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Mary Immaculate College welcomed members of the Irish language community from across Limerick and beyond for Pobal na Gaeilge i Luimneach Mary Immaculate College welcomed members of the Irish language community from across Limerick and beyond for Pobal na Gaeilge i Luimneach

Education

MIC hosts Irish language gathering celebrating Gaeilge in Limerick

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Mary Immaculate College host members of the Irish language community for Pobal na Gaeilge i Luimneach

Mary Immaculate College welcomed members of the Irish language community from across Limerick and beyond for Pobal na Gaeilge i Luimneach

Dr Róisín Ní Ghairbhí, Lecturer in Irish at MIC, added, “People don’t always realise that there were hereditary native speakers of Irish in Limerick right until the second part of the twentieth century, and Irish continues to be spoken within families and socially in various parts of the county today. The Tionól provided an opportunity to highlight both that history and the vibrant community that exists here now.”
Dr Róisín Ní Ghairbhí, Lecturer in Irish at MIC, said, “The Tionól provided an opportunity to highlight both that history and the vibrant community that exists here now.”

Mary Immaculate College (MIC) welcomed members of the Irish language community from across Limerick and beyond on Friday, 6 and Saturday, 7 February for Pobal na Gaeilge i Luimneach (The Irish Language Community in Limerick), a two-day gathering celebrating the history, vibrancy and future of Gaeilge in the region. Approximately 80 people attended the event over the weekend.

Organised by MIC in partnership with Conradh na Gaeilge, the Tionól (gathering) was conducted entirely through Irish and brought together speakers, scholars and community members to reflect on the rich linguistic heritage of Limerick city and county and the opportunities ahead for its growing Irish-speaking community.

The programme began on Friday evening with a social gathering featuring music and refreshments. Saturday’s events included a lecture by Professor Tadhg Ó hIfearnáin, Modern Irish at the University of Galway, on the historical Gaeltacht in the hinterland of Abbeyfeale and Mountcollins in the early twentieth century. Attendees also shared their experiences as Irish speakers in the county, offering a contemporary perspective on the language in daily life.


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The afternoon concluded with a guided walk of the College grounds and a workshop focusing on the Paddy Fennessy word collection, a recently published compilation of Irish words and phrases from East Limerick.

Reflecting on the event, Caoimhe Nioclás, Lecturer in Irish at MIC, said, “MIC has always played an important role in the promotion of the Irish language. It was encouraging to see such engagement as we reflected on our Irish language heritage in Limerick and considered the opportunities and challenges facing the Irish language community today.”

Dr Róisín Ní Ghairbhí, Lecturer in Irish at MIC, added, “People don’t always realise that there were hereditary native speakers of Irish in Limerick right until the second part of the twentieth century, and Irish continues to be spoken within families and socially in various parts of the county today. The Tionól provided an opportunity to highlight both that history and the vibrant community that exists here now.”

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