Tuairisc ó Meitheal Chill Dara 2023
Tháinig pobal na Gaeilge i gContae Chill Dara le chéile Dé Sathairn seo caite, an 11ú Márta, don cheathrú Meitheal
in Óstán an Glenroyal i Maigh Nuad. Ba iad Gaeilge Nuada a bhí ina óstach, den chéad uair, ar an imeacht i gcomhar
le Cill Dara le Gaeilge agus chuir siad fáilte chroíúil roimh lucht labhartha Gaeilge an chontae: “Bhí an-áthas ar
Ghaeilge Nuada fáilte a chur roimh Mheitheal Chill Dara chuig Maigh Nuad ag an deireadh seachtaine. Bhí freastal
iontach ar an ócáid agus táimid thar a bheith buíoch do gach duine a ghlac páirt inti.” (Cathaoirleach Ghaeilge Nuada,
Póla Ní Chinnsealaigh).
Is dírithe ar phleanáil teanga i gContae Chill Dara a bhíonn an Mheitheal agus creidimid go bhfuil sé ríthábhachtach
imeacht pleanála teanga dá leithéid a eagrú ar leibhéal contae. Tugann sí deis líonraithe do phobal na Gaeilge, do
ghníomhaithe teanga, do sholáthraithe seirbhíse, do ghnólachtaí agus d'aon duine a bhfuil spéis ghinearálta acu i
bhforbairt na Gaeilge laistigh den chontae nuacht a roinnt, smaointe a mhalartú agus labhairt faoi phleananna do
na blianta atá amach romhainn. Bhí tábhacht ar leith ag baint le Meitheal na bliana seo toisc go bhfuil plean nua
teanga 7 mbliana á ullmhú don chontae faoi láthair (tuilleadh eolais: https://cilldaralegaeilge.ie/pleanail-teanga/).
Chláraigh os cionn 70 duine don chomhdháil, an líon is mó riamh, ó fud fad an chontae agus ó gach ceantar
bardasach. Sa bhreis air sin bhí grúpa mór daoine óga i láthair ag freastal ar réimse dheas ceardlann a d’eagraigh
Gaeilge Nuada – ceardlanna ceoil le Comhaltas, ceardlanna rince ar an sean-nós le buaiteoirí STEIP an Oireachtais,
ceardlann ealaíne agus ceardlann scileanna raidió le Raidió na Life. Ba ghné nua den Mheitheal i mbliana na
ceardlanna agus ba léir go raibh an-tóir orthu.
Forbairt shuntasach a bhí le feiceáil ag an Meitheal seo i gcomparáid leis an gcéad cheann in 2019 ná go bhfuil grúpaí
gníomhacha Gaeilge tagtha chun cinn anois i gceithre cinn de na cúig cheantar bhardasacha, Sult na Sollán (Nás na
Ríogh/na Solláin), Glór an Churraigh (Cill Dara/an Droichead Nua), Gaeilge an Bhradáin (Cill Droichid/Léim an
Bhradáin) agus Gaeilge Nuada féin (Maigh Nuad) agus ceann nua curtha ar bun le cúpla seachtain anuas i gceantar
bardasach Áth Í. Is léiriú sin ar an dul chun cinn atá déanta sa chontae – níor a tionóladh an chéad Mheitheal ní raibh
de ghrúpaí pobal Gaeilge sa chontae ach Sult na Sollán.
Ina aoi-chainteoir i mbliana bhí Darren Ó Rodaigh, Cathaoirleach Feidhmiúcháin ar Ghaelchultúr an soláthraí is mó
cúrsaí Gaeilge ar domhan. Labhair Darren ar an réimse leathan cúrsaí a chuireann Gaelchultúr ar fáil, ach freisin faoi
na deiseanna fostaíochta atá ann do lucht labhartha na Gaeilge, go háirithe ó tugadh isteach na leasuithe ar Acht na
dTeangacha Oifigiúla in 2021.
Gné an-tábhachtach den lá ba ea na grúpaí plé a bhí ann ag deireadh an lae ag plé cúrsaí teaghlaigh, oideachais,
clubanna spóirt, grúpaí pobail agus grúpa do dhaoine atá ag iarraidh Gaeilge a (ath)fhoghlaim. Bhí plé bríomhar
spreagúil sna grúpaí sin agus tháinig go leor smaointe agus moltaí chun cinn maidir le todhchaí na Gaeilge sa chontae.
Seo mar a rinne Cathaoirleach Chill Dara le Gaeilge, Daithí de Faoite, cur síos ar an lá “Ba mhór do Chill Dara le
Gaeilge agus do Ghaeilge Nuada fáilte a chur roimh Ghaeilgeoirí agus roimh ghníomhairí teanga ó gach cúinne de
Chontae Chill Dara ag Meitheal Chill Dara ag an deireadh seachtaine. B'iontach an deis a bhí ag na grúpaí pobail
Gaeilge sa chontae scéalta a mhalartú lena chéile agus aithne níos fearr a chur ar a chéile thar chupán tae nó ag an
Pop-Up Gaeltacht ina dhiaidh. Tá torthaí soiléire le feiceáil anois mar thoradh ar an bpleanáil teanga atá ar bun sa
chontae le déanaí agus táimid ar bís go mór faoi thodhchaí na Gaeilge sa chontae sna blianta romhainn.”
Má tá spéis agat tuilleadh eolais a fháil faoin bplean teanga do chontae Chill Dara, déan teagmháil le
Chun tuilleadh eolais a fháil is féidir teagmháil a dhéanamh le [email protected]; 085 8012956
As Béarla
The Irish language community in County Kildare met last Saturday, March 11st, in the Glenroyal Hotel in Maynooth
for the annual Meitheal. Gaeilge Nuada hosted the event for the first time in conjunction with Cill Dara le Gaeilge
and they warmly welcomed Irish speakers from across the county: “Gaeilge Nuada was delighted to welcome
Meitheal Chill Dara to Maynooth at the weekend. We were very grateful to everyone who took part in the event”
(Chairperson of Gaeilge Nuada, Póla Ní Chinnsealaigh).
The Meitheal focuses on language planning in County Kildare and we believe that it is vital to hold such a language
planning event at county level. It provides a networking opportunity for the Irish language community, language
activists, service providers, businesses and anyone with a general interest in the development of the Irish language
within the county, where they can share news, exchange ideas and talk about plans for the years ahead. This year’s
Meitheal was particularly important as a new 7-year language plan is being prepared for the county at present
(further information: https://cilldaralegaeilge.ie/pleanail-teanga/).
Over 70 people registered for the conference, the largest number ever, from across the county and from all
municipal areas. In addition, a large group of young people attended a wide range of workshops organised by Gaeilge
Nuada — music workshops with Comhaltas, sean-nós dancing workshops with winners of STEIP an Oireachtais, an
art workshop and a radio skills workshop with Raidió na Life. The workshops were a new feature of the Meitheal
this year and proved to be very popular.
A significant development compared to the first Meitheal in 2019 was that active Irish language groups have now
emerged in four of the five municipal areas, Sult na Sollán (Naas/Sallins), Glór an Churraigh (Kildare/Newbridge),
Gaeilge an Bhradáin (Celbridge/Leixlip) and Gaeilge Nuada (Maynooth) and very recently a new group has been
founded in the municipal area of Athy. This reflects the progress that has been made in the county — in 2019 Sult
na Sollán was the sole Irish language community group in the county.
This year’s guest speaker was Darren Ó Rodaigh, Executive Chair of Gaelchultúr - the largest provider of Irish
language courses in the world. Darren spoke of the wide range of courses provided by Gaelchultúr, but also about
the employment opportunities for Irish speakers, in particular since the amendments to the Official Languages Act
were introduced in 2021.
A very important aspect of the day was the discussion groups at the end of the day on topics such as family,
education, sports clubs, community groups and a discussion for people who want to (re)learn Irish. There was lively
and interesting discussion in those groups and many ideas and suggestions emerged in relation to the future of the
Irish language in the county.
Chairperson of Cill Dara le Gaeilge, Daithí de Faoite, described the day as follows “Cill Dara le Gaeilge and Gaeilge
Nuada were delighted to welcome Irish speakers and language activists from every corner of County Kildare at
Meitheal Chill Dara at the weekend. It was wonderful to have the opportunity for the Irish-language community
groups in the county to exchange stories with each other and get to know each other better over a cup of tea or at
the Pop-Up Gaeltacht afterwards. We are seeing the clear results resulting from the recent language planning in the
county and we are very excited about the future of the Irish language in the county in the years ahead.”
If you are interested in finding out more about the language plan for Kildare, please contact
For further information contact [email protected]; 085 8012956