Children’s Book Festival
November 1, 2012
THE National Children’s Book Festival ran in libraries around the country throughout the month of October. Louth libraries were busy schedule of events running for children. As part of the festival Children’s Books Ireland were lucky enough to secure some very limited funding from Foras na Gaeilge to programme a small amount of projects around the country.
The aim of the project is to connect communities of young readers nationwide with authors, illustrators and storytellers who work in the Irish language in an in-depth manner.
The library in Dundalk was picked to take part in the project. The renowned children’s writer Aine Ni Ghlinn facilitated three workshops with 6th class from Gaelscoil Dhun Dealgan, along with their teacher Áine Uí Choinne throughout October.
Áine Ní Ghlinn has had eighteen children’s books published by various publishers as well as four collections of poetry for adults. She spent several years working as a journalist and Clár Reachtaire with Raidió na Gaeltachta & RTE and a number of years lecturing in DCU.
She has written occasional scripts for TG4’s Ros na Rn and now divides her time between rearing her three sons, writing, working on creative writing projects in gaelscoileanna and lecturing part-time in the Church of Ireland College of Education in Dublin. She is at present working on a new children’s novel as well as some drámaí bunscoile.
Over the years, she 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. Three of her novels for ?young and teenage readers – Fuadach, Tromluí and Úbalonga – have ?won Oireachtas awards. Her most recent publication was Bronntanais agus Féiríní Eile a collection of poetry for children.
Foilsithe The Dundalk Democrat 31 Deireadh Fómhair 2012/ Foilsithe ar Gaelport.com 01 Samhain 2012
http://www.dundalkdemocrat.ie/
Scéalta móra agus dánta beaga do léitheoirí óga
October 31, 2012
Why Irish language may soon be a Celtic myth
October 31, 2012
The State has to step in to prevent the demise of our native tongue, writes Conchur O Giollagain
THE Irish language as a communal, collective identity is on its last legs. This was the principal finding of the 2007 Comprehensive Linguistic Study of the Use of Irish in the Gaeltacht. This study was an integral part of a 10-year-long research and consultative process, which regrettably has come to a conclusion of sorts with the revised Gaeltacht Act.
Irish is collapsing in the gaeltacht for two main reasons: a strong decline in the proportion of young, home speakers of Irish; and, secondly, inadequate communal and educational supports to enable even the home speakers to acquire a native-like ability and to function with social ease through Irish in their own peer groups.
Among the central recommendations of the study were: to give statutory effect to designated language-planning initiatives for communities with varying language vitalities, priority being afforded to the stronger areas, so as to counteract their slide below the viability threshold of 70pc of active Irish speakers in a given district; a revamped and attractive support scheme for Irish-speaking families; a bespoke gaeltacht educational system and curriculum; Irish-language socialisation strategies for educational and youth organisations; holistically integrated planning across all domains – language, education, socio-economic; and, finally, the establishment of a rural district council for gaeltacht districts in the stronger areas.
In refusing to engage seriously with any aspect of these recommendations, the State is effectively facilitating the demise of the Gaeltacht. The amended legislation adopts elements of the stylistics of the study, but in essence it is an act of evasion rather than engagement with the clearly documented threats to the sustainability of Irish as a living language. The new Act lacks both analytical rigour and political sincerity.
The language planning provisions of the new Act have been greeted with a mixture of dismay and a sense of missed opportunity by local organisations in the Gaeltacht.
The combination of the visionless political leadership from the State and the evasiveness of the Act will only serve to spiritually diminish the remaining adherents of gaeltacht identity so as to encourage a meek acceptance of their fate.
It now appears that the apparatus of the State is either unwilling or incapable – or perhaps both – of taking on issues concerning linguistic complexity.
Historically, many linguistic minorities have looked to Ireland for leadership. Our failure to address the language issue sends out a disappointing message to the world. It is obvious, however, that more effective interventions are required from the State.
Dr Conchur O Giollagain is the academic director of the MA sa Leann Teanga in NUI Galway and co-author of the Comprehensive Linguistic Study of the Use of Irish in the Gaeltacht.
www.independent.ie
Athruithe go leor ar na bacáin
October 31, 2012
Féile na Samhna agus sean-chleachtais mhuintir na Gaeltachta
October 31, 2012
Gaelscoileanna ‘apartheid’ – Letter in the Irish Times
October 30, 2012
A chara, – The “To Be Honest” column by a parent (Education Today, October 23rd) was such a misrepresentation of Irish-medium schools that it cannot be allowed to go unchallenged. Its publication in the Education section of The Irish Times lends it an authority that is very damaging to the public perception of Irish-medium schools.
Irish-medium schools are united by their language ethos, but as diverse as any other arbitrary grouping of schools in every other way. A gaelscoil may operate under any patron body and may be denominational or not. Gaelscoileanna exist in every county in Ireland including Northern Ireland and they serve populations as diverse as their geographical locations; small towns, socially disadvantaged suburbs, rural communities, city centres or a “middle-class area of South Dublin” – wherever the local community has campaigned for a gaelscoil to be established.
Irish-medium schools are open to all pupils regardless of their linguistic and social background or their level of ability. They are as willing and well-equipped as any English-medium school to cater for all pupils’ educational needs. Communicating this to parents is made difficult when opinion pieces such as the aforementioned are published without information of substance on what an Irish-medium school is and how school enrolment policies work.
Parents and patrons alike have been calling for plurality and diversity in our education system for years. To have an inflammatory and misleading opinion piece about schools of a particular ethos published in the paper of record at a time when the Department of Education Skills has committed to providing for parental choice in the form of the surveys on diversity of patronage runs counter to everything the education community has been working towards.
The column did not recognise that many Irish-medium schools face considerable challenges. More than a third of Irish-medium schools are without a permanent school building; 39 per cent of primary and 36 per cent of post-primary Irish-medium schools. Ten per cent of Irish-medium schools are recognised as DEIS schools by the Department of Education Skills and are focused on addressing and prioritising the educational needs of young people from disadvantaged communities. That the demand for new gaelscoileanna remains high in spite of the difficulties the established schools often face speaks volumes about how parents have faith in the immersion-education model and community-led education.
While it’s true that most of the parents who choose Irish-medium education for their children do not speak Irish themselves, it does a great disservice to the parents of the 45,000 children who are attending Irish-medium schools at present to assume that their decision to enrol their child in a gaelscoil was made for elitist reasons. It does an even greater disservice to those parents who have chosen Irish-medium education for their children despite having neither Irish nor English as a first language, parents who appreciate that their children will start school on an even footing with other pupils who will also be learning through a language that is new to most of them, in a school where linguistic diversity is truly valued.
The story of how Irish-medium schools have grown and are flourishing is one rooted in community spirit and a sense of common purpose and the schools deserve to be celebrated for all they have achieved. – Is mise,
NÓRA Ní LOINGSIGH,
Acting CEO,
GAELSCOILEANNA TEO,
Institiúid Oideachais Marino,
Ascaill Uí Ghríofa,
Baile Átha Cliath 9.
www.irishtimes.com
HUNDREDS of Irish speaking zombies will be mingling amongst the hosts and ghouls in Londonderry this Hallowe’en
October 30, 2012
A 200 strong contingent of teenagers will be setting up camp in Londonderry for the duration of the holiday, as they attend the annual Oireachtas conference in Letterkenny.
They are planning to sample the best that scary Londonderry has to offer while they are here. According to the group’s spokesperson, Ríonach Ní Scolaí, this is the first time that Ógras have attended the festival. They hope to take in as many local Hallowe’en events as they can over the course of the Oireachtas.
“We have kids coming up from all parts of Ireland – from Maghera, Downpatrick, Dublin, Kildare, Naas, and all over – to take part in Scléip na hÓige the youth events at Oireachtas na Gaeilge, the Irish language and culture festival,” she explained.
“The festival takes place in Letterkenny, and we thought it would be a great opportunity to take in the carnival while we’re here, as we’ve heard so much about it and the members are all really excited about the trip.
“The young people are all aged between 12-18, and while we attend the Oireachtas each year this is the first time we will be taking part in the Hallowe’en celebrations.
“We’ve visited the city before and enjoyed a walking tour around the walls, so the kids are really looking forward to being part of such a huge local event.”
“Ógras is an Irish language youth organisation with youth clubs based throughout the country, and each year they attend the Oireachtas Irish Language Festival for a three day celebration of Irish culture, from sports to dancing. “We take part in the Oireachtas parade every year, so this year it’s great to take part in something different and the kids are all looking forward to dressing up as zombies for the parade,” Rionach said.
“We’ll stay in the city and spend Hallowe’en day in Derry sightseeing, watching the fireworks and enjoying the craic in the city centre. We’ve heard so much about the carnival and hope to catch as many of the events as we can while we’re in the city. So watch out for us in the parade – we’ll be the Irish-speaking zombies!”
For more information about all the events taking place in the city this Hallowe’en go www.derrycity.gov.uk/Halloween or follow the festival on Facebook at www.facebook.com/banksofthefoylehalloweencarnival
www.londonderrysentinel.co.uk
Omeath celebrates major milestone of its past
October 30, 2012
This year 2012 marks the centenary of the establishment of Coláiste Bhríde in Omeath.
In the early part of the last century, it was established that a small Gaeltacht survived In Omeath, with the older population speaking Gaelic.
A Gaelic college (Coláiste Bhríde) was established as an attempt to capture the remaining Gaelic which lived on among the older inhabitants of Omeath. This college was instrumental in ensuring that Omeath Irish lives on. A programme of events took place to celebrate the centenary.
The event was officially opened by Senator Marie Louise O’Donnell who explained her links with the village. Her mother came from Omeath and her grand-mother Louie Kirwen was in receipt of a silver medal won at Coláiste Bhríde. The family received a certificate for their dedication to Gaelic from Douglas Hyde.
The function room in the Granvue House was adorned with a series of pop-up posters which gave a dramatic visual enhancement to the event. These 6 foot high posters detailed many of the local characters who gave of their time to Coláiste Bhríde.
Other events included a guided tour of the cottages of the last Gaelic speakers, conducted by Eamonn Ó Gribín and Séamus Murphy of An Ciorcal Comhra Óméith. Cúchualinn Gaels re-enacted the famous Bavan Football match, with all stars from a number of different counties appearing in retro kit.
Paddy O’Hanlon, the great-grandson of the last native Irish speaker Áine Uí Annluain, read the poem which commemorates the match both in English and as Gaeilge.
A craft fair took place in the Dolmen Centre which saw a display of different crafts produced in the area. Perhaps the most exciting element of the celebrations was the revival of a Gaelic college in the village. For the first time since 1926 Gaelic was being taught again in a non-primary school setting.
Thanks to these teachers for their hard work and dedication to the language. August 2013 will see an extended cúrsa with not only the Gaelic language being taught, but also music, song and other traditional pursuits.
www.dundalkdemocrat.ie
An Eaglais Chaitliceach: Osclóidh muid Gaelscoileanna
October 26, 2012
Gaelscoileanna ‘apartheid’
October 25, 2012
Sir, In the “To Be Honest” column by a parent ( Education Today, October 23rd), a link is made, in the headline no less, between Irish-language education and “educational apartheid”.
Gaeloideachas is not in any way offered to people by dint of an accident of birth, but rather is open to anyone in this State who wishes to do so, based almost exclusively on a first-come, first-served basis.
That this system is often cynically manipulated in a self-serving manner by people seeking to give their children some perceived “better start” in life is not the fault of the State, or the system, nor is it deserving of the type of hyperbole inherent in the “apartheid” assertion.
This sort of unnecessarily emotive comparison is not worthy of a place in your newspaper, and it would give cause to wonder if a little more time spent listening in a school educating through any linguistic medium might perhaps have served the anonymous author better in the long run.
– Yours, etc,
Conchubhair Mac Lochlainn
East Road, Dublin 3.
A Chara,
Oh, God! Why does The Irish Times allow such badly researched opinion pieces about Gaelscoileanna? Once or twice a year your newspaper trots out some elephant to trample on the blossoming flowerbed of Gaelicmedium education.
“Gaelscoileanna are getting away with the worst kind of language apartheid.” At least 99 per cent of the pupils who attend Gaelscoileanna are bilingual by the end of the primary cycle. It is the English-medium primary schools that are guilty of language apartheid by allowing pupils to continue through the education cycle badly instructed in Gaeilge (one of the three core subjects). By producing an annual bilingual figure of less than 10 per cent, English-medium primary schools are putting pupils at an immediate disadvantage when beginning the secondary cycle.
“The language puts up a natural force-field that deflects students from various constituencies.” Gaelscoileanna operate an openarms policy and all constituencies are catered for. In Gaelscoil Chluainín, Co Liatroma, there are 17 nationalities, with all socio-economic groups and learning abilities represented, and this in a school of only 83 pupils.
“Parents are choosing Gaelscoileanna because their children will be educated among citizens from well- to- do backgrounds.” In Dublin alone, children are attending Gaelscoileanna in the predominantly working-class areas of Ballymun, Tallaght, Finglas and Inchicore.
“Gaelcholáistí give preference to children from Gaelscoileanna.” Diligent Dublin parents have had their efforts to establish more Gaelcholáistí continuously thwarted by the Department of Education with the effect that in Dublin there are only 2,000 places available in Gaelcholáistí (secondary), while there are 6,000 places in Gaelscoileanna (primary). This means that many bilingual pupils a year cannot continue their schooling through Irish, thus making it more difficult for children who haven’t yet been taught to spell in Irish to get a place.
The only “shame” attached to education through the medium of Irish is that only a small proportion of children are benefiting from this opportunity.
– Is mise,
Rossa Ó Snodaigh
Mainéar Scríneadh Scrínidh, Cluainín Uí Ruairc, Contae Liatroma.
www.irishtimes.com
