ST Mary’s GAA Club has become the first club in the Carbery division to be awarded a Joe McDonagh Foundation medal for the promotion of the Irish language.
The Ballineen/Enniskeane club has led the way by being the only club in Carbery to be awarded a medal (awarded a bronze medal – bonn cré-umha), since the establishment of the foundation.
The Fondúireacht Sheosaimh Mhic Dhonncha 2023 (Joe McDonagh Foundation 2023) medals were presented at a special awards ceremony in Croke Park earlier this month.
At the ceremony, 55 clubs from all over the country were honoured and presented with medals for their work and commitment to the promotion of the Irish language within their communities.
The Fondúireacht Sheosaimh Mhic Dhonncha, established in 2016 and named after former GAA President Joe McDonagh, is a partnership scheme between Glór na nGael and the Gaelic Athletic Association. The partnership is committed to increasing the use of Irish in GAA clubs in an enjoyable and practical way. The medals awarded are evidence of the efforts of GAA clubs to integrate the Irish language into their activities.
St Mary’s GAA Club is fortunate to have a strong language and cultural committee, led by its Oifigeach Gaeilge agus Gnóthaí Cultúrtha Margaret O’Donovan, assisted by Mary O’Driscoll. The Irish Language Committee also attributes its success to having received the full backing of the officers and club members, as it seeks to make the Irish language more central to its activities.
St Mary’s is appreciative of the support received from Glór na nGael in terms of funding for permanent bilingual signage and support for setting out a clear pathway and goals to increase the visibility and use of the language in the club community.
Among the many actions completed by the club this year, in raising the profile of the language, are permanent bilingual signage in the club complex; bilingual social media posts; the Irish language as an item on the agenda at each meeting; the club’s publications are entirely bilingual; Cúinne na Gaeilge in the club house; Lá na Gaeilge at Cúl Camp.
In 2024 St Mary’s intends to organise more Irish language and cultural events and will strive to attain a silver medal (Bonn Airgid), while looking forward to the continued support of Glór na nGael.
The Saints also want to encourage all clubs in the Carbery division and beyond to participate in this great initiative to demonstrate our pride in the language, in line with the GAA’s ethos of promoting the Irish language as an integral part of its objectives.
Ní neart go cur le chéile!
