News through an 4ú lá Mí Iúil

Clare FM’s Gaeilge award (June 29, 2008)
http://www.sbpost.ie/post/pages/p/story.aspx-qqqt=THE+INSIDE+TRACK-qqqs=mediaandmarketing-qqqid=34036-qqqx=1.asp
“Clare FM has received the 2008 Gradam Gaeilge an Chláir award at a ceremony held by An Clár as Gaeilge Teo, the language promotion group.”

Letters: Flawed views on Gaelic (June 30, 2008)
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/letters/article3846640.ece
“Councillor Samuel Cole's understanding of the Irish language and its community is flawed and outdated (Write Back, June 23).”

For 10th season, Stanford Summer Theater presents works by Irish playwright Brian Friel (June 30, 2008)
http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2008/july9/irish-070908.html
“In a small town in rural Ireland, Maire falls in love with George, a shy British soldier enchanted with all things Irish, not just Maire, but also the local pub's fiery poteen, the land, the people and the language—even the place names he has been ordered to wipe off its maps.”

Best Director Award for ‘Imeacht na nÍarlaí’ (July 1, 2008)
http://www.iftn.ie/?act1=record&only=1&aid=73&rid=4281328&tpl=archnews
“Director Paul Larkin picked up the award for Best International Documentary Director for his Irish language docu-drama ‘Imeacht na nÍarlaí’ at the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival (NYIIFVF) awards ceremony in NYC on Wednesday 27th June.”

Not at all about Irish, but:
RTÉ's Fáilte Towers now taking bookings (July 1, 2008)
http://www.rte.ie/arts/2008/0701/failtetowers.html
“Fancy being waited on hand and foot by a brigade of hassled celebrities?
“The new RTÉ One series 'Fáilte Towers' is set to offer members of the public the chance to be just that.
“'Fáilte Towers' will be a real, fully functioning hotel run by 12 celebrities.”

Campbell rejects Irish language criticism (July 2, 2008)
http://www.londonderrysentinel.co.uk/news/Campbell-rejects-Irish-language-criticism.4239279.jp
“Northern Ireland's Culture Minister has hit back at criticism in Londonderry of the DUP's position on the Irish language.”

Letters: Why Irish isn't a political football (July 2, 2008)
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/letters/article3853937.ece
“It’s unfortunate that again the Irish language is being used as a political football (Write Back, June 23). Surely we can appreciate culture and beauty and learning for their own sakes.”

Belfast Irish-medium school to close (July 2, 2008)
http://www.atl.org.uk/atl_en/news/education/Default.asp?article=%7B677BDBAB-122A-4070-938C-D54F11E5140C%7D&month=&year=&category=
“The end of this school year will see the closure of an Irish-medium school in Belfast, it has been announced.”

A Canadian Professor with storytelling gift (July 2, 2008)
http://www.londonderrysentinel.co.uk/news/A-Canadian-Professor-with-storytelling.4247083.jp
“Keynote speaker at the Thursday session of the 17th Biennial Ulster-American Heritage Symposium this year was Honourary Research Professor at New Brunswick, Peter M Toner.
...“Interestingly, Professor Toner's lecture was entitled 'Confusing Identities: The Gaeltachta in New Brunswick, 1901' and charted the use of the Irish language by Protestant and Catholic migrant families in settled pockets of New Brunswick.
‘They shared the language. They also shared a lot of cultural things. The people of Londonderry and Derry have more in common than they have dividing them.’”

Letters: Get it right, ta (July 3, 2008)
http://www.herald.ie/opinion/letters/get-it-right-ta-1426353.html
“The Lisbon Referendum can be challenged and made invalid due to the meaningless use of the Irish language, supposedly the first official language of this state.”

Richie to promote the Irish language (July 2, 2008)
http://www.newrossstandard.ie/news/richie-to-promote-the-irish-language-1426527.html
“County Wexford has its first Irish language development officer.
“Richie Ó hEadhra (26) has been appointed to the post with the voluntary group Na Macallaí' in County Wexford after they recently received funding from Forás na Gaeilge.
“Mr. Ó hEadhra, who is a native of An Cheathrœ Rua in the Galway Gaeltacht is also TG4's anchor for their live soccer coverage and can be seen regularly on the Irish language channel.”

Gaelscoil’s location limbo (July 2, 2008)
http://www.anglocelt.ie/articles/1/28405
“Twelve years after it first opened its doors to educate national school children as gaeilge, Gaelscoil Bhreifne is still teaching out of four pre-fab buildings on a site rented from the local Scout’s Den.”

A new chapter for Kenny’s (July 3, 2008)
http://www.galwayadvertiser.ie/content/index.php?aid=12747
“When Kenny’s closed its bookshop on High Street it was the end of an era, not only in Galway business life, but also in Galway literature and bookselling.”

ILBF Announces 2008 Funding Decisions (July 3, 2008)
http://www.iftn.ie/?act1=record&only=1&aid=73&rid=4281336&tpl=archnews
“Animations and documentaries from companies including LTL Productions, Stirling TV, DoubleBand Films and Lugh Film have all received a cash injection from Irish Language Broadcast Fund in its latest funding round.”

IFTA Calls for Submissions for US Academy Foreign Language Film Award (July 3, 2008)
http://www.iftn.ie/?act1=record&only=1&aid=73&rid=4281343&tpl=archnews
“The Irish Film & Television Academy (IFTA), the organisation responsible for the selection of Ireland’s submission for consideration for the Foreign Language Film Award at the American Academy Awards, is calling for Irish filmmakers to submit their feature films for consideration.”

Actors to grace new stamps (July 3, 2008)
http://ukpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5ilj3uguRBkvczVj3LBjAKvGo0CrA
...“Actor Cillian Murphy, who thrilled audiences in The Wind that Shakes the Barley and actress Brid Ni Neachtain of Irish language drama Cre na Cille, will also be featured.”

Brothers take the reigns of Kilkenny and Waterford councils (July 4, 2008)
http://www.kilkennypeople.ie/news/Brothers-take-the-reigns-of.4241488.jp
...“She welcomed Cllr Breathnach’s love of the Irish language, as did Cllr Michael O’Brien in recalling an occasion when Cllr Breathnach’s parish once hosted a group of French visitors. ‘When Tomas got up to speak, he said what he had to say, and then he said it again as gaeilge; and then he came out with a different language altogether, which turned out to be a language spoken in France called Breton – and then he finished off in French.’”

Are you Ireland's bilingual business champions? (July 4, 2008)
http://www.mayoadvertiser.com/index.php?aid=6512
“Mentor Gaeilge, leading promoter of the Irish language in Business, has announced the launch of a proactive and exciting new award for Irish businesses across the 32 counties.”

Churches launch hopeful green resources (July 4, 2008)
http://www.indcatholicnews.com/hopofor325.html
“The Churches are not burying their heads in the sand, and they recognise the need to deal with and pray about the ecological problems that face humankind. To help people to do this, Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI) has put together a programme of resources for use in what is being called 'Creation Time', which runs from the beginning of September until the feast day of St Francis on 4 October.
“A Welsh language version of the sermon resources will be available by the end of July, and an Irish language version shortly afterwards.”

Top comedian Des Bishop gearing up for Royal Theatre show tonight (July 4, 2007)
http://www.mayoadvertiser.com/index.php?aid=6514
“Having spent the past 12 months in intense study and immersion in Connemara's Gaeltact in an effort to speak as Gaeilge, Des Bishop is back on the road again. Drawing from his experiences, the star of the revolutionary RTE show In the Name of the Fada, comes to the Royal Theatre, Castlebar, with his live stand up show Tongues.”