BY CATHERINE COOK
A CLOUGHANEELY woman is one of the new faces on TG4’s revamped TV weather service which was unveiled last week.

This week the Irish language channel revealed a totally new HD look for its TV and Web output and introduced a new batch of presenters to bring it all to life with style and wit.

A former teacher of Irish and Music in Pobalscoil Chloich Cheann Fhaola, Caitlín Nic Aoidh from the Donegal Gaeltacht will join Irial Ó Ceallaigh (An Rinn in the Waterford Gaeltacht), Fiona Ní Fhlaithearta (Connemara Gaeltacht) to present the popular ‘An Aimsir Láithreach’ TV broadcast weather bulletins. The new presenters, selected after public competition, are also representative of the rich variety of dialects of Irish.

The makeover involves a new design and visual style for all weather output – maps, graphics and symbols – and will include posting an initial list of Irish-language weather terms and phrases in each of the major dialects online at www.tg4.ie/aimsir, as well as real-time weather pictures from a camera sited in Gaoth Dobhair in the Donegal Gaeltacht. This real-time weather ‘feed’ will supplement the existing provision from cameras located in the West Kerry and Conamara.

Caitlín Nic Aoidh is 25-years-old and is a native Irish speaker from the Cloich Cheannfhaola Gaeltacht in northwest Donegal. She attended Scoil Náisiunta Ghort a’ Choirce and received her secondary education in Pobalscoil Chloich Cheannfhaola. She then went on to complete a degree in Irish and Music in NUI, Maynooth and returned there to do a Masters in Irish. She has also just finished her D.G.O (Dioplóma Gairmiúil san Oideachas) in NUI Galway.

“People think when you do Irish in College that teaching is the only route after that,” she said.

“I love to play music and travel. When I was young, I was in the Cloughaneely Marching Band and went all over Ireland and the world playing music. I think that is where my love for travel began at a young age and I love to see new places now. I went to Asia last year for a few months and that was an eye opener. I will never take anything for granted again and appreciate everything now.

Caitlin added: “I am delighted to get this opportunity to work with TG4 as it caters for everyone ‘inár dteanga dúchais,’ no matter what your interests are. We have a great mix of ‘canúintí’ (dialects) here, so people have a chance go get the ‘blas’ of the different Gaeltachts. I’m enjoying every minute of it, whatever the weather!”

Deputy CEO of TG4, Pádhraic Ó Ciardha, said that the station wanted to “present weather information in a way that is both visually attractive and accessible to all. We are sure that the new look will encourage people to engage with us on e-mail – eolas@tg4.ie – and in the ongoing Twitter dialogue – @AimsirTG4.”