Ba dhíograiseach iad an cúigear chloigeann déag a chur tús le haistear foghlama go luath maidin Dé Máirt. Ar a hocht a’ chloig ar maidin a thosaigh an cúrsa, ‘Gaeilge don earnáil ghnó agus seo mar a bheas maidin Dé Mairt don dream seo ar feadh deich seachtaine.
Séamas Ó Gallachóir, ar scor anois ó Údarás na Gaeltachta, atá mar theagascóir ar an chúrsa arna eagrú ag Líonra Leitir Ceanainn i gcomhpháirtíocht le hOifig Fiontar Áitiúil Dhún na nGall.
Is í an sprioc ná daoine ó lucht gnó an cheantair a chumasú chun tuilleadh Gaeilge a úsáid ina gcuid gnólachtaí ar tuiscint níos fearr a bheith acu fá bhuntáistí na Gaeilge don earnáil ghnó agus mar a féidir lena ngnólachtaí féin leas a bhaint as an teanga.
Beidh deis ag daoine an Ghaeilge atá acu a thabhairt chun cuimhne arís agus cur léi. Tá rannpháirtithe an chúrsa ag teacht ó earnálacha éagsúla – eolaí agus táilliúir, grianghrafadóir agus ortadóntóir, daoine ó earnáil na meán, an fháilteachais, agus caidrimh phoiblí agus eile. Tá saibhreas de thaithí agus de phearsantacht sa seomra.

Chuir Séamas tús leis an chúrsa le cur síos ar an obair a bhí idir lámha aige le blianta anuas le cliantchomhlachtaí de chuid Údarás na Gaeltachta. Is cosúil go bhfuil daoine cleachta leis an nós go mbeadh an Ghaeilge le feiceáil ar chomharthaíocht agus ar ábhar brandála lucht gnó na Gaeltachta agus go mbeadh seirbhís trí Ghaeilge ar fáil. Ach tá claochlú ag tarlú, céim ar chéim i gceantair taobh amuigh den Ghaeltacht, macasamhail Leitir Ceanainn. Labhair Ciarán An Táilliúir Uí Bhaoill faoin oiread daoine a thagann thar tairseach a shiopa, i ndiaidh an chomharthaíocht Gaeilge a fheiceáil, agus a labhraíonn Gaeilge leis. “Ní bhíonn ach cúpla focal ag cuid acu ach iad thar a bheith sásta deis a bheith acu an Ghaeilge a úsáid,” a dúirt sé, “agus ansin daoine eile a bhíonn rabharta Gaeilge leo agus bím ag streachailt liom an t-iomlán a thuigbheáil. Sin an fáth go bhfuil mé ag iarraidh mo chuid Gaeilge a fheabhsú.”
Labhair Sharon McGlynn faoin tionchar ar imríodh ar ghnó s’acu nuair a chuir siad comharthaíocht nua in airde agus ainm an chaife i nGaeilge, “An Bomaite Ciúin” air. “Tagann daoine isteach anois agus labhraíonn siad Gaeilge linn. Bíonn siad ar bís go bhfuil ‘bomaite’ seachas ‘nóiméad’ in úsáid againn ar an ainm mar gur focal chomh Conallach é bomaite!”
Beidh na rannpháirtithe uilig ag súil le forbairt teanga agus muiníne le linn an chúrsa ionas go mbeidh siad in ann fáilte a chur roimh a gcuid custaiméirí agus seirbhís – bunúsach ar a laghad – a sholáthar trí Ghaeilge.
Chun tuilleadh sonraí a fháil déan teagmháil le Bairbre 086 0751663 eolas@lionralc.ie
Early Morning Learning!
It was a committed group of 15 who came together early on Tuesday morning 21 January. The course, “Irish for Business” began at o’clock in the morning and will continue for 10 weeks.
Séamas Ó Gallachóir, retired now from Údarás na Gaeltacht is the tutor on this course which has been set up as a partnership between Líonra Leitir Ceanainn and the Donegal Local Enterprise Office. The aim is to enable local business people to use more Irish in their businesses and to develop a better understanding of how Irish gives a business an advantage and how their business can benefit from the language.
Participants will have the chance to recall, refresh and build upon the Irish they have. There is great diversity in the group – a scientist and a tailor, a photographer and an orthodontist, people from media, hospitality and public relations sectors. There is a wealth of experience and personality in the room.
Séamas began by outlining his experience working with Údarás na Gaeltacht’s client companies over the year. People may be well used to the idea that businesses in the Gaeltacht should have Irish language signage and branding and that they should be able to provide customer service in Irish but there is a transformation happening, bit by bit, in areas outside the Gaeltacht, such as Letterkenny.
Ciarán Ó Baoill, the Tailor, spoke about how many people come in to his shop and, having seen the shop’s signage in Irish speak Irish to him. “Some of them only have a few words and are delighted to have a chance to use what they have,” he said, “but others come in and it is like a flood of Irish and I can be struggling to understand it all. That is why I want to improve my Irish.”
Sharon McGlynn talked about the impact it had on the business when they put up new signage with the name of the café in Irish, “An Bomaite Ciúin” – The Quiet Moment. “People come in now and speak Irish to us. They are delighted that we used the word ‘bomaite’ rather than ‘nóiméad’ in the name because bomaite is just such a Donegal Irish word!”
All the participants will be hoping to improve their language skills and their confidence during the course so that they can welcome their customers with a ‘fáilte isteach’ and provide a at least a basic service to them through Irish.
If you would like to find out more about the course and future possibilities contact Bairbre on 086 0751663 eolas@lionralc.ie