Leagan Gaeilge anseo

The Irish Language:

Irish in the Media

Newspapers and Magazines
Television and Radio

Newspapers and Magazines

The Irish Times
The Irish Times publishes several articles in the Irish language. There are two regular and excellent Irish language features which are well worth reading, "An Teanga Bheo" on Tuesdays and "Tuarascáil" on Wednesdays. A collection of these articles can be viewed at The Irish Times web page (www.ireland.com). There is also an Irish language on-line discussion group at this site. This service is no longer free of charge, however.

Comhar
A mixture of critique, creative writing and current affairs can be found in this monthly magazine which has been published continually for over 50 years.
Address: 5 Merrion Row, Dublin 2
Tel: (01) 678-5443
Fax: (01) 678-5443
Email: eolas@comhar-iris.ie
Website: www.comhar-iris.ie

Foinse
Foinse is the Irish language national weekly newspaper published every Saturday. It is based in Carraroe, Conamara. Foinse covers a range of topics, from national and international news, current affairs, sport, travel, business, education and reviews, and is aimed at young and old alike
Address: An Cheathrú Rua, Co. Galway
Tel: (091) 595520
Fax: (091) 595524
Email: nuacht@foinse.ie
Website: www.foinse.ie

Lá
Lá is a Belfast-based daily Irish language newspaper covering current affairs and topical stories.
Address: Teach Basil, 2 Cnoc Bhaile Haine, Belfast BT17 0LT
Tel: (048) 90 605050
Fax: (048) 90 605544
Email: eolas@nuacht.com
Website: www.nuacht.com

Saol
Saol is a monthly freesheet which includes a crossword puzzle, a page for learners, cartoons, ads, pictures, notices, stories, etc.
Address: Saol, 7 Merrion Square, Dublin 2
Tel: (01) 639-8400
Email: otorna@indigo.ie
Website: www.smo.uhi.ac.uk/gaeilge/saol.html

An tEolaí
A quarterly science newsletter for post-primary students, An tEolaí has articles from Scientific American and other publications translated into Irish. Entertaining, educational, and free.
Address: Dr Matt Hussey, Stiúrthóir Dhámh na hEolaíochta, DIT, Kevin Street, Dublin 8.
Email: matt.hussey@dit.ie
Website: www.smo.uhi.ac.uk/~smacsuib/eolai

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Television and Radio

Raidió na Gaeltachta
RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta's mandate is to provide a national Irish language radio service as part of RTÉ's public broadcasting service.

The station was first established to provide a comprehensive radio service for the people of the Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking region) and for Irish speakers nationwide and began broadcasting at 3pm on Easter Sunday, 2 April 1972. RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2002.

During the early years, broadcasting was restricted to a couple of hours a day and that limited service could only be received in Gaeltacht areas. Transmission facilities and programming were gradually developed and RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta is now available worldwide on the web.

Since 1st October 2001, the station broadcasts 24 hours a day, with a wide range of news and current affairs, magazine programmes, music, sport, discussion and entertainment.

An MRBI poll taken in April 2001 shows that in overall terms, the high quality programming, excellent news service, local coverage, music programmes and non-Dublin focus are the dominant reasons for tuning into RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta. Another significant finding of the 2001 survey is that the station's average weekday audience in its core Gaeltacht region has increased by almost 10 per cent. "These are exciting times for RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta, for both our radio broadcasting and our simultaneous internet livestream" says Tomás Mac Con Iomaire, Ceannaire Raidió na Gaeltachta.

RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta's livestream was launched in May 2000 [www.rte.ie/rnag& www.rte.ie]. Since then the station has been getting feedback on a regular basis from listeners in North America, Australia, UK, Europe, Moscow and Estonia.

Since Tuesday, April 23rd 2003, all four RTÉ radio services are carried live on the Sky Digital Platform. That means subscribers to Sky Digital TV can hear the output of RTÉ Radio 1, 2fm, Lyric fm and Raidió na Gaeltachta, live and 24 hours a day.
RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta can be heard on Channel 916 in the Music & Radio Category on the Sky TV Guide Index.

Much has been achieved in the station's first 30 or so years -

The station has studios and staff in Baile na nGall, (West Kerry), Doirí Beaga (Donegal), Dublin (RTÉ) and Castlebar, Co. Mayo as well as its headquarters in Casla, Connemara. Recent developments include the establishment of links via ISDN lines to the smaller Gaeltacht communities of Ráth Cairn, Co. Meath, Paróiste na Dromad in South Kerry and An Rinn, Co. Waterford. Regular use is also made of RTÉ studios in Galway, Limerick, Belfast, Sligo, Waterford, and Derry.

RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta employs upwards of 80 people, including staff members, contract employees and part-time workers, most of whom are based at the station's headquarters in Casla. Irish is the working and broadcasting language of the service.

Address: RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta, Casla, Conamara, Co. Galway.
Tel: (091) 506677
Fax: (091) 506666
Email: rnag@rte.ie
Website: www.rte.ie/rnag

Raidió na Life 106.4 FM
Raidió na Life is the country’s first independent all-Irish licensed radio station. It is a community station and has been broadcasting to the greater Dublin area since September 1993. The station is run by a cooperative (Comharchumann Raidió Átha Cliath Teoranta) which was set up in 1989 and operates under a community special interest license from the Independent Radio and Television Commission. From Monday to Thursday, the station's programmes begin with 'An Meangadh Mór' at 16:30, and broadcasting continues until 8 in the morning. On Friday, the station is on the air from 15:30 until 8 in the morning. At the weekend, broadcast begins at midday and continues until 8 in the morning.

Apart from the fulltime manager, a technician and a researcher, everyone associated with the station works on a voluntary basis. In any one week up to eighty people are involved in the operation of the schedule, including presenters, producers, reporters, researchers and others. A wide range of programmes is broadcast covering news, community and current affairs, magazine programmes and special interest programmes along with music from all over the world.
Address: Raidió na Life, 7 Merrion Square, Dublin 2
Tel: (01) 661-633
Fax: (01) 676-3966
Email: rnl102@iol.ie
Website: http://homepages.iol.ie/~rnl102

Voluntary work:
Raidió na Life is always happy to hear from Irish-speakers who would like to gain some experience in broadcasting, research or technical skills by doing some voluntary work in the station. If you are interested, contact the station manager at (01) 661-6333.

TG4
TG4 (formerly Teilifís na Gaeilge) is the national Irish language television station, which came on air in October 1996. TG4 is a Government initiative and has all-party support. TG4 functions as a publisher/broadcaster, sourcing its programmes from the independent production sector and from RTÉ. Its headquarters are located in Baile na hAbhann in Conamara.

In the first year of broadcasting TG4 increased its audience by over 100%. By April 1998, TG4’s daily audience reach was 340,000 viewers. TG4’s core audience is that portion of the population which either uses the language on a daily basis or which research indicates has a knowledge of the language. Approximately 74% of TV sets in the Republic have tuned in to receive the channel. TG4 is already achieving a greater share of the Irish television audience than other established channels such as Sky News, Eurosport, MTV and NBC Super.

Most of the 300 jobs sustained by TG4 are in independent production and postproduction companies. Most of those jobs are in small and medium-sized private enterprises based in rural communities, many of them in Gaeltacht areas.
RTÉ provides a Tuning Helpline (1850 584584) to assist with tuning enquiries.
Address: TG4, Baile na hAbhann, Co. Galway.
Tel: (091) 505050
Fax: (091) 505021
Email: eolas@tnag.ie
Website: www.tg4.ie

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