Tuar dóchais dúinn
May 8, 2017
Bhí Iorras, taobh amuigh de Chluain Maine, ar cheann de na Gaeltachtaí ba láidre in Éirinn sa 19ú haois. Creidtear nár thosaigh tuismitheoirí ansin ag tógáil a bpáistí le Béarla go dtí na 1870í. Bhí meath ag teacht ar an Ghaeilge faoin am sin cheana féin de thoisc eisimirce agus cúiseanna eacnamaíochta eile. Agus bhí cosc ar an Ghaeilge sna scoileanna náisiúnta.
Ar an 22 Iúil 1888 osclaíodh teach pobail nua in Iorras. Bhí an deasghnáth ar fad i mBéarla agus chuaigh seanmóir an easpaig i bhfeidhm go mór ar an phobal. Maítear gur chuir seo le himeacht na Gaeilge sa cheantar.
Ach is mór idir inné agus inniu. Cáintear an Eaglais Chaitliceach sna meáin beagnach gach lá agus tá freastal ar an Aifreann i bhfad níos lú. Tá an Ghaeilge ag dul i léig ina lán áiteanna: de réir an daonáirimh is déanaí tá titim shuntasach ar líon na ndaoine sa Ghaeltacht a labhraíonn an teanga go laethúil. Mar sin de, cuirfear iontas ar dhaoine go raibh teach pobail mór in Inis Eoghain (Aireagal Naomh Muire, Bun Cranncha) lán go doras an tseachtain seo caite fá choinne Aifreann Gaeilge. Chuaigh 59 páiste as Gaelscoil Bhun Chranncha agus as na trí bhunscoil i nDoire faoi lámh an easpaig. Bhí caidreamh an-mhaith ag an Easpag Mac Eoin leis na páistí. Bhí sé in ann labhairt leo ar a leibhéal féin. Labhair sé Gaeilge ‘bhlasta bhinn’ bunús an ama, ag aistriú go Béarla ó am go ham ar mhaitheas na ndaoine nach raibh Gaeilge acu. Táimid an-bhuíoch den Easpag agus de na sagairt a chuidigh leis, an tAthair Ó Brolcháin agus an tAthair Mac Cannaí.
Tá ardmholadh tuillte ag na múinteoirí a d’ullmhaigh na páistí fá choinne na sacraiminte. Ócáid reiligiúnda a bhí ann go bunúsach. Ach chomh maith leis sin ba iontach an t-ardán don Ghaeilge í. Léiríodh luach an Ghaeloideachais: tá caighdeán oideachasúil na bpáistí an-ard. Bhí an amhránaíocht, an ceol uirlise agus an léitheoireacht ar fheabhas. Comhghairdeas arís le gach duine a bhí páirteach!
Giving us hope
Urris, outside of Clonmany, was one of the strongest Irish speaking areas in the country during the 19th century. It is believed that parents there only started bringing up their children speaking English in the 1870’s. Irish was already declining at that time because of emigration and for other economic reasons. And Irish was banned in the national schools.
On the 22nd of July 1888 a new church was opened in Urris. The whole service was in English and the bishop’s sermon made a great impression on the people. It is claimed that this contributed to the demise of Irish in the area.
But times have changed. The Catholic Church comes in for criticism in the media on a daily basis almost and attendance at Mass has fallen away greatly. The Irish language has declined in many places: according to the latest census, there has been a noticeable decline in the number of people in the Gaeltacht who speak Irish on a daily basis. So people will be surprised that a large church in Inishowen (St. Mary’s Oratory, Buncrana) was packed out last week for an Irish Mass. 59 children from Gaelscoil Bhun Cranncha and the three bunscoileanna in Derry were getting confirmed. Bishop McKeown was very much in tune with the children. He was able to speak to them at their own level. He spoke mostly in Irish– his Irish is superb- and he translated from time to time for the benefit of the people who didn’t speak Irish. We are very grateful to the bishop and the priests who assisted him, Father Bradley and Father Mc Canny.
The teachers who prepared the children for the sacrament deserve high praise indeed. It was primarily a religious event. But it also provided a window for Irish. It demonstrated the value of Irish medium education: the children’s standard of education is extremely high. The singing, the instrumental music and the reading were all first rate. Congratulations again to all those involved.
New Gaelscoil for Ballincollig in September 2017, but heartbreak for parents of more than 500 children as three other applications for new schools are rejected
May 4, 2017
A new multi-denominational Irish-medium school for Ballincollig
Gaeloideachas would like to congratulate the parents of Ballincollig, whose tireless campaign to open a new multi-denominational Irish-medium primary school has been recognised today by the Minister for Education & Skills, Richard Bruton. The school will open in September 2017 for junior infants, under the patronage of An Foras Pátrúnachta.
“Of the 3 new primary schools due to open in September 2017, we really welcome this announcement by Minister Bruton that the one in Ballincollig is to be an Irish-medium school”, said Clare Spáinneach, Vice-CEO of Gaeloideachas. “It means that a whole new generation of children will have access to immersion education, thanks to the very hard work done by local parents to establish their new school. Irish-medium education offers huge benefits to children – they will be fluent in at least two languages, and the immersion model of education helps them with their social, communicative and cognitive development . This multi-d school will cater for children from different linguistic, cultural and religious backgrounds and will give them a happy and well-rounded education”.
Suitable accommodation for the school will be arranged with the assistance of the Department of Education over the coming weeks, and a principal will be appointed by An Foras Pátrúnachta. Parents interested in registering their children for a place should contact An Foras Pátrúnachta: email cormac@foras.ie or call 01 6294110.
Disappointed parents of more than 500 children in Dún Laoghaire, Pelletstown and Dublin South City Centre left without a choice for their children
It’s a huge disappointment, however, to the communities in Dún Laoghaire, Pelletstown and Dublin South City Centre that the demand for Irish-medium education in their areas has not been recognised. “The communities in each of these areas have done incredible work since the Department of Education gave notice that they were to get new schools, and we received more than 517 expressions of interest from local parents who wanted those schools to be multi-d, Irish-medium schools” said Ciara Ní Bhroin, Senior Policy & Development Officer with Gaeloideachas.
“These are parents who can’t get places for their children in existing Irish-medium schools, and there are no Irish-medium multi-d schools available in any of the three localities. The new schools due to open are all to teach through English, and will not cater for the wishes of these parents for their children’s education. Though they showed a very clear demand for Irish-medium education, there is nowhere now for them to send their children”.
No recognition for North Dublin City after parents of more than 700 children petition the Minister for a school
There was further disappointment in the Minister for Education & Skills’ announcement today re new schools for 2017 and 2018, as no mention was made of the campaign to have an Irish-medium multi-denominational primary school established in North Dublin City. The campaign under the 2016 process for the establishment of patronage gathered expressions of interest from the parents of 733 children for an Irish-medium school, but was unsuccessful. The report of the New Schools Establishment Group to the Minister in April 2016 conceded that there was evidence of considerable demand for Irish-medium education in the area, and that this should be kept under review. There was some hope that today’s announcement might include belated recognition of the wishes of those parents in North Dublin City, but there has been no further communication on the matter from the Department of Education or from Minister Bruton. “Gaeloideachas will continue to fight for the educational rights of these children and others like them” said Clare Spáinneach, “and we will continue to lobby for the reform of the processes to determine school patronage and facilitate divestment, as the current ones militate against the establishment of minority-language schools. We have made recommendations to the Department regarding the reform of these processes, as have other Education Partners, and it remains to be seen whether the genuine concerns of parents will be taken on board by policy-makers”.
The process used by the Department to determine the patronage of the new schools has been a long and arduous one for parents, who campaigned in their local communities for over a year before being left to wait through a three-month delay for a decision by the Minister. It will be a challenge for the successful patrons to have everything in place for the upcoming school year, and a challenge for parents whose campaigns were unsuccessful to secure school places for their children in alternative schools. Gaeloideachas would like to acknowledge all of their hard work, and to thank the parents, the patrons and the organisations who supported them, especially Conradh na Gaeilge, for running very positive campaigns in all four areas and for raising public awareness about the benefits of Irish-medium education for all.
(Gaeilge) Rang Damhsa Saor in Aisce!
May 3, 2017
(Gaeilge) Suíomh Nua Gaelscoil an Fuinnseoige
May 3, 2017
(Gaeilge) Lus na Chromchinn agus Gaelscoil Mhichíl Uí Choileáin
May 3, 2017
Folúntas le Naíonra i Leamhcán
May 3, 2017
Naíonra i Leamhcán ag lorg duine éigin le cáilíocht leibhéal 6 nó ós cionn le tosnú i Mí Méan Fómhair. Post buan, tuilleadh eolas le fáil ach r-phoist a chuir agam agus cv a sheoladh ag Naionra.Lucan@gmail.com.
Seo Linn ag tacú leis an nGaeilge!
May 2, 2017
Is banna de cheathrar Seo Linn (www.seolinn.com) atá ag pléascadh isteach ar saol ceoil na hÉireann le fuaim chumhachtach a mheascann an sean leis an nua le paisean ar leith don Ghaeilge. Tá an chéad albam amuigh acu faoi láthair a shroich #3 sna cairt iTunes, díreach taobh thiar de dhá albam le Ed Sheeran!
Is é ‘Solas’ ainm an tionscadail úir atá ag Seo Linn freisin. Tá leabhar cuimsitheach neamhfhoirmiúil amuigh acu a théann i gcomhar lena n-albam den teideal céanna. Is d’fhoghlaimeoirí na Gaeilge an tionscadal seo.
Glacann an leabhar seilbh ar eilimintí den saol comhaimseartha ar nós ceol, cluichí, ceisteanna, spórt, damhsaí agus cócaireacht. Tagann an réimse leathan seo le chéile agus é fite fuaite leis an albam le comrádaí foghlama a chruthú d’éinne a bhfuil spéis acu ann.
Tá Solas tar éis go leor airde a tharraingt air féin in Éirinn go fóill. Bhí sé le feiceáil ar an Seven O’Clock Show ar TV3, RTÉ Today le Dáithí agus Maura, The Seán O’Rourke show ar RTÉ Raidió 1, Nicky Byrne Show with Jenny Greene ar 2FM agus Ruaille Buaille ar Highland Radio. Bhí ‘Rise’ ar sheinnliosta 2FM le mí iomlán agus rith siad go leor comórtas faoi freisin. Bhí ‘Solas’, teidealtraic an albaim, ina amhrán oifigiúil ar Sheachtain na Gaeilge 2017.
Cuireadh tús le haistear Seo Linn leis na físeáin cheoil chlúiteacha a chruthaíonn siad i gColáiste Lurgan atá, ag ann bpointe seo, tar éis ós cionn 20 milliún amas a bhailiú. Tá siad tar éis a gcuidse ceoil a thabhairt chomh fada le Melbourne, Bostún, Nua Eabhrac, Dún Éideann, Glaschú, Londain agus Uganda fiú amháin le Gorta Self-Help Africa! Chas siad ar an Late Late Show faoi dhó agus ar an Ray D’Arcy Show lena n-amhrán, The Irish Roar, a bhí mar amhrán oifigiúil don FAI do Euro 2016.
Ba iad ambasadóirí oifigiúla Sheachtain na Gaeilge 2016 agus d’aistrigh siad an t-amhrán mór millteach ‘Thinking Out Loud’ d’Ed Sheeran é féin nuair a chan Ed as Gaeilge ar Ceol ’16. Chríochnaigh Seo Linn RTÉ Centenary lena n-amhrán féin, Music Makers a chuaigh go #1 sna cairt iTunes. Tá sraith teilifíse acu faoi láthair dárbh ainm Cleas Act ar TG4 gach Domhnach lena bhfeictear na buachaillí ag camchuairt timpeall na tíre ag casadh ceoil as Gaeilge i scoileanna.
Tá taithí maith faighte ag Seo Linn i scoileanna agus tá tóir ollmhór ar na gigeanna a dhéanann siad i mbunscoileanna, meánscoileanna agus coláistí na tíre freisin.
Tá Seo Linn ar bís a fhógairt go mbeidh siad ag bualadh na stáitse i Vicar Street ar an 23ú de mhí an Mheithimh. Is é seo an ghig phríomha is mó dá gcuid féin ariamh agus seó speisialta geallta acu.
Tá seitliosta leathan acu idir amhráin dá gcuid féin ón albam Solas, clúdaithe Gaeilge ar amhráin choitianta a chlúdaigh siad agus corramhrán traidisiúnta freisin. Ní fhágann siad puth fuinnimh taobh thiar dóibh agus is deacair a chreidiúint an oiread fuinnimh atá acu go dtí go bhfeictear beo iad!
