The use of Irish will be spreading across the world throughout Bliain na Gaeilge in 2013, but there is a special calendar of Irish-language events being organised both nationally and locally from 4 - 17 March 2013 as part of Seachtain na Gaeilge 2013, the biggest international Irish-language festival in Ireland and abroad!
Despite running since 1902, the 2013 Seachtain na Gaeilge festival has a fresh energy to it this year as the staff prepare to launch a new website at www.snag.ie today, a website where community groups around the country and across the world will be able to register their own local Irish-language events.
Seachtain na Gaeilge 2013 also will be at the heart of the year-long Bliain na Gaeilge festivities this year, celebrating 120 years of the revival of the Irish language in 2013 and encouraging people to use whatever Irish they have by partaking in fresh and fun new events being organised in association with community groups on the ground throughout the year.
Brenda Ní Ghairbhí, Manager of Seachtain na Gaeilge says: "Bliain na Gaeilge 2013 is a sort of a year-long Seachtain na Gaeilge celebration, but there will be a special calendar of events organised for Seachtain na Gaeilge 2013 itself to give the Irish-language festivities an extra bit of oomph in March!"
According to the latest censuses, there are almost two million people with Irish on the island of Ireland, and both Seachtain na Gaeilge and Bliain na Gaeilge 2013 are aiming to enable and to inspire everyone to use their Irish on a regular basis.
The world's biggest Irish-language festival will also have an especially international flavour this year as Seachtain na Gaeilge is working with The Gathering Ireland tourism initiative to attract visitors from abroad back to Ireland throughout 2013, to celebrate all that is great and unique about Ireland and its people, the Irish language included.
Ní Ghairbhí says: "There were Seachtain na Gaeilge events in places as far flung as Australia, Cuba and America amongst the hundreds of Irish-language events registered through www.snag.ie for last year's festival, and we hope to see an even bigger increase on the number of international Irish events organised between 4 - 17 March 2013."
Seachtain na Gaeilge 2013 gives everyone a chance to enjoy the Irish language, whether you're a native speaker, a learner or only have a few words.
The Seachtain na Gaeilge office provides participants with every support for the festival - in addition to ideas for events and organising public meetings, they give out handbooks, general information and advice on how to motivate the local community to get involved, and much more.
Different organisations, local councils, primary and secondary schools, third level colleges, libraries and other sporting, musical and cultural institutions register their events with the Seachtain na Gaeilge office every year and this year's events must be registered with staff or through the website at www.snag.ie by 25 January 2013.
REGISTRATION & MORE INFORMATION:
Brenda Ní Ghairbhí
Manager, Seachtain na Gaeilge
+353 (0)86 3649776 / +353 (0)1 4757401
Áine Ní Chuaig
Administrative Officer, Seachtain na Gaeilge
+353 (0)1 4757401 /
EDITOR'S NOTE:
IMAGES ATTACHED:New Seachtain na Gaeilge website www.snag.ie
Seachtain na Gaeilge is an international Irish-language festival promoting the use of Irish language and culture, both at home and abroad, running over a fortnight in March every year. Conradh na Gaeilge established the organisation in 1902. The festival has built up incredible momentum in recent years, becoming the largest celebration of our native language and culture held in Ireland every year and sweeping other countries up in the whirlwind along the way. The festival gives absolutely everyone a chance to enjoy the Irish language, be they native Irish speakers, language learners or those with only a few words. Organisations, local councils, schools, libraries, music, sporting and cultural bodies all register their Seachtain na Gaeilge events with the main office every year, and this year's festival will run from 4 - 17 March 2013 as part of the Bliain na Gaeilge and The Gathering Ireland 2013 celebrations. www.snag.ie
Bliain na Gaeilge 2013 is a year of festivities celebrating the Irish language and will include different fun and exciting events organised both locally and nationally throughout Ireland to inspire the public to use their Irish regularly. Join In - Bígí Linn - Let's Celebrate Our Language! www.gaeilge2013.ie
What can you do as part of Bliain na Gaeilge 2013?
• Use Irish with your friends, your relatives, your colleagues and anyone else you can in 2013
• Check out all the events on our website at www.gaeilge2013.ie & go along to some of them
• Take part in the competitions - there are great prizes to be won!
• Make the decision to improve your Irish or learn it from scratch in 2013 - you could even take part in the Líofa 2015 initiative
• Go on holidays to the Gaeltacht
• Encourage friends from abroad to come to Ireland in 2013 to attend some Bliain na Gaeilge events and to take part in The Gathering Ireland 2013
• Buy products made in Ireland to help support the environment in which we're promoting Irish
The Gathering Ireland 2013 is an exciting tourism initiative and year-long celebration of Ireland, its people and all that is great about its connections, both at home and abroad. The Gathering Ireland invites anyone who has a link to Ireland or just a love of the country, to come to Ireland for a series of events throughout 2013. Throughout 2013, Ireland will open its arms to hundreds of thousands of friends and family from all over the world - the 70 million people worldwide who claim Irish ancestry included - calling them home to gatherings in villages, towns and cities. The Gathering Ireland 2013 aims to attract 325,000 new tourists from abroad to Ireland in 2013 and to generate €170 million in tourism. www.thegatheringireland.com
Aontas Phobal na Gaeilge (APG) is an alliance of Irish-language organisations working to promote Irish across Ireland and the world through more strategic language-planning. Aontas Phobal na Gaeilge consists of Comhaltas Uladh, Comhluadar, Conradh na Gaeilge, Glór na nGael and Seachtain na Gaeilge, organisations dealing with different aspects of the promotion of Irish in the community that came together to form a working alliance that would ensure a better provision of services and more value for money. www.aontaspg.ie
