Pre-registration for Irish-language classes | Réamhchlárú do ranganna Gaeilge

Irish Language Classes for Children

Ottawa Irish Arts is glad to say the Ottawa Catholic School Board has their pre-registration ready for Irish-language classes. (Gaelic message follows)

Tá áthas orm a rá go bhfuil an réamhchlárú réidh ag an Bord Scoile Caitliceach do ranganna Gaeilge.

The Ottawa Catholic School Board is asking parents who have children aged K-8 interested in Irish-language classes to submit pre-registrations. Classes may start as early as January 2018!

The proposed time is Saturday mornings, and the proposed location is Mother Theresa School in Barrhaven. The location may still change based on information collected in the pre-registration, so please submit the form even if you would prefer a different location.

As well, there is no obligation yet to commit every Saturday morning by submitting the pre-registration form as the main goal of pre-registration is to gauge interest.

Please spread the links below and the flyer from the Board attached to anyone with school-aged children as we need around 20 students approximately the same age to open a class.

If the Board get enough pre-registration submissions, the classes will be free for any student from kindergarten to grade 8 in Ontario (no matter if enrolled in the Catholic board, public board, French school, home-school or private school). Québec residents will have to pay $160 per semester.

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Tá an Bord ag lorg réamh-chláraithe ar dhaoine a bhfuil suim a gcuid páistí idir aois naíscoile go dtí an 8ú ghrád sa bhunscoil a chlárú i ranganna Gaeilge. D'fhéadadh tús a chur ar ranganna chomh luath le Mí Eanáir 2018!

Tá rún ag an Bhord na ranganna a chur i bhfeidhm maidin Dé Sathairn sa Scoil Mother Theresa in Barrhaven. Seans go n-athróidh láthair na ranganna de réir an eolais atá le bailiú, mar sin, ar mhiste libh an réamhchlárú a chur isteach cé nach mbeadh an áit mholta foirfe oiriúnach daoibh.

Níl aon ghá daoibh go fóill an Satharn a chomaid saor i ndiaidh réamhchláraithe a chur isteach mar an príomh-aidhm ar an réamhchlárú ná suim an phobail a mheas.

Scaip na nascanna agus an bileog ón Bhord (Béarla) ceangailte seo thíos le bhur dtoil d'éinne le páistí ar aois scoile, toisc go bhfuil timpeall le 20 scolaire de dhíth orainn chun aon rang a thosnú.

Má tá go leor cláraithe curtha isteach chuig an Bhord, beidh na ranganna saor in aisce do scolaire ar bith in Ontario (is cuma má tá siad sa Bhord Caitliceach, poiblí, na Fraincise, nó i scoil bhaile nó phriobháideach). Caithfidh scolaire a chónaíonn in Québec $160 a íoc ar sheimeastar.


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Nascanna | Links:

Réamh-chlárú (Béarla) | Pre-registration: https:// docs.google.com/forms/d/e/ 1FAIpQLScZbRD1jPbF5041gsMyn3s8 NsiWaDhNudsPp7Qw0pp2CT1jfg/ viewform

Tuilleadh eolais ar Chlár na dTeangacha Idirnaisiúnta (Béarla) | More information on the International Languages Program: http://conted.ocsb.ca/childrens-programs/elementary-il

Beannachtaí,

Xavier-Oscar Mou
Oifigeach caidrimh phoiblí | Public Relations Officer
Ealaíona Gaelacha Ottabha | Ottawa Irish Arts
Ottawacomhaltas.com 

Chair's Corner - Notes from the Ottawa Irish Arts (CCE Ottawa) Chair, September 2017

Over the summer we were slightly more busy than usual. On June 16, myself, the Irish Officer (D. Doyle), the PRO (Oscar), the Social Media Officer (Pat), and guests Mary Muckle (harp), Pat Marshall (harp), Tim Robinson (pipes) spent the day (and lead up days, preparing) at the Ottawa Irish Arts booth at the "Ireland Welcomes the World" day at the Landsdowne park Horticulture building, which was also Bloomsday! The booth was prepared with instruments, Troir samples, Danny’s book on the Irish language in Canada, cds and sheet music for sale, the trifold, and up to date pamphlets. 

There was a lot of interest in the harps, the language, and interest in our events. The estimate was about 4000-5000 people came through over about 12 hours. It was clearly the best public outreach the Irish community has had in many years, that was not on St. Patrick’s, which tends to get more attention for partying. It was very successful and I hope that the outreach is noticed at our events.

On August 2nd there was a spectacular concert at St Brigid’s Centre, Kildare Room, with Pierre Schryer, Dermot Byrne, and Adam Dobres. Special guests included several locals and the Shryer brothers, who had not played on stage together for many years. It was well attended by about 100 people. It was a fundraiser for Pierre’s brother Dan, whose house was destroyed by fire earlier in the summer. The Old Sod Society provided most of the advertising, and got many people to come. It was billed as a joint Old Sod and Ottawa Irish Arts effort, and we got recognition for that. 

OIA was also invited to the exhibit opening in the Byward market hosted by the NCC and the Irish Embassy, "The Irish Diaspora in Canada: A History." It was also Liz Keogh’s last event as the 2nd Secretary of the Embassy. We bid her and Niall a fond farewell. Her new posting is in Limerick. We also met the incoming 2nd Secretary. at this event, Laura Finlay.

I attended the Irish ambassador's residence reception for the 2017 Eastern Regional GAA Championship participants, where I met the incoming ICUF Scholar, Sheila Concannon (we had said farewell to the previous scholar Kate Jordan earlier in the summer at a reception held by Margaret Moriarty).

Sadly, Branch member, Laurie Kelly, wife of Pat Kelly, died suddenly while visiting Ireland with Pat on Aug 30 at age 75. Patricia Avendano and I attended the funeral reception, and left a card on behalf of the branch. The branch made a donation to the St. Patrick’s Home of Ottawa Foundation.


Respectfully || Le meas,

Craig Hamm 
Chair || Cathaoirleach

May Ceili at St. Mark's Parish, Aylmer, Saturday 27 May

Ottawa Irish Arts is not holding the usual May ceili in Ottawa this year.

Instead one of our intrepid dance callers, Carol Ann Bowers, will call a May ceili on this coming Saturday (May 27, 2017) at 7:30pm, at St. Mark's Parish, 160 rue Principale, Aylmer, QC.

The Ottawa Irish Arts award winning céilí band will take to the stage for your dancing pleasure.  A dance performance featuring the Ottawa Irish Arts' solo dancers, capably lead by our branch secretary (and solo dance instructor) Caitlin Crockard, will also be presented.

This is a fundraiser!

Proceeds from tickets ($10 adults, $5 youth aged 12-18, free under 12) will go to the St. Mark's reparations fund and the St. Mark's refugee sponsorship scheme.

This is a family friendly event, suitable for all ages and no dance experience is necessary.

For the adults, bring your own beverages (there will be a liquor licence but no alcohol for sale).

Contact Carol Ann (819-595-1094) or Esperanza (819-695-0391) for more information.

Parish webpage link

Lots of free parking. 

Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann - 2016 Canada East Region Music Hall of Fame Honours

In Sudbury, on 22 October 2016, our past Ottawa Branch Chairperson (Síle Scot) was introduced into the CCÉ Canada East Region Music Hall of Fame Honours.

Sheila (Síle) Anne Scott

Courtesy of Oireachtas Gaeilge Cheanada

Síle was born in 1960 in Ottawa to Deidre (née Mulrennan) and Pádraig Scott. Her childhood home was a major hub of all aspects of Irish Culture.

She began Irish dancing with Peggy Kendellen when she was in primary school. By the time she had completed high school, she was already teaching. She established a dance in school in Brockville in 198, and began teaching with Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann in Ottawa in the same year. Her dance teams have taken first place in Oireachtas Gaeilge Cheanada four times since 2011, and have given many performances at other events.

As head instructor for the Ottawa Comhaltas Branch, she was also responsible for calling monthly céilís, and acting as "Bean an Tí" (headmistress). In addition to céilí and set dancing, she also reached sean-nós dancing and placed first int he open event at the Oireachtas Gaeilge Cheanada  in 2012. Other Oireachtas awards include 2nd place in Irish language singing (style other than sean-nós -old style) in 2014, and 2nd place in poetry recitation in 2015.

She was a founding executive member of Cumann na Gaeltachta (2002) along with her husband Aralt Mac Giolla Chainnigh and others of the North American Gaeltacht (Gaeltacht Thuaisceart on Oileáin Úir, 2007) and Oireachtas Gaeilge Cheanada (2011).

Síle has been an inspirational Comhaltas figure in Canada, and in the Irish language and cultural community, for more than 20 years. Her enthusiasm is infectious. Her generosity, patience, and genuine interest in people, are immediately in evidence. Her leadership, Intelligence, vision, skills, and talents are legend.

It is with great pride that we induct Síle Scot in the Comhaltas Music Hall of Fame.

Ena O'Brien

Chairperson

Canada East Regional Board

Name change for Ottawa CCE Branch to "Ottawa Irish Arts"

Why have we changed our public-facing name?

Dear Members, a chairde, 

This is a note to let you know that the public name for CCE Ottawa is changed to “Ottawa Irish Arts.” Our legal name, and our affiliation with Comhaltas, will not change. Why are we doing this? Read on to find out.

Since its inception in 1975 our branch has been named “Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann Ottawa Branch.” This name served us well for many years, but as time moves on, so have many of our founding and long- time members. Many of those members were first and second generation Irish, and had first-hand knowledge of the Comhaltas organization.

Using the branch's legal name, which is in the Irish language, for public outreach is becoming increasingly difficult as it is difficult to pronounce (for non-Irish), and literally has no meaning to non-Irish. It is after all in another language. Changing our public facing name allows us to reach out to the broader Ottawa community in order to maintain, and hopefully grow, our activities of preserving traditional Irish culture.

By changing our name to “Ottawa Irish Arts” we tell people where we are, the culture we represent, and the types of activities we pursue. It is easy to spell, pronounce, and is consistent with many other Comhaltas branches. 

Over time we will migrate the website and other media to the new name.

We are still a Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann branch. From here on, I strongly encourage all members to consciously use the name Ottawa Irish Arts, particularly when reaching out to new people or groups.

Thank you, Le meas,

Craig Hamm
Chair/ Cathaoirleach,
Ottawa Irish Arts (Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann Ottawa Branch)
On behalf of the Executive