Launching the beginning of Seachtain na Gaeilge (Irish Week), front man of the Hothouse Flowers, Liam Ó Maonlaí and singer Hilary Bow performed some of Van Morrison’s most beautiful songs, including “Tupelo Honey” and “Contacting My Angel”, as Gaeilge (in Irish).
The stunning performance was party of, Ireland’s national broadcaster, RTÉ’s series of projects to see Gaeilge go global – from Irish language radio apps, to news bulletins as Gaeilge and dedicated children’s collections.
Ó Maonlaí and Bow’s collaboration, on the RTE show Arena, is part of “Moondance: The Van Morrison Project” which will be featured at IMRAM, the Irish language literature festival. The project involved the translation of Van the Man’s songs by poets, Gabriel Rosenstock and Cathal Póirtéir. These songs will be then performed by Ó Maonlaí along with the Brad Pitt Light Orchestra.
RTÉ is celebrating Seachtain na Gaeilge 2016 (March 1 -17) with a wide range of exciting new Irish-language content across radio, television, online and mobile. The return of Seachtain na Gaeilge is being marked with the launch of a new Irish-language radio app (An Seinnteoir Raidió) which brings together, for the first time, every radio station on the island broadcasting “as Gaeilge” - RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta, Raidió na Life, Raidió Rí-Rá and Raidió Fáilte, along with 43 other Irish radio stations in the one place.
Rónán Mac Con Iomaire, RTÉ Group Head of Irish Language, says "This year's Seachtain na Gaeilge is particularly exciting for RTÉ as it's about adding to and experimenting with the considerable amount of Irish-language output we have already put in place since the launch of the RTÉ Irish language action plan last autumn.”
Here are just some of the Seachtain na Gaeilge 2016 highlights on RTÉ:
- For the first time, RTÉ Player and RTÉ Player International are creating a children's collection, dedicated to parents who are living abroad who want to introduce their children to the Irish language
- RTÉ.ie will, for the first time, feature a wide range of Irish-language articles throughout the website, while RTÉ Ten will present entertainment news updates in Irish with guest presenter, RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta’s Sinéad Ní Uallacháin
- RTÉ One will air a two-part series in Irish on Ireland's history of coalition governments. The series, a first ever tie-in with RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta, will feature the Irish Independent’s John Downing and RTÉ’s David McCullagh
- RTÉ One’s Today with Maura and Daithí will come from Corcaigh with a special show hosted bilingually by the two fluent presenters and featuring an exciting line-up of Irish-speaking guests
- On St. Patrick’s Day, RTÉ One’s parade coverage will be co-hosted by Bláthnaid Ní Chofaigh, while RTÉ One’s Six-One news will have a distinct Irish-language focus. Also on St. Patrick’s Day RTÉ2’s Two Tube will head to Ardgillan Castle in north county Dublin for a special show celebrating the Irish-language summer music festival, Ravelóid, with music and chat from Mundy, Hothouse Flowers and more as well as a festival lowdown from Eoghan MacDermott
Follow content and information streams throughout Seachtain na Gaeilge on @rte on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Vine and Instagram using the hashtag #rtesnag. For more on Seachtain na Gaeilge, visit www.snag.ie.
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