The death of Brid Heussaff leaves a vacuum not just for her family but also her colleagues in the Celtic League. It is also a great loss to the National and Inter-Celtic bodies which she was enthusiastic about.
Celtic League Convener, Cathal O Luain sets out below some of the many contributions that Brid made to both Irish National movements and in the wider field of Celtic affairs:
"The death occurred on Sunday 3rd. Feb of Bríd Heussaff at the age of 82. Bríd was a long time Irish language activist, supporter of human rights and of the Celtic League.
She was the widow of Alan Heussaff (who died in 1999), one of the founder members of the League and its first General Secretary for almost a quarter of a century.She was buried alongside him in the graveyard just west of An Spidéal, Conamara, on Wed 6th Feb., following a mass at which some of her favourite traditional music and songs were aired.
Bríd was from Donegal, she and Alan met when they were studying at University College, Galway and later set up house in Dublin, where they reared a family of six. Bríd was very active in Conradh na Gaeilge, partaking in many campaigns on behalf of the Irish language. She engaged in a number of actions in the fight for an Irish language TV channel and was arrested twice. One of those occasions was when, with a number of others, she chained herself across the entrance to the GPO ( the HQ of the rebels during the 1916 Rising) on Dublin's O'Connell St. to draw attention to the lack of Irish on television. She served on the Executive of An Conradh for many years helping in a variety of campaigns in support of the language and was also on the committee of its Irish Language festival, An tOireachtas (as a delegate from the Irish Branch of the Celtic League). She served as a fraternal delegate from the Oireachtas to the Manx festival Yn Chruinnaght numerous times, a function she enjoyed immensely.
Bríd played an prominent role in the work and activities of the Irish Branch of the Celtic League, also writing many Irish language articles for the Irish section of the League's magazine, Carn. She visited all the Celtic countries, some many times, particularly Breizh of course. She learnt Breton and Welsh and also studied Gáidhlig. Her lifelong support and assistance enabled Alan in no small measure to devote his efforts to the League and the Breton language. On Alan's retirement over twenty years ago they move to the Conamara Gaeltacht near An Spidéal where Bríd could be said to have found her spiritual home.
She was an independent minded lady, an excellent gardener, an avid reader, outgoing, generous and hospitable, she will be sorely missed. Our sympathies go to her children, Niamh, Kantilla, Eoghan, Anna, Éadaoin and Diarmuid and their families.
Cathal O Luain"
Note: A full detailed obituary will be carried in the Irish section of the next issue of the Celtic League Journal CARN.
J B Moffatt Director of Information Celtic League
12/02/08
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