Bhí ceithre altanna sna nuachtáin áitiúla i mBaile Átha Cliath Thiar faoi Ghael-

Taca- ná cinn seo chomh maith le ceann eile i Community Voice agus ceann i City
Wide News (Thiar) agus The Blanch Gazette. Luaitear Gael-Taca i gcúpla altanna
eile sa Blanch Gazette. Mar nóta is é Community Voice an nuachtán áitiúla is fearr
i mBaile Átha Cliath 15.

Community Voice Bealtaine 2005 lth 20

Bilingual business

The work of the local branch of Irish organisation, Gael-Taca, which was reported
on in the March edition of Community Voice is making good progress according to
members of the group. The campaign, which aims to persuade owners of local
businesses to put up bilingual signs on their premises, is proceeding very well
with signs now erected in almost twenty local buildings.

According to a director of Gael-Taca and long-time Laurel Lodge resident, Darren

Mac an Phríora, generally speaking businesses such as clothes shops and fast-food
restaurants have strict policies from their headquarters that no signs of any
description can go up, "so you won't see many of ours around the Blanchardstown
Centre! The response by the owners of local shops has been great though. It shows
that there is an awareness among a large section of the business community that
the Irish language is a good marketing tool," he said.

Gráinne Uí Chaomhánaigh, Príomh Oide (Principal) of the local Gaelscoil, Scoil

Oilibhéir, has also welcomed the work of Gael-Taca.

"Scoil Oilibhéir, which is situated in Coolmine has
Gráinne Uí Chaomhánaigh, "it is very important that
lives outside of school as well. They need to speak
around them. It is very encouraging to see signs in
'slán abhaile etc. on display."
over 200 pupils. According to
Gaeilge forms part of their
it, hear it and see it all
our local shops with 'fáilte',

Some supermarkets now have their food aisles labelled bi-lingually. "Every little
helps, and in this way Gaeilge is becoming part of our visual environment,
prompting us all to take the next step, which is to speak it with pride and
confidence when we are out and about," said Gráinne.

However Gael-Taca's other big campaign of contacting property developers to ask

them to choose Irish language names for developments has been suspended for a
couple of weeks pending the completion of a montage of current Irish named
developments in Dublin which can be sent to developers.

"The biggest problem we face is that many, if not most, of the property developers
are foreign owned multinational corporations who haven't shown much interest in
the [Irish] language. Legislation may have to be brought in to compel them to,"
suggests Darren.

"For it's size Dublin may never have as many Irish named developments as they do
in other counties like in Cork, Galway or Clare. However we should have more of a
mix," he said.

Anyone interested in Gael-Taca, including business people, property developers or

indeed anyone interested in giving their home an Irish language name can contact
Gael-Taca (tel. 8318997) or log onto www.gaeltacabac.com."
Northside People (Thiar) Meán Fómhair 2007 lth 5

Councils called on to use Irish 'properly'

A NORTHSIDE Irish speaker is calling on Dublin's local authorities to wise up in

relation ito the use of Irish names for new developments.

Darren Mac an Phríora, Castleknock, claims Irish names are infrequently and
sometimes even inappropiately used by the council.

The 26-year old is the former director of Gael-Taca, a Dublin organisation which
promotes the use of the Irish language.

"I have a great 'grá' for the Irish language and I feel it is something the
country and local councils should respect and celebrate", he told Northside
People.

"I think that a department like Baile Atha Cliath Le Gaeilge should be set up as
part of the four civic councils where there is more organisation as to when and
how Irish names should be used."

He added: "There are new apartment blocks which are being given names that aren't
appropiate and which don't make sense."

According to Darren, Dublin's local authorities should follow a model which is

used in Galway.

"Gaillimh Le Gaeilge is an organisation run as part of Galway City Council," he

explained.

"They help choose Irish names for new residential developments while giving
practical advice to the business and voluntary sectors on how best to promote the
language.

"It would be better if all Dublin's councils worked together to promote better use
of the Irish language."

Fingal County Council has three naming committees, one for each of the electoral
areas.

The committees are made up of local elected representatives and members of local
historical societies.

A spokesperson for Fingal explained how development names are chosen.

"For any new housing development of more that three or four houses, it is a
condition of the planning permission that a proposed naming and numbering scheme
be submitted by the developer and approved," she explained.

"This goes before the appropiate committee and, if agreed, the name is passed.

"Suggested names should have an established local or local historical relevance."

It is a legislative requirement that the names should be displayed in both Irish

and English, the spokesperson added.

"When an agreed name is in English, we will provide the developer with the contact
details for the official translator in Dáil Eireann to get the official
translation," she said.

"The above process applies to new housing developments. However, where a new road
is constructed and where no previous named roadway existed, Fingal County Council
contact the local naming committees and utilise their expert local knowledge.

"The naming of Dr Troy Bridge in Dublin 15 is an example of this."