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.
In honour of Mo Mowlam, we are creating a collage called In Her Footsteps . This collage of pictures of ordinary, everyday women in our community will pay tribute to the unsung heroes, past and present, who have shaped our values and made the world we live in a better place, such as our nurses, Irish mammies, nannies, and any woman who we find inspirational. The collage will be on display at the Coventry Irish Society and will be unveiled at the Equal-i-tea on 19 August 2025 . If you would like to contribute to the collage, then please could you send us a photograph together with the name of your nominated person and a short sentence or two on who they are and why they inspire you. This will be quite a big project and therefore we will not be able to return photographs. We would also ask that written consent is obtained from any living person to be featured in the collage. Contributions can be handed to a member of staff in the office or emailed to: cis@covirishsoc.org.uk up and until 23 July 2025.
Mo Mowlam was a real changemaker; her courage and humanity played a vital role in bringing about The Good Friday Agreement / Belfast Agreement. Mo was an extraordinary, inspirational woman, and we’re very proud of her Coventry roots. We invite you to join us at our cross-community Equal-i-tea on Tuesday 19 August 2025 to celebrate Mo’s life and values on the 20th anniversary of her passing. Join us for a cross-community afternoon tea & an opportunity to learn more about Mo and her values as a peace builder. We will also unveil our community collage; In Her Footsteps – A tribute to the everyday women in our community who have shaped our values and made the world a better place. Time: 12.00 – 3.00 pm Venue: The Coventry Irish Society, 2nd Floor, Eaton House, Eaton Road, Coventry CV1 2FJ Admission: £10 per person (which covers entry and an afternoon tea with sandwiches and cake). Advanced booking is essential for this ticket-only event. Tickets can be obtained by seeing a member of staff in the office, or by emailing: cis@covirishsoc.org.uk or by telephoning us on 024 7625 6629.
We are hiring for an Early Stage Memory Loss Support Worker This post contract is initially for 1 year - role extension TBC additional funding. Salary: £10,000 P.A (£25,000 pro rata), 15 hours per week. Role pattern is 10am-4pm, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday (excluding lunch). About us: Established in 1993, Coventry Irish Society (CIS) is a Charity providing a wide range of community health and support services to the Irish Community in Coventry. The Coventry Irish Society requires an Early Stage Memory Loss Support Worker to facilitate a 1 half day per week Memory Loss Support Group and a half-day per week Walking Group for the local Irish Community. The role includes working with Carers and increasing mental health awareness to support the local Irish Community. The charity predominantly supports Irish Elders, but also supports Second and Third generation Irish, Irish Survivors and Irish Travellers. To apply for this role, please email your CV with cover letter detailing your experience and skills in line with role requirements and any additional information you think may be relevant. Download and view full job role description below.
