Celebration event of Waterford’s role in the origins of the first Gaeltacht Commission
Coláiste na Rinne, Port Láirge.
Next year is the 100th anniversary of the first important national plan by the Government to support the Irish language in a newly independent Irish Free State, and celebrations are already underway in the Déise with upcoming events this August.
A number of key figures from Waterford played a major role in the 1925 Report of Coimisiún na Gaeltachta and these included General Richard Mulcahy, Chair of the Commission and Séamus Ó hEochadha “An Fear Mór” of Coláiste na Rinne, who was a member of the Commission. One of the initial public hearings of the Coimisiún was held in Dungarvan in October 1925.
These are just a few of the Waterford connections to this first important plan of the Irish Free State to support the Irish language and the first attempt to delineate what we now know as the Gaeltacht areas of Ireland.
The seeds for this were sown long before the Commission was established and it’s report published, and as part of Waterford City & County Council’s Heritage Week programme of events, Liam Suipéil, retired Director of Coláiste na Rinne will give a bilingual talk exploring just how these earlier connections came into being. He will investigate the influence that Coláiste na Rinne and the Waterford Gaeltacht and its people had on the foundations of Irish language policy in the early years of the Irish State.
The event at Dungarvan Library at 7pm on Tuesday, August 20, will take a look at how Waterford had its say in Cúrsaí Gaeilge an Stáit one hundred years ago and maybe practice ‘cúpla focal’ yourself.
This is a celebration of Waterford and the Irish language, and as part of this celebration the immensely talented and internationally renowned Waterford uilleann piper, David Power, will be playing a few tunes and showcasing the vibrant and rich Irish cultural tradition of Waterford.
This event is part of Waterford City and County Council’s 2024 Commemorations Programme and is supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht Sport and Media.
This is a free event and refreshments will be served. No booking required.
Contact Joanne Rothwell Waterford City and County Archivist at archivist@waterfordcouncil.ie with any enquiries.
