News tidbits for 29ú Bealtaine

Cogar - Digital news service for Irish language radio

(Gaelport.com - 29 Bealtaine 2012)

"Cogar, a news service for Irish language broadcasters has been re-launched for 2012 and has brought social media platforms to the core of its communications strategy.

"The service is a joint-project between Comhdháil Náisiúnta na Gaeilge which provide award-winning digital media projects such as Gaelport.com and the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland."

More at Gaelport.com.

Cá bhfuil an Obair?

(Gaelport.com - 29 Bealtaine 2012)

"Cá bhfuil an obair or Where is the work is the theme of a new radio series examining employment opportunities within the Irish language sector."

More at Gaelport.com.

Nationwide Irish language picnic day

A bit far away for some of us, but if it succeeds in Ireland as an annual event, it could be fun to try a bit of replication closer to home.

Nationwide Irish language picnic day

http://www.gaelport.com/default.aspx?treeid=37&NewsItemID=8128

(Gaelport.com - 23 Bealtaine 2012)

"Fun and games through the Irish language will take place across Ireland on May 27th as young Irish language speaking families meet for the national picnic day organised by Comhluadar."

Full story at Gaelport.com.

More about National Picnic Day at www.comhluadar.ie.

More news items, sort of recent

New Language Support Scheme to replace Scéim Labhairt na Gaeilge

(Gaelport.com - 1 Bealtaine 2012)

"A new government scheme to promote the Irish language will focus on Gaeltacht families but information will available to other families wishing to raise their families through Irish."

Massive Shortfalls in implementing Official Languages Act

(Gaelport.com - April 24 2012)

"The latest annual report of An Coimisinéir Teanga exposes ‘massive shortfalls’ in the implementation of the Official Languages Act, according to Comhdháil Náisiúnta na Gaeilge."

‘The Hobbit’ Irish translation available soon

File under "Important things you miss when you take a mental vacation":

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‘The Hobbit’ Irish translation available soon

(Gaelport.com, 24 Aibreán 2012 - http://tinyurl.com/6q3pm5v)

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Peter Jackson won’t be the only one to express his take on JRR Tolkien’s epic novel, The Hobbit as the Irish language translation, An Hobad, will soon be available at An Siopa Leabhar, Conradh na Gaeilge.

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More at Gaelport.com.

Your Irish phrase, an 23ú lá Mí Bealtaine

Wow, it's been ages since we did these. I re-started the e-mail list recently, and this one was inspired by inexplicably running out of tea. (Don't ask, I don't know how it happened.)

Gan tae, thit mé i ndímrí. "Without tea, I became enfeebled."

dímrí (f., gen, ~) 1. Lack of energy; feebleness.  2. Ineffectiveness.

[Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla, Ó Dónaill, (c) 1977-92]

Spike [Milligan]’s infamous epitaph gets the last laugh in survey

Spike’s infamous epitaph gets the last laugh in survey 

(Irish Examiner, May 19 2012 - http://tinyurl.com/7y4fmgl)

"Goon Show creator and comedian Spike Milligan’s infamous epitaph, 'I told you I was ill', has been named as the best parting line.

"Milligan who died in 2002, aged 83, gets the last laugh again after he received nearly two thirds of the vote in a survey."

More at irishexaminer.com. 

What the article doesn't mention (unless I missed something) is that the epitaph is actually in Irish. GRMA to irishcultureandcustoms.com for pointing out the Gaeilge and the tombstone image: http://tinyurl.com/7gvfok5

A couple random news items

Hey, Blogger, thanks for making your stuff even harder to use! I give, I have better things to do (believe it or not) than fight to make this post fit the style I used to follow. Or even be consistent within the same post, apparently.

Chinese set to be Junior Cert subject (May 11, 2012)
http://www.theirishworld.com/newsbrilast/21660-chinese-set-to-be-junior-cert-subject

"Irish secondary school students will have the option to study Mandarin Chinese when the language is put on the Junior Certificate curriculum in 2014, Minister for Education Ruairi Quinn has announced."

Horses for courses as Micheal gets racy (May 14, 2012)

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/horses-for-courses-as-micheal-gets-racy-3106008.html

"After a long, distinguished career, there is very little Micheal O Muircheartaigh hasn't experienced in live sports commentary.

"But yesterday, the veteran broadcaster was at the races where he commentated on a race as Gaeilge.

"Mr O Muircheartaigh was in Killarney, Co Kerry, where he helped celebrate 'La na Gaeilge' on the opening day of a three-day horse racing festival."

Why don’t the Defence Forces make recruitment ads like this any more?

File under: "I didn't know this was missing from my life." And there's video!

Video: Why don’t the Defence Forces make recruitment ads like this any more? 

(TheJournal.ie, May 12, 2012 - http://tinyurl.com/6toxsq5)

This week the Defence Forces posted a collection of old recruitment ads to its YouTube account, extolling the benefits of a life in the army.

“Tar isteach ‘sna Fórsaí Cosanta agus ar aghaidh leat,” the ad from the 1980s proclaimed, translating as ”Join the Defence Forces, and go places!”

With shots of a military marching band, tanks, rifles, small guns, big guns, planes, ships and having the craic with your fellow recruits all spliced with music from Walter Murphy’s disco take on Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony – A Fifth of Beethoven – it is hard not to be enticed to sign up.

More at TheJournal.ie