Press Release: Minister Calleary approves €468,000 for Conradh na Gaeilge’s
‘Céad Míle Fáilte’ initiative for the period 2026 and 2027
Eisiúint Meáin
Déardaoin, 18 Meán Fómhair 2025
Ceadaíonn an tAire Calleary €468k do thionscnamh ‘Céad Míle Fáilte’
Chonradh na Gaeilge don tréimhse 2026 agus 2027
- Tionscnamh nuálach agus spreagúil é Céad Míle Fáilte, a dhíríonn ar phobail nua na hÉireann chun eispéireas Gaeilge a thabhairt dóibh
- Cuirtear ranganna, ceardlanna, imeachtaí feasachta agus scoláireachtaí chun na Gaeltachta ar fáil do na rannpháirtithe
- In 2024, bhí rannpháirtithe sa scéim ó chúlraí ar fud na cruinne, ina measc daoine ón Úcráin, ón tSúdáin, ón Tuirc, ón bPalaistín, ó Mheiriceá agus ón Nigéir, i meas a lán tíortha eile
Inniu (Déardaoin, 18 Meán Fómhair 2025) d’fhógair an tAire Forbartha Tuaithe agus Pobail agus Gaeltachta, Dara Calleary TD, go bhfuil maoiniú suas le €467,772 á cheadú aige do thionscnamh ‘Céad Míle Fáilte’ Chonradh na Gaeilge don tréimhse 2026 agus 2027. Díríonn Céad Míle Fáilte ar an leas is féidir le pobail nua-Éireannacha a bhaint as an nGaeilge – i dtaobh thábhacht na teanga, na ndeiseanna breise a bhaineann léi agus i dtaobh imeascadh le sochaí na hÉireann.
Is é cuspóir an fheachtais ná na pobail Nua-Éireannacha in Éirinn a spreagadh leis an nGaeilge a fhoghlaim agus a úsáid mar bhealach chun féiniúlacht Éireannach níos láidre a chothú dóibh féin. Déantar é seo trí shraitheanna de ranganna teanga agus ceardlanna sainspéise a chur ar fáil do ghrúpaí de Nua-Éireannaigh timpeall na tíre agus trí acmhainní teanga a chur ar fáil dóibh le cuidiú leo an teanga a fhoghlaim agus a úsáid.
Ag labhairt dó maidir leis an bpacáiste maoinithe méadaithe, dúirt an tAire Calleary:
“Táim thar a bheith bródúil go bhfuil ar chumas mo Roinne tacú le Conradh na Gaeilge leis an bhfeachtas spreagúil seo a chur ar aghaidh. Nuair a thagann daoine chun cónaithe i dtír eile bíonn orthu dul i ngleic le sochaí agus le cultúr nua – teangacha na tíre sin san áireamh. De thoradh an fheachtais seo tabharfar an deis dóibh siúd atá nua in Éirinn léargas a fháil ar thábhacht na Gaeilge dár gcultúr agus dár bhféiniúlacht. Tabharfaidh ‘Céad Míle Fáilte’ deis do Nua-Éireannaigh a bhféiniúlacht Éireannach a láidriú agus páirt níos iomláine a ghlacadh i saol na tíre trí chéile.”
Dúirt Uachtarán Chonradh na Gaeilge, Ciarán Mac Giolla Bhéin:
“Tá lúcháir orainn go mbeidh deis ag Céad Míle Fáilte leanúint ar aghaidh leis an obair thábhachtach atá á déanamh againn le 3 bliana anuas. A bhuí le tuilleadh maoinithe ón Roinn Forbartha Tuaithe agus Pobail agus Gaeltachta, beidh an scéim nuálach seo de chuid Conradh na Gaeilge in ann tacú go gníomhach le tuilleadh pobail nua in Éirinn. Cuireann Céad Míle Fáilte ranganna, ceardlanna agus scoláireachtaí Gaeltachta ar fáil d’inimircigh atá ag cur fúthu in Éirinn, rud a chuidíonn le himeascadh sóisialta agus ionchuimsiú cultúrtha do phobail nua. Leis an tacaíocht bhreise seo don chéad dá bhliain eile, beidh an fhoireann in ann leanúint den obair atá idir lámha acu chun eispéireas na Gaeilge a thabhairt do níos mó dár gcomharsana nua.”
Cuireadh tús le feachtas ‘Céad Míle Fáilte’ chun daoine ó chúlraí éagsúla atá ag cónaí in Éirinn anois a mhealladh chun an Ghaeilge a fhoghlaim. Fuair Conradh na Gaeilge maoiniú aon uaire ó Fhoras na Gaeilge in 2022 chun an feachtas seo a reáchtáil an bhliain sin. Tá an Roinn Forbartha Tuaithe agus Pobail agus Gaeltachta á mhaoiniú ó shin. In 2024, bhí rannpháirtithe sa scéim ó chúlraí ar fud na cruinne, ina measc daoine ón Úcráin, ón tSúdáin, ón Tuirc, ón bPalaistín, ó Mheiriceá agus ón Nigéir, i meas a lán tíortha eile.
Press Release
Thursday, 18th September 2025
Minister Calleary approves €468,000 for Conradh na Gaeilge’s
‘Céad Míle Fáilte’ initiative for the period 2026 and 2027
- Céad Míle Fáilte is an innovative and exciting initiative, which focuses on new communities in Ireland to give them an Irish language experience.
- Participants are provided with classes, workshops, awareness events and scholarships to the Gaeltacht
- In 2024, participants in the scheme came from backgrounds all over the world, including people from Ukraine, Sudan, Turkey, Palestine, America and Nigeria, among many other countries
Today (Thursday 18 September 2025), the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, Dara Calleary TD, announced that he is approving funding of up to €467,772 for Conradh na Gaeilge’s ‘Céad Míle Fáilte’ initiative for the period 2026 and 2027. Céad Míle Fáilte focuses on the benefits that new Irish communities can derive from the Irish language – in terms of the importance of the language, the additional opportunities associated with it and in terms of integration into Irish society.
The aim of the campaign is to encourage new Irish communities in Ireland to learn and use the Irish language as a way of fostering a stronger Irish identity for themselves. This is done by providing a series of language classes and workshops of special interest to groups of new Irish people around the country and by providing them with language resources to help them learn and use the language.
Speaking about the increased funding package, Minister Dara Calleary said:
“I am extremely proud that my Department is able to support Conradh na Gaeilge in progressing this exciting initiative. When people come to live in another country they have to deal with a new society and culture – including the languages of that country. This initiative will give those new to Ireland the opportunity to gain an insight into the importance of the Irish language to our culture and identity. ‘Céad Míle Fáilte’ will give new Irish the opportunity to strengthen their Irish identity and play a fuller part in the life of the country as a whole.”
President of Conradh na Gaeilge, Ciarán Mac Giolla Bhéin, said:
“We are delighted that Céad Míle Fáilte will have the opportunity to continue the important work we have been doing for the past 3 years. Thanks to further funding from the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, this innovative scheme by Conradh na Gaeilge will be able to actively support more new communities in Ireland. Céad Míle Fáilte provides classes, workshops and Gaeltacht scholarships to immigrants settling in Ireland, which helps with social integration and cultural inclusion for new communities. With this additional support for the next two years, the team will be able to continue the work they are doing to bring the Irish language experience to more of our new neighbours.”
The ‘Céad Míle Fáilte’ campaign was launched to encourage people from diverse backgrounds now living in Ireland to learn Irish. Conradh na Gaeilge received one-off funding from Foras na Gaeilge in 2022 to run the initiative that year. The Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht has been funding it since then. In 2024, participants in the scheme came from backgrounds all over the world, including people from Ukraine, Sudan, Turkey, Palestine, America and Nigeria, among many other countries.