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THE PSNI have launched a Major Incident Public Portal following weekend disorder on the Stewartstown Road in West Belfast.
Beidh an Ghaeilge le cluinstin go forleathan i nDrioglann Mhic Cónaill i bPríosún Bhóthar Cromghlinne le linn Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, mar a dhéantar turais i nGaeilge faoi stiúir Cormac O’Connor, Leasbhainisteoir Oibríochtaí na Drioglainne. Is as Gaillimh do Chormac ó dhúchas, agus tá sé tábhachtach dó go dtugtar deiseanna don teanga a bheith in úsáid ar bhealach nádúrtha sa phobal. “Bíonn muid i gcónaí ag iarraidh turais a dhéanamh i dteangacha difriúla sa drioglann anseo, agus is seans iontach é Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann turas a chur ar fáil i nGaeilge. Déantar turais sa Spáinnis, sa Ghearmáinis, sa Fhraincis agus i go leor teangacha eile sa drioglann. Tá beirt cláraithe chun an turas a dhéanamh i nGaeilge go dtí seo, agus táthar ag súil go gcláróidh tuilleadh le turas suimiúil a dhéanamh. “Tógann an turas thart ar uair a chloig. Déanann muid píosa ag an tús faoin mhargadh uisce beatha ar fud an domhain, agus faoi bhunús an bhranda seo. Cuireadh tús leis sa bhliain 1776. Stop sé ar feadh na mblianta ach rinneadh athbheochan air sa bhliain 2015. “Foghlaimaíonn lucht an turais faoin dóigh a ndéantar uisce beatha, agus sa deireadh faigheann achan duine blaiseadh beag agus míníonn muid na blasanna atá ar fáil.” Ar ndóighe, tá go leor saintéarmaí in úsáid i ndrioglannaí fiú sa Bhéarla, rud a thugann dúshlán eile do Chormac agus é ag déanamh na dturas. “Caithfidh mé na téarmaí úra agus focail úra seo a fhoghlaim. Ach tá roinnt focail nach bhfuil téarma acu sa Bhéarla fiú, cosúil leis an Läuterbottich, an rud a scagann an leacht ón ghrán. Úsáidfidh mé an buntéarma i gcásanna mar sin. “Tá mé beagáinín neirbhíseach ach tá sceitimíní orm chomh maith. Is seans iontach é an Ghaeilge a chur chun cinn sa chathair stairiúil seo. Tá mé ag súil go mór leis.”
Tá ionad Gaeilge i ndeisceart na cathrach ag obair go dlúth le caifé chun ranganna Gaeilge a chur ar fáil do bhaill foirne an chaifé agus do chustaiméirí. Tá clú agus cáil ar An Droichead ar fud Bhéal Feirste agus níos faide i gcéin as a bheith ag teagasc ranganna Gaeilge ar ardchaighdeán. Lonnaithe ar Bhóthar Ormeau, tá siad ar an fhód ó bhí 1992 ann. Dúirt Seáinín Keenan, Oifigeach Forbartha Gaeilge leis An Droichead go ndeachaigh Nicole Reid, Bainisteoir an Cheantair do Juice Jar, i dteagmháil leo ag iarraidh ranganna Gaeilge a shocrú, agus go raibh an t-ionad Gaeilge thar a bheith sásta cuidiú leo. “Bhí an caifé ag iarraidh go mbeadh daoine ábalta ord a dhéanamh i nGaeilge, agus go mbeadh daoine ábalta teacht isteach agus Gaeilge a úsáid sa chaifé. Ar sise, “Shocraigh muid clár sé seachtaine a dhéanamh leis an chaifé, á theagasc ag múinteoir dár gcuid, April Ní hÍr. Tá na ranganna saor in aisce agus ar siúl ag 6:30 achan oíche Luain in Juice Jar, Wellington Place. Críochnóidh na ranganna ar an 24 Lúnasa.”
Beidh ionad ealaíona i lár na cathrach ag feidhmiú mar chroílár na Gaeilge le linn Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann ag tús mhí Lúnasa. Is sa Metropolitan Arts Centre, nó an MAC, a bheas clár seachtaine de theanga, de cheol agus de chultúr á reáchtáil ag an Fhleadh. Beidh plúr na n-imeachtaí á reachtáil san ionad le linn na Fleá, ina measc ranganna saor in aisce gach lá le blaiseadh ar an Ghaeilge a thabhairt do dhaoine, agus spás ‘tae agus plé’ ionas gur féidir le daoine cibé Gaeilge atá acu a úsáid. Beidh seomra teaghlaigh ag feidhmiú le linn na seachtaine le spás réchúiseach, nádúrtha a chruthú do theaghlaigh agus daoine óga ina mbeidh an Ghaeilge le cluinstin go nádúrtha. Tá an-rath ar scannáin Ghaeilge le blianta anuas agus léireofar roinnt de na scannáin Ghaeilge is mo le blianta san ionad chomh maith, Mise Éire, Róise agus Frank agus An Cailín Ciúin san áireamh. Déanfaidh an Feirsteach an tOllamh Fionntán de Brún, siúlóid staire ar stair na Gaeilge sa chathair. Beidh craoladh beoón ionad leis an stáisiún raidió pobail, Raidió Fáilte. Ag caint léi faoin ionad a bheith mar chroílár na Gaeilge, dúirt Ceannasaí Margaíochta an MAC, Rachel Leitch, go bhfuil siad ag iarraidh fáilte mhór a chur roimh achan phobal. “Is é an misean atá againn ná; daoine a spreagadh, dúshlán a chur roimh dhaoine, agus daoine a thabhairt le chéile. “Ta muid ag iarraidh a bheith cinnte go mothaíonn daoine ó gach pobal i mBéal Feirste, agus níos faide i gcéin, go bhfuil fáilte rompu sa spás s’againne. Chuir foireann an MAC dúshlán rompu féin mar a rinne cuid den fhoireann staidéar dian le Fáinne Airgid a bhaint amach, agus tá Rachel sásta go mbeidh tú ábalta ord caifé a dhéanamh i nGaeilge san ionad! “Fuair cuid den fhoireann a bhFáinne Airgid agus tá cuid eile ina gcainteoirí líofa. Tá súil againn go mbeidh daoine ábalta na cainteoirí seo a aimsiú go fusa nó go mbeidh ‘Labhair Liom’ scríofa ar a gcuid léinte. “Tá súil againn a bheith oscailte roimh chách. Má tá Gaeilge líofa agat nó mura bhfuil Gaeilge ar bith agat, tá súil againn go dtig le daoine teacht isteach agus fiosrú a dhéanamh ar rud nár fhiosraigh siad riamh.”
The Falls Road will have a new look about it, as council workers have been busy adding new bilingual road markings to bus stops.
Beidh an stáisiúin raidió pobail, Raidió Fáilte, ag tabhairt faoin éacht arís i mbliana mar a dhéanann siad craoladh beo 24 uair an chloig gan stad ó 7:00 maidin Dé hAoine 24 Iúil go dtí 7:00 maidin Dé Sathairn, mar chuid d’Fhéile an Phobail. Beidh meascán de chláracha cainte mar chuid den imeacht a phléfidh leis an chultúr, leis an tsochaí, le cúrsaí reatha agus eile. Beidh cláracha ceoil mar chuid den lá chomh maith, agus beidh seiteanna DJ á gcur amach d’iarchóisirí na cathrach sna luathuaireanta! Tá aithne mhaith ag pobal Bhéal Feirste anois ar áras Raidió Fáilte ar Shráid Dhubhaise, agus is ón bhunurlár, ó spás imeachtaí an stáisiúin, a bheas an fhoireann ag craoladh idir 10:00 agus 14:00 Dé hAoine. Cuirfear fáilte roimh dhuine ar bith bualadh isteach ann, cupán tae a bheith acu, agus a bheith mar chuid den lucht féachana. Ag caint léi faoin imeacht, dúirt Príomh-Irischraoltóir Nuachta agus Cúrsaí Reatha le Raidió Fáilte, MaryClaire Nic Uilliam, go bhfuil sí ag dúil go mór leis an chraoladh beo. “Is é seo an dara huair dom a bheith ag glacadh páirte san imeacht seo. Bhain mé an oiread sin sult as anuraidh. Leis an chraolatón go ginearálta feiceann tú aghaidheanna agus daoine agus craoltóirí deonacha ag teacht ar ais, daoine nach bhfaca tú le tamall fada. “Bímse féin, mar chraoltóir nuachta agus cúrsaí reatha, ag díriú ar chúrsaí nuachta agus bíonn orainn bogadh ar aghaidh go measartha gasta. Ach leis an chraolatón bíonn an deis agam rud éigin difriúil a dhéanamh agus blaiseadh beag de chlár éigin eile a fháil. Bíonn MaryClaire le cluinstin ar aerthonnta Raidió Fáilte gach maidin lena foireann, mar phríomhláithreoir ar an chlár ‘Moch ar Maidin.’ Beidh sí féin, i gcuideachta a comhláithreoirí Éanna Ní Griabhaigh agus Aibreán Ní hÍr, ag déanamh clár speisialta i rith na hoíche a phléfidh le scéalta éagsúla nach mbíonn le cluinstin ar ghnáthchlár nuachta. “Beidh oíche agus lá den chéad scoth againn mar is gnáth, agus cuirfidh muid fearadh na fáilte roimh dhuine ar bith atá ag iarraidh bualadh isteach le linn an lae.” Beidh Raidió Fáilte ag craoladh beo gan stad ó 7:00 Dé hAoine 24 Iúil go dtí 7:00 Dé Sathairn 25 Iúil. Is féidir éisteacht beo i gceantar Bhéal Feirste ar 107.1FM nó ar líne ar fud an domhain www.raidiofailte.com.
Renowned Armagh artist John B Vallely’s latest exhibition From Wounded Knee to Gaza will be on display from Thursday 30 July – Friday 7 August, in St Mary’s University College as part of Féile an Phobail. Vallely draws on connections between historical and contemporary human suffering, and explores themes of injustice, conflict and resilience. He compares the Israeli genocide of Palestinians in Gaza with the Wounded Knee Massacre of the Lakota people by the U.S. Army in 1890. On the 6 August, there will be a special screening of the accompanying film, also titled From Wounded Knee to Gaza, produced by celebrated Armagh filmmaker Antaine Ó Donnaile. This will be followed by a panel discussion examining the contemporary political context, the ethical responsibilities of artists, and the role of creative expression in shaping public consciousness and fostering solidarity. The panel will be chaired by Peter Finn, Principal of St Mary’s College, and will feature the artist, John B Vallely, the director and editor of the film, Antaine Ó Donnaile, and the Iranian academic Azadah Sobout. Her research engages with questions of culture, identity, and political expression, with a particular focus on how narratives of displacement and resistance are shaped and communicated. The exhibition brings together work produced over many years, with the piece Gaza being painted in 2008. Vallely has long been involved with solidarity struggles, and was a founding member of the Armagh Palestinian group. He draws on this experience in his work. “I’m very involved in support for Palestine, and I’m also very interested in the genocide of the American Natives, and it all just came together for me one day and the concept of From Wounded Knee to Gaza hit me like a train. “Wounded Knee was a genocide of the native people by white colonisers from Europe and what’s happening in Palestine is exactly the same.” Speaking about the accompanying film, director Antaine Ó Donnaile said that it was a privilege to document these pieces of art. “Brian had been sending me photographs of works in progress that he was doing in his studio for this series, From Wounded Knee to Gaza. Brian is 85 this year, he’s one of the most important painters in Ireland and combines culture, sport, music, the arts, and it’s a really important legacy series that he’s doing at the minute. So I thought it would be an awful pity not to film him doing it. Vallely and Ó Donnaile spent a number of days together recording the pieces that would make up the final version of the film, in what was a special experience for the filmmaker. “Brian has always been on the side of the underdog. He celebrates the best in people, so it was a real privilege to be there, to see him and smell the oils, and be part of that in his studio.” There are many stories told in the nineteen paintings that form part of the exhibition, such as that of Zintkála Nuni, who became known as Lost Little Bird and was the inspiration for one of Vallely’s pieces. Nuni was found alive as a months-old baby still strapped to her dead mother’s body four days after the massacre at Wounded Knee. Nothing was known of her identity or Lakota birth name, she was named Zintkála Nuni. Vallely draws a striking parallel between Zintkála Nuni’s story and that of five-year-old Palestinian girl, Hind Rajab. Hind’s story was documented in the film ‘The Voice of Hind Rajab,’ as she spoke for three hours to dispatchers of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, as she slowly died in a car beside six relatives following an attack by Israeli tanks. She told the dispatcher her class in school was called ‘the Butterfly class,’ and Vallely has drawn on this image poignantly in his works A Little Butterfly Named Hind Rajab, The Butterflies of Gaza, and Butterflies Soar in Gaza. Despite the Red Crescent pleading with Israeli IDF soldiers to be allowed to send a nearby ambulance to rescue Hind, they refused and moved tanks up close to the destroyed car. Eventually, Hind went silent and it was later determined that the IDF had fired at least 335 high-velocity rounds into the car. Vallely is firm on the role of the arts in giving a voice to those who otherwise would not have one. “I think creative people – writers, artists, musicians – have a duty, and a right, to speak out. We shouldn’t be defined by convention, and we shouldn’t be afraid.” He is joined in these convictions by Ó Donnaile, who also spoke about the impact of small steps and small actions, both by artists and filmmakers and by others, and how these actions can sometimes seem insignificant but can often lead to real change. “If you influence one or two people, you can change mindsets. You can live it in your own life as well. I’m reminded of the Dunnes Stores workers who started the strike during the apartheid struggle. They were battling on their own for many years and ended up changing the law, and are now celebrated as a great example of how grassroots activism can have a great impact.” Vallely believes that the Irish people naturally identify with oppressed people around the globe. “I think Irish people, because of centuries of oppression, are inclined to identify with the underdog, and that’s what’s happening here. We don’t identify with the big and the powerful and the rich. “I spent some time recently with a representative of the group PATHSTAR, who are campaigning on behalf of the Lakota people. She said that they have to restore knowledge that we take for granted. Here in Ireland, lots of things happened to us but we still retained stories. A big campaign they now have is trying to reignite all the native languages that were suppressed and were there for thousands of years before.” Brian Vallely’s exhibition From Wounded Knee to Gaza will be available to view from Thursday 30 July – Friday 7 August in St Mary’s University College. The accompanying film by Antaine Ó Donnaile will be screened in St Mary’s on Thursday 6 August at 5pm, and will be followed by the panel discussion.
Tá bean óg a bhfuil bua an cheoil aici ag teagasc ranga ar an tsean-nós le linn Scoil Samhraidh Mhic Reachtain. Tá cáil ar Róise Ní Mhúrchú, arb as Doire di ó dhúchas ach a bhfuil dlúthfhréamhacha i mBéal Feirste aici, as a cuid sean-nóis agus as a bheith ag ceol agus ag seinm ar fud na tíre.
WEST Belfast boy Dáithí Mac Gabhann has received a heart transplant after eight years on the transplant waiting list.
POLICE in west Belfast continuing to investigate disorder and reckless riding of scramblers in the area on Saturday night have charged a man to court.
WEST Belfast MLA Danny Baker has condemned scenes of disorder on the Stewartstown Road on Saturday night.
THREE men have been arrested following scenes of disorder and reckless riding of scramblers in West Belfast on Saturday night.
Club FriendliesCliftonville 1Newington 0At Solitude
ACFL Division OneRelegation Play-Off FinalSt Ergnat's Moneyglass 0-18Tír na nÓg Randalstown 1-10At Erin's Own Cargin
POLICE are advising people to stay away from the Stewartstown Road.
