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  • This is not a compulsory post

    February 23, 2011 @ 12:50 pm | by Pól Ó Muirí

    Irish-language groups are still offering Enda Kenny some advice on his Irish-language policy as the campaign draws to a close. Gael Linn boss, Antoine Ó Coileáin, reckons Fine Gael are making a mistake by putting too much emphasis on Irish at Leaving Cert and that the party would be better advised looking for new ways to teach the language.

    Cross-Border body, Foras na Gaeilge, are also in favour of looking at the teaching of Irish but are worried that downgrading Irish could cause “great harm”; they want extra help for teachers.

    Conradh na Gaeilge head honchos are happy to remind Fine Gael in a letter that their (Fine Gael) decision to downgrade the language in the state system in the early 1970s has resulted in the language’s decline in the Department of Education who, ironically, are supposed to support the language.

    The authors note: “The Department of Education once operated almost entirely through Irish. Recent research has shown that of the adult population, born in Ireland and of all levels of education, over 9 percent are Fluent or Very Fluent in Irish. Yet, as a result of Fine Gael’s removal of the status of Irish in 1973 and its replacement by some voluntary incentives, in the Department of Education, which is the state’s primary and most influential cultural agency, and which one must assume has a highly educated workforce, the proportion of staff who can provide a service through Irish is down now to 1.5 percent! That is hardly an advertisement for lowering the status of Irish in the education system.”

    (To which one can only say “Ouch!”)

    Meanwhile up in Donegal, the pressure group Guth na Gaeltachta warns that the Fine Gael policy will cause problems for mná tí whose livelihood depends on students in the summer colleges and will also cause problems for Gaeltacht economic well-being in general. (No summer colleges? Where will the youth of Ireland learn how to snog?)

    One thing not mentioned by the various groups is how Mr Kenny’s decision will play out in the North. I don’t fancy the chances of any Irish-language worker in the fourth green field going up to Nelson McCausland to fund a new project. You can just imagine the response: “Irish? Aren’t the Irish trying to do away with that themselves?”

    Anyway, feel free to offer an opinion – but it is not compulsory.

  • Hearing Heaney

    January 18, 2011 @ 3:17 pm | by Pól Ó Muirí

    This year’s Seamus Heaney Lecture Series at St Patrick’s College, Drumcondra, is entitled “Hearing Heaney”. Journalist Olivia O’Leary will give the first talk: “Seamus Heaney: part of what we are” on Monday 31st January at 8pm. Lectures will continue each Monday until (and including) 7th March and speakers are writers and academics Vona Groarke, Michael Cronin, Pauric Travers; J.J. Lee and Harry Clifton. Full programme here.

  • Irish language development

    January 11, 2011 @ 11:00 am | by Pól Ó Muirí

    Doctor John Walsh’s new book, Contests and Contexts: the Irish Language and Socio-Economic Development (Peter Lang) will be launched by Professor Peadar Kirby, Friday 28th January, at 6pm in Galway City Museum.

  • Editing in Indreabhán

    January 7, 2011 @ 11:39 am | by Pól Ó Muirí

    Conamara publishers, Cló Iar-Chonnacht, are looking for an Assistant Editor who will work out of their Indreabhán hq. The salary is between €26,000 and €35,000. Candidates must have B.A. (Hons) in Irish, expert knowledge of Irish grammar and dialects and computing experience. CV to Cló Iar-Chonnacht by Friday 21 January.

  • Shameless self-promotion

    January 4, 2011 @ 11:26 am | by Pól Ó Muirí

    I am beginning the New Year with some shameless self-promotion. BBC Northern Ireland are broadcasting an audio on-line drama for learners, An Fháinleog, what I wrote, to quote Ernie Wise. The work started on January 1 and will continue with daily installments until January 20th. The pieces are short readings by Pól Penrose (grma!) and deal with contemporary issues – the weather, for example! – in, I hope, an imaginative way. Part sci-fi, part First Steps, it is here for anyone who wants to listen – and that includes people who are fluent. Many thanks to Róisín Kelleher at the BBC for her great help in producing the work. It has been 20 years since I published my first book and here I am still hacking away. Not a bad way to celebrate the New Year! (And, yes, New Year’s Resolution does include getting back to blogging!)

  • Agus…

    November 2, 2010 @ 3:53 pm | by Pól Ó Muirí

    The Irish-language education group, Gaelchultúr, will launch their latest book Gaeilge gan Stró! – Lower Intermediate Irish, a multi-media language course for adult learners by Éamonn Ó Dónaill this Friday (5th November) at Foras na Gaeilge’s hq, Merrion Square, Dublin at 3.30pm The Minister for the Gaeltacht, Pat Carey, will do the honours.

    Meanwhile in Belfast this Saturday (6th November) ArtsEkta and the McCracken Cultural Society will host an Indo-Celtic festival to mark Diwali – the Indian festival of lights – and Samhain at the Ulster Museum between 5pm and 9pm. There will be Indian and Irish dance and music, plus food, a parade (it’s Belfast after all!) and, of course, lights.

    On Sunday (7th November) Raidió na Life (106.4FM) will begin to broadcast Gearóid Mac Unfraidh’s new serial drama, Nóra, at 7pm. The drama looks at the influence the North’s Hunger Strikes have on Nóra and takes its inspiration from the Greek classic, Antigone.

    North again, Donegal musician Doiminic Mac Giolla Bhríde and Scottish musician Griogair Labhruidh, will launch their latest CD, Guaillibh a’ Chéile, in Teach Hiúdaí Beag, Gaoth Dobhair, on Saturday, 13th November at 9pm.

  • Church matters

    October 18, 2010 @ 10:47 am | by Pól Ó Muirí

    The autumn issue of Studies is out and is entitled “Healing a broken church? Catholicism after the reports.” Contributors include Nuala O’Loan writing on “Transparency, accountability and the exercise of power in the Church of the future”; Gerry O’Hanlon, SJ, on “The Future of the Catholic Church – a view from Ireland” and David Quinn on “The Irish media and the Murphy Report”.

    Editor Fergus O’Donoghue writes that there is a “need for profound change in attitude at the highest level of the Church, resulting in more than cosmetic changes. The Church is administered by a Curia badly in need of reform; some departments are headed by men who are narrow in outlook, advanced in age and incompetent. Too many Vatican officials have received all their formation in Rome and cannot understand the problems of the local churches. Fear needs to be replaced by participation and consent.”

    Meanwhile, the September/October issue of History Ireland also contains articles on Catholicism with Maurice Curtis writing on militant lay Catholic organisations in Ireland in the first half of the 20th century in “Miraculous Meddlers: the Catholic Action movement”. Catholic action of an entirely different sort is the subject of Robert Doyle’s piece on “The pope’s Irish battalion, 1860” in which he marks the 150th anniversary of the war in which Irishmen fought – and died – for the Pope. Ní bheidh a leithéid arís ann, you suspect.

  • ‘I blessed it’

    @ 10:43 am | by Pól Ó Muirí

    The old ways never die. My youngest daughter, five, was eating some sweets when one fell on the ground. Quick as a flash, she bent down – waste not, want not – and popped it in her mouth. Horrified, I told her never to eat anything from the floor again. She just looked at me with her big blue eyes and said: “Don’t worry daddy, I blessed it.”

  • Ó Domhnaill abú!

    October 12, 2010 @ 4:41 pm | by Pól Ó Muirí

    Aodh Ó Domhnaill’s latest play, Na Leabhra, will debut in The New Theatre, East Essex Street, Temple Bar, Dublin 2, on Thursday 21st October and will run until Saturday 23rd October (inclusive). Aisteoirí Bulfin – cé eile? – are staging the work which is described as “a very black comedy set in the near future in a country under military rule”.

  • Clannad rock

    @ 4:37 pm | by Pól Ó Muirí

    There have been many innovative groups in traditional music but I suspect Clannad will always be at the top of the queue and i mbéal an phobail when it comes to their early work. Gael Linn have released, as a two CD set, Clannad’s 1974 album, Clannad 2, and their 1976 collection, Dúlamán. The CDs include Coinleach Glas an Fhómhair, Siúil, a Rún, Dúlamán, Éirigh Suas, a Stóirín to name but a handful of tunes.


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