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Slógadh Ag Stormont

Slógadh frith-chiníoch ag Stormont inniu 

stormont picTháinig cúpla céad Gaeil, idir óg agus aosta, amach inniu, in ainneoin na drochaimsire, le seasamh láidir a ghlacadh in éadan ciníochais agus ar son an chomhionannais agus na héagsúlachta. D’eagraigh Gaeil aonaracha agus eagraíochtaí éagsúla an slógadh seo faoi bhrat An Tionól Dearg, chun aird na bpolaiteoirí agus an phobail araon a dhíriú ar cheist na Gaeilge agus mar ráiteas in aghaidh an chiníochais sa pholaitíocht ar Lá Idirnáisiúnta na gCearta Daonna ag na Náisiúin Aontaithe. Is fóram feachtasaíochta é do phobal na Gaeilge é An Tionól Dearg, a d’eagraigh An Lá Dearg i mBéal Feirste in Aibreán na bliana seo, ina raibh na mílte duine ar shráideanna Bhéal Feirste ar mhaithe le comhionannas.

I measc na n-imeachtaí a thit amach in Stormont, eagraíodh céilí, damhsa ar an tsean-nós agus chan daltaí bunscoile amhrán na Nollag trí mheán na Gaeilge le daoine a choinneáil ar bharr na gaoithe, diomaite den drochaimsir.

Agus í ag caint ar chéimeanna Stormont,  dúirt Aoife Nic an tSaoir, eagraí de chuid An Tionól Dearg:

‘I gcomhthéacs ar bith eile, dar linn go nglacfaí le tagairtí Gregory Campbell don Ghaeilge mar thagairtí stormont 2ciníocha. Tá muid ag iarraidh air na tagairtí sin a tharraingt siar agus leithscéal a ghabháil le pobal na Gaeilge, leis na mílte páiste atá ag freastal ar scoileanna Gaeilge agus leis an mhórphobal ar grá leo an Ghaeilge. Níl sé inghlactha, sa lá atá inniu ann, go dtig le polaiteoirí masla agus ionsaí a dhéanamh ar theanga dhúchais na tíre seo agus ar a cainteoirí. Cuireann muid fáilte mhór roimh na pobail mhionlach  a léirigh a gcuid dlúthpháirtíochta linn inniu, mar nuair a dhéantar ionsaí orainn mar phobal mionlaigh, déantar ionsaí ar na mionlaigh go léir agus ar chomhionannas i gcoitinne.

‘Ocht mbliana i ndiaidh do ghealltanas Acht na Gaeilge, i gcomhaontú ceangailteach idirnáisiúnta i gCill Rímhinn, agus sé bliana déag i ndiaidh shíniú Chomhaontú Aoine an Chéasta, pléitear leis na Gaeil sa tsochaí go fóill mar a bheadh saoránaigh ísealchéime iontu. Ba mhaith linn bheith ag maireachtáil i sochaí fhorásach agus ilchultúrtha a chuimsíonn éagsúlacht agus a chuireann cuimsitheacht chun cinn.  Tá na daoine óga a bhailigh anseo inniu i dteideal an mheasa agus na dínite céanna mar atá ag achan duine eile sa tuaisceart agus ní ghlacfar le rud ar bith seachas sin sa amach anseo.

Arsa Ciarán Mac Giolla Bhéin, Bainisteoir Cosaint Teanga agus Ionadaíochta Chonradh na Gaeilge, a bhí ina measc siúd a d’eagraigh an Slógadh:

“Léiríonn an slua a tháinig amach anseo inniu beocht agus tiomantas phobal na Gaeilge agus ár n-iarrachtaí an Ghaeilge a chur i lár an aonaigh arís ag leibhéal polaitiúil, go háirithe agus na cainteanna tras-pháirtí ag dul ar aghaidh faoi láthair. Ba mhian linn, mar phobal, feasacht fán Ghaeilge a ardú agus ceist na Gaeilge a chur i réimse cheist na gcearta daonna i gcoitinne.

Tá muid thar a bheith sásta gur tháinig ionadaithe ó ghrúpaí mionlach eile amach le tacú linn inniu agus bhí sé tábhachtach dúinn seasamh a ghlacadh ar an lá seo, Lá Idirnáisiúnta na gCearta Daonna agus dár ndóigh, súil amháin againn ar na cainteanna atá faoi lán seoil faoi láthair. Tá an chumhacht ag na polaiteoirí todhchaí níos fearr a chinntiú don Ghaeilge agus seasamh in aghaidh ciníochais de gach sórt, éilíonn muid orthu, agus go háirithe ar rialtas na Breataine, an rud ceart a dhéanamh.”

 

Teagmháil:

Ciarán Mac Giolla Bhéin

ciaran@cnag.ie

+44 (075) 4529384

Gaels descend on Stormont for Anti-Racism Rally

stormont picHundreds Irish speakers and supporters of the language, young and old, came out yesterday (10-12-14), in spite of the bad weather, to make a strong stand against racism and in favour of equality and diversity. Stemming from the DUP MP Gregory Campbell’s  notorious ‘curry my yogurt’ comments, the rally was organised by the An Tionól Dearg (the Red assembly), a grassroots campaigning forum for the Irish language community who organised the historic Lá Dearg Rally in April of this year which inspired thousands to the streets of Belfast to rally for Equality.

Individual Irish speakers, a range of Irish language organisations and schoolchildren from Belfast-based Irish medium schools braved the elements by descending on Stormont to focus the attention of our politicians and the wider community on the Irish language, to coincide with the UN International Day of Human Rights. The rally hosted a Céilí, seán-nós dancing, while a primary school pupils sang Irish language Christmas carols to keep the spirits high despite the bad weather.

Speaking from the steps of Stormont, Tionól Dearg organiser, Aoife Nic an tSaoir stated,

‘The recent remarks made by Gregory Campbell of the DUP in any other context would be regarded asstormont 2 racist. We demand that he withdraw the remarks and apologise for the hurt he has caused the Irish Language community including the thousands of children going through Irish Language education system and the wider community who cherish the Irish language. It is not acceptable, in this day and age, that politicians can insult and attack the native language of this country and her speakers. We welcome the support of the various minority communities who showed solidarity with us today because when our community, is attacked, it is an attack on all minorities and their right to equality.

‘These attacks are not happening in a vacuum but rather against the backdrop of the continued denial of rights for Irish speakers. Eight years after the promise of an Irish language Act in an internationally binding agreement at St Andrews, and sixteen years after the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, Irish speakers are still being treated as second class citizens in this society. We want to live in a progressive, multi-cultural society that embraces diversity and promotes inclusivity. The young people gathered here today deserve to be afforded the same respect and dignity as everyone else in the north and will accept no less in the future.’

Ciarán Mac Giolla Bhéin, of All-Ireland advocacy organisation Conradh na Gaeilge and one of the organisers of the Rally said:

“The turnout today reflects the vibrancy and dedication of the Irish language community and our attempts to push the language back to the centre of the political debate, especially with the cross-party talks ongoing. We want, as a community, to raise awareness about the language and to place the Irish language firmly in the broader human rights discourse.

We are delighted that members from other minority communities came out today to support us and it was important for us to raise our voice today, International Human Rights day, and of course, with one eye on the ongoing political negotiation. The politicians have the power to ensure a better future for the Irish language and we demand that they, especially the British Government, do the right thing.”

Ends

For more info

ciaran@cnag.ie

Contact Ciarán Mac Giolla Bhéin

Conradh na Gaeilge

+44 (075) 45293841

 

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