COPE Galway’s #swimwhereyouare Christmas Event

Mol na Meáin: Siún Ní Dhúinn

Le Eímear Nig Oireachtaigh

An tseachtain seo, bhí deis agam labhairt le Siún Ní Dhúinn, a oibríonn le RTÉ. Níor tógadh le Gaeilge í, fíric a thugann dóchas do dhuine cosúil liom, nach raibh tógtha le Gaeilge ach an oiread. D’fhreastail sí ar Ghaelscoil, agus is as sin a d’fhás a grá don theanga. Mar a dúirt sí féin, “bhí ‘fhios agam go raibh draíocht ag baint leis an teanga mar gheall ar an oideachas a fuair mé”.

Tar éis na scoile, bhí an Ghaeilge fós lárnach ina saol. Rinne sí céim sa Bhéarla agus sa Ghaeilge, agus ansin máistreacht i scríobh agus cumarsáid na Gaeilge. Leis an máistreacht sin, fuair sí go leor taithí praiticiúla sna meáin, agus mhúscail a suim sna meáin as sin.

Caithfidh mé a rá, tá post an-suimiúil aici: Comhordaitheoir Digiteach Gaeilge. Níl an post sin ann le fada, ach tá sí ag déanamh sároibre leis. Cé go bhfuil a post iontach spéisiúil, ceapaim féin go bhfuil níos mó cáil uirthi mar gheall ar an bpodchraoladh ‘Beo ar Éigean’ a chuireann sí i láthair le Sinéad Ní Uallacháin agus Áine Ní Bhreisleáin. Thosaigh an podchraoladh i mí Deireadh Fómhair 2017, agus tá sé ag dul ó neart go neart ó shin. Tá lucht leanúna dílis acu.

Ceapaim féin go bhfuil siad chomh mór seo mar gheall ar a gcairdeas. Tá sé soiléir, agus tú ag éisteacht leo, go mbíonn siad ag labhairt dhíreach mar an gcéanna agus iad ag caint go príobháideach. Tá siad oscailte agus fuinniúil, agus tá sé deacair gan a bheith ag gáire leo. I ndáiríre, mothaíonn tú go bhfuil tú féin cairdiúil leo faoi dheireadh an eagráin.

Ach tá ról níos tábhachtaí ag an nGaeilge ina saol ná díreach amháin mar obair. Labhraíonn sí í lena cairde agus lena céile, freisin. Mar fhreagairt de cheist a chuir mé, luaigh sí rud éigin an-suimiúil faoin gcaoi a mothaíonn sí agus í á labhairt aici. “Braithim níos mó saoirse ionam féin agus mé ag labhairt Gaeilge”. Is mothúcháin coitianta é sin, go mothaíonn daoine go hiomláin difriúil agus iad ag labhairt i dteanga eile. Tarlaíonn an rud céanna dom!

Chuir mé an ceist chéanna sin – “Céard é an rud is fearr leat faoin nGaeilge?”, agus arís fuair mé freagra den scoth. “Mo chairde. Murach an Ghaeilge, ní bheadh mo chairde áille, craiceáilte agam. Déanann siad an saol deich n-uaire níos spéisiúla, níos bríomhara agus níos greannmhaire. Ina dhiaidh sin, braithim go dtugann an teanga an ‘súil eile’ dom ar an saol, mar a luaigh TG4 fadó!” Tá sé chomh suimiúil dom go luann sí an ‘súil eile’ ansin. Aontaím léi, tá sé soiléir dom go bhfuil ort smaoineamh i gcaoi eile chun an teanga a thuiscint ina hiomláin.

Má tá tú ag iarraidh éisteacht le Siún, is féidir leat ‘Beo ar Éigean’ a aimsiú ar shuíomh RTÉ, Spotify nó Podbean. Cuireann sí é i láthair le comhoibriú óna cairde, Sinéad Ní Uallacháin agus Áine Ní Bhreisleáin ó RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta. Pléann siad gach rud ó thábhacht ‘fancy stationery’ go dtí an ceann is déanaí faoi dhuine atá ag mothú díomhaoin le linn an dara dianghlasáil seo.

COPE Galway’s #swimwhereyouare Christmas Event

By Saoirse Higgins

For the past 30 years, wide-eyed, cold, and brave Galwegians have gathered at the winter shores of Salthill for an annual Christmas swim in aid of COPE Galway. However, this year things will run differently.

Like many other organisations, COPE Galway have had to adapt to the new reality under Covid-19. A charity who provides support for the homeless, domestic abuse victims and the elderly, they have had to change the way they raise their funds.

The annual swim on Christmas day is one of the biggest fundraisers for COPE Galway with it raising almost €50,000 last year and with half of that from bucket collections on the day. However, this year with many people not able to leave their hometowns they have launched a #swimwhereyouare Christmas event.

This event is a creative way to have people still involved in the Christmas swim without breaching Covid-19 restrictions. Community fundraiser, Lynia O’ Brien explains;

“We’re asking Galwegians at home and abroad to register online at www.COPEgalway.ie/swim and we’ll post out a t-shirt. You can swim at your nearest beach and post a photo on social media of you braving the cold winter waters”.

The event will run for 10 days between the 21st and 30th of December. They’re hoping as many people as possible will attend. Even if you don’t want to face the chilly waters, you can still help out by sponsoring a swimmer.

Presenter of Rugbaí Beo on TG4 and COPE Galway board member, Máire Treasa Ní Dhubhghaill will be one of the brave swimmers bracing the water for the event. She commented, “I’m very excited that 2020 isn’t going to rob me of the traditional Christmas swim! It’s one of my Christmas highlights and it’s amazing that we can all join together and support this fantastic cause from wherever we are”.

All funds raised from this event will go towards COPE Galway and the work that they do. In 2019, COPE Galway worked to help 2,984 people in Galway. This includes homeless families, women and children experiencing domestic abuse and they also served 61,016 meals to older clients and services and Galway. Their work is vital to the community in Galway.

Although COPE Galway are disappointed that the normal way they do things can’t go ahead, they’re glad they’ve found at least some ways to keep the Christmas swim tradition alive,

“Although we can’t be together in Salthill on the day, shaking a bucket and handing out warm cups of tea, we are giving everyone an opportunity to continue their Christmas Swim tradition”.

Community is at the heart of the work that COPE Galway do, and they hope this event is way for people to stay connected, “With so many people unable to travel home this Christmas, we are hoping that this is something families can do together to stay connected – even though they are apart.”

“We’re asking Galwegians at home and abroad to register online at www. COPEgalway.ie/ swim and we’ll post out a t-shirt. You can swim at your nearest beach and post a photo on social media of you braving the cold winter waters”. The event will run for 10 days between the 21st and 30th of December.