UL's "Irish House"

Bard

From www.limerick.com :

EIGHT first year students are living in an all Irish-speaking house on campus in UL this year as part of an initiative to encourage greater use of the Irish language among university students.

The four boys and four girls come from Roscommon, Dublin, Kerry and Limerick, and were chosen to participate in the project because of their language fluency, Irish language backgrounds, and commitment to language promotion on campus, and extracurricular talents.


The eight students who are staying in an all-Irish speaking house on campus at the University of Limerick

As part of their application process, candidates wrote 200 words on why they deserved a place on the scheme and attended an interview in August.

Three members of Coiste na Gaeilge and a UL Irish representative committee interviewed them.

The project, Scéim Chónaithe, is funded by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) Targeted Initiative for Irish and is in its first year in Limerick.

Michelle Ní Gharóid, a first year from Mungret, is living in the house and was chosen because of her excellent Irish.

Organiser Deirdre Ní Loingsigh from Aonad na Gaelige chose the participants because of their different musical, dramatic and sporting talents.

None of the students is studying Irish in university and have different levels of fluency.

"Some of the students come from Gaeltacht areas, some attended Irish schools and some are just good at Irish," said Ms Ní Loingsigh.

The students are enjoying the programme.

"It's a chance to spread the Irish language," said Stjohn O Donnabhán from Kilkenny. "Irish is part of our cultural identity, it's the only thing that makes us truly Irish, different, unique and special."

Stjohn says that although the Irish spoken in the house may not be perfect, everyone makes and effort and visitors try to converse in Irish also.

"It's fun and we all get on really well," said Niamh Ní Earcáin from Dublin.

"I didn't know anyone coming to college and this is a great way to meet new people. When Irish is being spoken all around you, you just fall into speaking it and I can feel myself improving all the time."

As part of the project students are obliged to partake in promotion of the Irish language around campus. Each student must get involved in the student newspaper, radio, Irish society or help to organise Seachtain na Gaeilge.

The eight students had some of the accommodation paid for and got a grant for taking part in the project.

Ms Ní Loingsigh hopes that the project will become an annual affair and that the eight will impact greatly on their classmates and friends and encourage people to use their "cúpla focal".

Nice to see an initiative like this taking place.

Gael

It's a great idea and I actually know one of them. Her name is Michelle Ní Ghabóid not "Ní Gharóid".
Feckin' english language papers :rolleyes:

There's already a similar scheme in NUI Cork and this year I'm currently one of the first to live in one such appartment scheme in NUI Maynooth. The long term aim here is to go from one apartment to a whole block. Our accommadation officer here's been great. Cheers Fiona!:)

pickarooney

Doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me, these people were chosen for their excellent Irish, so what do they hope to learn from the experience? IMHO, having two or three people of a moderate level, but who are willing to learn, in the house with five or six fluent speakers would be more beneficial, but maybe I'm missing the point of it.

Gael

You do have something of a point Pickarooney. But it can depend on circumstances.
First of all there's not much point having good irish if you don't get any chance to use it.
One of the big problems as regards irish in college was that I could be dealing with fluent irish speakers or even natives speakers for months/years and not have a clue that they have the language, which I'd be more than happy to use with them(and vice versa for them usually) Having near or fully fluent speakers together creates an awareness and establishes a community.
Also there's the issue of money. In Maynooth we get nothing. we're just in it to speak irish so it's a given that we must be fairly serious about it whether we're fluent or not, but some other colleges offer money(usually a scholarship or discount on your rent)
Now think of all the people who'd be mad to suddenly start "improving their irish" once they heard that there was money involved!
From what I hear from Galway, a similar scheme collapsed there which was based on money, because it wasn't well monitored and got flooded with people who spoke cúpla focal to get a cheap flat and then just didn't bother when they had it.
Personally I don't think there should be a monetary incentive. Plenty of people are happy to take part in Maynooth for nothing and it doesn't give ammunition to the irish haters about money being "wasted" on irish promotion.(and there are plenty of them in our "Higher Institutes of Learning" as much as anywhere else)