Remarks at the Opening of 41st International Pan Celtic Festival
Carlow, 10th April 2012
Chairde Gaeil agus a dhaoine uaisle,
Tá ríméad orm a bheith i gCeatharlach i gcomhair oscailt oifigiúil Féile Idirnáisiúnta Pan Cheilteach 2012 agus ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a ghabháil le lucht eagraithe na féile as an gcuireadh a bheith i bhur dteannta tráthnóna.
I am delighted to be here in Carlow this evening at the official opening of the 41st International Pan Celtic Festival. I would like to thank the organising committee, and in particular, an Cathaoirleach, Bríd de Roiste, for this kind invitation, which I was happy to accept.
I said in my inaugural speech that I would encourage creative communities who are bringing about positive change at local level by giving recognition to their achievements on the national stage. I believe that when we encourage the seedbed of creativity in our communities and ensure that each child and adult has the opportunity for creative expression, we also lay the groundwork for sustainable employment in the creative industries and enrich our social, cultural and economic development.
The aim of the Pan Celtic Festival is to promote and strengthen Celtic languages, culture, music, song and sport and to encourage inter-Celtic tourism, trade and commerce. The festival provides an opportunity and the creative space for all these activities to take place and at its very core it has the important function of supporting and nurturing new social and cultural connections.
I understand that shortly after the first Pan Celtic Festival was held in Killarney in 1971 the Pan Celtic International Organisation was constituted formally in 1973 and that today Pan Celtic is governed by an International Council and 6 national committees. I am particularly delighted to see that a large following from all 6 Celtic nations - Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, Brittany, Isle of Man and Ireland - continue to support this international festival. It is also heartening that through membership of the Pan Celtic a number of festivals and events have been both established or revived, such as Kan ar Bobal in Brittany, Lowender Peran in Cornwall, Pan Celtic Reunion in Wales, and the revival of An Cruinneach in The Isle Of Man.
The range of events, between the festival and the Fringe festival which will take place over these next five days is truly impressive: from competitions in music, song and dance as well as Celtic concerts, story-telling, foods and crafts, choral recitals, colourful parades and sporting events. The daily street performances, and the classes available in all 6 Celtic languages as well as walking tours and visits to archaeological attractions all ensure that the programme is comprehensive and engages every dimension of our imagination.
It was a particular privilege for me to serve as the first Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht from 1993 to 1997, and during that time I made it a priority to establish a rich network of local arts and cultural venues in Dublin and throughout the country, in order to allow citizens across Ireland better access to arts and culture generally. One of my projects also during this period was the establishment of Teilifís na Gaeilge, which is now called TG4. Irish language communities in the Gaeltacht as well as people with a passion and an interest in the language were able to avail of an Irish language television station for the first time.
Is acmhainn lárnach d'oidhreacht bheo na tíre agus acmhainn nádúrtha luachmhar í an Ghaeilge agus is cúis mhór sásaimh dom a fheiceáil an méid atá ar siúl ag pobail ar fud na tíre chun an oidhreacht seo a chaomhnú agus a thabhairt don chéad ghlúin eile. Níl aon amhras ach go gcabhraíonn ócáidí mar seo chun suim a spreagadh inár dteanga agus inár gcultúr dúchais. Tá an chumarasáid lenár gcomharsana ceilteacha an-tábhachtach chun muid a spreagadh freisin, ar ndóigh. "Ní neart go cur le chéile." Our language is both a repository of national memory, connecting us with those who have passed before us and a vibrant and unique resource for the imagining of future possibility and identity.
It gives me great pleasure to see what communities are doing all over the country to preserve this heritage and to pass it on to the next generation. I have no doubt that occasions such as this one help to encourage interest in our native language and culture. And of course being able to relate and communicate with our Celtic neighbours is also important in terms of support – ‘Ní neart go cur le chéile’ – there is strength in unity.
Of course, the central importance of this festival is that it is a Pan-Celtic one which aims to celebrate the links that we, as Celtic people, all share – those links being both linguistic and cultural, encompassing music, poetry song and dance. Today 6 separate distinct Celtic languages are recognised, namely Irish, Welsh, Breton, Scottish Gaelic, Manx and Cornish.
In common with minority languages across the world, Celtic nations frequently have a shared history of linguistic domination and/or neglect. Preserving and revitalising our languages for future generations presents us with a real challenge. All our Celtic languages are struggling in the face of much stronger global languages. As long as we approach it with creativity and imagination, with our emotional and spiritual belief in the language as a valuable dimension of ourselves, and all our people past and present, that challenge can be surmounted.
Great strides have been made in recent years with regard to the strengthening of the Irish language. Early visionaries such as Douglas Hyde and Eoin Mac Néill who founded the Gaelic League in the late 19th century to strengthen and preserve the Irish language could never have imagined that over a hundred years later, our native tongue would be taught in countries as far away as China and Australia.
In my inaugural speech, I spoke of the value of innovation and creativity in society. I believe Irish has its own role to play here. Projects such as the new English-Irish dictionary which is due to come out in electric format this year and new websites such as logainm.ie, focal.ie and ainm.ie are a great resource for students of Irish and for people interested in the language. These advances demonstrate our ability to preserve the richness of our native tongue through using the most modern technology available.
I fully appreciate that a festival of this calibre does not happen overnight. Much planning and preparation has taken place behind the scenes in the local community in anticipation of this prestigious event, as well as thousands of hours of volunteer service given by many people. This personal investment, a true reflection of active citizenship which is so important to the development of a new kind of Ireland, reflects a great community spirit and indeed has a tremendous impact on the community as a whole. I commend all of you, in particular the organising committee, for your boundless enthusiasm and commitment and I congratulate you on the ultimate success of your efforts.
I believe that the local history can only add to the value and enjoyment of the festival and as I draw to a close, I must make special reference to Carlow as host county to the 41st Pan Celtic Festival. The Irish name for Carlow is Ceatharlach meaning ‘Four Lakes’, although no traces of these lakes remain today. Carlow, known as "the Dolmen County" because it houses the largest Dolmen in Europe, has played a major role in Irish history, serving as the capital of the country in the 14th century. The River Barrow flows through the town and is one of the famous trilogy of rivers known affectionately as the Three Sisters, the other two being the River Suir and the River Nore. There are many sites to visit and places to see in this wonderful county, including Carlow Castle and heritage sites such as The Brownshill Dolmen (Dolmain Chnoc an Bhrúnaigh in Irish) which is a megalithic portal tomb. Carlow is therefore an ideal venue to host our festival visitors and I hope you have the opportunity to see some of what it has to offer over the next few days.
Guím rath agus bláth ar an bhféile Pan Cheilteach agus tá mé cinnte go mbeidh féile iontach ann i mbliana. Is le háthas agus le bród mar sin, a fhógraím an 41ú Féile Pan Cheilteach oscailte go hoifigiúil. Go mbaine sibh uile taitneamh agus tairbhe as an ócáid.
GO RAIBH MAITH AGAIBH