A popular Galway tour guide’s commitment to the Irish language was acknowledged in style last week – as he came home with multiple awards from a prestigious national event.

Last week, at a ceremony in Croke Park, Dublin, local Galway tour guide Jim Ward, who is also chairman of the Galway Tour Guides Association, was awarded a Gold Medal Gradam and two Bronze Medals at the Gnó na hÉireann Gradaim, for services in Irish and signage, and marketing and branding in Irish respectively.

The awards are overseen by Glór na nGael, the organisation that promotes the Irish language in the community and in business life – and it aims to recognise those businesses that promote Irish either by signage, marketing & branding or service through Irish.

Jim, who is the owner and founder of Galway Trails also received a Gold Medal award for service in Irish for his digital marketing business E-Maginet.

The Galway guide described the awards as not only recognition of doing business in Irish and promoting the language but also of the strength of the Irish language throughout the country at present.

“The recent film Kneecap has done more than a lot of initiatives to gain acceptance and pride in the language as is seen from the numbers opting for Irish over French in A-Levels in the North,” he said.

“The language is living even though there are problems with Gaeltachtaí diminishing due to families being denied housing there due to planning laws and so on. Irish is alive!” he added.

Pictured: Jim Ward (centre) receiving one of his awards at the Gnó na hÉireann Gradaim with Pat Carey, Cathaoirleach, Glór na nGael (left), and Feargal Ó Coigligh, Secretary-General at the Department of Tourism, Arts, Culture & Gaeltacht.