NEWS FROM THE CELTIC LEAGUE
Speaking about the creation of a dedicated Irish language archive at Coláiste Feirste and St Mary’s University College in Belfast, which contains thousands of records and spans more than 100 years which charts the revival of the language, in particular since the 1950s, and includes photographs, letters, books, newspaper clippings and other records of interest, Culture Minister in the Stormont government Carál Ní Chuilín said:
“Irish is a language for everyone and is enjoying a huge upsurge in popularity. More people are taking up the Líofa challenge to begin learning Irish or grow their existing ability, and more people are speaking it in everyday life – in schools, cafés, in their social activities and in public forums like council chambers and the Assembly.
“It was not always like this, however. Although Irish has been spoken in Belfast continuously for centuries, by the 1950s its usage was confined to a small number of dedicated clubs and societies. Since then, thanks to the passion and commitment of a small group of Irish speakers, including those who founded the Shaws Road Gaeltacht, we have seen take-up of Irish steadily grow. Indeed we now have thousands of children receiving their education, from pre-school through to post-primary, through the medium of Irish and it is the fastest growing sector of the local education system.
“This new archive tells, for the first time all in one place, the full story of this revival, using artefacts that deliver a tangible and exciting connection to historical events. The archive will be of interest to future generations of Irish learners and historians, as well as to tourists and anyone seeking to find out more about Belfast’s rich cultural heritage.”
Full report here in the Down News;
BERNARD MOFFATT
Issued by: The Celtic News
02/10/15
THE CELTIC LEAGUE INFORMATION SERVICE
The Celtic League established in 1961 has branches in the six Celtic Countries. It promotes cooperation between the countries and campaigns on a range of political, cultural and environmental matters. It highlights human rights abuse, military activity and socio-economic issues
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