Moladh le CCEA – leabhair iontacha
June 4, 2013
There will no doubt be lots of complaints. There will perhaps be more complaints this year since some examinations will be corrected on line and there are bound to be teething problems.
But there is much more involved in the work of the Northern Examination Board (CCEA) than the setting and correction of examinations. It publishes guides for Irish teachers and pupils, but as well as that it puts out additional materials which increase pupils’ vocabulary in a creative way. It published two translations recently- ‘The Diary of Anne Frank’, and The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’. Pádraig de Bléine has produced an excellent Irish translation of the two books. The Board has also produced a series of biographies – teenage reading material which is badly needed. And CCEA has just published six booklets on the life of Colm Cille in conjunction with the Nerve Centre in Derry. These are very attractive little booklets. The illustrations are excellent. The stories are told in straight forward, lively Irish in a very humorous style. If you turn the booklet upside down, you get the English version.
This is a far sighted policy. The requirements of Irish language students are different from the requirements of students doing other languages. The GCSE is the first step in repossessing the language. So we must go beyond the basic Irish required for the examination. This supplementary material is excellent preparation for AS and A Level. These books deserve a wider readership. Pupils all over Ireland and adults everywhere would be interested in them. Could the Board not make an arrangement with a publisher?
www.derryjournal.co.uk
Reprieve for Buncrana’s Irish Language school
May 20, 2013
Inishowen’s only Irish language secondary school has been granted a ‘stay of execution’ as the Department of Eudcation has decided to extend provisional recognition to Coláiste Chineál Eoghain for the 2013/2014 year.
There was outcry several months ago when it became clear the Department intended to close the Irish medium school because of ‘insufficient numbers’. The decision caused outrage locally.
Speaking yesterday Fine Gael TD Joe McHugh described the Department’s move as ‘a very positive step’ for Inishowen families and for the Irish language.
“I have been working with Coláiste Chineál Eoghain and with Donegal VEC since last March to secure this extension. I made a number of submissions to the Minister for Education, Ruairi Quinn TD, about this matter, and I also raised the issue directly with senior officials in the Department.
Inishowen Sinn Féin Councillor and VEC board member, Jack Murray confirmed he had spoken to VEC Chief Executive Shaun Purcell, and he was delighted that Colaiste Chineal Eoghain will remain open.
“This announcement provides some certainty for those families who intend to enrol their children in the school this year. “I would encourage anyone who is still considering Colaiste Chineal Eoghain as an option for their child to do so
“I will continue to work to ensure the future for Irish language education in Inishowen.”
Labour Senator, Jimmy Harte also welcomed the decision.
www.derryjournal.com
An tAos óg agus an Ghaeilge
May 13, 2013
Donncha Ó hÉallaithe moved from Dublin to Conamara 40 years ago. ‘It was Irish that lured me away from Dublin,’ he says in the current edition of beo.ie. But he continues: ‘But Irish has been greatly eroded since then …. Many young people are refusing to use Irish as their everyday language … They speak a strange mixture of English and Irish.’
And at the end of his article he asks: ‘What is the good of trying to save a language that has become so corrupted in the mouths of the last native speakers?’
It is obvious that the Irish of today’s speakers is not as rich as the Irish of the previous generation. But that can be said of any language. Ask a young English speaker what ‘replenishment’ means. Ask him what a wireless is. Everyday English vocabulary is now very limited. It is said that you can survive with 600 words in English. And I think you need only about one hundred words if you use the ‘f -’ word.
But why do young people give up Irish? Many don’t see it as a real language. We don’t even have a daily newspaper in Irish. You can get a job in the Civil Service, or a job as a teacher or as a guard with no Irish or with Irish that is not worth a damn.
Can Irish not be made realistic? Can the Dublin government not make bilingual labels and notices in shops compulsory, for instance? This is done in other countries. But on the other hand, we must remain hopeful.
Many children outside of the Gaeltacht are learning Irish. They use the language and they enjoy it. Education through Irish is going from strength to strength throughout the country except in the City of Culture and in Inis Eoghain, apparently. Numbers are low in the three Irish medium primary schools in Derry and the Gaelscoil in Buncrana is in danger. People around here should be asking themselves questions.
www.derryjournal.com
Gaeltacht ar an dé deiridh?
April 2, 2013
‘We don’t have any such thing as a Gaeltacht any more,’ says Seosamh Mac Donnacha in the current issue of Comhar. He says that most of the people living in the Gaeltacht are bilingual native speakers, and that they don’t acquire the two languages at the same speed or to the same level of proficiency.
We must ask ourselves a basic question: What is a Gaeltacht? Up until now, the Dublin Government has been happy to draw a line and create an ‘Indian reservation’ without proper infrastructure. Mac Donnacha says that a child brought up in the Gaeltacht would not be able to get basic services through Irish, he would not be able to get a complete education through Irish, he would not be able to get a job without English, and he would not be able to speak to the gardaí in Gaoth Dobhair in Irish.
That is the biggest problem facing Irish in the Gaeltacht and in non-Irish speaking areas: there is no Irish in the environment. When you go into a big paper shop here, you see hundreds of magazines in English (most of them rubbish, but that’s another story.) You cannot get an Irish language magazine in any paper shop in Derry. By the way, you can buy Paris Match in the city centre every week.
If you go abroad, you can pick up the local language very quickly. It is spoken everywhere: on the street, in the house, in the shops, in offices etc. You hear the language all the time on the radio and on the television. You see newspapers and notices in the language. You are constantly in contact with the language- an obvious fact. But that does not happen in Ireland. And a language cannot develop unless it is used continuously in public life.
There is only one country in the world where you can get a job in the public sector without knowing the national language- that is the mad house called Ireland, of course, a land of useless politicians and soulless bureaucrats.
Well, St. Patrick’s Day is over. Irish will be put back in the drawer for another year. But if we keep on going the way we are going, we will go to the cupboard some day, and there will be nothing in it.
www.derryjournal.com
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
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
Gaeloideachas
December 10, 2012
‘Education is not a burden, but ignorance is a huge burden.’
But what is education? It is a process through which a child learns to live happily, getting physical, cultural and spiritual benefit from what he finds around him.
At this time of year, parents are thinking about the kind of education they would like their children to have. The educational system should prepare a child for a world that is smaller, for a world that is international, for a world in which people travel much more. Skills are required now that were not so important a few years ago.
Everyone agrees that languages are very important nowadays. In this regard, children in Derry and Inis Eoghain have the opportunity of getting a good start in their education and achieve fluency in two languages within a few years.
There are three all-Irish schools in Derry, which also have nurseries: Bunscoil Cholmcille, Gaelscoil Éadain Mhóir and Gaelscoil na Daróige. You have Gaelscoil cois Feabhail in Moville; there is a Gaelscoil in Buncrana and there is Gaelscoil Adhamhnáin in Letterkenny. There are Gaelscoileanna in Limavady and Dungiven, and other Irish medium schools in Strabane, Omagh, Magherafelt, and Maghera. And there is an Irish nursery in Carndonagh.
Two languages give a child confidence, they open his/her mind, and he/she enjoys what is achieved. You can start another language in secondary school, but often that is too late. A child can be taught a small amount of another language in primary school through the mother tongue. But if children learn a second language through ‘immersion education’, they become fluent early and naturally. They go from one language to another without thinking. They get interested in other languages.
Education through Irish has made great progress in recent years: it is now available in every county in Ireland. There are around 50 secondary schools and around 200 primary schools outside the Gaeltacht where children are taught through Irish. Local parents should think seriously about an educational system which is experiencing enormous growth throughout the country.
If you are interested in education through Irish, make an appointment with your local Gaelscoil where the staff will be more than happy to answer any questions.
www.derryjournal.com
Club Óige Setanta joins Youth in Action Programme
October 15, 2012
Irish language youth club Club Óige Setanta, based in Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin in Derry, has won funding from the European Union to run a joint youth exchange with a youth group from Bilbao, Spain.
Eight young people and three leaders from the club will travel to Bilbao on October 27 and stay until November 3. The young people will be working together on the promotion of understanding between minority language youths; of links between minority language groups to help tackle difficulties experienced, and the promotion of the support provided by the European Union. Club Óige Setanta won the funding through the Youth in Action programme managed in the UK by the British Council and funded by the European Union.
The programme helps young people to become active citizens and better equipped for the world of work, and promotes solidarity, social cohesion and co-operation within Europe and neighbouring countries. Sinéad Warnock, group leader with Club Óige Setanta told the ‘Journal’: “I really think our young people will take a lot away from this trip, not only will they get to experience a new culture but they’ll have an inside view into how local Basque people view their own culture and language. This will in turn heighten their interest and understanding of how they themselves fit into Irish culture and we hope that they will gain a sense of pride as they begin to understand their importance as speakers of their native tongue and what advantages this in turn offers them.” Head of EU Programmes at the British Council, Simon William, added: “Youth in Action aims to prepare young people for life and work in our global society.” “Initiatives like this one help to build trust and understanding between people of different cultures. They also broaden our young peoples’ horizons and equip them with the skills and understanding they need to become global citizens.”
For more information on Club Óige Setanta, please contact Sinéad Warnock on: 71 264132 or 07849394001 or email: sinead@culturlann-doire.ie.
www.derryjournal.com
Saturday club – Naíscoil Éadain Mhóir
October 15, 2012
Naíscoil Éadain Mhóir will open a free of charge Saturday Fun Club for nursery school children this weekend.
Naíscoil teacher, Mairéad Mc Daid, will offer Naíscoil children and their parents a chance to learn Irish songs and rhymes, listen to Irish language stories and have fun playing together in a fully equipped nursery school. The one hour long Irish language club, commences at 11am and will initially run for six weeks. Any parent interested in attending can contact Múinteoir Mairéad at Naíscoil and Gaelscoil Éadain Mhóir, Brandywell , Derry on 02871268020 to register.
www.derryjournal.com
Gaelscoil Neachtain to greet first pupils
September 3, 2012
The Interim Board of Governors of Gaelscoil Neachtain say they are “looking forward” to receiving children next Monday to the new Gaelscoil in Dungiven, approved in May of this year by Education Minister John O’Dowd.
The school will be located temporarily on a site located on the grounds of St Canice’s Primary school, said chairperson of the Gaelscoil, Nodlaig Ní Bhrollaigh.
“The school has been accommodated by St Canice P.S. and St Patrick’s College and there has been great co-operation over the summer between the schools in finding accommodation and facilities for the children of the Gaelscoil. We are delighted to be up and running and we look forward to the new school year and to welcoming the children on the first day of term,” she said.
The initial enrolment is 65 children and the uniform of the school “reflects the gaelic heritage of the locality”, said Ms Ní Bhrollaigh.
“The school crest is made up of an image of a window of the old Priory in Dungiven as the school is named after the first abbot of the Priory, a Scottish-born Saint called Saint Neachtain. The Priory was a centre of learning and students from across Europe came to receive tuition there. Tartan is incorporated into the uniform with a tartan tie, as a reference to the famous ‘Dungiven costume’ which included trousers made of tartan, woven in the Donegal style, unearthed in 1956 near Flanders, Dungiven, now on display in the Ulster Museum. The Dungiven Costume was thought to date to c.1600 and was perhaps originally the property of O’Cahan soldiers.”
Ms Ní Bhrollaigh said the School will be the first Irish medium school under the control of the Western Education and Library Board.
“The stand-alone Gaelscoil will provide a full immersion environment and will encourage the use of the Irish language throughout the school day to enhance the educational potential of the children and facilitate the learning process and appreciate the Irish language as a valuable and living heritage,” she added.
DERRY JOURNAL
