No. 133 Spring / Summer 2006 €4.00 Stg. £3.00 • Super Casino Threat in Scotland • Diwan - Partners of Breizh Council • Jailed for Welsh Language • Irish Language News • Stannary Appeal to Europe • Newodhow • Jamys y Cowle R.I.P. • The Great Deception - Can the EU Survive? ' \ 0 \ i e , \ z L ) ALBA: AN COMANN CEILTEACH “ " w BREIZH: AR KEVRE KELTIEK CYMRU: YR UNDEB CELTAIDD ÉIRE: AN CONRADH CEILTEACH KERNOW: AN KESUNYANS KELTEK MANNIN: YN COMMEEYS CELTIAGH cera: lcaguc <gg Summary Scotland’s First Minister Jack McConnell has called for a debate on establishing an official national anthem for Scotland. This Alb a opinion was put forward during the Commonwealth Games which uses the cringe worthy Scotland the Brave as Scotland's anthem as opposed to Flower of Scotland which is used at football and rugby matches and is more widely recognised as the Deasbad air Oran Nàiseanta do dh’Alba national anthem. In addition to these options, several other songs have been suggested as Tha feum air deasbad air dé an t-óran possibilities. Alternatively a brand new náiseanta oifigeil a bu choir a bhith aig Alba anthem might be chosen. a réir a’ Phriomh Mhinistear, Seac MacConnail BPA. Nochd am beachd seo arms a’ Mháirt nuair a bha Geamaichean a’ Cho-fhlaitheis a’ dol air adhart arm an Astráilia. Ged a thathar a’ Gaelic Spellchecker launched cleachdadh Fliir na h-Alba mar oran náiseanta aig geamaichean rugbaidh is ball- A Gaelic spellchecker has been produced coise is tachartasan spórs eile mar as ábhaist, by the European Language Initaitive, the thathar a’ cleachdadh Scotland the Brave same team which created Faclair na mar oran náiseanta aig geamaichean a’ Cho- Parlamaid, the official Gaelic-English fhlaitheis. Nochd seo gu soilleir nach eil dictionary for the Scottish Parliament. aonta ann air dé an laoidh náiseanta a th’ aig The spellchecker An Dearbhair contains Alba. Agus a bharrachd air an dá oran seo, over 525.000 words and is fully tha moran den bheachd gur e Scots Wha Hae complient with the updated Gaelic leis a’ bhárd náiseanta Raibeart Bums laoidh orthographic conventions. The na h-Alba. Tha cuid eile ag rádh gur e oran spellchecker is available for free Bums eile a th’ ann: A Man’s a Man for A ’ downloading from the Learning and Scotland’s First Minister That. Teaching Scotland website at: Jack McConnell Arms an t-suidheachadh seo, tha e doirbh a www.ltscotland.org.nk/gaidhlig/spe.llpre. ss.asp bhith cinnteach de an t-oran a bhios ann bogsaichean shortbread tartain is nan nuair a chluinneas sinn gu bheil “an laoidh Seumasach. Chan eil sgeul air Alba an latha The £105.500 funding for the project náiseanta” gu bhith air a ghabhail aig an-diugh ann. came from Bord na Gaidhlig, the Scottish tacharías spórs no tacharías cudromach eile. Ged nach eile e idir coltach gun téid a Executive, Comunn na Gaidhlig and Air an adhbhar seo, tha Seac MacConnail a’ thaghadh, tha beagan luchd-èisteachd ceòl Highlands and Islands Enterprise. moladli gun téid deasbad náiseanta a chumad roc fill’s a’ cur air adhart Anthem leis a’ air dé an laoidh náiseanta a bu choir a bhith chòmlilan ainmeil à Glaschu the Sensational ann. Tha Pártaidh Náiseanta na h-Alba ag Alex Han’ey Band mar laoidh nàiseanta. Tha aontachadh le seo agus iad cuideachd den cuid den bheachd cuideachd gum biodh an t- Sleat school problems bheachd gum bu chóir do Phárlamaid na h- òran Gàidlilig Alba le Runrig freagarrach. Plans to turn Sleat Primary, in the south of Alba laoidh náiseanta a chomharrachadh gu Bhiodli an t-óran seo feumach air ùrachadh Skye into a wholly Gaidhlig Medium Unit h-oifigeil. ge-tà a chionn ’s gu bheil an rann mu (GMU) have run up against problems. Dé an laoidh náiseanta oifigeil a bhios arm dlieireadli mu dlieidliinn “taigh falamli an Nuisance phone calls to one of its chief ma-thá? Ged is e Fliir na h-Alba, a chaidli a Dim Èideann gim chumliachd gim gliuth”, proponents called him a “Fascist” and an sgriobhadh leis na Coiries, an t-óran a tha air suidlieachadli a tha air atharrachadli bho “incomer” (he is a native speaker from a chleachdadh as trice mar laoidli náiseanta, dli’fliosgail Pàrlamaid na h-Alba arm an Lewis). Meanwhile, plans to turn several tha cuid den bheachd nach eil e freagarrach a 1999. Outer Hebrides schools into GMUs are chionn ’s gu bheil e a’ coimliead air ais ris na Tha am Prìomli Mliinistear den bheachd gur running much more smoothly. meadhan aoisean seach a bhith a’ coimliead docha nach bi gin de na h-òrain a th’ann mar- In the current set up, it is unusual to have air adhart. Tha cuid de ludid an aonaidli den thà freagarrach agus e a’ moladli gum bu any exposure to Gaidhlig at any level in bheachd gu bheil an t-óran ro náiseantach. chòir beachdachadli air òran ùr a thaghadli. Scottish schools, even in the Highlands. Chan eil a h-uile náiseantach déidlieil air an Dh’fheumadh an laoidh nàiseanta a bhith When it is available, it is mostly as an option, oran nas motha is iad den bheachd gum freagarrach airson spòrs, lùth-chleasachd, and the pupil must choose between Gaidhlig biodh rudeigin co-cheangailte ris an latha an- tachartasan poilitigeach is eile agus and a continental language (usually French diugh agus rudeigin na b’ eadar-náiseantach dh’fheumadh e a bhith math an dà chuid or German), which makes for an unfair leithid Freedom Come All Ye le Hamish airson a chluich mar flionn leis flièin no choice. There also needs to be more visibility Henderson fada na b’flieárr. airson a sheinn. of the language, to bring it up to an even Dh’ aontaicheadh tórr dliaoine air an taobh Gu mige seo cha deach iomradli a thoirt air tokenistic position. From experience I know chli agus an taobh deis, náiseantaich is ludid ceist na cànain arms an deasbad mu laoidli that many Scots would not put their children an aonaidh, air aon rud, ge-tá. Is e sin nach nàiseanta. Tha luchd-iomairt na Gàidlilig den into GMUs, even if native speakers, but that bu choir Scotland the Brave a bhith againn bheachd gum biodh òran arms a’ Ghàidlilig they would not be hostile towards it in an air chor sam bith. Có a bhiodli ag iarraidli iomchaidli ma tha òran ùr gu bhith arm, no English school. Although this is a half-way oran le facían mar Scotland my Heiland aig a’ char as lugha, gum bu chòir deagli house, it may be the one way that we can hame? Tha an t-óran stéidhichte air eadar-theangachadli Gàidlilig a bhith arm raise the language’s profile, and also pave the iomhaigh seann fhasanta romansach den dlieth. way for a wider range of people to send their düthaich: Alba nan scotty dog is nam Màrtainn MacLeòid children to GMUs. Na Gaidheil Oga ¿¡AidheU o gfl Super Casino Threat A new group, Na Gaidheil Oga has been set Plans for a massive casino in Scotland are up in the last few months for Gaels between being put forward, with the most likely 16-30. There has been a great need for such venues including Ibrox, home of Glasgow a group for a number of years, and it is to be Rangers, the SECC in Glasgow, and hoped that they will emulate groups such as Murrayfield, the national rugby stadium. Cymuned and Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg Blair’s government plans seven other super in Wales, rather than kow-towing to the casinos, scattered across the UK. Labour party etc. This new organisation has From examples in other parts of the world, been established as a direct result of a Gaelic dp ftScptkiypuA. we can see that such super casinos always youth conference of the same name which have negative effects on local populations, was held by Gaelic development agency KJflch UtK t i with the possible exception of the native-run Comunn na Gaidhlig in Aviemore in casinos in the USA. Australia, for one, seems September 2005. It is an independent body. particularly obsessed with this sort of daily Gaelic newspaper and that the recent Steven Greumach, president of na Gaidheil gambling, with politicians frequently language act be strengthened, things that the Oga said: “Our main wish is to give young extolling the casinos’ economic benefits. But Celtic League have campaigned on for many Gaels one voice and an opportunity to come what benefits? The casino in Darwin, for years. together to ensure that their options are example, does not “bring money in”, as most It is wonderful that such a group has raised in a stronger manner. We also hope to of the gamblers are locals, and the profits are emerged, and with luck it will haul Gaeldom raise the profile of the Gaelic language swept offshore. Darwin may be a tourist firmly into the 21st Century, and reflect the amongst the younger generations as a town, but the tourists tend to be young views of younger people. Unfortunately, one positive language that is still advantageous backpackers! Even worse, in Canberra, there of the members, who shall remain to them.” are reports of Yakuza involvement in local anonymous has been making various They have also produced a report with a gambling, once more demonstrating the age xenophobic comments on the Internet, series of recommendations for the old link between organised crime and including about the Welsh and Irish... it is to development of the language. Amongst these betting.