Emmett McIntyre's blog

In an article under the headline " Is the State Supporting the Irish Language - The Irish State is Neglecting It's Constitutional Duty to Protect and Promote the Irish Language, Especially its Native Speakers", the Galway Independent have published an article written by Julian de Spainn, General Secretary of the Conradh na Gaelige (Gaelic League) in which he defends the resignation of the Irish Language Commissioner Sean O' Cuirreain, attacks the current government for its failure to support the Irish tongue and announces a demonstration to be held in Dublin on 15 February to support the ri

As Transceltic reported in its 19 December 2013 Blog, "Historical Tensions Erupt - Scots Gaelic College in Canada's Cape Breton In Crisis Over Royal Charter", the granting of a Royal Charter to the Cape Breton Gaelic College caused an upwelling of long simmering bitterness and resentment toward the historical persecution of Gaelic speakers at the hands of the British government. 

The BBC are reporting on an impressively broad coalition of political figures in the Welsh Assembly that have called on the Welsh Government to take action to support the growth of the tongue.  Under the headline " Plaid Cymru: Act To Enable the Welsh Language to Thrive - In Leading a Debate on the Welsh Language, Plaid Cymru's Simon Thomas Called on the Welsh Government to Act to Enable the Welsh Language to Thrive", the article cites calls from Liberal Democrat Aled Roberts, Conservative Suzy Davies and as cited in the headline, Plaid Cymru's Simon Thomas, in calls to take action.

The Irish Times are proving to be steadfast allies of the Irish language through their reporting on the deepening Irish Language Crisis.  The Times are reporting on the final testimony of the Irish Language Commissioner (An Coimisineir Teanga) before the National Parliament's Sub-Committee on the 20-Year Strategy for The Irish Language".  The Language Commissioner's resignation will take effect on February  23, 2014.

Under the headline "Anger Over State's Treatment of Irish Language - Public Meeting Hears of Crisis in State Provision For Irish Speakers", the Irish Times report on the formation of a national organisation to campaign against the Irish government's failure to support the Irish language.  The article accurately characterises this as a significant development which will bring media attention to the neglect of the Irish tongue by Dublin.

2015 marks the 150th anniversary of the founding in 1865 of Y Wladfa, the Welsh speaking colony in the Chabut Valley area of the southern Argentine region of Patagonia. The story of the founding of this colony revolves around the fascinating figure Michael Daniel Jones who many consider to be one of the founders of modern Welsh Nationalism.  Jones was the leader of a movement to found a haven for the Welsh language and culture to escape the consequences of the rape of Wales by English industrialists during the early 1800's heyday of the industrial revolution.

Multiple press reports are citing the growing strength of the Irish tongue in Northern Ireland.  In the latest example of the Gaelic resurgence in this at times troubled part of the Celtic Homelands is the opening of a new Irish Centre in East Belfast.  The headlines accompanying the articles on the newly opened centre of Gaelic instruction, which has received unusual recognition given the size of the new facility, may reveal more about the symbolic significance of the event than the details of the opening of the Irish Language venue at the Skainos Centre in East Belfast.

"The music is in our blood when we perform, in our hearts when we write it and in our heads when we sleep." - Mike McNaughton

A focus at Transceltic this year will be the resurgence of Celtic Identity in North America and surge in attendance at Celtic festivals.  We caught up with Mike McNaughton, drummer for the Kilmaine Saints, an American Celtic Rock band who are popular on the festival circuit. The Kilmaine Saints were started in 2009 by a few members of the Lochiel Emerald Society Pipes and Drums (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania) and were joined by a classicly trained fiddler and a singer from Ireland's County Mayo. Since then the band have have enjoyed major success playing the growing number of Celtic Festivals in the United States. 

The Welsh Language Commissioner Meri Huws is quoted in an article on the web site "Daily Post" calling for a more rigorous application of the spirit of the "Welsh Language (Wales) Measure of 2011" in drafting legislation and policy. The 2011 Measure confirmed the status of Welsh as an official Language in Wales. Under the 2011 Act, Huws was appointed as the first Welsh language Commissioner. In the Daily Post article the Language Commissioner is quoted as follows: "It is now time for the Welsh Government to develop a 'rigorously Welsh way' of drafting laws.

The Ulster Star reports, under the headline "Irish Language School Gets The Go Ahead", that a new Irish Medium school is to be constructed in the village of Crumlin in County Antrim.  Crumlin has grown into a center of the Irish Language revival in Northern Ireland.  With an active Irish medium Primary School and Nursery, the continued success and growth of Irish in this area of Ireland is assured into the next generation.  Local organisations conduct fund raising efforts to support Irish education in Crumlin which reflects a true community effort to preserve the tongue.