I've just seen this on the web -
www.culabulaparties.com/Baile_Home.html
Does anyone know about this? I find it interesting that she says 'that creating positive experiences at a young age is vital to a child's future attitude to the language' and that she 'did extensive research on the importance of active play and drama in language learning, specifically the Irish language'.

"Rinne Cúla Clódagh staidéar ar an ndrámaíocht agus an Nua-Gaeilge i gColáiste na Tríonóide. (incorrectly spelled in the text) Le linn na hama seo, rinne sí taighde leathan ar thábhacht an shúgraidh is drámaíochta agus páiste ag foghlaim teanga, an teanga Gaelach ach go háirithe. Ansin chaith sí dhá bhliain ar an gcúrsa lán-aimseartha sa Scoil Aisteoireachta Gaiety. Tá taithí blianta aici ag péintéail aghaidhe, ag múnlú balúin agus mar fhuirseoir (mar bhanphrionsa, foghlaithe agus super hero!) ag cóisir do pháistí. D'oibrigh sí le páistí i scoileanna, ospidéil, naíonraí, ócáidí corparáide, agus ina dteach féin. Creideann Cúla Clódagh go bhfuil an-tábhacht an baint le dea-thaithí a chruthú le go mbeidh meon dearfach ag an bpáiste, i leith na Gaeilge, sa todhchaí."

Rinne Cúla Clódagh staidéar ar an ndrámaíocht agus an Nua-Gaeilge: doesn't "ar" need to be repeated to govern two nouns? Isn't it Nua-GHaeilge?

Le linn na hama seo: where do they say this? Is "am" feminine?

an teanga Gaelach: where do they say this? Is "teanga" masculine? Should the whole phrase be in the genitive (singular or plural - what meaning are they intending to convey) or maybe it is correct in apposition in the nominative, but still wrong as it stands as an teanga Gaelach?

ag péintéail aghaidhe: where do they say this? What does péintéail mean (in that spelling)? What does aghaidhe mean and does the word exist in any corpus of native usage? I've never seen aghaidhe.

d'oibrigh sí le páistí: where do they say this? Oibriú only means "to work" in the context of a medicine or drug working.

Go bhfuil an-tábhacht an baint le dea-thaithí a chruthú le go mbeidh meon dearfach: there are numerous problems with this sentence that would take a whole paragraph to explain. Is this from Google Translate?

We are supposed to think that children's parties in Irish in Dublin are a good thing... But that is part of the political cause of revivalism that has simultaneously trashed the real language. By all means hold children's parties for native speakers of traditional Irish dialects being brought up by parents who have traditional Irish themselves. The piece of text quoted here shows the organisers of these parties need to attend lessons themselves. I'd rather see Irish die out than do this to it.

I suppose I'm only interested in the Gaeltacht...

Well once again, I can only say that I'm quoting her - and that she studied at Trinity (though I did correct a few spelling mistakes here and there - perhaps it's urban Irish.)
Here's the page I quoted -
www.culabulaparties.com/Eolas_About.html - Píosa faoi Chúla
It's a pity that her Irish doesn't seem to be what it should (and I'm afraid that we've been here before, unfortunately)

Yes, Franc, it is "urban Irish", but no urban areas are Gaeltachtaí - so the only result of such a revival would be to replace natural, traditional Irish by the urban butchering of the language.

I would prefer to read of children's parties in the Gaeltacht areas - conducted in the local dialect by party organisers who speak the local dialect.

Would we regard it as an exciting development if they announce children's parties in Latin in Dublin? Or what about nursery schools conducted in Ancient Hittite? These kids' parties in urban Irish strike me as a hair's breadth away from child abuse.

Language abuse, nach ea?

I find the comments expressed in this thread by patrickjwalsh distasteful in so many ways that I would probably have to ban myself if I actually answered the way I would like to.
(My comment here is in no way connected to the level of Irish on the aforementioned website.)

_________________

I agree with you 100%.

Redwolf

Fortunately, patrickjwalsh, Saoirse, and Redwolf love the Irish language and want to do what they can to encourage its use – that's what matters, I think.

Beyond that, Saoirse and Redwolf both love children. Both are parents, and Saoirse is a teacher.

I can't speak for Saoirse, but personally, I'm livid.

"Child abuse"? Seriously? I'm so angry right now, I'm a hair away from throwing my computer through the window.

Let me tell you something, patrickjwalsh. I grew up in a household that fostered and cared for victims of child abuse. Little two- and three-year olds who had been beaten, burned, cut, starved...even RAPED by their "parents." You have no fucking idea what you're talking about.

To put people who love the language of their country and choose to raise their children in that language in the same category...that's just beyond inappropriate.

You know what? The Irish language may not continue to stay enshrined in the place where you'd love to keep it. Like any living language, it may (probably will) continue to evolve. Some of us are happy about that. A few are, apparently, rending their garments. So be it.

But to put Urban Irish in the same category as child abuse is so beyond the Pale...well, beyond this, I'm speechless. Go h-Ifrinn leat.

Redwolf

Please try not to be upset, Saoirse and Redwolf.

I'm sure that patrickjwalsh's "child abuse" comment was hyperbole; he didn't mean that "Urban" Irish is literally child abuse.

I think it was a tongue-in-cheek comment that was meant to show his personal dislike for "Urban" Irish and was not meant to be taken literally.