Provost's Welcome

A chairde,

Trinity College Dublin is very proud of its historic tradition of service to the Irish language. Our association with the language goes back to William Bedell, Provost of the College and Bishop of Kilmore in the 17th century, who was responsible for the first full translation of the old Testament into Irish. Douglas Hyde, founder of the Gaelic league, first President of Ireland and renowned Irish scholar was a student here.  Máirtín Ó Cadhain was Professor in the School of Irish.

Trinity is committed to placing the Irish language at the heart of our activities, and in line with our distinctive tradition, have always sought to promote the language in an inclusive way. We are very proud of our Irish residency schemes on campus, where students live in rooms with Irish as their language of communication. In 2012-2013, there will be 30 students participating in the residency schemes-the largest such scheme in any Irish university. An Cumann Gaelach provides a vibrant programme of social activities for its members, and the provision of free language classes and other services to staff and students by the Irish Language Office is a practical demonstration of our support for the language.

As Provost, I am delighted to announce that a particular highlight for this year will be the opening of Seomra na Gaeilge- a new social space at the heart of campus for Irish speakers in the College community. This excellent facility will provide a focus for language promotion initiatives, and I encourage all staff and students with an interest in the language to make full use of the Seomra and its facilities.

I hope that in the coming year, you can avail of some of the many social, cultural and educational opportunities on offer in Trinity to enjoy the Irish language- a unique part of our national identity.

Patrick Prendergast,
Propast