Tá CAIRDE Teo ag ceiliúradh arís eile, i ndiaidh do dhuine de na hoibrithe deonacha duais mhór a bhaint ag fáiltiú an ArdMhéara ar na mallaibh. Bronnadh duais ar Shannón Nic Mhánais as an ról a d’imir sí i gcur chu cinn na Gaeilge sa chathair le roinnt blianta anuas. Fuair Shannón an duais ón ArdMhéara Robert Turner agus ón LeasArdMhéara Gerard Paul White, i rith mórsearmanais a bhí ar siúl in Óstán Chathair Ard Mhacha ar an tseachtain seo caite.
Tháinig Shannón tríd an chóras Gaeloideachais agus d’fhreastail sí ar Bhunscoil na mBráithre Críostaí agus ar Choláiste Chaitríona agus tá sí anois ag déanamh staidéir ar an Ghaeilge ag Ollscoil Uladh i nDoire. Tá suim as cuimse aici sa Ghaeilge agus tá baint láidir aici le hobair CAIRDE Teo, mar oibrí óg deonach agus mar dhalta ar roinnt cúrsaí a reachtáil an fiontar sóisialta.
Bhí Shannón páirteach sa scéim le dhá aip dátheangach a chruthú d’Eamhain Mhacha agus ghlac siad páirt sa chúrsa fiontraíochta le Gaeilgeoirí óga in Ard Mhacha a spreagadh smaoineamh ar thionscnaimh ghnó a chuideodh leis an teanga sa chathair. Chomh maith lena ról sa scéim samhraidh Gaeilge, Campa Mhacha, chuidigh Shannón ag an chlub Gaeilge ag Pláinéadlann Ard Mhacha, ag roinnt tionscadal Gaeilge ag Eamhain Mhacha, ag Iarsmalann Ard Mhacha agus sa Pháirc Lúthchleasa, chomh maith le turais chuig Baile Átha Cliath, chuig Béal Feirste, chuig Cill Áirne agus chuig Dún na nGall.
I ndiaidh di glacadh leis an duais, dúirt Shannón “Ba mhór an onóir dom ainmniúchán a fháil don duais agus mothaím iontach umhal gur bhain mé Duais Speisialta an Mhéara. Tugann sé aitheantas iontach don Ghaeilge in Ard Mhacha agus léiríonn sé go bhfuil níos mó éilimh ar sheirbhísí, imeachtaí agus ranganna Gaeilge in Ard Mhacha ná mar a bhí riamh. Amharcaim féin air mar dhuais do phobal na Gaeilge, seachas dom féin go pearsanta. Tá mé iontach sásta go dtig liom cuidiú le CAIRDE Teo agus tá mé paiseanta faoin teanga agus ba mhaith liom a chinntiú go bhfuil an muinín ag Gaeilgeoirí óga a dteanga féin a úsáid ina gcathair féin.”
Local Irish language organisation CAIRDE Teo is celebrating yet again, after one of their volunteers was awarded a major prize at the recent Lord Mayor’s reception. Shannón Nic Mhánais was awarded the Mayor’s Youth Award for her contribution to the promotion of the Irish language in the city over the last number of years. Shannón received her award from Lord Mayor Robert Turner and Deputy Lord Mayor Gerard Paul White, during a gala ceremony held in Armagh City Hotel.
Shannón, who is studying Irish at the University of Ulster in Derry, came through the Irish medium education sector in Armagh and attended Bunscoil na mBráithre Críostaí before going on to Coláiste Chaitríona. She has a passionate interest in the Irish language and is heavily involved in the work of CAIRDE Teo, both as a volunteer youth worker and as a student on a number of course run by the Armagh-based social enterprise.
Shannón was involved in the creation of two new bilingual apps for Navan Fort and also took part in the enterprise course designed to encourage young Irish speakers in Armagh to set up new business initiatives to help develop the language in the city. In addition to her involvement in Armagh’s only Irish language summer camp Campa Mhacha, Shannon also helped out at the Irish language club at Armagh Planetarium, numerous Irish language youth projects at Navan Fort, Armagh County Museum and the Athletic Grounds, as well as a number of youth trips to Dublin, Belfast, Killarney and Donegal.4
Speaking after the presentation of her award, Shannón said “I was honoured to be nominated for a volunteer’s award and I am very humbled to have been named as the winner of the Mayor’s Youth Award. The award is fantastic recognition for the Irish language in Armagh and it reflects the growing demand for Irish language services, events and classes here in the city. I see it as an award for the Irish language community, more so than a personal achievement. I am delighted to be able to help out with CAIRDE Teo as I am passionate about the language and I want to ensure that young Irish speakers have the confidence to use their own language in their own city.”
