Lá Mór na Gaeilge - Irish Language Day 2025
January 24, 2025
Join us for Irish Language Day 2025 on Saturday 8 March!
The Coventry Irish Society are delighted to open registration for this year’s Lá na Gaeilge / Irish Language Day which will take place on Saturday 8 March 2025, for all levels, as part of the Coventry Irish Society’s St Patrick’s Festival and Seachtain na Gaeilge 2025 (Irish language week).
Áit / Location: Ground Floor, Quaker Meeting House, Hill
Street, Coventry CV1 4AN
Arrival: 9.15 – 9.25 am
Session ends approximately 11.10 am to allow a short break before the next activity. The group are welcome to stay together, on location, during the break.
Múinteoir / Teacher: Nollaig Doughan
The session will be suitable for all levels and will include various activities, including the opportunity to learn the Irish National Anthem, as Gaeilge (which might come in handy for the rugby later!).
2. Síulóid / Bilingual Walking Tour of Coventry
12.00: A fascinating síulóid /walking tour around historical city centre sites will be led by Christy Evans and will take
approximately one hour.
Christy writes a column, in Irish, for The Irish World. Christy is a gaeilgeoir and has dedicated his life to teaching and promoting Irish. His notable achievements include being the European Commission Language Ambassador for Irish, Winner of The Pride of Ireland Award 2007, and Founder of Coláiste na nGael. Coláiste na nGael - Wikipedia
Christy has written a short Irish / English guide booklet on Coventry and this will be provided to participants on the day.
The meeting point and end location are TBC, but will be around the Cathedral / Broadgate area of Coventry.
Adults booked on the tour may bring children with them, free of charge (1x child per parent / guardian / carer who is fully
responsible for the child’s supervision and care at all times). Please ensure that a child’s place is booked in advance, at the
same time as purchasing the adult’s ticket. Attendees should wear comfortable footwear and suitable outdoor clothing as this will be an outdoor event. They may also wish to bring a drink / light snack.
3. Free-time or option to join the language group for the Six Nations Rugby (Ireland v France)
Áit / location: The Hearsall Inn, Craven Street, Coventry CV5 8DS
Am / Time: approximately 1.45 pm – 4.15 pm.
This part of the day is not formally organised by the Coventry Irish Society and so we cannot reserve seating (or control the
result!!), but we do hope that Irish speakers will stay together to keep speaking Irish and to sing the Anthem, as Gaeilge!
4. 7.00 pm Pop Up Gaeltacht & Bilingual Quiz
Áit / Location: The Hearsall Inn, Craven Street, Coventry CV5
8DS
Am / Time: 7.00 pm – 9.00 pm
Over 18s only
Tickets
Adult Full Day Ticket
£10 members / £12 non-members. This includes the Taster Session, Walking Tour & Evening Quiz.
Adult Half Day Ticket
£6 members / £8 non-members. This includes the Walking Tour & Evening Quiz.
This will be a popular day and advance booking is essential. Places are limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Tickets do not include food / drink. Admission to watch the rugby game is free.
Please contact Caroline Brogan, at caroline.brogan@covirishsoc.org.uk or telephone 024 7625 6629, or visit our office at Eaton House during office hours, to obtain a booking form and arrange advance payment. On receipt of payment, a confirmation email will be sent to you as proof of booking.
Leibhéal / Level: The day is suitable for all levels, from fluent speakers, to beginners. Where possible, we will try to tailor the level of Irish to the attendee. All activities will be bilingual.
Join us on Wednesday 28 January from 11.00am-12.00pm (followed by a Ciorcal Comhrá). Discover the art of making a St Brigid’s Day cross at this bilingual workshop (Instructions in Irish first, followed by the English translation. Suitable for all levels, esp. complete beginners). All welcome, but please book a place in advance by emailing: cis@covirishsoc.org.uk Cost : £3.00 Members / £4.00 Non-Members (to cover materials & light refreshments). A Ciorcal Comhrá (an informal Irish language conversation circle) will follow the workshop (12.00 - 1.00 pm) for those who would like to stay on after the St Brigid’s Workshop and speak some Irish (or just hear it spoken) - all levels welcome!
Join poet Cathy Galvin as she invites you to find a space to look again, and more deeply, at the all-too-familiar landscapes of home. Using texts from her own work, focussed on Connemara and Coventry, she will help you consider what lies beneath and within the landscapes we think we know. Event details : Wednesday 11 March 2026 Doors Open: 5.00 pm Event start time: 5.30 pm Event finish time: 6.30 pm Admission: Free About the Writer, Cathy Galvin Poet, editor and journalist Cathy Galvin has roots in Coventry and Connemara. Her collection, Ethnology, A Love Song for Connemara, is due from Bloodaxe Books in the UK and Ireland in February 2026. Her poetry is widely published and includes the sequences Walking the Coventry Ring Road With Lady Godiva (Guillemot Press), Rough Translation and Black and Blue (The Melos Press). She is founder of the Word Factory and the Sunday Times Short Story Award. View Ethnology, A Love Song for Connemara here. You can follow her on Instagram @cathygalvinwords. Word Factory can be found on Substack How to book: Ticket only event – please book a place in advance by emailing cis@covirishsoc.org.uk , confirming the full names of all attendees.
Join us for this free event on Thursday 29 January 2026 at Coventry Irish Society. The event is free but advance booking is essential - To book, please email: cis@covirishsoc.org.uk and bring your booking confirmation reply to the event. Doors open : 6.00 pm Event discussion : 6.30 – 7.30 pm Event closure : 8.00 pm About Hen Norton: Henrietta Norton is a director, producer and writer whose work explores identity, connection and collective storytelling. Through her production company HOTFEET she develops community centred film projects across documentary, editorial and arts platforms, and is currently developing Mo & Me, a feature documentary about her late stepmother Mo Mowlam, co-produced by Underground Films and Erica Starling. Her work includes The Amber Light, which she produced and which was nominated for Best Documentary Feature Film at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, and Born and Reared, her directorial debut exploring masculinity and identity in contemporary Northern Ireland. Both films reflect her commitment to amplifying underrepresented voices and fostering understanding through story. Alongside her film work, Hen collaborates with artists, activists and community groups across the UK and Ireland. She produced The Unsung HERoes, an exhibition celebrating women peacebuilders, and founded Six Strangers, a digital discussion platform that created space for honest, human connection during Covid. Her practice centres on empathy, participation and the power of shared narratives to inspire social and cultural change. The Coventry Irish Society are proud to host this event with funding support from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Reconciliation Fund.
