Today marks the first day of Seachtain na Gaeilge le Energia 2019! The festival will be in full swing from the 1 - 17 March 2019.
Last year over 3000 public events were held, with hopes to expand the festival even further this year! The festival will be launched internationally tonight in the London Irish Centre with special guests and a celebration for Irish speakers living in London.
The celebration will kick off here in Ireland in RDS at the Leinster V Cheetahs rugby match. Goodies and phrasebooks will be distributed by Seachtain na Gaeilge le Energia team members, so that everyone will be able to use their cúpla focal at the match, and at the Pop Up Gaeltacht (a social opportunity to speak Irish over a few drinks!) in the Laighin Out Bar afterwards. There will be a discussion panel with a few players in the bar too, with a bilingual Q&A, which will be streamed live on Facebook.
This year, Tracy Clifford, presenter with 2fm; Michael Darragh MacAuley, Dublin footballer; Sibéal Ní Chasaide, a singer from Ráth Chairn; and Linda Ervine, Irish Language Development Officer for East Belfast, are language ambassadors for the festival.
At the media launch for the festival, Linda Ervine, Irish Language Development Officer for East Belfast and Seachtain na Gaeilge ambassador; “I started learning Irish eight years ago, and I didn’t have a word. I didn’t know what “fáilte” meant… I fell in love with the language! I’d recommend to anyone to learn - if I can do it, anyone can!... I wanted to be able to say 'tá Gaeilge agam', that I have it.. That it is part of me.”
Among many other events, Lá na Meán Sóisialta (Social Media Day) will take place next Wednesday, 6 March. Hundreds of people used the hashtag #LNMS19 on the day last year. Schools, universities, and community groups will take part this year, not only in the #LNMS19 campaign, but in thousands of events all over the country and the world as part of the festival.
Deir Amy O' Shaughnessy, Energia; “We are delighted to support and sponsor so many brilliant events [as part of Seachtain na Gaeilge le Energia] this year. We hope that Seachtain na Gaeilge will be brilliant this year and that everyone will enjoy it.”
All information and the festival schedule can be found at www.snag.ie.
