Press Releases22 May 13

The Bedell Cup –An Ghaeilge – Sárthaispeántas á thabhairt! – Showcasing the Irish Language

An Ghaeilge – Sárthaispeántas á thabhairt!
Coláiste Wesley, Scoil Ashton, An Scoil Ghraiméir, Sligeach agus Coláiste Chill Chainnigh
Buaiteoirí iad uile  i gComórtas Bedell

Ó Mháirseáil Bhrian Bóramha go dtí Coinne Chéad Uaire agus ó óráidí ar Ardán Cainte faoi thionchar pheileadóirí mhórchlú  agus an Harlem Shake … bhí sé go léir ag tarlú trí Ghaeilge.    

Bhí sé go hiontach an réimse leathan imeachtaí a d’eagraigh na scoileanna do chomórtas Bedell – comórtas eagraithe ag Cumann Gaelach na hEaglaise chun an teanga a spreagadh i measc  scoileanna agus aos óg Eaglais na hÉireann agus daltaí i scoileanna Protastúnacha i gcoitinne. 

Fuair Coláiste Welsey an chéad duais i gComórtas Bedell  i mbliana –Corn Bedell agus seic @ €250.  Tháinig Scoil Ashton agus An Scoil Ghraiméir sa dara áit agus fuair siad seic €100 an scoil, agus fuair Coláiste Chill Chainnigh an tríú áit agus seic @ €50. 

Ba choir go mbeadh bród mór ar na scoileanna uile, idir mhúinteoirí agus dhaltaí a ghlac páirt sa chomórtas. Beatha teanga na Ghaeilge í a labhairt agus – chomh tábhachtach céanna – sult agus spraoi a bhaint aisti!

Bhí William Bedell, fear ó Essex i Sasana, mar Phropast ar Choláiste na Tríonóide, agus ina dhiaidh sin, ina Easpag  ar Dheoise na Cille Móire.  Rinne sé an chéad aistriúchán cuimsitheach go Gaeilge ar an Sean–Tiomna sa 17ú haois.   

Tá stair ársa ag an scoil seo i saol na tíre, agus baint mhór ag an Eaglais i saol na Gaeilge freisin. Agus tá an nasc seo ann fós.  Labhair an tArdeaspag Richard Clarke, Príomháidh na hÉireann, agus iar–dhalta Coláiste Wesley, i nGaeilge ag seirbhís an tSionaid Ginearálta in Ard Mhacha ag tús na míosa.

Beidh Comórtas Bedell ar siúl arís an bhliain seo chugainn le linn Sheachtain na Gaeilge. Tá tuilleadh pictiúir agus iarratas Choláiste Wesley ar fáil ar www.facebook.com/Gaeleaglais nó déan teagmháil le Caroline Nolan, Oifigeach Forbartha Gaeilge. 

Showcasing the Irish language
Welsey College,  Sligo Grammar,  Ashton College and Killenny College
All winners in Comórtas Bedell

From  Brian Burú’s March to Blind Date and from Soap Box orations on the influence of celebrity footballers to the Harlem Shake, it was all happening through Irish. 

There was a wide range of activities and great imagination shown in the applications submitted to  the Bedell Competition – a competition organised by Cumann Gaelach an hEaglaise (The Irish Guild of the Church) to encourage the greater use of the Irish language among young people in the Church of Ireland and, in particular, post–primary Protestant schools. 

Wesley College won first place this year and they were presented with the Bedell Cup and a cheque for €250.  Ashton School, Cork and Sligo Grammar School came joint second and each received a cheque for €100 and Kilkenny College came third and received a cheque for €50.  Every school that took part of the competition is commended for the effort made by the teachers and pupils to ensure that the language is used as a living language – and enjoyed. 

William Bedell, was an Essex man who became Provost of Trinity College and later became Bishop of Kilmore.  It was he who organised the first complete translation of the Old Testament into Irish in the 17th Century.

Wesley College and the Church of Ireland have a noble tradition in the history of the language.  These links are still there.  Archbishop Richard Clarke, Primate of all Ireland and a former pupil of Wesley College,  gave his blessing in Irish during the General Synod service earlier this month.

This is the second year of this competition.   It will be running again next year as part of Seachtain na Gaeilge.  Further photographs and details of Wesley College’s entry are available on www.facebook.com/Gaeleaglais and/or contact Caroline Nolan, Cumann Gaelach na hEaglaise for further information.