#StairLú – Pop-Up Gaeltachtaí Dhún Dealgan

Cad is Pop-Up Gaeltachtaí ann?

Tugann Pop-Up Gaeltachtaí daoine le chéile i suíomhanna sóisialta neamhfhoirmiúla chun Gaeilge a labhairt agus chun taithí a fháil ar an teanga mar chuid den ghnáthshaol.

Tháinig na himeachtaí seo, atá á reáchtáil ag oibrithe deonacha, chun cinn i mBaile Átha Cliath in 2017 agus scaip siad go tapa ar fud na hÉireann agus go hidirnáisiúnta. Sa lá atá inniu ann, úsáidtear samhlacha “pop-up” comhchosúla chun mionteangacha eile a chur chun cinn.

Cuirtear fáilte roimh rannpháirtithe de gach aois agus cúlra, rud a chruthaíonn eispéiris ilghnéitheacha le cuspóir comhroinnte: an Ghaeilge a úsáid agus a ghnáthú i spásanna poiblí.

Beoga, Solúbtha agus Ábhartha

Seachas spás a chur ar fáil chun Gaeilge a labhairt, tá sé mar aidhm ag gluaiseacht na Pop-Up Gaeltachtaí béim a chur ar an méid is féidir leis an teanga a bheith - agus ar an úsáid is féidir a bhaint aisti. Cuireann sí an Ghaeilge chun cinn mar theanga bheoga, sholúbtha agus ábhartha i ngach gné den saol.

Sampla maith is ea an tionscnamh “Gaeltacht i Scioból” a bhí ar siúl ag Kynedale Donkeys i gContae an Dúin le déanaí. Thug an ócáid seo cuireadh do rannpháirtithe Gaeilge a chleachtadh agus asail á scuabadh acu, ag idirghníomhú le hainmhithe, agus ag glacadh páirt i ngníomhaíochtaí séasúracha!

Pop-Up Gaeltacht Dhún Dealgan

Le bliain anuas, tá Dún Dealgan ar cheann de na molanna is gníomhaí do Pop-Up Gaeltachtaí in Éirinn. Bíonn cruinnithe coicísiúla ar siúl ar fud an bhaile; bhí an ceann is déanaí ar siúl i mBarra Uí Chinnéide i mí Feabhra.

Deir an t-eagraí áitiúil agus cainteoir líofa Gaeilge, Sionnain McCann, go bhfuil na himeachtaí seo thar a bheith tábhachtach chun muinín a thabhairt do dhaoine óga a dteanga a úsáid lasmuigh den seomra ranga.

Tar éis di freastal ar bhunscoil agus ar mheánscoil Ghaelscoile agus í tar éis fás aníos le grá domhain don teanga, úsáideann Sionnain an Ghaeilge mar a príomhtheanga anois.

Dar léi, baintear an bac a mhothaíonn daoine go minic agus iad ag labhairt Gaeilge go poiblí sna Pop-Up Gaeltachtaí, rud a ligeann dóibh é sin a dhéanamh gan stró.

Cén Fáth a nOibríonn Sé i nDún Dealgan

Dar le Sionnain, tá rath Dhún Dealgan leis na Pop-Up Gaeltachtaí fréamhaithe go páirteach sa stair áitiúil.

Tugann sí faoi deara gur athlonnaigh go leor teaghlach ón tuaisceart go dtí an baile idir na 1960idí agus na 1980idí, agus gur shocraigh an formhór acu ann sa deireadh. Tá a lorg fós le sonrú inniu.

Má tá duine óg ag iarraidh Gaeilge a fhoghlaim agus greim maith a fháil ar an teanga, creideann Sionnain go mbeadh sé tairbheach foghlaim ó na daoine seo, agus is áit í an Pop-Up Gaeltacht inar féidir é sin a dhéanamh go cinnte.

Cúis eile le borradh shaol na Gaeilge i nDún Dealgan ná ról gníomhach Chonradh na Gaeilge go háitiúil. Cuidíonn a gcuid oibre leanúnaí idirchaidrimh agus cur chun cinn tionscnamh teanga le spéis a chothú, tacú le foghlaimeoirí nua, agus níos mó daoine a threorú i dtreo imeachtaí Pop-Up Gaeltachta ar fud an bhaile.

Chun tuilleadh eolais a fháil faoi Phop-Up Gaeltacht Dhún Dealgan, tabhair cuairt ar an leathanach Instagram ANSEO.

#StairLú

Is feachtas Gaeilge Chomhairle Contae Lú é #StairLú a cheiliúrann scéalta, béaloideas, cultúr agus muintir Chontae Lú, ag tabhairt aird ar an oidhreacht uathúil a mhúnlaíonn contae is lú na hÉireann.

#StairLú – Dundalk Pop-Up Gaeltachts

What Are Pop-Up Gaeltachts?

Pop-Up Gaeltachts bring people together in casual, social settings to speak Irish and to experience the language as part of everyday life.

These volunteer-run events first emerged in Dublin in 2017 and quickly spread across Ireland and internationally. Today, similar “pop-up” models are even used to promote other minority languages.

Participants of all ages and backgrounds are welcome, creating diverse and purposeful experiences with a shared purpose: using and normalising Irish in public spaces.

Vibrant, Adaptable and Relevant

Beyond providing a space to speak Irish, the Pop‑Up Gaeltacht movement aims to emphasise what the language can be - and what it can be used for. It promotes Irish as something vibrant, adaptable, and relevant across all aspects of life.

A good example is the recent ‘Gaeltacht in a Barn’ initiative hosted at Kinedale Donkeys in Co Down. This event invited participants to practice Irish while engaging in donkey brushing, animal interaction, and seasonal activities!

Dundalk Pop-Up Gaeltacht

Over the past year, Dundalk has become one of the most active hubs for Pop‑Up Gaeltachts in Ireland. Fortnightly gatherings now take place across the town; the most recent took place in Kennedy’s Bar in February.

Local organiser and fluent Irish speaker Sionnain McCann says these events are especially important for giving young people confidence to use their language outside the classroom.

Having attended Gaelscoil primary and secondary schools and having grown up with a deep love of the language, Sionnain now uses Irish as her first language.

For her, Pop‑Up Gaeltachts remove the barrier that people often feel when speaking Irish in public, allowing them to do so gan stró - without difficulty.

Why It Works In Dundalk

For Sionnain, Dundalk’s success with Pop‑Up Gaeltachts is rooted partly in local history.

She notes that from the 1960s to the 1980s, many families relocated from the north, and most ultimately settled in the town. Their presence is still felt today.

If a young person wants to learn about Irish and wants to guarantee a grasp of the language, Sionnain believes it would be helpful to learn from these people, and a Pop-Up Gaeltacht is somewhere where you certainly can do so.

Another reason for Dundalk’s thriving Irish-language scene is the active role of Conradh na Gaeilge locally. Their ongoing liaison work and promotion of language initiatives all help sustain interest, support new learners, and direct more people towards the Pop‑Up Gaeltacht events happening around the town.

For more information on Dundalk Pop-Up Gaeltacht, visit the Instagram page HERE.

#StairLú

#StairLú is Louth County Council’s Irish-language campaign celebrating the rich stories, folklore, culture, and people of County Louth, highlighting the unique heritage that shapes Ireland’s smallest county.