Fúinn

About

Conradh na Gaeilge LA is the Los Angeles branch of the Irish organization, Conradh na Gaeilge, or The Gaelic League. It was established by Douglas Hyde, the first president of Ireland, in 1893.

Conradh na Gaeilge LA is a non-profit organization that teaches Irish online every day of the week at multiple levels. Conradh na Gaeilge in Ireland has as its primary mission the promotion of the use of Irish as the standard language in Ireland. Our mission is to preserve and promote Irish as a living language.

We have classes daily online so students may get ample practice to learn and use Irish. Our courses are in quarters: The Imbolg Course, The Bealtaine Course, The Lúnasa Course, and The Samhain Course. We organize an Irish immersion weekend annually.

We are supported through grants from the Irish government's Emigrant Support Program, as well as through practical help from the Irish Consulate in LA, as well as from donations from those who donate or become Patreon supporters.

TEACHERS & BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Arge O'Neal (President)

Arge is the current president of the Los Angeles branch of Conradh na Gaeilge. He is also one of our teachers. Arge has been studying Irish for over 20 years and has spent multiple sessions studying in Gaeltacht regions in Ireland.

He originally began studying the language out of his own personal curiosity, and to share it with his children. Since the pandemic, he teaches online. We all do. A television editor by trade, Arge shares his love for the language with enthusiasm and a wealth of knowledge.

Caitríona Weafer (Vice-President).

Born and raised in Ireland, Caitríona is a qualified primary school teacher (B. Ed. H.Dip) and Irish dance teacher (TMRF). She taught in an elementary school in Ireland and in the summer, took her students to Connemara where she taught summer classes. She lived in Japan for four years and taught Japanese in Dublin when she returned. In the States, she got a degree in Spanish (MA) and taught Spanish and Japanese in elementary, middle, and high schools, as well as Spanish at Community College level. With her experience teaching various languages, Caitríona decided it was time to focus on her own language and co-founded the L. A. branch of Conradh na Gaeilge (The Gaelic League). A proud moment was when the first TEG exam was held at the LA Immersion Weekend in 2019. Caitríona truly loves sharing the beauty of Irish and how to get fun out of learning with people all over the world.

Nigel Mc Loughlin

Is as Inis Ceithleann ó dhúchas é Nigel agus, cé gur fhoghlaim sé an Ghaeilge ar scoil, cosúil le go leor daoine eile, d’fhill sé ar an teanga mar dhuine fásta. Rinne sé dioplóma sa Ghaeilge in Ollscoil Uladh i 2003. Is file agus aistritheoir é, agus tá cúig chnuasach filíochta scríofa aige. D’oibrigh sé ar feadh cúig bliana is fiche mar léachtóir ar scríbhneoireacht chruthaitheach, agus ina dhiaidh sin, bhí sé ina ollamh ar chruthaitheacht agus ar ealaín na filíochta i Sasana. Bhuaigh sé Gradam Náisiúnta Comhaltachta Teagaisc as sármhaitheas a theagaisc ardoideachais i 2011. Ó d’éirigh sé as a phost, caitheann sé níos mó ama lena phaisean a shásamh ar shaothair liteartha na Gaeilge, agus ar an teanga a mhúineadh, agus an litríocht a chur in aithne do dhaoine fásta ag gach leibhéal. Déanann sé an MA sa Ghaeilge faoi láthair le Coláiste Mhuire gan Smál, Ollscoil Luimnigh.

Nigel is originally from Enniskillen and, while he learned Irish at school, like many others he returned to the language as an adult, completing the diploma in Irish at the University of Ulster in 2003. A published poet and translator, with five collections in print, he worked for over twenty years as a lecturer in creative writing, and professor of creativity and poetics in England. In 2011 he won a prestigious National Teaching Fellowship Award for excellence in higher education teaching. Since his retirement, he has been able to dedicate more time to indulging his passion for literary works in Irish, and to teaching the language, and introducing the literature to adults at all levels. He is currently doing the MA sa Ghaeilge with Mary Immaculate College, University of Limerick

Elizabeth Scheiber

Dr. Elizabeth Scheiber received her Ph.D. from Indiana University where she wrote her dissertation on women’s literature. Prior to joining the Department of Languages, Literatures & Cultures at Rider, Dr. Scheiber taught at Westminster Choir College, Indiana University, the Université de Lille-III in France, and the London School in northern Italy. While at Indiana University, she won an award for excellent teaching.

Dr. Scheiber has participated in the BRIDGE program, which promotes the scholarship of teaching and learning.

She currently teaches two very popular courses with us: Irish on Your Own and Turas Teanga.

Gwen de Buitléir

Bio coming soon!

Ní neart go cur le chéile.

There is no strength until we put [our efforts] together.

Ian Carroll

BIO COMING SOON

David Irvine

BIO COMING SOON

Ramona Reeves (Treasurer)

Ramona is the pioneer who brought the Irish Immersion Weekend to Los Angeles even before Conradh na Gaeilge in LA was born. Ramona learned Irish both in America and in Ireland and then learned first-hand how immersion weekends work in San Francisco. Working with Oideas Gael, she got the best of advice and teachers from Ireland. It was Ramona who was instrumental in getting it Non-Profit Status. She has previously served as Treasurer and brings a wealth of experience, talent, and inspiration to the board.

Kristin Bodt (Secretary)

A native of the California desert, Kristin has a degree in Art and a passion for technology that she

is following by pursuing a second degree in Computer Information Systems. She has been studying Irish in LA since 2015 and successfully passed her TEG exam in 2018. Her goal is to use her tech skills to expand CnaG's presence, hopefully attracting more and more people to experience the rich and beautiful tradition that is the Irish language.

Aoife O'Connor (Social Media Manager)

Aoife was raised in Belfast and is a graduate in Music from Berkeley. She performs traditional Irish music as well as doing work with Broadway, film, and TV, including working on music for the Oscars. She is here to bring us up to date with the LA scene engaging with the best of LA and promoting Irish here as best we can.

With language, music, and social media skills, she is well-equipped to manage our social media projects.