Foras na Gaeilge is pleased to announce that more than €3 million in grants have been approved, in the areas of radio, literature, publishing, community and education, at the last meeting of the Foras na Gaeilge board in 2018. Grants were approved for Raidió na Life (€720,000 over a period of three years) and for Raidió Fáilte (£648,000 over a three year period) under the Community Radio Scheme 2019-2021, which will support both stations in providing an Irish language broadcast schedule to local listening communities in Dublin and Belfast.  Grants were approved to promote Irish language literature and publishing through the Literature Projects Scheme 2019 (€103,005) and the Publishing Scheme (€674,574) which will support the plans of 13 Irish language publishing companies in 2019 including Coiscéim, LeabhairCOMHAR and Leabhar Breac.

In the field of education four grants worth €80,524 in total, were approved for the Scholarships Scheme 2019. The grants will be awarded to three lead organisations: Conradh na Gaeilge (€38,541), Gael Linn (€28,305) and Cumann na bhFiann (€3,678), as well as Cumann an Phiarsaigh (€10,000) to give young people, adults and families the opportunity to attend Gaeltacht courses in 2019. 509 learners, 421 young people, 24 adults and 15 families benefited from the scheme in 2018.

€120,000 was approved for the lead organisation Gael Linn to run the Gaelbhratach project in schools again in 2019. This scheme is funded by Foras na Gaeilge and run by Gael Linn with support from Conradh na Gaeilge and Glór na nGael and which gives vital support to the use of Irish in secondary schools and in primary schools throughout the island. The Gaelbhratach Irish language flag was awarded to 80 schools in 2018 and the scheme is going from strength to strength since it was launched in 2014.

The Colmcille Strategy 2019-2021 was approved, which sets out strategies for 2019-2021 and a mission to bring together Gaelic speakers of Scotland and Ireland. Under the Colmcille Grants Scheme £10,500 was approved for Club Óige Luraigh youth club to attend Fèis Eilean an Fhraoich in Lewis in July and August 2019. The grant will give an opportunity to teenagers and youth workers from County Derry to go to Lewis, a trip which will greatly increase the group’s awareness of Scottish Gaelic and will strengthen the relationship between themselves and their peers in Scotland.

A new scheme titled Scéim na Mor-Imeachtaí Ealaíon was approved, which will focus on major events which aim to promote the use of Irish in the community through the Irish language language-based arts. As well as that, the scheme will focus on the Irish language social networks, the general public and the arts sector on an all-island and international basis.

Foras na Gaeilge CEO, Seán Ó Coinn, said, “The wide range of the grants approved by Foras na Gaeilge today show the vigour of the Irish language at community level north and south in all areas of life. We hope that the grants will put the development of the Irish language on a strong and energetic footing at the start of 2019, and I congratulate all the groups who received funding from us during 2018, and who are now preparing for 2019, on their dedication and hard work.”

Ends

Note to the editor:

1. Foras na Gaeilge funding schemes

All information on the funding schemes now open is available at www.forasnagaeilge.ie/sceimeanna:

Further information on Scéim na Mor-Imeachtaí Ealaíon will be available in the week beginning 19 December 2018 at the link above.

2. About the Scholarships Scheme 2019

The Scholarships Scheme is distributed under three categories:

Conradh na Gaeilge, Gael Linn, Cumann na bhFiann and Cumann an Phiarsaigh can be contacted directly with queries regarding this scheme.

Further Information:

Anna Davitt, Programme Manager: Communications, Marketing & Awareness, Foras na Gaeilge

Tel: 0035387 673 6175    

Email: adavitt@forasnagaeilge.ie