[lg policy] Welcome for council’s new Irish language Christmas

Tue Oct 18 15:09:46 UTC 2016

 Welcome for council’s new Irish language Christmas
Posted: 7:00 am October 18, 2016
By Ryan McAleer
r.mcaleer at ulsterherald.com
@RyanMcAleerUH <https://twitter.com/RyanMcAleerUH>
SHARE
[image: Email this to someone]
<?subject=Welcome%20for%20council%E2%80%99s%20new%20Irish%20language%20Christmas&body=%20http://ulsterherald.com/2016/10/18/welcome-for-councils-new-irish-language-christmas/>[image:
Share on LinkedIn]
<http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=http://ulsterherald.com/2016/10/18/welcome-for-councils-new-irish-language-christmas/>[image:
Tweet about this on Twitter]
<http://twitter.com/share?url=http://ulsterherald.com/2016/10/18/welcome-for-councils-new-irish-language-christmas/&text=Welcome+for+council%E2%80%99s+new+Irish+language+Christmas+>[image:
Share on Facebook]
<http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http://ulsterherald.com/2016/10/18/welcome-for-councils-new-irish-language-christmas/>[image:
Pin on Pinterest]

*[image: omagh-christmas-lights] IRISH language Christmas lights look set
to adorn Omagh’s Courthouse this festive season after a Sinn Féin motion
went unopposed at a recent Fermanagh and Omagh District Council meeting.*

Irish language activists have welcomed the move, which will see the message
‘Nollaig shona duit’ lit up in both Omagh and Enniskillen.

Local gaeilgeoir Sinéad Ní Mhearnóg has described the move as a “big step”
in helping change some attitudes to the language.

The Greencastle woman is chair of Pobal ar a’n Iúl, a new local branch of
Conradh na Gaeilge (The Gaelic League), which was established in 2014.

The group had lobbied local councillors on the issue of Christmas lights
and last week they responded by approving the motion first introduced by
Carrickmore Sinn Féin councillor Barry McNally at September’s Regeneration
and Community meeting.

Costing around £550 each, the lights will follow places like Carrickmore,
Dungannon and Belfast, where Irish language messages are already part of
the Christmas decorations.

Cllr McNally said the new decorations would complement the council’s Irish
language policy.

“It absolutely complements the Irish language policy that has been
developed by the council.

“I was pleased to get cross party support in the chamber, there was no
dissension,” he said. “There were times in the past where this would have
been opposed, but we’re glad that this got across the line without any
opposition to it.”

Sinéad Ní Mhearnóg said the lights would help encourage the growing numbers
of Irish speakers in the local area and encourage more positive reactions
to the language.

“We see this as the council acknowledging that growing community in a
positive way and we’re just really happy that the unionist councillors
didn’t feel it was a negative thing.

“A sign isn’t any kind of a threat,” she added. “It’s really about
acknowledging the large Irish language community there is in the area.”

The language activist pointed to the growing numbers in the Irish medium
education sector, which has prompted Gaelscoil na gCrann in Ballinamullan
to seek a new build.

“From all the new council areas, Omagh has quite a high number of people
from the last census who would have knowledge of the Irish language.

“I think people forget there are children and families out there who are
fully fluent,” she said.

“There are a growing number of young people out there who are fluent and
will one day be working in the shops, the solicitors, the doctors. It’s all
steps in the right direction.

“The Christmas lights is a small thing, yet it’s a big step I think in
maybe changing attitudes a bit.”

*Date set for Omagh’s festive lights switch-on*

OMAGH’S big Christmas lights switch on will take place on Thursday November
24 at 6.30pm.
The date was confirmed by councillors at last week’s monthly meeting in
Enniskillen.

Councillors also approved a system to seek voluntary contributions of
between £50 and £250 from local businesses to help cover the cost of the
lights.

The contribution will be calculated based on the total net asset valuations
(NAV) of town centre businesses.
Councillors have also opted to once again supply 12 Christmas trees to
towns and villages throughout the Omagh district. It followed a
controversial decision last year to harmonize Omagh’s policy with
Fermanagh, where only two trees were traditionally provided to Enniskillen
and Irvinestown.

The council later reversed the decision.
Two trees will once again be installed in Omagh at Market Street and the
Swinging Bars Roundabout. Other areas benefitting include: Beragh,
Carrickmore, Dromore, Drumquin, Fintona, Gortin, Killyclogher,
Loughmacrory, Mountfield and Trillick.

The council have also agreed to explore the concept of artificial trees for
the 2017 Christmas period.
Meanwhile a total budget of £44,500 to fund settlements across Omagh and
Fermanagh with money to purchase Christmas lights has been approved by the
council.

New procedures introduced last year mean the funding is allocated on a
basis of the population in a settlement.

http://ulsterherald.com/2016/10/18/welcome-for-councils-new-irish-language-christmas/

-- 
**************************************
N.b.: Listing on the lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to its
members
and implies neither approval, confirmation nor agreement by the owner or
sponsor of the list as to the veracity of a message's contents. Members who
disagree with a message are encouraged to post a rebuttal, and to write
directly to the original sender of any offensive message.  A copy of this
may be forwarded to this list as well.  (H. Schiffman, Moderator)

For more information about the lgpolicy-list, go to
https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/
listinfo/lgpolicy-list
*******************************************
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/lgpolicy-list/attachments/20161018/591a4dc9/attachment.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
_______________________________________________
This message came to you by way of the lgpolicy-list mailing list
lgpolicy-list at groups.sas.upenn.edu
To manage your subscription unsubscribe, or arrange digest format: https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/listinfo/lgpolicy-list