The Foundations first Irish fund awards £62,000

1 Oct 2021

The Community Foundation for Northern Ireland has awarded £61,910 to 46 community organisations across Northern Ireland through the Ultach Fund, to support them to use and promote the Irish language. Registered charities, voluntary and community groups applied for grants of up to £2,000 to deliver innovative projects including the development of podcasts and theatre productions in Irish, resources for pre-school children as well as Irish language classes, coffee mornings and social events across all traditions.

Orla Black, Grant Director at the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland explained:
“This was the first time we’d opened the fund and we were struck by the wide range of organisations who applied. In addition to community groups with many years of experience in promoting the Irish language, we also made awards to a pipe band, a social economy project and those looking to take their first steps in developing the Irish language within their community. Organisations were invited to make their funding applications in Irish or English and to support this we appointed an Irish language grants assessor. We’re looking forward to working closely with all the groups funded and
building relationships with them.”

The funded groups include, the North West Japanese Cultural Group who received £1,330 towards dramatizing and digitising a Japanese Ghost story in the Irish language; St Jarlath’s Independent Pipe Band in Co Armagh who were awarded £1,330 to produce a video in Irish and English about the history of the band and the piping tradition in Portmór and Altram in Belfast to develop a digital platform supporting parents and teachers.

The original Iontaobhas Ultach Trust was established in 1989 to promote the Irish language as part of Northern Ireland’s shared cultural heritage. During its lifetime the Trust invested over £2million in a wide range of Irish language projects, classes, social events, publications, competitions, research, resources, and education projects. The Ultach Trust formally closed March 2021 and its remaining assets transferred to establish a new fund within the Community Foundation.

Bronnann Fondúireacht an Phobail £62,000 ón Chiste Ultach

Tá £61,910 bronnta ag Fondúireacht an Phobail do Thuaisceart Éireann ar 46 eagraíocht phobail ar fud Thuaisceart Éireann tríd an Chiste Ultach, le cuidiú leo an Ghaeilge a úsáid agus a chur chun cinn. Chuir carthanais chláraithe, agus grúpaí deonacha agus pobail isteach ar dheontais suas le £2,000 le tionscadail nuálacha a sheachadadh lena n-áirítear podchraolta agus léiriúcháin Ghaeilge a fhorbairt, acmhainní do pháistí réamhscoile chomh maith le ranganna Gaeilge, maidineacha caife agus imeachtaí sóisialta de gach traidisiún.

Seo mar a mhínigh Orla Black, Stiúrthóir na nDeontas ag Fondúireacht an Phobail do Thuaisceart Éireann é :
“Ba seo an chéad uair a d’oscail muid an ciste agus bhí iontas orainn gur chuir réimse chomh leathan sin d’eagraíochtaí isteach air. Chomh maith le grúpaí pobail le blianta fada de thaithí i gcur chun cinn na Gaeilge, thug muid deontas fosta do bhanna píob, do thionscadal geilleagair sóisialta agus dóibh sin atá ag iarraidh a gcéad chéimeanna a ghlacadh i bhforbairt na Gaeilge taobh istigh dá bpobal. Iarradh ar eagraíochtaí a n- iarratais ar mhaoiniú a dhéanamh i nGaeilge nó i mBéarla agus le tacú leis sin cheap muid measúnóir deontas Gaeilge. Táimid ag dúil go mór le bheith ag obair go dlúth le gach grúpa a fuair maoiniú agus caidreamh a fhorbairt leo.”

I measc na ngrúpaí a fuair maoiniú bhí Grúpa Cultúir Seapánach an Iarthuaiscirt a fuair £1,330 le cuidiú leo scéal taibhseoireachta de chuid na Seapáine a chur i bhfoirm dráma agus a dhigitiú i nGaeilge; Banna Píob Neamhspleách Naomh Iarlaith i gContae Ard Mhacha ar bronnadh £1,330 orthu le físeán a léiriú i nGaeilge agus i mBéarla faoin stair atá le traidisiún na píobaireachta i bPort Mór agus Altram i mBéal Feirste le hardán digiteach a fhorbairt a thacaíonn le tuismitheoirí agus múinteoirí.

Bunaíodh Iontaobhas Ultach ar dtús in 1989 leis an Ghaeilge a chur chun cinn mar chuid d’oidhreacht chultúrtha chomhroinnte Thuaisceart Éireann. Lena linn d’infheistigh an tIontaobhas corradh le £2 mhilliún i réimse leathan de thionscadail, ranganna, imeachtaí sóisialta, foilseacháin, comórtais, taighde, acmhainní agus tionscadail oideachais i nGaeilge.

Dhruid Iontaobhas Ultach go foirmiúil i Márta 2021 agus aistríodh na sócmhainní a bhí fágtha aige chuig ciste úr taobh istigh d’Fhondúireacht an Phobail.