Following the news that An Gaelacadamh, which provided traditional music, song and dance lessons in the Galway Gaeltacht since 1978, is to close, the Government has announced funding of €325,000 to promote the traditional arts for young people throughout the Gaeltacht areas.

The Board of An Gaelacadamh announced in August that it was to close due to funding difficulties. It received three-year funding in 2015, and €130,000 in funding for 2017/18, but was unable to draw the funding down. The traditional arts tuition that An Gaelacadamh provided will now come under Ealaín na Gaeltachta, which is part of Údarás na Gaeltachta, beginning in January 2019. 

A grant of €325,000 has been sanctioned by Minister of State Joe McHugh, part of a recently announced 5-year plan for the Irish language. Features of the programme include:

• A study of the training opportunities in the traditional arts currently available to young people in Gaeltacht areas;
• The provision of music, dancing, singing and oral arts classes in the Galway Gaeltacht from January 2019
• The provision of classes in Scoil Cheoil na Crannóige in Donegal and Ionad Cultúir an Dochtúir Ó Loingsigh in Cork, with consideration to be given to the expansion of the current provision in these two Gaeltacht areas.

Other Gaeltacht areas will also be considered for the expansion of classes.

For more, visit www.chg.gov.ie.