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Introducing our committee…
Chairperson
Barra Ó Muirí
Barra has been a teacher in Gaelscoil Phádraig Naofa from 2003. He has been a Sinn Féin counciller on Newry, Mourne and Down Council since 2014. He has also cultural officer on the Armagh county board since 2018 and chairperson for Newtown GAA.
Secretary
Nina McQuillan
Nina is a Gaelscoil teacher in Gaelscoil Phádraig Naofa. She worked as a leader in Coláiste Aoidh Mhic Bhricne, Teelin, and in Ógras Oirialla before she went to University in SMUCB to become a teacher. She runs a small business to help other Gaelscoil teachers and to share resources.
Treasurer
Aisling Uí Gribín
Aisling is a teacher in Gaelscoil Phádraig Naofa and has been the co-ordinator of the Gaelscoil from 2007. She is one of the treasurers of Gaelphobal Ard Mhacha Theas and a member of Cullyhanna GAA. She is also an active member of Glórtha gCuillinn singing circle where she encourages the next generation of traditional Irish singers.
Public Relations Officer
Bláithín Mhic Cana
Bláithín is a teacher in Gaelscoil Phádraig Naofa and a Sean Nós singer, she was born and raised at the bottom of Slieve Gullion and currently lives in Crossmaglen where she has taught for 14 years and is raising her own family with Irish. She teaches Irish traditional singing, both with the Traditional Arts Partnership and over zoom.
She won the Máire Mhic Donnchadha cup at Oireachtas in 2019, and the Uí Chriagáin cup, at Sean Nós na Fearsaide in 2019. She also placed 3rd in Comórtas na mBan at the Oireachtas in 2022. She is an active member of the Dream Dearg and Silverbridge Harps GAA. Her greatest passion is promoting the of traditional Irish singing and the sean nós style of South Armagh and to bring this tradition back to the local community.
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Irish Language Development Officer
Bridie Ní Shúilleabháin
Bridie was appointed Irish Development Officer for Gaelphobal Ard Mhacha Theas in 2022. She graduated from Queen’s Univeristy with a degree in Law with Politics in 2021. She came through local Irish Medium education agus is involved in traditional music and singing locally and teaches for the Traditional Arts Partnership.
As one of the first pupils of Gaelscoil Phádraig Naofa she has always been passionate about Irish. Her office will be based in Tí Chulainn full time.
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Other members
Pádraig Ó Tiarnaigh
Padraig is Communication Manager for Conradh na Gaeilge currently. He is also chairperson for Coláiste Aoidh Mhic Bhricne, Teelin, a member on the board of Comhairle na Gaelscolaíochta, board director of the Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich board, a researcher for the Language Plan by Carn Tóchair in 2015 and Chair of the West Belfast Language Plan Líonra Feirste Thiar.
He also has PhD in Irish and Folklore from Ulster University where he has continued to teach on a part-time basis.
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Other Members
Tomás Ó Mearáin
Tomás is a community activist with Sinn Féin. He is active within the oral history project ‘Cuimhneamh’ and is the fundraising Officer of the Naíscoil an Chreagáin committee from 2017. He is also a member of Silverbridge Harps GAA. He is a founding member of Gaelphobal Ard Mhacha Theas and has been promoting the Irish language within the community for many years.
Other Members
Ceara Ní Choinn
Ceara has 22 years of experience as a series producer, director and presenter on a wide range of television, radio and online shows. She worked for BBC NI internally for 3 years before she started creating various projects independently for broadcasters such as BBC TÉ, TG4, RTÉ and Channel 4.
Ceara spent a year as Acting Head of the Irish Broadcasters Committee and then went on to work for Irish Department of the well known television company, Below the Radar. She was appointed as an Irish producer in 2016 and she is responsible for producing content for Meon Eile and managing the website. As well as this she continues to work as a producer on other projects within the company. She has an hounours degree in Irish from Ulster Univeristy, a post graduate degree in Media from NUIG agus a postgraduate degree in education from NUIM and a masters in translation from Ulster University. Ceara is also director and producer on the new series “An Talamh Naofa” about the GAA that will be broadcasted later in 2022..
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Other Members
Niamh Nic Giolla Domhnaigh
Niamh is an Irish with music student in Ulster Univeristy, Magee, and a member of the university’s Cumann Gaelach. She works part time as a teaching assistant in Gaelscoil Phádraig Naofa, Crossmaglen. She also teaches traditional Irish singing and music for Traditional Arts Partnership and is an active member of Mullaghbawn GAA.
Other Members
Maria Nic Fhearchair
Maria is passionate about the advancement of Irish and she spent her life working in the Irish medium sector – over 25 years as a principal in Bunscoil an Iúir. She worked in summer camps as a teenager and she co-founded Coláiste Uí Fhiaich with her mother, Mary, in Cullyhanna in 1991. She founded a group called An Chrannóg to promote Irish, history and tradition to young and old in South Armagh and she is currently the chairperson.
She is a member of the Ciste Infheistíochta na Gaeilge which supports many capital projects through funding and she is a member of St Patrick’s GAA, Cullyhanna.
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Other Members
Conchur Ó Fearáin
Conor is a secondary school teacher in Coláiste Oiriall, Monaghan. He had been a member of the business committee with Conradh na Gaeilge for 2 years and a member of the development subcommittee for a year.
He attended Ulster University, where he was a co-founder of the Cumann Gaelach, Queen’s University and the National University of Ireland, Galway. He is active in Irish language education and visibility in his local area, as a principal of a summer camp, and throughout the province. He also works as a teacher and vice principal of Coláiste Bríde, Rannafast, during the summer.
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Other Members
Ursula Savage
Ursula was born and raised in Belleeks. She has a degree in Law and Politics, a Masters in Legislative Studies and Practice and a Masters in Modern Irish. She has worked as a Researcher with Conradh na Gaeilge, a Youth Development Officer with Fóram na nÓg, Development Manager with Áras na nGael, Galway, and as Language Planning Co-ordinator with Foras na Gaeilge. She has sat on the committees of Conradh na Gaeilge, Comhaltas Uladh, Club Óige an Iúir, Féile Scoildrámaíochta an Iúir and CLG Bhéal Leice.
She currently runs Cinnteacht, an Irish language consultancy firm focusing on community research, organisational strategies and language planning and has worked with organisations across Ireland to help them to promote the language.
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Other Members
Nóra Ní Raghallaí
Nora has spent over 30 years working with kids of all ages through Irish, as a nursery director, classroom assistant, development officer and a teacher as part of a school team, promoting the Irish language throughout. Nóra currently works as a celebrant, offering weddings, naming events and funerals through Irish and/or English.
She is originally from Rann na Feirste but currently lives in Cullyhanna and the connection between the two areas through Irish is so important to her. She is always trying to promote Irish, particularly amongst the younger generations, along with all other cultural aspects in the area. She is most interested in folklore, whether it’s conversation, debate, drama and other activities through Irish.
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