Les Deizioù

…de Maville.com:

Les 50 associations d'Emglev bro an Oriant concoctent un menu pour le plus grand nombre. Les Deizioù ? 71 rendez-vous avec la culture bretonne !

En février et mars vient le temps des Deizioù, le temps du Meurlarjez, du Mardi-Gras, moment privilégié vers la langue bretonne, l'histoire et la géographie de la Bretagne, la danse et le kañ ha diskañ. « J'ai découvert bien tardivement l'histoire de la Bretagne », écrit Lucien Gourong qui, avec l'historien Jean-Pierre Le Mat, donnera deux conférences intitulées « les clés de la culture bretonne » et « l'histoire de la Bretagne à travers les siècles ».

Le conteur groisillon s'explique : « La culture bretonne est restée longtemps pour moi terra incognita..»

Lá an Phaoraigh

…de la Irish Independent:

One GAA book deserves special mention, not just because it's the personal story of Sean Og de Paor, one of Galway's greatest footballers, but because it's written in Irish. In market terms, that limited its appeal, but the de Paors (the book was co-written by Sean's sister, Aoife) are so committed to the Irish language that they put the native tongue first.

Thankfully, Galway three-in-a-row goalkeeper Johnny Geraghty and others gave me a good grounding in Irish many years ago so I was able to enjoy most of La an Phaoraigh, a most interesting book which concludes with Sean selecting his "dream team" drawn from players he came up against in a long and rewarding career. There are some surprises aboard, but then he played against them so his insight must be respected.

Kimra Diasporo

…de icWales:

Welsh broadcaster S4C increasingly has its eye on the “Welsh diaspora”, with 122,000 people tuning in from beyond the border.

With S4C now available via Sky and the internet, the market outside Wales is becoming increasingly important, the channel’s chairman John Walter Jones said yesterday.
S4C is now pushing for a slot on the Freeview service – the cost is currently prohibitive – when the analogue TV signal is switched off in 2009-10.

In a sign of the increasing store S4C puts on its UK-wide reach, it is holding a public meeting for viewers in Liverpool in October – thought to be the first of its kind.

Mr Jones told MPs on the Welsh Affairs Select Committee, “The audience is no longer confined to Wales and we need to reach them – 122,000 people outside Wales tune in to S4C, and that’s a fair figure, and a fair percentage are Welsh-speakers who live outside Wales.”

Duaj Hejmoj en Kimro

…de icWales:

Treasury proposal to cut tax on the sale of second homes could derail policies aimed at increasing the supply of affordable housing in rural Wales, it is feared.

The Welsh Assembly Government is now trying to stop Chancellor Alistair Darling’s plans, which would see capital gains tax liability on proceeds from selling second homes fall to a flat rate of 18%.

Currently, the proceeds are taxed at between 24% and 40%, depending on how long the home has been owned….

…Selwyn Jones of Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg, the Welsh Language Society, said, “This proposal, rather than helping to rectify the over inflated housing market which doesn’t reflect local wages or make it easier for first time buyers to gain access to the existing housing, will actually make the situation worse.

“It clearly shows that the policy is for the housing stock to be seen as an investment opportunity rather than a place for people to live at a cost they can afford.

“We call for a Property Act to ensure that local people have priority in gaining access to homes within their community at a cost which reflects local wages.”

Bairbre de Brún

17952

…de An Phoblacht:

Ag caint sa parlaimint inniu, chuir Bairbre de Brún fáilte roimh an scéal is déanaí ó na Náisiúin Aontaithe go mbeidh an bhliain seo 2008 mar bhliain idirnáisiúnta do theangacha.

Dúirt sí fosta i ndíospóireacht faoi Ghníomhaireacht an Aontais Eorpaigh um Chearta Bunúsacha (EU Agency for Fundamental Rights) go raibh gá láidir ann le haghaidh cearta teanga in Éirinn agus is léir go bhfuil Bairbre ag seasamh an fhóid ar son na Gaeilge san Aontas lena chinntiú go mbeidh dul chun cinn don theanga.

“Fáiltím roimh thuarascáil Michael Cashman faoi Gníomhairacht an Aontais Eorpaigh um Chearta Bunúsacha. Rinne feisirí ón Choiste um Shaoirsí Sibhialta obair den scoth ar an ábhar tábhachtach seo, obair atá de dhíth go géar má táimid chun cearta bunúsacha a chur cinn agus a chaomhnú. Tréaslaím leo agus leis an rapóirtéir..."

Irlanda Imersia Festo

…de Frost Illustrated:

Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW) and IPFW's Omicron Psi will host the Irish Immersion Festival Jan. 25 and Jan. 26…

… participants will experience music from eight bands, including the Firestarters, Mother Grove, Mimi Burns Band, and Kennedy's Kitchen and entertainment from professional Irish dancers. The festival also includes workshops on Irish history, religion, the Irish-American Connection, the Irish language, and how to use the bodhran drum…

…For more information, call (260) 438-9598 or e-mail Caoimhe.McNeil@gmail.com. Caoimhe McNeil is president of the Omicron-Psi Honor Society.

"Gealtacht" sa Ghaeltacht

...de la Mayo News:

The former Cathaoirleach of Mayo County Council, Cllr Gerry Coyle, has called for English place names to be added to the signposts for Gaeltacht areas, stating that Irish-only signs are confusing for tourists visiting the area.

Following the Official Languages Act 2003, all signposts in Gaeltacht areas use the Irish version of the place name only, with the English place name removed. Signs pointing to Belmullet, for example, now have only Béal an Mhuirthead written on them, and Cllr Coyle claims that, in most cases, signs do not match with the names on the maps.

The Geesala-based councillor said that thousands of euro are being spent on marketing Erris and Belmullet as tourist destinations. However, he said that these names are being marketed using their English name, yet, according to the Languages Act, these places do not exist.

“All the signs leading to Erris are in Irish and it is crazy that people looking for Belmullet on the map cannot find it on the sign. It was lunacy to change the signs and both names should be on it…”

Seirbhis Dhigiteach na Gàidhlig

...de la BBC:

The organisation behind plans to set up a Gaelic digital television channel has said it is encouraged by the latest study into its potential audience.

In a survey of 1,001 people across Scotland, conducted for the Gaelic Media Service (GMS), 5% said they spoke the language well.

A further 7% said they knew a few words, while almost half said they would tune into a Gaelic channel...

An Captaen Aralt Mac Giolla Chainnigh

...de la Globe & Mail:

Capt. Mac Giolla Chainnigh, who legally changed his name from Harold Kenny to the Gaelic version, is an associate professor of physics at Royal Military College in Kingston, and a member of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry.

He has long been active in promoting Irish culture in Canada. His office voicemail answers in Irish Gaelic and he is president of the North American Association for Celtic Language Teachers.

Na Beanntaichean Gorma

…de la Cape Breton Post:

Many of Cape Breton’s Gaelic stories will be passed on to a whole new generation through a provincial initiative at high schools across Nova Scotia.

The Office of Gaelic Affairs announced Friday that copies of John Shaw’s most recent book, The Blue Mountains and Other Gaelic Stories from Cape Breton: Na Beanntaichean Gorma agus Sgeulachdan Eile à Ceap Breatainn — a publication that includes Gaelic texts of the stories and their English translations — will be provided to all high schools in the province.

Lewis MacKinnon, CEO of the Office of Gaelic Affairs, said the book will be an important tool for existing Gaelic language and culture courses and in building awareness among students and staff at schools where Gaelic programming currently isn’t offered.

“The significance of the material is that it’s bilingual. He presents it in a bilingual format and obviously it’s Nova Scotia content. The informants that he presents in his material are Cape Breton Gaelic tradition bearers and therefore I think it’s obviously of local interest,” he said.“Many of the students who will come in contact with this particular publication, probably their grandparents or their great-grandparents had some of these stories. I think that’s the amazing thing, that these stories were passed down generation to generation.”

Irlanda-America Unueco-Konerenco

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

The Irish American Unity Conference today condemned the recent anti-Irish language actions of DUP Minister Edwin Poots, emphasizing the potential of such blatantly discriminatory decisions to overshadow recent attempts to attract foreign investment and promote fair employment in the "new Northern Ireland."

In October, Poots blocked the Irish Language Act promised by the British government at St. Andrew's despite receiving overwhelming support, citing the belief that the promotion of the language could "undermine good relations" and "entrench patterns of antipathy and suspicions."

Now, the Minister's office has removed the funding for the Irish Language Broadcast Fund from the budget. Poots' stated position on the promotion of Irish as divisive calls into question his department's ability to foster dialogue and serves only to polarize community relations.

Sile Ni Bhraonain

…de la Irish Independent:

TG4 star Sile Ni Bhraonain is set to cause a stir with her new rock chick makeover for the station's new X Factor-style show.

The Connemara beauty started at the station as a weather girl six years ago but is now one of its biggest stars.

The 24-year-old, who lives in Galway, is fronting the new series 'Deis Rock' which sees 16 Irish rock bands battle it out to be the country's next U2.

She said she is loving the Davina McCall-style role hosting the series at Queen's University in Belfast as the unsigned bands are vying for the €10,000 cash prize.

Té Casan

…de la Israel Times:

Vegetarian since her childhood, Natalie Portman, together with Te Casan, created the whole vegan shoe collection.

5 percent of profits from Natalie Portman Collection will be going to charity. Te Casan New York store is located at 382 West Broadway.

The name te casan, “A Woman’s Path”, is Gaelic and originates from the inspiration of a global name that represents no specific nation or language and refers to all women. Te Casan stands for crafting original designs in original ways.

Kuraĝegaj Kimraj Platoj?

...de icWales:

The banning of rude registration plates in Welsh has been given the BWMS rush by language campaigners.

Mandarins at the DVLA in Swansea thought that the combination of some letters and numbers due out in March might offend public decency.

So they took a red pen to anything beginning 08 and ending in RON.

Put together, the DVLA say the number plate could look like BRON, – the Welsh word for breast.

Similarly, they have axed the sequence 08 WMS because it might resemble BWMS, the Welsh word for BUMS…