Killarney is officially the country’s Irish language and culture capital this week as the town plays host to the annual Oireachtas na Samhna festival which has attracted a huge number of visitors.
Pictures: Don MacMonagle
Oireachtas na Gaeilge is a leading organisation dedicated to opportunities for the use of Irish and the establishment of a network for the use of the language and the big event at the Gleneagle INEC Arena features music, ceilís, sean-nós competitions,literary events, panel discussions and awards ceremonies over the course of the four-day festival.
The festival was officially launched on Wednesday afternoon by Minister of State for the Gaeltacht, Sport and Physical Education Thomas Byrne.
The minister noted the the immense scale and variety of performing arts events being held and the festival’s role in raising national awareness of the vibrant, artistic, engagement with the arts as Gaeilge.
All the business is conducted in Irish during the course of the celebrations, native speakers from the Gaeltacht mix with learners and the common bond is that they all love the language.
The Gleneagle-INEC in Killarney is one of the few venues big enough to host the Oireachtas and the event is a massive shoulder season boost for the town’s economy with hotels, guesthouses, restaurants, public houses and local stores all reaping the benefits.
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