Tá féile An Focal Beo 2024 á seoladh ag Líonra Leitir Ceanainn ina ndéanfar ceiliúradh ar an Ghaeilge mar theanga shaibhir a nascann go smior le béaloideas, filíocht, fealsúnacht, amhráin, oidhreacht, stair, miotaseolaíocht, cruthaitheacht agus féin-ionannas na ndaoine. Mar a dúirt Bairbre Uí Chathail, Comhordaitheoir Pleanála Teanga le Líonra Leitir Ceanainn, “Tá muid ag iarraidh an fuinneamh agus an borradh atá faoin Ghaeilge a cheiliúradh le daoine agus cuireadh a thabhairt dóibh dul i ngleic le hamhránaíocht, scéalaíocht, cruthaitheacht agus filíocht. Dar leis an seanfhocal, “Tír gan teanga, tír gan anam”. Tá muidne chun léiriú cé chomh beo beathach is spleodrach atá an Ghaeilge agus pobal na Gaeilge!”
Cuirfear tús leis an fhéile le trathnóna filíochta agus ceoil i Kinnegar Taproom Dé Sathairn 20 Aibreán 17:00 – 19:00 ina mbeidh na fili Dubhán Ó Longáin agus Laoighseach Ní Choistealbha chun muid a thabhairt leo ar aistear na samhlaíochta. Beidh ceol á sheinm ag Clan Bhreathnach agus seans fiú go gcuirfidh siad ag damhsa muid!
Beidh Pop-Up Gaeltacht tigh Blakes tráthnóna Dé Mairt ar 20:00 i gcomhpháirtíocht le Comhaltas Leitir Ceanainn. Is féidir libh a bheith cinnte go mbeidh ceol, comhrá, craic agus comhluadar den scoth ar fáil ar an oíche.
Tráthnóna Dé Céadaoin 24 Aibreán beidh mór imeacht na féile ar siúl agus painéal plé ar “Éire Nua” ann in óstán Dillons ar an phríomhshráid ar 7:30. Cad é a bheadh i gceist le “Éire Nua”? An féidir linn, trí chomhrá agus plé teacht ar fhís a bheadh inghlactha do na pobail éagsúla a bhfuil cónaí orthu ar an oileán seo? Beidh Micheál Ó hÉanaigh ina chathaoirleach ar an phainéal ar a mbeidh Jake MacSiacais ón eagraíocht Forbairt Feirste agus cé gur chaith sé seal i ngéibhinn le linn na trioblóidí tá saol Jake ó shin caite aige i mbun obair forbartha agus obair trasphobal. Beidh Mary Durkan, abhcóide ó Dhoire a bhíonn ag obair go mór le cúrsaí teaghlach ar an phainéal. Tá Mary eolach ar an reachtaíocht nua atá i bhfeidhm anois sna sé chontae maidir leis an Ghaeilge agus leis an Ultais. Beidh Caolán Ó Coisneacháin ó Turas Skainos ann, is é sin eagraíocht lonnaithe in oirthear Bhéal Feirste, i gceantar na n-Aontachtachaithe agus na ndílseoirí ina mbíonn an Ghaeilge á theagasc don phobal agus idir naíonra agus Gaelscoil bunaithe acu. Beidh Catherine Pollock ann, bean ón phobal Protastúnach ó Dhoire Trasna, a bhíonn i mbun obair forbartha leis an phobal sin ar son Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin i nDoire. Agus beidh Rosa Nic Lochlainn linn fosta, oideachasóir a bhfuil táithí bainistíochta aici i scoileanna i mBéal Feirste, i nDoire agus i Leitir Ceanainn.
Beidh deis ann na mórcheisteanna a fhiosrú agus mar gheall go mbeidh seirbhís ateangaireachta ar fáil beidh idir Ghaeilgeoirí agus Béarlóirí in ann páirt a ghlacadh sa chomhrá – agus fáilte roimh chách.
Tá Béile na Féile eagraithe fá choinne an Aoine 26 i The Yellow Pepper agus is féidir clárú fána choinne le pobal@lionralc.ie nó ar 086 0136579. Beidh dearbhán €10 i dtreo chostas an bhéile ann don chead 15 a bheas cláraithe linn.
Beidh ceardlann chruthaitheach le Myra Zepf ar siúl sa leabharlann Dé Sathairn 27 Aibreán 11:00 – 13:00 bunaithe ar a leabhar Rita agus an Dineasár – scéalaíocht, ealaín, ceol agus samhlaíocht san aireamh. Is féidir le teaghlaigh clárú fána choinne le pobal@lionralc.ie nó 086 0136579.
Ar a mhullach air sin beidh Myra istigh sa Ghaelscoil ar an Aoine chun ceardlanna a dhéanamh, Gráinne Holland istigh ar an Déardaoin agus grúpa ar fáil chun scéalaíocht a dhéanamh i mbunscoileanna eile sa bhaile le linn na féile.
Tá ceardlann amhránaíochta eagraithe don Satharn 27 14:00 – 15:30 san RCC, Diane Cannon mar theagascóir ann – agus arís is féidir clárú ar pobal@lionralc.ie nó 086 0136579.
Beidh an t-údar Celia De Fréine chun cuairt a thabhairt ar Club Leabhar an Iarthuaiscirt Dé Máirt 30 Aibreán ar 7:30 chun a leabhar “Cur i gcéill” a phlé. Is féidir cóip den leabhar a fháil ar iasacht ó oifig Líonra. Beidh an Club Leabhar ar siúl in oifig Líonra Leitir Ceanainn, 7 Sráid an Chaisleáin agus cupán tae ar fáil roimh ré.
Tá an fhéile seo maoinithe go príomha ag Scéim na bhFéilte de chuid Fhoras na Gaeilge.
_______________________
Líonra Leitir Ceanainn’s festival, An Focal Beo, is returning from 20 – 30th April, in which the richness of the Irish language which is utterly entwined with the folklore, poetry, philosophy, song, heritage, history, mythology, creativity and self-understanding of her people will be celebrated. Líonra Leitir Ceanainn’s Language Planning Coordinator, Bairbre Uí Chathail, says, “We want to showcase the energy of the Irish language and to invite people to engage through song, story, creativity and poetry. There is a saying, that a country without a language is a country without a soul. We want to show how vibrant and energising the Irish soul is.”
The festival will begin with an evening of poetry and traditional music in the Kinnegar Taproom on Saturday 20th April 5-7pm with Dubhán Ó Longáin and Laoighseach Ní Choistealbha.
There will be a pop-up Gaeltacht in Blake’s Bar on Tuesday 23rd at 8pm in partnership with Comhaltas Letterkenny. There will be plenty of music, craic and chat – whether you are just learning Irish or a fluent speaker, all are welcome.
The main event of this year’s festival will be a Discussion Panel on “A New Ireland” on Wednesday 24th April at 7:30pm in Dillons Hotel. Chaired by Micheál Ó hÉanaigh, former chief executive of Údarás na Gaeltachta, there will be a number of speakers on the panel, Jake Mac Siacais who is involved in community deveopment and cross-community work in Belfast, Caolan Ó Coisneacháin who works in the Turas Project in loyalist East Belfast where Irish is being taught to members of the community and an Irish language playschool and primary school have been set up, but not without some serious challenges. Also on the panel are Catherine Pollock, from the Waterside area of Derry who is involved in community development work with Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin and Mary Durkan, a former SDLP councillor and barrister who is well informed on the new legislation in the North which gives oficial recognition and protection to the Irish language while offically recognising Ulster Scots as a minority language. And lastly we have Rosa Nic Lochlainn, who will also be a guest speaker on the discussion panel. Rosa has significant experience in the education sector and has held multiple managerial positions in schools in Belfast, Derry and here in Letterkenny. The aim of the evening is to explore what sort of Ireland do we envisage for the future, what would be required to make all sectors of the community feel it could be a country for them to thrive in? What could we compromise on – and should we be willing to do that?
The festival dinner, Béile na Féile takes place on Friday evening 26th April in The Yellow Pepper and is suitable for anyone with a good level of fluency in Irish. Anyone interested can register at pobal@lionralc.ie 086 0136579.
Families are invited to register for the creative workshop on Saturday morning, 27th April 11:00 - 13:00 with Myra Zepf. This workshop, based on her book Rita agus an Dineasár will be full of storytelling, imagination, creativity and music. You can register with pobal@lionralc.ie or by phoning 086 0136579.
Registration is also needed for Diane Cannon’s singing workshop on Saturday afternoon, 14:00 – 15:30, in the Regional Cultural Centre. Come along and learn some of the fabulous songs from the Donegal Gaeltacht which Diane sings.
In addition, both Myra Zepf and Gráinne Holland will be involved in workshops in Gaelscoil Adhamhnáin during the festival and there will be a group of young storytellers from Coláiste Ailigh available to run bilingual story sessions in primary schools around the town.
To draw the festival to a close, the author Celia De Fréine will be joining the bookclub “Club Leabhar an Iarthuaiscirt” on Tuesday 30th April 7:30 in the Líonra office at 7 Castle Street, to discuss her book “Cur i gCéill”. Copies of the book can be borrowed in advance from the Líonra office, thanks to the local Donegal Library.
This festival is funded by Foras na Gaeilge / Scéim na bhFéilte 2024
Duine teagmhála / Contact person Bairbre Uí Chathail eolas@lionralc.ie 086 0751663