 Language fair happening in letter Kenny this coming Saturday, it's in Clashia Alley and it's a chance to find out about education through Irish all the way from preschool up to university level and about the benefits of bilingualism and the employment opportunities that are there for people who are fluent in Irish. And from Lina Itcher-Cannon, and Barb and Yakel joins us in the studio now to have a wee chat about this Barbara. Thanks for coming in. It's it's gonna be a busy day on Saturday hopefully because there's plenty happening. There's lots happening John yeah so we're hoping to get plenty of people out for it. We have information stands from a lot of different groups. We have Connoone Gaelga there who are going to be talking about all the university opportunities, the employment opportunities. We have Changa T there who are talking about you know the family supports that are there if you want to use more Irish at home or if you want to raise your kids with Irish entirely. Somebody's going to be there from our own library to talk about the resources that they have there. Lina Itcher-Cannon will be there, events, classes, the supports that are there that we provide. Collish to Alley, Gil Skelownan, Garm School, Hualu will all be there as well. So that if people are interested in finding out well what would it mean to take on education through Irish for the kids. What are the benefits? And now they're very clear you know benefits that research has proven in terms of being bilingual. So be able to explore that. Have a look around Collish to Alley. It's a gorgeous school, great facilities. But also if you do all that, what are the benefits whenever it comes to even looking for a job? OK OK all outlined on the day. Yeah so really it's for people who are thinking about or maybe not themselves maybe their children and about starting on the education path or maybe making a wee change. As well as those who already are fluent or well down the road and want to find out more. Lina Exactly. So it's really for everybody. I mean even just if you'd quite like a nosy and have a look at the school. You know if you've always wondered about that beautiful strange building. It's a good opportunity to come in and have a look and have a chat with people. But yes if maybe if you are yourself or if you have a child who is coming up to pick in subjects for leave insert or maybe to fill in their CAO form. Well what are the possibilities that are there? What doors are opened simply because somebody has a level of fluency in Irish? And again maybe you just have young children and you're beginning to think about what school you want to send them to and you're thinking maybe the girls school. Maybe you have a child in an English speaking primary school who has a flair for languages and who wants to go to College to Alley. Is it possible to make that transition from an English speaking primary school to a Gail College to? Well the answer is yes. You know if you have a child who has a facility for languages who enjoys the challenge then yes absolutely come along and find out about that. So really right across the spectrum of age even just people who have a passion for the Irish language who want to see what is happening. This is a celebration of what is happening with Irish around letter Kenny. So any questions you might have hopefully they will be answered on Saturday if you're there. And I know that Lena is making great strides in letter Kenny to introduce the language into our everyday vocabulary and it's a tricky one to carry off because you want to have as much Irish as possible but you don't want to intimidate people who can't speak it. And that's it absolutely. It's it's about engaging with people, encouraging people to use whatever they have. And I mean we would put a lot of emphasis on doing things that just happen to be through Irish. So I mean we recently had a weekend in the geltacht and people were doing Shanno Stanton. We went out to Gola Island. People went up crook in the new people went to the distillery in Crawley. And all of those things were happening through Irish. On Saturday there are workshops in music and art, science and computer coding for kids that are all just through Irish. So it's not that we're saying to them you have to go in here and speak Irish. But they're provided through Irish. We have Daddy and the knowledge is decided that he would like to come to Bali Holy Farm. Okay, and he's going to speak Irish to all the kids who come. So it's really about giving people opportunities to use whatever they have. And encouraging people to do that. You know, we have a book club. We have a Kirkle Cora. I find more and more around the town. I mean, I was in Aldi the other day. And I said, God am I get whenever I'd finished, you know, packing up all my groceries. And the fella at the checkout said that Walter Roth. Yeah, so people delight in being able to respond. It's lovely. And it's simple things like that. And I mean, you know, even for somebody like myself who's not fluent, you know, that's that's easy land. And that's easy done. Yeah, absolutely. And you see people. I mean, I just it really delights me to see how chuffed people are how happy they are to be able to use even if it's just a bit. And then sometimes people say, you know, I'd love to be able to speak more. I'd love to be more confident. And that's where I get to say, well, call in to number seven Castle Street where our office is, find out about the classes, find out about the opportunities to grow your confidence to learn more Irish, come in and borrow a book from our library and, you know, build your fluency and your vocabulary that way. Have a look at the resources we have. So people are very open. I rarely encounter anybody who's really negative about the language. I think there's a great buzz and energy about the Irish. There was a time when there was a lot of kickback on back a few years. There's a lot of kickback. And it was kind of seen as almost elitist. But, you know, it's come full circle again. And now there there is, as you say, a real energy and an appetite for learning the language, because I don't think it's seen as, you know, being something that's forced on us. And I think more and more people now see that the pathways are there. Should you wish to engage? It's entirely up to you. Having said that, it must be frustrating for someone who is fluent in Irish, who would like to use it more because just in everyday situations, because, you know, everything unless you live in a gilded area, pretty much everything is done through Irish or done through English. That is, that is the case. That is the case. Now, I would have to say, if I look at my social media, about 80% of my my own social media is all in Irish. So I get to engage there through Irish on a daily basis. I, I think I'm very lucky because of the work that I do. I speak an awful lot of Irish all the time. And so I'm very lucky to have the opportunity to do that. But yes, I think, and that's why we would put a real focus on creating opportunities, so that people who want to speak Irish know that they can drop in on a Tuesday morning at 10 o'clock, and there'll be a group of people there that they can just sit and chat Irish to. Or if, you know, we have people who'll come along and they'll do more listening than chatting, because they're just not quite confident enough yet. And that's grand. That'll grow. And soon they'll be right in there. So yes, it is frustrating for people who want to be able to speak more Irish. Now, obviously, you know, there's TG Carr, there's Radio and the Geltic to, we have a couple of pages in letter, Kenny live newspaper about every six weeks. There's a piece in the Donegal News, I think once a month, you know, a double page spread. So it is there, but you kind of have to go looking for it. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Okay. Well, it's all about opportunities and there will be plenty of opportunities on Saturday. It's in it in the Gaelica and it's in Clastria Alley in letter Kenny from one o'clock. Yes, from one o'clock to half past four, workshops going throughout the afternoon for kids, tea, coffee, nice buns and stuff like that. And you can just stroll in, you don't have to register. Just drop in. Just drop in. Come in, have a chat, have a dander around the information stands. If you've kids with you, they can go along to the various workshops that are there. Um, I find something to do. Absolutely. Okay. Barbara, Girmaiagud. Girmaiagud, Hain.