Emmett McIntyre's blog

Earlier this month Transceltic reported that in the run up to the elections for the Northern Ireland Assembly the Gaelic League had identified candidates by name who support the Irish Language and promoted them as part of the #GaelVóta campaign. Information on every political party and each election candidate officially supporting the three main Irish-language commitments were published on Conradh na Gaeilge’s website. In a stunning advance for the Irish Language,  the #GaelVóta campaign has borne fruit.

Conradh na Gaeilge (The Gaelic League) are strengthening their electoral strategy skills as they continue with an all-out effort to make candidates for the Northern Ireland Assembly responsive to the concerns of the Irish language community and supporters of the Gaelic Language.  The election will take place the 5th of May, 2016.

Assembly for Gaels (Dáil na nGael): This assembly will provide a democratic mechanism for political solidarity, empowerment and leadership to endorse practical initiatives for the Community Trust.

The following is an editorial published on the web site of the Gaelic Council of Nova Scotia:

Gaelic Nova Scotia: Tradition in a Modern World An editorial for Gaelic Awareness Month by Seumas Watson

The matter of Gaelic language in Nova Scotia has been a subject of discussion for its advocates for nearly two hundred years. The question most asked is: will Gaelic die? Whatever will be, the Gaelic language yet lives in Nova Scotia and the month of May has been designated to celebrate its achievements.

On assuming her post as Language Commissioner in 2012, Commissioner Meri Huws stated: “I will be a voice for the Welsh Language, acting on behalf of Welsh speakers. That is my promise.  As I prepare to undertake this work, my vision is of Wales where the Welsh language is central to public life, where Welsh speakers have the confidence to use Welsh and trust in the law to right any injustice they may suffer for using the Welsh language."  Huws continues to live up to her words.  

The Gaelic League (Conradh na Gaeilge) have called for the appointment of a Senior Government Minister for the Irish Language and Gaeltacht.  The League's announcement cited the results of an independent poll that measures the levels of support in the Irish Republic for the provision of State Services in Gaelic for Irish speaking communities (Gaeltacht):

The Beltane Fire Festival to be held at Edinburgh’s Calton Hill on April 30 – May 1, 2016 is the premier event celebrating the Celtic Festival of Beltane. The international prestige of Beltane Fire festival grows stronger every year.  The Beltane Fire festival was first held in 1988 and has developed its own traditions built on the legacy of 2,500 years of Beltane observances. The Beltane Fire Society is a Community Arts Performance Charity that hosts the Beltane Fire Festival as well as Halloween's Samhuinn (Samhain) Fire Festival.

Conradh na Gaeilge (The Gaelic League) are sharpening their electoral strategy skills with an all-out effort to make candidates for the Northern Ireland Assembly responsive to the concerns of the Irish language community and supporters of the Celtic tongue.  The election will take place the 5th of May, 2016.

A law passed last year by the Welsh Assembly which seeks to protect Welsh Language areas from the ill effects of property developers has begun to work. A major property development scheme in the Welsh language heartland has been blocked by the local authority under the terms of the “Planning Wales Act of 2015”.  The legislation requires local planning authorities to assess the impact of proposed property development on Welsh speaking area.  The legislation states that the authority must “...

The notion of Welsh medium education enjoys wide support amongst the electorate in Wales. A poll released in late 2014 sponsored by Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg (Welsh Language Society) showed that  63% of the people surveyed agreed that schools “should teach all pupils to communicate effectively in Welsh” thus ensuring graduates enjoy a command of the Welsh tongue upon graduation.  Studies have shown that bilingually schooled students academically outperform monolingually schooled students.