RTÉ marks Seachtain na Gaeilge 2021

Monday, 01 Mar 2021 10:44
By RTÉ
More from
Media Centre

RTÉ marks Seachtain na Gaeilge 2021 as 

  • RTÉ and TG4 weather presenters swap places 
  • Peppa Pig gets set to make her debut as Gaeilge 
  • and the RTÉ Concert Orchestra tunes up for a special collaboration 

RTÉ is Official Media Partner with Conradh na Gaeilge for this year’s Seachtain na Gaeilge. Running from Monday the 1st March – Wednesday 17th March, RTÉ will offer a comprehensive schedule of Irish-language content across television, radio and online, supported by a specially created RTÉ  marketing campaign encouraging everyone to use their cupla focal.

WATCH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrgFjmfMLzU&feature=youtu.be  

Highlights include: 

ON TELEVISION 

In addition to dedicated Cláracha Gaeilge, lots of RTÉ programmes across the schedule will be taking part in Seachtain na Gaeilge 2021. 

Cláracha Gaeilge 

  • A new four part series of Mo Threibh (My Tribe) begins on RTÉ One on Monday the 8th of March at 1930. With narration by Peter Coonan, the series goes behind the newspaper headlines to discover the real Hip Hop crews, Indie kids, Ravers and Metallers, exploring the passion, dedication and sense of belonging that their tribe gives them. These are worlds that are rarely seen or experienced on Irish television, lifting the lid on the underground of some fascinating subcultures. 
  • A one-off special, Cúpla Focal, takes a wry look back at how we taught Irish on TV throughout the decades remembering Buntús Cainte, Anois is Arís, Dilín Ó Deamhas, Telefís  Scoile,Now You’re Talking, Turas Teanga and many more gems. Tuesday 16th of March at 1900 .  
  • A new series of Cosc returns to tell the story of censorship in Ireland as far back as the foundation of the state, and looks at some of the more surprising and controversial examples. In this series we look at the banning of The Dubliners classic ‘Seven Drunken Nights’, John McGahern’s novel The Dark, and the ban and ending of Corporal Punishment.  

RTÉ2 and RTÉjr 

From Wednesday 14 April th, RTÉ2 will dedicate an hour every  Wedneday (8-9pm) to quality home-produced content ‘as Gaeilge’ from RTÉ and TG4. And we’re busy preparing for Peppa Pig as Gaeilge too, coming to RTÉjr and RTÉ Player very soon. There’s plenty of new Irish-language content for kids in Seachtain na Gaeilge as well: 

  • Mya Go returns for a new series.  This pre-school series focuses on a young girl whose enthusiasm for life affects everyone around her. Mya Go lives in the bustling town of Everyday with the Go family, and spends her days discovering the world around her. Weekdays from 8.05 on RTÉ Jnr.  
  • Bóín agus Beach begins on Monday the 8th of March on RTÉjr. Mixing charming storytelling with the natural world, these original stories are told through the wide-eyed wonder of Ladybird and Bee. Weekdays at 7am and 840am on RTÉ Jnr.  
  • RTÉ Home School Hub – Seamus the Dog will be playing lots of Games during Seachtain na Gaeilge to help everyone learn some new Irish words.  And brothers Niall and Seán McDonagh from High Rock Productions will be popping up on Home School Hub with their unique comic take on the ups and downs of learning Irish.  Weekdays at 10pm on RTÉ2.  
  • And, on Patrick’s Day, The Bank Holiday matinee is the Irish language version of The Breadwinner from Cartoon Saloon,, at 2.45pn on RTÉ2.

Music 

To celebrate Seachtain na Gaeilge, the RTÉ Concert Orchestra is collaborating with renowned singer/songwriter John Spillane – the gorgeous ballad ‘All the Ways you Wander’ will be translated into Irish by poet Simon Ó Faoláin and sung by Sligo singer Niamh Farrell. At a time when we are all thinking of relatives and friends far away, the song is a reminder that, though apart, we will soon be together again. The unique recording will be released across RTÉ social channels. 

Religious 

As St. Patrick’s College Maynooth celebrates its 225th Anniversary, RTÉ will air a bi-lingual mass celebrated by Fr. Tomás Surlis on RTÉ One on St Patrick’s Day, while RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta will broadcast Mass from Letterkenny Cathedral at 11am. The Mass will be celebrated by the Bishop of Raphoe, Bishop Alan Mac Eochagáin, music will be provided by the Cathedral’s Cór Gaeilge. 

ON RADIO 

Expect to hear more than a cúpla focal across RTÉ’s radio services throughout Seachtain na Gaeilge: 

  • RTÉ 2FM will broadcast daily bilingual news and sports bulletins; 
  • StaidAIR continues on RTÉ 2fm throughout the seachtain  
  • On March the 13th and 14th RTÉ Radio 1’s Céili House with Kieran Hanrahan (Saturday at 9pm), The Rolling Wave with Aoife Nic Cormaic (Sunday at 9pm) and Simply Folk with Ruth Smith (Sundays at 10pm) will all broadcast bilingual shows to kick off St. Patrick’s Week in style.  
  • Also on RTÉ Radio 1 on St. Patrick’s Day, Mise Freshin’ will see Múinteoir Ray Cuddihy take over from Ray D’Arcy as he explores the timeless and enduring themes of Irish folk and traditional music and its evolution through contemporary HipHop and beyond. (3.30 – 5pm) 
  • Also on St Patrick’s Day a special edition of the Irish-language podcast Beo ar Éigean will be broadcast on RTÉ Radio 1. The ladies will also feature in the RTÉ Guide with their top 10 sentences that nobody should leave home without knowing, as Gaeilge. 
  • On RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta, Bladhaire, presented by Áine Ní Bhreisleáin, will be talking to organisations from all over the country on their plans for Seachtain na Gaeilge.   
  • The RTÉ Radio 1 Landmark Decade of Centenaries SPOKEN STORIES Independence new fiction series, commissioned new stories on the theme of independence from 12 of our finest contemporary writers. The Irish language commissioned story Snáithíní Solais by Eoghan Mac Giolla Bhríde and read by the author will be broadcast on SPOKEN STORIES Independence on RTÉ Radio 1, on Sunday 7th March and will also be available as a podcast.

And on RTÉ lyric fm on Sunday 14th March  

Produced by Eoin O Kelly, RTÉ lyric fm will broadcast One Day/Lá Dá Raibh – the same programme in two languages, at 6pm in English and at 6.30pm in Irish language.

One Day  

Somewhere in the Venn diagram of radio play, poetry and performance art, One Day (Lá dá raibh) is a work of fiction which tells the story of a day in the life of a small village in the west of Ireland, where the dead and the living meet both historical characters and others from the speaker’s own imagination. It was first performed live at the Irish Arts Center in New York as part of the Masters in Collaboration series, and has now been adapted as a captivating audio experience for broadcast on radio.

The work is narrated by Louis de Paor, who plays the role of a writer in his sitting room writing the poem and speaking it aloud to himself. As a cast of characters come and go, the story moves from morning, to afternoon, to evening, to twilight, all the while accompanied by Lyn’s music, scored for piano, violin, a music box, amplified bicycle wheel and a loop station. With thanks to Ronan Browne for original recordings.

The programme is a Rockfinch Production for RTÉ lyric fm funded by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland from the Television Licence Fee.  

At 6.30 Lá Dá Raibh  

Saothar ficsin de shaghas faoi leith is ea ‘Lá dá raibh’, dráma véarsaíochta agus ceoil, a eachtraíonn scéal aon lae amháin i mbaile beag in iarthar Éireann mar a mbuaileann na mairbh agus na beo, pearsana stairiúla agus carachtair samhlaíochta, le chéile. Léiríodh ar dtúis é sa tsraith Masters in Collaboration in Ionad Ealaíne na hÉireann i Nua Eabhrac. Tá athchóiriú draíochtúil déanta anois air chun é a chur in oiriúint don raidió, agus pearsain éagsúla ag teacht is ag imeacht i gcaitheamh an lae, tá an scéal á aithris ag Louis de Paor le ceol nuascríofa ar uirlisí éagsúla leis an gcumadóir Meiriceánach Dana Lyn.

Is é Rockfinch Production a léirigh an clár seo do RTÉ lyric fm le tacaíocht ó Údarás Craolacháin na hÉireann as Ciste na gCeadúnas Teilfíse.  

ONLINE 

RTÉ Player will curate the best of Irish-language content over the course of Seachtain na Gaeilge. The 20 part Irish-language educational series Turas Teanga will be available to help you learn a few new words.  

On RTÉ.ie, well-known names will reveal their favourite sayings in Irish and, each day, the Today show will hop on board as Maura and Dáithí add their favourites. Make sure to check out RTE.ie/Gaeilge for the latest news and events from Seachtain na Gaeilge, as well as special RTÉ and RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta content, while RTÉ Player will showcase a range of Irish-language content from RTÉ and TG4.   

AND FINALLY, THE WEATHER 

Virtual weather swops will be popping up over the course of Seachtain na Gaeilge, as once again RTÉ and TG4 join forces.  RTÉ’s Weather Presenters will appear on TG4 and TG4’s Weather Presenters will appear on RTÉ.   

For all the latest on Seachtain na Gaeilge on RTÉ, check out rte.ie/culture, rte.ie/gaeilge, as well as RTÉ’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts using #snag.  

For more on Seachtain na Gaeilge, visit www.snag.ie.   

PLEASE NOTE:

  • Award-winning musician and songwriter John Spillane is one of Ireland’s most accomplished songwriters whose work has been covered by the likes of Christy Moore, Sharon Shannon and Sean Keane. His new album ’100 Snow White Horses’ will be released on the 2nd April. John will be accompanying the orchestra on guitar on this special recording. 
  • Niamh Farrell has been singing all her life. In 2013, she was spotted by friends of David Gray and has since toured the world with him and sings on his new album ‘Skellig’. She is an accomplished singer in English and Irish and is also a full-time nurse in A&E in St Vincents hospital in Dublin. She says one would not exist without the other. 
  • Simon Ó Faoláin is an award-winning poet and archaeologist. His very first collection ‘Anam Madra’ (A Dog’s Soul) won the Glen Dimplex Irish language award 2008 and the Eithne and Rupert Strong Award 2009 for a first collection in Irish or English. 
  • High Rock Productions was established in 2011 by brothers Sean and Niall McDonagh. We are dedicated to bring educational material to life using interactive, entertaining shows, workshops and presentations. We are writers and performers of comic theatre with a passion for education. This unique combination of talents means that we can deliver high educational value to participants as well as enjoyable entertainment.  High Rock Productions has worked with over 50,00 students in over 150 schools nationwide since 2011.