Here comes the new Belfast

Local businessman, Joe McGivern, one of the main players in the West Belfast Traders’ Forum celebrated the opening of his new ‘Siopa’ on the Springfield Road today as it officially opened for business. The front of the ‘Siopa’ was refurbished with help from Belfast City Council under the innovative ‘Renewing the Routes’ scheme, in partnership with Irish language development agency Forbairt Feirste who provide advice and translation services for the project.

Joe McGivern’s native  ‘Siopa’ brand was recognised in Forbairt Feirste’s annual awards ceremony, Gaelghradam Loch Lao in December 2009 when he won the Belfast award for the city’s most Gaelic small business.

Forbairt Feirste Director delivers talks on placenames

Forbairt Feirste director, Jake MacSiacais has given a series of presentations on the theme of placenames of the Upper Springfield. The talks were held as part of the Spring Festival which ran from Thursday 4th until Sunday 7th February.

There were two lectures in total over the weekend on the theme of placenames which formed part of Forbairt Feirste’s ongoing scheme, The Nansen Project.

The first talk took place in Gaelscoil na Móna on Friday 5/2/2010 and was attended by the school’s primary six and seven pupils along with their counterparts from Saint Aidan’s Christian Brothers’ School.

The second presentation took place in Caulfield’s Bar at the top of the Whiterock Road on Sunday 7/2/2010. Both sessions were lively with the audience asking lots of questions of the guest speaker.

Upper Springfield Irish Language Awards

Jolly Good Balloon Factory scoops Best Irish business award

Forbairt Feirste, Upper Springfield Development Trust and  Glór na Móna have hosted the Presentation ceremony for the inaugural Upper Springfield Irish language awards. A scheme that gives recognition to businesses in the Upper Springfield area that promote and support the Irish language. Awards were given out in two categories; The Best Irish business and the best Irish community business.

The 2010 winners were the Jolly Good balloon factory for the best Irish business and the Ardmonagh Family Centre for the best Irish community business. The awards ceremony was held, on Saturday 6/2/2010 as part of the Heart of Féile an Earraigh.

Spring Lecture

Basque architect shares opinions with Gaeltacht Quarter audience

A well-packed audience was in attendance last Friday 4/2/2010, at Coláiste Feirste when Basque architect Alona Martinez-Perec gave an interesting and engaging talk on the development of cultural quarters.

Ms Martinez-Perec from Bilbao in Euskal Herria (the Basque Country) was able to bring her experience in both Bilbao and Barcelona to bear on the talk which she gave to those in attendance.

St Brigid’s Crosses workshop kicks off Creative Legacies

Forbairt Feirste, Upper Springfield Development Trust and  Glór na Móna held a workshop on the making of St Brigid’s crosses in Bunscoil an tSléibhe Dhuibh on Friday January 29th as part of the Creative Legacies Project.

The workshop was the beginning of a series of events which will be held throughout 2010 celebrating the heritage, culture and arts in the areas adjacent to the Black Mountain and Divis.

Putting Irish at the heart of the market

Forbairt Feirste’s Irish Means Business officer, Feargal Mac Ionnrachtaigh, is working alongside local elected representatives in the Colin area to ensure that the Irish language is at the heart of the new £25m development which has just been announced for the Colin Area.

Further information

feargal@forbairtfeirste.com

As part of Féile an Earraigh 2010, Belfast Gaels have organised a series of events under the title of ‘Heart of the Festival Irish Events’

Forbairt Feirste, Cultúrlann MacAdam Ó Fiaich, Raidió Fáilte, Glór na Móna and Coláiste Feirste are working together to ensure that Féile an Earrigh has a Gaelic heart full of fun and diversity.

Croí Féile an Earraigh runs from Friday  Feb 5th until Sunday Feb 7th.

Further information

feargal@forbairtfeirste.com

proinsias@culturlann.ie

Forbairt Feirste director Jake Mac Siacais, gave a presentation on the Saint Gallen and Loch Lao Heritage at Fealtys bar Bangor on Saint Brigid’s Day.

The Saint Gallen Loch Lao heritage project grew out of a Forbairt Feirste visit to the Saint Gallen Monastery and Archive in Sankt Gallen Switzerland. 

Mac Siacais was the first guest speaker invited to give a talk to the Auld Bangor Historical Society, a local heritage and history group.

The talk has whetted the appetite of the Historical Society to learn more of Sankt Gallen, the Swiss Canton and City which grew from the Monastic settlement established by Bangor monk Saint Gall in 612AD

The Saint Gall and Loch Lao Heritage project grew from a visit to the Monastery of Sankt Gallen by Forbairt Feirste and from an understanding that great opportunities existed to use the example of the Irish monks as a public platform for exploring the cultural wealth which they have left us as our heritage.

Mac Siacais said:

“In the Golden Age of Irish Monasticism Irish monks lit a spiritual flame which illuminated the darkness and ignited a living fire in the hearts of people across Europe. Those same monks, by dint of their own diligence, ardour and art, left a rich written heritage, whose echo still sounds clearly across more than 1000 years until the present day.

“The St Gallen/Loch Lao Heritage Project focuses on the echo of that cultural richness elevating it anew and giving full modern voice to this shared heritage for the Irish speaking community, for those who value Irish Culture and also for the wider community of Belfast Lough in all their diversity.”

Further information

jake@forbairtfeirste.com

Laochra Loch Lao on the big screen

Laochra Loch Lao, the Gaelic speaking football team based in Belfast’s Gaeltacht Quarter will be the subject of two upcoming television programmes commissioned by the BBC. The programmes will follow the Laochra as they prepare for their fourth consecutive year of  participation in the Gaeltacht Football Competition in County Mayo at the end of May 2010.

Laochra Loch Lao were established in 2006.

Further information

jake@forbairtfeirste.com

nó feargal@forbairtfeirste.com

Innovative Irish language scheme for Belfast businesses

Forbairt Feirste in partnership with the West Belfast Traders’ Forum have recently launched an innovative Irish Language scheme in Belfast.

‘Blas ar an Bheagán- A Little goes a long way’ promotes the Irish language amongst businesses in the Gaeltacht Quarter and throughout the city.

‘Blas ar an Bheagán- A Little goes a long way’, the first scheme of its kind in Ireland, sees  simple and useful Irish phrases made available to customers in restaurants and bars.

Under the scheme, eight businesses in the Gaeltacht Quarter and across the city have had an audio system installed in the washrooms/toilets of their businesses which will play a series of simple and practical Irish phrases for use by customers in the social setting of a bar/restaurant.

According to chairperson of the West Belfast Trader’s Forum, Patrick McDonald, ‘This scheme is groundbreaking and provides local businesses not only with a fantastic business and marketing tool but also an exceptional resource in customer service as well as practical, cultural, and educational benefits for the communities they live and work in’.

These practical benefits were echoed by Forbairt Feirste’s, Feargal Mac Ionnrachtaigh, who says, ‘We believe that this innovative scheme will take off with businesses throughout the island and  beyond amongst the Irish diaspora!

‘We have drawn up and recorded an extensive list of practical Irish phrases that can be used by people while socialising in bars and restaurants as well as in their everyday lives.

‘Eight businesses have been chosen to avail of the audio system under the Pilot Scheme, but we have also produced 500 copies of the CD that has been recorded in conjunction with Belfast Irish Language radio station, Raidió Fáilte. These will be made available to interested businesses throughout the city. We would like to thank Foras na Gaeilge for funding this initiative and Mitchell and Kane Associates for their wonderful design of the CD cover and attendant printed materials.’

The launch took place in Madden’s Bar on Wednesday, 11 November 2009.