Preasráiteas: Maoiniú €300,000 thar thréimhse trí bliana (2025-2028) ceadaithe ag an Aire Calleary do Fighting Words
Press Release
Minister Calleary approves funding of €300,000 over three years (2025-2028) for Fighting Words
- The work of Fighting Words contributes to the use of Irish among young people
- Fighting Words has a strong focus on the formal education system and they work closely with schools at every level
- With support from the Department, Fighting Words has been operating in Gaeltacht areas since 2019, and since 2022 in Gaelscoileanna across the country
- €300,000 in funding approved by Minister Calleary for Fighting Words’ Irish language programme for the three year period from now until 2028
Today (Monday, 29 December 2025) the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, Dara Calleary TD, announced that he has approved funding of €300,000 for Fighting Words’ Irish language and Gaeltacht programme for the three year period from now until 2028.
With financial support from the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, Fighting Words is a fun project. The Fighting Words Irish language programme contributes to the use of the language among young people and to the use of Irish in the education system – in Gaeltacht areas and other locations across the country. Through the creative writing projects they run in the Gaeltacht – and their appealing, positive approach – they create opportunities to use Irish in new and interesting ways and they encourage positive attitudes towards the language.
Announcing the new funding, Minister Calleary said:
“Fighting Words provides free tutoring, mentoring and publishing through Irish in every genre of creative writing for children and young people. Based in the Gaeltacht and in Dublin, workshops, clubs, summer camps and book projects are organised with Gaeltacht schools, Gaelscoileanna, and youth and community groups across the country, including in Northern Ireland.
“The work being undertaken by Fighting Words is a great example of the different ways through which we can attract young people to the beauty and richness of the Irish language. Not only does this project nurture love for the Irish language but it also encourages storytelling and imagination among our young people; I am very proud that my Department can actively support this excellent project.”
The Executive Director of Fighting Words, Colm Ó Cuanacháin, said:
“Fighting Words is delighted to receive this financial support from the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht for our creative writing work in the Gaeltacht and with young people through Irish across the country.
“Our work on stories benefits children, not only in terms of language and learning, but also regarding their confidence, their health, and their personal development. It also strengthens the use of Irish among young people.
“It is wonderful to receive this continuous support from the Minister for the Gaeltacht, in view of the importance of writing in Irish.”
Fighting Words is a creative writing organisation founded by Roddy Doyle and Seán Love in Dublin in 2009. The organisation’s main goal is to help students of all ages to develop their writing skills and to awaken their love for creative writing.
Fighting Words gives young people the opportunity to develop their creative writing in the workshops/camps/events they run across the country, entirely for free. In 2024 more than 1,300 workshops/camps/events were held, in which more than 25,000 students took part.
Earlier this year, Minister Calleary launched the book ‘1, 2, Spraoi’ with Fighting Words in May in the Dublin City University Institute of Education, St Patrick’s College in Drumcondra. The book ‘1, 2, Spraoi’ is a fun project by Fighting Words, the Department of Rural and Community Development and Gaeltacht, the Institute of Education in Dublin City University, and An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta (COGG). The children had the opportunity to write the stories and the book ‘1, 2, Spraoi’ is a great example of the different ways through which young people can be attracted to the Irish language.
Preasráiteas
Dé Luain, 29 Nollaig 2025
Maoiniú €300,000 thar thréimhse trí bliana (2025-2028) ceadaithe ag an Aire Calleary do Fighting Words
- Cuireann an clár oibre atá beartaithe ag Fighting Words le húsáid na Gaeilge i measc daoine óga
- Tá fócas láidir ag Fighting Words ar an gcóras oideachais fhoirmiúil agus oibríonn siad go dlúth le scoileanna ar gach leibhéaI
- Le tacaíocht ón Roinn tá Fighting Words ag feidhmiú sna ceantair Ghaeltachta ó 2019, agus ó 2022 i leith i nGaelscoileanna thart timpeall na tíre
- Maoiniú €300,000 ceadaithe ag an Aire Calleary do chlár Gaeilge Fighting Words don tréimhse trí bliana go 2028
Inniu (Dé Luain, 29 Nollaig 2025) d’fhógair an tAire Forbartha Tuaithe agus Pobail agus Gaeltachta, Dara Calleary TD, go bhfuil €300,000.00 san iomlán á cheadú aige le haghaidh chlár Gaeilge agus Gaeltachta Fighting Words don tréimhse trí bliana as seo go 2028.
Le tacaíocht airgid ón Roinn Forbartha Tuaithe agus Pobail agus Gaeltachta, is tionscadal spraíúil éFighting Words. Cuireann an clár oibre atá beartaithe ag Fighting Words le húsáid na Gaeilge i measc daoine óga agus le húsáid na Gaeilge sa chóras oideachais – sna ceantair Ghaeltachta agus in ionaid eile thart timpeall na tíre. Leis na tionscadail scríbhneoireachta cruthaithí a reáchtálann siad as Gaeilge – agus cur chuige dearfach taitneamhach i bhfeidhm acu – cruthaíonn siad deiseanna chun an Ghaeilge a úsáid ar bhealaí nua agus suimiúla agus cothaíonn siad dearcthaí dearfacha i leith an teanga.
Agus an maoiniú nua á fhógairt aige, dúirt an tAire Calleary:
‘‘Cuireann Fighting Words teagasc, meantóireacht agus foilsiú saor in aisce ar fáil trí Ghaeilge i ngach seánra scríbhneoireachta cruthaithí do leanaí agus do dhaoine óga. Lonnaithe sa Ghaeltacht agus i mBaile Átha Cliath, bíonn ceardlanna, clubanna, campaí samhraidh agus tograí leabhar á eagrú le scoileanna Gaeltachta, Gaelscoileanna, agus le grúpaí óige is pobail ar fud na tíre, Tuaisceart Éireann san áireamh.
“Is sampla iontach é an obair atá ar siúl ag Fighting Words de na bealaí difriúla ar féidir linn daoine óga a mhealladh i dtreo áilleacht agus shaibhreas na Gaeilge. Ní hamháin go gcothaíonn an tionscadal seo grá don Ghaeilge ach spreagann sé freisin an scéalaíocht agus an tsamhlaíocht i measc ár ndaoine óga; tá mé fíorbhródúil go bhfuil mo Roinn in ann tacú go gníomhach leis an tionscadal breá seo.’’
Dúirt Stiúrthóir Feidhmiúcháin Fighting Words,Colm Ó Cuanacháin:
“Tá an-áthas ar Fighting Words an tacaíocht airgeadais seo a fháil ón Roinn Forbartha Tuaithe agus Pobail agus Gaeltachta dár gcuid oibre scríbhneoireachta cruthaithí sa Ghaeltacht agus le daoine óga as Gaeilge ar fud na tíre.
“Tugann ár gcuid oibre ar scéalta buntáistí do leanaí, ní hamháin i dtéarmaí teanga agus foghlama, ach freisin maidir lena muinín, a bhfolláine agus a bhforbairt phearsanta. Neartaíonn sé úsáid na Gaeilge i measc daoine óga freisin.
“Tá sé go hiontach an tacaíocht leanúnach seo a fháil ón Aire na Gaeltachta, i bhfianaise thábhacht na scríbhneoireachta as Gaeilge.”
Is eagraíocht scríbhneoireachta cruthaithí é Fighting Words a bhunaigh Roddy Doyle agus Seán Love i mBaile Átha Cliath in 2009. Is é príomhaidhm na heagraíochta ná cuidiú le daltaí de gach aois a gcuid scileanna scríbhneoireachta a fhorbairt agus a ngrá don scríbhneoireacht chruthaitheach a mhúscailt.
Tugann Fighting Words deiseanna do dhaoine óga a scríbhneoireacht chruthaitheach a fhorbairt sna ceardlanna/campaí/ócáidí a bhíonn a reáchtáil acu ar fud na tíre agus iad go léir saor in aisce. In 2024 reáchtáladh os cionn 1,300 ceardlann/campa/ócáid agus ghlac breis agus 25,000 dalta páirt iontu sin.
Níos túisce i mbliana, sheol an tAire Calleary an leabhair ‘1, 2 Spraoi’ le Fighting Words i mí na Bealtaine in Institiúid Oideachais Ollscoil Chathair Bhaile Átha Cliath (DCU), Coláiste Phádraig i nDroim Conrach. Is tionscadail spraíúil é an leabhar ‘1, 2 Spraoi’ idir Fighting Words, an Roinn Forbartha Tuaithe agus Pobail agus Gaeltachta, an Institiúid Oideachais in Ollscoil Chathair Bhaile Átha Cliath, agus an Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta (COGG). Bhí deis ag na páistí na scéalta a scríobh agus is sampla iontach é an leabhair ‘1, 2 Spraoi’ de na bealaí difriúla ar féidir daoine óga a mhealladh i dtreo na Gaeilge.