[EDLING:537] $40,000 for Irish-medium education

[Francis M Hult]

Eurolang
http://www.eurolang.net/news.asp?id=4871

Language activist Eoin McKiernan leaves $40,000 to Irish-medium education
Belfast 1/13/2005 , by Eoghan ó Néill

In his 89 years on earth Eoin Mc Kiernan was a passionate and innovative
advocate of all things Irish, particularly the Irish language. And now
seven months after his death the renowned Irish American has given a boost
to children in the hard pressed Irish-medium schools in the North of
Ireland.

In his will he left a $40,000 gift to fund Irish-medium schooling in the
North, a tremendous boost for the sector at a time when money is scarce.

Iontaobhas na Gaelscolaíochta, the Belfast based group responsible for
financing Irish medium schools, will recieve the money and they are
delighted with the news.

"It's wonderful news for the schools at a time when future state funding
is uncertain' Pilib Ó Rúnaí from Iontaobhas told Eurolang. "$40,000 is a
substantial amount of money and it will make a very real difference to
schools and to pupils. And of course we're doubly delighted as the
donation is a vote of confidence in the Iontaobhas and the work it does."

The gift comes with some conditions says Pilib. "Eoin Mc Kiernan was a
true patriot and he was also a very intellectual man who understood the
value of education in overcoming disadvantage for children. In that
context there are some conditions regarding the way the money should be
spent and the Iontaobhas will of course be adhering to those conditions."

The fund to administer the donation will honour Jeannette O'Callaghan
McKiernan, Eoin's wife, another language enthusiast.

Informing the Iontaobhas of the gift the trustees of Eoin McKiernan's
estate referred to his constant assertion that 'if a culture loses it's
language it will also lose it's identity.'

'A practical man to the end Eoin McKiernan has done his bit to ensure that
dosen't happen in the case of the Irish language' says Pilib.

Eoin McKiernan was born in Manhattan in 1915 of Irish parents. He spent
his early years both there and in Ireland, travelling to Rosmuc in County
Galway to learn Irish.

In the 1960s he became head of the English Department of the University of
St Thomas, St Paul, Minnesota. In 1962 he founded the Irish American
Cultural Institute, an organisation which is still going strong today.

During the 40 years which followed Eoin scripted and hosted 16 films and
53 programmes on Irish literature, language, folklore and culture for
public broadcast television.

He also raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for Irish studies in the
US, created schemes to bring scores of thousands of young Irish Americans
to Ireland for the first time, and brought hundreds of Irish writers,
musicians and actors on tours of the US. Over these years Eoin secured a
foothold for Irish studies in the once hostile world of American
universities.