Sunday, January 31, 2010

A Tribute to Rosgoill Gaeltacht and Bunscoil Phobail Feirste

January 31st 10


This Blog is on its way to Derry for the 38th Bloody Sunday march. I usually try to post a Blog on Friday or Saturday and again on a Monday or a Tuesday.

A week in Hillsborough wrapped in negotiaitons means I missed my Friday/Saturday slot.

I’ll post a Blog on Monday about all of that.

I also missed a celebration of 40 years of the Rosgoill Gaeltacht on the Shaws Road in west Belfast which was founded in 1969, and of Bunscoil Phobail Feirste which was set up in 1971, as the first ever Gaelscoil in the north of Ireland.

I was very disappointed not to be present in Parliament Buildings for this. I have long admired the determination and dedication of those who overcame enormous challenges to create the Rosgoill Gaeltacht and Bunscoil Phobail Feirste. We owe them a great debt of gratitude.

Although I was not present l am including in this Blog the remarks that I had intended to make to those attending the event.

A dhaoine uaisle, ba mhaith liom fáilte mhór a chur romhaibh go léir.

Tá bród mór orm bheith páirteach san ócáid speisialta seo.

Tá sé socraithe agam chun buíochas agus moladh a thabairt daoibh don dian-obair atá déanta agaibh.

Nuair a bhí Caitriona ‘s mé féin ag Bunscoil Phobail Feirste an samhradh seo caite, bhí ceiliúradh iontach sa scoil.

Phléigh muid ag an am sin, go dtiocfadh linn an oíche seo a shocrú. Agus anocht, tá muid le chéile arís.

Mar atá a fhois agaibh, bunaíodh an Ghaeltacht i Rosgoill i ’69 (“sa bhliain Seasca a Naoi”) agus bhunaigh muintir na háite Bunscoil Phobal Feirste i 1971, an chéad Ghaelscoil riamh i dtuaisceart na hÉireann.

Nuair a thosaigh siad amach, bhí naonúr ag freastal ar an scoil.

Anois tá trí chéad ar an scoil agus tá 9 scoil sa chathair agus fiche dó ar fud an tuaiscirt.

Tréimhse dheacair agus fuilteach a bhí ann ag an am, sa chathair seo, sa tír seo.

D’fhág na pograim 1969 go leor daoine marbh is na mílte gan títhe as léarscrois ar sráideanna na bhFál is Ard Eóin.

Tháinig pobal Bhóthar Seoighe chun tosaigh arís le páirt thábhachtach a imirt in átógáil Sráid Bombay; fianaise arís eile as an choimitmint a bhí acu don phobal i gcoitinne.

Ach níor lig an pobal sin do Rialtas na Breataine bac a chur roimh fhorbairt na Gaeilge ó thuaidh.

Lean siad ar aghaidh:
ceannródaithe ag feidhmiú ar ár son, ag neartú agus ag slánú na Gaeilge i gceantar beag in Iarthar Bhéal Feirste.

Bhí constaicí ollmhóra roimh fhorbairt Bhunscoil Phobail Feirste.

Dhiúltaigh an córas oideachas aitheantas ná áiseanna a chur ar fáil, agus bhagair siad sibhse a chur i bpríosúin.

Ach bhí díograis agus tiomantas nach beag ag lucht á bhunú. Bhí fuinneamh acu.

Bhí siad – sibhse sa seomra seo – bhí sibh daingean ar fás agus forbairt na Gaeltachta.

Dhiúltaigh sibh bheith imeaglaithe nó scanraithe.

Chomh luath is a cuireadh bac in bhur n-aghaidh, sháraigh sibh é.

Anois, tá Ceathrú Gaeltachta á tógáil in iarthar na cathrach, a bhuíochas leis an phobal seo.

Chomh maith leis sin, tá grúpaí Gaeilge, gnónna Gaeilge agus Gaelscoileanna ar fud na cathrach.

Tá siad ag cinntiú gur croí Gaelach na tíre é Béal Feirste go fóill – agus cluinimid inniu go bhfuil trófaí Ghlór na nGael ag teacht ar ais go Béal Feirste don darna huair taobh istigh de chúpla bliain.

Tá Sinn Féin bródúil as an ról a d’imir muid sa ghluaiseacht atá tógtha agaibhse.

Is mór agus is tábhachtach linn an gaol atá againn leis na grúpaí Gaeilge, go háirithe anseo i mBéal Feirste agus ar fud na Gaeltachta, áit a mbíonn dúshláin nua curtha os ár gcomhar achan lá.

Cuireann sé lúcháir nach beag orainn bheith ábalta le déanaí ról dearfach agus éifeachtach a imirt, trínár n-Aire Caitríona Ruane agus a cuid comhairleoirí, chun aitheantas agus áiseanna breise a thabhairt do scoileanna cosúil le Bunscoil Phobail Feirste agus Scoil an Droichid anuraidh.

Ag deireadh na bliana seo caite, d’éirigh linn stádas lán-aimseartha a bhaint amach do Naíscoil Bhreandáin.

Céimeanna beaga iad seo. Ach tá tábhacht ag baint le hachan chéim. Is léiriú é ar na hathruithe a thig linn a bhaint amach.

Is léiriú eile ar na hathruithe sin, an t-infheistiú san Áisionad lánGhaeilge agus cruthú áiteanna breise do mhúinteoirí Gaeilge i gColáiste Mhúire i gcroí-lár na Ceathrún Gaeltachta.

Mar is eol do na daoine atá cruinnithe anseo anocht, ní bhíonn sé furasta rudaí a athrú.

Is léir sin ón troid leanúnach le chomhlíonadh Acht Gaeilge a fháil.

Ar an drochuair tá daoine ann go fóill agus amharcann siad ar an Ghaeilge mar bagairt. Ní bagairt í do dhuine ar bith.

Is le gach duine ar an oileán seo an Ghaeilge. Is cuid dár ndúchas í. Is cuid dár n-oidhreacht agus dár n-áit coiteann.

Tá na dosaenacha naonraí agus gaelscoileanna fud fad an tuaiscirt.

De réir an daonáirimh deireanach tá 75,000 daoine sna sé chontae atá ábalta agus 167,000 daoine a bhfuil eolas éigin acu ar an Ghaeilge.

Idir 1991 agus 2001 d’ardaigh líon na gcainteoirí Gaeilge 18 faoin gcéad.

Is comhartha í an méid teaghlaigh atá ag cur a gcuid páistí ar ghaelscoileanna go bhfuil luach ar leith acu ar an Ghaeilge.

Creideann Sinn Féin sa seanfhocal, “Chan amháin saor, ach Gaelach chomh maith.”

An sort tíre a bhfuil muid ag troid ar a son, ‘sé sin Éire mar a shamhlaigh muintir Bhóthair Sheoighe í.

Ghlac siad an chéad céim le bunú na Gaeltachta seo: sochaí Gaelach, cultúrtha, nuálach, measúil agus ilchumasach a bheas ann.

Tá sé soiléir ón mhéid atá déanta le dhá scór bliain anuas, ó bunaíodh Gaeltacht Rosgoill agus Bunscoil Phobail Feirste gur tharla seo uilig mar gheall ar an obair a rinne na ceannródaithe.

Bhunaigh siad ranganna is d’fhorbair siad lonnaíochtaí Gaelacha agus chuir siad le líon na gcainteoirí de réir a chéile.


Tharla sé fosta mar gheall ar obair na múinteoirí agus na dtuismitheoirí, tharla sé mar gheall ar iarrachtaí na ndíograiseoirí agus na ngníomhaithe teanga.

Go raibh maith agaibh gach duine.

Leanaigi ar aghaidh leis an déa-oibair agus ádh mór oraibh uilig.’


Reception for Aontroim Ladies GAA



Aontroim Ladies GAA in Great Hall at Parliament Buildings

The previous Friday I did manage to get to a reception my office had organised to celebrate the success of the Aontroim Ladies GAA Senior Gaelic football team who won the all-Ireland title. The reception also recognised the achievement of the Antrim juvenile teams at u14, u16 and minor grades, who won provincial titles.

It was a great evening enjoyed by all and a fitting way to mark the end of remarkable year of sporting achievement. The teams did Aontroim proud and I commended the players, the managements, the trainers, in fact everyone and anyone who was involved in making this such a great year for Aontroim. It was mighty. Comhgairdeas.

Basil McLaughlin

Finally and on a sad note I want to say a few words of tribute to my friend Basil McLaughlin who died last week.

Basil was one of those who help found the Andersonstown News and the Andersonstown Civil Resistance Committee in the midst of great conflict and community turmoil in the early 1970’s. He had a great heart and was committed to his community. He was also a keen golfer, a warm and decent human being and a great friend. He will be missed by all of us but particularly his wife Pat and his family.

4 comments:

Timothy Dougherty said...

Well Gerry , I sure your hands full this week, but as a Educatior I wanted to say how wonderful to see the growth and development of the Gaeltacht school centers. Your so right our words are our Irish society. cultural.The ongoing fight for Irish Language is not a easy one.
To think that in 1969 people did take a risk of life when all about them was great human loss,a special heritage that surely reflects on the changes a people can achieve.

Paul Doran said...

Gerry

Let's hope that this whole mess is sorted today. And we can move on to real politics about class.

Re Gaelscoil, they do a great job
in promoting the Language and its culture.Go raibh maith agat

Micheal said...

I'm sure all who were present for the Rosgoill Gaeltacht celebration would have missed you not being there, but also they would have understood seeing how you were involved in the negotiations.

It was thoughtful of you to blog the speach you had prepared.

I think it's brilliant that there's a Gaeltacht in West Belfast. I can't wait to study there. Then I will be able to fully understand those poems you wrote in An Irish Eye.

What a beautiful and mysterious culture Gaelic culture is. I was brought up to despise it. I think that was because the "adults" around me had somehow subsumed the racist attitudes of the partitionists.

Anyway, I'm glad I finally got around to righting that particular wrong, thanks in no small part to those who managed to keep the flame allight.

It's all gravy now. We just can't go wrong again as long as we stay together and stand up for our beliefs and our rights.

Congrats also to the Antroim Womens GAA football team for winning the cup.

Good on you Gerry. Thanks for all the hard work you and the team have been doing to make Ireland a better place. I know it's gonna pay off.

Re O'Coinn said...

An bhfuil bród ar Shinn Féin as an ról a d'imir sibh sa ghluaiseacht le 10 bliain anuas?
Nár dhruid sibh Coláiste Speirín, an taon Mheánscoil i lár Chúige Uladh anuraidh? Nach amhlaidh gur dhruid sibh Meánscoil Dhoire fosta an bhliain roimh sin, an t-aon mheánscoil i nDoire agus san iarthuaisceart?
Cá mhéad bliain atá sé anois ón uair dheireanach ar bhunaigh Comhairle na Gaelscolaíochta Gaelscoil neamhspleách? (Gaelscoil nach raibh an dúshraith thábhachtach leagtha síos ag Gaeloiliúint atá i gceist agam.)
Cad chuige ar chur SF bac ar mhaoiniú don Bhradán Feasa ag Springvale trí na hionadaithe i bhForas?
Cad chuige an bhfuil naimhdeas a léiriú a léiriú ag SF do phobail atá ag iarraidh iad féin a shaoradh ón bhochtanas?

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