Minister begins US trip

The Minister for Gaeltacht Affairs Eamon O Cuiv will promote the Irish language during a two-day trip to Boston in the US beginning today.

The West Galway TD will visit Boston College, the Centre for Irish Studies and the Irish Cultural Centre.

Mr O Cuiv will also deliver a keynote address at the Department of Celtic Languages and Literatures in Harvard University.

He is expected to discuss the status of Irish within the EU since it became an official working language of the bloc on January 1 last year.

The minister’s itinerary also includes meetings with members of the Irish community living and working in the Massachusetts state capital.

Tomorrow, Mr O Cuiv will participate in a workshop on post-Famine Irish by Dr Robert Savage of Boston College.