Lámh Fada na gCeithearna Coille!

Grand Central Station, Nua Eabhrac/Novjorko

Plurlingva Reklamo

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

Anyhow more interesting pictures to follow of the new Continental airways ad campaign on the subway in New York which asks in a trillion languages if you have business to do in Amsterdam, Beijing, Sao Paulo etc with the poster language being the language of those cities.
For Belfast, however, the poster asks in English, "Doing Business in Belfast?"

This will only add petrol to the flames of Daithí's campaign to get Continental to introduce Irish greetings on their flights to Dublin AND Belfast.

Ceithearna Coille Abú!

...de Na Ceithearna Coille:

Tá a fhios againn ar fad gur dhiúltaigh aerlíne náisiúnta na hÉireann, Aer Lingus, Gaeilge a chur ar fhógraí eitiltí isteach agus amach as Béal Feirste. Bhí scéal ag Lá Nua le déanaí fosta go bhfuil Continental Airlines SAM anois ag machnamh faoi fhógra fáilte a dhéanamh i nGaeilge ar a gcuid seirbhísí go hAerfort Bhaile Átha Cliath agus Aerfort na Sionna.

Bhuel, a bhuí arís leis an Ghael Meiriceánach Daithí Mac Lochlainn, tá sé tagtha chun solais go bhfuil barúil ar leith ag ceannasaí Ryanair, Michael O'Leary, faoin Ghaeilge chomh maith. I litir a sheol sé chuig Daithí, léiríonn an fear gnó go bhfuil sé go hiomlán i gcoinne úsáid na Gaeilge ar eitiltí Ryanair nó comhlachtaí eile.

Ní hamháin go gcuireann sé a thuairim in iúl ar bhealach sotalach aineolach, tugann sé le fios chomh maith go bhfuil an ceart ag Aer Lingus gan Gaeilge a úsáid ar eitiltí as Béal Feirste agus nach fiú am a chur amú ag plé leis an teanga.

Táthar ag caint anois ar bhaghcat a dhéanamh ar Ryanair. Muna féidir leat sin a dhéanamh, déan cinnte go mbíonn greamaitheoir Gaeilge leat an chéad uair eile agus tú ag eitilt leis an bhoc seo O'Leary.

* NÁR LAGA DIA BHUR LÁMHA, A CHOMRÁDAITHE! *

Paĝo Unu / Lathanach a hAon

...as Lá Nua:

Tá toradh éigin ar fheachtas atá ar bun ag an ghníomhaí Ghaelach i Nua-Eabhrac, Dáithí Mac Lochlainn, agus é ag iarraidh ar Continental Airlines úsáid a bhaint as teachtaireachtaí réamhthaifeadta i nGaeilge ar na heitiltí a thagann isteach go hAerfort na Sionna agus go hAerfort Bhaile Átha Cliath.

Ar 20 Feabhra 2008 thuairiscigh Lá Nua: “D’eisigh Continental ráiteas go Lá Nua a dúirt “cé nach é aidhm s’againn aon teanga ar leith a chur ó dhoras ar chumarsáid aistir, úsáideann muid príomhtheanga an bhunphointe agus an cheannphointe…

…Ach ag scríobh dó ar ais chuig an Uasal Mac Lochlainn, thug John Mowad, Speisialtóir Feidhmiúcháin, le fios go raibh tuairisc ullmhaithe aige faoi cheist na Gaeilge do bainistíocht shinsearach na haerlíne.

Arsa an Uasal Mowad, “Consistent with our commitment for improvement, I have prepared a detailed report containing your request for our airline to offer Irish communications on-board upon both departure and arrival, and I will be sending it to our Senior Management teams for further internal review. I assure you that they take the feedback from our passengers very seriously, as we continually strive to improve our customers’ experiences.”

“Ar ndóigh, is tábhachtach go gcloiseann Continental uainn go léir,’’ arsa an tUas Mac Lochlainn, inné. ‘‘Is féidir scríobh chuig Mr. John Mowad, Continental Airlines, Dept. HQSEO, 1600 Smith Street, Houston, Texas 77002, Stáit Aontaithe Mheiriceá..."

FEACHTAS!

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

Daithí Mac Lochlainn continues his campaign to have Continental sing the praises of Irish when they land at Aldergrove Airport while Raidió Fáilte is set to step up its campaign to have its remit for Belfast widened to take in the entire six counties.

Ironically, as a consequence of Daithí's pressure, Continental may introduce a welcome notice in Irish on their Shannon and Dublin routes.

As special executive Joe Mowad writes: “Consistent with our commitment for improvement, I have prepared a detailed report containing your request for our airline to offer Irish communications on-board upon both departure and arrival, and I will be sending it to our Senior Management teams for further internal review. I assure you that they take the feedback from our passengers very seriously, as we continually strive to improve our customers’ experiences.”

* Kompreneble, estas grava ke Continental aŭdas de ni ĉiuj. / Ar ndóigh, is tabhachtach go gcloiseann Continental uainn go léir:

Mr. John Mowad

Continental Airlines, Dept. HQSEO

1600 Smith Street

Houston, Texas 77002

Stáit Aontaithe Mheiriceá

Dankon, Continental!

March 22, 2008

.

Mr. John Mowad
Continental Airlines / Dept. HQSEO
1600 Smith Street
Houston, Texas 77002

re: L3593794

Dear Mr. Mowad:

Thank you for your kind response to my letter regarding the possibility of Irish-language announcements aboard Ireland-bound Continental Airlines flights. I look forward to further response from your Senior Management teams.

In your letter, you mentioned Shannon and Dublin Airports. One would hope that Belfast flights would also be considered. Belfast is the home of a vibrant Irish-speaking community and boasts of its own Gaeltacht Quarter.

Here, I would recommend that, for Belfast flights, Ulster Scots announcements accompany those in Irish. Short, and even recorded, announcements in both languages would be perfectly feasible and even welcomed by many.

I am certain that the Ulster Scots Agency would be happy to help in this regard, just as Foras na Gaeilge would be able to do so with Irish.

As you may know, Highland Airways even offers online booking services through three languages, English, Scots Gaelic and Welsh. Continental Airlines may want to consider this further step in improving service.

Many businesses are discovering the benefits of using Irish. The annual Barr 50 (Top 50) awards are indicative of this and often include companies based outside of Ireland.

It would be exciting to see (and hear!) Continental Airlines services provided as Gaeilge!

Continental Airlines kaj la Irlandalingvo

(Kluku sur la bildoj. / Gliogáil ar na híomhánna.)

Continental Airlines, Aer Arann kaj la Irlandalingvo

...de Lá Nua:

Dheimhnigh Aer Arann inné nach raibh gearán ar bith faighte acu i leith fógraí Gaeilge a dhéantar ar eitiltí na haerlíne as Béal Feirste.

Tá seirbhís laethúil ar bun ag Aer Arann idir Béal Feirste agus Corcaigh, agus dúirt an comhlacht inné go ndéantar na fógraí Gaeilge céanna ar an tseirbhís is a dhéantar ar gach eitilt eile de chuid Aer Arann…

Tá iarratas ar fhógraí Gaeilge ar eitiltí ó SAM go hÉirinn diúltaithe ag Continental Airlines.

Tá feachtas litreacha tosaithe ag cainteoir Gaeilge atá ina chónaí i Nua-Eabhrac, Daithí Mac Lochlainn, ag moladh do Continental fógraí gairide réamhthaifeadta a dhéanamh ar eitiltí go hÉirinn, ach níl an aerlíne sásta glacadh leis an moladh faoi láthair.

D’eisigh Continental ráiteas go Lá Nua a dúirt “cé nach é an aidhm s’againn aon teanga ar leith a chur ó dhoras, úsáideann muid príomhtheanga an bhunphointe agus an cheannphointe.

“Baineann ár n-aerlíne úsáid as Béarla i gcomhair cumarsáide ar eitiltí as Éirinn agus go hÉirinn de bharr go ndéanann céatadán i bhfad níos airde de mhuintir na hÉireann cumarsáid i mBéarla ná i nGaeilge.”

Dúirt urlabhraí Aer Arann freisin go raibh sé mar aidhm acu leagan Gaeilge de shuíomh idirlín an chomhlachta a chur ar fáil roimh dheireadh na bliana.

“Tá aitheantas orainn mar chomhlacht a thagann ón nGaeltacht agus comhlacht a bhfuil fear Gaeltachta mar phríomhfheidhmeanach air, agus ar bhealach amháin, tá iómhá ‘ró-Éireannach’ againn, ach tá sé mar rún againn an suíomh a aistriú go Gaeilge amach anseo,” arsa sé.

Tá leagan Béarla agus Fraincise den suíomh, ann faoi láthair.

Letero al Continental Airlines

13ú Feabhra, 2008

Mr. Larry Kellner, CEO
Continental Airlines
1600 Smith Street
Houston, Texas 77002

Dear Mr. Kellner:

For various reasons, more travelers are choosing Continental for flights to points in Ireland, whether Dublin, Shannon or Belfast.

According to the 2000 US Census, 25,870 Irish-language speakers live in the United States. I would suspect that many of us travel to Ireland with some frequency.

It would be viewed as an enhancement in service and kind gesture if Continental Airlines were to include on-board announcements in Irish for such flights, both upon departure and arrival, in both directions.

While it is perfectly understandable that live announcements would be difficult given changes in flight crew personnel, recorded announcements aboard Continental flights would be most welcomed by many in the Irish-speaking community.

Other airlines use such recording in response to the language problem on international flights and they usually work quite well.

Please consider this approach for your airline.

The Irish Government’s language office, Foras na Gaeilge would be quite able and willing to direct you to high quality services in this regard.

They can be reached at Foras na Gaeilge, 7 Merrion Square,Dublin 2, Ireland. [telephone: 011-353-1850 325 325]. Visit their website at gaeilge.ie.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.