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Irish speakers out in force at Embassy

Teens amongst 60 people receiving Fainne at Irish Embassy in London By Angela Sammon - 18/11/09

A DOZEN teenagers were among a record number of people receiving language awards at the Irish Embassy. More than 60 people gathered in Belgravia to receive the Fainne – the golden badge that denotes fluency in Irish. This is the largest known single award of the Fainne in Britain since the 1920s.

Award winner Seamas MacLiam (18) said: “I’ve always liked the sound of the language, so I went searching for Irish speakers where I live in Oxford. I was lucky – I met my teacher Loretta Plunkett-Murphy. Now there are two Irish classes in Oxford!”

Another Irish enthusiast is Tara Macey (22) from Kent. Both Tara and her mother Gemma have taken up Irish and were full of praise for the Irish Embassy which they said really encourages people who are learning Irish.

Attendees came from as far as Dumfries in Scotland, Liverpool, Manchester, Derbyshire and Somerset.

Organiser Donal Kelleher noted that the language is now spoken by “a number of young, open-minded people”.

“Ireland and Britain are now globalised, multi-lingual societies. Irish fits well into the new reality, and occupies a trendy, youthful niche.”

CAPTION:

Gemma Macey and daughter Tara with cultural officer Ciaran Byrne