September 2013 Leabharlann fear a throid ar son an oideachais trí Ghaeilge á bronnadh ar OÉ Gaillimh

 Cnuasach leabhar Gaeilge Dheasúin Bhreatnaigh bronnta ar Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge, An Cheathrú Rua, Co. na Gaillimhe

Bronnfaidh iníon an scríbhneora, Deasún Breatnach, cnuasach leabhar Gaeilge a hathar ar Ionad Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge ar an gCeathrú Rua i nGaeltacht Chonamara ar an 28 Meán Fómhair ag 7.30pm.  Tá isteach is amach le 750 leabhar faoi stair, litríocht, chultúr agus shaíocht na tíre sa leabharlann luachmhar seo.  Beidh na leabhair mar chuid de shainbhailiúchán a bheidh in úsáid ag mic léinn an BA sa Chumarsáid le linn a gcuid staidéir ar an gCeathrú Rua.

Scríbhneoir, iriseoir, file, intleachtóir, poblachtach agus gníomhaí ab ea Deasún Breatnach a rugadh i mBaile Átha Cliath i 1922 agus a cailleadh sa bhliain 2007.  Is mar gheall ar ról Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge i gcur chun cinn an ardoideachais trí mheán na Gaeilge agus an obair atá ar bun ag an Acadamh i réimse na Cumarsáide Gaeilge a chinn clann Dheasúin Bhreatnaigh a chuid leabhar Gaeilge a bhronnadh ar an institiúid léinn. Cuirtear oideachas i léann agus i gcleachtas na Cumarsáide ar mhic léinn fochéime a bhíonn ag gabháil den BA sa Chumarsáid GY106. Déantar cúram ar leith den iriseoireacht le linn an chúrsa seo a reáchtáiltear go huile agus go hiomlán trí mheán na Gaeilge. Téann céimithe an chúrsa ag obair le comhlachtaí ardghradaim i dtionscal na meán.

Leathchéad bliain tar éis Éirí Amach na Cásca, 1916, chuaigh Deasún Breatnach ar stailc ocrais i 1966 chun aird a tharraingt ar a laghad a bhí bainte amach ó thaobh an oideachais trí Ghaeilge.  Ba bhall é den ghrúpa MISNEACH — a bhunaigh an scríbhneoir, Máirtín Ó Cadhain.  Bhí Luci, a bhean chéile, agus Deasún féin mar pháirt de ghrúpa bunaitheoirí na chéad bhunscoile lán-Ghaelaí i gContae Bhaile Átha Cliath, Scoil Lorcáin, i mBaile na Manach. Scríobh an Breatnach raon leathan leabhar agus ábhar i nGaeilge: úrscéalta do dhéagóirí, scéalta do pháistí, leabhar taighde faoin mbéaloideas, filíocht, gearrscéalta, agus bhí saothar fairsing iriseoireachta aige.  Scríobhadh sé don irisleabhar The Bell agus do Scéala Éireann agus é ina chónaí ar Inis Oírr i lár na gcaogaidí.  D’fhoilsigh sé ailt i nGaeilge san Evening Press agus chaith sé seal ag obair don Irish Farmers Journal agus ina fho-eagarthóir ar an nuachtán The Irish Times.  Sholáthar sé ábhar don nuachtán seachtainiúil Gaeilge Inniu agus do na hirisleabhair Comhar agus Feasta.  Scríobh sé as Gaeilge sna nuachtáin Saoirse agus An Phoblacht, a raibh sé ina eagarthóir air.

Bhí an méid seo a leanas le rá ag Dónall Ó Braonáin thar ceann Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge: “Gníomh thar a bheith flaithiúil é seo agus tá buíochas ó chroí againn ar mhuintir Bhreatnaigh. Is cinnte go mbeidh mic léinn atá i mbun an chúrsa BA sa Chumarsáid in ann tairbhe a bhaint as an gcnuasach in Ionad na Ceathrún Rua. Cuimhneachán seasta a bheidh ann dóibh freisin faoi shaol agus saothar Dheasúin. Iriseoir cruthanta a bhí ann a shaothraigh a cheird go cumasach agus a chuir go mór leis an allagar náisiúnta agus caibidil chultúrtha na hÉireann. Toradh foghlama é sin a shantaíonn muid i gcónaí dár mic léinn féin.”

-Críoch-

Library of Irish language Education Campaigner to be Presented to NUI Galway

Deasún Breatnach’s extensive library collection of Irish Language books presented to Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge, in An Cheathrú Rua, Co. Galway

The daughter of writer, Deasún Breatnach, will present his extensive collection of Irish language books to Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge’s Centre in An Cheathrú Rua in the Connemara Gaeltacht on Saturday, 28 September at 7.30pm. There are in excess of 750 books with themes ranging from history to literature and culture in this valuable library collection. This specialized collection of books will augment those already in use by the students who are studying for their BA (Cumarsáid) (BA in Communications) in An Cheathrú Rua.

Born in Dublin in 1922 Deasún Breatnach was well known as a writer, journalist, republican and activist, he passed away in 2007. It is because of Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge’s role in promoting and developing higher level education through the medium of Irish, and specifically the Acadamh’s work in the field of Irish Language Communications that Deasún Breatnach’s family decided to present the collection. Undergraduates study the theory and practice of communications while on the course BA (Cumarsáid), GY106. Journalism in particular forms part of this course which is taught completely through the medium of Irish. Graduates go on to work with high-ranking companies in the media industry.

Half a century after the 1916 Easter Rising, Deasún Breatnach went on hunger strike in 1966 to draw attention to the lack of progress with regard to Irish language education in the country. He was a member of the group MISNEACH established by writer Máirtín Ó Cadhain. Both Luci, his wife, and Deasún formed part of the original group that founded the first all-Irish secondary school, Scoil Lorcáin in Monkstown, South County Dublin. Breatnach wrote a wide variety of books and material in the Irish language: novels for teenagers, children’s stories, and research books about our oral tradition, poetry, short stories and a large corpus of journalism. He contributed to The Bell magazine and Scéala Éireann while he lived in Inis Oírr in the middle of the fifties. He published Irish language articles in the Evening Press, he spent some time working for the Irish Farmers Journal and also as a sub-editor for The Irish Times. He provided material for the Irish language weekly paper Inniu and for the magazines Comhar and Feasta. He wrote in Irish for papers Saoirse and An Phoblacht, where he spent time as an editor.

Dónall Ó Braonáin commented on behalf of Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge: “This is a very generous act and our heartfelt thanks go to the Breatnach family. I am sure that the students undertaking the GY106 BA (Cumarsáid) (BA in Communications) in our center in An Cheathrú Rua will benefit greatly from the many books in this collection. They will form a lasting memory of Deasún’s life and work. As an exacting Journalist he plied his craft very capably and added greatly to the national and cultural discourse. This is a quality that we seek to instill in our own students.”

-Ends-