Make yourself employable with a postgrad as Gaeilge
March 10, 2016
Irish universities offer a range of options for those wishing to take postgraduate courses through Irish.
New employment opportunities have emerged in recent years for graduates with skills in the language, especially since the introduction of the Official Languages Act 2003 and the recognition of Irish as an official working language in the European Union.
Students seeking to study through Irish are attracted by the prospect of well-paid jobs interpreting and translating texts and legislation into Irish in the EU’s institutions, mainly in Brussels, Luxembourg and Strasbourg.
In an interview in February with TG4 for Election 2016, Taoiseach Enda Kenny said he favoured a higher level of recruitment of Irish speakers to ensure that people could conduct business in Irish.
Currently, State bodies, including Government departments, are obliged to include no less than 6 per cent Irish speakers on panels.
One-fifth of places on public service application panels will be filled by people able to speak Irish fluently, the Taoiseach has pledged.
The following is a selection of postgraduate courses that are currently available.
Fiontar at DCU
Dublin City University’s Fiontar (Irish for venture) is an interdisciplinary school established in 1993 to link the Irish language with contemporary finance, computing and enterprise, through courses taught in Irish.
MSc in Business and Technology – MSc i nGnó agus i dTeicneolaíocht an Eolais This programme provides an opportunity for students to add to the broad educational and work expertise they already possess by gaining IT and business skills which will equip them for the workplace in either the public or private sector.
It is recognised by the Higher Education Authority under the Graduate Skills Conversion Programme. This means that EU students pay fees of about €2,950, instead of the usual postgraduate degree fees of about €6,500.
The programme can be taken on either a full-time or a part-time basis. Students studying full-time will normally complete the programme in one academic year (two semesters). Part-time students will usually complete the programme in two years over 10-12 weekends on campus.
MA in Society and Language – (Sochaí agus Teanga) This programme focuses on the development of Irish in contemporary society and issues related to language planning. The programme includes training of staff who work in the public, voluntary and private service in the development and application of language policy.
The course focuses on the legislative framework of the Official Languages Act 2003 and on the provision of services through Irish .
Candidates will usually have a primary honours degree (not necessarily in the Irish language) or have equivalent prior learning and relevant work experience (about three years), according to the normal requirements of the university.
Candidates will register initially for the Graduate Certificate. A satisfactory level of fluency and accuracy in the Irish language is required (of approximately Leaving Certificate honours level), which will be assessed by interview.
Gaelchultúr – Coláiste na hÉireann
Coláiste na hÉireann is the first Irish language third-level institute and it came into existence in the summer of 2013 when Gaelchultúr was awarded the status of third-level college by Hetac.
The Dioplóma Iarchéime san Aistriúchán (Postgraduate Diploma in Translation), the first postgraduate programme offered by Coláiste na hÉireann/ Gaelchultúr, will accept a fourth cohort of students from September of this year (pending re-validation by QQI).
The Dioplóma Iarchéime san Aistriúchán is a Level 9 NFQ course and the programme lasts three semesters. It is aimed at those who already have a good standard of Irish, but who wish to acquire translation skills or to enhance the skills they already have.
It is also ideal for those who work through Irish on a daily basis – teachers and journalists, for example, who wish to improve their standard of writing in the language. The course will also benefit those who are interested in working as translators, administrators or lawyer-linguists in one of the EU institutions.
The classroom-based sessions are held on one Saturday a month at Coláiste na hÉireann/Gaelchultúr’s headquarters in Dublin city centre.
Much of the course material is available on Gaelchultúr’s e-learning website, ranganna.com.
Further information about the Dioplóma Iarchéime san Aistriúchán programme is available at gaelchultur.com.
Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge /NUIG
NUI Galway’s Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge was developed to deliver university education through the medium of Irish. The underlying philosophy of Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge is to provide for the specific needs of Irish speakers and Gaeltacht communities, through the promotion of academic programmes, courses and research activities in areas that are seen as being of vital importance to the future of these communities.
NUI Galway offers two Irish postgraduate opportunities. MA sa Nua-Gaeilge will give students an advanced understanding of various aspects of Irish language studies including the language itself, literature, culture and history.
The course gives students a grounding for those considering doing doctoral research in Irish in the future. The programme is available two days a week over one academic year (full-time).
MA in Conference Interpreting (Ateangaireacht Chomhdhála) is the only dedicated Irish language master’s programme in conference interpreting in Ireland.
This programme is in demand due primary to the Irish language status as an official language within the European Union – a development which has seen a dramatic increase in job vacancies in the EU for those with recognised qualifications in Irish language interpreting and translation skills.
Training is provided by practising professionals in both modes of conference interpreting. Irish, English, French, Spanish, Italian and German have been offered on the programme to date.
The MA programme in Language Studies (LéannTeanga) is offered as a full-time course over one year or as a two-year part-time programme through blended learning. While studying subjects such as research methodologies, academic writing and professional communication, the course offers two specialist streams, language planning and translation studies.
Language planning has emerged as an applied academic branch of the linguistic disciplines and primarily concentrates on the development of the strategic requirements and interventions of a language community. The demand for qualified translators makes this an attractive programme for those looking to gain swift employment in this area.
NUI Galway also offers an MA in Communications which includes modules in broadcasting and radio and television journalism with a strong emphasis on practical skills and work experience. The programme will be available as a full-time course over one year or as a two-year part-time programme. Places on all of the programmes are limited to 15 applicants and commence in September 2016.
DIT
Dublin Institute of Technology offers an MA in Applied Irish in conjunction with Gaelchultúr Teoranta. The MA in Applied Irish is focused on employees of the public sector who will work through Irish in the future and graduates who want to work in Ireland and Europe.
The course is suitable for those who wish to work as translators, interpreters, linguists, proofreaders and who wish to work in tourism. Candidates must have a degree of 2.2 or higher with Irish as one of their subjects at undergraduate level or be able to demonstrate a level of competence in Irish.
TCD
Students may read for a research degree, reading towards an MLitt (one-three years) or a PhD (two-five years). The college also runs a Postgraduate Diploma in Old Irish and an MPhil in Early Irish.
UCD
MA: Scríobh agus Cumarsáid na Gaeilge places focus on language, critical theory, translation, journalism and technology for students wishing to seek employment in education, research or State bodies.
UCC
The university offers a taught postgraduate course in Modern Irish (Nua-Ghaeilge). Applicants are required to have an honours BA degree with at least a 2.1 in Irish. The course, which includes modules on literature in Irish, Irish language and Irish manuscripts and palaeography, runs for one year (full-time) or two years (part-time).
The college also offers a (full-time) Level 9 postgraduate Diploma in Irish Language and European Law. The course is run by the Department of Modern Irish in collaboration with the School of Law and is aimed at students seeking specialised training in European law as well as in-depth Irish language skills. Graduates will be well placed to apply for positions within the European Commission and European Parliament upon completion.
(Gaeilge) Scéalaíocht do pháistí ar fud na tíre do Sheachtain na Gaeilge
March 10, 2016
(Gaeilge) Príomhoide
March 10, 2016
(Gaeilge) Ó Pheann an Phiarsaigh – Iúr Cinn Trá – Dé Sathairn 12 Márta 2016
March 9, 2016
(Gaeilge) Meánscoil Garman, Inis Córthidh buacach ag Comórtas Craobh Tráth na gCeist Feachtas.
March 7, 2016
(Gaeilge) Nuachtlitir Cúla4
March 7, 2016
Competition with Doolin Ferry
March 7, 2016
To celebrate Seachtain na Gaeilge, we have a wonderful prize to offer three lucky families from Doolin Ferry Company. Doolin Ferry organises school tours in both English & Irish for Primary, Second and Third level students. See here for more infohttp://www.cliffsofmohercruises.ie/cliffs/school-tours/
Prize: The Doolin Ferry Co. with Bill O Brien Family pass = Family return boat trip to the Aran Island of Inis Oirr returning under the majestic Cliffs of Moher.
To be in with a chance of winning one of these three family passes, just like the Gaelscoileanna Teo. Facebook page and like this post.
Ádh mór!
Race across 32 counties relays messages of hope
March 7, 2016
‘Rith 2016, will run over 11 days, with the 800km through the 32 counties in Ireland as part of one of the biggest commemorative events of the 1916 Easter Rising.
It is expected that over 50,000 people will run in Rith 2016 this year, with the number of participants steadily increasing since the festival began in 2010.
As part of the race, runners will pass along a baton which contains a message of hope from President Michael D Higgins.
This will be placed in the baton at the beginning of the event and passed from person to person, from kilometre to kilometre until it reaches the finish line.
Críona Ní Dhálaigh, the Lord Mayor of Dublin, will read the message from the President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, at the end of Rith 2016.
The event will conclude in Trinity College on 14 March with Seo Linn performing at a concert in the capital.
Marcus Mac Ruairí, Rith Chairperson said the support for the Irish language displayed by those coming out to support the runners on their journey was “heartening and encouraging.
(Gaeilge) Do vóta dé dhíth do “Labhair Linn! Cabhraigh Linn”
March 4, 2016
A cure has been found for Irish-language phobia
March 3, 2016
‘Bain trial aisti! Surprise yourself,” reads the Seachtain na Gaeilge tagline for 2016. Although most of us learned Irish from when we started school, relatively few of us make use of even the cúpla focail we managed to retain. Bláthnaid Treacy (27), presenter of Two Tube on RTÉ 2FM and a DJ on a bilingual chart show, echoes the advice of the slogan to give Irish a go.
“Even if all you can say is ‘An bhfuil cead agam dul go dtí an leithreas?’, well then so what? That’s great . . .There are people who think if your grammar isn’t perfect you’re ruining the language but in actual fact you’re not ruining the language. You’re just speaking it and you’re speaking it to the best of your ability. You just have to go for it. People will understand you, so just do it,” she says.
In some quarters Irish is seen as an almost dead language, so Seachtain na Gaeilge perhaps faces an uphill battle. Cormac Breathnach (25) from Carlow, who is currently working with Foras na Gaeilge on a new Irish-English dictionary, feels it is a self-fulfilling prophecy.
“It’s an easy cliche that people throw out unopposed and without thinking about it, and because it’s thrown out so much, people accept it even if it couldn’t be further from the truth. I’m living in a house with three friends and we never speak English to each other. It’s not a big crusade; we’re just the same as any four young people living in Dublin together – we just happen to speak Irish to each other,” he says.
The language’s association with school and exams discourages many young people from embracing it, Breathnach feels.
Clíona Ní Chíosáin, who played Aifric in the TG4 show of that title for three years from when she was 15, agrees. She grew up speaking Irish as her first language and attended a Gaelscoil until the end of junior cycle in school. After Aifric, she starred in An Triail and Réiltín, before deciding to begin training as a primary-school teacher.
“Languages or any subject really can be taught really, really badly in school, and then those people are left with that notion of Irish being a boring, difficult thing that they didn’t understand,” says Ní Chíosáin.
Treacy agrees: “I think people have a slight phobia with the language, and sometimes I do as well.
“I can get kind of nervous if I’ve to speak Irish with someone who is actually from the Gaeltacht. My Irish isn’t the best in the entire world, but I just try to use as much of it as I can. People have a phobia of speaking Irish because they think they’re going to make a mistake, and in school if you made a mistake you’d get in trouble, so people just immediately have that negative association with it, which is such a pity.”
Bilingual band
Stiofán Ó Fearail (25) from Roscommon, is a vocalist and guitarist for bilingual band Seo Linn. He didn’t enjoy studying Irish at his English-speaking school but developed a love for the language when he attended the Gaeltacht year after year, eventually becoming fluent.
“One of my earliest memories of a real connection to the Irish language was sitting on the bus in Coláiste Lurgan. The bus driver’s little son was sitting beside me, he was maybe five, and I got on to the bus and he said, ‘An bhfuil tú go maith?’ in really fast Irish. He had more Irish than English.
“It showed me it was a living language and everything I was doing in Lurgan, playing football and kayaking and swimming and shouting as Gaeilge, saying ‘pass the ball’ as Gaeilge, all those things just made it more real and more lifelike.”
Seo Linn are headlining Ravelóid, a major Irish-language music festival, at Ardgillan Castle in Balbriggan, Co Dublin, in June.
“Ravelóid is probably one of the most important festivals to happen in the Irish language in a long time,” says Ó Fearail. People come from all over Ireland to festivals like Electric Picnic, Knockanstockan and Body and Soul, because they love it. Ravelóid will be similar because it’s the same idea, the same layout, the same budget, the same quality of bands. When things like this come up, they make it so everyone can see the Irish language is alive and around the place,” he says.
Breathnach agrees that the use of Irish in more casual settings is necessary for the language to become an ordinary part of more people’s lives.
“For anyone learning a language, it’s important they have some sort of social context, social opportunities in which to use the language, because otherwise you’re just going to lose it. It’s use it or lose it. You hear of so many people who say they were so good at Irish when they did their Leaving, but 10 years later they’ve lost all their Irish because they don’t speak it.
“While a conversation group is great, it’s a little bit more contrived, because you go to it because of Irish rather than going to, say, a dance class and it just happens to be in Irish, or your football or whatever. The things that usually happen through English, that now happen through Irish as well, are the real winners for Irish.
“Say if you like knitting: go and found a knitting club but just do it through Irish. Or if you like hockey: go and play hockey in Irish. They’re social opportunities that can grow. It provides a great opportunity for people to use Irish outside the education system and outside work,” he says.
Irish-speaking GAA club
Na Gaeil Óga, a Dublin-based Irish-speaking GAA club founded in 2010, along with events such as Ravelóid, can help with the normalisation of Irish-speaking, says Ní Chíosáin.
“There’s nothing weird about having Irish. It’s seen as nearly having a gift, but I didn’t feel like that when I was a teenager, I just wanted to be a normal English speaker,” she says.
“It’s always got to do with normalisation, and it’s important for people who have voices to use them. If you’re not, you’re not doing your part for your language and you’re letting yourself down, because you’re not taking care of your heritage the way it’s taking care of you. It’s important for it to become so it’s not a segregated language so you have Gaeilge-only stations or whatever. I think it should be mixed in with mainstream media as well. Normalisation is the key.”
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