#ThisIsTheGaeltacht

Insights into the Gaeltacht through a flash video campaign

25 June, 2021

min read

Trá foirfe ag an nGaeltacht

The Language Planning Officers launched a new social media campaign entitled # SeoÍAnGhaeltacht in early May 2020. This campaign aims to foster pride of place, language and culture and positive memories of the Irish language and to awaken the Gaeltacht. Attractive and exciting images and videos of the Gaeltacht are widely shared on social media which celebrates their area, culture and the Irish language and contributes greatly to the identity of the Gaeltacht across the Gaeltacht regions.

Attractive and vibrant images of the Gaeltacht are being widely shared on social media on an ongoing basis using a series of Gifs specially designed for the campaign. Young and old were attracted to celebrate their place and their native language and indeed, well-known people from various areas shared their views on it, including Seán Mac an tSíthigh, Bláthnaid Ní Chofaigh, Áine Ní Bhreisleáin , Caitríona Ní Dhomhnaill, Máirtín Tom Sheáinín and musicians from YeVagabonds and In Their Thousands.

The hashtag # seoíanGhaeltacht is now used by all Language Planning Officers to highlight the work they are doing. The campaign was nominated for this year’s campaign in the 2020 Oireachtas Awards.

Ag luí na gréine sa réimse
Póstaer do # SeoÍAnGhaeltacht
Cósta Gaeltachta # SeoÍAnGhaeltacht

“# SeoÍAnGhaeltacht is a social media campaign that has shown the vitality, energy and beauty of the Gaeltacht throughout Ireland. The Language Planning Officers launched the campaign by welcoming people to share images, videos and other fun things online using the hashtag. Hundreds of people in the Gaeltacht shared stories, photos, poems and happy songs and fond memories from others when they were in the Gaeltacht. It was decided to undertake the campaign to foster online fellowship for the Gaelic network at a time when people were not allowed to meet in real life. The campaign was a heart-warming one, which connected people at home with other Gaeltacht areas and greatly strengthened Gaeltacht identity on an island level.”

— John Prendergast, West Kerry OPT