Keltalingva Konferenco en Nov-Jorko

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

Of course, turns out Ireland's greatest academics and writers are now nearly all linked to US universities and it's often in those same colleges that the most important research on Ireland's politics and literature is taking place.

I'm reminded of that fact by this not about the annual convention in New York of Celtic Language teachers. The explosion of Irish classes across the US is one of the phenomenal cultural developments of our age and it's no surprise to me that Daithí Mac Lochlainn of New York is at the forefront of the latest initiative to bring the teachers of the Celtic languages together.

The 2009 Conference of the North American Association of Celtic Language Teachers (NAACLT) will be held May 20-24, 2009 at The New York City Irish Center (10-40 Jackson Ave, Long Island City, New York).

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Perhaps someday, we'll catch up with those 'backward' Yanks and host our own annual Belfast convention of Celtic teachers.

Ĉu la Leĝo Povas Savi la Kimran Lingvon?

…de la Daily Post:

Martin Luther King Jnr said: "It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, but it can keep him from lynching me, and I think that's pretty important."

The Welsh Assembly Government now wants the power to make laws to promote the Welsh language, partly to extend a responsibility on those in the private sector who provide pubic services to do so in Welsh as well as English.

It would bestow equality on the two languages of Welsh and English, offering Welsh speakers the freedom to speak the language, with those rights safeguarded by a Language Commissioner.

Whether these laws will prove more successful in protecting the language remains to be seen.

Gay Mitchell

…de Fine Gael:

Fine Gael MEP for Dublin, Gay Mitchell, has proposed that all public showings of films during the St Patrick's Festival should be subtitled in Irish and has sought meetings with studio representatives in Ireland on the subject.

"In Brussels it is the norm that films shown publicly in cinemas are subtitled, often in more than one language. This can happen at the theatre also. I attended a Gate Theatre tour production of a Beckett play in Brussels last year which had subtitle screens discreetly placed on either side of the stage."It is time to try this in Ireland.

I have asked for a meeting with the studio representatives in Ireland (Paramount, 20th Century Fox, Sony, Disney and Warner Bros) to propose that they introduce this, in the first instance on a trial basis, for all public showing of films for the coming St Patrick's festival week. Most of us have some Irish but lose the little we have because we cannot use it daily. Here is an opportunity to help those of us whose Irish is weak to start to build on what we have locked away from our school days.

Glór na Ríogh

…de Leinster Leader:

The Irish language group Glór na Ríogh is to receive further national recognition in the annual Glór na nGael awards.

The Naas based Irish language group won first place in Level two of the competition with a prize of E3,000.

The results of the prestigious competition were announced live by Seán Bán Breathnach on Raidió na Gaeltachta on Friday last.

"Established three years ago Glór na Ríogh has shown itself to be a hard working and effective committee," said Glór na nGael manager, Nóra Welby.