(Arranged roughly North to South)
Arcata
Humboldt State University,
Office of Extended Education may possibly offer Irish Gaelic classes
Contact: +1-707-826-3731
Sacramento
The Irish American Social Club of Sacramento offers classes.
Berkeley
The University of California at Berkely has a Celtic studies program and offers an intensive class in Irish every summer.
San Francisco
Cumann na Gaeilge runs weekly Beginner and Intermediate classes in the United Irish Cultural Center
Nikki Ragsdale organises an immersion weekend each year.
An Scoil Ghaelach is an Irish-speaking pre-school in the San Francisco Bay are run by Gweedore-born Mary McFadden. She also offers evening classes for adults.
[Info dated 1991-05-11]
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Subject: SF Bay Area Gaelic
From: mike@gov.lbl.fionn (Michael Helm)
Here's my long-promised note on Gaelic classes in the San
Francisco Bay area.
I note that you have from Jim McCloskey the information on Amelda White.
I have heard many good recommendations about her & her classes.
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Nora Ní Liongsigh (415) 431 4784
48 Haight St #11, San Francisco, CA 94102
I've been working with Nora for a couple months. Her classes are usually
5-8 people, conversational topics. I'm not sure what she's going to do
in the near future & I'm not sure she's going to be here much longer.
She's patient, explains well, has a lot of teaching materials, is
flexible -- I can't recommend her too highly!
Nora was/is a teacher in an all-Irish school in Dublin (she's on, um,
Sabbatical here), & was born & raised in the Cork Gaeltacht in Ballyvourney.
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Joan Keefe, part of the UCB Celtic Studies Department, sometimes teaches
Irish independently, so it may be worthwhile to contact her (thru the
Department). She prefers to work with more advanced students.
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Ireland's 32 : Seamus Collins 386 7173 8 pm Wed
Seamus Collins has been teaching a group on Wednesday nites.
Ireland's 32 is a bar out in the Richmond District of San Francisco,
about 30th & Geary. I haven't had any contact with these people
(Wednesday's impossible for me & I haven't been able to track
Seamus down). The phone number given is the bar's, call them for
starters.
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The Irish Castle, Mary Whoaley (probably misspelled her name again;
pronounced HOOLEY)
537 Geary SF; 474 7432
Mary is a native speaker (Donegal dialect) & while she has been
very reluctant to teach she's helped set up a number of classes over
the years, & usually knows who's active. (Sometimes she'll come
to the classes to sing.) Currently she's been routing people to
Nora & Amelda. It's worth talking to her -- people come & go, but
the store is always there.
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There are other possibilities, too. There are a lot of set dancing
& other Irish dancing styles classes around, & I know a couple of these
teachers are Gaelophones. "The Starry Plough" in Berkeley & a group
at the Ft Mason center in SF are the ones I'm thinking of; there are more.
Fresno
[info from Nov 1992] Seán MacÉnrí 6593 North Seventh Fresno, California 93710 U.S.A Phone: (209) 435-3384 Seán teaches Irish and Scotts Gaelic as well as some Celtic culture. He is involved with the Celtic Cultural Society of Central California and plays Irish music as well.
Los Angeles and San Fernando Valley
Scoil na Gaeilge - The Irish Language School - (classes@learningirish.com) offers classes in Beginning, Intermediate and Advanced Modern Irish, days and evenings seven days a week. Locations in the San Fernando Valley and Los Angeles.
The Celtic Arts Center - An Claidheamh Soluis (celt@celticartscenter.com) offers free Monday night workshops in Modern Irish. Also offered are classes in Celtic history, spirituality, literature and the performing arts as well as Beginning Irish in the quarterly schedule of classes.
[Info from Gene Sculatti, 2002-01-31]
San Diego
IRISH CLASSES. The House of Ireland, Balbao Park, San Diego, CA. Commencing Monday, January 30, 1995, at 7pm. Ten-week series. More Information from the instructor, Fintan Moore: #619/58-IRISH or fionntan@pwa.acusd.edu