Written By Jan Sims
KOMOKA - St. Patrick’s Day is still a few weeks away, but people interested in all things Irish recently had the chance to immerse themselves in the Irish language at an event in Komoka.
The Union Pub was the setting for the first “Pop Up Gaeltacht”, or get-together where people could engage in informal conversation practice.
The event was the first of its kind for the London Irish Cultural Centre and Gaelic Athletic Association. But the concept dates back more than 10 years. The initial idea was to bring people together in an informal setting, and over the years drew participants in cities like New York and Boston. “When I started going to events with the London Irish Club I thought ‘wouldn’t it be nice if we got something going using that same format,” says event organizer James Bannon.
Although the atmosphere is relaxed, it can be challenging to learn a new language. “Irish has the additional difficulty of using a different alphabet and a different grammatical structure. I think any second language is tricky,” says Bannon. However, there’s growing interest in the language. “There’s a great deal of interest from the Irish diaspora and people who are of Irish background to events that involve fun,” says Bannon.
Also supporting the growing interest in learning the language, is the prevalence of Irish-speakers in Ireland. “Sixteen or seventeen percent in the Republic speak Irish, and it’s an obligatory subject for all children,” says Bannon. “The BBC has a gaelic language channel and they do broadcasts in Irish,” adds Bannon. And it’s a language that continues to evolve, as Irish words are added for modern concepts like email.
Celebrating Irish culture is also a key component of other club events in the London area such as music and dance. “The club also has a reading circle where people get together and they discuss and study different novels by Irish authors,” says Bannon.
