Over 32,000 students took part in the annual #Gaeilge24 challenge today. Students in 340 schools across the
country as well as participating groups abroad will take part in
Conradh na Gaeilge’s annual challenge in which participants are
encouraged to speak Irish for 24 hours.
“Gaeilge24 encourages a positive
mindset towards the language in young people, by making it fun and
relevant. It gives them an opportunity to see the ways in which they can
incorporate Irish into their everyday lives, and leaves them with a
positive experience of using the language,” says Dr Niall Comer, president of Conradh na Gaeilge.
Students from every county in Ireland
participating in the challenge, which includes students attending
English and Irish medium primary and secondary schools, will each
receive a certificate for taking part.
Cillian Ó Braonáin, a teacher who organised Gaeilge24 in Coachford College,
Cork said: “Gaeilge24 is a great cause for excitement in our school. We
hold Seachtain na Gaeilge for the whole week, with Gaeilge24 at the
heart of it. It is a great incentive for the students, who get great
enjoyment out of it.
“There is always a demand for the
wristbands and t-shirts, and the number of students wanting to take part
increases every year,” he added.
This year, Gaeilge24 is one of the
main school-based events being organised as part of Bliain na Gaeilge
and groups across the 32 counties will undertake a challenge at 1.25pm
to celebrate 125 years since the beginning of the revival of the Irish
language.
Students raise money to pay for
the support packs that they receive on the day, and any profit from the
day goes towards the registered charity Conradh na Gaeilge to support
the promotion of Irish throughout Ireland.
