Latest news with #Ghaeilge
Irish Independent
14-05-2025
- General
- Irish Independent
Letters: Mark of a good student is growth, so don't let exam stress stunt your progress
She stated that 'there is also a curious liberation in the knowledge that no one other than me cares whether I complete the course or not'. Last year I sat the TEG A2 exam in Irish in an effort to improve my líofacht sa Ghaeilge while simultaneously attending Irish classes. I obtained a result of 88pc. Next Saturday, at the age of 60, I will be sitting the B1 exam in Irish, the next level up from last year. I found having an exam goal gave me a greater incentive to actually work at learning the language. The mark I get is largely irrelevant, though I would like to see it reflect the work I have put in. In essence, I have already succeeded by setting this goal that encouraged me to do the work. You don't look at exams like this when you are younger, but as Ms Crowe wrote, studying as an adult is about 'travelling inwards and affirming our limitless capacity to grow'. Tommy Roddy Ballybane, Co Galway With age comes greater reliance on colour-coded tablets, but that's just life You know you're getting old when your social calendar takes a back seat to your pill organiser. Once it was concerts and late nights – now it's colour-coded compartments and 'Don't forget Thursday's statin'. I've so many tablets these days that I have to arrange them like a game of medicinal Tetris just to get the lids to close. For those unfamiliar with these nifty little boxes, fear not: your time will come, and your tablets will tell you when. ADVERTISEMENT Enda Cullen, Tullysaran, Co Armagh Car remains king in this country, so it's no surprise cyclists still feel unsafe It's not at all surprising that safety concerns top the reasons why Irish people shun cycling ('Survey shows main reasons more people don't choose to cycle in Ireland', Irish Independent, May 12). The country's entire transport system revolves around vehicular traffic, with the private car being king. On my last visit home, I regularly walked the narrow 6km regional road to my nearest town, Ballaghaderreen. Many drivers saw my presence as a nuisance, and on occasions I was forced on to the ditch, descending into a drain to avoid being clipped by cars. Alas, many families tragically know that the real nuisance – nay, danger – are these potentially lethal pieces of motorised metal when driven recklessly. Our roads should promote and prioritise those who use their own energy to get around. This is better for the individual and the community at large. But no. In the car we thrust. Brendan Corrigan, Colombia Litany of motor offences shows we have a long way to go in educating drivers Garda Commissioner Drew Harris has called for a 'societal reset' regarding road safety following the death of Garda Kevin Flatley. Just over a week ago, the much-advertised and flagged May Bank Holiday Weekend Road Safety Campaign brought to the fore an astonishing litany of driving offences committed over the course of five days, during which there was one fatality and 10 serious collisions: 188 arrests for driving under the influence of an intoxicant; 81 fixed penalty (fines) for seat belt infringements; 103 unaccompanied learner drivers detected; 177 mobile phone use while driving; 354 vehicles seized for various infringements; and 2,159 speeding detections. It is safe to assume that people didn't set out on the bank holiday weekend to commit driving offences, and these infringements are there every day, every week and every month of the year. The time for a 'societal reset' is, unfortunately, well past. Peter Declan O'Halloran, Belturbet, Co Cavan Young people will always find a way around any ban imposed on social media I agree with Denis Fitzgerald – banning social media for under-16s is unlikely to have the desired effect. Casting my mind back to my teenage years, some decades ago now, I can attest to the ingenuity – some might even say deviousness – these young people can muster to circumvent even the strictest of barriers. By all means, regulate social media companies, but real, effective protection for our children comes in the simple form of education. Let's teach them to manage, understand and filter what they see online. Knowledge is, and has always been, power. Bernie Linnahe, Dromahair, Co Leitrim We should build senior citizen villages and get more people to downsize I think there is one simple solution to getting older people to downsize from their family-sized homes long after their children have moved on. Build senior citizen villages with all amenities and we will all be able to downsize, thus freeing up the larger houses for growing families. Kathleen Callaghan, Letterkenny, Co Donegal Starmer speech reminder of WB Yeats' great line on strangers being friends Keir Starmer's 'Island of Strangers' speech reminds me of a line attributed to the poet WB Yeats: 'There are no strangers here; only friends who haven't yet met.' Brendan O'Brien, London With organ donations, out of tragedy we see selfless gestures from families I read through tears the interview with Walter Donnelly (Farming Independent, May 13), in which he spoke about the brave decision to donate the organs of his 18-year-old son Colm after an accident ended his promising young life. To read about a life so full of promise being prematurely ended was devastating; but to read about the hope and joy the decision to donate Colm's organs brought to four other families – as well as to the Donnellys themselves – was inspiring and joyous. Thank you to the Donnellys and all grieving families who think of helping others in a time of such deep personal distress.
RTÉ News
24-04-2025
- Climate
- RTÉ News
For the love of learning languages: Joanna Donnelly an Ghaeilge
Having signed off from forecasting on our TV screens last week take a look back at what Meteorologist and (former!) RTÉ Weather presenter, Joanna Donnelly wrote about returning to the Irish language in 2021. My husband shakes his head at me. Dhá bhliain ó shin shocraigh mé an pianó a fhoghlaim, agus bhí mé ag seinm tríocha nóiméad sa lá ar a laghad gach lá. Bím ag rith agus ag snámh agus ag déanamh yoga an chuid is mó laethanta agus bím ag rothaíocht chun oibre. Tá triúr páistí agam agus oibrím go lánaimseartha. Agus tá cardigan áran á chniotáil agam do m'iníon. Fuair gach duine eile sa teaghlach geansaí áran anuraidh, mar sin tá sé in am aici ceann a fháil. When I'm not doing all that, I read, I'm working my way through the guardian top 100 books of all time. My favourite place to read is in my garden, Is breá liom bheith ag garraíodóireacht! So when I told Harm I was taking an Irish course he just shook his head and walked away from me. Nuair a bhí mé i mo pháiste ar scoil chuaigh mé go dtí an Ghaeltacht i samhradh na chéad bhliana. Dúirt Peadar O'Ceallaigh linn go mbeimid ag labhairt i nGaeilge tar éis an chéad seachtain, tar éis an dara seachtain beimid ag smaoineamh i nGaeilge agus tar éis an tríú seachtain beimid ag brionglóid i nGaeilge. Agus bhí an ceart aige. Agus chuir sé tús liom ar mo thuras grá don Ghaeilge. Chuaigh mé ar ais bliain i ndiaidh bliana, go Dún na nGall. Thit mé i ngrá leis an gcontae agus thit mé i ngrá leis na buachaillí. That accent, oh boy oh boy. But then I grew up and went and fell in love, for real this time, with a foreigner, a Dutchman. Murab amhlaidh an scéal b'fhéidir go dtógfainn aon leanaí a bhí agam trí Ghaeilge, ach ba é an tosaíocht a bhí againn dár leanaí riamh ná Ollainnis a labhairt agus mar sin thógamar iad go dátheangach, Ollainnis agus Béarla. When I met Harm first I asked him to teach me some Dutch and was struck by some of the similarities in the language. Amárach/Morgen. Coinín/konijn, (random, I know, but they're the ones that always come to mind first). That hard G that isn't present in the English language. Nuair a bhí a céad leanbh, buachaill ag mo dheirfiúr chéile, roghnaigh sí ainm agus dúirt sí liom gur trua nach mbeinn in ann an t-ainm a rá. Go fiosrach, d'fhiafraigh mé cén fáth nach mbeinn in ann é a rá?! Dúirt sí toisc go raibh sé le fuaim chrua G agus nach raibh Sasanaigh in ann an fhuaim chrua g a rá. Ah! Dúirt mé, indignant. Ní Sasanach mise! Is féidir liom ainm nia mo fhir chéile a rá go raibh míle maith agat. So now my children are that little bit more independent and they all speak Dutch just fine, I've been allowing a little more Gaeilge creep back in to my life. It's pottering around in my head. Trying to flex. Like the Tin Man, it's rusted up and unable to make quick retorts. But the little oil I've been dripping in to the cracks over the past few years is starting to make progress. Thosaigh mé cúrsa le Gaelchultúr agus tá grá mór agam dó. Níl mé iontach, ach gach seachtain a fhreastalaím ar an gcúrsa táim ag éirí níos fearr agus níos fearr agus tá na focail ag teacht níos gasta agus níos gasta. Táim chun coinneáil leis. Is mór an spraoi é a bheith á foghlaim, nílim chun éirí as!
RTÉ News
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Láthair champála Ghaeltachta le filleadh ar an bPicnic Leictreach
Ardán Gaeilge sa Chollchoill agus Láthair Champála Ghaeltachta ag EP mar chuid d'fheachtas Croí na Féile le Conradh na Gaeilge. Beidh Croí na Féile, feachtas de chuid Chonradh na Gaeilge, faoi bhláth arís ag an bPicnic Leictreach agus arís eile beidh deis ag lucht campála a bpubaill a chrochadh i gcomhluadar na nGael sa láthair oifigiúil champála, an Láthair Ghaeltachta. A bhuíochas le tacaíocht ó Festival Republic beidh Croí na Féile ag cur an Ghaeilge i lár an aonaigh ag EP arís i mbliana. Tabharfaidh suíomh an champa deis do dhaoine a gcuid Gaeilge a úsáid le linn an deireadh seachtaine. Tá An Láthair Ghaeltachta ann le deis a thabhairt do dhaoine an teanga a chur ag Croí na Féile agus taitneamh a bhaint as spás le campálaithe Gaeilge eile le linn an deireadh seachtaine, le ticéid díolta amach don láthair le blianta beaga anuas. Leanfar leis an mbéim ar chúrsaí athchúrsála agus aire don timpeallacht sa Láthair Ghaeltachta i mbliana, le háiseanna athchúrsála agus eolas maidir leis an láthair - agus an domhan! - a choinneáil glan. Ag labhairt faoin bhféile, dúirt Orlaith Nic Ghearailt, Conradh na Gaeilge: "Tá lúcháir orainn tacaíocht a fháil ó Festival Republic agus láthair champála na Gaeltachta agus an t-ardán sa Chollchoill a thabhairt thar nais go Electric Picnic arís an samhradh seo. Fágann a dtacaíocht leanúnach gur féidir le lucht na féile bheith ag súil le go leor ceoltóirí Gaelacha a chloisteáil i rith na deireadh seachtaine sa Collchoil (Hazelwood) agus is féidir leo clárú don láthair champála Ghaeltachta freisin." Dúirt Melvin Benn, Stiúrthóir Bainistíochta Festival Republic: "Mar an fhéile cheoil agus ealaíon is mó in Éirinn, tá sé tábhachtach dúinne go bhfuil ról lárnach ag an nGaeilge ag Electric Picnic. Ag obair le Conradh na Gaeilge le blianta beaga anuas tá méadú tagtha ar líon na n-ealaíontóirí Gaeilge a bhíonn ag an bPicnic agus i mbliana beidh láithreacht níos mó fós ag an láthair champála Ghaeltachta ag an bhféile. Tá súil againn go n-ardóidh seo ar fad, mar aon le tionscadail eile a bhfuilimid ag obair orthu, feiceálacht na Gaeilge ag Electric Picnic agus go dtabharfaidh sé deis do dhaoine a gcuid Gaeilge a úsáid ar feadh an deireadh seachtaine." Clárúchán don Láthair Champála Ghaelach: Tugann Conradh na Gaeilge cuireadh do lucht freastail Electric Picnic teacht agus fanacht sa láthair champála Ghaeltachta, áit ina mbeidh an Ghaeilge mar phríomhtheanga labhartha le ceol, craic agus cannaí i measc na nGael ag an bhféile. Ticéid ar fáil trí Ticketmaster.
