(Gaeilge) Cúig cheanneagraíocht nua roghnaithe ag Údarás na Gaeltachta don phleanáil teanga
May 17, 2016
(Gaeilge) Rialacháin Nua do Sheirbhísí Luathbhlianta sínithe ag Dr. James Reilly, an tAire Leanaí agus Gnóthaí Óige.
May 5, 2016
The Gaeltacht must be broken and remade to save Irish
April 27, 2016
Our national approach to Irish as a spoken language is in urgent need of a rethink. Given the pending demise of the Gaeltacht, the status quo is clearly not working.
Without vision and innovation, Irish will not survive as a community language beyond the next 10 years and we will lose the social context needed for young people to acquire fully functional Irish.
Except for rare individuals, you can’t really have competent Irish speakers without the Gaeltacht. And you won’t have a Gaeltacht without serious social change. Language communities need competent speakers and those speakers need communities. One reinforces the other.
Much of the public debate about Irish ignores the tension between, on the one hand, the processes of social language death in the Gaeltacht and, on the other, celebrating the use of Irish as an artistic or symbolic appendix to the dominant English-language culture. We appear to be living through a final eclipse of Irish as a community language by the use of Irish for display or performance.
This eclipse of communal use by display and sentiment is common in the death of a language.
Current policies, including the State’s 20-year strategy for the Irish language, are irrelevant. The cliche about the benefits of individual bilingualism do not address the problems of the threatened minority group of Irish speakers.
Lack of empathy
It actually shows a lack of empathy for the Gaeltacht by undermining proposals for affirmative action.
The realignment of policy towards learners’ individual needs is strategically facilitated by a widespread denial of and indifference towards the Gaeltacht among sections of the political class, the media and academia. It is impossible to address the crisis of Irish if those in charge refuse to recognise the clearly documented evidence surrounding the decline of the Gaeltacht – or worse still when they conspire to “shoot the messengers” who report these facts.
We propose the establishment of new social structures and organisations, based on democratic agreement and organised along co-operative lines.
Language communities require empowerment through collective action. These include the protection of language-group dynamics and social, educational and institutional support for developing full competence.
There also need to be socio-economic rewards for membership in the minority group. But these needs are not being met by the present approach of the State agencies responsible for the Gaeltacht.
Four steps
Our more progressive proposal rests on four main pillars:
1 Irish linguistic zones (Tearmann na nGael): Similar to ecological protection, these will provide a habitat for the geographic protection of the remaining Gaeltacht speaker base, if and as endorsed by the community organisations.
2 Community Trust for Gaels (Iontaobhas na nGael): This co-operative structure will manage the various resources of group members and will administer the beneficial schemes for its members. These will include employment and housing schemes, dividends and social reward systems, tax incentives, educational and cultural supports. We suggest a mixed model of public, private and philanthropic sources for funding to encourage greater financial independence.
3 Assembly for Gaels (Dáil na nGael): This assembly will provide a democratic mechanism for political solidarity, empowerment and leadership to endorse practical initiatives for the Community Trust.
4 Academy for Gaels (Acadamh na nGael): To undertake research and disseminate knowledge for the benefit of the community and to offer strategic support for organisational structures.
The least we can do now is to face facts and deal with reality. If we are to be constructive, Irish needs a new social dynamism.
We hope that these ideas and proposals may form the basis for a more productive engagement with current challenges and can encourage positive citizenship and optimism for Irish.
Conchúr Ó Giollagáin (University of the Highlands and Islands, Scotland) and Brian Ó Curnáin (Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies) are the authors of Beartas Úr na nGael: Dálaí na Gaeilge agus na Gaeltachta san Iar-Nua-Aoiseachas (A New Deal for Gaels: Irish and the Gaeltacht in Postmodernity)
www.irishtimes.ie
(Gaeilge) Seoladh leabhar “Beartas Úr na nGael” faoi thodhchaí na teanga
April 27, 2016
(Gaeilge) FÍSEÁN: Scannán ‘LEGO’ a insíonn scéal 1916 i nGaeilge curtha ar fáil
April 27, 2016
(Gaeilge) ‘Athchóiriú iomlán’ le déanamh ar struchtúr bainistíochta Údarás na Gaeltachta roimh dheireadh na bliana
April 25, 2016
(Gaeilge) Líon na ndaltaí a fuair díolúine ón nGaeilge méadaithe ó 7,000 in 2004 go dtí 19,000 in 2014
April 25, 2016
Gaelscoil Moshíológ reach finals of Waltons National Music Competition
April 25, 2016
Three Gorey schools make up half the finalists in the prestigious national contest which takes place on May 10. The Gorey schools, Bunscoil Loreto, Gaelscoil Moshíológ and Craanford National School, will compete against schools from Donegal, Tipperary and Dublin.
Aileen Kennedy, principal of Bunscoil Loreto, said having three local schools among the six national primary school finalists showed the great commitment to music in the area.
‘It’s fantastic to see three Gorey schools in the finals of this national music competition and it shows that in this area the standard is being pushed so everybody rises to it, where as schools in isolation can find it harder to get an idea of the standard of competition,’ she said.
Carol Scott, principal of Gorey’s Gaelscoil, said the three Gorey finalists showed the high level of music ability in the area.
‘The fact that three local schools have reached such a high standard is down to the ability of the students we are working with and the fact that there are plenty of places for children to learn and access music in the town, with two Comhaltas branches in Gorey,’ she said.
Stephen Hayes, principal of Craanford NS, the smallest school of the trio, said that the most important element of the contest for the children is the level of exposure to new experiences that the event provides.
‘They are only children and life goes by fast so it is a wonderful opportunity for them to experience new positive things,’ he said.
In May, the finalists will perform their musical ensembles, which incorporate instrumentals, song and dance, to this year’s adjudicators Mícheál ó Súilleabháin and Gwen Moore at the University of Limerick Concert Hall.
Bunscoil Loreto principal Aileen said, however, that the competition is not really about winning but is an opportunity to expose the children to different genres of music, and once in a life time opportunity of performing on a national stage.
‘Many adult performers who have been playing all their lives have never had the chance to play on any national stage and we have children who have already played at the National Concert Hall, and the National Opera House and will soon add the University of Limerick Concert Hall to their list and are amusingly pragmatic about it because they don’t really grasp the value of it yet,’ she added.
Gaelscoil principal Carol said that this year’s entry was a community affair and gave particular credit to the commitment of two musical parents Mandy O’Callaghan and Diarmuid Comerford who have provided hours of free tuition to the children for this year’s event.
All three Gorey schools are seasoned winners as last year saw Craanford NS winning second place in this competition, with third place going to Bunscoil Loreto, while Gorey’s Gaelscoil came third place just two years ago.
Waltons Music for Schools Competition is a non-profit national event celebrating music in Irish schools.
Check out the Waltons Music for Schools Competition You Tube Channel to see this year’s entries: youtube.com/waltonsmusicschools/.
Gorey Guardian
First Irish language alarm system is launched
April 25, 2016
An alarm that will speak to you in the Irish language is now available for the first time.
HKC, who are providing the service, say it is already proving popular with parents who’s children attend Gaelscoil.
The Irish company was established over two decades ago and is now growing in the UK, having entered that market in 2011.
The company has a range of electronic security products and intruder equipment.
It says their research and development team completed a translation of its SecureWave intruder alarm system into Irish.
The new system can be controlled from remote locations with an Irish language app – available on Apple devices, Android and Windows.
Minster of State with responsibility for the Gaeltacht, Joe McHugh, said: “I think this is a very positive message this company is sending out as there are Irish people all over the country and even in the UK who could use this product”.
Ireland’s first Irish language intruder alarm system is available for both residential and commercial customers.
(Gaeilge) Gan aon chinneadh fós faoi fhoilsiú ná feidhmiú na moltaí oideachais Gaeltachta
April 22, 2016
