Gaeilge

4,000 responses to Irish Language legislation…

Mick Fealty on June 7, 2007, 2:46 pm

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The Newsletter reports up to 4,000 responses from the public to proposed legislation on the Irish langauge. In a previous round of consultation, most of it favourable, and very little from unionist objectors. In a previous round of consultation, the department received 688 letters, 1,376 postcards and a petition signed by 2,500 people. It found 93 per cent of respondents in favour of the legislation – as unionists failed to voice opposition in any significant number. They later report that …

“ní tubaiste é ag Sinn Féin gur baineadh dá ndul chun tosaigh Déardaoin

Mick Fealty on May 31, 2007, 1:33 pm

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Máirtín le ceithre ceachtanna le foghlaim ag Sinn Féin, agus é ag placadh ‘píog umhlaíochta’. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty

Aistriúchán le teacht ar ‘Baile Átha Cliath’

Mick Fealty on May 11, 2007, 6:57 pm

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Dar leis an Lá Nua, tá deireadh le teacht leis an seoladh poist Gaeilge ‘Baile Átha Cliath’. Duir urlabhraí An Post go raibh an cinneadh seo deanta acú mar go bhfuil “go leor inimirceach ag obair linn agus ní bheadh siad in ann Gaeilge a léamh. Lena chois sin, tá ár gcuid meaisíní curtha in oiriúint chun an post a shórtáil i mBéarla.” And in English. Tá muid an buioch de ‘Soupy’ ar fad don dhá nascanna… Mick FealtyMick is …

New Irish langauge course at Cambridge…

Mick Fealty on May 1, 2007, 1:27 pm

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Cambridge city is no stranger to the Irish language. There has been a strong local network of Irish speakers there for at least twenty years: some of them coming home with a greater fluency than when they left school. But now the University is catching up on the game, and now the the Department of Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic is setting up its own language course in modern Irish. The Irish Ambassador, Dáithí Ó Ceallaigh, will launch it tomorrow. More …

Irish language in Holywood….

Mick Fealty on April 24, 2007, 6:25 pm

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There’s a short snippet in this month’s issue of the Holywood Advertiser, on the first ever Irish Language Festival. Rory Blaney gave a talk on the role of Presbyterians in the survival of the language, Dr Sean MacCorraidh gave a workshop on the context and origin of various songs ‘as Gaeilge’, and a performance of ‘Cinnínb Or’ or Goldilocks by children’s theatre Ababú. According to Máire Zepf, chaifr of the Holywood Irish Society, “Instead of always looking to Belfast for …

Gaelscoilleanna eating into mainstream rolls…

Mick Fealty on April 20, 2007, 11:01 am

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Interesting piece on Gaelport, which reports on how Irish medium schools in the Republic are attracting the upwardly mobile middle classes, even to the point of being charged with being ‘elitist’. In some cases, local mainstream schools are struggling to keep viable. However, a spirit of inclusivity is no guarantee of diversity. Clued-in, academically motivated parents are signing their children up to gaelscoileanna when they are born; those with less savvy have a slim chance of getting in the door …

Amazon’s Irish language section…

Mick Fealty on March 29, 2007, 1:19 am

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Not sure whether this has been noted elsewhere but Amazon has established an Irish language section as part of its new (?) foreign language section. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty

On Bearach go dtí an Rúis

Mick Fealty on March 14, 2007, 8:20 pm

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Sceal insint le hAnton Mac Cába ar scaifte beag Éireannaigh cé gur ghlac saorántacht Rúiseach de brí a cuid creideamh insan gcoras cumannach agus réabhlóid na Rúise san cead leath den an fichiú haois. Le hAnton Mac Cába Is fada an turas (journey) ó mhachairí (plains) na Rúise go dtí an Bearach i dTír Eoghan. Ní cheanglófá úafás (horror) campaí báis Stalin leis an bhaile. Fuair mac céile (son-in-law) fir ón mBearach bás iontu. Léiríonn leabhar nua ón staraí (historian) …

Lá Nua, podcasts agus YouTube…

Mick Fealty on February 7, 2007, 10:49 pm

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Tá an mead ar fail seo thuas ar YouTube ar feadh coicise. Bron orm nar fhaca me é roimhe an t-am seo, agus mé ag scaipeadh an scéal. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty

GRMA a Mháirtín…

Mick Fealty on January 18, 2007, 5:20 pm

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Go raibh mile maith ag Máirtín do ar cead nasc chómhalartach, agus do abairt nua domhsa ar chuma ar bith, hulach halach… Go direach é! Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty

Níl mé sure…

Mick Fealty on January 8, 2007, 3:53 am

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A few shots on You Tube of Manchán Magan’s progress courtesy of bloggorah… including those explicit lyrics… Hat tip Ciaran at his new digs… Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty

Athbhreith agus cuir diot é!

Mick Fealty on January 5, 2007, 7:07 pm

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Love it or loathe it, one of the impressive things about the Irish language movement in Belfast is the high levels of fluent speakers, and within certain areas at least, a degree of sympathy for it. However Manchán Magan takes an extraordinary journey around Ireland, trying to get by by speaking the Republic’s official language Irish. And with some sobering results.Underconfidence amongst those who only infrequently speak it may be key to some of the aggression: Eventually they located a …

‘Bua siombalach’ diúltaithe leis an DUP?

Mick Fealty on December 13, 2006, 3:42 pm

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Ar maidin, deireann Lá go raibh an DUP “ar chúl iarrachta na forais tras teorann a chur le scian agus gurbh bheag nár éirigh leis an iarracht seo”. …bhí an dá rialtas ag plé leis na páirtithe éagsúla agus bhí sé ráite ag an DUP, ag cruinniú de Choiste RéamhUllmhúcháin an Rialtais go mbeadh siad ar son comhaltaí a ainmniú ar bhoird na bhforas tras teorann ar fad, Foras na Gaeilge san áireamh. Aitheantas súntasach a bheadh anseo ó pháirtí …

The Sewel Convention and devolution.

Pete Baker on November 23, 2006, 12:54 am

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One of our commenters [T&J] couldn’t wait to comment on this.. But during NI Questions today, the DUP’s Peter Robinson asked the Secretary of State for Wales etc, Peter Hain, a question about the Sewel Convention – Normally associated with the Scottish Parliament, it “gives a broad statement of principles for relations between the executive authorities in the UK, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.” and, in this case, any proposed Irish Language Act.From Hansard 3. Mr. Peter Robinson (Belfast, East) …

Dingle Redux

Pete Baker on November 18, 2006, 3:39 am

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RTÉ reports an apparent u-turn by the Irish Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Éamon Ó Cuív at a meeting of Kerry County Council, except for the proviso that “he will not oppose any decision on the renaming of An Daingean as long as it is within the law.” It is, though, a change from his previously stated position. And there’s a telling paragraph in the RTÉ report Mr Ó Cuív admitted to a special meeting of the council …

TG4 has put language back in Ireland’s cultural life

Mick Fealty on October 31, 2006, 8:51 pm

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Farrel Corcoran was involved with TG4, or TnaG as it was on the day it launched ten years ago. In a debate around language that has often become distracted on politics and an often disabling obsession with tokenism, TG4, he believes is a perfect example of how utility has succeeded when given its head: It was never going to be easy, not just because of severe resource limitations but because of the hostile ideological environment, policed by a small number …

Bhain Lá nuachtán conradh ó Fhoras na Gaeilge

Mick Fealty on September 26, 2006, 4:02 pm

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Comhgairdeas chuig Conchubar, Eoghan agus eile ar an fhoireann Lá, ar an nuacht go bhuair said an nuachtán conradh ó Fhoras na Gaeilge le h-aghaidh foilseachán nuachta laethúil a chur ar fáil. Beagan ar bheagan mar a dearfá! Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty

From Podcast as Gaeilge to Radio..

on September 22, 2006, 5:03 pm

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I’ve no idea whether Conn of An tImeall (English) is coming to the Irish Blogger Conference in Dublin on the 7th October, but he’s certainly pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. His long running podcast series is to open out into actual radio output. So far he has signed with 7 real world radio stations for his new programme, An Líonra Sóisialta, which translates to The Social Network. It’s all to be broadcast in Irish, so if you don’t speak/read …

Club Sult ar ais i mBaile Atha Cliath

Mick Fealty on September 19, 2006, 3:30 pm

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Tá sé thartfa bliain as an t-am direanach a d’fhreastal mé ar Club Sult, Baile Atha Cliath, ach an craic agus spoirt abhí ann. Tá se ar ais arís don ochtú sraith Déardaoin na seachtaine seo, 21 Meán Fómhair. Beidh an club ar siúl mar is gnách sa Bull and Castle, in aice le Jurys Inn, Teampall Chríost. Nóta: Déanfaidh Sinéad Courtney (RTÉ) Clár Imeachtaí an Fhómhair Gaelchultúr a sheoladh ag 8.30 p.m. Fáilte roimh chách! Saorchead isteach chuig an …

Towards Belfast’s Gaeltacht Quarter…

Mick Fealty on August 11, 2006, 1:38 pm

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I’ve little time to blog at the moment, so I’ll just quickly note an excellent public debate at the Culturlann on Wednesday night, on the Gaeltacht Quarter. This is the suggestion, rising out of the Dutton Report that West Belfast seeks to become a more physical expression of the high level of local Irish speakers that are to be found there. The panel included Mairtin O’Muilleoir, Ian Parsley, Nelson McCausland, Sue Ward of the Tourist Board and Jake MacSiacais of …