A Five Year Plan for the Irish Language in County
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A five year plan for the Irish language in County Kildare 2019-2023 Version 1 - 2020 An bealach chun cinn straitéis cúig bliana don Ghaeilge i gContae Chill Dara ó phobal Chontae Chill Dara. The way forward a five-year strategy for the Irish language in County Kildare by the people of County Kildare. “Má labhraíonn tú le fear i dteanga a thuigeann sé, téann sé sa cheann air. Má labhraíonn tú leis ina theanga féin, téann sé sa chroí air” - Nelson Mandela “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.” - Nelson Mandela - 2 - FIVE YEAR PLAN FOR THE IRISH LANGUAGE IN COUNTY KILDARE | 2019-2023 CONTENTS 1 Introduction 8 2 Approach to Language Planning 13 3 Context and Background 15 4 Vision for Co. Kildare 20 5 Primary Objectives for Co. Kildare 21 6 Success Criteria for Co. Kildare 22 7 Vision for Naas Municipal District 24 8 Context for Naas Municipal District 25 8.1 Census 2016 25 8.2 Irish language in Naas Municipal District today 25 9 Primary Objectives for Naas Municipal District 27 10 Core Principles for Naas Municipal District 28 11 Areas of Action: 29 11.1 Irish in the home 29 11.2 Irish in the community 29 11.3 Irish in business 29 11.4 Irish-medium education 29 11.5 Irish in English-medium schools 29 11.6 Irish learning for adults 29 11.7 Community groups, especially youth groups 29 11.8 Public services 30 11.9 Publicity 30 11.10 Language plan as a ‘live’ document 30 12 Specific targets and timeframes for areas of action: 31 12.1 Irish in the home 31 12.2 Irish in the community 32 12.3 Irish in business 33 12.4 Irish-medium education 35 12.5 Irish in English-medium schools 36 12.6 Irish learning for adults 37 12.7 Community groups, especially youth groups 38 12.8 Public services 42 12.9 Publicity 43 - 3 - PLEAN CÚIG BLIANA DON GHAEILGE I gCONTAE CHILL DARA | 2019-2023 12.10 Language plan as a ‘live’ document 44 13 Implementation 46 13.1 Planning team 46 13.2 Implementation plan 46 13.3 Success criteria for Naas Municipal District 46 14 Resources 49 14.1 Personnel 50 14.2 Building 50 14.3 Financial 50 15 Conclusion 51 16 Acknowledgements 52 Appendix Listing Appendix 1: Irish-medium educational institutions in Co. Kildare 54 Appendix 2: Places outside the Gaeltacht with full time employees 55 promoting Irish Appendix 3: Areas with a cultural centre with a focus on the promotion 56 of Irish Appendix 4: Unique development opportunity in Sallins 57 Appendix 5: A brief history of Irish in Co. Kildare 58 Appendices 6: Census figures 62 Appendix 6A - Census 2016: Status of Irish in each county 63 Appendix 6B - Census 2016: State, Province and Kildare 64 Appendix 6C - Census 2016: Municipal Districts 65 Appendix 6D - Census 2016: Town Settlements 66 Appendix 7: Template used in language planning workshops 67 Appendix 8: Five municipal districts 68 Appendix 9: Examples of correct and incorrect bilingual signage 71 Appendix 10: List of libraries in Co. Kildare 72 Appendix 11: Local voluntary groups that promote Irish 73 Appendix 12: Partners, i.e. groups who collaborated during planning process 74 Appendix 13: Useful websites 75 - 4 - SECTION 1 PLEAN CÚIG BLIANA DON GHAEILGE I gCONTAE CHILL DARA | 2019-2023 1. Introduction Welcome to the first ever Irish language Kildare County Council, An Garda Síochána plan for Co. Kildare. This five-year language and the Central Statistics Office. The group is plan has been compiled by a Sallins- also actively working with local schools/clubs based community group called Sult na and with voluntary bodies such as the GAA, Sollán in consultation with other groups, Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, Tidy Towns, organisations and individuals within Co. Scouting Ireland in the Naas/Sallins area as Kildare. Developing language plans for well as working with national Irish language select areas is a key part of the 2010 – 2030 bodies such as Conradh na Gaeilge and Glór strategy published by the Department of na nGael. Culture, Heritage and Gaeltacht - https:// www.chg.gov.ie/app/uploads/2015/07/20- Sult na Sollán started work on a language Year-Strategy-English-version.pdf plan for the greater Sallins/Naas area in early 2017 and quickly broadened the scope to Language planning has traditionally focused include the full Naas municipal district. The on Gaeltacht areas/Gaeltacht support towns approach was an inclusive one with multiple and it is only in very recent times that areas public meetings and focus group sessions to outside of the Gaeltacht have published get input from as many different groups and a plan or started the language planning individuals as possible. The planning team process to put a structured plan in place aimed to gather and record the great work in order to support and promote the Irish that is being done by many people into one language in a defined area. document. Although the original intention of Sult na Sollán was to draft a plan for Naas Municipal District, it soon became apparent WHO IS SULT NA SOLLÁN AND WHY IS IT that a county-wide approach would be PUBLISHING AN IRISH LANGUAGE PLAN more constructive and inclusive. During FOR CO. KILDARE? the two-year process, it became obvious Sult na Sollán was set up in Sallins, North that it would be impossible for a voluntary Co. Kildare in 2009 to promote the Irish committee to write a detailed plan for the language and traditional Irish music and entire county and so the end result is a culture. The group coordinates regular modular approach to language planning in events such as trad music sessions, singing the county as laid out in this document. sessions, weekly conversation groups, Pop up Gaeltacht events, parent/toddler events, family events, tours and more. The group WHY IS A LANGUAGE PLAN REQUIRED also organises two community festivals each FOR CO. KILDARE? year – Seachtain na Gaeilge (Naas/Sallins This language plan sets out a framework for area each March) and Féile na Sollán (Sallins the development of the Irish language in area each October), each with a dedicated Co. Kildare. The plan will address the needs festival committee. of Irish language speakers, those wishing to learn it and all those who support it. Although Sult na Sollán runs a very active Ensuring that Irish speakers have access to programme of Irish language and cultural services and opportunities through Irish is a events in the Sallins/Naas area each year, constant challenge all over Ireland and until now it hasn’t had a medium/long term Co. Kildare is no exception. plan re language development for the area. The group has been building relationships Considerable investment and logistical with state bodies such as Foras na Gaeilge, support has been given in recent years - 6 - FIVE YEAR PLAN FOR THE IRISH LANGUAGE IN COUNTY KILDARE | 2019-2023 for language planning by The Department which runs the TEG (European Certificate of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, of Irish) examinations for the country, a Údarás na Gaeltachta and Foras na Gaeilge. permanent full-time Irish Language Officer, Although Údaras na Gaeltachta’s remit is Cuallacht Cholmcille (the oldest Irish within the Gaeltacht area, Foras na Gaeilge language society for students in the country), has a responsibility for the rest of the a dedicated centre for Irish culture, while country, in particular in regard to language teaching Irish as a subject in some of the planning. Funding by Foras na Gaeilge to education departments. (Appendix 1) date has been on a per project basis in Co. Kildare. This plan represents the first effort There are a number of local groups that at strategic language planning in the county have been working very hard in recent years and is being funded by Foras na Gaeilge, promoting the language in the county and Kildare County Council, Sult na Sollán with there has been considerable success in a additional support from Glór na nGael. The number of areas – e.g. well-attended ciorcail planning team is grateful for this support. chomhrá, social events, Irish language conversational classes, a business scheme It should be recognised that Kildare County that promotes business through Irish, Irish Council has published a Language Scheme language summer courses, Irish language 2018-2021, detailing existing Irish language youth clubs, an annual bilingual festival services and how they can be developed. It in Sallins, extensive Seachtain na Gaeilge can be downloaded here: http://kildare.ie/ programmes and many other activities for CountyCouncil/ga/SceimnaGaeilge/ both fluent speakers and learners. Much of this community work is supported by national groups Conradh na Gaeilge and Glór THE IRISH LANGUAGE IN CO. KILDARE na nGael. Kildare libraries also run occasional The 2016 Census shows that there are Irish language and bilingual events in many 85,426 people, over three years of age, in of their branches. County Kildare who can speak Irish; this represents 40.2% of the population over It is important to recognise that many people three years of age. Later sections of this work tirelessly across the county to promote document detail the 2016 census results and the Irish language. Most are motivated by language development trends across the a love of the language and are inspired to county. create opportunities where Irish is spoken, to promote it as a living language and to pass With eight naíonra, seven Gaelscoileanna, it on to the next generation.