Date: Saturday, 23 September 2017
Time: 11.00am - 3.30pm
Venue: Academy Plaza Hotel, 10-14 Findlater Place, beside O'Connell Street, Dublin 1, D01 X2X0
11.00 Welcome with tea & coffee
11.05 Introduction, aims & layout of the day
Cormac Ó hEadhra, Chairperson
11.10 Update & discussion of the current campaigns
11.30 Workshop 1: An Comhrá Mór
Methodology
Branding
Other issues
11.50 Workshop 2: Empowerment & methods of campaigning
Investment for the Irish language & the Gaeltacht
Act for the north
Legislation in the south
12.30 Feedback from the workshops
12.50 Lunch
13.30 Guest Speaker: Pop Up Gaeltacht
Peadar Ó Caomhánaigh, one of the co-founders of the Pop Up Gaeltacht concept
13.50 Workshop 3: Simple, high-impact campaigns to inspire
Aimed at the authorities
Aimed at the private sector
Aimed at empowering the community
14.30 Feedback
14.50 Agreed actions
15.00 Close
We also hope to discuss the feedback people have received from local politicians since the last gathering, therefore it is crucial that you contact your own politicians regarding investment in the Irish language and in the Gaeltacht before An Comhrá Mór comes together again.
Chairperson
Cormac Ó hEadhra, radio presenter from An Cheathrú Rua, Co. Galway.
Guest Speaker
Peadar Ó Caomhánaigh, radio presenter & one of the co-founders of the Pop Up Gaeltacht concept from Dublin.
Registration
Tá fáilte roimh chách! Everyone is welcome to attend An Comhrá Mór, but we do ask you to register with us beforehand if possible; this will help us to ensure that there is enough space available for everyone in the hotel on the day. Please register here:
On foot of recommendations from the first mass meeting of An Comhrá Mór, Conradh na Gaeilge hosted a series of action forums in association with Comhlachas na gComharchumann Gaeltachta in Donegal, Galway, and Kerry on Tuesday, 12 September 2017 at 8.00pm.
- Páidí Ó Sé, Manager of Comharchumann Chorca Dhuibhne, at Heights Hotel in Killarney;
- Cathy Ní Ghoill, Manager of Comharchumann Forbartha Árann, at Seanscoil Sailearna in Indreabhán;
- Dónal Ó Cnaimhsí, Comharchumann Ghaoth Dobhair, in An Chrannóg in Gaoth Dobhair.
More information is available here and you can download posters online at: http://bit.ly/ForaimG17
Background
When the 2011 Census in Wales showed a fall in the number of people who could speak Welsh, the Welsh Government launched a national conversation about the future of the language. This was an open forum called Iaith Fyw: Y Gynhadledd Fawr (A Living Language: The Big Conversation).
In Ireland, the latest results from the 2016 Census in the south have shown a decline in the number of Irish speakers for the first time since 1946. Inspired by Y Gynhadledd Fawr, An Comhrá Mór wants to kickstart Ireland’s own big conversation about the Irish language.
While An Comhrá Mór will act as a public forum for ideas and opinions, the ultimate aim of the meetings is to act on the thoughts put forward. Campaign-specific actions will be agreed at the meetings, especially as regards to attaining rights-based language legislation in the north, stronger legislation in the south, and funding for the Irish-language and Gaeltacht investment plan as agreed by 80 community groups.
The Next Steps Forward...
The first mass action meeting of An Comhrá Mór took place in the capital on 10 June 2017, and the second mass action meeting as detailed above will convene in Dublin on 23 September 2017. Action forums were held in the Gaeltacht on 12 September 2017 as part of the same national conversation.
