Gaelcholáiste student Faith gets special mention at EU translation contest
Faith Nic Aogáin, a fifth year student at Gaelcholáiste
GAELCHOLÁISTE student Faith Nic Aogáin received a special mention from the European Union after participating in its EU-wide translation contest Juvenes Translatores.
Faith was delighted to have received a special mention for her work, telling : “It came as a surprise to me since I knew that I would be competing against native speakers from Gaeltacht areas so I suppose that I’m just really proud that my translation was acknowledged and I was very grateful to all of the teachers who informed me of the competition and supported me through it.”
The Gaelcholáiste Cheatharlach fifth-year student has a keen interest in Gaeilge both in school and in her life outside of school.
She said: “I’m very interested in translation and its definitely an option that I would explore in the future. I’m very passionate about Irish and I’m lucky enough to have supportive teachers who have always nurtured that love.”
The translation competition is open to 17-year-old secondary school students from each of the EU’s 27 member states. A total of 720 schools across the EU compete in the contest each year, representing the number of seats in the European Parliament.
Students are asked to translate a page of creative writing from any one of the EU’s 24 official languages into any of the other 23 within two hours. Faith translated a text written in Irish into English.
Up to five students per school can enter the contest, amounting to more than 3,000 entries a year. Faith is one of five Irish students to receive special mention from the European Commission for her outstanding translation work in the contest.
Gaelcholáiste Cheatharlach principal Orlagh Ní Fhaoláin congratulated Faith on her outstanding work, saying: “Ba bhreá leis an scoil comhghairdeas a ghabháil le Faith as an éacht mór atá déanta aici anseo. We are very proud of Faith's special mention from the European Commission in the Juvenes Translatores competition.”
“This is a remarkable achievement and is a credit to the very high standard of work completed by Faith. She is an exceptional student with a passion for languages and this recognition is a testament to this. We would also like to commend the four other school students who took part in the competition – Teegan Nic Eochaidh Ní Ghuiare, James Mac Domhnaill, Evan Ó hEochaidh agus Sam Ó Gríofa. Comhghairdeas libh uile!”
