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A group of young Armagh Gaels have just returned from an enjoyable and educational visit to meet their Celtic cousins in the highlands and islands of Scotland. The group, who are involved in CAIRDE Teo radio project Raidió Mhacha, visited the Gaelic speaking region of Scotland on the Isle of Skye to make a bilingual Irish and Scots Gaelic language radio programme with a number of young Gaelic speakers on the island and to forge a link with local community radio station Cuilinn FM. The Armagh contingent have spent the past number of months brushing up on their radio production skills and interviewing techniques, while making a number of programmes to broadcast on Armagh’s new online bilingual radio station, Raidió Mhacha. The group were joined on the trip by project tutor Edel Ní Churraoin, from Belfast-based Irish language community radio station Raidió Fáilte and Seán Ó Maoilsté, Irish language development officer with CAIRDE Teo.

As well as visiting the radio station, the group met a number of Gaelic language organisations in Port Rìgh, or Portree, which is the main town on the island, and interviewed a number of Gàidhlig speakers about the importance of the language for island life and their hopes for the future growth of the language. The young people learned about the role of organisations such as Feisean nan Gàidheal to promote the language amongst children and young people and shared ideas about how the two language communities in Ireland and in Scotland could learn from one another. As well as the language, the Armagh Gaels learned of the similarities between the two communities, including Irish and Scottish music, Irish and highland dance and the sports of hurling and shinty.

The youth group from CAIRDE Teo also paid a quick visit to capital of the highlands, Inverness, where they received a tour of the beautiful city and met up with a number of people interested in the Scots Gaelic culture. Inverness is home to a Gaelic-medium secondary school and many of the young Gàidhlig speakers were busy preparing for a Gaelic language drama festival, similar to one hosted in the Marketplace Theatre in early March.  The Armagh Irish speakers also learned some basic Scottish Gaelic phrases to help them recognise the different pronunciations and words used in the Scottish version of the Gaelic language. The young people hope to build on the success of the Scottish visit by developing a bilingual series of programmes focusing on the music and traditions of Scotland and Ireland.

Speaking on his return from the Scottish trip, Máirtín Mac an Bheatha, a Year 9 student at St Patrick’s Grammar School Armagh and former student at Bunscoil na mBráithre Críostaí said, “We really enjoyed the trip and learned a lot about the similarities between our own language and Scottish Gaelic. We also learned that the people on Skye play a version of hurling and their music is very similar to ours as well.” Luíseach Ní Thréinfhir is a Year 13 student at the Irish medium unit of St Catherine’s College, “We met a number of young Gaelic speakers in Port Rìgh and spoke about the two languages, the similar cultures and employment opportunities. We also visited the local radio station and shared ideas on how Cuilinn FM may attract young people to make more Gaelic language programmes.” Tiarnán Mac Gabhann, a Year 13 student at Abbey Grammar School, who is also a member of Armagh Pipers Club enjoyed the trip, “It was great to meet with young Gaelic speakers on the Isle of Skye and in Inverness. Armagh Pipers Club has a long association with Gaelic Scotland and there have been many exchanges over the years. I play hurling with Keady Lámh Dhearg and I was very interested to hear about shinty and especially the coverage that Cuilinn FM give to the sport.”

The Scottish trip was organised by local Irish language social enterprise, CAIRDE Teo, as part of their skills development programme for young Irish speakers. CAIRDE Teo are grateful to Colmcille, a partnership between Foras na Gaeilge and Bòrd na Gàidhlig to promote the use of Irish Gaelic and Scottish Gaeilic in Ireland and Scotland and between the two countries, who gave part-funding for the project and to Raidió Fáilte for all of their help with the Raidió Mhacha training programme over the past year.

Hundreds of Irish speakers and supporters of the language ran through the streets of Armagh on Saturday, when the national relay fun run Rith 2016 visited the city. The run, which will visit each of the 32 counties in Ireland, aims to raise the profile of the Irish language across the country. The run, which commenced in County Kildare on 4 March and finished outside the GPO on O’Connell Street in Dublin on 14 March, saw thousands of people taking part, carrying a baton containing a message from Irish President, Mícheál D. Ó hUiginn.

The ‘Glór 2016’ local studies magazine, a bilingual publication to mark the centenary of the Rising, will be on sale in the Chapel Street Gaeláras in Newry from midday Saturday 26^th March.  Two key articles in the magazine will examine the split in the Gaelic League in Dundalk in 1915, when the IRB effectively politicised the organisation and thereby alienated Douglas Hyde, and a feature which looks at the language movement in Newry as the cradle of radical, advanced nationalism in the town.  The magazine however, while it has political content given the year that’s in it, also encompasses many voices on a diverse range of topics: Old Newry items (Canal Street and Water Street reflections); interviews with women (a Poor Clare nun, a former political prisoner, a worker in the gasworks); an account of a 1916 local shipping disaster; a detailed, wide-ranging article, with photographs, of the revival of Irish Dancing in the town; reminiscences on Rann na Feirste in the 1930s; poetry and review; Irish language events; Republican resistance in Newry in the 1950s; an interview with ex-internee Gerry Mackey; the Schools’ Folklore Collection 1930s; the importance of the Proclamation for Newry’s lgbt community; Protestant Origins of Republicanism in Newry; Saint Brigid’s Shrine, Faughart; a tribute to Aodh Ó Luaois/Harry Lewis, Camloch, and another one to Brian Campbell, Newry; Newry place-names; the post-famine decline of Irish in South Armagh; the founding of the Catholic Boy Scouts in the town; musings on 1916…  Writers include Dr. Pádraig Ó Tiarnaigh, Niall Comer, Paddy Traynor; Dr. John Mc Cavitt, Ciarán Mac Murchaidh; Éamon Mac an tSaoir; Seán Óg Mac an tSaoir; Dr. Séamus Mac an tSaoir; Damian Mc Kevitt; Séamus Mac Dhaibhéid; Deirdre Frame; Mícheal Mac Ardghail; Eoghan Ó Coinn; Seán Patterson; Breandán Ó Luaois; Lábhras Ó Brolcháin; Martin Hearty; John Duffy; Benny Mc Kay. For those who remember, or collected the magazines at the time, “Glór 2016” is modelled on the “Cuisle na nGael” bilingual template which proved very popular in the 1980’s and 1990’s.

Commenting on the ‘Glór 2016’ commemorative venture, John Stewart, who is Chair of Coiste na Cásca in Newry, said: ‘The magazine includes a number of authentic narratives from ordinary Newry people, some of whom are Irish speakers.  Molaim an obair seo mar tá sé tábhachtach i gcónaí guth na ndaoine a chloisteáil.  It’s a bumper edition and very good value at an expected selling price of £5. We can expect from the Gaelic League Exhibition itself (Aspects of Nationalism in Newry), which also runs at the Gaeláras over the Easter period, the usual eclectic mix of recordings (Orange & Green), images, prison art, and rare print materials.  Visitors will be encouraged to make up their own minds on aspects of our shared local history. Mo chomhairle féin, ná caill é/Don’t miss it. ”

The magazine is being published by Craobh an Iúir de Chonradh na Gaeilge who were recently selected as Best Branch in Ulster at the Gaelic League Ard Fheis held in Trinity College Dublin.

The Conradh na Gaeilge exhibition ‘The 1916 Easter Rising and the Irish Language Revival’ will be on show at Armagh Harps’ Social Club on Wednesday 2 March and Thursday 3 March. There will be a special 1916-themed bilingual quiz at 7pm on the Wednesday evening and everyone is welcome.

Armagh and Tyrone’s bilingual walking group Siúil are ready to embark on a new year of hillwalks, which gets underway on Saturday 30 January at the scenic surrounds of Banagher Glen. This beautiful walk makes its way through one of the oldest ancient oak woodlands in Ireland and meets the Altnaheglish Dam and the Banagher Dam. The steep sides of the glens are covered by mature trees, mostly oak and ash, with an understory of rowan, hazel, hawthorn and holly. Ferns and mosses also thrive in damp shady nooks along the river banks.

Banagher Glen is located near Dungiven and participants will be meeting up at the carpark in Stewartstown at 10am to travel together to meet at the starting point at the nature reserve at 11am. The walk at Banagher Glen will be the first of a series of walks for this year, which will include the Mourne Mountains, the Sperrins, the Cooleys, the Donegal hills and Slemish. The group would welcome new members to come along and enjoy the walks, which take place right across province of Ulster and further afield. If you would like further information on the Siúil agroup, you can contact Seán sean@cairdeteo.com 028 3751 5229.