Newsletter: Summer 2023
Website Redesign and Paid Memberships
We're thrilled to unveil our newly redesigned website and introduce our annual membership program at Gaeltacht an Oileáin Úir! Our goal is to provide you with a comprehensive Irish language education, abundant opportunities, and a vibrant community of speakers through our events. With this website redesign, we aimed to seamlessly connect language and culture, enabling learners to explore topics that genuinely captivate their interest.
We understand the deep and abiding passion within the diaspora to reclaim Gaelic culture. Many learners have expressed how they only realized, after learning the language, how much they didn't know about Irish culture. Others struggle to find reliable information that aligns with their specific interests and needs. We recognize that numerous resources assume prior knowledge of Irish culture, and even for those in Ireland many Gaelic cultural elements remain inaccessible. That's why we've taken a unique approach, combining language and culture to empower learners and speakers in discovering topics that resonate with them. Our aim is to bring Irish into your life in the way that suits you best. Learning becomes an enjoyable experience when it aligns with your passions, whether that's exploring captivating myths, honing your culinary skills, or indulging in birdwatching.
Our lessons serve as an introduction to the language and culture through fascinating and accessible topics. We offer core lessons and resources for free to everyone. However, as a member, you'll gain exclusive access to expanded lessons that delve deeper into the language and provide additional learning materials. To support your learning journey beyond the classroom, we're developing pocket guides and printable resources that you can conveniently carry with you, allowing for practice and study wherever you go. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to John Donohue, who generously donated his course booklets and materials from his years of teaching. You can find these invaluable resources in the MILSC archive online.
Immersive cultural workshops are an integral part of our immersion events. We have condensed the material covered in these workshops to provide you with a solid foundation in each topic. As our workshops continuously introduce new cultural elements, we're compiling a valuable catalog of cultural topics that you can explore at your own pace. We always strive to connect these topics back to the language, ensuring that even if you initially seek to learn a little history, you may find yourself irresistibly drawn to learning Irish along the way. We understand the challenges of finding authentic sources specifically tailored for learners. Hence, we provide free summaries for each mythology story and offer several levels of Irish texts, enabling you to continually build upon your knowledge as you progress.
Our not-for-profit operates a physical Gaeltacht property in Tamworth, Ontario, where we host our summer immersion camp. We also run online immersion events in November and February. Your membership directly supports our efforts to promote the Irish language, including organizing immersive events throughout the year and developing our physical Gaeltacht into a thriving destination for learners and speakers. As a member, you become an integral part of our Gaeltacht community, granting you the privilege to vote during our Annual General Meetings (AGMs) and actively participate in shaping and guiding the future growth of our organization.
We invite you to join our community and embark on a fulfilling journey of Irish language and cultural exploration. By visiting our website, you can become a member and unlock a world of possibilities. With your support, we can continue to foster a vibrant community of learners and speakers while promoting the Irish language far and wide.
No matter if you choose to have a yearly membership or not, we deeply hope that this new website format is something that will help you on your language journey, and I hope there are many new paths of culture and language that you find yourself exploring.
Welcome to www.gaeilge.ca
Summer Immersion Week, 14-19 August
Don't miss out on the exciting opportunity to join us for the Irish Language August Immersion Camp! The North American Gaeltacht, the only recognized Gaeltacht area outside of Ireland, is delighted to invite you to our immersive week taking place from August 14th to 19th, 2023. Building on the success of our previous camps, we have made significant improvements to enhance your experience this year.
Language Classes:
Immerse yourself in the Irish language with our dedicated language classes. We offer separate levels of instruction, catering to complete beginners through to fluent speakers. Classes take place in a fully Gaelic atmosphere, providing the perfect environment for learners to practice their Irish language skills outside of the traditional classroom setting. We're excited to introduce new afternoon language classes this year, allowing for even more opportunities to enhance your language proficiency. Additionally, we are pleased to announce a children's class, where kids aged 3-12 can join in the language learning fun.
Workshops:
Immerse yourself in Irish culture through our engaging workshops. Our aim is to create a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere where every learner feels at ease to speak Irish, regardless of their proficiency level. We are thrilled to have Maxime Chouinard, an internationally recognized Antrim Bata master, who will teach us the stick-fighting moves used in Irish faction fighting. This workshop promises an exciting and unique experience. Furthermore, we are delighted to introduce a dry stone wall demonstration in collaboration with Dry Stone Canada. This is designed for anyone interested in learning the art and craft of dry stone, regardless of prior experience or physical strength.
Registration:
To ensure your place at the Irish Language August Immersion Camp, registration is required. For the full immersive experience, we encourage participants to camp on-site. Delicious breakfasts and catered dinners will be provided each day, allowing you to focus on your language learning journey (while having the chance to support local businesses at lunch).
Please note that registration will close on July 31st to accommodate the needs of our caterer.
Join us for an unforgettable week of language learning, cultural exploration, and community building. Immerse yourself in the rich world of the Irish language and connect with fellow enthusiasts in a welcoming and supportive environment. Register now and secure your spot at the Irish Language August Immersion Camp!
And don’t forget that the summer camp is the easiest way to pick up and drop off library books, with a 1-year extendable loan period.
AGM: Working Groups
We would like to extend our heartfelt appreciation to the exceptional individuals leading our working groups and the dedicated members who contribute behind the scenes. Without their unwavering dedication, our organization wouldn't be able to achieve even a fraction of what we do. Their commitment is truly inspiring!
To express our gratitude and, at the same time, encourage more volunteers to join our working groups, we have exciting news to share. We are launching free virtual language meet-ups exclusively for our working group members. These sessions aim to help our volunteers achieve functional fluency, foster collaboration, and provide support in their language learning journeys.
Let's take a quick look at the goals of each group, as decided during this year's AGM:
🔹 Curriculum Review: Help us identify the differences between TEG levels, enabling us to classify resources accurately based on the appropriate level.
🔹 Fundraising: Contribute to creating a comprehensive list of yearly grant opportunities and their deadlines, including the embassy grant, to ensure our organization's financial sustainability.
🔹 Immersion: Play a vital role in organizing two digital and one physical immersion event, providing immersive language experiences for our community.
🔹 Library and Archives: Be part of our oral history project by conducting interviews that preserve and showcase our rich cultural heritage.
🔹 Cultural Events: Collaborate with PR to organize an event commemorating Peter Robinson in Peterborough. You can also assist in participating in festivals and engaging with Celtic communities.
🔹 PR: Reach out to Celtic festivals, exploring opportunities to have a booth or run language-based workshops such as sean nós singing. Cultural Events (Ellen) can support event organization if available.
🔹 Site Development: Help us find quotes for more cost-effective cabin options and ensure a smooth deal with the farmer for land use, in collaboration with Site Maintenance
🔹 Site Maintenance: Contribute to our published working days schedule and work with Site Development to ensure a successful agreement with the farmer for land use and property access.
🔹 Youth Engagement: Connect with Celtic/Irish studies departments to give virtual or in-person presentations about our project. The budget allocated for this group includes our scholarship fund and travel expenses for talks. Consider partnering with Kingston GAA.
🔹 Website and IT: Play a pivotal role in completing website development and finding alternative solutions to Mailchimp for efficient communication and community engagement.
By actively participating in these language meet-ups, you'll not only enhance your language skills but also gain a deeper understanding of the other working groups. These virtual sessions will foster collaboration, inspire innovative ideas, and strengthen your connections with fellow volunteers.
We sincerely hope that this opportunity will encourage more individuals to volunteer for our working groups. Together, we can achieve remarkable outcomes and make a lasting impact on our organization and the community we serve.
AGM: The Board
We are delighted to share that our Annual General Meeting (AGM) was a resounding success, and we extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who was able to attend. It was a productive and constructive gathering where important decisions were made to drive our organization forward. We warmly welcome our new and returning board members, Dónall Ó Dubhghaill, Diarmaid Ó Maolagáin, Mícheál Parker, Andrea Vandergragt, Pól Mac Domhnaill, and Sorcha DeFinney. Your dedication and expertise will undoubtedly contribute to the continued growth and success of our organization. We would also like to express our deepest appreciation to Eithne Dunbar, who has been an integral and passionate part of our board as secretary for many years. Eithne, your contributions have been invaluable, and we are immensely grateful for your service.
