The ‘Ciorcal Comhrá’ at The Arches Hotel last Thursday. We were delighted to welcome a journalist from Raidio na Gaeltachta to our weekly gathering. 

Thanks to the Iris Aniar show on Raidio na Gaeltachta for broadcasting a ten minute segment from our weekly Ciorcal Comhrá at The Arches Holel in Claregalway this morning.

Reporter Marcus Mac Conghail joined us at The Arches last Thursday night and spoke to some of the people present about the joy of meeting up once a week to enjoy conversation in Irish.

Micheal Monaghan spoke about plans to revive the Irish language in Claregalway, Carnmore, and Annaghdown, where it was widely spoken up until the 1980s.

One of the participants, Padraig O Conaola, even told him that he sleeps better after he speaks Irish!

Padraig, a native of Inis Oirr, still describes himself as a ‘blow in’ after living in Claregalway since the 1970s.

And Claregalway native Aine Maire Breathnach spoke about travelling across the city from Moycullen to enjoy the chance to speak Irish in her home area every week. Despite the traffic!

She felt she had to come to join the ‘Ciorcal Comhrá’ in her home place after hearing about the weekly gathering on Facebook.

Ciarán Tierney said it is brilliant to hear Irish being spoken in a friendly atmosphere in a Claregalway hotel each week. He said the weekly gathering attracts native speakers from Claregalway, native speakers from other areas who have moved to the area, people from the eastern suburbs of the city, adult learners, and people whose Irish has become a bit “rusty” over the years.

All are welcome, particularly our friends from An Bruach Thoir in the city.

This Ciorcal Comhrá at The Arches has been a huge success since 40 people turned up at our first gathering there in February. It is continuing over the next couple of weeks (Thursdays, 8pm) before taking a break for the summer.

Listen back to the ten minute segment here: https://www.rte.ie/radio/rnag/clips/22511966/