An éiteas bunaidh na Gaeilge ag an bhFeis

Bunaíodh an Feis Dhoire Cholmcille ar ais i 1922, i rith tréimshe an-chorrach chun daingean Gaelach a chinntiú sa Tuaisceart.

Bhí daonra na nGael ar an talamh sin anois críochdheighilt go fisiciúil agus spioradálta, scartha ón coirp, ba mionlach iad.

Thuig siad an tábhacht agus an dualgas a raibh orthu gach gné den cultúr a chaomhnú do na glúine a bhí le teacht, áfach.

Táimid faoi chomaoin ag na hoibrithe deonacha agus na ceannródaithe seo.

Chun súil a chaitheamh ar chuid de na fudaí spéisiúla ag tharlú i nDoire

Colúnaí teanga Gaeilge nua chun ballraíocht a ghlacadh i Nuacht Dhoire

Rinne siad é ‘Do chum glóire Dé agus Onóra na hÉireann’ agus is é sin mana an Feis fós.

Rinne na ceannródaithe seo post den scoth go ndúirt Dr John Francis Larchet (a raibh mar moltóir don ceol i 1922): ‘Of what I have heard, I would say that Dublin would have to wake up or come to Derry to be awakened’.

Is í an teanga bunchloch an chultúir Ghaelach, agus eascraíonn gach gné eile ón lárionad teangeolaíoch seo mar go léiríonn sí intinn na ndaoine a chruthaigh na nathanna cultúrtha (cosúil le damhsa, ceol agus amhránaíocht). Tá an traidisiún bardúil chomh sean leis an gcine Gaelach féin.

Is gnáthchleachtas é éipicí a thabhairt ó ghlúin go glúin ó bhéal leis na mílte bliain agus is eispéireas suaimhneach é a bheith mar chuid den slabhra sin i mo bhaile dúchais.

Bhí sé cúis mhór áthais dúinn dhá chomórtas speisialta do ‘An Teanga’ i rith cothrom céad bliain a fhógairt, chun Feis Dhoire Cholmcille a cheiliúradh. Ceann do dhaltaí bunscoile agus iar-bhunscoile. Bhí an treorú mar a leanas:
‘I dtrí chéad focal scríobh forógra ar do dhóchas do thodhchaí Éire Gaelach, go háirithe an teanga, don chéad bhliain eile atá le teacht – nuair a bheidh an Fheis dhá chéad bliain d'aois. Iarrfar ort do phíosa a léamh os ard don chomórtas agus a bheith i láthair nuair a thugtar an moltóireacht.’

Bhí a lán iontrálacha againn agus ní dóigh liom go bhfuil sé oiriúnach ach an méid a scríobh buaiteoir faoi ionchais na Féile glórmhar seo agus an tionchar a bheidh aige ar an todhchaí a chur san áireamh. Seo é thíos:
‘Éireannaigh agus mná na hÉireann sa lá atá inniu ann tá ceist curtha orm, 'cad é do dhóchas don Ghaeilge i gceann céad bliain eile agus Feis Doire Cholmcille 200 bliain d'aois?'

Anois tar éis dom an cheist seo a chloisteáil smaoinigh mé láithreach ar an fáth ar cuireadh Feis Doire ar bun ar an gcéad dul síos? Bhuel tá a fhios againn go raibh sé tar éis críochdheighilte na tíre agus bhí a fhios ag na daoine 100 bliain ó shin a bhunaigh Feis Doire go raibh orthu a gcultúr a choinneáil beo trí na cruatanna a bheadh ​​romhainn mar Éireannaigh ó thuaidh.

Bhí sé de dhualgas orthu ár n-oidhreacht a choinneáil beo 100 bliain ó shin. Anois is seal s'againn é a choinneáil beo ar feadh céad bliain eile.

Is é mo dhóchas don Ghaeilge ná go múinfear gach scoil tríd an Ghaeilge. Tá rogha na Gaeilge ag gach aip, bíodh sé ar fhóin nó ar ríomhaire. Déantar gach afrainn tríd an Ghaeilge.

Ba mhaith liom go mbeadh an teanga á labhairt chomh nádúrtha agus a labhraíonn daoine Béarla anois agus ní hamháin go n-úsáidtear an Ghaeilge mar straitéis mhargaíochta do chomhlachtaí móra chun iarracht a dhéanamh tarraingt do chainteoirí Gaeilge.

Ba chóir go mbeadh meas níos mó ar an teanga, ar son Dé tá an teanga 3000 bliain d'aois, is í ár n-oidhreacht bheo í maidir le cé muid féin.

Ba chóir go mbeadh cúrsaí Gaeilge beagnach gach áit chun í a chur chun cinn agus cuidiú le daoine í a fhoghlaim agus a thuiscint.

Go dtí go bhfuil gach scoil tríd an Ghaeilge ba chóir spreagadh a thabhairt do thuismitheoirí a bpáistí a chur chuig scoil Ghaeilge mar gurb é sin an tús is fearr is féidir leo a thabhairt dá bpáiste.

Ach sa deireadh tá sé suas fúinne cuidiú leis na rudaí seo go léir a thosú. An féidir linn a bheith ar an eolas nach ndearna muid gach rud is féidir linn a dhéanamh chun Éire a fheabhsú don chéad ghlúin eile agus don chéad ghlúin ina dhiaidh sin?

An féidir linn a rá lena chéile gur Éireannaigh muid mura ndéanaimid ár ndícheall agus an Ghaeilge a athbheochan? Mar a dúirt mé ag an túis tá sé seal s'aginne chun an feis a choinneáil ag imeacht do 100 bliain eile.

Mar a théann an sean-fhocal

'Tír gan teanga, tír gan ainm.’

Sna focail seo thuas is léir cad é éiteas an Feis agus a teanga Gaelach a leanfaidh ann ar feadh na gcéadta bliain amach romhainn le cúnamh Dé.

Más mian leat teagmháil a dhéanamh le Míċeál-Piaras seol ríomhphost chuig: moceallaigh01@stmarys-belfast.ac.uk.

KEEPING THE IRISH LANGUAGE ALIVE - DERRY FEIS AND THE IMPORTANCE OF 'AN TEANGA'

Derry Feis was established in 1922 to ensure the Gaelic tradition was kept alive in the North following partition in 1921.

The Irish population was now partitioned both physically and spiritually; those in the six counties, now separated from the body, had become a minority.

However, they understood the importance and duty they had to preserve every aspect of the culture for generations yet to come.

They did it, as the motto of the Feis goes, for ‘the Glory of God and the Honour of Ireland’.

These pioneers did such an excellent job that Dr John Francis Larchet, who was an adjudicator for the music competitions in 1922, remarked: ‘Of what I have heard, I would say that Dublin would have to wake up, or come to Derry to be awakened.’

Language is the keystone of Irish culture; all other aspects stem from the linguistic centre as it gives insight into the psyche of its people. It shows the creative process of cultural outlets - be it dance, music or song. The bardic tradition is as old as the Irish race itself. It is common practice that epics are passed from generation to generation by mouth for thousands of years, and it is a humbling thought to be part of this chain in my native town.

It was a great source of excitement for us to hold two special competitions - one for primary school pupils and one for post-primary pupils - for ‘an Teanga’ (Irish for ‘the language’) during the 100th anniversary celebrations of the Feis in 2022. The brief was as follows:
‘In 300 words write a proclamation on the hope for the future of Ireland, especially the language, for the next 100 years – when the Feis will be 200 years old!’

We had a lot of entries and I think it only appropriate to end this piece with what the winner had written about the prospects of this glorious festival and its impact on the future:
'Irishmen and Irishwomen in this day and age I have been asked the question, “what are your hopes for Irish in the next 100 years, when the Derry Feis is 200 years old?”

'Now after hearing this question, I immediately wondered why the Derry Feis was set up in the first place? Well, we know that it was after the partition of the country and that the people 100 years ago who founded the Derry Feis knew that they had to keep their culture alive, through the hardships they would face as Irish people in the North. It was their duty to keep our heritage alive 100 years ago. Now is our turn to keep it alive for another hundred years.

'It is my hope for Irish that every school would teach it through Irish. That every app has an Irish option, on every phone or computer. That every Mass be said in Irish. I would like that the language is spoken as naturally as English and not only used as a marketing strategy for big companies to draw in Irish speakers. There ought to be more respect shown to the language, in the name of God our language is 3,000 years of age! It is our living heritage of who we are.

'Irish courses ought to be nearly everywhere, in order to promote and help people to learn and understand it. Until every school is Irish-medium there ought to be encouragement given to parents to send their children to Irish schools, as it is the best start one can give their children.

'However, in the end it is up to us to help make a start. Can we live with the knowledge that we did not do everything to improve Ireland for the next generation and the generation after that? Can we say to one another that we are Irish people if we did not do our utmost to revive Irish? As I’ve aforementioned it is our turn to keep the Feis going for another 100 years.
'As the proverb says, “A country without a language is a country without a soul”.

I couldn't have put it better myself.

From these words above, the mantra of the Feis can be drawn, which is that we keep the language ahead of us for hundreds of years to come, God willing.

If you would like to contact Míċeál-Piaras please email: moceallaigh01@stmarys-belfast.ac.uk.