New era for Irish language in Tralee Minister Kyne launches the Tralee Language Plan

THE people of Tralee are being called on to help drive the future of the Irish language in their home - an official Gaeltacht Service Town – in a new process examining every last way possible in which to promote the native tongue in the homes, schools, streets and businesses of the county capital. As it is now an official service town of the West Kerry Gaeltacht, Tralee is to avail of funding from the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and Foras na Gaeilge for the creation of a Tralee Language Plan. Step one in the plan involves the Public Advisory Process –through which everyone interested in the future of the language in Tralee can contribute to the final plan. The work is now being overseen by new group Trá Lí le Gaeilge, with the KETB appointed the primary organisation responsible for the development of the plan. Members of both Trá Lí le Gaeilge and the KETB were delighted to welcome Minister of State at the Department of the Gaeltacht Seán Kyne to town on Friday. Minister Kyne launched the first phase of the plan at the Gaelcholáiste Chiarraí in Moyderwell; the all-Irish secondary that is one of the main hubs of the considerable Irish-speaking community of the town, along with Gaelscoil Mhic Easmainn. The plan of attack is a sevenfold one now, a Trá Lí le Gaeilge spokesperson said. “We will be working with the people of Tralee, from now until February 2020, gathering opinions and suggestions, and carrying out research on questions regarding the use of Irish in Tralee. We will be focusing on the following areas: education, young people, sport, the business sector, public services, the arts and the community.” “We hope to include measures in the Plan which fulfil our three primary aims: to create opportunities for people to improve their Irish language ability; to create opportunities for people with Irish to use it in their daily lives and; to increase the visibility of Irish in the town,” they said, thanking the Minister for his input: “We were very grateful to Minister Seán Kyne for having joined us for this event and to the Department of the Gaeltacht and Foras na Gaeilge for funding the Plan.”

Photo by Domnick Walsh Gaeltacht Minister Seán Kyne, centre at back, with Príomhoide Gaelcholáiste Chiarraí Ruairí Ó Cinnéide and the many stakeholders in the Tralee Language Plan, all keenly anticipating a bright future for the native tongue in what is a Gaeltacht Service town – at the Gaelcholáiste Chiarraí on Friday, November 15.