TÉANN THE JOURNAL an áit a mbíonn an scéal i gcónaí – agus anois táimid ag féachaint ar Ghaeltachtaí na hÉireann.

Tá ríméad orainn an bheirt bhall is nuaí dár bhfoireann nuachta a chur in aithne daoibh. Beidh siad ag soláthar ábhair i nGaeilge ar fud an tsuímh ghréasáin.

Tagann Concubhar Ó Liatháin agus Conor Brummell isteach san fhoilseachán agus muid ag seoladh tionscnamh úrnua chun nuacht, as Gaeilge, a bhfuil suim ar leith ag pobail Ghaeltachta agus níos faide i gcéin ann a chlúdach.

Oibreoidh an bheirt le chéile chun aird náisiúnta a tharraingt ar staid reatha an bheartais i leith na Gaeilge agus ar shaincheisteanna eile a bhaineann le Gaeilgeoirí.

Idir thithíocht agus deiseanna fostaíochta agus chultúr agus chúram sláinte, nochtfaidh Ó Liatháin agus Brummell scéalta ar The Journal agus ar ár n-ardáin meán sóisialta ar fad.

Clúdóidh siad scéalta nuachta náisiúnta freisin chun aird a tharraingt ar dhearchtaí tábhachtacha ó chainteoirí Gaeilge ina dteanga féin.

Is as Cúil Aodha i nGaeltacht Múscraí do Ó Liatháin agus tagann sé go dtí an ról seo le blianta fada taithí mar thuairisceoir agus colúnaí sna meáin clóite Ghaeilge agus Béarla.

“Tá an ról nua seo mar Chomhfhreagraí Gaeltachta ina dheis iontach domsa go pearsanta agus tagann sé ag am spreagúil don Ghaeilge agus do chúrsaí Gaeltachta i gcoitinne,” a dúirt Concubhar.

“Tabhair éifeacht Kneecap air ach tá an Ghaeilge ag éirí níos ábhartha i gcónaí inár ngnáthshaol laethúil, is teanga mhionlaigh í ach tá sí beo beathach agus ina cuid de gnáthshaol laethúil líon daoine atá ag méadú, go háirithe lasmuigh de cheantair Ghaeltachta thraidisiúnta.”

“Is é ról an Chomhfhreagraí Gaeltachta, dar liomsa, scéal phobail na Gaeilge ar fud na tíre a insint, ag díriú ar na dúshláin atá rompu agus ar an dóigh a bhfuiltear ag réiteach na ndúshlán sin agus, b’fhéidir nach bhfuil an todhchaí chomh gruama agus atáthar á léiriú go dtí seo.”

D’oibrigh an Corcaíoch le blianta beaga anuas mar thuairisceoir nuachta le The Corkman agus le The Echo, inar cuireadh ar an ngearrliosta é do ghradam náisiúnta iriseoireachta as a chuid oibre ar na constaicí a bhíonn le sárú ag banchomhairleoirí.

Scríobh sé ailt do Scéal agus Seachtain, na forlíonta Gaeilge in The Irish Times/Irish Examiner agus The Irish Independent. Bhí sé ina eagarthóir freisin ar an aon nuachtán laethúil Gaeilge, Lá, atá lonnaithe i mBéal Feirste.

Is iriseoir as Contae Uíbh Fhailí é Conor Brummell. Tagann sé isteach in The Journal mar iriseoir físeán agus mar scéalaí sóisialta i ndiaidh dó bogadh ar ais go hÉirinn ón mBruiséil, áit a raibh sé ag obair i gcumarsáid bheartais an Aontais do chuideachtaí éagsúla le ceithre bliana anuas.

Sular bhog sé go dtí an Bheilg, d’oibrigh sé in iriseoireacht raidió agus chlóite in Éirinn.

Tá céim aige san Iriseoireacht, sa Gaeilge agus sa Stair ó Ollscoil na Gaillimhe. Ag fás aníos dó, thit Conor i ngrá leis an nGaeilge i ndiaidh dó samhraí a chaitheamh in Indreabhán i gConamara. Tá spéis ar leith aige in athbheochan na Gaeilge, i gcearta teanga agus i gcultúr traidisiúnta na hÉireann.

“Tá an-áthas orm a bheith ag dul isteach san fhoireann úrnua Ghaeltachta ag The Journal ag am spreagúil don Gaeilge. Táim ag tnúth le bheith ag obair ar scéalta faoi na pobail Ghaeltachta agus faoi chainteoirí Gaeilge ar fud oileán na hÉireann.”

Deir eagarthóir The Journal, Sinéad O’Carroll, go ndéanfar an t-ábhar Gaeilge a chomhtháthú in eispéireas léitheoirí The Journal.

“Cé acu an cainteoir líofa thú, atá tú ag foghlaim, nó ar suim leat saincheisteanna a mbíonn tionchar acu ar na pobail Ghaeltachta, beidh na scéalta seo ábalta tú a mhealladh,” a deir sí.

“Feicfidh tú iad ar an leathanach tosaigh ar ár suíomh gréasáin agus i sreabhadh na scéalta i d’aip. Is mian le muintir na hÉireann an Ghaeilge a fheiceáil ag déanamh go maith, rud a chiallaíonn gur cheart dúinn a bheith ar an eolas faoi na rudaí atá ag tarlú sna ceantair is mó atá ag obair chun é sin a dhéanamh.”

An bhfuil scéal agat? Déan teagmháil le: gaeltacht@thejournal.ie nó concubhar@thejournal.ie

Tá tacaíocht á fháil ag Beartas Gaeltachta The Journal ón Scéim Tuairiscithe ar Dhaonláthas Áitiúil

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THE JOURNAL ALWAYS goes where the story is – and now we’re looking to Ireland’s Gaeltacht’s areas. 

We’re delighted to introduce the two newest members of our newsroom team who will be producing Irish language content across the website.

Concubhar Ó Liatháin and Conor Brummell join the publication as we launch a brand-new initiative to cover news, as Gaeilge, of particular interest to Gaeltacht communities and beyond.

Working together, the pair will work to bring a national spotlight to the current state of Irish language policy and other issues impacting gaeilgeoirí.

From housing to job opportunities and culture to healthcare, Ó Liatháin and Brummell will uncover stories on The Journal and across our social media platforms.

They will also cover national news stories to highlight important perspectives from Irish speakers in their own language.

Ó Liatháin, who hails from the Múscraí Gaeltacht village of Cúil Aodha, comes to the position of Comhfhreagraí Gaeltacht with decades of experience as a newspaper reporter, columnist and Irish language print journalist.

“This new role of Gaeltacht Correspondent/Comhfhreagraí Gaeltacht is an exciting opportunity for me personally and comes at an exciting time for the Irish language and Gaeltacht matters in general,” said Concubhar. 

“Call it the Kneecap effect but the Irish language is becoming ever more relevant in our daily lives, it’s a minority language but very much alive and kicking and part of the daily lives of increasing numbers of people, particularly outside of traditional Gaeltacht areas. 

“The role of the Comhfhreagraí Gaeltacht as I see it is to tell the story of Irish speaking communities across the country, focusing on the challenges faced and how these are being overcome and, perhaps, that the future isn’t as bleak as been portrayed up to now.”

The Cork man worked in recent years as a news reporter with The Corkman and The Echo, where he was shortlisted for a national journalism award for his work on the obstacles faced by female councillors.

He has contributed to Scéal and Seachtain, the Irish-language supplements of The Irish Times/Irish Examiner and the Irish Independent. He was also the editor of the only Irish language daily newspaper, the Belfast-based Lá.

Conor Brummell is a journalist from Co. Offaly. He joins The Journal as a video journalist and social storyteller after moving back to Ireland from Brussels, where he worked in EU policy communications for various companies over the past four years.

Prior to moving to Belgium, he worked in radio and print journalism in Ireland. He has a degree in Journalism, Irish and History from the University of Galway. Growing up, Conor fell in love with the Irish language after spending summers in Inverin in Connemara. He is particularly interested in the Irish language revival, language rights and traditional Irish culture.

“I’m delighted to be joining the brand new Gaeltacht team at The Journal at an exciting time for the Irish language. I’m looking forward to working on stories surrounding the Gaeltacht communities and Irish language speakers across the island of Ireland.”

Editor of The Journal, Sinéad O’Carroll, says the Irish-language content will be integrated into the readers’ experience of The Journal.

“Whether you’re a fluent speaker, learning, or curious about issues impacting the Gaeltacht communities, you will be able to engage with these stories,” she explained.

“You will see them on the front page of our website and in the flow of stories in your app. Irish people want to see the Irish language thriving, which means we should know what is happening in the areas that are working hardest to make that happen.”  

Do you have a story? Please get in touch: gaeltacht@thejournal.ie or concubhar@thejournal.ie  

The Journal’s Gaeltacht initiative is supported by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme