The award-winning film ONCE by Irish filmmaker John Carney is to be screened in Roundstone, County Galway, on Saturday, 14 April, as part of the Folding Landscapes series in association with NUI Galway. The low-budget musical tale of boy-meets-girl is Carney's third feature film and has already won the prestigious Audience Award at this year's Sundance Film Festival. Carney, who has in the past worked with some of the best known Irish actors including Cillian Murphy, Stephen Rea and Gerard McSorley, made the film in just 17 days on the streets of Dublin for a mere $150,000. Starring Frames front man Glen Hansard along with Markéta Irglová, Bill Hodnett, Danuse Ktrestova, and Marcella Plunkett, ONCE has become quite a phenomenon. Carney will attend the Roundstone screening and facilitate a question and answers session with the audience. "I really did think when we made this film that we had made a film that very few people would want to see or maybe only people who are interested in music would want to see, and it turns out to be something quite different," he says. Rod Stoneman, Director of the Huston School of Film and Digital Media, NUI Galway says: "John Carney s ONCE shows that imaginative micro budget film-making has the capacity to produce strong versions of Irish cinema. Like his earlier feature November Afternoon and his memorable television series Bachelor's Walk, his combination of a free-wheeling narrative and good music is exactly the style that can engage contemporary audiences. ONCE is a striking version of what he describes as an 'art-house musical' and it is likely to be as successful here as at the Sundance Film Festival." ONCE will be screened at 7.00pm at Roundstone Community Hall and is a free event open to the public. Unfolding Ideas is a Colloquium Series launched by NUI Galway to provide a forum for scholars, educators and artists to engage in a series of public talks, group discussion and workshops. The programme is organised by the Faculty of Arts and Galway University Foundation. ENDS

The Irish Centre for High-End Computing (ICHEC) announced today that it is embarking on a new collaboration with Met Éireann, the Irish National Meteorological Service. The project will be led by NUI Galway, the host organisation for ICHEC. As part of this collaboration, ICHEC will provide computational facilities and support to Met Éireann to enable it to run its operational high-resolution forecast models on ICHEC's flagship supercomputer, Walton, currently the 376th fastest computer in the world[1]. This move will allow Met Éireann to avail of state-of-the art computing technology, known as High-Performance Computing (HPC), to improve the quality of its forecast products. This collaboration will also provide a suitable framework for ICHEC to bring its considerable expertise in HPC to the climate modelling and weather prediction communities. ICHEC will indeed take an active part in the development of faster and more accurate simulation codes that are of interest to Met Éireann and other national weather forecast agencies. This involvement is expected to bring considerable benefits to the environmental science research community in Irish universities. Dr. J.-C. Desplat, ICHEC Director, stated: "This collaboration constitutes a clear endorsement of ICHEC's professionalism and its ability to deliver a mission-critical service." Met Éireann, in collaboration with UCD, has already greatly benefited from the use of ICHEC resources. Through the Community Climate Change Consortium for Ireland (C4I) project, it has carried out major computer simulations of the past and future Irish climate in support of the National Climate Change Strategy. This new scientific collaboration with ICHEC, and the substantial computer resources it provides, will enhance Met Éireann's operational forecasting and climate modelling activities. Mr Declan Murphy, Director of Met Éireann, stated: "Modern weather forecasting methods depend on the availability of High Performance Computing facilities. By teaming up with ICHEC, Met Éireann will be in a position to run more sophisticated weather and climate models than it could afford to do on its own, and this partnership represents an excellent example of efficient use of national resources". Met Éireann[2], the Irish National Meteorological Service, is attached to the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. It is the leading provider of weather information and related services for Ireland. ICHEC is a project funded by Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) with contributions from the Higher Education Authority (HEA) through the CosmoGrid project. ICHEC operates the National HPC service, a service offered to all researchers in Irish universities and research organisations. See http://www.ichec.ie [1] Source: Top 500 list at http://www.top500.org/ [2] See http://www.met.ie/ ENDS

Lisa Ní Fhlatharta, Áras na Gaeilge, Dr. Iognáid o Muircheartaigh, Uachtarán OÉ Gaillimh agus Dáithí ó Madáin, Áras na Gaeilge, OÉ Gaillimh. Sheol Uachtarán OÉ Gaillimh an Dr. Iognáid Ó Muircheartaigh Scéim na hOllscoile ar an Aoine, Scéim a aontaíodh faoi Acht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla 2003. Is é príomhaidhm na chéad Scéime seo go gcuirfí le soláthar seirbhísí trí Ghaeilge san Ollscoil i réimsí acadúla agus riaracháin agus sna seirbhísí ginearálta. Seo mar a labhair an tUachtarán ag an seoladh "Mar Ollscoil atá suite ar thairseach na Gaeltachta tá sé mar sprioc againn campas eiseamláireach dátheangach a chruthú. Is scéim trí bliana atá i gceist agus roimh dheireadh na chéad Scéime seo (Deireadh Fómhair, 2008) beidh seirbhís trí mheán na Gaeilge á soláthar don phobal i dtrí cinn déag de shainréimsí oibre na hOllscoile." Mar chuid den seoladh, cuireadh tús le feachtas poiblíochta, feachtas póstaer agus bileog ina measc chun an pobal a chur ar an eolas faoi sheirbhísí dátheangacha atá agus a bheidh ar fáil do chustaiméirí de chuid na hOllscoile roimh chríoch na chéad Scéime. Lean an tUasal Ó Muircheartaigh "Tá sé tábhachtach go mbeadh a fhios ag comhluadar na hOllscoile agus ag an bpobal i gcoitinne faoi na seirbhísí dátheangacha seo, is é sin an fáth go mbeidh na póstaeir agus na bileoga eolais seo a scaipeadh, ní amháin ar fud na hOllscoile ach ar fud na Gaillimhe". Cuireadh in iúl ag an ócáid go bhfuil sé mar chuid lárnach d'fhís fhadthréimhseach OÉ Gaillimh go dtiocfadh forbairt agus borradh ar sheirbhísí trí mheán na Gaeilge. Mar fhocal scoir dúirt an tUachtarán "Tá sé ríthábhachtach go mbainfeadh muid úsáid as na seirbhísí seo agus mar atá ráite ar na bileoga eolais agus ar na póstaeir. Is libhse na Seirbhísí, Bainigí úsáid astu" Le aghaidh tuilleadh eolais déan teagmháil le: Dáithi Ó Madáin, Áras na Gaeilge ag 091-495449 nó rphost ag daithi.omadain@oegaillimh.ie nó Lisa Ní Fhlatharta, Áras na Gaeilge ag 091 495451 nó rphost ag lisa.nifhlatharta@oegaillimh.ie

2 Aibreán 2007: Tá postanna nua cruthaithe le déanaí i réimse an aistriúcháin, in Éirinn agus san Aontas Eorpach, nárbh fhéidir a líonadh mar nach bhfuil dóthain aistritheoirí cáilithe ann. Is féidir le mac léinn cáilíocht léinn atá ag teastáil le ceann de na postanna seo a fháil ach tabhairt faoi chúrsa iarchéime an Dioplóma Iarchéime / M.A. (Léann an Aistriúcháin) atá á reáchtáil ag Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge, OÉ Gaillimh an bhliain acadúil seo chugainn. Is cúrsa lánaimseartha é seo a dhéantar thar bhliain amháin i gcás an Dioplóma Iarchéime, nó thar dhá bhliain i gcás an M.A agus a bheas ar siúl ar an gCeathrú Rua i gCo. na Gaillimhe. Tá an cúrsa seo feiliúnach do dhaoine a bhfuil cumas maith Gaeilge agus Béarla acu, idir labhairt agus scríobh agus do dhaoine ar spéis leo tabhairt faoi ghairm an aistriúcháin. Is réimse fáis é réimse an aistriúcháin Ghaeilge agus leanfaidh an fás sin de thoradh Acht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla, agus stádas nua na Gaeilge mar theanga oifigiúil oibre de chuid an Aontais Eorpaigh. Baineann an-fhéidearthacht leis an aistriúchán do dhaoine ar mhaith leo bheith féinfhostaithe, do dhaoine ar mhaith leo a slí bheatha a bhaint amach sa bhaile agus do dhaoine ar mhaith leo ioncam breise a shaothrú. Is jabanna iad seo a bhfuil tuarastal agus coinníollacha tarraingteacha fostaíochta ag gabháil leo. "Is céim chun cinn thábhachtach anois ó thaobh gairme de scileanna gairmiúla aistriúcháin a shealbhú agus cáilíocht aitheanta tríú leibhéal a bhaint amach. Tá ár gcúrsaí deartha le dul in oiriúint do riachtanais daoine éagsúla, m.sh. duine atá ag obair agus atá ag iarraidh staidéar páirtaimseartha a dhéanamh le cur ar a c(h)umas dul chun cinn a dhéanamh ó thaobh gairme de nó duine atá ag iarraidh staidéar lánaimseartha a dhéanamh le bheith in ann tabhairt faoi ghairm bheatha nua sa Bhruiséil", a dúirt Peadar Mac an Iomaire, Priomhfheidhmeannach, Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge, OÉ Gaillimh. Déanfar dianchleachtadh ar cheart agus ar chruinneas na Gaeilge ar an gcúrsa seo agus gheobhaidh na hiarratasóirí spléachadh ar ghnó an aistriúcháin chomh maith le cleachtadh a fháil ar na huirlisí agus na bogearraí is mó a bhíonn in úsáid ag aistritheoirí lae inniu. Déanfar cleachtadh freisin ar théacsanna éagsúla a aistriú, go háirithe ar na téacsanna is coitianta a bhíonn idir lámha ag aistritheoirí gairmiúla na Gaeilge. De bhrí go bhfuil borradh thar cuimse tagtha ar ghairm an aistriúcháin in Éirinn mar réimse léinn, gnó agus fostaíochta, tá éileamh nach beag ar aistritheoirí gairmiúla chun caighdeán ard aistriúcháin a chinntiú agus tá jabanna maithe ar thuarastal mór le fáil anois mar aistritheoirí gairmiúla in Éirinn agus san Eoraip. Mar sin tá tábhacht bhreise ag baint le cáilíocht aitheanta agus dea-scileanna aistriúcháin a bhaint amach. Táthar ag glacadh le hiarratais don chúrsa seo go dtí an 27 Aibreán 2007. Chun tuilleadh eolais a fháil, cuir glaoch ar Chassie Ní Chathasaigh, Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge, OÉ Gaillimh ag 091 869022 nó seol ríomhphost chuig aistriuchan@oegaillimh.ie Críoch

2 April 2007: NUI Galway's Career Connect Mentoring Programme, designed to provide students with an opportunity to meet, discuss career goals and network with professionals locally and worldwide, celebrated another successful year with the presentation of certificates to participants at a recent ceremony. Developed by the Careers Service, the programme puts students in touch with graduates of NUI Galway who are working in a career area of interest to the student. Over a period of time the graduate mentors the students, which involves providing the student with professional support in the form of advice, information and feedback. The mentor draws on their own professional experiences, to support and encourage the student or to offer different perspectives. Mary O'Riordan, Vice-President for Student Services and Human Resources presented participants with certificates at the recent ceremony. "In an era with excellent employment prospects for graduates there is a corresponding need for them to make good decisions and successful applications," she said. "This programme, which is now in its third year of operation, continues to be very successful and forms an essential element of the Careers Service portfolio of supports available to students to enable them to make good career decisions." Joan Lally, Mentoring Officer at the Careers Service explains the benefits of the programme to students. "There is a huge difference between college life and the realities of the workplace and at the Careers Service we are trying to bridge this gap with the Career Connect Mentoring Programme. By connecting with a professional, the student gains knowledge, insight and support to help them on their way. Also, the mentoring allows them the opportunity to get 'real life' exposure and so therefore can reconcile their perception of a career and the actual reality". Students who participated in the programme have said they found it very useful and worthwhile and have found the opportunity to gain 'real life' exposure to a career or organisation extremely valuable. Mentors have been happy to become involved with the university community at a personal level and impact positively in the lives of students. The programme has also given them the opportunity to develop and practice their coaching skills. The programme is open to all professionals as well as graduates of NUI Galway. For further information or to become a mentor, contact Joan Lally, Careers Service NUI Galway. Tel: 091 492053. ENDS