A Charity Pop Up Gaeltacht is taking place this Saturday 16 September in aid of the Live95 Stop Tour for Limerick kids.
The event will take place in two halves this coming Saturday, Satharn an 16ú Méan Fomhair, with an Lá Teaghlaigh (Family Fun Day) taking place between 10am and 4pm and then the “Oíche na nGael” which is an over 18s event from 8pm-late.
The “Pop Up Gaeltacht” campaign is something which was brought to life last year in Baile Átha Cliath, taking any venue for a day or a night and transforming it into a temporary Gaeltacht. People come together to use their Gaeilge in a relaxed social setting and to meet other people who share their love of the language. Since it’s hugely successful beginning in Dublin, the trend has kicked off with Pop Up Gaeltachtaí now being organised all across Ireland and across the world.
The initial motto for the concept, as displayed on their Facebook page, has struck a deep chord within the hearts of Gaeilgoirí; “Roghnaítear teach tabhairne uair sa mhí agus bailíonn Gaeil ann. Chun ól, like.” (A pub is chosen once a month and people with Irish meet together there. To drink, like.)
Fourth year UL student Aedín Ní Thiarnaigh is the driving force behind this particular Pop Up Gaeltacht, in co-ordination with Lesley-Anne Liddane of Chez le Fab and Limerick’s Live95fm.
“After seeing the huge success of the Pop Up Gaeltachtaí in Dublin, it make me think so much about the potential success of events trí mhéan na Gaeilge here in Limerick. It seemed crazy to me to think of how many hundreds of students here are going through Irish-medium education, who are all líofa sa Ghaeilge, of how many young teachers and third level students of Irish are in here studying in Limerick’s colleges, not to mention all our múnteoirí and even the parents who choose to send their children to these schools who clearly must have a high regard and interest in the language – it’s a huge amount of people! Then I thought about what a shame it was that this huge population of Gaeilgeoirí, all right here in Limerick, seldom get the opportunity to actually meet one another and to realise just how many of us Irish-speakers there are.”
The Pop Up Gaeltacht for the Live95 Stop Tour takes place this Saturday, September 16 in Chez le Fab and is open to all lovers of Irish.
