An Cosantóir

campa gaeilge 2012 of various cultural activities outside of the college. One of the most enjoyable and memorable of these was a demonstration and explanation of sean-nós dancing, a casual form of Irish step dancing. (Seannós means 'old style', and refers to various activities, which also includes sean-nós singing.) As well as being very interesting it was at times hilarious. Having the class in a circle attempting the steps was a sight to behold, and was thankfully not recorded. Other afternoon activities included local history trips in the company of the renowned archaeologist Michael Gibbons as well as a visit to Radio na Gaeltachta. At night in Galway, on our own time, there were trips to various hostelries to listen to Irish music and explore the culture further. One was expected to participate fully in these events, no matter how onerous! My personal objective in doing the course was to gain a renewed interest in the language and to gain the encouragement to actively speak it again. This has been achieved and I now watch TG4 and listen to Radio no Gaeltachta at every opportunity. I never thought that I would be trying to convince my teenage daughter, Aoife, to watch yet another soap on TV but now I am, but at least it's Ros na Rún. I am now much more aware and appreciate the marvellous facilities that TG4 and Radio na Gaeltachta provide. Also I find the weekly Irish column in the Irish Times and the Wednesday supplement with the Irish Independent, Foinse, to be very worthwhile and great learning aids. In New York this year to march in my third St Patrick's Day parade I again met and had some very interesting chats with serving US soldier Sergeant Séamus 'na Gaeilge' Ó Fianghusa, who learned Irish from the internet and who was the subject of the first ever war zone documentary to be produced as Gaeilge. The documentary was made by TG4 in 2010 as Séamus, who was born to an Irish father and Korean mother and raised in Brooklyn, began a tour of duty in Afghanistan. There are strong Irish ties with the 69th Regiment of New York, the unit to which Sgt Ó Fianghusa belongs, not only because many Irishmen fought in its ranks but also because one of its most famous generals was Michael Corcoran, a | 27 native of Ballymote, Co Sligo. The Mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg, unveiled a monument to Michael Corcoran (1827–1863) of 'the Fighting 69th' in Ballymote on August 22nd, 2006, at which the guard of honour was provided by 58 Res Inf Bn, who's area of operations covers the counties of Donegal, Sligo and Leitrim. As a reciprocal gesture the mayor later invited 58 Res Inf Bn to take part in New York's 2010 St Patrick's Day parade and we have taken part in both the 2011 and 2012 parades since. The documentary, Dúshlán ('Challenge'), follows Séamus from New York to Belfast and Donegal, then onwards to the extremes of the Afghan conflict. To quote Séamus from the documentary: "Irish has an international relevance. Our language is vibrant and capable of change in modern circumstances, as well as having its traditional associations." The achievement of Sgt Fennessy of the 69th Regiment, as a born New Yorker who transformed his interest in the language to his current level of competence, is an example to us all. I look forward to meeting him at the HQ of the 69th Regiment in Lexington Avenue in New York next year. I intend at every opportunity to increase my proficiency in the Irish language. This desire has been kindled exclusively by my attendance on the Irish language courses in Galway. The 20th Campa Gaeilge took place this year and the course organisers again deserve the highest praise for their professionalism and enthusiasm. I hope that many future participants avail of their dedication and experience. I also hope over the coming years that we maintain the friendships that we made during the courses. Perhaps there is scope in the future, for those of us close to retiring and those who have retired, for setting up a Cáirde Campa Gaeilge and spending a few days in Connemara each year as a way of keeping in contact and brushing up on the language. Is gaeilgeoir mé anois (níl mé ró líofa, b'fhéidir, ach is gaeilgeoir mé ar aon nós) agus tá mo shaol níos saibhre dá bharr. Is cinnte go mbeidh mé ag foghlaim agus ag úsáid na teanga go deo. www.military.ie the defence forces magazine

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