Westminster kontraû Irlandalingvoj

...de la Guardian:

Gordon Brown will not rescue the proposed Irish Language Act if, as now seems certain, unionists vote it down in the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Downing Street fears that introducing such an act via Westminster would open the floodgates for legal claims to put other ethnic minority languages in Britain on the same par as English, government sources have told The Observer.

The legislation, a key Sinn Fein demand, would give Gaelic equal status to English in Northern Ireland.

But if the Democratic Unionists block the move ministers would also turn down requests for it be introduced via the back door from Westminster, senior sources said this weekend.....

[Bildo de la Ceithearna Coille en Nov-Jorko.]

Concubhar Ó Liatháin

…de iGaeilge, blog de Concubhar Ó Liatháin:

Is fiú scrúdú a dhéanamh ar thorthai tubaisteacha Aer Lingus agus an scéal is déanaí faoin Samsung Tocco go bhfuil an fón dhá theangach seo le díol ó thuaidh den teorainn.

Tá an aerlíne náisiúnta, mar a bhí, tar éis a fhógairt go raibh cailliúnt €22m aici anuraidh. Anuraidh fosta d’fhogair Aer Lingus go raibh sí chun aistriú ón Sionainn go Béal Feirste dá eitiltí tras Atlantach agus, de reir an aerlíne féin, go raibh deireadh á chur aici leis an nós beannú dá paisinéirí i nGaeilge. Bhí eagla ar Aer Lingus go gcuirfeadh an cúpla focal Ghaeilge, dá laghad é, fáílte fuar roimh aondachtaithe.

Ba chuma cad a rinne Aer Lingus nó níl rath go fóíll ar an mbogadh ón Sionainn go Béal Feirste. Nior mheall beart frith Ghaeilge an aerlíne aon tacaíocht breise ó aondachtaithe agus is dóichí gur chuir sé naisiúnaithe, iad san a roghnódh Aer Lingus mar gheall ar dhílseacht náisiúnta, ó dhoras.

An mbeidh athbhreithniú ar an bpolasaí anois? Sin an ceist ar cheart cur ar Dermot Mannion, priomh fheidhmeanach Aer Lingus...

Anglaj Enmigrantoj kaj Kimralingvoj

...de Wales on Line:

A major study has concluded that English migrants to Welsh-speaking parts of Wales generally come to respect the language, but only a small proportion actually learn it.

Researchers led by Graham Day, head of social sciences at Bangor University, say incomers from England are so diverse that stereotypes are unhelpful.

The report, soon to be published by the University of Wales Press in its Contemporary Wales series, states: “Substantial and continuing in-migration of English people has been widely construed as a serious threat [to Welsh-speaking communities].

“In view of the importance of the issues raised, it is surprising how little attention has been paid to the actual experiences and perceptions of the English migrants themselves.”...

Irlandalingvaj Klasoj en Cookstown

…de la Mid-Ulster Mail:

South West College and Cookstown District Council have come together to deliver Irish Language classes.

From mid September, Irish Language classes will run every Tuesday from 7-9pm at the Cookstown Campus on the Burn Road.Cookstown District Council Irish Development Officer, Ursula Ní Fhearáil welcomed the inclusion of Irish language classes as part of the range of classes and courses delivered at the Cookstown Campus of South West College saying:

“I hope people (young and old) will utilise this opportunity to learn the Irish language in a relaxed environment, be that ‘cúpla focal’ (a couple of words) or as a base for extending their language skills beyond.”...

Barclays Bank kontraû Kimra

…de la Mail on Sunday:

A high street bank was criticised last night after it rejected a cheque for a religious pilgrimage simply because it was written in Welsh.

The cheque, for almost £22,000, was supposed to pay for the travel and accommodation costs of a group of 50 pilgrims commemorating a journey made by a Welsh saint to Spain almost 400 years ago.

But the trip has been thrown into doubt after Barclays Bank refused four times to cash the cheque, made out to tour operator Tours for Churches Ltd, because it was written in Welsh.

Hywel Williams, Plaid Cymru MP for Caernarfon, North Wales, said he was 'astonished and outraged' at the delay, which he claimed highlighted the need for stricter laws on Welsh language rights.

'The bank are rightly proud of their Welsh language policy which allows people to use the language in their day to day banking affairs,' he said.

'But it is useless if this sort of thing happens repeatedly. This matter is of significance as it highlights the need for new rights for the Welsh language, a matter which is now before the Welsh Assembly.'…

Michiko Kino

…de News Wales:

A Japanese woman is fulfilling a 30-year-old ambition this summer by learning to speak Welsh at Cardiff University.

Retired teacher Michiko Kino, who comes from Osaka, has been fascinated with the language since she read The Grey King by Susan Cooper, an English novel set in Wales, back in the 1970s.

Michiko taught English at a Japanese school for 37 years, and when she retired in 2005 she was determined to visit Wales and learn Welsh.

She is currently on the eight-week Summer Course at the Welsh for Adults Centre in Cardiff University.

Michiko is a member of a Welsh society in Japan called Kansai that meets in a pub once a month to talk about Welsh culture and the language - and even celebrates St David’s Day every March 1.

Daily Mirror en Kimra

...de Hold The Front Page:

Welsh language speakers can now read news in their native tongue on a new website launched today.

Dailypostcymraeg.co.uk is run by Trinity Mirror's North Wales team, in Llandudno Junction, and is a sister website to its newspaper the Daily Post.

It will provide regular news updates from the patch as well as the main headlines from across the UK.

There are videos with Welsh language commentaries and interviews and visitors can join forums and submit comments and blogs in Welsh...

Guy Killingbeck & Liam Padden

…de la Telegraph & Argus:

Mature students Guy Killingbeck and Liam Padden are celebrating after gaining top grade results in Irish.

The pair both recorded A grades in AS-levels in the language and now plan to qualify for a full A-level in the subject next year.

Guy, 43, whose grandmother is Irish, said: “We applied locally to a number of schools to sit the examination and found it very difficult to find one that would let us take it.”

Liam’s parents both hail from Ireland. The 41-year-old said: “We thought we might have to go to Belfast to sit the exam but an examiner flew to Leeds Bradford Airport.”

Tutor Joe Sheeran said: “There is a history of the Irish language in Bradford but it’s not common in the city any more.”

Deklivo

...de la News Letter:

The popularity of Irish with GCSE and A-level students is plummeting, with the subject suffering a bigger percentage decline in popularity than any other subject across the UK.

The latest Government figures from the Joint Council for Qualifications and local examination body, CCEA, reveal the subject has suffered significant declines over the last two years.

This year Irish A-level was only studied by 248 pupils – a fall of 11 per cent since last year and a drop of 24 per cent since 2006. In that year 329 pupils sat Irish at A level.

However, as the overall number of pupils taking the exam is much lower than for mainstream subjects such as English or the sciences, which have thousands of entries, a reduction of a mere 20 or 30 entries from the previous year can cause a large percentage decline in the popularity of the subject

NatWest

...de la Daily Post:

NatWest is enhancing its Welsh language services by introducing a new website for its Welsh speaking customers.
The website has been launched to meet the banking needs of an increasing number of customers who want to undertake their dealings with the bank in Welsh.

“It encompasses information on all the other Welsh language services the bank has to offer including a range of product related brochures, signage and branding as well as a dedicated Welsh language customer service centre,” a spokesman said.

“NatWest has recently completed a substantial investment in new technology and restructure at its North Wales-based Retail Customer Service Centre on Parc Menai as part of an overall programme to enhance its Welsh language services.

“The centre also provides back office support to the network of NatWest branches across the region. The restructure has also involved a substantial investment in new technology making it easier for customers to speak to an operator in their preferred language...”

Gnó Mhaigh Éo

...de la Mayo Advertiser:

The Chamber have linked up with Gnó Mhaigh Éo to ask businesses in Castlebar to support these events by incorporating an Irish theme into their shop window displays over the period August 25 to September 9.

Gnó Mhaigh Éo, an agency created to work with businesses to make Irish more visual in Mayo, are kindly sponsoring a prize of €250 for the best bilingual shop window display.

You can focus your theme on any aspect of Irish culture and the Riverdance theme could be introduced into your display. Using the Irish language is a very simple and visual way of displaying our culture.

Gnó Mhaigh Éo can help with any translation or advice on incorporating Gaeilge into your Gnó…

Colm Barrington

…de la Ceithearna Coille, Novjorka Branĉo:

“AER LINGUS has appointed experienced Irish aviation executive Colm Barrington as its new chairman, ending weeks of speculation as to who would take on the €175,000-a-year role.

Mr Barrington, who is chief executive of Dublin-based listed aircraft leasing company Babcock Brown Air Ltd, will take up the role next month, succeeding Englishman John Sharman who has been chairman of Aer Lingus since 2004…"

Seoladh:

Colm Barrington, Uas.
Cathaoirleach
Ceannoifig Aer Lingus
Aerfort Bhaile Átha Cliath
Baile Átha Cliath
ÉIRE

Teachtaireacht:

"Cuir fógraí Gaeilge a ar ais i bhfeidhm ar na h-eitiltí uilig ó aerfort idirnáisiúnta Bhéal Feirste!"

Moladh eile: http://url.ie/mo8

Achainí: http://tinyurl.com/AerLingus

Y Peth

...de The Times:

The Peth is also a product of the small community of Welsh-speaking musicians, mostly based in Cardiff, who all seem to know each other and are centred on the activities of the psychedelic rockers Super Furry Animals, which for a split second Rhys fronted.

“Rhys and I met at Welsh-language punk gigs about 20 years ago, shared a flat together and discovered early on that we enjoyed the same activities,” Ieuan explains. What activities, I ask, picturing the pair enjoying a game of Scrabble together, or perhaps a game of pontoon if they’re feeling frisky?

“Sex, drugs and rock’n’roll,” they say in unison.