Seachtain na Gaeilge
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Seachtain na Gaeilge is a non-profit organisation which aims to promote the Irish language during a two week festival held at the beginning of March every year. (In the weeks preceding Saint Patrick's Day).
The festival was originally set up by Conradh na Gaeilge in 1903, and Seachtain na Gaeilge is now sponsored by Foras na Gaeilge.
Events during the festival range from music sessions, to speed-dating, to street Céilís. Over 150,000 people of all ranges of fluency in Irish take part, including thousands of children from schools and youth clubs in Ireland.[citation needed]
The festival motto is "Croí na Teanga – It’s You!". (Heart of the Language – It’s You!)
As part of the celebration, compilation CDs have been released in the past number of years. These albums feature Irish acts singing their popular hits in the Irish language. Called SnaG '05, Ceol '06, Ceol '07, etc, these albums have included songs from Paddy Casey, Mundy, The Frames, and The Corrs. The Ceol 07 compilation featured a return of some of the artists from previous albums and debuts from Damien Dempsey, Bell X1 and Declan O'Rourke. Proceeds from the sale of these albums have been donated to the charity Concern.
