A blueprint to increase the use of Irish as a living language in Clifden have been hugely boosts by a recent survey conducted in the town.

Because 82% of respondents to a survey in Clifden said they would like to be able to speak more Irish – and 50% of respondents said they would like to see more occasions and events through Irish in the town.

So stated Aodán Mac Cormaic, Assistant Secretary for the Department of the Gaeltacht, Culture, Media and Tourism when he launched the plan earlier this week.

The implementation of the Irish language plan confirms Clifden as a “Baile Seirbhísí Gaeltachta”, a town that provides services for Gaeltacht areas.  All told it has 36 objectives to be achieved over the lifetime of the plan to 2030.

Clifden is one of two centres in Galway that has attained this recognition; the city itself was designated earlier this year.

The objective of this status is that there accord special recognition of the Irish language in towns that attract a large amount of patronage from Gaeltacht communities – areas like Carna and Cill Chiaráin, Bun na gCnoc, areas in Roundstone and Joyce Country close to Clifden.

The objectives in the Clifden Irish language plan include the setting up of a Naoínra – an Irish language playschool – with a teachers forum dedicated to Irish language matters and an annual Irish language drama competition.

Other objectives are an Irish language summer camp, the development of Irish conversational classes, an Irish language event in the Clifden Arts Festival and a Pop-Up Gaeltacht initiative.

Caption: Clifden…language plan.

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