Dúshláin agus dóchas – Gaelscoil na Daróige
July 10, 2012
Ceol agus caint at Belfast’s McCracken Summer School
July 10, 2012
Kerry singer Pauline Scanlon will be one of the headline acts to perform at this year’s McCracken Summer School, which will take place in north Belfast from 23rd– 29th July 2012.
Scanlon will take to the stage with guitarist Donagh Hennessy and Scottish folk singer Sineag MacIntyre on July 26th in Tigh Uí Mhadáin.
This Irish language festival which will last for one week gives individuals the opportunity to carry out many activities and classes through the medium of the Irish language.
Once again this year a wonderful line-up of events will take place, events such as workshops and various levels of Irish language classes.
Events include Irish language classes, summer camps for teenagers, storytelling for children, art, sean-nós, ten whistle, fiddle and many workshops, film screening, lúibíní, drama for both adults and children, Scottish Gàidhlig, Irish language courses for adults, youth clubs plus lots more.
The summer school will host summer camps for teenagers, which will entail Irish language events and sports and classes throughout the day. Children aged 8-11 years will also be catered for as they can enjoy a wide range of events such as drama and art workshops. On Wednesday 25th a wonderful concert will be hosted in the old prison on the Crumlin Road and many local musicians and visitors from Scotland will also perform on the night while on Saturday, 28th July a gala dinner and a night of entertainment will take place in the Europa Hotel. For a full list of events visit:www.mhicreachtain.com
Ó Bhéal – Cork Poetry reading with Áine Ní Ghlinn
July 10, 2012
On Monday 23rd July Ó Bhéal in association with Foras na Gaeilge will present a reading with special guest Irish language poet Áine Ní Ghlinn in Cork city.
Ó Bhéal is a weekly poetry reciting event which takes place in Cork each Monday night and a different poet is a special guest who recites poems and gives an insight into their work.
Children’s writer, poet, lecturer and workshop coordinator, Tipperary-born Áine Ní Ghlinn has had eighteen children’s books published by various publishers as well as four collections of poetry for adults. She has written occasional scripts for TG4’s Ros na Rún and now works on creative writing projects in gaelscoileanna in the Dublin area.
The Irish language poet has received several bursaries from Clár na Leabhar Gaeilge/Foras na Gaeilge and the Arts Council and has won many awards for both poetry and children’s books. The most recent include Oireachtas awards for the novels Fuadach, Tromluí and Úbalonga.
The night begins with a Poetry Challenge starting around 9.30 pm. Guest poets begin about 10.00 pm for between 30-45 minutes, after which there is the usual open-mic session so be sure to come early to get good seats.
Tuilleadh eolais www.obheal.ie
‘Meon Eile’ Irish language news service launched
July 10, 2012
A new multimedia Irish language news service broadcasting from Belfast, ‘meon eile’ was launched recently.
The service provides news in current affairs, sport and entertainment with a modern twist, catering for the Irish language community in Northern Ireland as well as Irish speakers in general. The website aims to create a multimedia platform run completely through Irish with the use of videos, photographs and current stories which cover a wide range of subjects with a creative approach.
Meoneile.ie is the brainchild of producer Sinéad Ingoldsby who spent seven years working with BBC Northern Ireland and the project is being run by production company ‘Below the Radar’.
“Interaction between Irish speakers online is becoming increasingly vibrant and we in Meon Eile hope to add to this important conversation, ” Ingoldsby said at the launch of the website.
Meoneile.ie employs three talented journalists and writers – Sarah de Búrca, who worked in the script department of TG4 soap opera Ros na Rún, Shane Ó Curraighín, a Fullbright scholar with experience in the newsroom and Tomaí Ó Conghaile, editor of Irish language magazine ‘Nós’.
The website gives the option of viewing news stories by individual authors and under the headings ‘Current Affairs’, ‘Arts and Culture’, ‘Sport’, ‘Community’ and the public is given the chance to express opinions with the heading ‘Have your say’.
The website hopes to add to the development of Irish across the country as well as fulfilling the needs of Irish speakers therefore keep a close eye on www.meoneile.ie.
Foilsithe ar Gaelport.com
Gaelscoil recognised for anti-litter work
July 9, 2012
Kilkenny student wins national spelling bee
July 9, 2012
A KILKENNY student has finished in first place at the Eason All-Ireland Spelling Bee Championships 2012.
Liam O’ Lionaird, aged 11, from Gaelscoil Osrai in Loughboy won the competition, which is organised by Eason in partnership with RTÉ 2fm. Kicking off his Spelling Bee journey as the representative of Gaelscoil Osrai school, Liam soared through the Kilkenny county bee, taking the top prize.
He then made his way to the Leinster Provincial Final where he then competed against 11 County Bee Winners to take the title for the province. Next and final stop was the grand final that took place today in RTÉ, where Liam mastered the spelling of words such ‘Bathysphere’ and ‘Bibliography’ to be the crowned the overall champion live on RTÉ 2fm.
This year’s spelling bee saw the introduction of the county bees, which took place in each of the 32 counties nationwide, followed by four provincial finals where RTÉ 2fm’s Ryan Tubridy broadcast live capturing the buzz and excitement which then culminated in the grand final in RTE Studios.
Speaking at the Eason 2012 Spelling Bee Final, RTÉ 2fm presenter Ryan Tubridy said he had enjoyed every minute.
“This week we’ve travelled to Limerick, Galway, Cavan and back to Dublin, and we got to experience the whole spelling bee buzz firsthand,” he said.
“The endless efforts from all the schools in preparing the kids and hosting the events has been incredible but what’s even more astounding is the spelling ability of the kids. I’m delighted for Liam who is our champion but would like to congratulate each and every school who took part.”
Also speaking at final, David Field, head of marketing at Eason said:
“Congratulations to Liam on being crowned this year’s champion and winning an entire library of books for Gaelscoil Oscrai school. We’re so delighted with this year’s Spelling Bee and would like to thank RTÉ 2fm for their support together with the hundreds of schools who really made our Spelling Bee such a success.”
The Eason Spelling Bee is one of many Eason initiatives seeking to encourage kids to perfect their spelling and also to hone their pronunciation skills. For more details on the Eason Spelling Bee, visit www.easons.com/spellingbee and stay tuned to RTÉ 2fm for more details.
Múinteoir Gaeilge agus Fraincíse
July 9, 2012
Múinteoir Gaeilge le Fraincís nó Tíreolaíocht
July 9, 2012
Saving the Gaeltacht
July 9, 2012
A chara, – Your editorial on the plight of the Gaeltacht (June 25th) appeared in the wake of a specially convened congress held in Dublin on June 23rd and organised by the INTO to ballot members on a strategy to support the plight of small schools.
Changes to the staffing schedule for schools with four teachers or fewer, introduced by this Government in its December budget, have been seen by many communities as a threat to the future well-being and viability of their local schools.
Schools that serve the Gaeltacht communities are most at risk. One of the speakers at the congress spoke of her frustration and sadness as she locked the doors of her Donegal Gaeltacht school for the final time last week. The pupils in that school will complete their primary education in a neighbouring school in which Irish is not the primary language of instruction.
This situation is replicated in many Gaeltacht communities. The long-term effect of these closures will be detrimental to both the language and culture of this island. At a time when Irish is being studied by students in university campuses throughout the world, could we as a nation live with the shame of letting it become a “dead language” here at home?
Tír gan teanga, tír gan anam.
– Is mise,
Colin Quigley, Steeple Manor, Trim, Co Meath.
www.irishtimes.com
EU investment bank to lend State €100m for schools
July 9, 2012
Minister for Finance Michael Noonan has said he hopes the European Investment Bank will commit ¤1 billion a year to Ireland in future, following the announcement of a €100 million loan for school buildings.
EIB president Werner Hoyer, who met a series of senior Government figures in Dublin yesterday, said the money for the school-building programme would make a “small but not insignificant contribution” to job creation here.
The EIB is the European Union’s bank and its shareholders are the 27 member states, which have jointly subscribed its capital. Mr Noonan said the bank had provided Ireland with very significant investment funding in the past and he hoped that could be expanded.
“At present they’re committed to about a half a billion a year, if you could get it flowing freely, and over a period of time that adds up. If we could double that it would have an impact on the infrastructure, it would make our economy more productive and it would lead to the kind of job creation we need,” he said.
The “confidence-building” impact of the investment in school buildings should not be underestimated at a time when people were “beginning to feel a little better about the economy”, he added.
“If there’s a lot of schools being built all over the country you have activity again in the towns and villages, and it’s activity that people can identify with because it’s the schools their kids will be attending,” he said.
Mr Hoyer, speaking after a meeting with Mr Noonan and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin yesterday morning, said the EIB was committed to building on its strong partnership with Ireland. Mr Hoyer said he thought the school-building projects could begin quickly.
“Most of these things can be done immediately because the need is there,” he said.
Mr Howlin said the Government was anxious to secure cofunding of school buildings and the education sphere generally, as well as roads and other infrastructure. “What’s announced today is extremely important in and of itself but it’s part of, I hope, a series of much bigger announcements,” he said.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny later said the European Council decision last week had allowed for a further “injection” of finance into the EIB, “which leverages up extra finance for budgets that are economically viable and sustainable”.
Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn said the €100 million loan would support his department’s capital investment programme. He announced details in March of 275 school- building projects worth €1.5 billion to begin by 2016. The EIB loan would assist in funding this investment, he said.
The loan will be used in the construction and upgrading of 35 primary and 12 second-level schools around the country, with construction work expected to be finished by 2014.
Mr Quinn said the loan would prove “immensely beneficial” in enabling implementation of the programme in the most cost-effective manner for the taxpayer.
The loan will be managed by the National Treasury Management Agency on behalf of the State.
www.irishtimes.com
