Coventry Irish Society Launches new Margaret Keane Irish Language School
March 28, 2024
Coventry Irish Society is delighted to announce their new Irish language school named in tribute to the late Margaret Keane.
The Keane family, from Coventry won their appeal in 2021, to have their mother's gravestone marked with an Irish inscription "In ár gcroíthe go deo" ("In our hearts forever"), reflecting Margaret’s Irish heritage. It was also to include a Celtic cross and a GAA logo, given her involvement with Gaelic games in Coventry.
The family battled for almost three years to win a landmark appeal to have Margaret Keane's final resting place marked with Irish words.
One of Margarets’ daughters, Bez Martin said “As a family it is such a privilege that Coventry Irish Society have named their Language School after mum. The fight we endured to express our final message to mum on her headstone in Irish should never have happened, and as we fought to challenge that discrimination we were joined by supporters across Coventry and beyond. This tribute to mum will be a lasting legacy for all the right reasons, thank you to Coventry Irish Society and we hope that many people reap the rewards that learning Irish can bring, connecting with their heritage, or simply celebrating the joy of the Irish language and sharing it with others”
Margaret Keane who sadly passed away, aged 73, in July 2018
Beginners classes of the ‘Margaret Keane Irish Language School’ are starting on Thursday 18th April 5pm, 2nd Floor Eaton House, 1 Eaton Road, CV1 2FJ. It is an 8 week course costing £40.
The new course is in addition to an intermediate class that runs every Thursday 6.30pm-8pm. Please contact Coventry Irish Society on 02476256629 or email cis@covirishsoc.org.uk for further information.
Beginners’ Irish Language Autumn Course 2026 with Dr Ian Malcolm Professional Irish language teacher and acclaimed Journalist, Dr Ian Malcolm, will deliver a bespoke online course in Beginners’ Irish. This course will consist of 10x classes and will take place entirely over Zoom on Saturday mornings, with Dr Ian Malcolm. Course details: Saturday 3 October 2026 - Saturday 5 December 2026* with 10x classes on Saturday mornings, delivered via Zoom from 11.00 am – 12.30 pm (including a 20 minute break). £105 for Coventry Irish Society Members | £110 for Non-Members *(or possibly slightly later, should the tutor need to take any unplanned leave during the course). This course consists of 10 classes and the aim is for the entirety of the course to be completed before Christmas 2026. Course materials: The class will use the textbook, Irish For Beginners (which is in the link below). This book costs in the region of £7.00 - £10.00 and it is strongly recommended that students purchase their own copies in advance of the course. You can find details of the course textbook here. Registration closes when course capacity is reached. Early booking is strongly recommended. The registration form for this course can be downloaded below. Please contact us at cis@covirishsoc.org.uk to return your booking form and complete course fee payment.
Coventry Irish Society launch our new #GaeilgeOnTheGo flashcards to support and encourage learning and practising new words in Irish. Here are our first set of free flashcards, in Irish, to mark the start of the new school year, and to welcome the Autumn season. Click on a tile below to enlarge.
Coventry Irish Society is moving!
