Seachtain na Gaeilge 2026 in Fingal

Fingal County Council is getting ready to celebrate our language and culture during Seachtain na Gaeilge 2026.  This international Irish Language festival runs from 1-17 March with its motto encouraging everyone use whatever Irish they have – Bain Triail Aisti.  

Full details will be  uploaded here but some events include: 

On Wednesday 11th March at the Atrium County Hall Swords, there will be a Seachtain na Gaeilge celebration with Ceol, Craic and Gaeilge from 7 to 9pm.  This annual event, which welcomes Irish language enthusiasts from the county to join Fingal staff, is always very popular and audience participation is encouraged so if you would like to join in with a song on the night please do.

On Thursday March 5th Head Gardener Dominica McKevitt and Irish Officer Bernie Kelly will lead a bilingual walk in Ardgillan Demesne, Balbriggan. Meet in front of the Castle (facing the sea) at 11am.

There will be a Pop Up Gaeltacht in the Seamus Ennis Arts Centre on March 19th starting at 5.30pm followed by their regular bilingual singing session. 

The events in local libraries include the following: 

Seachtain na Gaeilge: 1d – 17ú Márta 2026
Is féile idirnáisiúnta í Seachtain na Gaeilge agus tá sé ar an cheiliúradh Gaeilge agus cultúrtha is mó a bhíonn ar siúil gach bliain.
Seachtain na Gaeilge (Irish Language Week) is an International Irish language festival and one of the biggest celebrations of our native language and culture that takes place each year.
Yoga do Theaghlaigh (Family Yoga) le Óga Yoga
Bígí linn le haghaidh seisiún yoga atá oiriúnach do theaghlaigh. Beidh an seisiún bunaithe ar an leabhar yoga Diarmuid agus an Mata Yoga: Draíochta San Ind. Beidh fáilte roimh thuismitheoirí agus caomhnóirí páirt a ghlacadh.  
Join us for family-friendly yoga sessions (with a few words in Irish) based on the yoga book Diarmuid agus an Mata Yoga: Draíochta San Ind. Parents/guardians can take part in these sessions with their children. 
To reserve a place, please contact the library hosting the event.  
Blanchardstown Library     Thursday, 5th March     3:30pm-4:30pm

Seó Draíochta (Magic Show) le Quentin Reynolds 
Seó draíochta agus puipéad lán spraíúla le go leor rannpháirtíochta ón lucht féachana, curtha i láthair i nGaeilge agus i mBéarla. Tar linn agus b’fhéidir go bhfoghlaimeoidh tú cúpla focal nua i nGaeilge fiú. Fáilte roimh chách.  
A fun-filled magic and puppet show with lots of audience participation, presented in Irish and English. Come along and you might even learn a few new words in Irish. All welcome. 
Skerries Library     Saturday, 7th March     2pm-3pm 

Seisiún Spraíúil le Sarah Sparkles 
Cuir draíocht ar fáil do pháistí san seó seo le Sarah Sparkles. Déann cuairt ar an leabharlann le haghaidh an seó dhá-theangach Scéalaíochta le Sarah agus a cairde puipéad. Bí ag spraoi trí nGaeilge agus Béarla, éist le scéal, bí ag canadh, déan damhsa is pléisc na bolgáin freisin! Fáilte roimh chách.   
Bring the magic of Irish to children in this event with Sarah Sparkles! Visit the library for this special bilingual storytelling event with Sarah and her puppet friends. Have fun through Irish and English, listen to a story, sing, dance and pop bubbles! All welcome. 
Malahide Library     Thursday, 12th March     10am-11am 
Baldoyle Library     Thursday, 12th March     12pm-1pm

Scéalta agus Spraoi (Stories and Fun) le Seosamh Ó Maolalaí
Insíonn Seosamh scéalta do pháistí. Amhráin agus rannta aige chomh maith. Insíonn sé go dátheanh,i nGaeilge agus i mBéarla. Bíonn spraoi agus gáire agus scléip ina chuid scéalaíochta. Bainfidh gach 
éinne, idir óg is aosta, sult as an seisiún seo. Fáilte roimh chách.   
Seosamh tells stories for children bilingually, in Irish and in English. He has songs and verses too. There’s fun and laughter and hilarity - everyone, young and old, will get enjoyment from this session. All welcome.
Howth Library     Saturday, 7th March     11:30am-12:30pm
Rush Library     Saturday, 7th March     2pm-3pm

Píosa Spraoi le Cupán Focail(s)! (Have Fun with a Cup of Focals!) le Áine Gallagher 
‘Is fearr Gaeilge briste ná Béarla cliste’ seo é an sprioc don ceardlann seo le Áine Gallagher, aka ‘the queen of offbeat’. Is ealaíontóir í Áine  agus tá sí i gconaí ag déanamh rudaí  nua agus cruthaitheach cun Gaeilge acur cun cinn agus inspioráid a thabhairt do dhaoine cun an teanga a labhairt. San ceardlann dhá theangach seo, beidh an aidhm cun píosa spraoi a fháil agus aeilge a cleactadh gan brú. Má cheapann tú nach bhfuil do chuid Gaeilge ró mhaith, ach ba mhaith leat í a feabhsú, seo é an ceardlann duit.
In this fun family, pop up event, children will play games to practice their cúpla focal and turn them into a simple story. ‘Queen of offbeat’, Áine Gallagher, uses her ‘cup of focals’ (cup full of words) to encourage people to give Irish a go, even if it’s not perfect. She lives by the saying, ‘is fear Gaeilge briste ná Béarla cliste’ (broken Irish is better than clever English). All welcome.
Balbriggan Library     Saturday, 7th March    11am-12:30pm 
Donabate Library     Saturday, 7th March    2pm-3:30pm 
 
Oíche Filíochta Dhátheangach
Bígí linn ag Oíche Filíochta Dhátheangach i Leabharlann Bhaile Brigín chun Seachtain na Gaeilge a cheiliúradh. Léigh dán tú féin nó éist le daoine eile agus bígí ag caint. Dánta i mBéarla nó i nGaeilge
Join us for a Bilingual Poetry evening in Balbriggan Library to celebrate Seachtain na Gaeilge. Read a poem yourself or listen to others and have a chat. Poems in Irish or English.
Fáilte roimh chách! Everyone welcome!
Leabharlann Bhaile Brigín
Balbriggan Library    Dé Luain, 9 Márta
Monday, 9th March    6:45pm-7:45pm

Seachtain na Gaeilge for Schools 
For the Love of Milseáin: Comedy with Áine Gallagher 
For the Love of Milseáin is a bilingual comedy show for an invited audience of secondary school students will take place in the Draíocht Centre, Blanchardstown., Through her ‘divinely awkward’ style of comedy, Áine offers a new, exciting approach to speaking and learning Irish.   

For Irish enthusiasts as well as Seachtain na Gaeilge you may be interested in:

An Leabharlann Fháilteach  

Is é is An Leabharlann Fháilteach ann ná tionscnamh nuálach atá deartha chun leabharlanna a dhéanamh níos fáiltí ó thaobh na Gaeilge de agus a chabhróidh leis an teanga teacht chun bheith níos nádúrtha, níos feiceálaí agus níos beo sa ghnáthshaol laethúil. Táimid ag súil go mór le páirt a ghlacadh sa scéim seo i Leabharlann Dhomhnach Bat. Beidh fearadh na fáilte roimh chainteoirí Gaeilge, roimh thuilleadh imeachtaí dátheangacha agus roimh thuilleadh leabhair Ghaeilge
An Leabharlann Fháilteach is an innovative initiative designed to make libraries more welcoming to Irish and help the language feel more natural, visible, and alive in everyday life. We are looking forward to taking part in this initiative in Donabate Library. There will be a great welcome for Irish speakers with more bilingual events and Irish books. 
Clinic Leabhar le Leabhair Pháistí Éireann (Book Clinic in Irish & English with Children’s Books Ireland)
An léitheoir óg tú? Sa tóir ar shraith nua? Buail isteach chuig Clinic Leabhar Leabhair Pháistí Éireann! Labhair leis an Dochtúir Leabhar, faigh comhairle uathu maidir leis na leabhair is fearr leat agus tabharfaidh siad oideas duit leis an gcéad leabhar eile ar cheart duit a léamh! Beidh tús áite ag na daoine a thagann chuig an gClinic Leabhar ar dtús. Maireann gach coinne leis an Dochtúir Leabhar 10 go 15 nóiméad. 
Are you a young reader? Looking for a new series to delve into? Then pop along to the Children’s Books Ireland Book Clinic! Chat to the Book Doctor, consult on your favourite reads and leave with a prescription for your next book! The Book Clinic operates on a drop-in, first come first served basis. Each Book Doctor consultation will be 10 or 15 minutes in duration. 
Donabate Library     Saturday, 28th March     2pm-5pm 

Scéalta, Rince agus Ceol le Chéile le Julie Anne de Brún 
Bígí linn chun scéalta a chloisteáil,  amhráin a chanadh, cnaguirlisí ceoil a sheinnt agus buncéimeanna steip a fhoghlaim! 
Join us for a lively workshop listening to stories, singing songs, playing percussion instruments and learning some basic sean-nós dancing, all through the Irish language! Ages 8-12.
Donabate Library     Saturday, 14th March     2pm-3pm 

Páistí! Scéalta! Amhráin! Spraoi! With Ciarán Ó Fainín 
Páistí! Scéalta! Amhráin! Spraoi! Agus i bhfad níos mó, liomsa - Ciarán Ó Fainín agus libhse sa leabharlann.  Tá mé ag súil go mór le deiseanna a thabhairt do pháistí an cheantair teacht le chéile  ag séisiúin scéalaíochta. Tá failte romhaibh ar fad.  
Children! Stories! Songs! Play! And much more with me - Ciarán Ó Fainín, and you, in the library. 
I am excited to give children a chance to come together for storytelling sessions. You are all very welcome. Ages 4-7.
Donabate Library     Saturday, 28th February 
Saturday, 28th March 
Saturday, 25th April     11:30am-12:30pm 

Coiscéim, Coiscéimín le Claire M. Dunne & Anita Foley  
Seo an chéad phictiúrleabhar ó pheann Claire M. Dunne. Scéal é seo faoin gcairdeas, faoin gcrógacht, agus, thar aon ní eile, faoin gcáis! Bainfidh páistí agus daoine fásta araon an-sult as eachtraí Laoise a leanúint, agus as léaráidí mionsonraithe Anita Foley, a thugann beocht don scéal. 
From debut author Claire M. Dunne, this picture book is a story about friendship, courage, and, above all, cheese! Beautifully illustrated by Anita Foley’s detailed watercolours, it is sure to delight children and adults alike as they follow Laoise’s adventures. Ages 4-7.
Donabate Library     Saturday, 21st February     12pm-1pm 

Ceardlann Rince ar an Sean Nós le Sibéal Davitt 
Ceardlann spraíúil do pháistí scoile agus a dtuismitheoirí le Sibéal Davitt, ag foghlaim bunghluaiseachtaí agus rithim an tsean nóis i suíomh cairdiúil teaghlaigh.
A lively workshop with Sibéal Davitt where children and their parents learn the basic movements and rhythm of sean nós dancing in a friendly family environment.
Donabate Library     Saturday, 11th April     3pm-4pm