Colmcille launches support for new projects celebrating the linguistic and cultural heritage of Ireland and Scotland

Colmcille – a partnership programme which promotes the shared linguistic and cultural heritage of Ireland and Scotland – has today launched support for new community initiatives, education, arts, publishing and youth projects.

Colmcille fosters understanding of the diverse experience and culture of the Irish and Scottish Gaelic communities, as well as encouraging debate on common concerns in social, cultural and economic issues with a view to building self-confidence within the Gaelic language communities. To fulfil its aims, Colmcille requires the participation of a wide range of communities and organisations and today launched a call for applications to support a new programme of diverse projects. Organisations have until Friday 17th December to submit applications for grant aid.

Alasdair MacKinnon, Co-ordinator for the Colmcille partnership, said that they “will welcome applications that develop new relationships between communities which speak Scottish Gaelic and communities which speak Irish Gaelic, and enhance the links already existing. All applications must have a strong focus on language, and link Scottish and Irish Gaelic”. “One of the underlying principles of Colmcille”, he said, “ is that its work and grant aided projects heightens awareness of the contribution of Gaelic to the cultural identity of both Ireland and Scotland and we will especially welcome applications for fresh and innovative projects which develop new original ways of representing Gaelic Ireland and Scotland”.

Colmcille was the main funder for one of the most successful Scottish/Irish arts projects, An Leabhar Mòr, a project which made a significant impact nationally and internationally. Over the years Colmcille has also supported various second and third level educational projects between Ireland and Scotland, including a partnership which developed dialogue at staff and student level between two bodies with responsibility for teacher training in Northern Ireland and Scotland. More recently Colmcille has assisted a primary school on the Island of Lewis in the Western Isles to develop their links with a school in County Clare. Throughout the week long twinning arrangement, pupils from both schools took part in joint activities and cultural visits cementing aspirations to set up joint Gaelic, history, geography and science projects between the two schools

www.colmcille.net

Notes:
Colmcille is a partnership programme between Bòrd na Gàidhlig, the body charged with promoting Gaelic language and culture in Scotland and internationally, and Foras na Gaeilge, the body charged with the promotion of the Irish language in the island of Ireland.

Colmcille was set up in 1997, and is funded by the Governments of Scotland and Ireland with a remit to 'create a vibrant interactive community spanning Ireland and Scotland'. Colmcille undertakes and supports projects that raise awareness of the shared Gaelic heritage of Ireland and Scotland

Gàidhlig and Gaeilge is the community language in much of the traditional Gaidhealtachd/ Gaeltacht heartlands of Ireland and Scotland and is also in use on a daily basis by many people outside the Gaeltacht in the cities of Glasgow, Inverness, Edinburgh, Derry, Belfast and Dublin. A total of 92,396 people have some Gaelic language ability in Scotland. According to the last Census 58,652 people can speak Gaelic, with an additional 33,744 having the ability to either read, write or understand the language. According to the last Census figures 1.66 million people in the South of Ireland can speak Gaeilge, whilst 10.4% of residents in Northern Ireland claim to have some knowledge of the language.

For more information on this news release, contact Alasdair MacKinnon, Colmcille Co-ordinator at alasdair@gaidhlig.org.uk or 07774 794 195