Seachtain na Gaeilge is the biggest international Irish-language festival in Ireland and abroad and its new management team is delighted to announce that next year's festival will run from 4 - 17 March 2013. And while you won't see the like of it on the playing field at this time of year, Kerry and Galway have put their best women forward to work together and attract new groups to take part in the Seachtain na Gaeilge 2013 festivities next March!
Brenda Ní Ghairbhí hails from An Daingean in west Kerry and holds a degree in commerce and Irish from University College, Cork. Brenda has worked as an Office Executive with Conradh na Gaeilge since 2008 and was very involved in the massive relay race and bi-annual festival for the Irish language, Rith 2010 and Rith 2012. Ní Ghairbhí was appointed Acting Manager of Seachtain na Gaeilge last year and full-time Manager of the Irish-language festival earlier this summer.
Brenda will be working closely with Seachtain na Gaeilge's new Administration and Support Officer Áine Ní Chuaig from Iorras Aithneach in Conamara, Co. Galway, on foot of her appointment to the festival team as well this summer. Áine studied graphic design in DIT and among the jobs she has previously held, she has worked on programmes for TG4 with Sónta Teo, Magma Films and Adare Productions television companies; as an administrator for the Irish-language theatre An Taibhdhearc; and as a journalist with the national Irish-language newspaper Gaelscéal.
The newly-appointed staff of Seachtain na Gaeilge will be encouraging primary and secondary schools, third level colleges and universities, city and county councils, Irish-language societies and community groups, libraries and other organisations to coordinate Irish-language events across the country and to register them with the office before 25 January 2013 in time for next year's festival.
Brenda Ní Ghairbhí, new Manager of Seachtain na Gaeilge says: "The Seachtain na Gaeilge celebrations have gone from strength to strength with every passing year and there were over 800 events registered on www.snag.ie for the Irish-language festival last year alone, not only in every county in Ireland, but in countries as far-flung as Australia, Cuba and the USA."
Seachtain na Gaeilge 2013 will also be at the heart of Bliain na Gaeilge and The Gathering Ireland festivities next year, a special year of events celebrating the Irish language and a tourism initiative celebrating all that is great and unique about Ireland and its people respectively.
Áine Ní Chuaig, Seachtain na Gaeilge's new Administration and Support Officer says: "Brenda and I are really looking forward to taking on this new challenge to add to the already long list of fun and inspiring, exciting and educational events being organised for Seachtain na Gaeilge 2013, and we'll be focusing more than ever on encouraging Irish speakers abroad and in Ireland to use the language as part of The Gathering Ireland and Bliain na Gaeilge 2013 celebrations."
If anyone or any group wants to organise events in their own community for the festival, you can contact the Seachtain na Gaeilge office at
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. Seachtain na Gaeilge aims to promote the Irish language and culture in Ireland and abroad as part of the festival in March each year. Seachtain na Gaeilge gives absolutely everyone a chance to enjoy the Irish language, be they native Irish speakers, language learners or those with only a few words.
MORE INFORMATION:
Brenda Ní Ghairbhí
Manager, Seachtain na Gaeilge
+353 (0)86 3649776 / +353 (0)1 4757401
Áine Ní Chuaig
Administration Officer, Seachtain na Gaeilge
+353 (0)1 4757401 /
EDITOR'S NOTE:
IMAGE ATTACHED: Seachtain na Gaeilge's dynamic new duo are already preparing for next year's extra special Irish-language festival from 4 - 17 March 2013. (right - left): Brenda Ní Ghairbhí, Manager of Seachtain na Gaeilge, and Áine Ní Chuaig, Administration and Support Officer for the festival, are working together to attract new groups to get involved and organise events for the biggest international Irish-language festival in the world. Seachtain na Gaeilge inspires the public use of the language with exciting and fun events organised through Irish throughout Ireland and abroad during the festival in March every year. Seachtain na Gaeilge 2013 will run from 4 - 17 March 2013 as part of the Bliain na Gaeilge year-long Irish-language celebrations and The Gathering 2013. www.snag.ie
*HIGH RESOLUTION PHOTOGRAPH (300 DPI) AVAILABLE FROM
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 head office and this year's festival ran from 5 - 17 March 2012. Next year's festival runs from 4 - 17 March 2013 as part of the year-long Bliain na Gaeilge Irish celebrations and The Gathering 2013. www.snag.ie
Bliain na Gaeilge is a year of festivities celebrating the Irish language and will include different fun and exciting events organised both locally and nationally throughout the island of Ireland to inspire the public to use their Irish regularly. In addition to international gatherings and local activities, there will be festivals, concerts, sporting events, music, drama, literature and dance held on behalf of the Irish language across the country throughout 2013. Join In - Bígí Linn - Let's Celebrate Our Language! www.gaeilge2013.ie
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, Comhar na Múinteoirí Gaeilge, 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
