Irish Language Promotion in the Community

Each year, the Language and Culture Sections of Waterford County Council organise events throughout the county to celebrate Seachtain na Gaeilge in March and National Heritage Week in late August/early September.

These events, which are often organised in conjunction with local communities, take place ‘as Gaeilge’ and serve to promote and encourage the use of the Irish language in the community.

Click below for information on events organised in Co Waterford during Seachtain na Gaeilge in various years.

Seachtain na Gaeilge 2010 release (adobe .pdf, 33 kbs)
Déise Welcomes Rith 2010 (adobe .pdf, 2,599 kbs)
Seachtain na Gaeilge 2009 release (adobe .pdf, 25 kbs)
Seachtain na Gaeilge 2008 release (adobe .pdf, 27 kbs)  

Click below for information on the events organised by Waterford County Council to celebrate Heritage Week in previous years.

Heritage Week 2010 release (word .doc, 42 kbs)  
Heritage Week 2008 release (word .doc, 48 kbs)  
Heritage Week 2007 release (word .doc, 33 kbs)  

Learning Irish in County Waterford

There are Irish language classes/courses available in the Gaeltacht, at different levels:

Irish Classes every Monday and Thursday in Gaeltacht na nDéise for beginners, improvers and intermediate levels. €10 per class. Week-long summer classes also available.

Informal Conversation Circle meets every Tuesday in the Gaeltacht. People of all levels of competency and those who would just like to listen to Irish being spoken are welcome!

Spend a Day in the Gaeltacht! – A day of language awareness, music and/or dance workshops, bus-tour of areas of historic and/or cultural interest, and evening traditional music session. Lunch and Supper provided. Bookings for groups of 15 or more. Other activities and accommodation can be arranged depending on demand.

Contact Cabríní de Barra, Development Manager with Comhlacht Forbartha na nDéise for information on any of the above: tel: 087-6532044 / cabrini@o2.ie

Conversational Irish Classes are also provided by County Waterford VEC in Dungarvan at Coláiste Chathail Naofa. You can download the current programme of Night Classes from their website.  Contact Adult Education Officer, Danny Cunningham for details on (058) 41195 or dannycunningham17@yahoo.com

National Irish language organisations such as Conradh na Gaeilge and Foras na Gaeilge also organise classes and support activities throughout the country. For details of branches and activities nationwide see http://www.gaeilge.ie/ and http://www.cnag.ie/

Gaelchultúr Teoranta also organise a range of Irish language courses and learning resources. For full details of all their courses see their website.

Learning Irish in Waterford County Council

Waterford County Council provides Irish language learning opportunities for staff in the form of in-house classes and also by facilitating staff to undertake courses provided by other institutions. To date, staff have been given the opportunity to obtain qualifications such as NUI Galway’s Diploma in Applied Irish (Dioplóma sa Ghaeilge Fheidhmeach) and NUI Maynooth’s European Certificate in Irish (Teastas Eorpach sa Ghaeilge).

Staff are also encouraged to attend intensive Irish language courses which are organised annually by Gaeleagras (the Irish language training section of the Department of Finance) in Gaeltacht areas throughout the country.