‘Irish can be revelatory, cheeky and full of joy’

This year’s Seachtain na Gaeilge festival will seek to encourage people who might not use Irish in their daily lives “to give it a go”.

Speaking as details of this year’s festival, that runs from March 1st to March 17th, were announced, Seachtain na Gaeilge manager Orlaith Nic Ghearailt said the aim of the two-week festival is to encourage more people “to use their Gaeilge”.

“We encourage everyone from native speakers, to people who mightn’t have the confidence to use their Gaeilge and also people who are new to Ireland or to the language to give it a go,” she said.

“Every year hundreds of thousands of people take part in the festival and we’re hoping to entice more people to join in and to attend an event this year,” she said.

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Three public figures have been selected as ambassadors for this year’s festival.

Broadcaster Maura Derrane, writer Manchán Magan and content creator and marketer Éadaoin Fitzmaurice will promote the language over the course of the festival which is now in its 121st year.

Originally from Inis Mór, TV presenter Maura Derrane, who is a native Irish speaker, said her message during seachtain na Gaeilge, particularly those with very little Irish, is: “Don’t be afraid to use a few words of Irish, don’t be afraid to make mistakes, especially grammatical ones, and most importantly, don’t be afraid to use English words with Irish in conversation.”

Speaking in Irish, she said she always appreciated the importance of Seachtain na Gaeilge.

“Ag fás aníos sa Ghaeltacht bhí an Ghaeilge timpeall orainn i gconaí, mar sin thuig mé an tábhacht a bhaineann le cur chun cinn na Gaeilge le linn Seachtain na Gaeilge.”

Manchán Magan said he was “blown away” when he was asked to participate, explaining that he is the latest of his family members to be involved.

“I knew that Seachtain na Gaeilge had been going for well over 120 years and I was pretty blown away to be asked to be an ambassador, as my great-granduncle, The O’Rahilly, was involved in the festival more than a century ago, as was my grandmother Sighle Humphreys, many times, including being chosen as Iirsh speaker of the year when I was young in the 1970s or 80s.”

Speaking in Irish, he said there is more to the language than grammar and that it is a key that opens “secret doors” into our souls.

“Ba bhreá liom dá dtuigfeadh daoine go raibh i bhfad Éireann níos mó i gceist lenár dteanga dhúchais seachas cúrsaí gramadaí agus botúin ginidigh amháin. Ba bhreá liom dá dtiocfaidís ar thuiscint gurb eochair í an teanga a osclaíonn doirse rúnda isteach go croílár ár n-anamacha agus ár gcroíthe.”

He said there are numerous fun ways for people to engage through “cartoons on TG4, or music shows on Raidió na Lífe, or possibly Raidió na Gaeltachta podcasts like Beo ar Éigean”.

“The language need not be a chore, in fact it can be revelatory, cheeky and full of joy,” he added.

Éadaoin Fitzmaurice said Seachtain na Gaeilge is an event she celebrated since she was in school.

“Being an ambassador is a dream come true and a huge honour! I’m pretty sure it’s something I had on a vision board when I was in college,” she said.

“I want to show people what saol na Gaeilge really looks like. My education in the language goes as far as Leaving Cert and I’m still ag spalpadh Gaeilge at any opportunity 10 years later.”

“I think there’s a perception that in adulthood, it’s only teachers, people who studied it in college, or people in the Gaeltacht who speak Irish but that couldn’t be further from the truth,” she added.

“I chose to keep my Irish after school and to practice it and I continue to choose to do so every day. I’m proud of that. I hope that I can inspire people to choose it too. ”

Speaking in Irish, she said the language offers a completely different worldview and it delights her to speak Irish with her friends when they go out.

“Ba chóir dúinn a bheith bródúil as ár dteanga féin a labhairt. Is nasc cumhachtach í an Ghaeilge lenár n-oidhreacht agus lenár gcultúr. Is bealach iomlán difriúil é an domhain a fheiceáil. Deir an seanfhocal: tír gan teanga, tír gan anam.”

“Bíonn gliondar ar m’anam féin nuair a bhím amuigh le mo chairde agus muid ag labhairt as Gaeilge le chéile,” she said.

This year’s festival, which goes by the hashtag #SnaG23 and is supported by Energia, will feature thousands of events organised by community groups, schools, libraries, local and city authorities, cultural and sporting groups across the country and further afield.

For more information visit snag.ie.