Cultúr Club is a collective title for a variety of exciting and innovative initiatives being developed by Conradh na Gaeilge to help foster a stronger sense of Irish identity, especially among the Irish abroad. These initiatives aim to assist local communities in everything from running language rights campaigns and youth workshops to organising cultural events for all age-groups through Irish.
Cultúr Club Curriculum
Thanks to funding from the Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade (DFAT) and the Department of Culture, Heritage & the Gaeltacht (DCHG), Conradh na Gaeilge is currently developing the next phase of the project.
The Cultúr Club curriculum is focused on children of the diaspora from 6 - 16 years of age.
As part of developing Cultúr Club as a series of Irish-language and culture workshops that could be run anywhere in the world, we have designed a general curriculum based on the themes of Irishness for the children of Irish parents, and for those with strong Irish connections of the affinity diaspora.
This includes:
- fun activity books for each age group (6 - 16 years)
- a database of useful resources and teaching materials (work in progress)
- a collection of vocabulary posters by Kay Stauffer
- pilot schemes to train local facilitators
The first series of activity books has been completed and you can download both the first and the second series free of charge by registering your details here.
**Please note that the activity books are very large files and may take some time to download in their entirety, depending on your internet connection.**
We've also completed the second series of Cultúr Club activity books for 2019.
These are available to download, online and free of charge, by registering your details here. Enjoy!
The activity books are:
- aimed at diaspora children of Irish parents (6 – 16 years), with an emphasis on fun and social interaction
- created with language and culture learning objectives included in each workshop
- adaptable to suit the expertise of key members of the Irish community in each respective locality
- designed with the potential to include guest facilitators from Ireland for special interest workshops
- based on themes of Irishness, including both traditional and modern elements of Irish culture
Pilot Schemes 2019
We concluded our latest series of Cultúr Club pilot schemes in Canada, the Channel Islands, and in the United Arab Emirates this autumn.
Thanks to support from the Jersey Irish Society, the Consulate General of Ireland in Vancouver, the Embassy of Ireland, UAE, and the Department of Culture, Heritage & the Gaeltacht, Cultúr Club training workshops were held in the following places in 2019:
The presentation from the 2019 training workshop is available to download 
here.
Pilot Schemes 2018
Thanks to funding from the Irish Embassy in Canberra, the Consulate General of Ireland in Edinburgh, and Conradh na Gaeilge i Londain, Cultúr Club pilot schemes took place in the following locations across Australia, New Zealand and the UK last year:
- Perth (14/10/2018)
- Sydney (20/10/2018)
- Melbourne (21/10/2018)
- Wellington (03/11/2018)
- Edinburgh (22/11/2018)
- Glasgow (24/11/2018)
- London (1/12/2018)
The director of the project was on-site to facilitate a general workshop on community-building and to provide the following:
- training workshops on the Cultúr Club curriculum
- guidance for potential facilitators of the local workshops
- networking for members of the Irish community
- consultation with Irish groups of all kinds, including language, culture, sports and more
- an outreach roadshow on the Irish language and culture for local schools
The presentation from the training workshop is available to download here.
We had over 176 people participate in our pilot schemes to date, so a heartfelt thanks to everyone who came along to the training workshops or helped us arrange school visits and meetings with local community groups both in 2018 and in 2019.
Practical Supports
Cultúr Club aims to provide ideas, resources, and practical support for missions of the Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade, for branches of Conradh na Gaeilge abroad, and for other community groups looking to organise Irish-language events as part of international celebrations, including:
- Trasna na dTonnta (4 - 8 February 2019)
- Dúshlán (5 - 7 February 2019)
- Seachtain na Gaeilge le Energia (1 – 17 March)
- St. Patrick’s Day (17 March)
- Trasna na dTonnta (22 - 26 January 2018)
- Dúshlán 125 (6 - 8 February 2018)
- Comhrá '18 (8 - 15 October 2018)
- Bliain na Gaeilge (throughout 2018)
Background
Cultúr Club was piloted by Conradh na Gaeilge in partnership with the Consulate General of Ireland for Hong Kong & Macau in the summer of 2016.
The Consulate had identified the demand for Irish-language and culture classes for the children of Irish parents and those with strong Irish connections as a way to strengthen the sense of Irish identity within the community. More information here...
Workshops in America
Conradh na Gaeilge then developed the next stage of Cultúr Club in the United States in association with the Fulbright Commission of Ireland and the then Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural & Gaeltacht Affairs (DAHRRGA).
We facilitated a series of eight community-building workshops with Irish-language and culture groups in different locations across America between 29 November – 11 December 2016. More information here...
Support Handbook
The support handbook includes some advice that might help you and the community group in which you’re involved with the work that you are doing, or inspire you to try doing something new in Irish.
An Irish-Language Network & Community
The primary purpose of Cultúr Club is to foster a sense of community among the various groups promoting the Irish language and culture around the world.
In cultivating an international network of Irish-speakers and cultural ambassadors, we want to connect likeminded individuals who are working to promote Irish in Ireland and overseas. This way, great ideas can be shared, new initiatives can be developed, and Irish-speakers everywhere can be inspired as active members of the wider global Irish-speaking community.
Would you like to get involved in the network?
Send us a message at
Contact & Orders
Síne Nic an Ailí
Cultúr Club Project Director, Conradh na Gaeilge
6 Sráid Fhearchair, Baile Átha Cliath 2, Éire | Ireland
And finally...who is Conradh na Gaeilge?
Also known in English as The Gaelic League, Conradh na Gaeilge was founded on the 31st of July 1893 by Eoin Mac Néill, Douglas Hyde - the future first President of Ireland - and others.
Conradh na Gaeilge continues to be the democratic forum for the Irish-speaking community to this day. Our main aim is to reinstate Irish as the common language of Ireland. Our numerous individual members and branches all work hard to promote the use of Irish within their own communities, from Hong Kong to Canada and from Carntogher to Cúil Aodha.
Interested in becoming the next international branch of Conradh na Gaeilge? See www.cnag.ie or email us at
Ní neart go cur le chéile!
