Buaiteoirí Scléip 2013 – Amharclann an Firkin Crane, Corcaigh, 22 Feabhra 2013
February 25, 2013
Let’s not lose our native tongue in outer space
February 21, 2013
OPINION: A celestial tweet as Gaeilge was loved. We should treat Irish far better on Earth
On Monday night, Chris Hadfield became the nation’s favourite Canadian astronaut when he tweeted a picture of Ireland from space accompanied by a message in Irish – “Tá Éire fíorálainn!” In charming us with a few judiciously chosen words of our native tongue, the commander was following the recent example of two more illustrious foreigners. In May 2011, the Queen of England left our then president Mary McAleese open-mouthed in disbelief with a majestically delivered “Go raibh maith agat” and, just a few days later, Barack Obama had a crowded College Green in raptures with that riff on his can-do battle cry for the ages, “Is féidir linn”.
On both occasions, the decision to respectfully acknowledge the existence of the Irish language was greeted with widespread approval. It appears that the sound of a stranger speaking Irish gives us a fuzzy feeling of self-worth, a feeling not to be had from, say, speaking Irish ourselves. Hadfield’s tweet from the great beyond brought a similar jolt of affirmation, and the Irish language became – for one night on Twitter at least – a little reminder that, as the poet Michael Hartnett once wrote, “We are human, and therefore not a herd.” On Monday, the tweet machine was positively glowing with gratitude, much of it for the commander’s use of a few words in Irish. “Wow, I can feel the warmth of the Irish all the way up here…” Hadfield later tweeted, adding a “go raibh maith agaibh!” that ensured there was more Irish used in the International Space Station this week than most Irish people would use in a year.
Lip service
It is easy to be cynical about these fleeting public expressions of warmth towards Irish, a language that has all but had the life sucked out of it by years of lip service.
Still, there was something genuine about the affection for the language evident in the response to Hadfield. Maybe this was because the commander’s tweet, for all its otherworldliness, was more authentic than either Obama’s or the banríon’s cúpla focal. While Obama’s mantra has entered the mainstream like no other phrase in Irish since “an bhfuil cead agam dul go dtí an leithreas?”, there was a hint of the rock star’s “Good evening, wherever we are! We love you!” about his “Is féidir linn.” For her part, Queen Elizabeth’s “go raibh maith agat” was burdened with such historical significance that McAleese’s silent “Wow!” felt like an overreaction almost immediately.
Oldest living vernacular
In the end, the charming Canadian commander outdid them both. Here was a language that clings stubbornly, if a little forlornly, to its status as the oldest living vernacular in Europe, fully alive again for a brief moment in the cosmos. And with those three words – “Tá Éire fíorálainn!” – Hadfield brought a little light from afar to our evening.
Meanwhile, in a galaxy not so far away called the Gaeltacht, Irish is dying as the language of the home and community. It is dying because that is what usually happens to languages like Irish, but it is also dying because of official neglect and a failure to take the measures needed to save it. The most recent study in this area suggested that unless radical action was taken, Irish had only 15 to 20 years left as the primary community language in even the strongest Gaeltacht areas.
That was in 2007.
In response, three years later, in 2010, the last government published a 20-year strategy for the language. Three years on and the present Government has been slow in implementing that strategy. Instead, it has diluted what was already an overly aspirational plan by making several decisions that undermine it. For example, it has withdrawn the support given to trainee teachers to study in the Gaeltacht, whereas the strategy is committed to allowing students to spend a greater length of time in Irish-speaking communities. It is difficult to ascertain how many people really care about the preservation of Irish as no government has been willing to take a political gamble that the type of affection provoked by Hadfield’s tweet might be sincere. This is despite the existence of plenty of earthly evidence that proves a considerable majority of us have a favourable attitude to Irish. Would the public support a radical, well-resourced plan to save the Irish language? Would such a plan work? We might never know. Because it seems that, to adapt the tagline from the movie Alien, in the Gaeltacht, nobody can hear you scream.
www.irishtimes.com
An Foras Pátrúnachta – Annual Conference
February 21, 2013
An Foras Pátrúnachta will hold its Conference and AGM in Kilashee House Hotel in Naas, Co. Kildare this Saturday. For more information contact us on: eolas@foras.ie or 01 6294110.
Irish language podcasts launched
February 20, 2013
Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin is now offering a series of free podcasts online to help people learn Irish.
The ‘Cultúr le Comhrá’ programme, funded by the Big Lottery Fund, was launched by the Mayor of Derry, councillor Kevin Campbell, and is designed to allow people to learn Irish from home.
The course is suitable for those who want to start from scratch and for those with some Irish already who want to improve their language skills. Each podcast is available to download free of charge from the Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin website.
Ciara Nic Lochlainn, project co-ordinator said: “Cultúr le Comhrá means Culture with Conversation and these podcasts which are based on conversation between two speakers are like mini Irish lessons.
“They give learners the opportunity to learn Irish in an easy way without spending any money and fit perfectly with the Líofa 2015 initiative launched some time ago.
“This series will run for 30 weeks and there will be five programmes broadcast per week. Cultúr le Comhrá will be divided into 3 Sections, 10 weeks of podcasts for complete Beginners, 10 weeks of podcasts for Intermediate learners and 10 weeks of podcast for advanced learners.”
The first podcast became available for download or to listen to yesterday at www.culturlann-doire.ie
For more information contact 02871 264132
www.derryjournal.com
Aip úrnua de chuid Raidió na Life
February 20, 2013
Graffiti Theatre Company is pleased to invite you to a family performance of An Fear Siúil le Jody O’Neill
February 19, 2013
Beidh léiriú teaghlaigh den dráma álainn An Fear Siúil le Jody O’Neill, á chur i láthair ag Graffiti Theatre Company, ar siúl sa Graffiti Theatre, An Linn Dubh, Corcaigh ar 3.00in. Dé Sathairn 23 Feabhra.
A family performance of An Fear Siúil, by Jody O’Neill, produced by Graffiti Theatre Company, will take place in Graffiti Theatre, Blackpool, Cork at 3pm on Saturday 23rd February.
Bíonn an Fear Siúil i gcónaí ag siúl, ag brostú ó seo go siúd, gan suaimhneas gan scíth, gan stopadh gan sos. Oibríonn sé go dian…ach lá amháin, imíonn sé ar thuras nua, i bhfad ón mbealach abhaile. Le ceol nua-chumtha beo, téimid ar thuras leis an aisteoir go dtí domhan an fhir shiúil.
An Fear Siúil (Walking Man) is always on the move, rushing headlong through life, determined to follow in his father’s footsteps to do the best job on the top floor of the tallest building in the entire city. But one day, his path takes an unexpected twist…
Is beag an domhan ach is mór an scéal!
“…Subtlety and sophistication…a production of magic and wonder” Irish Theatre Magazine
Aoisghrúpa: 6-10 bliain (6-10 year olds)
Teanga: Gaeilge (Performance will be in Irish)
To reserve your seats you must RSVP by 21st February to 021 43-97111 or graffiti@eircom.net
Coláiste Samhraidh do dhéagóirí i gCeatharlach
February 19, 2013
Irish language book festival for Derry
February 19, 2013
The first Irish language book and storytelling festival to take place here will keep local children entertained in March.
Féile Bheag na Leabhar runs from 7th – 9th March as part of Irish Language Week 2013.
The festival aims to inspire a love of books, reading and storytelling in the Irish language among children of all ages. Féile Bheag na Leabhar begins on Thursday March 7 with a special storytelling event for children aged between 8 and 11 to celebrate World Book Day.
Led by award-winning Donegal storyteller Gearóidín Bhreathnach, the World Book Day event will encourage children to talk as Gaeilge with the guest storyteller and each other about their favourite books in Irish and help them find new books to fall in love with. On Friday 8th March, well-known Irish language writer and storyteller, Séamas Mac Annaidh will lead a reading and storytelling event for children aged between 5 and 7 which will re-imagine traditional Irish myths and fables for a younger audience.
This event will feature folktales and legends reinterpreted for new listeners and told in the storyteller’s inimitable dramatic style. The festival closes on Saturday 9th March with the launch of the beautiful children’s book ‘Déanann Rosie Réidh’ which was written, illustrated and produced by local author Trisha Deery and which will be read in Irish by Derry-based performance artist Cara Ní Mhaonaigh.
Participating children are invited to come dressed for a party like the Rosie Red character who features in the book and hear stories in Irish take part in some fun party activities in the Irish language. Trisha Deery who wrote and illustrated the book will also be there to join in the celebrations and to do some live drawing with the children! Féile Bheag na Leabhar is organised by Derry City Council in partnership with the Humdinger! Children’s Literature Festival.
You can download the full Humdinger! programme from the following link: www.humdingerbookfestival.com.
www.derryjournal.com
Quinn is against plan to raise Irish level for teachers
February 19, 2013
EDUCATION Minister Ruairi Quinn has voiced his concerns about a proposal to raise the standard of Irish required for trainee primary teachers.
It is among a number of suggestions from the Teaching Council in a package aimed at boosting literacy and numeracy levels. The council wants the minimum Irish entry requirement for trainees raised from Higher Level C to Higher Level B.
Mr Quinn yesterday echoed concerns expressed by Labour backbencher and former primary school principal Aodhan O Riordain. The minister said that setting a very high standard for Irish would exclude students from disadvantaged areas which have lower Leaving Cert performance levels from going into teaching.
Diversity
“Raising the threshold of competency in Irish is not going to facilitate those kind of people becoming teachers,” he said.
Mr Quinn was speaking after a conference on teacher training organised by the Teaching Council and being held as part of Ireland’s EU presidency. He said a diverse society needed a diversity of teachers, not a “one size fits all” approach which “streamlined a particular cohort into teaching”.
The minister said there was a problem in some communities where there was a disconnect between the teacher and the pupils that led to low levels of performance and dropouts. He added that it was a complex area, and he would await with interest the analysis of submissions made to the council consultation process.
Mr O Riordain has told the council that secondary schools in disadvantaged areas are rarely in a position to offer Higher Level Irish to their students.
“Poorer families do not have the resources to pay for grinds or to send their children to the Gaeltacht on summer courses,” he said.
He added that while the requirement for teachers to have the ability to teach Irish was a cornerstone of education policy and must be preserved, those skills could be provided during the training years.
As well as higher grades in Irish, the council has also proposed raising the minimum entry requirements in English and maths.
www.independent.ie
Físeán: Tóstal na Gaeilge 2013 | Ag Tógáil Clainne Trí Ghaeilge
February 19, 2013
