There is a demand for professionals with recognised qualifications in Irish language interpreting and translation, following Irish becoming an official language of the EU.
In order to train, equip, and provide people to work in this area, a new MA has been created in NUI, Galway, which will begin this September - the master’s in conference interpreting/MA ateangaireacht chomhdhála.
On Monday the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs announced funding for this masters, the first of its kind in Ireland.
The MA is a full-time one-year programme delivered through Irish, in An Cheathrú Rua, Connemara. It begins this September and is based on the European master’s in conference interpreting – a programme developed in conjunction with the EU and offered in 18 universities across the continent.
It will specialise in the use of Irish and English as languages of interpreting, along with French. Other European languages will be offered if there is sufficient demand.
The programme will cover memory exercises, sight translation, note-taking skills, mock conferences, glossaries for technical meetings, voice coaching, and booth etiquette. Students will also have the opportunity to visit EU institutions to see at first hand the work of international interpreters.
As part of the programme, students wishing to study French as part of their MA will also have an opportunity during the month of September to undertake a preliminary intensive French language course in Paris, as part of the scholarships funded by Minister Ó Cuív’s department.
With the demand for professionals in Irish language interpreting and translation, the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs Éamon Ó Cuív said career prospects for graduates in this area will be “excellent”.
“I would highly recommend this programme to anyone who would like to pursue a prosperous career using the Irish language,” he said. “A qualification in interpretation with Irish and English will create opportunities for young people and for the Irish language that were not as accessible to us before now.”
Ó Droighneáin continued by saying: “The European Union urgently needs to recruit highly trained and qualified Irish language interpreters,” said Eoin Ó Droighneáin, the director of the new MA. “This is the only MA of its kind in Ireland and is designed to prepare graduates for a career as a professional conference interpreter.”
Students wishing to apply for the MA should contact Siobhán Ní Chualáin on 091 - 495428 or e-mail [email protected]
