Council Celebrating Travelling Community’s Connections with Irish Culture 

A unique event organised by Fermanagh and Omagh District Council will take place in Strule Arts Centre, Omagh on Culture Night, Friday 17 September.

The event will look at and celebrate the contribution that the Travelling community has made to traditional Irish music and at the connection that exists between Cant (language used by the Travelling community) and the Irish language.

This event is being organised by the Council in partnership with Áras Uí Chathail Access Centre in the National University of Ireland, Galway.  The aim of the Access Centre is to encourage people from the Travelling community to take more advantage from formal education.

The event will begin with short talks by Oein De Bhairduin, from the travelling community, and Professor Dónall Ó Baoill on the Cant language and the link between Cant and Irish.  This will be followed by an open discussion on this topic.

The rest of the event will feature music, stories and songs associated with the Travelling community.  This will include singing in Cant, piping music and traditional music tunes, that relate to the travelling tradition, from top class local musicians Shane McAleer (fiddle) and Peter McKenna (uileann pipes).

This is a follow-on event to training that was made available by the Good Relations team of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council to members of staff during which the link between native Irish language and culture and that of the travelling community came to light.

Admission to this event will be free of charge but places must be reserved.  This can be done on-line at www.struleartscentre.co.uk or by contacting the Box Office at 028 82247831.

An Ghaeilge agus Cant á gCeiliúradh ag an gComhairle ar Oíche Chultúir 

Beidh imeacht as an ngnáth dar teideal “An Ghaeilge agus Cant” ar siúl ag Comhairle Ceantair Fhear Manach agus na hÓmaí mar pháirt dá clár imeachtaí do Oíche Chultúir, Dé hAoine 17 Meán Fómhair.

Féachaint a thabhairt agus ceiliúradh a dhéanamh ar theanga agus ar chultúr an lucht siúil agus an ceangal atá idir sin agus an cultúr Gaelach is aidhm don ócáid seo, a bheidh ar siúl in Ionad Ealaíne na Sruthaile Dé haoine 17 Meán Fómhair ar 7:30pm.

I gcomhpháirtíocht leis an Ionad Rochtana in Áras Uí Chathail, Ollscoil na hÉireann, Gaillimh a bheas an t-imeacht seo á reáchtáil ag an gComhairle. Tá Áras Uí Chathail i mbun tionscadail a fhéachann le daoine ón lucht siúil a spreagadh chun tairbhe a bhaint as an oideachas foirmeálta.

Feictear easpa oideachais den chineál seo mar cheann de na cúiseanna is mó go mbíonn ráta ard fadhbanna sóisialta ag an phobal aistreach. Is daoine ón phobal sin a bhfuil baint acu le tionscadal Áras Uí Chathail a bheas páirteach san imeacht seo.

Cuirfidh ball den lucht siúil, Oein De Bhairduin, agus an tOllamh Dónal Ó Baoill tús leis an ócáid nuair a thabharfaidh siad beirt píosa cainte uatha ar Chant, teanga an lucht siúil, agus an ceangal a mhaireann idir an teanga sin agus an Ghaeilge. I ndiaidh na gcainteanna beidh deis ag an lucht éisteachta ceisteanna a chur ar na haoi-chainteoirí.

Beidh amhráin le cloisteáil ansin i nGaeilge agus in Cant ó bhaill den lucht siúil. Beidh ceol a bhaineann leis an lucht ceoil le cloisteáil ina dhiaidh sin arís ó na sarcheoltóirí áitiúla Shane McAleer (fidil) agus Peter McKenna (píob uileann).

Tháinig an smaoineamh don imeacht seo chun cinn i ndiaidh d’Aonad Athmhuintearais na Comhairle traenáil a chur ar fáil do fhoireann  na Comhairle tamall ó shin chun feasacht na n-oibrithe ansin a ardú ar shaol an lucht siúil. Tháinig sé chun solais le linn na traenála sin go raibh gnéithe de chultúr agus teanga an lucht siúil fite fuaite leis an chultúr Gaelach.

Saor in aisce a bheas sé freastal a dhéanamh ar an imeacht seo ach ní mór áit a chur in áirithe roimh ré. Is féidir sin a dhéanamh ar líne ag www.struleartscentre.co.uk nó tríd Oifig na dTicéad ag an uimhir 028 82247831.