Chair of Gaelic, Glasgow
Encyclopedia
The Chair of Gaelic is a professorship in Scottish Gaelic at the University of Glasgow
. It was established in April 2010 and is the first established Chair of Gaelic at a Scottish university.
had already been established at the University of Glasgow
in 1956, and the Chair of Gaelic was founded in April 2010 as part of the University's aim to establish itself as "a centre of excellence for the study of Celtic and Gaelic." The establishment of the Chair was announced on the same day as Glasgow City Council launched its new Gaelic Language Plan with an aim of making Gaelic a commonly used language by 2020. The Scottish Government has been putting efforts into the support and revival of Gaelic in Scotland in recent years, in line with their duties under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages
. The Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005
established the Bòrd na Gàidhlig
, a non-governmental public body
responsible for the promomotion of Gaelic language in Scotland.
The first holder of the post is Professor Roibeard Ó Maolalaigh, Head of the Department of Celtic and Gaelic at the University who had previously held a personal professorship in Gaelic. Professor Ó Maolalaigh was educated at University College Dublin
and lectured at the University of Edinburgh
whilst completing his PhD
there. He was then appointed Assistant Professor of Celtic Studies at the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies
, before moving to Glasgow. As Head of the Department at Glasgow, he appointed the first ever Gaelic Language Officer at a Scottish university. He is Director of the Digital Archive of Scottish Gaelic, a project funded by the British Academy
, and is also involved in Soillse, a project led by the University of the Highlands and Islands developing a research capacity for the maintenance and revitalisation of Gaelic in Scotland.
University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
. It was established in April 2010 and is the first established Chair of Gaelic at a Scottish university.
Establishment
A Chair of CelticChair of Celtic, Glasgow
The Chair of Celtic is a professorship at the University of Glasgow, established in 1956 by an endowment from merchant James Crawford, the Ross Trust and the University's Ossianic Society.-History:...
had already been established at the University of Glasgow
University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
in 1956, and the Chair of Gaelic was founded in April 2010 as part of the University's aim to establish itself as "a centre of excellence for the study of Celtic and Gaelic." The establishment of the Chair was announced on the same day as Glasgow City Council launched its new Gaelic Language Plan with an aim of making Gaelic a commonly used language by 2020. The Scottish Government has been putting efforts into the support and revival of Gaelic in Scotland in recent years, in line with their duties under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages
European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages
The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages is a European treaty adopted in 1992 under the auspices of the Council of Europe to protect and promote historical regional and minority languages in Europe...
. The Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005
Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005
The Gaelic Language Act 2005 passed by the Scottish Parliament in 2005 is the first piece of legislation to give formal recognition to the Scottish Gaelic language....
established the Bòrd na Gàidhlig
Bòrd na Gàidhlig
Bòrd na Gàidhlig is a quango appointed by the Scottish Government with responsibility for Scottish Gaelic...
, a non-governmental public body
Quango
Quango or qango is an acronym used notably in the United Kingdom, Ireland and elsewhere to label an organisation to which government has devolved power...
responsible for the promomotion of Gaelic language in Scotland.
The first holder of the post is Professor Roibeard Ó Maolalaigh, Head of the Department of Celtic and Gaelic at the University who had previously held a personal professorship in Gaelic. Professor Ó Maolalaigh was educated at University College Dublin
University College Dublin
University College Dublin ) - formally known as University College Dublin - National University of Ireland, Dublin is the Republic of Ireland's largest, and Ireland's second largest, university, with over 1,300 faculty and 17,000 students...
and lectured at the University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
whilst completing his PhD
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
there. He was then appointed Assistant Professor of Celtic Studies at the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies
Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies
The Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies Dublin, Ireland was established in 1940 by the Taoiseach of the time, Éamon de Valera under the . The Institute consists of 3 schools: The , the and the . The directors of these schools are currently Professor Werner Nahm, Professor Luke Drury and...
, before moving to Glasgow. As Head of the Department at Glasgow, he appointed the first ever Gaelic Language Officer at a Scottish university. He is Director of the Digital Archive of Scottish Gaelic, a project funded by the British Academy
British Academy
The British Academy is the United Kingdom's national body for the humanities and the social sciences. Its purpose is to inspire, recognise and support excellence in the humanities and social sciences, throughout the UK and internationally, and to champion their role and value.It receives an annual...
, and is also involved in Soillse, a project led by the University of the Highlands and Islands developing a research capacity for the maintenance and revitalisation of Gaelic in Scotland.