were taken. “If action isn’t taken now, or very, very soon, it’s dead, and it is not going to be brought back again,” Danny said.
For example, he said, just 1.6 per cent of civil servants in the Department of Education are Irish-speakers. “The message that’s going out to Irish speakers and people in the Gaeltacht is that it’s all very well for you to speak Irish among yourselves, but don’t ask to speak it to government bodies, because we’re not going to accommodate you,” he said. “That message has gone out from successive governments.”
The Donegal branch of the campaign, Dearg le Fearg, or “red with anger”, is asking people to wear red on the march as a way “of showing you’re not just celebrating your culture, which we all would be, but it’s also an angry message going out to government”.
Organisers also hope non-Irish speakers will take part. “There are thousands of people around the country who realise the value of the language even though they might not speak it themselves,” Danny said. They are also urging people to encourage friends and family in Dublin to come along as well.
For information on buses leaving Gaoth Dobhair, Na Rosa and Cloch Cheann Fhaola for the march, contact 0876740673.
www.donegaldemocrat.ie
Implications of new funding model discussed in NI Assembly
February 17, 2014
Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL) deliberates concerns expressed by core-funded organisations in the north
Last month, Foras na Gaeilge announced that Gaelscoileanna, Conradh na Gaeilge, Gael Linn, Oireachtas na Gaeilge, Glór na nGael, and Cumann na bhFiann has been selected as the six lead-organisations that will operate in the Irish Language Voluntary Sector under the new funding model. Funding to the organisations that were unsuccessful in the process, including Forbairt Feirste, Pobal, Iontaobhas Ultach and Altram, will cease at the end of June 2014.
The meeting which took place on Thursday, 13 February, in Stormont was attended by Foras na Gaeilge’s Deputy CEO and Director of Development Services. CEO, Ferdie Mac an Fhailigh was unable to attend. Representatives from Iontaobhas Ultach and Altram attended and a statement was read out on behalf of Pobal, who were absent due to a conference on the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages.
Under the new system, lead-organisations will operate on 32 county basis. Each of the six lead-organisations’ headquarters are based in the Republic of Ireland which has caused concern over the perceived lack of support to be given to the existing language structures within Northern Ireland.
Concern
Speaking at the meeting, Director of Iontaobhas Ultach, Aodán Mac Póilín, said that there is a real danger that one jurisdiction will be marginalised in a lead-organisation. He stated that the situation in both jurisdictions is completely different and while lead-organisations will be more than capable dealing with certain issues, the expertise is not there when it comes to legislative and cross-community. When asked if the right organisation had been chosen to lead the particular category in which Iontaobhas Ultach was included, Aodán Mac Póilín siad that no organisation, including Iontaobhas Ultach, is equipped to deal with issues effectively in both jurisdictions. He said that the wrong model had been chosen by Foras na Gaeilge and the application process was flawed from the beginning.
Chair of Altram, Áine Andrews, argued that education cannot be treated on an all-island basis. Andrews stated that preschool education is not a priority within the general education sector and could be undermined in an organisation with a broad remit such as Gaelscoileanna Teoranta, who will now be responsible for Gaelscoileanna, post-primary schools, Gaeltacht schools and preschool education. Andrews argued that a Dublin organisation is ill-equipped to deal with the complex system in the north and the organisations are not confident that the staff recruited in the six counties will be sufficient to tackle issues.
Every lead-organisation will have to recruit staff and open an office in the six counties. Foras na Gaeilge have said that 25% of staff must be based in the six counties. According to Foras na Gaeilge, the expertise within the sector is invaluable and lead-organisations have been advised to keep that experience within the sector as much as possible. It has been confirmed that jobs will be lost under the new model and Foras na Gaeilge will not be providing any funding for redundancy payments. Aodán Mac Póilín claimed that for certain organisations who receive no other funding. There will be no option but to claim bankruptcy, ending any chances of continuing as voluntary organisations.
The committee was informed during the meeting that several organisations made attempts to form confederations throughout the application process. Iontaobhas Ultach, Pobal and Comhdháil Náisiúnta na Gaeilge agreed to enter the process as a confederate and Altram, Forbairt Naíonraí Teoranta, and eventually Gaelscoileanna Teoranta, also attempted to come together however, Foras an Gaeilge rejected all efforts and prohibited all lead-organisations from providing funding to other organisations. While Foras na Gaeilge were willing to accept organisation mergers, many groups believed that it was impossible for one organisation to cover such a broad remit.
The best way forward
Referring to the bias mentioned by several parties throughout the meeting, Deputy CEO of Foras na Gaeilge, Seán Ó Coinn, said that Foras na Gaeilge is an all-island body that had made huge investments in the promotion of Irish in the six counties since 1999. He said that 19 organisations are funded through Scéim na Gaeilge, including 11 organisations based in the north, as well as Summer camps, Cultúrlann McAdaim Ó Fiaich, Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin and many other projects. Ó Coinn stated that the Irish language sector in Northern Ireland is not made up of core-funded organisations alone.
The committee was told that Raidió Fáilte and an tÁisaonad would continue to be funded under the new system and that Comhaltas Uladh will operate as part of Conradh na Gaeilge. Gael Linn will continue to carry out important work from the office in Armagh and Glór na nGael will be developing their activities throughout the six counties. For the first time ever Cumann na bhFiann will bring their model for language development to the six counties and Oireachtas na Gaeilge will work with communities all around the country.
Ó Coinn praised the work carried out by the core-funded organisations up until now and emphasised the importance of the expertise gained over the years. He described how Foras na Gaeilge will be focussing on work in the community from here on out and they believe that the system of lead-organisations is the best way forward. According to Foras na Gaeilge, the new approach will require all six lead-organisations to to seek to replicate the same success in the north and will be required by An Foras to do so.
Foilsithe ar Gaelport.com
