Relaunch of gradaim promotes Irish language across Cork businesses

Recollections of an Irish language activist who charmed and cajoled many Cork businesses to adapt signage and marketing ‘as Gaeilge’ were shared by the city’s lord mayor as he relaunched the award scheme aimed at promoting the language’s visibility and named in honour of the late Pádraig Ó Cuanacháin.

Green Party councillor and Lord Mayor Dan Boyle told the attendance of the relaunch ‘Gradam Uí Chuanacháin’ in Cork City Hall that he remembered meeting Pádraig shortly after he became a councillor.

“When I was first elected as a comhairleoir (councillor) Pádraig used to constantly contact me about promoting the Irish language and culture,” he said. “He certainly was very determined and very active in his belief in raising Irish culture to its heights.”

The event marked the relaunch by local Irish language agency Gael-Taca of the Gradaim Uí Chuacháin scheme after it was suspended during the pandemic. It had been originally launched in 2011 to honour the memory of Mr Ó Cuanacháin after his sudden death in 2008.

Cork City Council Irish language officer Chris Dorgan recalled that he had been working in Dublin in an Irish language radio station, Ráidió na Life, when Pádraig Ó Cuanacháin met him after Mass at St Peter and Paul’s Church one Sunday. “You would know you were talking with Pádraig Ó Cuanacháin because he was so full of joy and energised by the Irish language — it was sometimes hard to keep up with him,” he said.

At the relaunch held in the Cork City Council chambers, representatives of the Cork Business Association, Cork Chamber and some local firms, including The Echo who are media partners for the scheme, were in attendance.

The event was also attended by members of the Ó Cuanacháin family.

The gradaim are aimed at giving recognition to hotels, pubs, shops and other businesses to use Irish in their marketing material, firm frontage, media relations and communications and in dealings with the public.

There are three prizes, a first prize of €1,500 and trophy, a second prize of €1,000 and a third prize of €500, and entries are being accepted until the end of this month.

Gael-Taca development officer Hannah Ní Charthaigh has been meeting the proprietors of local businesses over the past few weeks to tell them of the competition’s relaunch.

“It’s an award that recognises businesses in Cork that promote the Irish language on a daily basis in different ways,” she said.

“The awards are named after the late Pádraig Ó Cuanacháin, an Irish language activist and visionary, a man who worked tirelessly for the Irish language in Cork.

“He recognised the importance of the visibility of the Irish language and especially that it would be visible in business.

“The advantages of speaking Irish in your company are bilingual marketing, a fine bit of craic for your staff and, also, as we all know, tourists love seeing a bit of Irish when they visit any city in Ireland.

“A recent study shows that 90% of tourists visiting Ireland are looking for authenticity and there’s nothing more authentic than the Irish language.”