Fockle ayns dty chleaysh
Shalee Colum Keeilley
Myr ta fys ec paart jiu hannah, hie mee-hene, Brian Stowell as yn Skimmee Gaelgagh gys yn Ellan Skianagh shiaghtin ny ghaa er dy henney. Choud’s va shin ayn hie yn Leaght Bleinoil ‘Sabhal Mor Ostaig’ er livrey ec ny Shirveishee Gaelgagh voish Nalbin as Nerin.
Va’n chooish oc yn Shalee Colum Keeilley, va currit er bun nurree ec ny reiltysyn Nerin as RU dy ghreesaghey cooney son Gaelg, as dy lhiasaghey kianglaghyn eddyr Nalbin as Nerin. Va’n shalee shoh currit er bun lurg Leaght ‘Sabhal Mor Ostaig’ 1997 va livreit ec Eaghtyrane Nerin Moirrey Crebbin, as v’ee loayrt mychione “creating an island space for ourselves to celebrate what Scotland and Ireland share.”
Lurg yn leaght myleeaney, choud’s va’n chooish foast goll er ymskeaylley er Chellveeish ny h-Alba, hirr Brian Stowell er ny loayrtee veagh eh cooie ny dyn son Mannin dy ve kianglt stiagh ‘sy chalee, as va’n daa Hirveishee coontey dy beagh. Veagh failt mooar currit er treealtys cooie veagh cheet veih rheynn ny bing ennagh jeh Reiltys Vannin.
Ta cummey yn Shalee Colum Keeilley bunnys reaghit dy bollagh nish. Ta ny yeearreeyn as deanyn myr shoh:
1) Dy chooney lesh shaleeyn breeoil eddyr-Ghaelgagh ta cooie son bishaghey toiggalys as caarjys eddyr Gaelgeyryn voish Nalbin as Nerin.
2) Dy niartaghey mooinjerys as kianglaghyn t’ayn jiu as dy ‘osley yn raad da coonrey ny keeayllyn chionnit eddyr pobble ny cheeraghyn Gaelgagh er cooishyn as imneaghyn cadjin as myr shen greinney cooishyn farrys cheerey, sheshoil as culturoil.
3) Dy shirrey dy chruinnaghey ooilley ny shaleeyn as smooinaght ayns un voayl raad foddee cooney as coyrle cadjin ve currit da’n chooish.
4) Dy hickyraghey dy bee yn coonrey eddyr Nalbin as Nerin jeant dy kiarailagh lesh aigney cooie vees cur yn foays smoo da’n chooish. Nee Shalee Colum Keeilley shirrey er shaleeyn cooie as bioyr tra vees eh reaghey yn cooney argidoil vees currit da shaleeyn.
Ta tree Oaseiryn gobbraghey da’n Chalee ayns ny ardjyn ta goaill ayrn ‘sy chooish - Nalbin, Ullee as Nerin. Ta argid ry-gheddyn veih ram Buird, Rheynnyn as Bingyn ayns Nerin son obbyr y Shalee, as ayns Nalbin as Ullee va £100,000 dagh blein giallit da’n Chalee son tree blein ec yn chooid sloo.
Ta cooney er ve currit hannah da yl-chloie cammag, turrys coonrey scoillyn, feailley chiaullee eddyr Celtiagh as turrys coonrey earisheyryn. “Sy traa ry-heet nee’n Shalee briwnys er cur argid da co-obbraghyn eddyr ‘Mooinjer Veggey’ Nerin as Nalbin cour lhiasaghey saaseyn as stoo cadjin as ymmydoil; semineyryn mychione shennaghys jeh’n scansh ta currit da arraneyn Gaelgagh, as yn keeall va currit er spoyrt Celtiagh; as ‘Tinvaal’ ny h-Ellanyn - caa da studeyryn voish Nalbin as Nerin dy ronsaghey cooishyn politickagh.
Ta jargaght lajer dy bee Mannin kianglit stiagh ‘sy Chalee Colum Keeilley dy gerrid. Lurg cowag rish daa jeh ny oaseiryn Colum Keeilley as Shirveishagh yn Ghaeltaght Nerin, Éamon Ó Cuív, ta mee shickyr dy bollagh dy beagh yn Shalee Colum Keeilley jannoo foays mooar da Mannin as theay Vannin. Ren yn Shirveishagh as ny Oaseiryn greinney yn Skimmee Vannin dy yannoo nyn gooid share dy chur er ny Manninee dy kiangley Mannin ‘sy chooish, tra va shin roshtyn Mannin reesht.
Phil Gawne Mean Fouyir, 1998
The Columba Initiative
I was fortunate enough on my recent trip to Skye, to be at Sabhal Mor Ostaig for the Annual Lecture, televised throughout Scotland, which was delivered jointly by the Minister for Gaelic from Scotland, and the Minister for the Gaeltaght from Éire.
The subject of the lecture was the Columba Initiative which was established by both the Irish and UK Governments last year to foster support for the Gaelic language, and develop links between Gaelic Scotland and Ireland. The initiative followed the 1997 Sabhal Mor Ostaig Lecture which was delivered by President Mary Robinson, in which she spoke of “creating an island space for ourselves to celebrate what Scotland and Ireland share.”
After the lecture an approach was made by Brian Stowell to see whether the Isle of Man could become part of the Columba Initiative, and this idea was well received (live on television) by both Ministers, who indicated that if an approach were made by an agency or department of the Manx Government it would be warmly welcomed.
The Columba Initiative has more or less completed its formative stage now. Its aims and objectives are:
1) To foster meaningful interaction between Irish speakers and Scottish Gaelic speakers by supporting innovative projects aimed at increasing mutual understanding.
2) To build on existing relationships and facilitate an exchange of experience between communities on common issues and concerns thereby encouraging economic, social, and cultural development.
3) To seek to create a visible focus, by acting in a facilitating role as a forum for co-ordinated activity.
4) To ensure that exchanges between Scotland and Ireland are carefully focussed and targeted so as to achieve maximum benefit. In this regard, The Columba Initiative will be proactive in selecting projects for financial assistance.
It has three full time officers based in each of the participating regions - Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The officer in the Republic has access to funding from a variety of Government and voluntary Gaelic departments and organisations, however, the two UK based officers have £100,000 per year to spend on the initiative over the next three years.
Projects assisted so far range from a Shinty tournament to a school exchange trip, a pan-Celtic music festival to an exchange project for journalists. Future projects being considered are linking the Scottish and Irish playgroup movements so that shared resources can be developed, seminars on the historical significance of Celtic sport and on the importance of Gaelic song, and ‘Parliament of the Islands’ - a discussion forum for students from Ireland and Scotland.
There is a distinct possibility that the Isle of Man could become involved with the Columba Initiative. Following discussions with two of the full time officers, and with the Irish Minister for the Gaeltaght Éamon Ó Cuív I am quite sure that the Island and its people would benefit significantly if Man became part of the Initiative. Both the Minister and the Columba Initiative Officers were very encouraging to the Manx contingent, and urged Brian Stowell and myself to try to progress the possibility of Man joining on our return to the Isle of Man.
Phil Gawne September 1998
To: Jo Overty, IOM Newspapers.
From: Philip Gawne, Cregneash
(phone 834844)
Subject : Bilingual column for
the Examiner ‘28.9.98’.
Date: 24.9.98
Pages: Four plus cover