Gaeltacht Bhaile na hÉireann or the Permanent North American Gaeltacht (Irish: Gaeltacht Bhuan Mheiriceá Thuaidh) is a designated Irish speaking area in the town of Tamworth, Ontario, along the Salmon River. The nearest main township is Erinsville, Ontario. Unlike Ireland, where the term "Gaeltacht" refers to an area where Irish is the traditional language, the Permanent North American Gaeltacht has no resident native Irish speakers. The name refers instead to its being a regular meeting place for Irish speakers from North America and elsewhere.
Erinsville itself was settled by the Irish with its first five mayors being Irish themselves. It is from this area that the Gaeltacht receives its official name of "Gaeltacht Bhaile na hÉireann" or "Erinsville/Town of Ireland Gaeltacht"
This area is notable mainly in that it is the first and only officially sanctioned Gaeltacht (or "designated Irish speaking area") to exist outside of Ireland. Official support for this gaeltacht was shown during the opening ceremony, which was attended by the Irish ambassador to Canada, Declan Kelly, as well as Helen Gannon of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann. An official statement regarding this site was also released by the Irish Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Éamon Ó Cuív. In this, dated 29 May 2007, he states: "I would like to congratulate the Canadian people for establishing a Gaeltacht in Canada, the first outside of Ireland. I wish every success to your work and I hope that it will grow and develop." Also received from Mr. Ó Cuív was the approval of €20,000 (C$28,835) for the Gaeltacht, for teacher training.
Currently the site offers Irish language immersion classes (both on site and in Erinsville) as well as Ceilidhs and camping (usually August). Eventually, the organizers plan to build cabins to house up to 100 people, as well as classroom facilities and a museum. The classes will be held in the style of, and are in fact inspired by, the Oideas Gael immersion classes held in the Donegal gaeltacht of Glencolmcille.
This gaeltacht has been featured in the news, primarily for the fact that it is the first of its kind outside of Ireland, and has been reported on by both the Irish TG4 and the British BBC. Organizer Aralt Mac Giolla Chainnigh, when speaking with the BBC, stated that although the Irish speakers are all from very different places (Canada, Ireland, the United States) this site is one on which they may all congregate: "'It's a place where they can go when they want to regenerate their cultural batteries and, especially, to come back into contact with the language."
The aim is to restore and maintain the language by having a place where speakers can make connections with each other, learn and practice Irish for many years to come.
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