Here is an interesting article sent by the Irish Heritage newsletter... Irish Independent Sat, Oct 01 05 US offering more third-level courses 'as Gaeilge' IRISH language courses are now being offered in more universities in the US than in Ireland. A total of 29 third-level institutions across the US are running programmes in Irish for students and scholars of the native tongue. Among them are some of the most prestigious universities in the US, including Harvard and Notre Dame, the University of California at Berkeley and New York University. Globally, 55 universities are now making courses available in modern, middle and old Irish as well as Celtic Studies. Whether you are in Moscow, Sydney, Toronto, Oslo, Hamburg, Turin or Vienna you will now be able to study the cupla focail. Minister with responsibility for the promotion of Irish, Eamon O Cuiv yesterday announced the establishment of a €300,000 fund available from next year to promote the teaching of Irish in third-level institutions overseas. The fund is being provided through the Ciste na Gaeilge section of the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. Minister O Cuiv made the announcement at an international symposium in Notre Dame University, Indiana on the subject "Why Irish?". The minister's grandfather, Eamon de Valera had visited the university in 1919 on his tour of the US, seeking recognition for an independent Irish government. Delivering the keynote address to the symposium, Minister O Cuiv said he was delighted to return more than 85 years later as a member of government in an independent Ireland and to launch a government sponsored fund to cement and promote the ties between Ireland and universities that teach Irish around the world. He said: "These programmes foster a greater appreciation of Ireland and our culture outside the island." The Minister pointed out that the Irish language was the oldest spoken and written language in Europe, north of the Alps, and stressed the importance of linguistic diversity to the cultural heritage of people around the world. -- Pat Connors, currently visiting Albany NY