President to open International Conference in Galway!

•Leagan Gaeilge

The President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins will open the International Association of Language Commissioners Conference in Galway next month. The President has demonstrated a big interest in language rights and people will look forward to his oration. It was also announced that Mr Justice Adrian Hardiman of the Supreme Court has agreed to give the conference address on the opening night.

Uachtarán na hÉireann
President of Ireland

The first such conference was held in Dublin in 2013 and led to the fourmation of the Association. Details of this Conference may be seen here!

An Coimisinéir Teanga Rónán Ó Domhnaill said “It’s a huge honour for Oifig an Choimisinéara Teanga that two guests so recognised with language rights are willing to attend this event.” 

The conference is being organised by Oifig an Choimisinéara Teanga in conjunction with NUI, Galway and is part of the State Centenary Programme. “There will be an opportunity throughout the year to reflect on the aims upon the State’s foundation. Central to this reflection will be our national language and its place in today’s society” said An Coimisinéir Teanga.

This is the first time the conference is being held in Galway and international experts on language rights will be in attendance. These include the Official Languages Commissioner for Canada Graham Fraser, Professor Stephen May from the University of Auckland, New Zealand, Professor Rob Dunbar from the University of Edinburgh and Professor Colin Williams from the University of Cambridge.

Recognised experts from Ireland such as Doctor John Walsh, Doctor Peadar Ó Flatharta and will also attend.

The conference takes place for March 7th to March 9th. The opening night will be in NUI, Galway and the events on Tuesday and Wednesday will take place in the Galway Bay Hotel. There is free entrance to the conference but places must be reserved beforehand by contacting Oifig an Choimisinéara Teanga.

#IALC2016Gaillimh #IALC2016Galway @ceartateanga

Pictures discovered after 130 years!

Language rights in Court- new pictures released

• Leagan Gaeilge

A selection of 130 year old historic photographs of the ten men accused of the Maamtrasna Murders, including two pictures of Myles Joyce, have been discovered and are published now for the first time.

A former (British) army officer, Capt. J.J. Dunne collected the photographs: he was injured in the Zulu Wars in Africa (prior to the Maamtrasna murders) and continued his subsequent career as an prison warden. He died in 1910. The National Library of Ireland received the album from his grandson (named as Lieutenant Col. Armstrong) and their provenance is not in doubt. The photographs are now being put into the public domain here courtesy of the National Library: reproduction rights rest with the Library.

Native Irish speaker Myles Joyce was unjustly executed for his alleged part in the ‘Maamtrasna murders’ in 1882 following a court case in English. The tragic Maamtrasna case in general, was described by the eminent historian Robert Kee - who died on Friday last - as “one of the most blatant miscarriages of justice in British legal history”.

One of the pictures of Myles Joyce

The photographs of Myles Joyce are on display in the Galway City Museum and can be viewed , in addition to the photographs of others caught up in the Maamtrasna case, on the website of the Coimisinéir Teanga and the Mám 1882 site.

Copies of the newly discovered photographs of Myles Joyce were presented by An Coimisinéir Teanga, Seán Ó Cuirreáin to the Mayor of Galway City, Councillor Terry O’Flaherty and the Galway County Mayor, Councillor Thomas Welby at Galway City Museum on Tuesday, 15 January 2013.

The historic photographs were “in safe hands but hidden from public view” according to an Coimisinéir Teanga, Seán Ó Cuirreáin who’s office jointly organised the Myles Joyce/Maamtrasna commemoration last month in collaboration with Galway City Museum and Conradh na Gaeilge. “They add poignancy and highlight the personal tragedies of the Maamtrasna case” he said. A copy of the prison roll-book page which includes personal information on all of the Maamtrasna men has also emerged.

The existence of the historic photographs was brought to the attention of the organisers of the commemorative event in Galway by Mr Padraig Canny, a Joyce Country resident with an interest in local history who attend the commemorative event in Galway.

The event on Saturday, 15th December, attended by President Michael D. Higgins, recalled the unjust execution of Myles Joyce 130 years ago for his alleged part in the ‘Maamtrasna murders’ and aimed to highlight the issue of language rights in the courts.

Public Meetings re Irish in the Leaving Cert

Gaeilge

Table of speakers at the Galway Meeting

1.    Over 200 people attended a public meeting in Galway yesterday organised by the Irish Summer Colleges Association(CONCOS).  Election candidates were invited to present their policies as regards the Irish language and the Gaeltacht.  There was very strong dissatisfaction voiced with Fine Gael's policy of making Irish an optional subject for the Leaving Cert.  The Fine Gael candidates present, Sean Kyne and Senator Fidelma Healy Eames agreed to forward a request to party leader Enda Kenny to meet with a delegation of representatives from the meeting.  No answer has been received from Enda Kenny to date  to a previous request for a meeting by Gaeltacht and Language organisations subsequent to a national meeting in Galway on January 21.

2.    Guth na Gaeltachta (Bilingual) and Coiste na mBan Tí i dTír Chonaill are organising a public meeting in the Crannóg in Gaoth Dobhair next Tuesday, 15 February ar 7 o clock.  Election candidates will be invited to come and present their policies on the Irish language, the Gaeltacht and the status of Irish as a Leaving Cert subject. This is an opportunity for the community to demonstrate their strong support for the Irish Language and the Gaeltacht and everybody is invited to attend.

3.    In an IPSOS-MRBI survey on attitudes towards the Irish language, 61% said that Irish should be a core subject for the Leaving Cert(in the 15-24 age group, support for the Irish language was at 65%).

Fine Gael sympathetic to Irish but

The recent failed putsch against Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny has highlighted several interesting changes in his front bench.

None have excited more comment in the Irish media (as destinct from the Anglo-Irish media!) than the appointemnt of his new spokesman for the conglomerative Community, Equality & Gaeltacht Affairs Department. This position is now filled by Roscommon TD, Frank Feighan.

Fine Gael agus Gaeilge Letter in Irish Times 29 July 2010

There has been considerable disquiet in Gaeltacht and Irish language circles that he continues in the tradition of appointing people in this Department who have not got the capability of understanding the mind of people who excercise their constitutional right of using Irish or of speaking with them. His previous spokesman, Michael Ring, also had the same problem.

He has been reported as felling that it isn’t “too important” that someone in his post speaks Irish, but despite this he may "learn a few lines" to help him out in his new role.

In an article in last Friday's Gaelscéal, (Irish) one of the Irish weekly papers there is a report on a letter written to the party protesting at this insult to our language. This was written by one of our most prolific writers, Gabriel Rosenstock, and of course was written in Irish, his language of choice. His letter pointed out that the very title "spokesman" was a hardly appropriate when it came to describing Mr. Feighan, as he was unable to speak in the language for which he was supposed to be spokesman.

The reply, from Fine Gael's lacked the simple courtesy of being written in the language of choice of the instigator of the correspondence. (This is a not uncommon discourtesy from representatives of this party, indeed I have recently received such a response from my local Galway West TD, Pádraic McCormack, replying to a query I had made to him in Irish). One would have expected that Vincent Gribben- 'Head of Internal Communication, Fine Gael' would have had the sense and basic courtesy if he was unable to do so himself would have asked somebody else to have responded in Irish. However be that as it may perhaps he would have a reasonable explanation!

His response was in three parts:

"1. Frank Feighan TD is not the first Deputy with responsibility for Gaeltacht Affairs with limited Irish. Síle De Valera served as Minister for the Gaeltacht with limited Irish." That may or may not be true but can it be put forward as a justification? Or is Fine Gael merely Fianna Fáil light? But soft, did not Fine Gael make strong objections to the appointment of Ms De Valera at the time of her appointment?

"2 Frank Feighan TD is take lessons in Irish to improve his communication skills in the language and is happy to do so." Why wouldn't he isn't he supposed to be the spokesman for the language? An Irish speaking spokesman could surely be doing work on his portfolio rather than spending time in learning how to communicate with the constituency of his department.

The third point he makes is a wonderful nonsequeter:
"3 His discussions to date Conradh na Gaeilge have been cordial and constructive." Wonderful!

The protestations of Mr Rosenstock, and indeed many other authors in Irish who also wrote a letter to Gaelscéal last week are not strictly speaking directed against Mr Feighan himself but rather against the lack of understanding of his party which stubbornly maintains it's positive regard for the language and the Gaeltacht.

I did a simple exercise this morning. I went to the Fine Gael Home Page. There is not an Irish language version (Again they are not unlike other parties in this regard, which is hardly justification!) On the left hand side is a search engine. First I put in the word "Gaeilge". It comes back "0 results for “Gaeilge”"!

I then tried "Language" The first six results are interesting. There were in fact 14 results. They hardly fill one with positive vibes

1. Cuts to English language supports
2. Foreign student no's drop by 24%
3. Leaving Cert Irish compulsory?
4. Language places for unemployed necessary
5. Language ed cuts pit pupil against pupil
6. Govt Irish Strategy is only a whitewash

Fine Gael may be at the helm of the next government in Ireland but this basic lack of understanding of the mind, not to say simple courtesy, of the Gael fills many with not a little dread.

Culture centres open to community

Conradh na Gaeilge is making the organisation's two main buildings in Dublin and Galway available to the Irish-speaking community to use as centres for meetings, conferences, classes and more in an effort to develop the buildings belonging to the Conradh as cultural centres of Irish in the heart of the two cities.

There are already Irish-language courses, conversation circles, conferences, meetings, and social nights with music and dancing organised regularly in both Conradh na Gaeilge buildings in Dublin and Galway, and any other Irish-language organisation or individual persons can rent rooms from the Conradh on a daily, weekly, monthly or even yearly basis to operate from either of the two buildings during the year.

Pádraig Mac Fhearghusa, President of Conradh na Gaeilge says "Conradh na Gaeilge is the democratic forum for the Irish-speaking community and the organisation is committed to working with other Irish-language organisations to promote the language throughout the island. Community support and cooperation is key to our work, and Conradh na Gaeilge is delighted to have this opportunity to invite other organisations and individuals who are working to promote the Irish language also, to utilise the facilities we have in Dublin and Galway to strength the Irish-speaking community in both those cities, and indeed throughout the country."

In addition to the national head-office of Conradh na Gaeilge, many important organisations in the Irish-language sector are already operating from the building on Harcourt Street, including Oireachtas na Gaeilge; Ógras; Seachtain na Gaeilge; Glór na nGael, Leinster; Rith 2010; the Irish-language chart-station, Raidió Rí-Rá; the Irish-language FLAC Centre of the Four Courts' Branch, An tIonad Saor-Chomhairle Dlí; the Irish-language bookshop, An Siopa Leabhar; and the Irish-language club, Club Chonradh na Gaeilge.

Conradh na Gaeilge's Galway development project, Togra Ghael-Fhorbairt na Gaillimhe, operates from Aras na nGael at 45 Dominic Street (Pictured on right in Galway as well as Club Áras na nGael and Ógras, Connaught.

Conradh na Gaeilge's historical headquarters at Number 6 Harcourt Street, Dublin 2 were recently renovated and repaired thanks to the generous donations of the branches of the Conradh and the aid of the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs through the Irish-Language Fund, Ciste na Gaeilge, which is part-funded by the National Lottery, and the building is now being further developed as a place of work, a meeting facility and a cultural centre for the Irish-speaking community in the capital.

Áras na nGael is functioning as an Irish-language centre in Galway at present and Conradh na Gaeilge is also looking to find a new location on which to develop a bigger centre, so as to provide more facilities to the language community in the city in the future.

The original Irish version of this release with links!