Blogs

The website "Trinity News", the student newspaper of Trinity College in Dublin and the oldest student newspaper in Ireland, has reported on a protest demonstration by Irish speakers from the Dublin area joined by members of Trinity's Cumann Gaelach (Irish Society) over the issue of language rights.   The Vice President for Irish language for the Union of Students in Ireland (USI), Mr. Fedhlim Seoige, characterised the recent resignation of the Irish Language Commissioner as proof that the Irish Government is indifferent to preserving the language:

Reports from the ‘Scotsman’ newspaper states that the:

Highland Council is to receive £3 million over the next two years to build a new Gaelic school on Portree, on the Isle of Skye.

The announcement was made by Alasdair Allan, Scottish National Party member of Scotland’s Parliament for the constituency of ‘Na h-Eileanan an lar’ during a visit to the site for the new school.

With scenic views of the Isle of Man becoming increasingly popular, a selection of desktop calendars, newly available for 2014, would make an ideal stocking filler this Christmas, and brighten up the office on any day of the year.

Designed by local photographer, John Bennett, his distinctive style has resulted in two compact desk calendars, one featuring a range of familiar scenes focusing on different areas of the Island and the other concentrating exclusively on his home town of Peel.

As reported in the Scotsman Newspaper an Ipsos-Mori opinion poll shows a 3 per cent rise in support for a Yes vote in the forthcoming referendum. Scotland’s SNP Government has predicted that there will continue to be a shift in opinion in favour of independence as the referendum draws closer. The number of undecided voters continues to cause alarm in London and amongst the pro-union lobby.

The Endangered Language Alliance and BZH NY present the third installment of Unheard Of! featuring the Celtic languages of Brittany and Ireland on December 15th at The Bowery Poetry Club (308 Bowery between Bleecker and Houston) from 6 - 7:30pm, $10 cover.

Unheard Of! presents live readings of poetry and oral literature, both traditional and modern, by native speakers with simultaneous projections of texts and translations. The presentations employ theatre, music and dance by way of introduction to these rarely performed pieces.

Battle lines are being drawn for the coming conflict to protect the Celtic tongue of Ireland from a government that has turned its back on it previous committments to restore the Irish language to its rightful place. There are numerous press reports over the past two days describing the dramatic announcement by Irish Language Commissioner, Sean O' Cuirreain, that he is resigning his post in protest over the governments increasing reluctance to support the tongue of Ireland.

With reading methods becoming firmly embedded in modern technology, it’s encouraging that Manx Gaelic should join forces with a Scottish based media company who specialise in producing eBooks in Scottish Gaidhlig, Irish and Welsh.

Seen as a leader in eBook education, Giglets Limited, centred in Ayrshire, has developed its first Manx language, animated eBook, Giglets ayns Gaelg Peddyr Pan, in conjunction with the Manx Heritage Foundation to encourage the use and support of the Manx language.

Celebrating thirty years of helping disabled people back into the workplace, the Manx Workshop for the Disabled is about to launch a new website, as they continue to expand their profile and develop greater awareness within the Island’s community.

Under the headline "Scottish Government Approves Funding For Gaelic Learning Exchanges", the website "Cape Breton Post" reports on the visit of Michael Rusell, the Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, to Cape Breton University in the Canadian city of Sydney, Nova Scotia.  In making the announcement of the renewal of funding by the Scottish government for the exchange program Minister Russell stated: " Gaelic in Scotland has declined greatly over the past century, the last census shows the decline has stabilised.