Bill Cullen, the well-known entrepreneur and (born again) motor dealer, has hit the road to support the Seachtain Na Gaeilge festival. Cullen, who recently opened a SsangYong dealership in Dublin, carried a baton on a Dublin leg of the relay from Colaiste Cillian Secondary School in Clondalkin.
The baton relay will be carried by school children, containing a personal message from President Michael D. Higgins and started out in Cork, making its way from school to school on its 700-kilometre trek. The event is being sponsored by SsangYong and will eventually finish in Northern Ireland with a celebratory concert at Belfast City Hall on March 15th. It's expected that over 40,000 people in all will participate in Seachtain na Gaeilge this month.
Cullen's participation follows a historic commitment by voluntary groups and local authorities in promoting the Irish language down through the years. The festival has been in existence since 1902 and has grown from a week-long event to a two-week event. During the festival, everyone is invited to have fun and speak a few Irish words - cupla focal - and remember the rich heritage of Ireland's native language.
Anything else?
As SsangYong is sponsoring the event, it will be supplying both the SsangYong Korando and new Rodius, which will be used by the support team throughout the route. To find out more about the festival, go to snag.ie.