Athbhliain faoi mhaise daoibh! Happy New Year! Tá súil agam go raibh Nollaig shona agaibh, agus guím gach rath oraibh sa bhliain úr. I hope you’ve had a nice Christmas and wish you every success in the new year. Ní raibh 2008 éasca ar chor ar bith. 2008 was not at all easy. Táthar ag súil go mbeidh 2009 níos fearr! Hopefully 2009 will be better!

Táim cinnte go raibh aithne ag gach duine againn ar dhuine a fuair bás in 2008. I’m sure that every one of us knew someone who passed away in 2008. Cáillíodh roinnt daoine cáiliúla, freisin, Nollaig Ó Gadhra ina measc. A number of famous people were lost, too, NÓG among them. Duine mór le rá ab ea é i saol na Gaeilge. He was an important person in the world of Irish. Scríobh sé leabhair agus ailt agus bhí tionchar aige ar go leor scríbheoirí eile. He wrote books and articles and influenced plenty of other writers. Bhí sé gníomhach sa pholaitíocht, agus bhí sé ar an raidió i Nua-Eabhrac, fiú. He was active in politics, and he was even on the radio in New York. Bhí sé ina uachtarán ar Chonradh na Gaeilge cúpla bliain ó shin. He was president of the Gaelic League a couple of years ago. Bhuail mé leis uair amháin nuair a thug sé cuairt orainn ag Scoil Ghaeilge Ghearóid Tóibín sa Bhablóin, Nua-Eabhrac. I met him once when he came to visit the Gerry Tobin Irish Language School in Babylon, NY. Bhí lón ina onóir ag Cáirde na Teanga Mí na Samhna ag teach tábhairne i gCathair Nua-Eabhraic, agus bhí mise ann mar fhear an tí. Friends of the Language had a luncheon in his honor in November at a tavern in NY City, and I was there as master of ceremonies. Bricfeasta traidisiúnta Éireannach a bhí ann, déanta na fírinne. Really, it was a traditional Irish breakfast. Is iomaí Gaeilgeoir a bhí i láthair, beantrach agus iníon Nollag ina measc. There were a bunch of Irish speakers present, including Nollaig’s widow and daughter. Duine conspóideach ab ea é, ach laoch na Gaeilge a bhí ann. He was a controversial, person, but he was a hero of the Irish language. Ar dheis Dé go raibh sé. May he be at God’s right hand.

Cáillíodh roinnt tréamhseacháin Ghaeilge in 2008 fosta. Several Irish language periodicals were lost in 2008, too. Is cúis náire d’Éirinn nach bhfuil nuachtán laethúil as Gaeilge ann níos mó. It’s a cause of shame to Ireland that there is no longer a daily newspaer in Irish. Mar gheall ar easpa maoinithe, d’imigh Lá Nua go deo uainn. Because of a lack of funding, Lá Nua is gone forever. Dóbair gur tharla an rud céanna don irisleabhar Comhar. The same thing almost happened to the magazine Comhar. Ní raibh sé i gcló ar feadh tamaill fhada, agus ansin bhí eagarthóir nua air mí amháin, agus duine eile an mhí dar gcionn. It wasn’t in print for a long while, and then it had a new editor one month, and then another person the following month. Agus deir an duine sin nach bhfuil sé féin ann ach go sealadach. And that person says he himself is only there temporarily.

Tá sé fíor-dheacair iris nó nuachtán ar bith a choimeád beo in aon teanga. It’s truly difficult to keep any newspaper or magazine alive in any language. Is mór an trua an chailliúint seo. This loss is a great pity. Beidh foireann an nuachtáin gníomhach i saol na Gaeilge fós, ar an idirlíon agus áiteanna eile. The newspaper’s staff will still be active in the Irish language world, on the internet and other places. Nílimid sochloíte mar phobal, mar a d’insis mé don iar-eagarthóir. We’re not an easily defeated people, as I said to the former editor.

Mar is iondúil, maraon leis na rudaí is na daoine a d’imigh uainn i mbliana, saolaíodh daoine nua agus foilsiúcháin nua freisin. As usual, along with the things and people that left us this year, new people and new publications came to life, too. Tá irisleabhar nua ann dar teidil Nós* (www.nosmag.com), atá gleoite go leor, agus a dhíríonn ar lucht léite óg go háirithe. There is a new magazine called Nós*, which is plenty nice looking, and is particularly aimed at a young readership. Agus tá roinnt bhlaganna agus shuímh idirlín nua ann chomh maith. And there are several new blogs and websites as well. Foislsítear leabhair nua as Gaeilge i gcónaí, agus tharla gur fhoislíodh cúpla ceann a scríobhadh i Meiriceá i mbliana. Books are always being published in Irish, and it happens that a couple were published this year which were written in America. Tá Súil Siar ann, le Barra Ó Donnabháin, tá úrscéal le Seán Ó Connor ann dar teidil Seán Ruiséal agus An Guth Istoíche agus tá áthas orm a rá go bhfuil m’úrscéal Cogadh Dearg i gcló, freisin! There is … by…, there is a novel by… entitled…, and I’m happy to say that my novel … is in print, too!

Anois, dá dtiocfadh an t-airgead a chailleamar go léir ar ais….Now, if the money we’ve all lost would only come back…Ach mar a dúirt an tUachtarán Máire Mhic Ghiolla Íosa ina hóráid chinn bhliana (atá ar fáil ag http://www.president.ie/index.php?section=5&speech=597&lang=ire), As President Mary McAleese said in her end of year speech (available at…) “…tá sé níos tábhachtaí anois ná mar a bhí riamh, go bhféachfaimis ar chúrsaí an lae inniu i gcomhthéacs na staire, agus nach ndéanfaimis dearmad ar an fhorbairt mhór atá déanta againn le roinnt blianta anuas.” “It is more important now than it ever was, that we should look at today’s events in the context of history, and that we shold not forget the gret progress we have made for the last several years.” Agus “go bhfuil an ghlúin seo d'Éireannaigh [agus de shliocht na hÉireann] ar an ghlúin is fearr riamh chun fadhbanna a réiteach.” And “that this generation of Irish [and of the descendants of the Irish] is one of the best ever at solving problems.” Go n-éirí go geal linn uile in 2009. May we all have a bright and successful 2009.