Emmett McIntyre's blog

Education Scotland, an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government created in 2010 to support innovation and educational excellence in  Scottish schools, has announced a plan to teach Gaelic in every Scots primary school.

The 2013 All Ireland Music Festival, or Fleadh Cheoil na hErieann, was held this year in the Ulster city of Derry (Doire).  The Belfast Telegraph reports that over 430,000 attended the week long festival which included musical performances, art exhibitions, workshops in dance , Irish language events and an exhibition of Gaelic Ireland & Scotland sacred music and literature at Derry's majestic St. Columb's Cathedral.  

The 23rd annual "Feis an Eilein" is being held in the Cape Breton community of Easter Island from August 20 through August 24.  The Festival's Home page, which is linked below, gives us: "A Feis (faysh) is a community-based festival designed to promote the Gaelic language and culture of an area. Today in Scotland the Feis Movement has grown to number approximately 36 community festivals.  The community of Christmas Island is home to the first Feis to be held outside of Scotland."  

In the news this week are reports on the opening of the first dedicated Gaelic school in Scotland's capital city of Edinburgh.  The school, known by it's Gaelic name "Bun-sgoil Taobh na Pairce" (Gael, Parkside Primary Scool) will boast 213 students and a Gaelic speaking staff of 30. Classes will be taught entirely in Gaelic.

This week has seen multiple news reports on dramatic gains for the Cornish Language in Helston.  Councillor Martine Knight of Helston has been characterised in news accounts as an emerging champion of the Cornish tongue.

Proving true to the promises she made to the Welsh nation on assuming her post, the web site "Walesonline" reports Welsh Language Commissioner Meri Huws has issued the First Annual Report of the Language Commissioner. The report  details 488 complaints received by her office against Public Bodies and Private Companies who are alleged to have failed to comply with Welsh Language statutes.

The website "InsideIreland" reports in an article by Caira Hanna, that the Northern Ireland Executive has come under criticism for it's "..failure to submit details on the promotion and progress of the Irish Language to the British Government for inclusion in a European report."  This information is required to comply with the reporting requirements under the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages.

As reported in recent weeks on the "thisissouthwales" and "walesonline" web sites, there is a rising chorus of voices demanding that Welsh speakers be afforded the basic right of being served by Medical Staff in the Welsh tongue. Keith Davies, National Assembly For Wales member for Llanelli, has cited the danger to patients health posed by the failure to provide Health Care services in Welsh.

The popular webpage "thisiscornwall." reports that the Helston Town Council have adopted a Cornish Language Policy.  It was reported that,  "Helston Town Council took an extra step to make sure it uses Cornish on official paper work and at Public events." 

The Irish Language interest webpage, Gaelport.com, reports that the Irish Minister of State for the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Irish Speaking Area of Ireland), Dinny McGinley, has issued a status report on the progress to date against the goals for the revival of the Irish language contained in the Government's "20-Year Strategy for the Irish Language 2010-2030".