Ms Bernardín Nic Giolla Phádraig:

In Áras Chrónáin, in Clondalkin, just as in Oideas Gael, in Glencolmcille, we have always seen the language and other elements of culture as being fite fuaite lena chéile or inextricably intertwined. In Áras Chrónáin or Oideas Gael, we found that people might come on a music course, hear other people speaking Irish and enjoying it, and come back the following year to do an Irish course or, in our case in Áras Chrónáin, take up an Irish class on the next term. It is about showing people that all of these areas are not separate. Obviously, all of it comes from a love of the language and the culture, but there is an economic offshoot to it. For example, one of the projects Áras Chrónáin has been very involved in with other community groups is in getting Brú Chrónáin, the newest heritage centre in the country, opened last Monday. That has been a 14 year long project, working with the Office of Public Works, OPW, under the leadership of South Dublin County Council, but it was as a result of a vision from the people. In that centre we have 28 young people from the locality employed as and from this week. The Happy Pear has taken over the management of the restaurant in the centre. That started as a heritage project, but because the Irish language is so important in the area, everything is bilingual. It is now envisaged that many national schools in particular from throughout the country will want their school tours to visit the centre because it is interactive and there is much fun to be had by children and also adults. I encourage all the members to come and visit us in Clondalkin.

Last spring, we trained 45 volunteers who will be working on the heritage aspect. When it came to them choosing a name for the centre and for themselves, even though only about one fifth of them are Irish speakers, the English speaking element said it would have to be as Gaeilge. That is now part of the image of our area.

We are an urban centre, but we frequently hear about the Government wanting to encourage rural Ireland and the concerns of people living in rural Ireland. From my point of view and that of Mr. Ó Cuinneagáin - we are singing off the same hymn sheet - we have to look at our natural resources, not just our landscape and flora and fauna, but also our culture - music and dancing - and our language. If we try to see those as a cohesive whole, that is where the future lies.