Irish language used in address at UK House of Commons for first time since 1901

The Irish language has been used during an address at the UK House of Commons for the first time in more than 100 years.
Liz Saville-Roberts, a member of the Welsh party Plaid Cymru, spoke as Gaeilge as she called on Northern Ireland Secretary of State Karen Bradley to implement an Irish Language Act on October 24th.
She urged Bradley to introduce the act if the Northern Ireland executive is not restored within six months, following the collapse of the power-sharing government at Stormont in January 2017.
“Is cearta daonna iad cearta teanga agus tá cothrom na féinne tuilte ag lucht labhartha na Gaeilge [Language rights are human rights and the Irish-speaking community are entitled to equality],” she said.
Saville-Roberts added that the British government had already pledged to introduce the act under the St Andrews Agreement of 2006, which resulted in the restoration of the Northern Ireland Assembly.
“Will the Minister uphold its commitment by introducing an Irish Language Act if power-sharing institutions are not restored within six months?” she said.
The Welsh MP is believed to be the first person to speak Irish in the House of Commons since February 1901.
On that occasion, West Kerry MP Thomas O’Donnell used the language during a provocative speech in which he is understood to have asserted his right to speak in Irish.
Commenting on the historic occasion, president of Conradh na Gaeilge, Dr Niall Comer thanked MPs like Saville-Roberts for their commitment to the Irish language community.
“All we are asking is to be brought into line with the other indigenous language communities on these islands,” he said.

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Mae'r cylchgrawn digidol parallel.cymru yn dathlu 100,000 o ymweliadau tudalen yn ei flwyddyn gyntaf

Mae’r cylchgrawn digidol parallel.cymru yn dathlu blwyddyn gyntaf lwyddiannus a 100,000 o ymweliadau tudalen.

Dywed sylfaenydd a rheolwr y prosiect, Neil Rowlands: “Pwrpas parallel.cymru yw gwneud yr iaith a’r diwylliant Cymraeg yn fwy cyraeddadwy. Gwneir hyn drwy gyflwyno’r Gymraeg a’r Saesneg ochr wrth ochr, gan ddefnyddio ystod o gyweiriau iaith (anffurfiol, ffurfiol a llenyddol), a hynny’n rhad ac am ddim; a gellir cael mynediad iddo o unrhyw borwr gwe mewn unrhyw fan yn y byd.

“Rwy’n hynod o hapus bod miloedd o bobl wedi mwynhau darllen yr erthyglau niferus a’r adnoddau unigryw. Mae cyflwynwyr fel Huw Stephens ac Eleri Siôn, awduron cydnabyddedig fel y geiriadurwr D. Geraint Lewis, David Jandrell a’i ‘Welsh Valleys Humour’, Bethan Gwanas, Elin Meek a llawer mwy wedi ysgrifennu ar gyfer y wefan. Yn ogystal, mae yna adnoddau fel mapiau siopau, tafarndai a mannau cyhoeddus lle y defnyddir y Gymraeg, canllaw dwyieithog i ramadeg, cwisiau rhyngweithiol, ac mae rhai erthyglau wedi eu hadrodd hefyd fel bod pobl yn gallu darllen a chlywed y Gymraeg ar yr un pryd.”

“Er mwyn cyrraedd nod Llywodraeth Cymru o sicrhau miliwn o siaradwyr y Gymraeg erbyn 2050, mae angen i ni ehangu’r defnydd o’r iaith a’i chyflwyno mewn gwahanol ffyrdd. Mae parallel.cymru, fel sefydliad annibynnol, dielw, yn ymgorfforiad o’r ysbryd a’r egni hwn.”

“Mae dros 140 o bobl wedi darparu cynnwys i parallel.cymru, ac rwy’n ddiolchgar iddynt am gefnogi dull newydd a gwahanol o argraffu. Edrychaf ymlaen at gefnogi llawer iawn mwy o gyfranwyr i’r wefan, a hefyd i helpu nifer fawr o bobl i fwynhau ein hiaith brydferth mewn ffordd newydd a dyfeisgar.”

Meddai Garmon Gruffudd, Rheolwr Gyfarwyddwr, Y Lolfa: "Mae’n wych gweld sut mae Parallel.cymru wedi datblygu dros y misoedd diwethaf i fod yn wefan anhepgor i ddysgwyr ac yn ffynhonnell bwysig o wybodaeth a deunydd i bobl sydd am gadw bys ar byls Cymru. Mae wedi bod yn bleser cydweithio gyda Neil a’r criw, ac fel gwasg rydym yn gwerthfawrogi yn fawr eu bod yn cynnig llwyfan newydd, hawdd i’w gyrraedd, i drin a thrafod ein gwaith a rydym yn eu llongyfarch yn fawr ar gyrraedd y 100,000."

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Record number of people have taken Cornish language exams in 2018

The Cornish Language Board said 77 people sat the exam this year - a rise of 15% on the previous year.
Exams secretary Tony Hak said the spike is partly down to Saunders, whose Cornish language concept album has seen her play live on 6Music.
More than 1,200 people have taken the exams since they began in 1992.
The language is designated "critically endangered" by the United Nations group Unesco and is recognised as a minority language by the Council of Europe.


"Gwenno's album is a fantastic boost for the language," said Mr Hak.
"So people are seeing it a lot more around them and they have become interested.
"It's also because Cornish people are becoming more aware of their identity and sense of place.
"There's a growing awareness of the language from businesses who want Cornish branding."
Gwenno, who recorded her second album Le Kov (A sense of place) in Cornish, said it was exciting that use of the language was becoming more "casual".
"It's quite incredible that the language is alive. That shows its resilience because there hasn't been really any support."
The Welsh Music Prize winner said her native tongue was the perfect way to tell stories about the region.
"It has this huge rich history that not many people are aware of," she says.
"But [the language] offers another perspective and another narrative on Cornwall.
"It's something the wider population in Cornwall feel an ownership over.
"People are saying, 'let's just use it in the way its interesting or us or makes sense to us.'"

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Extra funding for Welsh language programmes for children

Welsh language programming will get extra funding to help stimulate the creation of distinctive Welsh language productions from the independent sector.
The money from the UK Government aims to halt the decline of UK produced children's content.
It will be used to reverse the growing trend of airing repeats and facilitate the creation of Welsh language programmes that can repeat the success of with all-time favourites such as Fireman Sam.
5% of the he Contestable Fund will be allocated to Welsh and other indigenous UK languages.
The Secretary of State for Wales, Alun Cairns says it will help grow the sector:

This funding announcement will provide a significant boost to Welsh language programme creators, helping to secure a whole new generation of young Welsh language programme viewers. With this UK Government investment, the thriving Welsh language broadcast sector will be able to build on its success and create distinctive, captivating programmes that will educate and entertain the growing number of Welsh language speakers in the country.

– Alun Cairns, Welsh Secretary

Production levels of new children’s content have declined over the past decade, with public service broadcasters spending roughly 40% less than they did in 2006.
As a result a significant amount of children’s programming on children’s channels now consist of repeats.

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Eilidh Cormack, from Skye, announced as Scottish Gaelic Ambassador of the Year

Eilidh Cormack, Portree, is this year's recipient of the Scottish Government's Gaelic Ambassador of the Year award.

A 22-year-old singer from Skye has been named Gaelic Ambassador of the Year, as the Royal National Mod gets under way.

Eilidh Cormack, from Portree, said she was "absolutely delighted".
The Gaelic cultural festival began in Dunoon on Friday night, with a special celebration honouring Scotland's Year of Young People.
Over the next eight days there will be more than 200 competitions and events in Highland dancing, sport, literature, drama, Gaelic music and song.
The ambassador award, presented by MSP Michael Russell, celebrates how much Ms Cormack has accomplished within the Gaelic community at such a young age, and what lies ahead for her in the future.
She said: "I am absolutely delighted to have been awarded with the Gaelic Ambassador of the Year at the Royal National Mod this year and I certainly wasn't expecting it, especially being so young.

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New book 'Help! my child speaks Breton'

The L'Encre de Bretagne bookshop invites you to come and meet Katell Leon on the occasion of the release of her new guide for parents of children attending school in a bilingual school:
Help! my child speaks Breton. To help you have a minimum luggage, understand the work of your children or be able to distill, throughout the day, small sentences in Breton.

Through chapters such as back to school, babies 'corner, teens' corner, reassurance, weather (essential for Britons), clothes, food, Halloween (a Celtic holiday), small sores, etc., embellished with the drawings of Maud Auvrignon, punctuated by the seasons, but also by songs and nursery rhymes, you will be ready for the next school year.

All sentences in Breton are of course translated into French. Everything is accompanied by humor which is the essential ingredient of language learning. As a bonus, a pronunciation kit that will help you to pass for a true e-breton.

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Am Mòd Nàiseanta Rìoghail Scottish Gaelic Festival ends

Am Mòd Nàiseanta Rìoghail Scottish Gaelic Festival was celebrated in Dunoon from 12 - 20 October 2018. The Royal National Mòd (Scottish Gaelic: Am Mòd Nàiseanta Rìoghail) is the most important of several annual major Mòds. It is the main festival of Scottish Gaelic literature, song, arts and culture and often referred to as the Mòd. The festival began in Dunoon (Scottish Gaelic: Dùn Omhain) on Friday night, with a special celebration honouring Scotland's Year of Young People. During eight days, (12 - 20th October) more than 200 competitions and events in Highland dancing, sport, literature, drama, Gaelic music and song were be held. A list of events at Am Mòd Nàiseanta Rìoghail can be seen on the An Comunn Gàidhealach (The Gaelic Association) website.

 Royal National Mod brings estimated £2.5 million to local economy. The cost of organising, hosting and running the event is met by An Comunn Gàidhealach, through a mixture of commercial and public funding – including service level agreements with three local authorities.
The current annual funding from the biggest commercial partner, CalMac, will come to an end next year. But it is understood the arrangement, in place with the ferry operator since 2002, is likely to continue.
In a speech earlier this week, Robbie Drummond, CalMac’s chief executive said: “We are intrinsically linked with the Royal National Mod.
“Not only do we bring people on ferries to the events to where ever the Royal National Mod is Scotland, many of our staff are ingrained in the traditions of the event and are competing, their children are taking part or they are being part of a wider audience.”


Brian Fulton, director of community and stakeholder engagement at CalMac, said: ”The Mod is an important event to CalMac providing a unique opportunity to meet with customers and community representatives from across our network, and at the same time highlighting our support for Gaelic language and culture.
“Our current commitment includes the 2019 Mod in Glasgow after which we will review our support, as we do with all of our major sponsorships, to ensure it is fulfilling our needs.”
John Morrison, chief executive of An Comunn Gàidhealach said: “An Comunn Gàidhealach have a number of funding streams that help us to stage the Royal National Mòd every year.
“Part of our funding comes through local authorities who we have secure agreements with until 2022, which we fully welcome as it allows us to plan well in advance.
“We also work closely with our other partners and sponsors on a rolling year-on-year basis, as well as forecasting commercial  revenues through our own resources.”


It was understood that in return for Events Scotland and other public-body funding a requirement for proving an increase in the numbers speaking Gaelic was required, however, Mr Morrison explained: “Although we do not set specific targets around the number of Gaelic speakers we have at the Mòd, the ambitions of An Comunn are shared with several of our partners, in that we work together towards growing the amount of Gaelic language speakers, and overall fluency, across Scotland and beyond, as we’ve seen in recent years.”

New attraction to the Gaelic tongue 

The number of bids to host the Royal National Mod is on the increase, thanks to legislation to protect the language.
As local authorities in Scotland are required to develop a Gaelic Language Plan, the attractiveness of hosting the annual Royal National Mod increases.
Allan Campbell, President of An Comunn Gàidhealach, explained: “For local authorities, the Mòd is always going to be attractive, as it brings thousands of people to the community in the late shoulder months of the tourist season.
“This has ultimately led to an increase in bids for the National Mòd, not just because of the strong economic benefits, but also because it helps local authorities meet some of their commitments to the National Gaelic Language Plan which will ultimately aims to support and grow the language across Scotland.”
“The Royal National Mòd is an ideal platform for those working with the National Gaelic Language Plan as it provides outreach for the language to rural and urban areas. The favorable media reaction from the Mòd each year continues to support a positive image of our language, music and culture.
“As well as that, The Royal National Mòd continues to support Gaelic education, as we saw here on Monday and Tuesday, with around 1500 children taking part in competitions, which ultimately has a multiplier effect as the language spreads through each child’s family.”

Going south

During Friday at the Royal National Mod a announcement is usually made on the location of a future competition.
But after last year’s double announcement it was only revealed today the exact location for the next three competitions.
John Morrison, chief executive of An Comunn Gàidhealach said: “Friday normally brings with it the next Mòd host announcement, but last year we altered the programme and announced that Perth would host Mòd 2021 and Paisley would host Mòd 2022.  The host for 2023 will be announced at next year’s Mòd in Glasgow.”
It is understood a number of Scottish cities are vying for the biggest moving Arts and Culture event in Scotland.

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77 candidates passed their Cornish Language Board exams this year

Seventy seven candidates passed their Cornish Language Board exams this year and successful students were presented with their certificates at a ceremony at Lys Kernow on 15 September.
The new Grand Bard, Liz Carne, congratulated the students and praised the work of our volunteer teachers.
The number of students taking the Kesva exams has risen again, almost 15% up on 2017, and shows the growing interest in learning the language. Sixty nine of the successful candidates of the Cornish Language Board examinations are from Cornwall including one from the Isles of Scilly, two are from England and five are from Brittany.
Students can learn Kernewek in a variety of ways. Details of regular classes, online and other learning methods can be found on the Learn Cornish Now website: www.learncornishnow.com

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Cymdeithas AGM in Blaenau Ffestiniog

A new Welsh Government beefed-up department responsible for the language should be established outside Cardiff as part of a wider move to devolve hundreds of jobs outside the capital, say campaigners.
At the moment, the Welsh Government has a Welsh language Division at its Cathays Park headquarters in Cardiff, which does not have the status of a full department. Cymdeithas yr Iaith argues that this lower status within the civil service means the language has less policy clout than it needs.
The proposal features in a policy paper due to be discussed at a meeting of the language group in Blaenau Ffestiniog later this month. The paper will call for the devolution of hundreds of jobs by creating and relocating bodies including:  

•     A new upgraded Welsh language department
•     A Broadcasting Authority for Wales, Awdurdod Darlledu Cymru
•     A Welsh Planning Inspectorate
•     An Economic Development Body; and
•     A new National Energy Company

The group will also call for the devolution of further civil service jobs in the economy, education and agriculture departments. 
Speaking from Aberystwyth, Jeff Smith, communities spokesperson for Cymdeithas yr Iaith, commented:   
“Moving jobs out of Cardiff is important if we want to have a prosperous and sustainable economy and language right across the country. It’s not balanced at the moment. It’s also clear that the existing Welsh language division inside Government lacks clout – a point raised by many we have consulted. There's also criticism that the Division is too Cardiff-centric in its thinking, which can, and has been, a problem for making policy that’s in the best interests of the language. So, there’s a strong argument for this move. ”
He added:
“We’re losing about 5,200 Welsh speakers a year through out-migration from Wales. There are a number of factors that impact on the state of the language. It’s clear that emigration, young people in particular leaving their communities to look for work – is one the main challenges.
“In Ynys Môn, Gwynedd, Ceredigion and Caerfyrddin over the last decade, 117,000 young people between 15 and 29 have left those council areas, which accounts for 55% of the emigration of every age group. In Ceredigion, 3,670 young people left the county in just a single year, 2015 to 2016 - that’s almost 20 percent of all young people aged 15 to 29 leaving Ceredigion. That’s one of the main reasons why we must concentrate on policies that would create jobs in Welsh language communities and campaign for economic policies that would strengthen the language.”
The jobs proposals will form part of a series of demands in Cymdeithas yr Iaith’s ‘Gwaith i Adfywio Iaith’ (Work to Revitalise a Language) document which was published in the group’s annual general meeting in Blaenau Ffestiniog on Saturday 13th October.

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Foras na Gaeilge celebrates Irish language officers in councils in the north

Foras na Gaeilge, the cross-border body with responsibility for the promotion of the Irish language, celebrated on Tuesday 9 October 2018 the four newly-appointed Irish language officers in three council areas in the north with part funding from Foras na Gaeilge under the Irish Language Officers Scheme at an event in Belfast City Hall. 
Belfast City Council have appointed their first ever Irish language officer in line with the council’s language strategy. Derry City and Strabane District Council have appointed their second Irish language officer and Fermanagh and Omagh District Council have appointed two Irish language officers through the current scheme.
There are nine Irish language officers currently in post in five councils across the north, four of which are funded by Foras na Gaeilge under this scheme.
Chief Executive of Belfast City Council, Suzanne Wylie, welcomed the new Irish language officers and guests to the event and emphasised the important role that the Irish language plays in the linguistic and cultural diversity of the city of Belfast. She also welcomed the developments Belfast City Council have made regarding languages, in particular the launch of the council’s language strategy 2018-2023, recognising the financial support received from Foras na Gaeilge.
Foras na Gaeilge Deputy Chief Executive, Edel Ní Chorráin acknowledged the historic importance of the event, in particular for Belfast City Council in appointing their first Irish language officer, “With the Irish language being discussed in the public arena perhaps more so than ever before in the north, new opportunities are emerging with a growing public interest in the Irish language and culture and with this come new opportunities.  With those opportunities of course come challenges but we welcome the steps taken by these councils in appointing Irish language officers.”
Also speaking at the event was Dr David Mitchell, Assistant Professor in Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation at Trinity College Dublin and co-author of Reconciliation through language learning? A case study of the Turas Irish language project in East Belfast who is based in Belfast. In his journal he emphasises the possibilities of the Irish language to be a unifying factor in Northern Ireland:
Since language learning is naturally accompanied by encounter with the history of the language, it can open a space for the discovery of shared historical experiences, or revision of narrow or destructive understandings of history.
At the same event Conradh na Gaeilge Advocacy Manager Ciarán Mac Giolla Bhéin, in conjunction with the Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ), launched research on the Irish language in local councils, including Language Profiles 2018 which documents the community, educational and social provision in each of the 11 local councils. Speaking on the research, he said, “The Language Profiles, launched as an appendix to the research published by Conradh na Gaeilge today, shows some of the fantastic on-going work in relation to the Irish language across local councils. They also show, however, huge gaps in community support and provision across several councils. The research clearly shows that there are several councils that have failed to recognise or implement their duties relating to the Irish language, as detailed in both local and international law. We want to work with those councils going forward through drawing on the best-practice approach of other councils.”
Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Deirdre Hargey, closed the event officially and reaffirmed her ongoing support for a Belfast for all with her focus being on rights for all citizens in the city, including women’s rights to healthcare, LGBT rights and rights for Irish speakers.

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Dispak, first webzine for Breton speakers

"Dispak is born of a lack". It is on these words that begins the presentation of the first webzine in Breton language. Created on September 26th, this brand new website is a generalist medium that scans regional and national news, in order to adapt it to a very targeted audience: the Breton ones.

Politics, economy, entertainment, but also tutorials, Dispak offers every week a few items as diverse as varied. "Our mission is to inform Britons such as Diwan school youth, bilingual courses and other practitioners of the language," says Mevena, Brest writer at Dispak and head of image sales at the Cinémathèque de Bretagne .

And to feed the new media information, about fifteen volunteers from five departments of Brittany and aged 20 to 35 years joined Dispak for love of language. Among them, there is Ronan, a teacher from Brest who decided to participate in the adventure by simple passion. If the webzine has no professional vocation, yet it stands out for its innovative aspect. "We go further than Brittany and we do not limit ourselves to this regional border," says Mevena. Two weeks after its creation, Dispak already has many subscribers on social networks. Proof that the Breton language is not ready to disappear.

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Heledd Gwyndaf, gets conditional discharge for refusing to pay TV licence

A Welsh-language campaigner who is calling for broadcasting powers to be devolved to Wales has been given a six-month conditional discharge after she refused to pay her TV licence fee.

Heledd Gwyndaf, of Blaenglowon Fach, Talgarreg, is the first member of Cymdeithas yr Iaith to appear before a court as part of the society’s campaign that it says would lead to a significant increase in Welsh-language content on TV, radio and online.

She addressed District Judge Gwyn Jones calling for broadcasting powers to be devolved to Wales as part of the case.
Cymdeithas has said that a new tax levied on companies such as Netflix, Facebook and YouTube could raise money that would help fund a £250m yearly budget for Welsh-language content and would enable the creation of three new Welsh radio stations and three TV channels with powers devolved to Wales.
Gwyndaf, 38, who is a mother-of-three, was given a six-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay costs of £170 after appearing at Aberystwyth Magistrates Court.
Speaking after the case said she had taken the step of refusing to pay the licence fee to back the Cymdeithas proposal.
She said: “I’d like to thank everyone who is taking part in this campaign, especially those boycotting the TV licence.
“This battle is a battle for our language, our Welsh democracy and for our freedom as a nation.
“Despite all the developments in the media and digital since S4C, there’s still only one full Welsh-language TV channel, and little Welsh content online.
“And on top of this, the London-based media is a massive threat to our democracy by failing to discuss Welsh issues and misleading people by referring to education and health issues when they’re England-only - we in Wales don’t have a clue who’s responsible for what. How is this democratic?
“Cymdeithas yr Iaith has another offer for the people of Wales: more Welsh language and Welsh broadcasters.
“It would also empower people to create countless Welsh-language online content for every age group and fund it by taxing companies like Netflix, YouTube and Facebook.
“The first step towards this will be the devolution of regulation, so that Ofcom doesn’t tell us what should be important to us as a nation, after all they don’t have a clue.
“They don’t serve the people of Wales or even pretend to do that.”

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Imram, an Irish-language festival is coming to Dublin/BÁC next week

Bob Dylan as Gaeilge – that’s just a small taste of what will be on offer at an Irish language literature festival next week. IMRAM, the Irish language literature festival, is taking place in multiple venues around Baile Átha Cliath/Dublin from Monday until next Saturday. 

With a diverse and culturally filled programme of events for all ages, this year’s highlights include Buail na Cloig/Ring them Bells: The Dylan Gospel Project, performed by Liam Ó Maonlaí and a host of musicians.
Speaking to TheJournal.ie festival director Liam Carson said that the festival holds one “big music show” every year that focuses on a major musician.
In the past, the music of Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie, Leonard Cohen and Joni Mitchell have featured in the shows. A poet translates the music into the Irish language for the festival.
“What we do with the music project is we get Gabriel Rosenstock … he provides Irish language versions of the songs. They’re beautiful translations, they’re absolutely exquisite,” Carson said. 

The festival will also celebrate the acclaimed work of Liam Ó Muirthile, who passed away earlier this year. His work will be celebrated at the show on 15 October, according to Carson.
“Liam was just a force of nature, he was a remarkable man, fantastic writer, he was a poet of the first order,” Carson said. “His loss is a really big blow to the Irish language community and literature in Ireland full stop.”
Ó Muirthile’s first collection of poetry, Tine Chnámh, written in 1984, received the Irish-American Cultural Institute’s literary award and the Oireachtas prize for poetry, according to Poetry Ireland.
Meanwhile, the following night the work of Danny Sheehy will be celebrated. He has participated in the IMRAM festival on numerous occasions throughout the years.
“He was a storyteller. He was completely immersed in traditional storytelling,” Carson said.
“He was a very much-loved man throughout the country.”
A number of poets at the event on Tuesday will read poems written by Sheehy, along with poems that they’re written to honour him.

The first IMRAM festival was set up in 2004 by Carson as he noticed that although there were a few literary festivals – there were none dedicated to Irish language.
They received funding from Poetry Ireland, Dublin City Council, Foras na Gaeilge – and, as of two years ago, that funding had increased 1000% in the 10-12 years the festival had been in operation.
The festival name means “a voyage of discovery”.
A variety of events over the five days are taking place which cater to a range of audiences.

Starting on 10 October IMRAM na nÓg, a children’s literature and arts segment of the festival, begins. The Lexicon Library and IADT in Dun Laoghaire will play host to numerous colourful, fun and educational events, including a morning of games, storytelling and writing with the award-winning author Máire Zepf. Meanwhile, at the Royal Irish Academy, ‘Siar and Aniar’ will feature a multimedia performance of poetry and prose based on ‘Modern Ireland in 100 Artworks’, a celebration of Irish life during the period 1916 to 2015.
A number of other multimedia shows will be held over the course of the festival.
Carson noted that while the festival is focused on Irish language literature, non-Irish speakers are welcome to attend events.
“Lots of people have Irish at the back of their minds from school or they’ve absorbed some sort of Irish,” Carson said.
“It’s obviously an Irish language literature festival but we do make an effort to cater to people who may not have an awful lot of Irish or who don’t have Irish at all,” he said.
He said that, for example, when a Bob Dylan song translated to Irish is playing, “we have the lyrics on the screen” so non-Irish speakers can follow the words.
“Suddenly people start understanding the Irish and by the end of the night they’re actually singing along with the band,” he said.

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Leading councillor apologises after Welsh language official rebuke

It follows a damning report which criticised Wrexham Council for failing to correct translation errors in council tax bills, despite them being brought to its attention by a resident in 2014.
The Public Services Ombudsman for Wales ordered the council to correct the errors in 2017 and told it to pay £50 in compensation to the man, known only as Mr D.
However, when he received his council tax bill in March, there were still inconsistencies between the Welsh and English versions of the document.

He said it was a sign of “disrespect to taxpayers, the Welsh language, the law and the Ombudsman”.
Leading councillor Hugh Jones admitted the authority had made repeated mistakes and pledged to resolve the issue.
Speaking at an executive board meeting, he said: “I have to start with a public apology, firstly to Mr D and secondly to the Ombudsman.
“The council failed to keep our promises to both of them.
“The report of the Ombudsman also notes that we have failed to uphold our Welsh language standards.
“On behalf of the council I apologise.
"I hope those who are responsible for keeping to our statutory and moral duties will learn a lesson from this experience.
“I can assure the council and Welsh speakers that we fully support the Welsh language.”
The Ombudsman has asked the authority to write a further letter to Mr D and pay him £100, as well as asking for a system to be put in place to ensure it does not happen again.
Cllr Jones said a large amount of translation was being undertaken to make sure all council documents issued in Welsh were accurate, including benefits letters.
Council leader Mark Pritchard added the work was being carried out by Conwy Council.
However Plaid Cymru leader Marc Jones queried why the corrections needed were so complex.

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Campaign against the monolingual propaganda of the Breton government

'Breizh Go' is a propaganda campaing by the Brittany's government to promote the public transports net. It has been boycotted by the Breton language government Aita! to denounce that 'Breizh Go' deliberately ignores the Breton language and it is monolingual, in French, in spite of the promises of the Breton government. A recent survey shows that 73 % of the Breton people wants signals in Breton, 59 % in the public services and 55 % in TV and radio.

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Ti ar Vro, Breton language net, meet to grow

The leaders of eight country agreements (*) met on Tuesday October 9th at the premises of Ti ar Vro Landerne-Daoulaz, Theo-Le Borgne center. The aim was to evaluate the situation of each "Ti ar vro" (coordinator of actions in favor of Breton) on its territory and to consider strengthening their network in the pursuit of their fundamental objective: to bring Breton and make so that it is spoken everywhere, not just in teaching spaces.

In this perspective, the agreements benefit from the significant public support of the departmental council. "The departmental plan for the Breton language, voted in 2012, devotes a strong focus to these country agreements. They are the relay of this policy on the department "confirms Solange Creignou.

The community of communes of the country of Landerneau-Daoulas is an example to follow. Ti ar Vro Landerne-Daoulaz benefits from the use of premises lent free by the City and a full-time employee. Morlaix, Brest, Lesneven, Douarnenez, Quimper, Concarneau or the country of Quimperlé have also made appreciable efforts. "But there are still some visibility flaws in some places," says Solange Creignou.

In this context, the mission of supporting emerging associations through "country agreements" is decisive. Associations to show themselves to the public authorities, too. To this end, ideas abound in the network and can be transposed from one territory to another. As the project "Tro dro says! Experienced in Quimperlé. It organizes exchanges in Breton in places conducive to the exercise of natural language and vocabulary enrichment. Whether for learners or speakers, of all ages and all levels: "What is called social networking". The principle of a living language.

(*) Sked (Brest country), Ti ar Vro Bro Leon, KLT (Morlaix country), Ti ar Vro Landerne-Daoulaz, Raok (Brittany center), Emglev bro Douarnenez, Ti ar Vro Kemper and Ti ar Bro Vro Bro Kemperle .

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Cymdeithas campaigner fined for refusing to pay TV licence fee

A Welsh-language campaigner who is calling for broadcasting powers to be devolved to Wales has been ordered to pay £170 after she refused to pay her TV licence fee.

Heledd Gwyndaf, of Blaenglowon Fach, Talgarreg, is the first member of Cymdeithas yr Iaith to appear before a court as part of the society’s campaign that it says would lead to a significant increase in Welsh-language content on TV, radio and online.

She addressed District Judge Gwyn Jones calling for broadcasting powers to be devolved to Wales as part of the case.
Cymdeithas has said that a new tax levied on companies such as Netflix, Facebook and YouTube could raise money that would help fund a £250m yearly budget for Welsh-language content and would enable the creation of three new Welsh radio stations and three TV channels with powers devolved to Wales.
Gwyndaf, 38, who is a mother-of-three, was ordered to pay a fine and costs of £170 after appearing at Aberystwyth Magistrates Court.
Speaking after the case said she had taken the step of refusing to pay the licence fee to back the Cymdeithas proposal.
She said: “I’d like to thank everyone who is taking part in this campaign, especially those boycotting the TV licence.
“This battle is a battle for our language, our Welsh democracy and for our freedom as a nation.
“Despite all the developments in the media and digital since S4C, there’s still only one full Welsh-language TV channel, and little Welsh content online.
“And on top of this, the London-based media is a massive threat to our democracy by failing to discuss Welsh issues and misleading people by referring to education and health issues when they’re England-only - we in Wales don’t have a clue who’s responsible for what. How is this democratic?
“Cymdeithas yr Iaith has another offer for the people of Wales: more Welsh language and Welsh broadcasters.
“It would also empower people to create countless Welsh-language online content for every age group and fund it by taxing companies like Netflix, YouTube and Facebook.
“The first step towards this will be the devolution of regulation, so that Ofcom doesn’t tell us what should be important to us as a nation, after all they don’t have a clue.
“They don’t serve the people of Wales or even pretend to do that.”

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Belfast City Council appoints Irish language officer

Belfast City Council yesterday appointed the first dedicated Irish language officer in its history.

The announcement was made at Belfast City Hall on Tuesday.
Belfast becomes the fourth council in Northern Ireland to appoint an Irish language officer.
A second officer with responsibility for Ulster-Scots, sign language and other languages has also been appointed.
The officers are expected to develop and promote use of their respective languages within the council and among the public.
The posts are jointly funded by Belfast City Council and the all island languages body, Foras Na Gaeilge.
Unionist councillors had wanted one officer for all languages to be appointed but that was rejected by a council vote in October 2017.
At the event at Belfast City Hall, research by Conradh Na Gaeilge (CnG) and the Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ) into how Northern Ireland's 11 councils are complying with their obligations with regard to the Irish language.
They suggest that, while there are areas of good practice, a number of councils are not fulfilling their obligations to facilitate use of the Irish language under the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages.

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Gaelic license plates in Nova Scotia

Did you know that Gaelic is spoken outside of Scotland? In fact, it was very nearly Canada's third official language, and is still spoken in the province of Nova Scotia on Canada's east coast*. Now, Nova Scotians can opt to have their license plates in Gaelic. Every little bit of language representation matters. 󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
It may also be of interest to some that on Cape Breton, an island off of Nova Scotia (though still part of the Nova Scotian polity) and one of the centres of the Gaelic language in that region, public signage is provided in both English and Gaelic. Nobody has a problem with this.

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Judgement over Fañch name in French court to begin tomorrow

A French court banned a couple from using Breton letter in baby's name in 2017. Tomorrow a new judgement begins over the case. A French court in 2017 banned a couple from giving their baby a name containing a tilde, ruling that the "n with a squiggle over it" was incompatible with French law.The couple from Brittany wanted to call their newborn baby boy Fañch, a traditional name in the northwestern region which has its own language.


"The principle according to which babies' names are chosen by their mothers and fathers must have limits when it comes to using a spelling which includes a character not recognized by the French language," the court in the town of Quimper said in its judgment.

Fañch is a name borne notably by two Breton writers, Fañch Peru and Fañch Broudig, and is the Breton version of the name François.The tilde, an "n" with a small sideways "s" written over it, is commonly used in Spanish as well as the Breton language.

An official in Quimper had initially refused to write "Fañch" on the baby's birth certificate, before changing their mind a few days later. Born in May, the baby already has an ID card and passport with the tilde on it.

His furious father Jean-Christophe Bernard said the battle wasn't over. "He will have his tilde, that's for sure," Bernard said.

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Irish language groups bring pre-budget campaign to Baile Átha Cliath with ‘Clinic na Gaeilge’

Almost 90 community, language and Gaeltacht organisations have come together to support a pre-budget call for funding of a plan that would help create almost 1,200 new jobs in some of the most disadvantaged parts of the country.

Irish language rights group Conradh na Gaeilge hosted ‘Clinic na Gaeilge’ , a 10-hour mobile clinic, in Dublin on Wednesday where representatives of gaeltacht community organisations lobbied members of the Oireachtas in a bid to secure support for the Irish Language and Gaeltacht Investment Plan.

The fully costed plan, submitted by Conradh na Gaeilge, outlines where Government investment would lead to the creation of 1,190 jobs over three years at a total cost of €18 million.

The groups supporting the plan, many of which have experienced significant funding cuts in the last decade, are seeking an allocation of €9 million in this year’s Budget. The remaining €9 million would be allocated in the following two budgets.

“The plan is very clear regarding where the money will be spent. It is very detailed and results oriented,” said General Secretary of Conradh na Gaeilge Julian de Spáinn.

Campaign literature
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KLT courses of Breton language at full

Kerne, Leon, Treger (KLT) made his comeback. In the program  63 hours of introduction to Breton in public schools, a 35-hour training per week for people seeking retraining or job search, as well as evening classes and day, which will take place in five municipalities of the country of Montroulez (Morlaix in French), for a total of more than 25 hours per week. Workshops will also be set up, both theater and kan-ha-diskan.

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Parole Board launches its Welsh Language Scheme 2018-2020

The Parole Board has launched its Welsh Language Scheme 2018-2020, which has been approved by the Welsh Language Commissioner.
The act requires public bodies to produce a language scheme to explain which services they will provide in Welsh, how they will do so and when.
The Parole Board has adopted the principle that in the conduct of public business and the administration of justice in Wales, it will treat the English and Welsh languages on a basis of equality, so far as is both appropriate in the circumstances and reasonably practicable. The Welsh Language Scheme sets out how the Board will give effect to that principle in the services to the public in Wales for which it is responsible.
The Scheme has been adopted by the Parole Board Management Committee and was approved by the Welsh Language Commissioner on 10 August 2018.
The Scheme can be read here: Parole Board Welsh Language Scheme 2018-2020 (PDF, 238KB, 16 pages)

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New Learners Cornish Dictionary and Cornish language meeting

'A learners dictionary in the Standard Written Form' by Steve Harris is in its second edition. It is distributed by Kowethas an Yeth Kernewek among others. The language fellowship also organizes the upcoming Fun Palace in Pool focusing on trees on October 6th.

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