Michael Fennelly Supporting GAA’s Irish Language Scheme
Michael Fennelly – Bainisteoir Uíbh Fhailí
(By Liam de Lása)
Labhair Michael liom le déanaí faoi ról na Gaeilge sa Chumann Lúthchleas Gael agus an luach a bhaineann le Fondúireacht Sheosaimh Mhic Dhonncha, scéim tacaíochta de chuid Ghlór na nGael i gcomhar leis an CLG
Tá gealltanais na hathbhliana caite i dtraipisí ag formhór againn faoin dtráth seo ach is mó ábhair dóchais ná a mhalairt a bhí ag Bainisteoir Iomána Uíbh Fhailí Michael Fennelly don mbliain atá romhainn. Bhí dreas cainte againn ar dtús faoina raibh le foghlaim ón ngéarchéim a tháinig chugainn 11 mhí ó shin.
“Dúiseacht obann a bhí ann cinnte agus bheadh mórtas ort go raibh an CLG mar eagraíocht ag tacú leis an bpobal in am an ghátair”. Ag tagairt don bhfriotháil a deineadh orthu siúd a bhí agus atá arís teanntaithe ina dtithe féin a bhí sé, cuid acu gan éinne mar chomhluadar ó cheann ceann na seachtaine. Tháinig luachanna nua i réim dá bharr agus d’ardaigh sé buncheisteanna faoi ról na heagraíochta sa lá atá inniu ann. “Tá ceachtanna foghlamtha cinnte, agus fúinne atá sé dianmhachnamh a dhéanamh ar na ceachtanna sin anois”.
An Ghaeilge agus an Pobal
Tharraing sé ceist na Gaeilge aníos liom ansin agus an tábhacht a bhaineann le Fondúireacht Sheosaimh Mhic Dhonncha i gclubanna CLG ar fud na tíre. “Ní hamháin ó thaobh na Gaeilge de ach tarraingíonn sé daoine le chéile, meallann sé daoine i dtreo an chumainn ná beadh aon bhaint acu leis de ghnáth”. Tá clubanna CLG sáite i gcroílár pharóistí na hÉireann agus aithníonn sé na deiseanna atá ann don teanga agus don gclub sa scéim seo agus mhol sé iarrachtaí móra na heagraíochta agus TG4 le blianta beaga anuas. “Amhail an clúdach a thugann TG4 do chluichí Gaelacha, cuireann sé le stádas na teanga go háitiúil”.
Níor chuir sé fiacail ann agus é ag cásamh a laghad Gaeilge atá ar a thoil aige féin. “Is mór an trua é nach bhfuil níos mó Gaeilge agam, bímid ag déanamh iarrachta an Ghaeilge a labhairt sa bhaile lenár mac atá dhá bhliain d’aois”. Labhair sé freisin faoin tionchar a bhíonn ag clúdach spóirt ar TG4 ar stádas na teanga go náisiúnta. “Níl na staitisticí léite agam i dtaobh labhairt na Gaeilge go laethúil ach shamhlóinn go bhfuil sé an-íseal go deo. Cabhraíonn an clúdach spóirt as Gaeilge leis an teanga a chur isteach sna tithe agus tá sé le moladh.” Fuaireas teachtaireacht ó Fennelly cúpla lá i ndiaidh dúinn labhairt faoin ábhar le nasc chuig alt a foilsíodh le déanaí maidir le labhairt na Gaeilge sa tír inniu. Mhaígh 35% de rannpháirtithe an tsuirbhé áirithe seo go rabhadar “cumasach” i labhairt na Gaeilge. Bhí muc ar gach mala aige ag léamh thorthaí an taighde agus deinim amach nach ina aonar a bhí sé ansin. “Maybe I was way off” a scríobh sé le greann.
Scéim Tacaíochta
Is scéim tacaíochta de chuid Ghlór na nGael agus de chuid an Chumainn Lúthchleas Gael í Fondúireacht Sheosaimh Mhic Dhonncha le haghaidh clubanna CLG ar mian leo an Ghaeilge a chur chun cinn. Is é cuspóir na fondúireachta seo ná na hiarrachtaí sin a fhorbairt ar bhonn tomhaiste agus pleanáilte. Cuirfidh Glór na nGael cabhair ar fáil don Oifigeach Gaeilge i bhfoirm comhairle, tacaíochta agus smaointe le tógaint ar an obair mhaith atá á déanamh sa chlub cheana féin. Is féidir deontas a lorg ón Fhondúireacht chun cabhrú leis na pleananna sin a chur i gcrích chomh maith.
Bronntar Gradam Sheosaimh Mhic Dhonncha ar na clubanna atá cláraithe as méid áirithe gníomhaíochtaí ar son na teangan a chur i gcrích sa chlub. Is comhartha aitheantais atá sa bhonn ar an dea-obair atá déanta sna clubanna thar thréimhse ama. De réir mar a chuireann club gníomhaíochtaí ón liosta molta i gcrích, bronnfar bonn cré-umha, bonn airgid nó bonn óir air de réir mar is cuí. Bronnfar bonn cré-umha as 25% den liosta a chur i gcrích, bonn airgid as 50% agus bonn óir as 80% de na gníomhaíochtaí a chomhlíonadh. Ar an ábhar seo tá spreagadh agus spriocanna cinnte ag clubanna chun bheith ag éascú ról don teanga i measc a gcuid ball. Agus, dár ndóigh, beidh ardstádas agus ardghradam ag dul d’aon chlub a bhaineann an bonn óir amach dó féin.
Clubanna Uíbh Fhailí
Tá pleananna forbartha fadtéarmacha á ndréachtú ag Coiste Contae Uíbh Fhailí anois agus tá Michael ag súil go mbeidh an Fhondúireacht mar chuid den phróiseas pleanála sin. “Tugann an scéim deis iontach dúinn an teanga a athmhúscailt sna clubanna arís“. Tá na geataí iata i bpáirceanna arís agus is tráthúil an t-am é le féachaint chun cinn agus todhchaí do chlub a shamhlú. “Tá súil agam go mbeidh áit lárnach ag an bhFondúireacht sna pleananna sin agus go mbainfidh na clubanna idir thairbhe agus taitneamh as an scéim.”
Mar imreoir a raibh sé de phribhléid aige céimeanna Ardán Uí Ógáin a dhreapadh lena chlub agus lena chontae tuigeann sé go maith an onóir a bhaineann leis. Cúrsaí iomána nó peile ar leataobh, ba mhór an onóir d’aon chlub é dul go Páirc an Chrócaigh agus Gradam Sheosaimh Mhic Dhonncha a ghlacadh ar son a muintire féin. “Táim ag cuimhneamh ar pháistí óga agus an spreagadh a thabharfadh sé dóibh an Ghaeilge a labhairt, an stádas a thabharfadh sé don teanga sa chumann leis agus mholfainn go mór do chlubanna anseo in Uíbh Fhailí páirt a ghlacadh sa scéim i mbliana“. Is ócáid mhór é Bronnadh na nGradam gach bliain, ócáid ina mbronnann Uachtarán Chumann Lúthchleas Gael Boinn Sheosaimh Mhic Dhonncha ar na clubanna rathúla. Is féidir do chlub féin a chlárú i mbliana trí ríomhphost a chur chuig liam@glornangael.ie
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I spoke to Offaly Senior Hurling Manager Michael Fennelly recently about the role of Irish in the GAA and his thoughts on the Joe McDonagh Foundation. This Irish Language scheme for GAA clubs is run in partnership with Glór na nGael.
Our New Year’s resolutions may be well forgotten about at this stage, but Offaly Senior Hurling Manager Michael Fennelly is more hopeful than most about the year ahead. We began our conversation with the challenges for clubs during Covid-19 and how they have adapted over the past 12 months. “It was a wake-up call certainly, but you’d have to be very proud of how the GAA community responded to the challenges they arose.” Referring to the tireless work of GAA volunteers when communities were most in need, he felt their efforts showed what local GAA clubs are all about. New values had suddenly come to light and fundamental questions about the role of the organization arose. “I suppose lessons were learned from the beginning, and now there’s a chance for us to think about those questions again.”
He posed the question about the Irish Language in the GAA and reaffirmed the importance of the Joe McDonagh Foundation in strengthening clubs on the ground. “Not just from an Irish point of view but in a broader sense it attracts people who might not have any links with the club normally.” Although societal change is recent years, GAA clubs remain, for the most part, at the centre of most communities. He praised the work of clubs to promote the language in recent years along with TG4. These efforts have raised its status immensely. “Similar to what sports coverage on TG4 has achieved on a national scale, the work of clubs to promote out national language locally is a significant step in the right direction.”
Fennelly bemoans his own proficiency in Irish and, like many others, would love to see it used more in fun settings such as on the sports field. “It’s a pity I can’t speak more Irish, but we are always trying to introduce more Irish phrases into the house with our son. I’m not sure of the statistics regarding Irish speakers today, but I’d imagine they are in a very low percentage, which can be improved.”
I received a message a few days later with a link to research carried out in this field where 35% of participants claimed to have a “comfortable” speaking level of Irish. “Maybe I was well off,” he laughed. So what exactly is the Joe McDonagh Foundation?
The Joe McDonagh Foundation is a support service provided by Glór na nGael and the Gaelic Athletic Association to GAA clubs wishing to further the Irish Language in their community. Most clubs have been promoting the Irish language in some form or another. The Foundation is here to help develop that promotion in a more measured and planned fashion. Glór na nGael will offer help to the Oifigeach Gaeilge to give them direction, support, and ideas to build on the excellent work that has already been done within the club. Grants are available from the Foundation to help realise your plans, and medals will be awarded to clubs for various levels of achievement in promoting the language.
The Joe McDonagh medal will be presented to registered clubs for implementing a certain number of actions with regards the promotion of the language within the club. The medal is a noted sign of achievement and recognition for continued work on behalf of the language. As a club completes the recommended activities listed, bronze, silver and gold medals will be awarded as appropriate. The bronze medal will be awarded on completion of 25% of the list of recommended activities, the silver for 50% and the gold on completion of 80%. The medal serves as both motivation and recognition, providing a clear attainable goal for clubs wishing to facilitate a role for the language within their membership. And of course, any club earning a gold medal will well deserve and enjoy the prestige and esteem that comes their way.
Offaly GAA
Offaly GAA are currently in the process of planning for the future, and Michael hopes that the Joe McDonagh Foundation will be very much part of their plans. “This scheme gives clubs a great chance to revive the interest in Irish again.” With the gates closed once again in clubs around the country, this period of uncertainty can also be used to reflect on your local club’s further.
As a player who had the privilege of climbing the Hogan Stand’s steps with both club and county, Michael Fennelly very much appreciates the honor of such a feat. However, hurling or football aside, he feels it would be a massive honour for Offaly GAA clubs to be presented with the Joe McDonagh Foundation award in Croke Park. “I’m thinking especially of the opportunity that it presents for volunteers and young people in Offaly who might never get the chance to accept an award in Croke Park” The Joe McDonagh Foundation awards are presented to successful clubs by the President of the GAA at a special awards ceremony in Croke Park every year. To register your club contact liam@glornangael.ie.
