“Nollick Ghennal!”

…de Isle of Man Today:

Manx language officer Adrian Cain has teamed up with the Examiner to help out with festive greetings in Manx.

Bannaghtyn y Nollick Seasonal Greetings

Nollick Ghennal Happy Christmas

Nollick Ghennal as Blein Vie Noa Happy Christmas and a Good New Year

Bannaghtyn Blessings/greetings

Lesh yeearreeyn share With best wishes

Lesh yeearreeyn share son y Nollick as y Vlein Noa With best wishes for Christmas and the New Year

Lesh yeearreeyn share ec yn imbagh casherick shoh With best wishes at this holy season

Shee as Boggey erriu Peace and joy to you

Lesh Shee as Graih With peace and love

Hee'm oo 'sy vlein noa See you in the New Year

Shee erriu car ny bleeaney shoh çheet Peace to you throughout the coming year…

* Bildo de Ynsee Gaelg.

Vespero kun Máirtín Ó Muilleoir

Tuilleadh eolais / Pliaj informoj
.

“Jim Biogóideach Mac Allasdar”

….de la blogo iGaeilge, de Concubhar Ó Liatháin:

Dar le Jim Allister, polaiteooir atá ina cheannaire ar an nGuth Thraidisiúnta Aondachtach, tá airgead á chur amú ar an Ghaelscoileanna ar an mBaile Meanach a fhéadfaí bheith á chaitheamh ar mhaoiniú scoileanna do pháistí le riachtanais speisialta.

Ar ndóigh, níl tuismitheoir ar bith le páíste ag freastal ar Ghaelscoil a shéanfadh maoiniú ar pháiste le riachtanas speisialta. Tá páistí acu le riachtanais speisialta an oiread is atá ag tuismitheoirí eile nach seolann a bpáistí chuig Gaelscoileanna agus tá an seirbhís atá á fháil acu chomh h-olc nó níos measa ná na scoileanna Béarla.

Ach seo chugainn Jim Biogóideach Mac Allasdar agus é ag iarraidh a chur ina luí nár cheart tacú le Gaeloidachas mar, dar leis, is caitheamh aimsire atá ann.

Is dócha go gcreideann sé go bhfuil sé ar thalamh slán agus é ag labhairt ar son páistí le h-uathachas agus riachtanais speisialta eile agus ag íonsaí na Gaeilge…

Osian Liberigita!

…de la Daily Post:

A language campaigner yesterday called on new First Minister Carwyn Jones to write a new Welsh language act.

Osian Jones, Cymdeithas yr Iaith organiser for North Wales, made the call on his return home after his release from Altcourse prison in Liverpool.

The 32-year-old has spent the last two weeks behind bars after refusing to pay fines and compensation for painting slogans on high street superstores.

The action was part of Cymdeithas yr Iaith’s campaign for a comprehensive Welsh Language Act to include the private sector.

Mr Jones, from Llanllyfni, near Caernarfon, had painted “Ble Mae’r Gymraeg?” (Where is the Welsh?) on stores in Llangefni, Bangor and Caernarfon in June.

Yesterday he insisted the Welsh language Legislative Competency Order, currently going through its Parliamentary process, needs to be strengthened.

He said: “I hope my actions will mark the start of a new exciting period in the history of Cymdeithas yr Iaith.

“The future of Welsh hangs in the balance because too many politicians don’t take it seriously. Despite the overwhelming support, the next decade could see Welsh destroyed because of the indifference and failures of politicians, multinational businesses, and the Welsh establishment...

“Triumfa Filistreco”?

…de Irish Independent:

From last Friday, all new housing developments in Dublin, by law, must be named solely in Irish. Dublin City Council, which in a decade of persistent and triumphant philistinism has undone so much of the history of the city, is now reaching its triumphant apogee: we can now pretend the capital is Irish-speaking by naming places in Irish.

This will change nothing, any more than awarding swimming badges to concrete blocks turns them into butterfly champions, but it does give the appearance of Baile Atha Cliath being Gaeilge agus Saor, Saor agus Gaeilge: and are appearances not the essence of modern Ireland?

Eight years ago, the city council abolished the name Dublin Corporation. This had been the legal name of the governing body of the capital city since 1601, but it had been the informal name of the city government since the Middle Ages. At the same time, ancient terms like 'alderman' and 'town clerk', were removed from the lexicon of the city council.

…The real underlying purpose is to make yet another genuflection towards the enduring white elephant of language restoration: for has not a legalistic veneration of the language been one of the primary default modes of Irish independence, no matter how worthless and unproductive such veneration has always been?

Dominic Bradley

…de 4NI:

The Stormont Culture Minister has been challenged over the promotion of the Irish language. The SDLP's party spokesperson on Gaelic, Dominic Bradley, has welcomed the commitment to Irish language legislation across Northern Ireland contained in the Irish Republic's new 20 Year Strategy for the language.

The SDLP MLA for Newry and Armagh said that he has forwarded it to the Stormont Culture, Arts and Leisure Minister Nelson McCausland, for his attention and questioned the Minister's commitment to its promotion.

Commenting on this aspect of the strategy, Mr Bradley said: "The SDLP very much welcomes the Irish government's continuing commitment to the full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement and support for Foras na Gaeilge, the North/South implementation body charged with promoting the language on an all-island basis, to ensure its continued effective operation. "I very much hope that the strategy will have a beneficial impact on speakers of the Irish language in Northern Ireland...

CLG, Irlandalingva Centro kaj Respublikismo

...de la blogo, The Minister’s Pen, de Nelson Mc Causland, MLA:

On Sunday 6 December there was a series of events in Londonderry to mark the 25th anniversary of the deaths of four IRA men.

On 2 December 1984 Ciaran Fleming and Anthony MacBride, who was a member of the Irish Army as well as the IRA, planted a landmine near Kesh in county Fermanagh. A hoax call was made to lure the British Army into the area and three armed IRA terrorists lay in wait but the mine failed to explode and MacBride was shot by the SAS. Another IRA member, Ciaran Fleming, drowned in the Bannagh River while trying to escape.

Two more IRA men, Willie Fleming and Danny Doherty, were shot on 6 December 1984 by the SAS as they were going into the grounds of Gransha Psychiatric Hospital in Londonderry, where they planned to murder an off-duty member of the UDR….
….
Once again various forms of Gaelic culture have been aligned with militant Irish republicanism. The main county GAA pitch, which is owned by the Derry County Board, was used to host a Gaelic football match commemorating four IRA men and a new Irish language centre was the location for a commemorative lecture and exhibition. Is it any wonder that unionists do not feel any affinity with either the Irish language or the GAA?

Mannin Aboo!

….de Isle of Man Today:

Nationalist feeling seems to be growing in the Isle of Man in the wake of the VAT crisis.

A Facebook page has been set up to press the case for Manx independence.

Mannin Aboo has attracted about 300 members since its launch earlier this month.

The creator of the site goes under the name of Manannan Mac Leirr who asks: 'Should the Isle of Man be an independent Nation again as it once was. Join if you agree. The Isle of Man forever — Mannin Aboo.

'Meanwhile, nationalist banners have been posted on roadsigns and graffiti sprayed across the roads on the main routes into Peel.All read Mannin Seyr, which means 'Manx independence'. Signs written in Manx Gaelic were also posted on flagpoles in the town….

…Founder of the Manx nationalist party Mec Vannin Bernard Moffatt said there appeared to be a growing number of young people in the Isle of Man getting involved with the Manx language and nationalism…

Eurospar

…de la Daily Post:

A customer claimed she was “mimicked” by a checkout girl when she asked her a question in Welsh.

Bosses at Eurospar, Blaenau Ffestiniog have apologised to Fflur Medi Owen, 26, and Elen Gwynne, 29, both actresses with Cwmni’r Frân Wen after the incident.

The women were performing at Ysgol y Moelwyn, Blaenau Ffestiniog and had gone to the supermarket in their lunch break last Friday.

Fflur, from Dinas, Caernarfon, said: “Elen asked the till assistant a question in Welsh – bearing in mind that Blaenau is one of the towns where the Welsh language and culture is at its purest – when we were devastatingly greeted with a stare of disgust.

“Elen then proceeded to check with her twice – again in Welsh – whether or not she understood (“Sori, Yda chi'n siarad Cymraeg?”). We were still stared at as though we had four heads between us, after which she then mimicked the sounds back to us in a very spiteful way, and still continued her hard stare.”

Elen, from Caernarfon, said: “I asked her if they sold any plastic cutlery before asking if she spoke Welsh.

“She mimicked what I had asked her in a racist way. I’m sure it wasn’t the first time she had heard Welsh being spoken. She just stared at me. I couldn’t believe it. I felt like I’d done something wrong when I left the shop.”…

“Insular”

…de la Irish Times:

A young graphic designer has crafted a new, contemporary Gaelic typography for use in Irish language publications, websites and signage.

Described as "uncomplicated and modern" by creator Naoise Ó Conchubhair, the new type is about finding a "a new visual voice for the country".

Called Insular, a reference to the style of script used in the Book of Kells , the typeface is in no way romantic about the language or culture, he says.

He explains the decision to develop the type by saying: "There are always new reasons for type design, particularly with the development of the screen or web."

The work grew out of a college project while Ó Conchubhair was studying Visual Communication at the National College of Art and Design.

While Ó Conchubhair is working as a graphic designer, he plans to submit the new type to A Typel, a typographic conference being held in Dublin next year...

"Kial mi estas en ĉelo?"

…de la Western Mail:

…For those who denounce my crime, they should remember that almost a century ago a group of ordinary people came together to protest in a similar way. They used tactics like hunger-strikes, window-smashing and demonstrations. One woman died throwing herself under the King’s horse. They broke the law because women didn’t have the vote. Without the non-violent, direct action of the Suffragettes, women would not have had the right to vote in 1918.

I believe that everyone in Wales should have the right to see, hear and use the Welsh language – I want it to live and thrive. It’s a view shared by the vast majority of the public; a view summed up well in a recent Western Mail editorial: “We are blessed that Welsh is not the language only of academics and folk enthusiasts, but is shouted by sportsmen and whispered by lovers.”

Yes, there is a genuine love of the language. It can be seen everywhere around us, from the large numbers of people learning to the singing at rugby matches. So, shouldn’t everyone have the right to use it in their everyday lives? Isn’t that something everyone is working towards?

Unfortunately not. We have a system of law that takes the opposite view: it chooses profit over the Welsh language’s future.

The world’s most profitable companies can open a shop in the middle of a predominantly Welsh- speaking community and refuse to provide basic bilingual services. And despite our campaigns, these corporations continue to ignore not just the rights of Welsh speakers but also the vast majority of the public, 80% of whom want bilingual signage and marketing along with training for people to speak Welsh.

But still, I am the one in the dock, I am the one in prison, I sit in the cell – not the chief executives of the supermarkets, banks or major retailers….

* CYFEIRIAD/ADRESO:
..Osian Jones,
..Rhif / No. DX8265,
..HM Prison Altcourse,
..Fazakerley,
..Lerpwl, L97 LH
..Lloegr (UK)

Críona Ní Dhálaigh

…de Sinn Féin:

Glacadh le rún ag Comhairle Bhalie Átha Cliath aréir, molta ag Comhairleoir Sinn Féin Críona Ní Dhálaigh, ag cinntiú go mbeidh ainmneacha Gaeilge ar eastáit tithíochta nua agus go mbaineann na hainmneacha le stair and béaloideas áitiúil.

Dúirt an Clr. Ní Dhálaigh:

"Tá áthas orm gur glacadh leis an rún seo mar is céim chun tosaigh é do athbheochan na teanga sa chathair seo. Beidh comhairleoirí Sinn Féin ag moladh a leithéid de rún ar comhairlí ar fud an Stáit agus tá súil agam go nglacfar leo chomh maith.

"Déanann an rún seo a chinntiú go mbeidh eastáit tithíochata i mBaile Átha Cliath ainmnithe i nGaeilge le ainmneacha a bhaineann le stair agus béaloideas náisiúnta, in ionad an chórais ainmniúchán ad hoc a bhí ann."

Mary’s Gift

...de la blogo, From the Balcony, de Máirtín Ó Muilleoir:

Minister of Culture Nelson McCausland has turned his not inconsiderable linguistic focus to the comments of leading Irish American Mike Breen who recently launched Mary's Gift to help fund Irish schools here.

You can read the Minister's full comments here — apparently Mike's name came up on the ministerial radio because he referred to Pádraig Pearse as a "patriot". Who would ever have thought?

"Here once again we see the influence of Irish republicanism on the Irish language movement." Amazing stuff. Nelson's just copped on that Pádraig Pearse is effectively the father of the entire Irish language revival...

Robyn Llyn por Kimralingva Akto

…de la Caernarfon Denbigh Herald:

That Osian Jones* has been sent to prison saddened me greatly. He was sentenced to 28 days for refusing to pay fines and costs totalling £1,120, imposed after he had painted pro-Welsh slogans on two English-based chain-stores in Bangor.

It appears that this was the longest sentence imposed on a Cymdeithas yr Iaith member since 1991, eighteen years ago. The first (of some hundreds, since) was Geraint Jones of Trefor, also sent down for a month as far back as 1966.

The law treated Osian Jones just as if he had been caught shoplifting, or some other offence involving dishonesty or violence.

Having been a lawyer for the whole of my adult life, I naturally have a great respect for the law and the courts. But I am equally aware of the law’s many failings.

Anyone who has the slightest knowledge of history will be aware that many worthy movements have only succeeded in their aims by campaigns of law-breaking, aimed at recalcitrant legislators who stubbornly refuse to right injustices. The protest movements won in the end, but only after much needless sacrifice and suffering.

Examples are legion: take the trade-union movement and the enfranchisement of black people in the United States and South Africa, where the names of Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela are shining examples of those who suffered for elementary human rights. And, nearer home, the Suffragettes, many thousands of whom went to prison to secure votes for women.

One hundred years ago, the law would have been handing out a sentence of 28 days to some wretched female, who had transgressed merely because she felt women were entitled to the right to vote. That too, was lawful in its day. But it proves that our law does not cater for unjust and imperfect situations.

The remedy for this country is a new Welsh Language Act: Wales badly needs it - now!

.

* CYFEIRIAD/ADRESO:

..Osian Jones

..Rhif / No. DX8265,..

..HM Prison Altcourse,

..Fazakerley,

..Lerpwl, L97 LH

..Lloegr (UK)

Cornell Universitato

…de la Cornell Sun:

Cornell prides itself on its diverse course offerings, particularly of rare languages. Seriously, it even has a masturbatory brochure about all of the different language courses it offers and how important they are. I thought about quoting verbatim from the brochure, but the basic idea is that language is important and makes Cornell students better academics and more broad-minded and important in the workforce. And how Cornell is awesome because of all these cool, rare languages that they teach.

A few examples: Irish (I mean, I’m Irish, and I didn’t even know that there was an Irish language), Tagalog, Khmer, Ugaritic, Yoruba and Quechua. Bonus points if you can name the countries where two of those are (or once were) spoken. And Irish doesn’t count...

Kornvala Nacio Malakceptita por 2011 Censo

...de la BBC:

MPs have rejected a bid to allow people to list their nationality as "Cornish" on the 2011 census.

Cornwall North's MP Dan Rogerson had put forward the proposal as MPs debated the Draft Census Order 2009 for England and Wales.

A Facebook campaign Cornish Tickbox for the 2011 Census has been backed by Mr Rogerson and more than 3,000 people.

But as MPs rejected it by 261 votes to 49, they approved questions the Tories say amount to "bedroom snooping".

The government says the issue of Cornish language and identity was "considered" by the Office for National Statistics but was "not included in the proposals for the 2011 census"...

Hawl i'r Iaith!

Hawl i'r Iaith from Lleucu Meinir on Vimeo.

* CYFEIRIAD/ADRESO *

Osian Jones,

Rhif / No. DX8265,

HM Prison Altcourse,

Fazakerley,

Lerpwl, L97 LH,

Lloegr (UK)

Baronino Royall de Blaisdon

...de la Baronino Royall de Blaisdon:

In the St Andrews Agreement the Government committed to introducing an Irish Language Act reflecting on the experience of Wales and Ireland and to work with the incoming Executive to enhance and protect the development of the Irish language.

Subsequently, in the Northern Ireland (St Andrews Agreement) Act 2006, a duty was placed on the Northern Ireland Executive to adopt a strategy to enhance and protect the development of the Irish language.

This strategy is still in preparation.

In addition, the Government published two consultation papers, in December 2006 and March 2007, setting out its proposed approach to an Irish Language Act. However, at the point of devolution in May 2007 responsibility for the Irish language, and for taking forward any legislation in this area, passed to the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Pete Seeger

...de Léargas, la blogo de Gearóid Mac Ádhaimh:

...Soon we were gathered in a circle listening to Pete’s yarns. He is anatural story teller and within minutes he was singing for us to illustrate a point. His first songs were pop songs from the 1920’s and he sang a few bars to give us a flavour of that time.

‘Now here’s one an Irish plumber taught me forty years ago and he launched into Óró Sé Do Bheatha Bhaile.

‘Óró sé do bheatha bhaile. Oró sé do bheatha bhaile. Oró sé do bheatha baile. Anios ar theacht an tsamhraidh.’

This Blog is pleased to say that I sang close harmony on that one. Your man was green with envy. I was delighted with myself. Imagine Pete Seeger singing Oró Sé Do Bheatha Baile. With me !!!...

Breizh a Gan

...de Le Télégramme:

Depuis 1982, ce grand rassemblement de chorales se déroule chaque année dans une ville différente de Bretagne.

Un «Tro Breizh» des lieux prestigieux: cathédrales, basiliques, églises, mais aussi de grandes salles, telle Le Quartz, à Brest. Cette année c'est Tréguier, patrie de saint Yves, qui a été choisie.

La cathédrale résonnera d'ailleurs du «Cantique à saint Yves», lors du final, point d'orgue du concert où les six chorales vont chanter ensemble.

Un final qui se veut fédérateur de toutes les Bretagnes avec aussi l'incontournable «Bro Goz Ma Zadoù», chant emblématique de la Bretagne et hymne gallois «qui à chaque fois qu'on le chante procure un grand moment d'émotion aux chanteurs et auquel le public participe souvent», se réjouit Martine Le Gall....

Ar Redadeg

…de Ouest-France:

En mai 2008, la première édition de la Redadeg, une course-relais pédestre organisée à l'occasion des 30 ans de Diwan, avait réuni 10 000 participants de Nantes à Carhaix et récolté 66 000 €.

La deuxième édition partira de Rennes le 10 mai 2010 pour arriver à Pontivy le 15 mai en fin de journée.

Un relais sans étape de 1 200 km, de jour comme de nuit...

Gaelscéal

…de la Sunday Business Post:

The contract to publish an Irish language weekly paper has been awarded to a group called Torann na dTonn (Noise of the Waves).

Foras na Gaeilge, the crossborder Irish language body which awarded the contract, is meeting the company next week to discuss details.

The contract is worth €1.6 million over four years. The working title of the new publication is Gaelsceal. It will be full-colour and 32 pages. Torann na dTonn is a joint venture between the Galway-based Connacht Tribune newspaper group and Connemara-based EoTeilifis, a TV production and new media company.

The directors are Maire Ni Thuathail, EoTeilifis and David Hickey, chief executive of the Connacht Tribune...

Ó Cuív vs Ring

...de la Mayo Advertiser:

A Government minister has slammed claims by Fine Gael TD Michael Ring that the “Government are raiding the fund for struggling farmers to pay for Irish language bureaucracy”.

Deputy Ring made his claims earlier this week when he accused the Government of “raiding badly needed support funds for farmers who have been hit by the flooding crisis and falling farm incomes by taking €1 million from the Rural and Social Scheme to meet Irish language obligations”.

However, Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Eamon Ó Cuív has said that allegations made by Dep Ring are total nonsense.

“This is absolute rubbish and worse, it is deliberately disingenuous,” said Minister Ó Cuív...

Gaelscoileanna "Mollycoddled"

..de Glór Traidisiúnta Aontachtach:

“At a time when in the controlled sector Ballee Primary School in Ballymena is facing closure, it is astounding to discover that the NEELB, which wielded the axe so mercilessly against Ballee, is considering an application for a grant-aided Irish-medium primary school in Ballymena. The proposal before the Board is to have the Irish language school opening in September 2010, just after Ballee closes.

“The promotion by the Sinn Fein Minister of Irish schools and the preferential funding directing towards them, at a time when schools like Ballee are being targeted for closure, displays political bias, which those who boasted that in Stormont they could veto the republican agenda are powerless to stop. Shutting a state controlled school in Ballymena but funding an unwarranted Irish school in the town is Ruane’s destructive agenda in action.

“For what it’s worth I have written to the Department of Education vigorously objecting to both the Ballee closure and this proposal for a state funded Irish language school in Ballymena. I will not remain silent and watch state schools be destroyed but Irish language schools promoted and mollycoddled into existence...."

Skrivu Osian Jones!

…de la BBC:

A member of the Welsh Language Society who refused to pay a fine for painting slogans on shops has been jailed for 28 days by Caernarfon magistrates.

Osian Jones had been ordered to pay more than £1,100 after he painted graffiti on Boots and Superdrug stores in Caernarfon, Bangor and Llangefni.

The chairman of the bench gave Jones, from Dyffryn Nantlle, a chance to pay the fine, but he refused.

About 30 supporters carrying placards accompanied Jones to court.

The chairman of the magistrates, Gareth Haulfryn Williams, said: "We understand your situation, but I will ask you once again if you would consider paying the fine?"

Osian Jones replied: "I am not willing to pay a single penny.

"The situation of the Welsh language in Wales is as vulnerable now as it was 10 years ago when we got devolution."

* CYFEIRIAD/ADRESO:
..Osian Jones
..Rhif / No. DX8265
..HM Prison Altcourse,
..Fazakerley,
..Lerpwl, L97 LH
..Lloegr (UK)

Turnamh Shéamuis Mhic Alasdair

“Shut up, Harbinson. You made Barry McElduff sound intelligent on the radio.”

“Leader that child at Headquarters wrote the press release.”

“One council by-election and you think you’re Boris Johnson. I’m a QC you know. Boris had to apologise to the scousers. You groveled to the sqeaky Shinner of your own accord.”

Adam Price

…de la Western Mail:

The people of Wales should throw off their collective inferiority complex caused by centuries of English colonialism and take charge of their nation’s destiny, Plaid Cymru MP Adam Price argued last night.

In a passionate lecture called Wales, The First and Final Colony delivered to the Institute of Welsh Politics at Aberystwyth University, Mr Price said the deepest legacy left by English imperialism on Wales was psychological.

Tracing the history of Wales from the Anglo-Norman conquest, the Carmarthen East & Dinefwr MP said: “The Norman conquest was no mere military affair. Territorial annexation by force was simply the prelude to the entire panoply of measures in colonialism’s armoury….

…..Mr Price went on to refer to the attack on the Welsh language as “probably... the longest State-sanctioned policy of attempted linguistic genocide in history”.

Novaj Limoj por la Irlandalingvujo

…de la Connacht Sentinel:

Knocknacarra, Terryland and Menlo may lose out.

A 20-year blueprint for the Gaeltacht due out next month will recommend a redrawing of the boundaries, which will have major implications for the city with large suburbs contained within its realm.

Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs Éamon Ó Cuív said this week that he will seek the postponement of the Údarás na Gaeltachta elections, due to be held by next October, because of the implications of the report. He will have to seek Dáil approval of the postponement by way of an amendment to legislation.

An array of grants payable for housing programmes, Irish speaking children and various social programmes and businesses have been available in Gaeltacht areas, which encompass several suburbs of the city.

Knocknacarra, Menlo and Terryland are all officially within the Gaeltacht, although for the last five years Polish has been become the second language rather than Irish with the multicultural mix that has evolved.

Under revised boundaries these are likely to be taken out of the Gaeltacht, Minister Ó Cuív said.
“This 20-year strategy will deal with the definition of the Gaeltacht, which is based on a 1956 Act – it’s very dated. It will also look at how we can develop the Irish language and how to develop it around Gaelscoileanna and where there are clusters of Gaelic speakers that are outside the Gaeltacht,” he said.

Eric Powell

…de la South Wales Echo:

Eric Powell is proof that you are never too old to learn.

At the age of 90, the retired Llanedeyrn Junior School headteacher has gone back to the classroom and is currently in his fourth year of a Welsh language course.

Inspired to learn his country’s mother tongue, Eric has been studying the Open College Network course at the Howardian Education Centre, Cardiff, where he recently celebrated his milestone birthday with class mates.

“I’ve been learning Welsh for four years,” said Eric, a father of two and grandfather of one from Rhiwbina, Cardiff.

“I wanted to learn because I felt I would like to endorse my identity as a Welshman"...

Ó Cúiv Defendas Tradukojn

…de Raidió Teilifís Éireann:

The Minister for Community, Rural & Gaeltacht Affairs has defended the obligation to translate official documents into Irish.

Speaking through English in the Dáil, Éamon Ó Cuív stressed that he advocates that such documents be made available on CD or on the internet rather than hard copy.

He added that there are constitutional obligations to Irish as the first official language.

Fine Gael's Michael Ring said €1.8 million was spent on translation by State and local authorities last year, and €6 million was spent over the last six years….

Boots

…de Daily Post:

Welsh language protesters took to the streets in a campaign against a high street superstore.

The Welsh Language Society – Cymdeithas yr Iaith – launched its own mock version of the Boots advantage card as members protested outside the Bangor store on Saturday.

The cards said "There are no points whatsoever for using Welsh".

The Welsh Language Society is unhappy with Boots over the firm’s bilingual policy, claiming it falls well short.

Protesters also held a rally to support Osian Jones of Cymdeithas, who is facing criminal charges for painting slogans about the lack of Welsh language services provided by major high street stores in North Wales on their buildings…

Foinse as ais!

...de la Irish Independent:

Fluent Irish speakers and those with the cupla focal can now read 'Foinse', the country's biggest Irish language newspaper, for free with their Irish Independent every Wednesday.

The newly revitalised 'Foinse' is to be distributed every week from this Wednesday, ensuring it reaches more than 150,000 people through the Irish Independent, the largest selling national quality daily in Ireland.

Editor Emer Ni Cheidigh said she was "delighted" that 'Foinse' will, for the first time, be able to achieve a national readership on a scale well beyond what it had been able to achieve in the past….

Episkopo William Morgan

…de la Daily Post:

Never has the Welsh language been done a better turn than when Conwy’s William Morgan translated the Bible into our ancient Celtic tongue.

And perhaps this explains how Welsh has managed to keep going while its bedfellows, Cornish, Breton, Manx and Gaelic have all but died out.

On the orders of Elizabeth I, Morgan of Penmachno not only translated the Old and New Testaments from Greek and Hebrew but did so into a beautiful, eminently readable Welsh.

Unsurprisingly, therefore, Daily Post readers have judged him to be one of our top 30 Great North Walians.

The Archdeacon of St Asaph, the Venerable Bernard Thomas, is unequivocal about the enormous influence Morgan’s work had.

“It saved the Welsh language without a shadow of a doubt and the style of William Morgan’s translation in 1588 established the style of Welsh literature thereafter,” says Mr Thomas, himself a Welsh speaker...

Tradiciaj Unuecismaj Leprekonoj

...de la Demokrata Unuecisma Partio:

“After TUV apologies about their stance on the Irish Language here's the secret footage from their conference!! You can decide if they're elves or leprachauns”

Radio Bro Gwened

...de La Télégramme:

Comme chaque année, depuis neuf ans, l'équipe et les amis de Radio Bro Gwened se mobiliserent pour appeler aux dons. À partir de 18h15 vendredi, jusqu'à 13h dimanche, c'est une programmation spéciale, avec beaucoup de directs, de jeux avec prix à gagner, d'animations musicales... qui sera proposée aux auditeurs.

Toute l'équipe, animateurs ou chroniqueurs bénévoles, journalistes, salariés de la radio... se succédera à l'antenne pour appeler à intervalles réguliers les auditeurs à apporter leur soutien.

Il sera possible, à tout moment, de faire une promesse de don ou de souscrire à l'opération «Cinqeuros par mois pour Radio Bro Gwened» en appelant au 02.97.25.14.00 ou sur www.radio-bro-gwened.com.

Cette aide financière est très importante pour la radio associative locale qui, avec sept salariés et une équipe d'une cinquantaine d'animateurs et de bénévoles actifs, reste en permanence à la recherche de financements....

Cooish

...de Manx Radio:

Indigenous languages spoken by minorities is the theme of a British Irish Council Summit in Jersey today, at which the Isle of Man is represented.

Chief Minister Tony Brown and Education Minister Anne Craine are flying the Manx flag at an event which coincides with the annual Cooish, or Manx Language Week.

Manx Gaelic has enjoyed a spectacular revival in recent years, and Mr Brown and Mrs Craine are expected to share some of the secrets of its success with fellow delegates.

The British Irish Council's work on the preservation of languages is led by Wales, and today's conference includes an address by the host Island's education minister, about the place of Jersey's own native tongue in its history....

Guth Gafa

...de la Irish Film & Television Network:

The 2010 Guth Gafa International Documentary Film Festival will take place in Gortahork between the 10th and the 13th June next year and is currently inviting film submissions.

Next year's event will be the 5th edition of the festival. In 2009, despite budget cuts of almost 30% due to the recession, the Festival organisers saw an increase of nearly 35% in audience attendance. Over 70% of the festival’s programming in 2009 came from European countries, with the other films coming from South Africa, Australia, Canada, China, India and the USA.

Guth Gafa does not have an open submission policy. It is a 100% curated Festival, with a team of programmers attending international and Irish Festivals to seek out the best new documentary films for the festival. However, international and Irish films (over 50 minutes only) will be considered if they fit the programming requirements.

Submissions should be made by writing first to info@guthgafa.com and should contain the following information: Name of Film, Director, Year of Production, Other Festival Screenings, Awards, Short Synopsis of the film (up to 300 words), Directors' biography (up to 200 words), Website address and e-mail address of the Contact Person for the Film. Entrants are asked to mark the Subject line of your e-mail – ‘Submissions 2010’...

Mudiad Ysgolion Meithrin

…de la Caernarfon Denbigh Herald:

Gwynedd Council’s leader has made a robust defence of the decision to consider cutting funding to Welsh language pre-schools.

Councillor Dyfed Edwards argues the council has no choice but to look at all the options for saving the £16m it needs to over the next three years.

However he was at pains to highlight that the proposal is only one of many to be looked at across all departments.

The Penygroes member also revealed that he, along with the education portfolio holder, Liz Saville Roberts, will meet with Ysgolion Mudiad Meithrin chief executive Hywel Jones to try and, is hopeful of finding a “satisfactory outcome” for the future of the movement in Gwynedd...

Cill Dara

…de la Kildare Nationalist:

...Our native language has been on the retreat for centuries. Indeed here in this part of County Kildare Irish has not been the everyday language of the local people for more than 200 years.

Various attempts to revive the language were made over the years.

The Gaelic League established in Dublin in 1893 as Conradh na Gaeilge opened a branch in Athy, when exactly I cannot say, but a contemporary note records that the Athy branch was ‘revived’ in January 1919.

This was at a time when the anglicisation of Ireland was at its height and everything Irish was being thrust aside in favour of English ways. It was also a time when the law discriminated against the Irish language.

Padraig Pearse in his only appearance before the courts unsuccessfully defended a carter who insisted in putting his name on his cart in Irish rather than in English.

Here in Athy an Irish teacher based in the newly opened technical school in Stanhope Street was convicted and fined at the petty sessions held in the courthouse for signing his name in Irish….

Kornvalaj Vojŝildoj

…de This is Cornwall:

Street signs in Cornwall could be bilingual in future as a result of plans put forward by Cornwall Council this week.

A draft Cornish language policy was set to be considered by the council's cabinet today and puts forward ways to promote the Cornish language, including making all street signs bilingual.

While not going as far as in Wales, where all road signs are bilingual, the policy would see residential street signs and signs in council buildings in both Cornish and English.

The document suggests the introduction of bilingual signage in all council buildings and using Cornish in all council publications and literature, including on the council's website….

Fáilte romhat, a Mhíchíl!

…de la Irish Emigrant:

Moriarty’s Bar and Restaurant is celebrating their grand opening next weekend, and doing so in impressive fashion with a special appearance by legendary Irish broadcaster Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh. The well known commentator is celebrating his 60 year anniversary of being the “voice of the Gaelic Games.”

Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh was born in Dún Síon just outside An Daingean, CountyKerry, in 1930. Fifteen years later he began studying at Coláiste Íosagáin in Baile Bhúirne in the Co. Cork Gaeltacht where he was in training to be a teacher. It was at this point that his name changed from Michael Moriarty to Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh. In 1948 he began the final year of his training at St. Patrick's College in Dublin. He graduated from St. Patrick's and also received a Bachelor of Arts degree from University College Dublin. He taught economics, accounting and Irish in both primary and secondary schools throughout Dublin.

O’Muircheartaigh’s broadcasting career started off very early, at eighteen Ó Muircheartaigh, did a test commentary on a hurling game at CrokePark. Each person had to commentate for five minutes in Irish and the most successful would be selected for further broadcast work.

Ó Muircheartaigh had never seeing a game of hurling before in his life but his intimate familiarity with the Irish language set him apart from the other individuals who were vying for the coveted position. His first assignment was to provide an all-Irish commentary on the 1949 Railway Cup final on St. Patrick's Day.

The rest is broadcasting history…

CultureFest na Gaeilge

...de Hamptons.com:

The Long Island Film Festival (LIFF) continues as Long Island's original and longest running competitive film festival, now celebrating its 26th edition. Founded by Christopher Cooke with the goal to provide a public forum to screen independently produced films and videos in addition to giving out achievement awards, including media attention to the region's student and professional talent pool. Another goal was to further promote Long Island as a location for the production of feature films, documentaries, commercials, and industrial film and videos…..

…The LIFF continues this year programming a festival-within-a-festival titled CultureFest na Gaeilge USA. This phenomenon was founded by Leik in 2005 as an expression of interest in his own heritage, and an exploration of the language of his ancestors. CultureFest na Gaeilge USA is a unique concept in that it's the first North American Irish language cultural festival of its kind to present a lineup of the visual and performing arts strictly in the Irish language. Although all presentations are in the Irish language, they can be first briefly introduced in English...

Pardonpeto Akceptita

...de la Irish News:

Gaeilgeoiri have welcomed an apology from the TUV after the party described Irish as “leprechaun language”...

... Seamus Mac Aindreasa from Irish language campaign group Pobal said it was concerned with the content of the statement, but welcomed the apology.

“I think it’s to be welcomed that TUV have withdrawn the ‘leprechaun language’ part of the statement,” he said.

“That hasn’t been heard since the eighties.

“They have gone as far as to apologise for the headline, but not about what they refer to in their original as a dead language.

“According to census figures and the European Union that is not the case.”...

Malkovrita

...de la blogo, From the Balcony, de Máirtín Ó Muilleoir:

Our pal in Nua Eabharc Daithí Mac Lochlainn spotted the TUV u-turn on this one first: the party branded Irish a leprechaun language and then recanted with a simple bashing of Irish language.

The party has now apologised.

This BBC report notes that the term "leprechaun language" was first famously used by Sammy Wilson in the 1980s during a City Hall debate.

It was actually used as part of a motion to throw me out of the council at my first meeting in November 1987 when I had spoken Irish.

"Infaneca Eraro"

...de le BBC:

Traditional Unionist Voice has apologised for its "childishness" after issuing a statement describing Irish as a "leprechaun language".

The statement was issued under the name of TUV vice-chairman Keith Harbinson and condemned the Department of Education for "wasting" money on Irish.

However after being distributed to the media, the press release on the party's website was changed to remove the term.

A spokesman told the BBC the original words were a "childish mistake". ..

Cén fáth?

…al Glór Traidisiúnta Aontachtach:

Mr. Harbinson:

I am very curious as to why you changed the wording in your recent press release regarding the Irish language.

The original heading read:

"TUV Blast Leprechaun Language Waste"

http://url.ie/2slp (from Google cache)

Later, this was changed to read:

"TUV Blast Irish Language Waste"

http://tuv.org.uk/press-releases/view/377/tuv-blast-irish-language-waste

It seems to me that the former would attract more reportage.

Why did you change it?

Is mise, le fiosracht,
Daithí Mac Lochlainn

“Bainigí sult as an oíche!”

…de la New York Times:

And working together, I have no doubt that our best days are still ahead.

Our best years are still ahead. Now, can we do it? Will you help me?

Will you help make the greatest city in the world even better?

Will the Yankees win Game 6? You better believe it. God bless. Enjoy the night.

Or, as we say in Gaelic [?], Disfruta la noche. Thank you, and God bless New York City.

* Níor thacaigh an blag seo le atoghchán an Mhéara. / Ĉi tiu blogo ne aprobis la Urbestro por reelektiĝo.

“Leprekona Lingvo”*

…de Glór Traidisiúnta Aontachtach:

“The revelation that spending on Irish translation increased by more than 350% in the Department of Education over the last year will shock many – and not just Unionists...

“While the Minister is happy to squander money on a dead language in order to promote her own narrow political agenda, thousands of parents and pupils are left in a state of anxiety as the transfer system has descended to state of unregulated chaos. This is nothing short of outrageous, and I would respectfully suggest that the Minister employ more time, effort and budget towards finding a resolution to the current calamity, which she has brought to bear on our prized Education System.

“It seems that Minister Ruane is more concerned about using her Ministerial position to further her own narrow Republican agenda by wasting departmental money on Irish than the future of Ulster’s children”.

* Aistríodh "Leprechaun" go "Irish" ar an suíomh Glór Traidisiúnta Aontachtach inniú. / "Leprechaun" estis ŝanĝita al "Irish" en la TUV retejo hodiaŭ.

Ai’ta!

…de NovoPress/Brezh:

Voici maintenant deux ans qu’Ai’ta ! (« Allez ! » en breton) lutte pour que la langue bretonne ait sa place dans tous les services publics de Bretagne, en particulier dans les gares.

Ainsi, dimanche dernier vers 18h15, la gare de Brest fit l’objet d’une action qui a réuni une trentaine de personnes.

Durant plus d’une heure, les militants du bilinguisme français-breton dans les services publics, visages masqués de blanc, se sont allongés dans le hall de la gare et sont restés immobiles jusqu’à l’arrivée du train en provenance de Paris...

Lingvaj Potencoj

...de la BBC:

The Welsh assembly has approved a bid for powers over the Welsh language, with some dissent.

A number of AMs say it has meant a narrowing of the powers that could be devolved from Westminster.

Heritage Minister Alun Ffred Jones said the powers bid would mean the coalition assembly government could pass all of its commitments on the Welsh language.

The powers bid has to be passed by both Houses of Parliament before it is given royal approval....

Profesoro Larry Taylor

...de la Irish Times:

He’s a New York Jew who speaks fluent Irish and is an expert in the anthropology of Irish Catholicism. Now, he’s making international connections for NUI Maynooth…

Professor Lawrence Taylor was seen as an ideal choice to represent NUI Maynooth in its effort to expand and cement its partnerships and dealings with international universities.

Taylor had been head of the department of anthropology in NUI Maynooth for almost 10 years when he was appointed as Dean of International Education last year….

…Learning the Irish language was just one element that allowed him to get under the skin of the community, but it was an important one. He developed a fascination in particular with the role of the Catholic Church and the priest in the community and gradually, that took over as his main area of research.

Throughout those years, Taylor published articles on all sorts of areas, but Donegal remained to the fore. In 1995, he secured a deal with Lilliput Press to publish his breakthrough work, Occasions of Faith – An Anthropology of Irish Catholics.

The book was shortlisted for the Turner prize for ethnographic writing and has become one of the seminal works on the topic. “That was simply a brilliant book,” said one peer…

…After the publication of Occasions of Faith , he was approached by the then president of the new NUI Maynooth, Séamus Smyth. By then it was 1997 and Smyth enticed Taylor to take up the newly created position of professor of anthropology in the university….

SÉAMUS ABÚ!

...de la Irish Independent:

A serving US soldier from Brooklyn, New York, who learned Donegal Irish from the internet, progressed to the finals at a weekend Sean-nos singing competition.

Seamus O Fianghusa (33), or Seamus na Gaeilge as he is affectionately known in the Donegal Gaeltacht, was attending his second Oireachtas na Samhna, the most prestigious event in the Irish language calendar.

But he wasn't the only international competitor to impress judges at the competition, which drew up to 15,000 Irish language enthusiasts to Letterkenny, County Donegal...

Hanibalo kaj la Glaciejoj

…de la Environmental Research Web:

...Amazingly, the Romans managed to create an empire that lasted 500 years without having a word for glacier. Amazing to me as a glaciologist, that is. I can see that there would not be much call for such a word in ancient Greek – all those sun-drenched islands – but the Romans needed to cross the Alps regularly, and on one vividly-recorded occasion to cope with Hannibal and his elephants.

A few articles ago, I was able to trace the word glacier back to 1332 on the strength of documentary evidence, and more conjecturally to some date in the post-Roman period when some unknown speaker of Franco-provencal first uttered a word from which our modern form could have descended…

…How could Polybius, who writes proudly of how he made the passage of the Alps so as to see for himself the terrain he was immortalizing, not have noticed the weird whitish things hanging from the ridges and creeping down the valleys? Surely the local inhabitants, if they had a word for them either in Latin or, more probably, a Celtic language akin to modern Breton and Welsh, would have given him the word?...

Kimralingvo kaj Tolkien Festo

….de la BBC:

The influence the Welsh language had on books by JRR Tolkien is to form part of a major new festival in Powys to honour the author.

The Festival in the Shire will celebrate themes inspired by Tolkien, whose novels included Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.

Fans of the writer, leading academics and illustrators are expected to attend the planned event in Machynlleth.

It is being organised by local book dealer Mark Faith for next August.

Mr Faith said Tolkien's fans would have the opportunity to delve deeper into the writer's work with a conference entitled: Welsh influences on the works of JRR Tolkien…

West Highland Free Press

…de la BBC:

Staff at the award-winning West Highland Free Press have taken the publication over from five shareholders who had owned it.

The weekly was founded in 1972 as a left-wing newspaper to campaign for the Gaelic language and against absentee landlords.

Among its founding shareholders was Brian Wilson, a former Labour government minister.
The newspaper will now be managed by a trust centred around the staff...

Kimraj Ludaj Grupoj

…de la Caernarfon Denbigh Herald:

Anger is growing across the county at a proposal which could see the majority of Welsh language pre-school play groups being forced to close.

Petitions are being organised in towns and villages, such as Porthmadog, Pwllheli, Caernarfon, Y Groeslon and Y Felinheli, opposing a Gwynedd Council proposal to save £250,000 from its education budget by changing the funding arrangements for pre-schoolers.

The petitions are expected to garner thousands of signatures and will be handed in to the council’s headquarters in Caernarfon next Thursday (November 5), where a working party of councillors will choose which savings to recommend to a full meeting of the council in December.

Last week the Herald exclusively revealed that the council was considering funding pre-school education from age three onwards and providing it within primary schools, by 2012-2013….

….Welsh language pressure group, Cymdeithas yr Iaith condemned the move.

Its spokesman Osian Jones said: “From our point of view it is important that children of any age are educated in their own town or village.

“We would be totally against any proposal which would force Cylchoedd Meithrin to close and this issue is similar to the debate surrounding the need for rural schools.” ...