It may be called Seachtain na Gaeilge, but it’s actually a 12 day celebration of the Irish language, trad music, theatre, dance, literature, sport, and food and has something for everyone, from the fluent speaker to those with no Gaeilge at all.
Seachtain kicks off on Friday March 5 with the Best Dressed Irish Language Window Competition (for more information contact [email protected] or 086-3536085 ), pre-schools art exhibition in Ballinasloe Library; Moycullen primary school’s poster competition exhibition; a coffee morning at 11am in the Ballybane Enterprise Centre; Trad Session with Comhaltas in the Loughrea Hotel at 9.30pm; Aerach in the Fairhill House Hotel, Clonbur at 10pm; DJs Will Softly and Mr Whippy will be in Oa2, Áras na nGael, from 10.30pm.
On Saturday 6 a new series of sean-nós dancing workshops with Pádraig Ó hOibicín begins (contact 091 - 567824 ); the launch of Agus Rud Eile De (And Another Thing ), a new book and CD by Louis de Paor and Ronan Brown, at the Galway City Museum at 2pm; a trad music session in Lohans, Salthill, at 9pm; a sean-nós dancing competition in Tigh de Búrca Bar, Clonbur at 10pm; and Matt Keane & Friends in the Fairhill House Hotel, Clonbur at 10pm.
On Sunday 7 it’s the Joyce Country Walking Festival Music Night with gigs in Kilmilken Bar, Maam, and Tigh Mháire Luke Bar, Toormakeady, both at 9pm.
Theatre fans of all ages will enjoy the offering on Monday 8 as Branar Drámaíochtath present An Seanfhear Beag, a magical story about the friendship between a lonely old man and a dog, told through Suse Reibisch’s puppets and Morgan Cooke’s music.
An Seanfhear Beag will be on tour during Seachtain na Gaeilge. For more information contact Áras na nGael on 091 - 500155, [email protected], or www.branar.ie An Triail with Máire Ní Ghráda and directed by Aisling Ghéar will be staged in The Black Box at 10.30am and 1.30pm. It will also be staged on Tuesday 9. For tickets contact the Town Hall on 091 - 569777.
On Tuesday March 9 there will be Speed Gaeilge! in the Eyre Square Shopping Centre (091 - 567824 ); the Loughrea Youth Society Drama Workshop will take place at 7.30pm (091 -870718 ); there will be a cooking demonstration with Enda Ó Conghaile in Lohans, Salthill, at 7.30pm; and Club Áras na nGael will host a poetry evening with Colette Nic Aodha, Seosamh Ó Guairm, agus Máire Holmes at 8pm.
Wednesday 10 is Irish Fun Day at Gaelscoil Riada, Athenry; a new drama by Beartla de Búrca, directed by the NUI, Galway Drama Society will be staged in the Áras na Gaeilge Theatre at 8pm; Club Áras na nGael will also hold a ‘Beginners Night’ with ceol agus craic for Irish language learners at 8pm. The Sean-Nós Evening in Moycullen takes place in Tí Regan at 9pm.
Thursday 11 will see the opening of Colm Mac Suibhne’s new exhibition in An Cheathrú Rua Library and the Rose Club Áras na nGael Competition (entry forms and information from 091 - 567824 ) at 7.30pm.
Friday 12 is the deadline for the Loughrea Youth Arts Competition and Poetry Competition (091 - 870718 ); Raidió na Gaeltachta will broadcast live from Lohans, Salthill; there will be children’s storytelling at the Galway City Library at 11.15pm; Marcus Ó hIarnáin & Friends in Árus Uilinn, Moycullen, at 8pm; and DJs Will Softly and Ben Ó Faoláin in Oa2 from 10.30pm.
On Saturday 13 there will be a coffee morning in the Arabica Café, Moycullen, at 11am; trad music in Lohans, Salthill, at 9pm; also at 9pm a music night with the diploma in music dressing and staging students, Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta.
On Sunday 14 there will be a walk organised by the Moycullen Branch of Conradh na Gaeilge at 11am; the Gaeilge na nÓg Festival, Maree Community Hall, Oranmore (091 - 790737 ); the Cycle to Africa charity day on behalf of Galway Hospice, with music, entertainment, and barbeque in Club Áras na nGael from 3pm.
On Monday 15 Óg-Ógras Léim – Oughterard will present Cinderella and the Chocolate Factory in the Community Hall, Oughterard, at 11am; the Rith 2010 race will pass through Gort (1.30pm ), Loughrea (4.20pm ), Athenry (6.50pm ), and Oranmore (8.40pm ); there will be sean-nós dancing classes in Club Áras na nGael; and music with Kevin Rohan in the New Park Hotel, Athenry, at 9.30pm.
On Tuesday 16 Rith 2010 will pass through Leenane (4pm ), Maam (5.40pm ), Maam Cross (6.30pm ), and Rosmuck (8.40pm ); Lohans, Salthill, will hold a table quiz at 8.30pm; while Club Áras na nGael will host its St Patrick’s Night Celtic Celebrations from 9pm.
On St Patrick’s Day the Galway city parade will start at 12.30pm and the Rith race will finish in Eyre Square. The Gaelscoil Work Sale takes place in the Athenry Community Hall at 1pm; there will be a trad music session in Club Árus na nGael, starting at 2pm and running the entire day; Lohans, Salthill, will hold its Irish Food Festival.
For more information on all aspects of Seachtain na Gaeilge contact Conradh na Gaeilge, Áras na nGael, on 091 - 567824, email [email protected], or see www.snag.ie
