Irish Language Class Offerings for Fall 2014

The Irish Cultural Center and Elms College are pleased to offer a range of Irish classes for the 2014/2015 academic year. In addition, this partnership is again successful in bringing to campus our fifth consecutive Irish Language Fulbright Teaching Assistant, Vikki Ní Bhréin, from Dublin. She brings a great deal of talent and enthusiasm, and will help us showcase the language in our community.

Vikki will teach a Novice class for credit on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. In addition, she will teach the Intermediate class which may be taken on a credit or non-credit basis. This meets on Wednesday evening.

There will be two sections of the Introduction to Irish I non-credit class. Gerald (Chip) Costello, who has participated in Immersion Programs in Kerry and Connemara and has taught Irish at local schools, will teach on Tuesday evening. To accommodate beginners unable to attend classes during the week, Kathleen Gilhooly, a recently retired English teacher at Central High School, and an instructor at the ICC’s Lá na Gaeilge and the Celtic Adventures Camp, will teach another introductory session on Saturday mornings.

A new offering, Introduction to Irish I+, will be offered for students who have had an introduction to the language but are not yet prepared to enroll in the intermediate class. Tom Moriarty, professor emeritus at the Elms and founding member of the ICC, has taught Irish for many years. He has participated in Immersion Programs in Kerry and Donegal. Tom’s class will meet on Tuesday nights.

The ICC and its language subcommittee seek to provide new and satisfying activities for our membership. If you would like to be involved with our annual language day, to select Irish language films, or make suggestions, please contact Chip Costello or Tom Moriarty.

Finally, the ICC does have funds that have been provided by donations in memory of John Johnson. Because of his kindness, we have been able to offer “tuition free” classes for several people. If you are aware of anyone who would like to study the language and might need some assistance, you should call the Director of the Center, Ellen Dziura at 413-265-2537 for details. The maximum number of grants a student can receive from this fund is two.

We are looking forward to another great year. Talk with your friends about the classes, send in your registrations early, and help us increase our visibility for the program. Learn more about the classes and download a registration form.