Public talk: Translation and Language in a Time of Transformation

In the Irish struggle for independence toward the turn of the 20th century, the Irish language, culture and traditions were revived and promoted as a way of asserting a national identity distinct from Britain. What is now the translation service of the Oireachtas (the Irish Parliament) played an active role in this transformation, and over a century on, this translation service remains at the service of the Oireachtas and Irish speakers. 

Mr Vivian Uíbh Eachach, chief translator of the Oireachtas translation service, will discuss the role of translation and language in this period of transition, one which is bound to be ripe with parallels between the Irish and Maltese stories in the same period. 

The programme starts at 18:00 and will be followed by a discussion and refreshments. The talk, which forms part of the Translating Europe project, will be given in English and will also be streamed online.

Speaker bio: 

Vivian Uíbh Eachach is the Chief Translator in the Houses of the Oireachtas Service (HOS – The National Parliament of Ireland) a role he has occupied since 2008. Having almost 40 years experience in the translation sector, Mr Uíbh Eachach has been overseeing the digital transformation of translation services in the Oireachtas, with a focus on memory-based software and interoperable systems.

Mr Uíbh Eachach has also overseen an expansion in the role of Rannóg an Aistriúcháin (The Translation Section) in relation to strategic planning and timely delivery of the Oireachtas Bilingualism Programme. This is one of the main objectives in the HOS Strategic Plan, the aim being to progressively increase the bilingual resource in the Oireachtas in relation to the provision of services in both official languages – Irish and English.