A treasure house of all that is best in a rich Gaelic heritage of life in times past - of great music, song and dance.
Introduction: Here Irish is the everyday spoken language of a people who live and work in Donegal’s cultural heartland. A treasure house of all that is best in a rich Gaelic heritage of life in times past - of great music, song and dance. But here, also, is a land of stunning beauty. Quiet and unpolluted beaches look out on timeless islands like Rathlin O’Beirne, Tory and Gola. Mountains like the white-faced Errigal stand sentinel over forest parks and fish-filled lakes and rivers. GaelSaoire Údarás na Gaeltachta, The Gaeltacht Authority, is the regional government agency with responsibility for the economic, social and language/cultural development of the Gaeltacht (Irish speaking) areas of Ireland. An tÚdarás pursues its core language preservation and development objectives through job and wealth creation and a wide range of community, arts, language and cultural initiatives. A recent strategic Údarás na Gaeltachta initiative is the development and promotion of cultural tourism. The Authority's objective is to brand and promote the Gaeltacht areas as very different holiday destinations because of the Irish language, spoken as a community language, and because of the distinctive culture and ethos of the Gaeltacht, reflected in its music, song and dance in areas naturally endowed with some of Ireland's finest scenery. The tourism initiative is being pursued through the effective use and promotion of the brand name GaelSaoire, Holidays in the Gaeltacht.
The Gaeltacht. What is it? The Gaeltacht is the term used to refer to those areas of Ireland in which the Irish language (Gaeilge) is still spoken as a community language, and its culture and traditions are very much alive and thriving. These Irish speaking communities are scattered over seven counties and four provinces. Situated mainly along the Western seaboard, the Gaeltacht covers extensive areas of counties Donegal, Mayo, Galway and Kerry and also parts of counties Cork, Meath and Waterford. These regions present many varied and interesting holiday locations. Each region possesses an environment rich in heritage, folklore, culture and traditions, with a strong sense of its own identity and uniqueness. Here, within, lies the 'true Ireland'!
Contact info. Ireland`s Gaeltacht For a free brochure containing information on any of Ireland`s Gaeltacht Regions contact GaelSaoire Freephone Ireland: 1800 621 600 Freephone UK: 0800 7835708 International: +353 66 9152423 Fax: +353 66 9152429 Email: info@gaelsaoire.ie
Donegal Gaeltacht The colourful areas in Donegal’s NorthWest, SouthWest and mountainous midlands form Ireland’s second largest Gaeltacht region. The Donegal Gaeltacht is a breathtaking land of great mountains and lake-filled valleys fringed by the unpolluted seas of the Atlantic. Fronted by a craggy coastline necklaced with safe, quiet, sandy beaches, here lies a tranquil land rich in heritage and folklore, a land that contains a wealth of cultural strengths, a strong sense of its own identity and uniqueness. The Donegal Gaeltacht is a vibrant and delightfully different experience, Gaeltacht Dhún na nGall
In Iarthuaisceart, Iardheisceart agus lár Chontae Dhún na nGall atá an dara ceantar Gaeltachta is fairsinge in Éirinn. Tá radharcra aoibhinn anseo - sliabh agus mám, loch agus gleann, muir agus tuath. Tá uisce glé glan na Farraige Móire ag tuile agus ag trá ar a cósta creagach agus ar a cuanta agus a hinbhir – dúiche faoi shíth agus faoi shonas le saibhreas oidhreachta agus béaloidis na Gaeilge. Dúiche í ina bhfuil saibhreas cultúir as cuimse agus tuiscint láidir ar a bhféiniúlacht ar leith ag an bpobal a mhaireann inti. Gaeltacht Dhún na nGall – Tá éagsúlacht san áit sainiúil seo. Aimsigh duit féin an bheatha atá fós anseo sa mheascra de chultúr na gCeilteach agus na nGael…
Is í an Ghaeilge gnáth-theanga na muintire a mhaireann agus a shaothraíonn anseo i gcroílár chultúir dhúchais Dhún na nGall. Stórchiste den chuid is fearr dár n-oidhreacht Ghaelach – ceol, amhráin agus rince atá anseo. Ach tá an dúiche féin ina seoid fine ag clanna Gael - tránna glana fothainiúla, oileáin ársa mhara Reachlainn Uí Bhirn, Thoraigh agus Ghabhla; sléibhte mar An Earagail agus páirceanna foraoise, agus locha agus aibhneacha breaclána.
Radharcra agus Rúndacht Ó Chionn Fhanaide go Baile na Finne, ó Ghaoth Dobhair go Gleann Cholm Cille, ón Clochán Liath go dtí na Dúnaibh tá Gaeltacht Dhún na nGall lán go barra de radharcanna breátha agus de chúilíní rúnda le haimsiú. Tá lóistín den scoth ar fáil ar gach aon leibhéal agus caighdeán. Tá sárluach ar airgead saoire anseo thar aon áit eile in Éirinn in óstáin phríobháideacha, tithe aíochta, sráideanna saoire, páirceanna campála agus carabhán, brúnna agus tithe saoire. Ach is áit chun gníomhaíochta í freisin. Déan do rogha féin as an raidhse, lár-ionaid chaitheamh aimsire, iascach ar na farraigí móra nó intíre, páirceanna eachtraíochta, marcaíocht, dreapadóireacht sléibhe, siúlóid, rothaíocht, turasóireacht, galf, agus ag deireadh an lae ceap do shuaimhneas i dtábhairne ceoil nó i dtolglann sítheach. Tá seo uilig anseo fá do choinne. Agus anois, tá Aerfort Dhún na nGall ar tinneall chun tú a thabhairt anseo go ceartlár na Gaeltachta ar eitiltí réamhcheaptha ó Bhaile Átha Cliath agus ó Ghlaschú. Abou