Úna-Minh Kavanagh
{{short description|Irish travel writer, journalist, and social media manager}}
{{use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{use Hiberno-English|date=February 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| honorific_prefix =
| name = Úna-Minh Kavanagh
| honorific_suffix =
| image = UnaMinhHeadshot.jpg
| image_size =
| alt =
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| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1991|7|4}}
| birth_place = Vietnam
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| nationality = Irish
| education =
| alma_mater = Dublin City University
| known_for =
| notable_works = ANSEO
| website = https://unaminhkavanagh.com/
}}
Úna-Minh Kavanagh ({{langx|ga|Úna-Minh Chaomhánach}}; born 4 July 1991), is an Irish travel writer, journalist, and video game producer.
Biography
Born in Vietnam on 4 July 1991,{{cite web |last1=Leonard |first1=Sue |title=Úna-Minh Kavanagh |url=http://www.suejleonard.com/articles/beginners-pluck/una-minh-kavanagh/ |website=Sue Leonard |date=12 December 2019}} Úna-Minh Kavanagh was introduced to her future mother Noreen Kavanagh in Hanoi at three days old. Noreen Kavanagh was a primary school teacher from Tralee, County Kerry, Ireland. Úna-Minh was brought home to Ireland at six weeks of age and raised by her mother and grandfather, Paddy Kavanagh. She learned Irish as one of her spoken languages. She continued to study Irish in Dublin City University and earned a degree in Irish and Journalism.{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/regionals/kerryman/lifestyle/cead-mile-failte-38643733.html|title=Céad míle fáilte?|date=2019-11-02|website=Independent.ie|access-date=2020-01-23}}
Kavanagh came to national attention after an event which occurred on 30 May 2013, in Dublin. She was standing at Parnell Street with a boy, when a group of teenagers, grabbed her face and spat on her whilst calling her racial slurs. Her response to this and other similar events in her life where she experienced racism inspired her to make an online Twitter campaign celebrating the diversity of Irish people.{{cite web | last=O'Connor | first=Amy | title=This Kerry woman was sick of being asked why she looked 'different' - so she set up a project about Irish diversity | website=The Daily Edge | date=2020-01-23 | url=https://www.dailyedge.ie/una-minh-kavanagh-3347592-Apr2017/ | access-date=2020-01-23}}{{cite news | title=They called me a Chink and spat at me. No one helped | newspaper=The Irish Times | date=2013-03-21 | url=https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/they-called-me-a-chink-and-spat-at-me-no-one-helped-1.1413335 | access-date=2020-01-23}}{{Cite news|last=O'Connell|first=Hugh|url=https://www.thejournal.ie/una-minh-kavanagh-racial-attack-spat-on-932376-May2013/|title=Young woman racially abused and spat on in Dublin city centre|date=31 May 2013|work=The Journal|access-date=9 February 2020}}
Kavanagh created a blog about travelling with her mother, and wrote a book about growing up as an Irish speaking person overcoming loss, and racism, as well as her love of the language.{{cite web|url=https://www.thetimes.com/world/ireland-world/article/every-day-is-mothers-day-as-duo-travel-the-world-together-0grv8b733|title=Every day is mother's day as duo travel the world together|last=Bowers|first=Shauna|date=2019-03-30|website=The Times|access-date=2020-01-23}}{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/anseo-a-beautiful-book-interweaving-family-race-gaeilge-and-social-media-1.4083052|title=Anseo: a beautiful book interweaving family, race, Gaeilge and social media|last=O Broin|first=Eoin|date=2013-03-21|newspaper=The Irish Times|access-date=2020-01-23}}{{cite web|url=http://www.dailyedge.ie/una-minh-kavanagh-gaeilgeoir-3263023-Feb2017/|title=This Gaeilgeoir had the best response for a man who questioned her 'Irishness'|last=Loftus|first=Valerie|date=2020-01-23|website=The Daily Edge|access-date=2020-01-23}} Increasingly Kavanagh is known for being an advocate for the Irish language and is a Duolingo-partnered streamer for Irish and English.{{cite web |title=How To Learn Irish? - Úna-Minh Kavanagh |url=https://www.totallydublin.ie/more/how-to-learn-irish-una-minh-kavanagh/ |website=Totally Dublin |date=13 May 2020}}{{cite news |title=Úna-Minh Kavanagh Loves Irish – And Wants You to Love it Too |url=http://www.universitytimes.ie/2020/09/una-minh-kavanagh-loves-irish-and-wants-you-to-love-it-too/ |work=www.universitytimes.ie}}{{cite web |last1=O'Donoghue |first1=Niall |title=Meet the streamers keeping the Irish language alive on Twitch |url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/02/13/meet-the-streamers-keeping-the-irish-language-alive-on-twitch/ |website=Rock, Paper, Shotgun |date=13 February 2020}}
Today Kavanagh works as a video games producer, freelance journalist and content creator. She created the website We are Irish which is designed to share good news and stories about Irish people, the country and anything related to either.{{cite news |title=Anseo! Úna-Minh Kavanagh on being positive & saying no to racism |url=https://www.rte.ie/culture/2020/0108/1105056-anseo-una-minh-kavanagh-on-being-positive-saying-no-to-racism/ |date=8 January 2020 |language=en}} She has worked on TG4 and with the trade union Fórsa. Her YouTube videos are centered on travel vlogs and gaming videos, both in the Irish language, and were funded through her Patreon account.
In 2020, Kavanagh joined the new independent Anti-Racism Committee.{{cite web|url=http://traleetoday.ie/una-minh-kavanagh-to-launch-first-book-in-tralee-next-week/|title=Úna-Minh Kavanagh To Launch First Book In Tralee Next Week|last=Crean|first=Dermot|date=2019-10-15|website=Tralee Today|access-date=2020-01-23}}{{cite web|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/lifestyle/features/online-lives-una-minh-kavanagh-825206.html|title=Online Lives: Úna-Minh Kavanagh|last=O'Donoghue|first=Denise|date=2018-01-29|website=irishexaminer.com|access-date=2020-01-23}}{{cite web | last=Kinsella | first=Elaine | title=Kerry's most influential women at home and abroad | website=rsvp | date=2019-11-06 | url=https://www.rsvplive.ie/life/kerrys-most-influential-women-home-20827300 | access-date=2020-01-23}}{{cite web|url=https://www.pressreader.com/ireland/hot-press/20191127/283111365812031|title=In the name of the Fada|last=Mc Goran|first=Peter|date=2019-11-27|publisher=Hot Press|via=PressReader|access-date=2020-01-23}}{{cite web |last1=Equality |first1=The Department of Justice and |title=Action Plan Against Racism for Ireland to be drawn up by new independent Anti-Racism Committee |url=http://www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Pages/PR20000115 |website=The Department of Justice and Equality |language=en}} Kavanagh was made a member of the TG4 Audience Council in 2020 and will serve on that group for five years.{{cite web |title=TG4 Board |url=https://www.tg4.ie/en/corporate/tg4-board/ |website=TG4 |language=en-ie}} She was also one of the National Ambassadors for Culture Night in 2020.{{cite web |title=Úna-Minh Kavanagh - Culture Night |url=https://culturenight.ie/ambassadors/national-ambassadors/una-minh-kavanagh/ |website=Culture Night}}
In July 2021, Kavanagh worked alongside three other {{lang|ga|Gaeilgeoirí}} to launch the official Irish-language translation of the online multiplayer video game Among Us.{{cite news|url=https://www.rte.ie/culture/2021/0707/1233708-among-us-launches-official-irish-language-translation/|title=Among Us launches official Irish language translation|publisher=RTÉ News and Current Affairs|first=Barry|last=O'Rourke|date=21 July 2021|accessdate=21 July 2021}} She also created two compilations of resources for learning Irish entitled DIY Gaeilge: 150 Online Irish Language Resources and DIY Gaeilge Part Two: 50 More Irish Language Resources.{{cite news |last1=Bryan |first1=Mike McGrath |title='Ask yourself why you want to learn': Úna-Minh Kavanagh on Irish for Culture Night |url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/artsandculture/arid-40049825.html |work=Irish Examiner |date=16 September 2020 |language=en}}{{cite web |title=Úna-Minh Kavanagh |url=https://payhip.com/unaminh |website=Payhip}}
Bibliography
- ANSEO. New Island Books. October 16, 2019. {{ISBN|1848407491}}.
- DIY Gaeilge: 150 Online Irish Language Resources.
- DIY Gaeilge Part Two: 50 More Irish Language Resources.
- Experience Ireland. Lonely Planet. Mar 2022. {{ISBN|9781838694692}}.
References
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Category:Alumni of Dublin City University
Category:21st-century Irish women writers
Category:21st-century Irish non-fiction writers
Category:21st-century Irish memoirists
Category:Irish women memoirists
Category:Irish women non-fiction writers