Ireland: Bringing the Gaeltacht to Finglas

[Harold F. Schiffman]

Bringing the Gaeltacht to Finglas

The Irish-language youth organisation FEACHTAS is bringing an
Irish-language summer camp to Finglas for the first time ever. The
week-long pilot summer camp will commence on the 17th of July and end on
the Friday, the 21st of July. The youth organisation currently has a
hugely successful annual Campa Samhraidh (Irish Language Summer Camp) in
St Finians College in Mullingar, Co. Westmeath. That summer camp is in its
fifth year of running, and attracts more than 100 young people to the
Summer Camp every year.

The Finglas Summer Camp which is scheduled for the 17-21st of July is
aimed at young people between the ages of 10-15 years, who for what reason
choose not to, cant attend the Irish-language summer camps in the
Gaeltacht. There is much talk in the media at the minute about the status
of Irish-language in the education system, however we want to show young
people that the Irish-language isnt just a school subject but a vibrant
and growing language, evidenced by the increase in the Gaelscoileanna
throughout the country, the growth in Irish-classes, and by the growth in
numbers of young people attending youth clubs, social events, and summer
camps through the medium of Irish.

Throughout the duration of the camp the young people will take part in the
following activities; Art and Drama Workshops, Gaelic Football, Soccer,
Basketball, Rounders, circus skills, Unihoc, Badmington, Orienteering, a
Sports Days, and a mystery day-trip on the Friday. Flim Borland,
Development Officer for Feachtas said, We are delighted at the positive
response to our Campa Samhraidh (Irish-language Summer Camp) by the
Finglas community and especially by the young people who have showed an
interest in attending the Campa Samhraidh, and we hope to develop this
pilot scheme next year.

In terms of our Irish-language policy, we encourage the young people
attending to use the Irish they already have, we encourage those attending
to ask the youth leaders how to do say words they dont know and we also
give them the vocabulary they need to fully participate in the days
activities at specially designed fun- and games-based Irish classes in the
morning. We would like to thank the board of governors and the staff at
Mater Christi Secondary School for their help and for allowing us to use
their newly refurbished school in which to hold the camp. said Mr Borland.
Feachtas, Og-Ghluaiseacht na Gaeilge is a voluntary youth organisation,
and is funded by the Youth Affairs SubDept. of the Dept. of Education.
Feachtas was founded in 1980 and has since then been organising a wide
range of recreational activities for young people through the medium of
Irish, including Debates, Table Quizzes, weekend adventure trips, and arts
and drama workshops. We also organise youth clubs and after-school groups
nationally.

Feachtas is a member organisation of the National Youth Council of Ireland
(umbrella organisation for youth organisations) and Comhdhail Naisiunta na
Gaeilge (umbrella organisation for Irish-language organisations).

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