Get ready to Celebrate Seachtain na Gaeilge 2025 in Fingal

Fingal County Council is getting ready to celebrate our language and culture during Seachtain na Gaeilge 2025 which runs from 1-17 March. In keeping with the aim of this international Irish Language festival we are encouraging everyone use whatever Irish they have – Bain Triail Aisti. Council events are taking place in County Hall Swords, Local Libraries, Ardgillan Demesne and the Seamus Ennis Centre, with many other events being organised by Irish language groups throughout the County.  

The Irish Language has been to the fore already in 2025 in the Council with the huge success of the Oíche Líonraithe Gaeilge – Irish Language Networking event in County Hall in January. The Gaeltacht Scholarship scheme announced on the night proved hugely popular with almost 400 applications and the 10 successful applicants have been informed and have been invited to attend our Seachtain na Gaeilge celebration in County Hall on March 12th.

With support from The Seamus Ennis Arts Centre on Wednesday 12th March in the Atrium County Hall Swords, we present a Seachtain na Gaeilge celebration with Ceol, Craic and Gaeilge from 7 to 9pm.  The entertainment will be provided by four very accomplished musicians: Bernadette Nic Gabhann is from Co. Meath & has travelled the world as a fiddle player, Caitlín Nic Gabhann is a concertina player, performer, teacher, composer and percussive dancer, a former recipient of TG4 Young Musician of the Year, fiddle player Ciarán Ó Maonaigh hails from the Gaoth Dobhair Gaeltacht in Co. Donegal while Seán McElwain is a scholar, educator and award-winning musician. This annual event, which welcomes Irish language enthusiasts from the county to join Fingal staff, is always very popular and audience participation is encouraged so if you would like to join in with a song on the night please do.

Fingal County Council is also supporting the innovative Gaeilge 365 project putting the Irish language at the heart of local authority services and ensuring that communities are getting the most out of the Irish language on a social, cultural and economic basis. Six Fingal Staff members are involved in An Chomhairle Chraiceáilte, a project which will be showcased on March 4th in City Hall at Féile na bhFéidearthachtaí aimed at greatly increasing the number of opportunities for the public to use the Irish language.  https://www.gaeilge365.ie/en/anchomhairlechraiceailte  We will also be promoting the Cruthaigh initiative showcasing businesses operating through the Irish Language.

Speaking about the festival Mayor of Fingal, Cllr. Brian McDonagh commented: “Irish is thriving in Fingal and Seachtain na Gaeilge is an opportunity for everyone to embrace our own unique language and try the Cúpla Focal. I was delighted to see the enthusiasm and positivity towards Irish at the lively networking event we had in county hall in January and I look forward to seeing the  same enthusiasm and fun during Seachtain na Gaeilge.''

Chief Executive of Fingal County Council, AnnMarie Farrelly, said: “We are delighted to continue to support for the Irish language whether through the new Gaeilge365 project with the 4 Dublin Local Authorities or initiatives like our Fingal Gaeltacht Scholarship Scheme. Our language is very important, and it is wonderful to celebrate it in a fun and inclusive way with the many events taking place during Seachtain na Gaeilge."

There are lots of events taking place in local libraries including music by Antaine Ó Faracháin and Nollaig Mac Carthaigh in Malahide Library on 12 March at 6.30-7.30.  There will be Coimicí Gael le Aidan Courtney, Píosa Spraoi le Cupán Focail(s)! Fun with a Cup of Focals!) with Áine Gallagher, Folklore Stories with Róisin Murphy, Family Storytime with Seosamh O Maolalaí, a bilingual poetry evening and much more See: Library Brochure

On Thursday March 6th Head Gardener Dominica McKevitt and Irish Officer Bernie Kelly will lead a bilingual walk in Ardgillan Demesne, Balbriggan where you can chat as Gaeilge ‘amuigh faoin aer’ in beautiful surroundings.  Meet in front of the Castle (facing the sea) at 11am.  There will be a Pop Up Gaeltacht in the Seamus Ennis Centre on March 20 at 6pm followed by a singing session.

Bernie Kelly Irish Language Officer said: "Our beautiful native language is all around us whether it is in our placenames or our music or in modern film like Kneecap. I would encourage everyone to try a few words of Irish during Seachtain na Gaeilge and attend some of these events if you can. Remember a language lives by being spoken – Beatha Teanga í a Labhairt!"

For further information see https://www.fingal.ie/seachtain-na-gaeilge-2025 or please contact: [email protected]

For further information on Seachtain na Gaeilge event see www.peig.ie/snag

Full details of library events:

Píosa Spraoi le Cupán Focail(s)!  

(Have Fun with a Cup of Focals!) le Áine Gallagher

‘Is fearr Gaeilge briste ná Béarla cliste’ seo é an sprioc don ceardlann seo le Áine Gallagher, aka ‘the queen of offbeat’. Is ealaíontóir í Áine agus tá sí i gconaí ag déanamh rudaí nua agus cruthaitheach cun Gaeilge a cur cun cinn agus inspioráid a thabhairt do dhaoine cun an teanga a labhairt.

San ceardlann dhá theangach seo, beidh an aidhm cun píosa spraoi a fháil agus Gaeilge a cleactadh gan brú. Má cheapann tú nach bhfuil do chuid Gaeilge ró mhaith, ach ba mhaith leat í a feabhsú, seo é an ceardlann duit.

In this fun family, pop up event, children will play games to practice their cúpla focal and turn them into a simple story. ‘Queen of Offbeat’, Áine Gallagher, uses her ‘cup of focals’ (cup full of words) to encourage people to give Irish a go, even if it’s not perfect. She lives by the saying, ‘is fearr Gaeilge briste ná Béarla cliste’ (broken Irish is better than clever English).

Fáilte roimh chách/ All welcome

Scéalta Béaloideas (Irish Legends and Folklore)

le Róisín Murphy

Den ceiliúradh linn, le scéalaí Róisín Murphy agus a cuid scéalta tradisiúnta ó Éirinn. Oiriúnach do leanaí 7+

Storyteller Róisín Murphy delves into much loved Irish stories that have been passed down through the generations, ó lámh go lámh, ó glúin go ghlúin. This event is bilingual. Ages 7+

To reserve a place, please contact the library hosting the event.

Oíche Filíochta Dhátheangach 

Join us for a Bilingual Poetry evening in Balbriggan Library to celebrate Seachtain na Gaeilge. Read a poem yourself or listen to others and have a chat. Poems in Irish or English.

Bígí linn ag Oíche Filíochta Dhátheangach i Leabharlann Bhaile Brigín chun Seachtain na Gaeilge a cheiliúradh. Léigh dán tú féin nó éist le daoine eile agus bígí ag caint. Dánta i mBéarla nó i nGaeilge

Fáilte roimh chách! Everyone welcome!

Scéalaíocht don Teaghlach

(Family Storytime) le Seosamh Ó Maolalaí

Insíonn Seosamh scéalta i mBéarla agus i nGaeilge le chéile. Bíonn an–spraoi ina chuid scéalaíochta.

Seosamh tells stories in English and Irish together. His storytelling is great fun for all the family.

Ceol & Amhránaíocht Thraidisiúnta na hÉireann (IrishTraditional Music & Singing)

le Antaine Ó Faracháin & Nollaig MacCarthaigh

Is amhránaí ins an stíl dhúchasach é Antaine Ó Faracháin a chasann i mBéarla agus i nGaeilge agus is píobaire den scoth é Nollaig Mac Cárthaigh a bhfuil an–mheas air mar cheoltóir.

Antaine Ó Faracháin sings in the native style in both Irish and English and Nollaig Mac Cárthaigh is an excellent piper who is renowned for his skills as a musician.

Coimicí Gael

le Aidan Courtney

Sa cheardlann dátheangach seo, taispeánfaidh Aidan Courtney conas stiallghreannáin a chruthú agus conas cartúin a tharraingt. Píosa spraoi cruthaitheach do gach duine!

In this bilingual workshop, Aidan Courtney will show you how to create comic strips and draw cartoons. A bit of creative fun for everyone! Ages 8+