With Dublin having won the Sam Maguire Cup at the All-Ireland Final on Sunday, there has never been a better time to hear stories of the real Sam Maguire's role in Conradh na Gaeilge this Friday, 23 September 2011, as part of Culture Night 2011 in the capital!
Conradh na Gaeilge are offering a 20% discount off their 10-week Irish course to everyone that comes along to the free taster class for adults being run from 6.00 - 7.00pm at 6 Harcourt Street, Dublin 2, as part of this year's Culture Night on Friday, 23 September 2011.
Various other organisations based in the Conradh na Gaeilge headquarters are also running a range of Irish-language events as part of the celebrations in Dublin on 23 September 2011 - all of which are free but must be pre-booked at
Number 6 is one of the most historical buildings in the capital and it will be open from 5.00 - 11.00pm on Culture Night 2011, with Caoimhín Ó Cadhla giving bilingual guided tours of the house approximately every 20 minutes.
Conradh na Gaeilge tourguide Caoimhín Ó Cadhla says: "We will share stories on Culture Night of narrow escapes from the Black and Tans through secret tunnels that can still be seen under the building, of money robbed from the bank once located in the building, and of connections linking the headoffices of Conradh na Gaeilge with personalities as distinct from one another as Michael Collins, Sam Maguire and Cardinal John Newman. This is my third year guiding the history tour at 6 Harcourt Street and I happen upon a great new story to tell about the building every single year!"
In addition to the historical tours in the building throughout the evening of 23 September 2011, there will be an afternoon of sport for young people; a storytelling session for children; a radio skills workshop; a guitar class; a bargain sale on Irish-language resources; a workshop on the benefits of early bilingualism for parents; a music session; and a free legal advice information stand at 6 Harcourt Street, Dublin 2 from 5.00 - 11.00pm on Culture Night.
Following Culture Night 2011, Conradh na Gaeilge will kickstart their wide range of 10-week Irish-language courses for adults at 6 Harcourt Street from 27 - 29 September 2011, whereby a special discounted rate will be available to past students, the unemployed, OAPs and anyone that attends the free taster class being run on 23 September 2011. With 9 different levels on offer, the courses cater for all language-learners and you can book a place for the level appropriate to you at www.cnag.ie/courses. Classes run from 7 - 9.00pm on your choice of one night a week.
FURTHER INFORMATION:
Síne Nic an Ailí
Development Executive, Conradh na Gaeilge
01 4757401 / 087 6546673
Templebar Cultural Trust
www.culturenight.ie
01 6772255 / 01 8883610
EDITOR'S NOTE:
5.00 - 11.00pm Bilingual Guided Tour of the Historical Headquarters - Conradh na Gaeilge (Every 20 mins)
5.00 - 11.00pm Bargain Book Sale - An Siopa Leabhar
5.00 - 11.00pm Information Stand - An tIonad Saor-Chomhairle Dlí
3.30 - 5.00pm Games and Sport for Children (5 - 11 years old) - Ógras
5.00 - 6.00pm Story Session for Children (5 - 11 years old) - Comhluadar in association with
An Siopa Leabhar
5.00 - 6.00pm Radio Skills Workshop (11 - 18 years old) - Raidió Rí-Rá
6.00 - 7.00pm Beginners' Irish Class for Adults - Conradh na Gaeilge
7.00 - 8.00pm Dátheangach Ó Thús / Bilingual Beginnings - Comhluadar
A workshop in Irish and English for parents looking to raise their families through Irish
8.00 - 9.00pm Guitar Workshop - Seachtain na Gaeilge
9.00pm Music Session - Club Chonradh na Gaeilge
* PLACES MUST BE RESERVED FOR THESE EVENTS *
*Cardinal John Henry Newman once lived in Number 6 Harcourt Street, Dublin 2 and he played no small part in the founding of University College Dublin (UCD). The Catholic University opened its doors in three separate buildings on the 3rd of November 1854, Number 6 among them, and Newman's house was known as St Mary's. The Sinn Féin bank was also run from here during the War of Independence, and it is from this very building that the results of the 1918 elections were announced. Some of the most important people involved in the Easter Rising 1916 were also connected to the building, and the tunnel through which the likes of Michael Collins and other senior members of the IRB escaped from the British forces is still intact under the building. The first Department of Finance under the Free State was also founded on the floors above this tunnel in later years.
Temple Bar Cultural Trust (TBCT) is a private limited company that works on a not-for-profit basis to support culture in Temple Bar in a variety of ways. TBCT organised the first Culture Night in Ireland in Dublin in 2006 and the celebrations have since spread across the country. www.templebar.ie
Conradh na Gaeilge is the democratic forum for the Irish-speaking community working to promote the language. There are over 200 branches of Conradh na Gaeilge and since its foundation in 1893, members of the Conradh have been actively promoting Irish in every aspect of life in Ireland and especially its use in their own areas. Conraitheoirí are at the forefront of campaigns to secure and strengthen the rights of the Irish language community. It is also possible to register as an individual member of the Conradh. www.cnag.ie
Club Chonradh na Gaeilge at 6 Harcourt Street, Dublin 2 is the main meeting place for the capital's Irish speakers. The bar is open to Club members 7 nights a week from 8.00pm and there is always music and chat in Irish to be heard here. A conversation circle is held here every Monday night, Tuesday is student night, Thursday is Cocktail Night and there are many more events organised every month, from Breton classes to dancing and card games. www.anclub.ie
An Siopa Leabhar is the Conradh na Gaeilge bookshop at 6 Harcourt Street, Dublin 2 and is one of Ireland's most renowned Irish-language institutions. It is a shopping facility of excellence for the Irish-speaking community, in the capital and further afield. Through the use of new technology, the range of goods and books available from An Siopa Leabhar online is ever-expanding at www.cnag.ie.
Conradh na Gaeilge founded Ógras in 1969 to give young people between 13 - 19 years of age the chance to come together and participate in youth clubs run through the medium of Irish. In 1988, Óg-Ógras was established for children between the ages of 8 - 12. Ógras organises a variety of fun, educational events for young people all over the country with an interest in being part of a vibrant Irish language youth movement. www.ogras.ie
Comhluadar was founded in 1993 to support parents who want to speak Irish with their children. Comhluadar works on an all-island basis as the primary organisation promoting the transmission of the Irish language from generation to generation and are a united voice in supporting the rights of families to public services in Irish. Parents and children are invited to a wide range of sociable and eductional events organised by Comhluadar every month. www.comhluadar.ie
Raidió Rí-Rá is a chart-station for young people playing all the latest music from the charts and broadcasting completely through the medium of Irish. You can listen to Raidió Rí-Rá all year round online at www.rrr.ie, on all Nokia phones, on the iPhone with the latest application available from www.rrr.ie/iphone/ and live on FM during the month of March. Listeners can get the latest celeb and sports' news, listen to the all the hottest hits, vote for their favourite songs, check out Top 40 Oifigiúil na hÉireann and download past programmes from the website. www.rrr.ie
Seachtain na Gaeilge is a non-profit organisation, which promotes the use of Irish language and culture both at home and abroad within a two-week festival held in March every year. The festival gives everyone a chance to experiment and have with Irish, whether they are fluent speakers or only dipping their toe in the language for the first time. www.snag.ie
An tIonad Saor-Chomhairle Dlí is a joint venture between Conradh na Gaeilge and FLAC (Free Legal Advice Centres), whereby Irish-speaking barristers and solicitors provide free legal advice in Dublin, Cork and Galway on the first Wednesday of every month. The service is available from 5.30 - 7.00pm in Áras na nGael, 45 Dominic Street, Galway; 6.00 - 7.00pm in Ceannáras Chonradh na Gaeilge, 6 Harcourt Street, Dublin 2; and 6.30 - 8.00pm at 80 South Mall, Cork. Please make an appointment beforehand.
