This article is from page 8 of the 2011-09-20 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 8 JPG
SIXMILEBRIDGE has won its way to the final of a TG4’s G-Day Competition to see what town in Ireland is most willing to embrace the Irish language. The group from the village are now within touching distance of the € 40,000 final prize after the completion of last week’s task saw them reach the final three in the competition.
The TG4 cameras were in Sixmilebridge on Friday as the local group pitted their wits against Cong from Mayo to see who could make the best Irish language website.
“We were given an envelope at 10am on Friday morning and that contained a task which had to be completed before 7pm that evening – all using Irish. We had to get a website together in a day, all through the Irish language,” said Brendan Walsh from the Sixmilebridge group.
“We were successful in the task against Cong – I think we were successful because we focused on the village and the spirit of the village. We had blogs and links to local organisation and I think that it was that community focus that won it for us.”
On September 28, the Sixmilebridge Group will take on the two remaining villages in the competition’s semi-final, with the last two groups standing to go head to head in October.
“We haven’t a clue what we are going to be asked to do. We are always given a task to do and after the task someone has to speak on behalf of the group. Anne Marie Holland had to go to Dublin to speak for us on Sunday – she was grilled on the boardroom about what we did and why we did it. She was grilled but she did a great job.”
The series will be screen on TG4 in January. The Sixmilebridge committee are spokesperson Anne Marie Holland, Brendan Walsh, Seamus Walsh, PJ Fitzpatrick and Sean Ward.
“Ón uair a chuir an baile seo isteach ar an gComórtas G atá á eagrú ag TG4, tá an-dul chun chinn déanta ag an gcoiste chun labhairt na Gaeilge a spreagadh i measc an phobail. Ar dtús, bhí seasca pharóiste sa chomórtas ach de hAoine seo chaite ní raibh ach sé chinn fágtha. Ansin tugadh tasc don choiste suíomh-idirlín a chruthú as Gaeilge. Más maith leat an toradh a f heiceáil, níl le déanamh agat ach cliceáil ar sixmilebridgelegaeilge.com. Ar aon nós bhí na moltóirí thar a bheith sásta agus anois táimid sa leath-chraobh.
“Tá an choiste an-bhuíoch do chuile grupa a chabhraigh linn go dtí seo agus beidh an tacaíocht iontach céanna ag teastáil ar an 28ú lá de Meán Fhomhair sa leath chraobh. Bígí linn,” arsa PJ Fitzpatrick.