Irish-speakers from every corner of Ireland will be linking up with global Gaeilgeoirí in places as far-flung as Beijing, China; Sydney, Australia; California in the United States; Glasgow, Scotland; and Sheffield, England as part of the world-record attempt Comhrá 24/7, the longest continuous conversation in Irish ever, running around the world from 29 September – 6 October 2013!
Thanks to TG4, the Ladies’ Gaelic Football Association and the GAA’s Irish-language committee, the Comhrá 24/7 world-record attempt will be launched at the All-Ireland Ladies' Football Championship Finals in Croke Park, Dublin, at 1.30pm this coming Sunday, 29 September 2013.
Julian de Spáinn, Coordinator of the Comhrá 24/7 world-record attempt says:
"We’re looking forward to realising an extraordinary achievement for the Irish language with Comhrá 24/7 next week. There has never before been a non-stop, week-long conversation online around the world, and we hope that Comhrá 24/7 inspires people to speak Irish - from Glasgow to Gaoth Dobhair, from Béal an Mhuirthead to Beijing, from Carntogher to California - for Bliain na Gaeilge 2013!"
And an extraordinary achievement it will be – Comhrá 24/7 will broadcast live for the duration of the week online at www.gaeilge2013.ie/comhra247, and over 60 Irish-language groups are registered to take up different hour-long slots of the longest ever continuous Irish-language conversation. Comhrá 24/7 is encouraging Irish in local rural and urban communities, at home and abroad, in schools, in sports clubs, in nightclubs and even in houses of parliament!
An Garda Síochána and politicians north and south are taking part in the world-record attempt next week; the Líofa initiative are hosting a special event with students and Minister for Culture, Arts and Leisure Carál Ní Chuilín MLA in Stormont on Monday (30 September 2013), while TDs and Senators will attend a special presentation through Irish to the Joint Committee on Environment, Transport, Culture and the Gaeltacht in the Houses of the Oireachtas Thursday (3 October 2013).
The third level Irish-language societies are taking up the reins for the nightly broadcasts from Monday to Thursday, while Comhrá 24/7 will broadcast live from Club Chonradh na Gaeilge in Dublin Friday night and on the Raidió Rí-Rá chartstation via www.rrr.ie Saturday night. The world-record attempt will finish with a bang after midday on Sunday, 6 October 2013, as part of the Rights & Revelry / Cearta & Ceiliúradh celebrations in Belfast
All the information on Comhrá 24/7 is on the Bliain na Gaeilge website at www.gaeilge2013.ie and you can contact
FURTHER INFORMATION:
Julian de Spáinn
National Coordinator, Bliain na Gaeilge
+353 (0)86 8142757 / +353 (0)1 4757401
Síne Nic an Ailí
Development Executive, Conradh na Gaeilge
+353 (0)87 6546673 / +353 (0)1 4757401
NEWS RELEASE
Date: 27 September 2013
For immediate release
EDITOR’S NOTE:
Bliain na Gaeilge is a year of festivities celebrating the Irish language and will include different fun and exciting events organised both locally and nationally throughout Ireland to inspire the public to use their Irish regularly. Join In - Bígí Linn - Let's Celebrate Our Language! www.gaeilge2013.ie
What can you do as part of Bliain na Gaeilge 2013?
• Use Irish with your friends, your relatives, your colleagues and anyone else you can in 2013
• Check out all the events on our website at www.gaeilge2013.ie & attend some of them
• Take part in the competitions - there are great prizes to be won!
• Make the decision to improve your Irish or learn it from scratch in 2013 - you could even take part in the Líofa 2015 initiative
• Go on holidays to the Gaeltacht
• Encourage friends from abroad to come to Ireland in 2013 to attend some of the Bliain na Gaeilge events and to take part in The Gathering Ireland 2013
• Buy products made in Ireland to help support the environment in which we're promoting Irish
Comhrá 24/7 is being coordinated Conradh na Gaeilge, the democratic forum for the Irish-speaking community.
There are over 200 branches of Conradh na Gaeilge and since its foundation in 1893, members of the Conradh have been actively promoting Irish in every aspect of life in Ireland and especially its use in their own areas. Conraitheoirí are at the forefront of campaigns to secure and strengthen the rights of the Irish language community. It is also possible to register as an individual member of the Conradh. Conradh na Gaeilge runs Irish courses in Dublin, Galway, Tipperary, Mayo and other locations around the country. www.cnag.ie/courses
