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Launch of new book ‘Language, Resistance and Revival’

Irish language community enterprise, CAIRDE Teo, hosted a book launch recently in the Footlights Bar and Bistro at the Marketplace Theatre, Armagh.

Tommy McKearney pictured with Feargal Mac Ionnrachtaigh at the Armagh launch of Language, Resistance and Revival

A sizeable audience witnessed the local launch of Feargal Mac Ionnrachtaigh’s ground-breaking book, ‘Language, Resistance and Revival.’

The Armagh launch followed hot on the heels of a grueling schedule of promotional events for the book across the U.S. in late April and early May.

Based on unprecedented interviews, Feargal Mac Ionnrachtaigh explores a key period in Irish history through the original and ‘insider’ accounts of key protagonists in the contemporary Irish language revival.

Feargal, who was educated at Coláiste Feirste and is a product of the growing Irish medium education sector, carried out the research for the book, which analyses the transformational role that republican ex-prisoners played in the revival of the Irish language over the past 30 years, as part of his PhD studies at Queens University Belfast.

Feargal is active in the Irish language revival in Belfast city. He is chairperson of Glór na Móna and works full-time as Project Worker with Gaeltacht Quarter Irish Language development agency, ‘Forbairt Feirste’.

Many Irish language activists and ex-prisoners were in attendance at the Theatre last Thursday evening to hear Feargal read extracts from his book and also to hear guest speaker Tommy McKearney, himself an ex-prisoner and former hunger striker who learned to speak the Irish language in Long Kesh.

Tommy paid tribute to the painstaking research and academic rigour that Feargal had applied to his publication and congratulated the author on a fine contribution to the historical record of political and cultural activism in the late 20th and early 21st centuries in Ireland.

“I was surprised to see so many people come out to the launch in Armagh City”, said Feargal. “I think the crowd tonight demonstrates the respect that people have for those who sacrificed so much and contributed so significantly to the revival of the language.

“It was great also to see so many young Irish language activists at the event – many of them the product of the Irish medium education system here in Armagh. The language revival is evidently in full swing in this part of Armagh and ex-prisoners have played no small part in this renaissance.”

“Language, Resistance and Revival is published by Pluto and represents the first book the London firm have published relating to the Irish language. The book is now available from the ‘Cultúr’ shop in Armagh City Shopping Centre and online at www.siopacultur.com.

More launches across Belfast and Ireland are planned for the coming months.

Seoladh Leabhair Úir in Ard Mhacha

D’eagraigh an fiontar Gaeilge CAIRDE Teo, seoladh leabhair ar na mallaibh ag Amharclann Phlás an Mhargaidh in Ard Mhacha. Bhí slua maith i láthair le fáilte a chur roimh an saothar úrnua le Feargal Mac Ionnrachtaigh, ‘Language, Resistance and Revival.’ Seoladh an leabhar in Ard Mhacha i ndiaidh chlár gnóthach seoltaí sna Stáit Aontaithe i mí Aibreáin agus ag tús mhí Bealtaine.

Bunaithe ar agallaimh eisiacha, déanann Feargal iniúchadh ar thréimhse thábhachtach i stair na hÉireann trí chuntais phearsanta na bpríomhcharachtair sin a raibh ról tábhachtach acu in Athbheochan Gaeilge na linne seo.

Fuair Feargal a chuid oideachais ag Coláiste Feirste agus chaith sé a shaol oideachais ar fad sa chóras Gaelscolaíochta. Rinne sé an taighde don leabhar mar chuid dá PhD ag Ollscoil na Ríona Bhéal Feirste. Bíonn Feargal iontach gníomhach i gcur chun cinn na Gaeilge i mBéal Feirste. Tá sé mar chathaoirleach ar an ghrúpa Glór na Móna agus oibríonn sé go lánaimseartha mar Oifigeach Tionscadail leis an ghníomhaireacht Forbairt Feirste i gCeathrú Gaeltachta na cathrach.

Bhí roinnt gníomhaithe Gaeilge chomh maith le hiarchimí i láthair ag an lainseáil Déardaoin le héisteach le Feargal ag léamh sleachta óna leabhar agus le héisteacht leis an aoichainteoir Tommy McKearney, iarchimí agus iar-stailceoir ocrais a d’fhoghlaim Gaeilge sa Cheis Fhada. Thréaslaigh Tommy le Feargal as an taighde fairsing agus as an dúthracht a chuir sé san obair agus sa saothar seo agus ghabh sé comhghairdeas leis as an méid atá curtha aige le taifead staire an ghníomhaíochais pholaitiúil agus chultúrtha in Éirinn an fichiú haois.

Dúirt Feargal ‘Bhí mé iontach sásta an oiread daoine a fheiceáil ag an seoladh in Ard Mhacha. Sílim go léiríonn an slua a bhí i láthair an meas atá ag daoine orthu siúd a d’fhulaing faoi ghéibheann agus a chuir chomh mór sin le hathbheochan na Gaeilge. Bhí sé iontach an oiread gníomhaithe óga Gaeilge a fheiceáil ann, cuid acu a chuaigh tríd an chóras Gaelscolaíochta anseo in Ard Mhacha. Tá athbheochan na Gaeilge faoi lánseoil sa chuid seo d’Ard Mhacha agus rinne iarchimí a gcion féin ar son na teanga anseo fosta’.

Is é Pluto a d’fhoilsigh ‘Language, Resistance and Revival’ agus is é an chéad leabhar a d’fhoilsigh an comhlacht seo as Londain a bhain leis an Ghaeilge. Tá an leabhar anois ar fáil sa siopa ‘Cultúr’ in Ionad Siopadóireachta Chathair Ard Mhacha agus ar líne ag www.siopacultur.com. Tá níos mó seoltaí ar na bacáin thar Bhéal Feirste agus ar fud na hÉireann sna míonna atá le teacht.

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Posted by on May 17 2013. Filed under Community. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

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