Implementation of Irish language plan in North Mayo Gaeltacht

UNDER Acht na Gaeltachta 2012 every Gaeltacht community must now prepare and implement a language plan to support and develop Irish language use in their area. If they don’t do this, they could lose their Gaeltacht status.

Gaeilge Iorrais is responsible for overseeing this process in the North Mayo Gaeltacht area and the implementation phase of their Irish language plan is now underway.

Some 95.3% of the North Mayo Gaeltacht community believe it’s important that the Irish language continues to thrive in their area. 92.2% would like to maintain their Gaeltacht status. 75% would like more opportunities to use the Irish language.

Never has there been a better time to build on these hugely favourable attitudes to the Irish language and further Irish language use in this Gaeltacht area.

For the first time ever the North Mayo Gaeltacht community has a targeted seven-year Irish Language Plan, multiparochial steering committee (Gaeilge Iorrais) and a language planning officer to oversee the development of Irish language use and activities in this area. However, this is only one piece of the pobal and more participation from each of the five parishes in the area will be vital to ensure a positive future for the Irish language in north Mayo. Gaeltacht status depends on it.

For these reasons, Gaeilge Iorrais is rolling out an information and participation campaign with a very simple message; ‘úsáid í agus mairfidh sí, use it or lose it.’ In other words, if we use the Irish language, in whatever way we can, she will thrive.

Everyone has a role, a voice and a choice to make regarding the Irish language. How can you use more Irish every day? What are you prepared to do to keep the Irish language alive in your area? Gaeilge Iorrais ask you to have a think about this and make your voice heard.

The Irish language has been spoken in the area for over 2,000 years, and it’s up to us to make sure that this continues. Úsáid í agus mairfidh sí. Have the courage and confidence to use whatever Irish you have every day. Cast off any historical baggage and preconceived ideas which you may have. Embrace this exciting new era of change and opportunity for the Irish language and the community.

Gaeilge Iorrais has compiled a summary booklet which gives a brief overview of this process to date. This booklet will be distributed by An Post to every household in this Gaeltacht area at the beginning of June.

The complete and unabridged 244-page language plan is also available from the Gaeilge Iorrais website www.gaeilgeiorrais.ie.

These developments signal that the implementation of the language plan is officially underway and more Irish language use is only a comhrá Gaeilge or cúpla focal away. Irish language use is guaranteed when one person decides to use it. You can make a huge difference and together we have the power to secure a positive future for the Irish language in our Gaeltacht.

The purpose of the language plan is to bridge gaps between the hugely positive attitudes to the Irish language and to create more opportunities to use Irish based on research findings. This will involve, for example, establishing a programme of activities for the youth and their families, creating a network of ranganna Gaeilge, building on the work of Gaeltacht schools and naíonraí, as well as launching this participation campaign and promoting more Irish language use in public, commercial, social and recreational activities.

Gaeltacht status in north Mayo depends on the effective implementation of this plan, which requires both individual and community participation, instead of geographical boundaries alone as was previously the case. Therefore, this process and more Irish language use is now of critical importance for the entire North Mayo Gaeltacht community.

Any relevant suggestions and/or recommendations from the North Mayo Gaeltacht community are most welcome. If you would like to hear more about this process or get involved, call (085) 2503321, email gaeilgeiorrais@gmail.com, check out the website www.gaeilgeiorrais.ie or see the Facebook page.

 

De réir Acht na Gaeltachta 2012 caithfidh chuile phobal Gaeltachta plean teanga a réiteach agus a chur i bhfeidhm chun tacú le húsáid na Gaeilge ina cheantar. Mura ndéantar é seo, tá baol ann go gcaillfear a stádas Gaeltachta. Tá Gaeilge Iorrais freagrach as an bpróiseas seo a stiúradh i limistéar Mhaigh Eo Thuaidh. Tá tús curtha le feidhmiú an phlean teanga sa limistéar seo le fonn agus le fuadar.

Creideann 95.3% de mhuintir an limistéir seo go bhfuil sé tábhachtach go mairfidh an Ghaeilge sa Ghaeltacht seo. Ba mhaith le 92.2% an stádas Gaeltachta a choinneáil. Tá 75% ag iarraidh níos mó deiseanna an Ghaeilge a úsáid. Tá Gaeilge Iorrais ag tapú an deis anois chun tógáil ar na dearcthaí dearfacha seo i leith na Gaeilge agus na Gaeltachta agus chun borradh a chur faoi úsáid na Gaeilge sa limistéar.

Don chéad uair ariamh, tá plean teanga sonraithe, coiste stiúrtha ilpharóisteach, oifigeach pleanála teanga agus deiseanna móra ag pobal na Gaeltachta seo. Mar sin féin, teastaíonn níos mó rannpháirtíochta ó mhuintir an limistéir chun an plean a fheidhmiú go héifeachtach agus chun todhchaí dearfach a chinntiú don Ghaeilge sa Ghaeltacht seo. Tá stádas Gaeltachta an limistéir ag brath ar an obair seo.

Dá bhrí sin, tá Gaeilge Iorrais ag seoladh feachtas eolais agus rannpháirtíochta le teachtaireacht thar a bheith simplí: ‘úsáid í agus mairfidh sí.’ Is é sin le rá, má úsáideann muid an Ghaeilge, aon bhealach ar féidir linn, mairfidh sí.

Tá ról, glór agus rogha le déanamh ag chuile dhuine againn i leith na Gaeilge. Cén chaoi ar féidir leatsa níos mó Gaeilge a úsáid gach lá? Céard ba mhaith leat a dhéanamh chun an Ghaeilge a choinneáil beo sa cheantar seo? Tá Gaeilge Iorrais ag impí ort do mhachnamh féin a dhéanamh air seo agus do ghlór a úsáid dá réir. Tá an Ghaeilge á labhairt anseo ar feadh breis agus dhá mhíle bliain, is fúinne atá sé a chinntiú go leanfar leis sin. Úsáid í agus mairfidh sí. Bíodh misneach agus muinín agat do chuid Gaeilge a úsáid gach lá. Scaoil leis an ualach stairiúil agus aon réamhsmaointe eile. Bí páirteach sa ré úr seo. Tá deis againn anois i dtaobh na Gaeilge sa limistéar Gaeltachta seo.

Tá leabhrán eolais curtha i dtoll a chéile ag Gaeilge Iorrais a thugann osradharc ar an bpróiseas seo go dáta. Déanfaidh An Post seachadadh ar an leabhrán seo go chuile theaghlach sa limistéar ag tús mhí an Mheithimh. Tá an Plean Teanga ina iomláine (244 leathanach) le fáil ó shuíomh Ghaeilge Iorrais chomh maith www.gaeilgeiorrais.ie.

Léiríonn na forbairtí seo go bhfuil feidhmiú an phlean teanga faoi lán seoil i dtuaisceart Mhaigh Eo agus gur féidir níos mó Gaeilge a úsáid gan mórán stró a chur ort féin. Is féidir labhairt na Gaeilge a chinntiú nuair a dhéanann duine amháin cinneadh go labhróidh sé/sí í. Mar sin, is féidir leatsa difríocht mhór a dhéanamh agus is féidir linne, le chéile, an t-uafás a bhaint amach má sheasann muid le chéile ar son na Gaeilge. Má úsáideann muid í, mairfidh sí.

Iarracht ar réiteach chun teacht roimh na dúshláin atá sa phlean seo. Moltar bealaí seiftiúla chun an bhearna idir na dearcthaí dearfacha i leith na Gaeilge, cumas sa Ghaeilge agus úsáid a bhaint aisti a dhruid, trí dheiseanna soiléire úsáide Gaeilge a chruthú agus a chothú. Mar shampla, tabharfar tosaíocht i mbliain a haon do chlár gníomhaíochtaí trí Ghaeilge a chur ar bun don óige agus do thuismitheoirí/teaghlaigh, gréasán de ranganna Gaeilge a bhunú, chomh maith le feachtas feasachta agus fóram tacaíochta a fhorbairt don phróiseas agus níos mó Gaeilge a mhealladh mar chuid de sheirbhísí poiblí, tráchtála, sóisialta agus siamsaíochta.

Tá stádas Gaeltachta Mhaigh Eo Thuaidh ag brath ar fheidhmiú éifeachtach an phlean seo, ar mhéadú úsáid na Gaeilge agus ar rannpháirtíocht an phobail sa phróiseas, seachas ar limistéir gheografacha amháin mar a bhí go dtí seo. Tionscadal fíorthábhachtach atá sa phróiseas seo do phobal uile Mhaigh Eo Thuaidh, mar sin.

Bí i dteagmháil linn ag gaeilgeiorrais@gmail.com nó (085) 250 3321, más mian leat níos mó eolais a fháil faoin bpróiseas sa limistéar seo, chun spéis a chlárú linn nó chun moltaí ábhartha a roinnt linn. Ba mhór againn cloisteáil uait. Coinnigh súil ar ár leathanach Facebook ‘Gaeilge Iorrais’ agus ar www.gaeilgeiorrais.ie don nuacht is déanaí.