Is é Pádraig Mac Congáil as Doire Cholmcille atá nuacheaptha mar Oifigeach Forbartha Gaeilge ag Líonra Leitir Ceanainn agus thug sé faoina ról úr le díograis an tseachtain seo.
Tá Pádraig i ndiaidh trí bliana anuas a chaitheamh ag obair le pobail agus cúrsaí Gaeilge i nDoire, idir bhainistíocht Chultúrlann Uí Chanáin agus ag obair mar Oifigeach Gaeilge sa Chomhairle áitiúil ar na mallaibh. Roimhe sin, chaith sé an bhliain 2018-2019 ar scoláireacht Fulbright sna Stáit Aontaithe ag teagasc Gaeilge agus ag cur cultúr na hÉireann chun cinn in Nua Eabhrac agus in New Jersey, agus tá sé iontach sásta go raibh deiseanna aige bheith ag obair leis an Ghaeilge i measc a mhuintíre féin in iarthuaisceart na tíre seo ó shin.
D’fhoghlaim Pádraig a chuid Gaeilge idir coláistí samhraidh in iarthar an chontae seo agus Coláiste Cholmcille i nDoire. Múinteorí Gaeilge ar an mheánscoil chéanna a bhí ina athair agus a sheanathair féin, arbh as Baile Lifín dó. Mothaíonn Pádraig dáimh mhór leis an chontae seo agus tá sé iontach paiseanta faoi chur chun cinn na Gaeilge san iarthuaisceart ar fad. Tá suim aige sna deiseanna fostaíochta atá ag daoine óga sa taobh seo tíre fosta, agus súil aige go mbeidh níos mó deiseanna acu saol a bhaint amach dóibh féin anseo san am atá romhainn.
Is iomaí suim atá ag Pádraig. Scríobh sé colún míosúil san iris An tUltach leis na blianta, agus tá taithí aige ag teagasc Gaeilge le gach aoisghrúpa agus le gach leibhéal foghlaimeoirí. I ndiaidh na meánscoile, chaith sé beagnach deich mbliana i mbun staidéir ar an Ghaeilge agus á teagasc i mBéal Feirste, chomh maith le tráchtas PhD a scríobh ar ‘Éamon de Valera, an Ghaeilge agus an Náisiúnachas Teanga’.
Thar aon ní eile, is breá le Pádraig ag bualadh le daoine nua, agus beidh sé ag dúil go mór le bualadh leat féin gan mhoill, bíodh cúpla focal agat nó i bhfad níos mó ná sin! Déan teagmháil leis chun tú féin a chur in aithne nó buail isteach chuig oifig nua Líonra Leitir Ceanainn ar Uimhir 7 Sráid an Chaisleáin gan mhoill!
Ríomhphost: padraig@lionralc.ie
Newsletter:
Pádraig Mac Congáil from Derry City has been appointed by Líonra Leitir Ceanainn as their new Irish Language Development Officer, and he enthusiastically began working in his new role this week.
The last three years have seen Pádraig working with Irish-language communities and activities in Derry, between managing Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin and, more recently, working as the local Council’s Irish Language Officer. Prior to that, he spent the 2018-2019 year on a Fulbright Scholarship in the USA, teaching Irish and promoting Irish culture in New York and New Jersey, and he is delighted to have had the opportunities to work with Irish in the northwest of this country since, working with the communities he grew up in.
It was between summer colleges in the Donegal Gaeltacht and St. Columb’s College in Derry that Pádraig learned his Irish. His father and grandfather, originally from Ballyliffin, were also both Irish teachers at the same college. Pádraig has a great affinity with Donegal and he is very passionate about the promotion of Irish throughout the entire northwest region. He is also interested in the employment opportunities available for young people in this part of the country, and hopes that there will be ever-increasing opportunities available for them to remain in the northwest and enjoy successful careers.
Pádraig has many interests. He wrote a monthly column in An tUltach magazine for many years, and he has experience of teaching Irish at every level and to every age group. After secondary school, he spent almost ten years studying and teaching Irish in Belfast, in which time he also completed a PhD on the topic of ‘Éamon de Valera, the Irish Language and Linguistic Nationalism’.
Above all else, Pádraig loves meeting new people, and he will be looking forward to meeting you soon, whether you have a few words of Irish or a lot more than that! Get in touch with him to introduce yourself or call into Líonra Leitir Ceanainn’s new office at 7 Castle Street the next time you are in town!
Email: padraig@lionralc.ie