March was filled with folklore and feminism for Wikimedia Community Ireland. Now, as we find ourselves at the Days of the Brindled Cow (Laethanta na Bó Riabhaí), it’s time to update you on all our news! Don’t worry, we haven’t lost the plot entirely. For those who may not know, the Days of the Brindled Cow is a term from Irish folklore used to describe the last few days of March, which tend to gift us with the most unpredictable weather of the year. You can learn more about this folk tradition on Wikipedia and Vicipéid.
In March, we celebrated International Women’s Day at the Trinity Library and are happy to announce three new collaborations that will enhance our work to promote digital activism, Irish cultural and linguistic heritage and open knowledge. This is also the last call to enter the Wiki Loves Folklore photo contest and the Feminism and Folklore Writing contest. You’re not going to want to skip this one! Read on to find out more.
Announcing New Rising Voices International Indigenous Languages Collaboration
We are delighted to announce that we have been awarded a grant from Global Voices to co-organize local workshops with Rising Voices, focused on digital activism for Indigenous, minoritized, or low-resource languages.
These workshops will incorporate elements of the Rising Voices – UNESCO toolkit project “Digital Initiatives for Indigenous Languages,” which has been adapted to a number of virtual and in-person workshops over the past several years.
The other Wikimedia groups we will be collaborating with for this initiative include:
- Dagbani Wikimedians User Group (Ghana)
- Igbo Wikimedians User Group (Nigeria)
- Community of Angika Wikimedians (India)
- Yogyakarta Wikimedia Community (Indonesia)
Find more information about the collaboration here.
Meet the Judges for Wiki Loves Folklore Ireland 2025
As March comes to an end, as do the Wiki Loves Folklore photo Contest and the Feminism and Folklore Bilingual Writing contest. Our panel of esteemed judges are getting ready to make decisions about which photos and articles will proceed to the global contest. You can learn more about our panel of experts here.
And if you happen to be reading this before March 31st you can still upload photos to commons here or get involved in the writing contest here.
Tura Artura leading a dance workshop at Celtic Knot 2024
“Over my dead body will women enter this college”- International Women’s Day at Trinity Library
What if we had the power to create a more equal and inclusive digital space? What if we do?
Taking a feminist approach to making the internet a more equal, collaborative and safe place to be also means amplifying the voices of anyone who has been marginalised from the canon of knowledge. Today the vision of Art+Feminism extends to amplifying the work and stories of artists from gender minorities and indeed all underrepresented groups.
That’s where we can take a stand as digital activists. At Trinity, led by Wikimedian in residence Professor Sae Kitamura (University of Tokyo), we empowered ourselves to edit and create as many articles about underrepresented artists as possible to celebrate International Women’s Day.
Events like this give us the opportunity to gather as digital activists to take small steps towards amplifying marginalised voices, dismantling unfair power imbalances and fostering safer and inclusive digital spaces for all.
Find out how we got on and read about the event here.
A selection of Articles Created at the Art+Feminism Event at Trinity College for IWD 2025
New Collaboration with the Hunt Museum and Secondary Students for Art+Feminism
We are delighted to announce that we will be collaborating with The Hunt Museum as part of the global Art+Feminism Wikipedia campaign with Ardscóil Mhuiré, a secondary school in Corbally, Limerick.
Together, we will explore new feminist perspectives on objects from the Hunt Museum’s collection that will be published on Wikipedia.
A series of Wikipedia posts on Hunt Museum objects will be shared throughout the year and on International Women’s Day 2026, the museum will launch an online exhibition bringing together all-new research and insights. In addition, Ardscóil Mhuiré TY students will present an exhibition of artwork inspired by and reflecting on their experiences of contributing to the Art+Feminism campaign.
Image courtesy of The Hunt Museum Limerick
WikiMuir Project Awarded Colmcille Small Grant!/Bronnadh Miondeontas Cholmcille ar Thionscadal WikiMuir!
Wikimedia Community Ireland is delighted to announce that we have been awarded the Colmcille Small Grant for our new project, WikiMuir. This initiative will focus on celebrating and preserving maritime heritage through Irish and Scottish Gaelic, strengthening connections between communities in Ireland and Scotland.
With this funding, we are excited to establish a strong collaboration with Taigh Ceilidh in Scotland and Wikimedia UK. Together, we will explore key themes such as sea folklore, marine conservation, and shared maritime vocabulary between our languages.
Tá lúcháir ar Phobal Éireann Wikimedia a fhógairt go bhfuil Miondeontas Cholmcille bronnta ar ár dtionscadal nua, WikiMuir. Tá an tionscadal seo dírithe ar an oidhreacht mhuirí a roinnt agus a chaomhnú trí Ghaeilge agus Gàidhlig, ag nascadh pobail in Éirinn agus in Albain.
Le tacaíocht ón maoiniú seo, cuirfimid tús le comhpháirtíocht láidir le Taigh Ceilidh in Albain agus Wikimedia sna RA. Le chéile, oibreoimid ar mhórthéamaí an tionscadail, lena n-áirítear béaloideas farraige, caomhnú muirí, agus foclóir mara coiteann idir an dá theanga.
WikiProject Europe/The European Destubathon
The European Destubathon begins on 1 April and runs throughout the month, and there’s always space for more participants! Organised by Wikimedia UK, you are invited to sign up whether you think you might be able to contribute one article or you’re planning on making a tilt for the top prize for most overall destubs.
To destub an article, you need to make sure it has more than 1,500 characters of prose (so excluding references, infobox, categories, and lists). With 50 countries to write about, each with its own prize, there’s plenty of choice.
Find out more and get involved here.
ILO’s Guest Lecture at Galway University
On March 25th, Our Irish Language Officer, Amy gave a special lecture as part of a Lunchtime Lecture series in the Department of Science at Galway University. She spoke about the scientific research behind Wikipedia and how our projects are contributing to STEM through the medium of Irish.
Ar an 25ú Márta, thug mé léacht lón speisialta mar chuid de shraith Lón le linn Léachta in Roinn na hEolaíochta in Ollscoil na Gaillimhe. Labhair mé faoin taighde eolaíochta atá taobh thiar de Vicipéide agus faoin gcaoi a bhfuil ár dtionscadail ag cur le STEM trí mheán na Gaeilge.
Our ILO at Ollscoil na Gailimhe
MeithealWiki
Seoladh MeithealWiki níos luaithe an mhí seo – tionscnamh nua atá dírithe ar obair le chéile, scileanna a roinnt agus daoine nua a mhealladh isteach i bpobal Vicipéide.
Bígí cinnte go gcláraíonn sibh don liosta ríomhphoist chun na cuireadh do na hócáidí míosúla a fháil – beidh cruinniú duine le duine againn go luath, chomh maith le seisiúin ar líne.
Earlier this month, MeithealWiki was launched – a new initiative aimed at working together on Wiki, sharing skills and attracting new people to the Vicipéid community. Make sure you sign up for the email list to receive invitations to the monthly events – we will be having a face-to-face meeting soon, as well as online sessions. All welcome, from native speakers to those who might have not had a place to use their Irish since school!
Register here/ Cláraigh anseo.
Nuacht ón tOifigeach Gaeilge
Tá sé deacair a chreidiúint go bhfuil deireadh mí an Mhárta buailte linn cheana féin – táimid anois i Laethanta na Bó Riabhaí! De réir ár mbéaloidis, faigheann mí an Mhárta na chéad trí lá d’Aibreán ar iasacht agus déanann sí iad chomh fuar agus is féidir – mínithe atá ar an bhfuacht tobann a bhíonn againn go minic ag deireadh an Mhárta in Éirinn.
I lár mhí Aibreáin, beidh mé ag taisteal go Bari san Iodáil chun bualadh lenár gcomhghleacaithe i Wikimedia Italy agus Ollscoil Bari – a bhí linn ag Celtic Knot anuraidh. Beidh Wikithon againn ann le mic léinn áitiúla, cuid acu ag foghlaim na Gaeilge!
Agus ná déan dearmad – tá Wiki Loves Earth agus Wiki Loves Pride ag teacht i mí Bealtaine agus Meitheamh!
Má tá smaointe agaibh d’ócáidí don dá fheachtas sin – bígí i dteagmháil linn!
Meabhrúchán: Feimineachas agus Béaloideas 2025
Ná déan dearmad ar an gcomórtas!
Tá Is Breá le Vicí Béaloideas (Wiki Loves Folklore) fós – comórtas grianghrafadóireachta a thugann cuireadh duit traidisiúin dhúchais ó gach cearn den domhan a roinnt trí ghrianghraif – ná déanaigí dearmad.
Leanann Feimineachas agus an Béaloideas ar aghaidh i mí Márta – comórtas scríbhneoireachta idirnáisiúnta ar Vicipéide chun mná agus cultúir bhéil ó réigiúin éagsúla a chur i lár an aonaigh.
Traveller Wagons, from Wiki Loves Folklore 2021 by Chris Light, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
If you would like to get involved with any of our work as a volunteer or collaborator please get in touch!
Le dea-ghuí,
Wikimedia Community Ireland
