Liz Curtis found Gaelic and Irish culture on the Dingle Peninsula
The village of Ballyferriter (Baile an Fheirtéaraigh) near the tip of the
dramatic Dingle Peninsula is the venue for a tempting selection of Irish
language and culture courses this summer.
The Dingle Peninsula is called Corca Dhuibhne (cor-ka gwy-na) in Irish,
and the western part is an Irish-speaking area, or Gaeltacht.
Ballyferriter - with its church, barracks, two shops, four pubs and museum
- is tucked into a valley between the jagged peaks of Sybil Head and the
Three Sisters to the north, and the hill of Croaghmartin to the south. Dramatic
views and lung-busting walks are all around.
Nearby are Smerwick Harbour and its fort, Dún an Óir (the golden fort),
where in 1580 the English - among them Sir Walter Raleigh - massacred several
100 Spaniards and Italians who had landed to support the Munster rising.
Beside Smerwick lies a two-mile-long beach called Béal Bán (white mouth).
At the end of the peninsula is Slea Head and the treacherous stretch
of sea called Blasket Sound, where two ships of the Spanish Armada were
smashed to bits in 1588.
In the summer boats cross from Dunquin to the Blasket Islands, now uninhabited
but once home to an Irish-speaking community, which became a Mecca for lovers
of the language and culture.
The Dingle Peninsula is extraordinarily rich in archaeological remains
- some 2,000 monuments have been identified, many dating from the Bronze
Age and the Early Christian period.
There are standing stones, ogham stones, forts, beehive huts, crosses,
churches, and souterrains (underground chambers).
Among the most best-known early Christian sites are the small dry-stone
church, known as the Gallarus Oratory, and the ecclesiastical complex at
Cill Mhaolchéadair (Kilmalkedar).
The language and culture courses in Ballyferriter are run by Oidhreacht
Chorca Dhuibhne (eye-raqt cor-ka gwy-na - Dingle Peninsula Heritage), which
is part of the local development co-operative. There are weekend courses
in Irish conversation in February, May and August, and two-week courses
for beginners and upwards from July 15 to 27.
There are also special courses for primary school teachers who trained
outside Ireland.
Two six-day heritage courses, both taught through Irish (so students
need to be fairly fluent), are also held.
A course from July 22 to July 27 examines the archaeology, plants and
wildlife of this very attractive area and a course running from August 12
to August 17 looks at the arts and aims to help students improve their oral
and written skills.
Literature studied includes the poetry of Seán Ó Riordáin and Máire Mhac
a tSaoi and the autobiographies of Blasket Islanders.
Organiser Máire Uí Shíthigh has been running the courses since 1988.
She explains: "The classes are held in Ballyferriter Primary School, and
start at 9.30am.
"The coffee break is usually in the café of the Corca Dhuibhne Museum.
"We usually have the language classes in the morning, with talks, outings,
and various other activities in the afternoon and evenings.
"Evening activities are optional, but we advise participants to attend
everything so as to get the most out of their course and their time spent
in Corca Dhuibhne."
Students from all over the world attend the courses, though most are
from Ireland, especially on the advanced courses. This is a great opportunity
for people from other countries to meet members of the local Irish-speaking
community.
Students are expected to arrange their own accommodation but a list will
be provided if requested.
Most of the local guesthouses are Irish-speaking, which gives an extra
opportunity for practising the language.
