Conference tallis::celt

    
    	In Ireland there are only 2 (Irish) T.V. Channels - known as
    RTE1 and RTE2 (Radio Telefis Eireann) - on these two channels there
    are Gaelic Programs - the News (Nuacht) was in Gaelic once a day
    (Ive only been in US a year but already Ive forgotten if this is
    still happening?!?!) and there are regular Gaelic programs -mostly sports,
    and polities with some Documentaries, 'Irish Interest' and  a few
    children's shows.  (anyone out there remember "Luid�n Mac L�" - sp?!!)
    
    	I dunno if the Irish Speakers out there are happy with the service?
    There are so few of them (fluent speakers) that I think the non-fluent
    ones complain about too many Gaelic Programs that they are the only
    ones heard!!!!!
    
    	...my tuppence worth!!
    
    	Ann_looking_forward_to_hearing_Gaelic_SOOOOONNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!
    

In the PBS television series "The Story of English", there is a brief 

sample of the TV news in Gaelic.  'Don't know how long ago it was filmed, 

but it was probably within the last five years.
    

Randy    

    While not directly related to Colin's base note, can anybody tell
    me Ireland has no short wave service?  Considering the number of
    Irish emmigrants around the world (the most of any nation per
    portionate to its population) I would believe there would be more
    than enough market for such a service.
    
    We are flooded with Radio Moscow, BBC, VOA, but NO Irish transmissions,
    just a few stories of Ireland here and there from the BBC.  What
    would it cost to manage a radio station - I can't believe it's that
    much?
    
    Even the province of Quebec in Canada with its 6.5 million residents have
    many French programs on Radio Canada International.
    
    [From a technical standpoint, transmissions from Ireland would be
    perfect, being a small island nation with ample peat bogs for antenna
    arrays.]
    
    Just think alone how many people directly and indirectly get Liam's
    newsletter each week.

    	I think about 3% of programmes on R.T.E. are in Irish. R.T.E.
    say that this is roughly the percentage of full time Irish speakers
    in the country but most of the Irish language groups protest on
    the basis that the timing and content aren't good enough and as
    our first language would deserve more air time.
    
    	Cursa�'s fab!!
    
    	Murt.

    
    Georges' reply (3.4) was not really off mark as I was trying to
    tune in to a Gaelic broadcast just to get the 'feel' of the
    pronunciation as it seems to be radically different from my native
    Welsh.  I recently listened to part of a football commentary that was
    broadcast in Scottish Gaelic as a broadcasting experiment.
    
    I'm surprised that there are only three percent of the population
    that speak the Gaelic - is it not taught in schools?  In Wales
    parents can opt to send their children to Welsh-speaking schools
    where their education is conducted in Welsh.
    
    Welsh language broadcasting seems is about 15% per channel output,
    except for some radio stations that are 80% Welsh.  There are
    three television channels - BBC Wales, HTV and S�anel Pedwar Cymru
    but I do not know what proportion of the population now speaks Welsh.
    I thought it would be less than Irish Gaelic speakers.
    
    Thanks for the info. 
    
    (diolch yn fawr iawn)
    
    Colin
    

    Colin
    
    
    The percentage of 'native' speakers is  about 3% and they would
    be active Irish speakers, using it as their everyday language. 
    However everybody who goes through the primary system of education
    learns Irish, so there is an understanding of Irish throughout the 
    population although very little if any is spoken after people leave 
    school.                                
    
    -Dermot

    Leaprechauns will add further.
    
    Colin, there is a fulltime Gaelic radio service. There is a strong
    lobby developing for a fullt time TV station.
    As Dermot pointed out many people understand some Gaelic. 
    In Ireland there was a form of cultural inferiority complex 
    ingrained into the population that placed the language in a
    inviddious situation of being the language of the bacward places
    where backward people lived. Apart from the intellectuals who
    could rise above that complex to survey the beauty of the 
    language this situation obtained up until the last couple of
    decades. This cultural divide between say Dublin and the west
    of Ireland gaeltachts still exists to some degree but it is
    less accented than it used to be. To Dubliners the Connemara
    people are a differnt race almost. They have the idea that places
    like Galway are full of wild mountain men.
    
    With the breaking down of cultural antipathy to the language 
    as has begun to occur we may see future growth as opposed to
    "active" decay. Wales has the biggest population of speakers
    of a Celtic tongue in the world. 
    Politics has had its role also. The Welsh while being nationalistic
    are essentially "comfortable" within the British way of doing things
    and religion never really entered into it either. In that environment
    the Welsh have had one distinguishing national attribute and the
    language is it. 
    The Irish language has has had to survive political, and cultural
    influences and to some degree in the last century and a half 
    it has had to face religious pressures also. However the Northern
    protestants of Ireland were very comfortable with the language 
    and in Donegal today there are many protestant families who would
    use it everyday. Bibi Baskin a prominent tv presenter is from
    Donegal presbyterian stock and she is a former editor of Anois
    (now) the Irish language Sunday newspaper.
    
    Its been a long struggle to get it to where it is now, it is 
    alive and well and under less pressure than it was under.
    
    Snake speaks "as Bearla".
    

    You can hear Gaeilge now and again in Boston by dropping into
    pubs and social clubs around Dorchester and West Roxbury.
    
    Most Irish speakers here in Boston are from Connemara region
    of Galway.  Often too, you'll hear a bit of Irish spoken on
    local (Boston) Irish radio stations.  It would be fun if they
    started an all Irish station here in Boston.
    
    ----------
    
    Liam Mahan, a teacher of Irish at Harvard, learned fluent Irish
    here in the US.  He was started on it by a priest friend.  He often
    tells the story of going to pubs An Spid�al (in Galway) and talking
    to the old folk in Irish.  Many times he was lucky to get out alive,
    after telling them he was from New Jersey.  I guess they didn't
    appreciate the cheek of some youngster trying to convince them
    he wasn't from any Gaeltacht and grew up in New Jersey his whole
    life.  (Mind you he has perfect accent and command of the language.)
    
    ----------
    
    Nollaig shona duit!
    S�oirs�

    Hmm,
    
    Interesting stuff - 'though I don't recall feeling "comfortable"
    with the British way of doing things as Snake says.  I guess that's
    because I come from a strongly nationalistic family - remembering
    tales of my grandparents being beaten in school for speaking
    Welsh instead of English.
    
    I'm relocating to Boston for two years in February '88 - now wouldn't
    it be strange to hear my first Irish Gaelic in a Roxbury bar?
    
    Off for Christmas in Wales now!
    
    Nadolig llawen iawn, ac flwyddyn newydd hapus i bob Celtiau!
    
    Colin
    

    Be sure and give us a shout when you come over in February.
    In fact, you might be interested in going to a Cumann na
    Gaeilge's fesh here in Boston.  It would be interesting to
    see how much is transferrable from your knowledge of Welsh.
    
    -george

    Re.9 Colin -
    
    After reading endless :-) notes, I was beginning to despair of
    finding another Welshman in this file! :-)  I'm just beginning
    to try and learn more about the Welsh language - I'm old enough
    to remember it being sung in church - usually one verse sung in
    Welsh, then it would be repeated in English.
    
    My father, Taliesin, was born in the states, but his two older
    brothers and sister were born in South Wales; unfortunately,
    my grandfather, Edward Reese, was rather stiff-necked and insisted
    that the children speak English at all times.  Dad could sing the
    hymns and understand a little conversaional Welsh, but none of his
    siblings except Aunt Gwen (Pranogwen sp?) remained very fluent.
                                                                   
    I assume you mean you will be coming to the states in February of
    '89.  I don't think you'll find too many Welshmen in the Mass.
    area, so if you do get homesick for the sound and the music (and
    have the time); there will be a number of Gymanfa Ganus starting
    in the spring.  In April '89 there will be a Gymanfa in my home
    town of Plymouth, Pa - they usually get quite a number of folks
    from upstate NY that travel by bus to attend.  This year the
    National Gymanfa will be in Pittsburgh, Pa; sometime in late summer,
    I think.  If I have any cash left after I get settled in my new
    home, I hope to drive up from Atlanta to Pittsburgh to attend the
    Gymanfa........it's been years since I attended my last.....AND
    I NEED TO HEAR THAT MUSIC AGAIN!!!!
                        
    My grandparents immigrated to NE Pennsylvania (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton
    area) because that is where most of the coal mines were located.
    Most of the Welsh migrated to areas in the states where coal mining
    was available.  There are some pockets of Welsh as far south as
    Kentucky, but the further south you go the less Welsh you find.
    Here in Georgia, most folks that claim to be "native" Georgians
    can trace their ancestry back to the early Scots and Irish
    immigrants.
    
    According to folks who have attended St. Patrick's celebrations
    all over, the folks claim Savannah's celebration equal to those
    held in Boston and/or NYC........please....I am just repeating
    quotes from people who claim to have attended the festivities in
    all three cities!!  There is even a Dublin, Georgia!
    
    Back to the Welsh though; I didn't intend to be so verbose (run
    off at the keyboard, so to speak).......after all the blarney
    flowing in this file :-) :-), it is a little hard to get a word
    in edgewise.........
    
    I'll print the verses to Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau (Land Of My Fathers)
    in a separate note.
    
    Colin, if you do get to the states, please call me at the CSC in
    Atlanta - my DTN is 435-5261.........it would do my heart good to
    hear a Welsh accent again.
    
    Karen_who_would_love_to_know_how_to_say_bye_ya'll_in_Welsh
    
    PS:  Since I started reading this notes file I got off my duff
    and located two cousins in South Wales (just this very week!!)
    They are:
    
    	Megan Williams and Bronwen Harris - they live at
    	#6 and #10 Heol-Llechau
        Wattstown Porth
        Mid Glam, South Wales CF-390PP
    
    A third sister, Dwynwen Newbury resides somewhere in Middlesex,
    outside of London........I'm trying to track her down also.  
             

    
    S'ydych chi Karen,
    
    Yes, I guess we didn't get to the Americas as much as the Scots or
    Irish, although there is a Welsh speaking community in Patagonia,
    part of Argentina.  Lots more Welsh in Australia, which is where
    a considerable part of my family live - from old South Wales to
    New South Wales (G'day to our readers in Oz).
    
    Taliesin - now there's an ancient Welsh name.  There's a collection
    of stories and legends called 'Tales from Taliesyn' (tal-yes-in),
    I'll try and find out more about it.  Thanks for the info about
    the Cymanfa, I had no idea that that sort of thing went on in
    the US.
    
    I'll MAIL you to discuss other points in your note, but keep
    contributing!
    
    Diolch,
    
    Colin
    
    
    
    

Some info on Gaelic broadcasting:

            <<< MARVIN::DISK$TOOLS:[NOTES$LIBRARY]SCOTLAND.NOTE;1 >>>
                          -< The Scotland conference >-
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Note 40.72                       Info on Gaelic                         72 of 72
MARVIN::COCKBURN "Failte gu bliadhna na G�idhlig"  79 lines  Fri  4-Jan-91 17:33
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Some Gaelic news items which were sent to me....

Sabhal M�r Ostaig:
------------------
A further four telephone exchanges in the West Highlands are to be digitalised
under British Telecom's Highlands and Islands Initiative, the company has
confirmed.  Aultbea, Gairloch, Broadford and Garrabost exchanges are now
to be included in the 16 million pound scheme which is due to bring high
speed telecommunications to another six exchanges in the area [...]
The Highlands and Islands Development Board - which is making a 4.9 million
pound contribution to the scheme, the biggest grant in the Board's history -
was embarrassed earlier this year when the Free Press highlighted the fact
that many high-tech customers, including the Gaelic-medium buisiness college
Sabhal M�r Ostaig, would be left out in the cold by the communications
revolution becuase they were based outwith the main population centres.
Following talks with the Board, BT have now undertaken to include another
22 Highland exchanges in the scheme, although some of the "outlying"
exchanges now in the Initiative were due to be upgraded in any case.
The exchage at Garrabost in Lewis, for example, is overloaded; and the
Broadford exchange in Skye was due to be upgraded in 1991 outwith the
Highlands and Islands Initiative.
[The high-tech service refered to in the article is, I believe, ISDN. -CPOD]
[This may well mean that Sabhal M�r Ostaig will go on 'the net' - this would
 allow them to run courses remotely, and it would be possible to mail them
 from the easynet - CC] 

===========================================================================
Eile <Other>
===========================================================================
 
G�idhlig air a' TBh  (Gaelic on the TV)
---------------------------------------
The Gaelic Television training trust - set up by CNAG, STV and Grampian TV -
are now inviting applications for their first one-year training course.
Eight Gaelic speakers will be invited to participate in the course, which
will be administered by Sabhal Mor Ostaig.  Meantime the Gaelic television
committee, which will administer the 8 million pound fund, is expected to
be named soon.
        --------------------------------------------------------------
[Course |                TELEBHISEAN GAIDHLIG                        |
 ad]    | Chaidh Urras Treinidh Telebhisean Gaidhlig a steidheachadh |
        | airson treineadh farsaing agus comhlionta a thoirt ann an  |
        | sgilean telebhisean anns an uine gu 1 Faoilleach 1993      |
        |    Airson da cheud uair a thide de phrograman Gaidhlig     |
        | 's a bhliadhna a chruthachadh bho sin a-mach, tha sinn a'  |
        | toirt cuireadh do dhaoine de dh'aois sam bith le uidh      |
        | Ged nach bitheadh le eolas) ann an taobhan cruthachail     |
        | agus tecniceach telebhisean tighinn agus treineadh comhla  |
        | rinn airson bliadhna.                                      |
        |    Ma tha Gaidhlig agad agus tu dhen bheachd gu'm bheil    |
        | comas agad a reir a chothrom a tha seo, sgriobh gu:        |
        |       Urras Treinidh Telebhisean Gaidhlig                  |
        |       Sabhal Mor Ostaig, Sleite, An t-Eilean Sgiathanach   |
        | Feumaidh ur freagairtean a bhith againn roimh'n 31mh dhen  |
        | Dubhlachd 1990.                                            |
        --------------------------------------------------------------
 
G�idhlig sna Sgoiltean (Gaelic in schools? -CC)
-----------------------
Dunvegan primary school in Skye now has a Gaelic-medium unit, following
a long campaign by parents in the area.
 
"Extra language classes have to be properly funded".  Highland Region were
accused of trying to steamroller through a pilot scheme in Portree High
School in Skye which will make the study of Gaelic as well as one foreign
language compulsory in first and second year.
 
Extra funding will have to be found to provide three new Gaelic medium
units in the Western Isles next year.  Faced with the prospect of cuts
of 120 thousand pounds in their Specific Gaelic Grants budget next year,
members of Comhairle nan Eilean's educations committee rejected a proposal
that they should not expand the number of Gaelic-medium units in the islands.
 
Ceann bliadhna a' Chomainn Gaidhlich 
------------------------------------
A 5000 pound grant to An Comunn Gaidhealach to mark "Bliadhna na Gaidhlig"
- their 100th anniversary - was approved by the bilingual development
sub-committee of Comhairle nan Eilean [Western Isles Council].
===========================================================================

1991 is 'Bliadhna na G�idhlig' - the year of (Scottish) Gaelic.

An 1991 bidh tuilleadh G�idhlig san Albannach a-huile Di-Sathairne.
In 1991 there will be Gaelic in the Scotsman paper every Saturday.

The main article in the 29-Dec supplement lead with the banner:

Air an rathad gu 300 uair a thide
- On the road to 300 hours of (Gaelic TV) time (I presume this means a year).
A 'suitable' portion (whatever that means) of this broadcasting will
be shown at peak viewing times.

The 5th Jan Scotsman had Tormod MacillInnein air 'Iomart na
Gaidhealtachd'. Se luchd nan sanas againn a tha ceadachadh an 
adhartais seo air fad agus tha sinn fada 'nan comain.
(anyone able to translate this - my dictionary is at home?)

I was up in Lewis for Hogmany, and noticed nearly all the road signs
are now Gaelic only. Needless to say, I've complained to the Ordnance
Survey that their maps showing only English placenames should be changed
to reflect this!

	Craig.