#ReadingIrelandMonth21 Anseo

• Author: Úna-Minh Kavanagh
  
• Title: Anseo  (120 pg)
  
• Published: 2019
• Genre:  biography
• Title: Here! (describing a location of a person) Anseo
• Info:  Úna-Minh Kavanagh is a Gaeilgeoir from Co. Kerry. Her book, Anseo, is about growing up in Kerry, the Irish language, identity and racism in 2019. Úna-Minh now edits WeAreIrish.ie and is a member of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth Committee. She also live-streams broadcasts in both English and as Gaeilge.
• List of Challenges 2021
• Monthly plan
• #ReadingIrelandMonth21
• #DiversityInIreland

 

Who is Úna-Minh Kavanagh?
Freelance Writer, journalist/editor, freelance content creator and Kerrywoman.
She has been working as a regular on streaming giant Twitch.
There she plays the latest video games in Gaelic for a dedicated audience.

Ms Úna-Minh Kavanagh is a media professional.
She noticed there were NO Irish-language streamers
…and decided to do something about it!
Here is just a look at what she does!  Lovely to hear the Irish language!!

What makes Úna-Minh Kavanagh so fresh and exciting?
She has used her positivity and media savvy to make a difference to celebrate
diversity in Ireland!
But Ms Kavanagh reveals how rampant racism is on
Twitter, Facebook, Trolls and Doxxers.
This is scary stuff!

 

Conclusion:

1. This a a gem of a book!
2. I really enjoyed reading Ms Kavanagh’s life story
3. …and her stand against racism!
4. Today’s phrase of the day is:
5. ní ghlacaimid beag ná mór le ciníochas
6. Meaning: we have zero tolerance for racism
7. #Gaeilge #FrásaAnLae

 

Best quote:
“…the false deduction that what a person looks like
is the equivalent of how a that person identifies.”

 

Quickscan:

1. 1-35 % birth, adoption, life 1-15 years… and a love letter to her grandfather
2. 36- 45% college life (2009-2012) in Dublin…and a love letter the the Irish-language
3. 46-55% casual racism and physical attacks
4. …the corrosive ‘drip, drip, drip effect’ it has on her life

 

1. 56-60% what is going on with Irish identity today?
2. …it is a multicultural society should be celebrated
3. “Where are you really from?” a question that infuriates Úna-Minh Kavanagh.
4. “All strangers care about is my physical appearance
5. …nothing deeper than how I look”

 

1. 61-63% working life (2013-2015) as freelance journalist
2. prolific in Irish and English language
3. 64-67% entertainer as a live-stream gamer “as Gaelige” (in Gaelic)

 

1. 68-70% grassroots social media diversity project (2017)
2. on Twitter and Facebook.
3. ….stories of people like Úna-Minh Kavanagh who spoke to
4. the beauty and diversity in Ireland and how
5. they had been challenged about their “Irishness”
6. The hashtag...
7. #WeAreIrish
8. #IsÉireannaighMuid were born.
9. HAVE A LOOK ON Twitter!!

 

1. 71-76 % TROLLS…and the dark world of 4chan.org.
2. This is one of the scariest corners of the wild and weird web.
3. It is an image based forum
4. …all users are anonymous and approximately 70% male.
5. It gets pretty dark quickly
6. ….and the users corrupted images of Úna-Minh Kavanagh to exploit.
7. 22 million people use the website each month
8. ….42 billion users have visited the site since its inception in 2004.
9. Úna-Minh Kavanagh does not shy away from the darkish….trolls.
10. Good advice:
11. …if the are not bots, they are entrenched in their views.
12. Their goal is NOT to change a user’s mind….it is to upset the user.
13. Don’t waste you precious energy, time and headspace
14. to engage in any amount of discussion with them.

 

1. 77-86% passion for learning a language. Is Gaelic a dead language?
2. No….it is useful because it can connect you to your ancestors’ culture.
3. I agree with Úna-Minh…the key to learning a language is immersion.
4. My own experience living in The Netherlands..it is the only way to learn Dutch.
5. When I first came to this country I took a job “immersed’ with people
6. ….a grocery store cashier!
7. Within 6 months I could hold my own in Dutch conversation.
8. It took a few years after that
9. to master the written part of the language….at night school.
10. Jumping into a new language can be daunting
11. …but attitude is everything.

 

1. 87-89% “term on the day” project
2. …tweeting Gaelic phrases that are short, snappy and humorous
3. The hashtag…. #FrásaAnLae is born!

 

1. 90-100% Úna-Minh Kavanagh concludes her book with
2. the hope she can give people real reasons to communicate in Irish.
3. Through ups and downs, Irish had given her shelter
4. …it is an innate part of her.
5. Irish is hers to cherish!