The Trailblazery & Manchán Magan Present Scoil Scairte, a ‘Hedge School as Gaeilge’ Thursdays, Mar 02 - Apr 27 7pm Ireland 1pm CT - 11am PT
A 9-week immersive journey into the heart and soul of Irish culture, heritage and language
Scoil Scairte is the Irish School you always dreamed of. Following the sell out success of our first 3 immersions, we are thrilled to announce our Semester 4 line up. We will be focusing on the inspirational people and places of the Galway region (Gaillimh) in the west of Ireland, and out to the Aran Islands home of some of Ireland’s finest archaeology, heritage, culture and tradition.
On the other side of Lough Corrib is East Galway with lush farmland and a great collection of abbeys and other medieval ruins. Galway has the largest Irish speaking population of any county in Ireland.
We are guided by a host of inspiring bilingual multidisciplinary artists, activists, creatives, educators, culture makers and indigenous language keepers including Kathy Scott (Founder, Host, Creative Director of The Trailblazery), Manchán Magan (Writer, Presenter, Bee Keeper, Documentary-Maker), Mairéad Ní Chonghaile (Presenter, Actor, Múinteoir), Siobhán O’Kelly (Actor, Gaeilgeoir, Mama), James Riordan (Writer, Theater-Maker), Eithne Verling (Director of Galway City Museum), Seán Ó Coistealbha (Muintearas, Poet), Caitlin Ní Chualáin (Journalist, Singer, Voice of Duolingo Irish), Domhnall Ó Braonáin (Singer, Oireachtas Winner), Anna Mullarkey (Composer, Performer, Musician), Aindrias de Staic (Actor, Musician, Storyteller), Darach Ó Tuairisg (Fíbín, resident at An Taibhdhearc - the national Irish language theatre), Síle Nic Chonaonaigh (Actor, Artist, Broadcaster), Ronan Brown (Musician , Composer), Máire Ní Chonláin (TG4 Editor, Exec Producer An Cailín Ciúin), Padraig Jack (Bilingual singer, composer, songwriter from the Aran islands), Bob Quinn (Filmmaker, writer, photographer), Dr. Mairead Hurley (Science Education & Public Engagement TCD), Dr. Liz Coleman (Lecturer in Physics, Climate and Air Pollution NUIG) and Johnny Óg Connolly (Musician, Composer) with further announcements coming soon.
We are especially honoured to welcome Indigenous guests Delta Kay (Arakwal Bumberbin Bundjalung woman, Advocate) and Danny Teece-Johnson (Journalist, Writer, Director) to shine a light on country and culture from so-called Australia. They will be joined in conversation with Áine Tyrrell (Singer, Songwriter, Music Maker).
Created in 2021 by The Trailblazery in collaboration with Manchán Magan and supported by Foras na Gaeilge with part funding by Galway City Council through its Creative Ireland Programme. Scoil Scairte is a dynamic Irish cultural experience that weaves creativity, language, heritage, folklore and indigenous wisdom with individual, social and ecological wellbeing. We were recently recognised with the 2022 European Language Label by Léargas and Best Arts and Cultural award with the Irish Sponsorship Awards.
Scoil Scairte is a 9-week voyage of discovery that invites people to gather together online to explore, experience and learn about Irish culture in a global learning community. ThisSpring series will shine a spotlight on the Galway region on the west coast of Ireland. We will meet a host of guides from Galway who will explore ideas about cultural heritage including place, language, identity and wellbeing.
More than an Irish class, Scoil Scairte is an immersion in the psyche and soul of a powerful
language, culture and place. It creates a supportive environment to inspire people to connect with themselves, each other and the living world through the potency of this
ancient living language.
Scoil Scairte provides a platform to engage in a soulful and structured way with the Irish language as a rich cultural treasure. It taps into a growing cultural desire for new ways of learning (and unlearning), connecting and sharing at this extraordinary time on our planet.
Join Scoil Scairte and explore how language can shape how we see the world and our place in it.
What's Involved: 9-week online course with 30+ hours of live & recorded content
● 21 inspirational gaeilgeoirí guides & guest contributors
● 9 live gatherings with cultural guides, music & language teaching
● 9 care packages with slides, recordings & resources
● 3 months of tutorial sessions for beginners & intermediates
● 3 months free Meitheal community membership
● 3 months access to Language Lab of pronunciation recordings
● 1 guided meditation series by Kathy Scott & composer Brian Crosby
● 1 season of Focail agus Fís film series hosted by Mairéad Ní Chonghaile, Siobhán O’Kelly and James Riordan
● 1 interview special with Manchán Magan & a very special guest
Each week a new guide will take us on a journey into the soul of the Irish language through a broad range of shared experiences from storytelling and music to dancing, folklore, hip hop, hurling, knitting, sean nós singing and other creative practices.
The creative syllabus features weekly 90 minute bilingual learning sessions with inspiring teachable moments, live music by internationally renowned artists and a language learning component led by our resident múinteoir. There are break-out sessions, homework, care packages, resources and special weekly bonus treats.
We are passionate about creating a methodology that provides a range of root pathways into the language (featuring visual, auditory and experiential practices) to include all kinds of learners. Offerings include our exclusive Focail agus Fís film teaching series shot in stunning locations around Galway as well as our resident múinteoir’s Language Lab playlists to support pronunciation and blas and the new Immrama Immersions.
How To Join:
If you are curious about connecting to this rich language and culture in a participative way this is for you. Places are limited and the 9-week programme is priced at €225.
To sign up see: thetrailblazery.com/scoil-scairte-spiral-4
