New strategy to revive urban Gaeltacht area
The rollout of a seven-year Irish language plan for the East Galway City Gaeltacht is to begin in earnest next month – with the group driving the project set to appoint a Language Planning Officer to steer the programme.
The area, which takes in parts of Castlegar, Parkmore, Ballindooley, Menlo, Tirellan and Coolagh, was identified under the Government’s 20-Year Strategy for the Irish language after a local voluntary group, An Bruach Thoir, surveyed the area.
Cathal Seoige of An Bruach Thoir says their work over the last number of years has led to the development of a plan that could revitalise the Irish language in an area that has come perilously close to losing it.
“The start of the process was to find out the current status of the language in the area and what needed to be done to improve it. The thing with the East Galway City area is that people pass the ‘Gaeltacht’ signs but, more often than not, don’t meet any native speakers there,” says Cathal.
Under the guidance of Údarás na Gaeltachta, An Bruach Thoir was founded and has carried out the necessary analysis to inform a seven-year plan. €700,000 has since been freed up by Údarás na Gaeltacht to fund its implementation – €100,000 for each year of the plan.
Among its many aims is to work with local schools, community organisations and residents to promote the use of Irish, as well as facilitating activities that provide an opportunity for Irish to be spoken by those who are already fluent, and those who are interested.
“It is a Gaeltacht area but it is different to the middle of Conamara. We had to be realistic, and we have been realistic, that these areas have become part of the city and with that, came housing developments where people from all over now live.
“We had to acknowledge that change but that also makes it interesting – we have to take a creative approach,” says Cathal.
For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.
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