Nationalist politicians turning their backs on Irish language…
There’s a useful translation of Eoghan op ed in La Nua doing the rounds at the moment (below the fold). You can find the original here. It reflects a large strand of thought amongst the Irish language section of civil society. He argues that the language has fared particularly poorly in the interparty negotiations, and that accordingly they feel abandoned by parties like Sinn Fein and the SDLP who had previous pledged support.Where were you, our friends in power?
Eoghan Ó Néill
There are five Nationalist ministers in Stormont as well as one junior minister.
Six people who state that they are in favour of the Irish language.
Are there any Gaels in the Six Counties out there who felt relief that we had so many ‘friends in power’?
Caitríona Ruane is doing great work with Irish medium education, work that is gaining the praise of all Gaels in the six counties.But besides that, the Irish language community does not take much hope from having the best wishes of nearly half the seats in stormont. If the will was present, or indeed the resources, those same nationalist ministers could implement bi-lingual policies within their own respective ministeries.
That would promote an Irish language Act through the back door.
But they did not do that and they will not do that.Instead of doing something radical like that, all six sat in silence while Michael McGimpsey finished off the last and only bi-lingual symbol in a Stormont ministry, the bi-lingual advert that would have accompanied The Ministry of Health. Instead of gaining dividends, all we got was silence, contempt, degrading, battering and bruising from nearly every other minister sat at the table. Even last week, Sinn Féin and SDLP ministers accepted a budget that will proceed to put the proverbial final nail in the coffin of the Broadcasting Fund.
Why didn’t even one of the Sinn Féin ministers do what Margaret Ritchie and Michael McGimpsey did and state that they would refuse to accept the budget unless they got AB and C beforehand. As well as that, £40 million from the Irish Government being directed towards Reg Empey’s innovative fund, not one of them proposed that that money should be directed towards The Irish language Quarter or to other Irish language enterprises.
If we did not felt any encouragement or seen any dividends from having six Nationalist ministers, then all Gaels must feel gutted given that Edwin Poots is now in charge of a crusade to maul the Irish language.
Thanks to Sinn Féin and to the SDLP, Edwin Poots has the power to thrash the Irish language in the North. It was them who granted the DUP with DCAL (Department for Culture, Arts and Leisure).
Was it that these Nationalist politicians did not see the importance that this Ministry would have in terms of promoting the Irish language in the North and in and All-Ireland context?
Or was it that they did not care because they have their own agenda and programme and that the welfare of the Irish language would have to wait.Imagine what could have been achieved if Michelle Gildernew had have been Minister for Culture, Arts and Leisure for the last nine months instead of Edwin Poots. Imagine how effective it would have been to have Eamonn Ó Cuív and Foras na Gaeilge sit with Michelle Gildernew as opposed to Minister Poots.
Minister Poots has succeeded to throw an Irish language act in the rubbish bin. There is lots of room in that same bin for the Irish language Broadcasting fund. There is also plenty of room for other Irish language aspects of life also.
What was the response from those Nationalist ministers?
Criticism and talk without action.It takes time for any party to gain experience from being in power, to understand the wily ways of the civil service, to deal with the dismay of not being able to administer the needs of the people who put you into power overnight.
This applies to Sinn Féin and to the SDLP as well as all of the other parties. But, if they cannot even protect the Broadcasting Fund for the Irish language then the question must be asked about their strategy, about their priorities and their abilities as politicians.
There is no way that Edwin Poots will calm the swelling of the Irish language and its people in the North. But he can damage and delay lots of things. He can also destroy worthwhile enterprises.
The six Nationalist ministers are failing to show leadership and the Irish language community will pay the price.
I should point out that I have always been of the opinion that Dominic Ó Brollacháin was the strongest representative of Irish speakers in northern political life, his silence annoys me the most I must admit.
Creidim gur thug Dominic óráid in éadan Poots agus ar son na Ciste sa Tionól inné. D’eisigh sé ráiteas faoi dtaobh de.
I believe Dominic questioned Poots yesterday in the Assembly about the Minister’s opposition to the ILBF. He released a statement about it.
RG Cuan
It was Gaelgannaire I was seeking the clarification from but thank you for the input.
On you point what definition is given for “pro-Gaelic”?
I think I understand that an Irish Language Act is part of the Dept of Culture’s remit but isn’t directional road signage a DRD matter?
Do SF and the SDLP not have the power to manage their departments as if the Irish Language Act was already in place?
Obviously things can be undone by a later minister, but for that matter so can an Irish Language Act.
The SDLP are all over the place when it comes to bi-lingual signage in North Antrim. In Ballymoney Council SF have been pushing for bi-lingual signage and the SDLP rowed in behind them (eventually) to support this – the result being that the first 3 irish street-signs are to be erected there shortly.
Meanwhile up in Moyle Council last week the SDLP voted against Irish street-signs being erected in the Glens and Ballycastle even though residents in both those areas have been surveyed and overwhelmingly supported the erection of these signs. It must be said that local Ballycastle GAA member Cllr Seamus Blaney has been the most vocal opponent to irish street signs (anyone spot the contradiction??. SF were the only party who supported the bi-lingual signage policy.
FAIR DEAL
I would say where the majority of the population value Irish Gaelic and wish it to be visible in their community.
HAPPY LUNDY
Your points are all valid and many within the Irish language population are asking the same questions.
RG Cuan
“where the majority of the population value Irish Gaelic and wish it to be visible in their community”
How would this be determined?
After reading the introductory paragraph in this blog I found myself briefly wondering if it wasn’t a shame that the language lobby found themselves so close to nationalist parties and associated with republicanism. To some it probably is unfair.
Then of course, within the first three sentences:
“Are there any Gaels in the Six Counties “
Does he really think that helps?
How would this be determined?
Good question Fair Deal.
In Newry & Mourne, and other district areas, the council consults with residents of whichever road or street wishes bilingual street signs erected.
The situation would obviously not be as straight forward with road directional signs but i’m sure a similar system – consultation with residents within a certain area etc – could be implemented.
BEANO
I think you are nitpicking here. ‘The North’ is also used in the article and ‘Northern Ireland’ appears in the paper on a regular basis.
Marconi,
There in lies the problem.
Who do Irish speakers turn to if SF turn away from the language? The SDLP? It isnt feasible.
Therefore even when SF is weak on the language as it is now many people would fear being over critical for fear of inadvertantly helping the SDLP, who with a few very notable exceptions are non existant on language matters. It is a case of being between a rock and a hard place.
RG,
Cha rabh fios agam fá sin, GRMA.
Didn’t know that, cheers, I will check that out.
Do you have a link?
RG,
Thanks.
I’ll confess that I’m getting a bit cheesed off with people pretending they don’t have the power to fix their own problems.
It strikes me as odd that when I drive around northern France the place is festooned with European and Commonwealth flags but that SF and the SDLP can’t erect a few flagpoles on a roundabout or outside the Town Hall in each council they run to fly a dignified Tricolour alongside the Union Flag and a European Flag. They could just say it’s for the tourists if that helps. Same goes for “unionist” memorabilia. Why not arrange a few rooms into a local museum where that memorabilia could be stored alongside a few bits of other local history reflective of “the wider community”? Just blame those tourists again .
Similarly I can’t see why we can’t just take some policies and standards from the Welsh or ROI road services for directional signage.
On your other point, personally I’d prefer one standard for road signage. I wouldn’t want Irish appearing only in areas of nationalist majority like a civilised version of painted kerbstones.
I lived in Wales for a good few years and never found the presence of Welsh language signage threatening, “anti-British” or even nationalistic. A very good friend with fluent Welsh was a cheerful Tory.
On the subject of street signs I remember a friend of one of mu uncles beign really in to his Ulster Scots, which in my opinion is just really bad english with an accent. He campaigned to Castlereagh Council and was eventually allowed to get some street signs in his area put up in Ulster Scots, the result being some knuckle dragging idiots thought they where in Gaelic and ripped them down. Kinda goes a long way towards showing the mentality of loyalists towards anything they don’t understand (which is a HELL of a lot)
I’ve heard that story many times Pounder but never came across anybody that actually has a connection to it!
Here’s the story on the ulster scots signs .
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/570614.stm
Heres anothe link http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/478513.stm
Happy Lundy
The road signs stuff just wont happen Gaelic fans:
From the Hansard:
Mr Butler: Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as a fhreagra.
I thank the Minister for that reply. As he knows, the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages was one of the commitments under the Good Friday Agreement to which the British Government and all the political parties signed up. Could he be more specific about when his Department will create a policy and legislative framework for the Irish language to be used in relation to street signs and traffic signs?
Mr Murphy: The proposals are one element of the miscellaneous provisions bill that I intend to bring forward this year. The timing depends very much on progress of the bill through the various stages in the Assembly. As Members will be aware, that can take up to two years.
He accepts himself that it would require a Bill to be passed through the Assembly. That means going before both the Executive and the Assembly and those particular clauses ain’t going to get consent. Or if it did, as Nelson McCausland pointed out in the next question, it would have to be tru-lingual signage because the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages also applies to Ulster-Scots (something Irish fans don’t often refer to).
There won’t be harmonisation of speed limits into Km/hr either as:
Mr McGlone: Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. Has the Minister had any discussions with his counterparts in the Irish Government about the harmonising of road signs? The linguistic issue has been dealt with, but what about speed limits and moving to kilometres per hour?
Mr Murphy: Athough road signs are our responsibility, the responsibility for speed limits and road safety policy across the island largely lies with the Department of the Environment. I have been to two sectoral meetings at which road safety issues across the island were discussed, and I am happy to discuss signage arrangements as part of that. No specific propositions were put to either of those meetings in relation to universal signage North and South, whether in miles or kilometres.
This is a cross-Departmental issue and therefore has to come before the Executive also, so no change there.
As for your last point
“Obviously things can be undone by a later minister, but for that matter so can an Irish Language Act.”
The ILA decision is not dependent on who holds Ministerial Office. Its already clearly defined as one of the “controvertial issues” which must (at any time) come before the Executive. I’m sure Edwin Poots isn’t overly concerned that he’s being portrayed as the man who wrecked the ILA (shouldn’t do him too much harm around Lisburn) but in reality he was, in part at least, simply recognising that there wasn’t any point in bringing it forward as it wouldn’t get the cross-community support in either the Executive or Assembly.
That consent won’t be there no matter who the Minister is, and I would hazard a guess that its even less likely to be there if its part of an aggressively pro-nationalist/pro-Irish agenda from a future Minister.
interested,
“as Nelson McCausland pointed out in the next question, it would have to be tru-lingual signage because the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages also applies to Ulster-Scots (something Irish fans don’t often refer to)”
As 96% approx of the place-names come from Irish not Ulster Scots, how would the Ulster Scots forms be created?
And indeed, if there was some sort of group set up to create the forms how would they do the translations without an Irish speaker to interpret them.
I will have to go and look at the European Charter very carefully but I suspect that its provisions are intended to protect the original minority language in which the place-names were coined not to sponser mass translation projects.
I am all for Ulster Scots but Newry, Omagh, Derry, Belfast etc dont come from Ulster Scots.
I agree with Gael Gan Náire on the issue of Ulster Scots.
Indeed, in the European Charter, the British Government has to adhere to more clauses for Irish Gaelic than it does for the Hamely Tongue.
I have to say, interested, that as someone who was raised in Belfast with Irish as my first language, it’s quite condescending and insulting to be reffered to as a ‘gaelic fan’ and an ‘Irish fan’. Why not try Gaelic or Irish speaker, or in the case of those who may not speak the language but support its growth and development, Gaelic or Irish supporter? Or does this imply that you are not a ‘fan’ of the language? Are you opposed to it?
Anyway, your reference to the European charter, whilst partially accurate, is not wholly so. True, both Irish and Ulster-Scots are supposedly protected under it, they are so at different levels. Irish is at level 3, while Ulster-Scots is at level 2. This is because there are more Irish speakers and more of a demand for its use and protection. How many US schools are there? There are at present 79 Irish schools in the north, and projected figures from Comhairle na Gaelscolaíochta predict 10,000 children being taught through the medium of Irish by the year 2010. This is another reason for Irish being at a higher level.
Please dont mis-inerpret this as some kind of attack or dismissal of Ulster-Scots. While I have no particular attachment to it, I am interested in it, as it appears to have some legitimancy as a language, albeit as a dialect of Lallan Scots. Neither do I feel threatened by it. Languages and cultures should enrich a people, and we should try and embrace and understand and support them all.
interested,
BTW, if where there are genuine Ulster Scots names and forms of names, in South Antrim and in the Ards for example. I would be in favour of Ulster Scots on Road Signage. No problems. But I believe that this would need the consent of the local population.
I would also support fully education through the medium a’ Ulster Scots if that is what people want.
A kin spake braid as weel as tha nixt maun, by tha way.
gaelgannaire
I very much doubt whether it matters one roasted snowball where the name originated from. That’s not the rationale being used for promotion of Irish anyway. We’re told its about cultural equality and the back-up given for that argument is always the EU Charter. That Charter equally applies to Ulster-Scots so if we’re to have multi-language signage then U-S would have to be included on the same basis as Irish.
My preference is simply to have English. Saves all the hassle.
Seimi
I agree that Ulster Scots has not yet reached the same level under the EU Charter as Irish. Mind you, that might well have something to do with the fact that there has been a massive disparity in amount of funding directed towards Irish over the years. What level was Irish at originally?
The fact that Ulster-Scots is currently at a lower level is a very good argument for higher levels of funding of U-S as opposed to Irish.
I’m happy too for us to embrace all languages – they all form part of the overall cultural heritage and makeup of Northern Ireland. Why therefore is there a disproportionate demand for Irish signage/promotion etc.
If, as you suggest, we should cherish all the languages equally then why do you bother making points about the level of usage of Irish (brought about because of massively increased funding). If they’re to be cherished equally then treat them equally also.
interested,
“That’s not the rationale being used for promotion of Irish anyway”.
I think it is with all due respect. Irish speakers beleive that signage should be bilingual because the Irish is normally the original form and has meaning to us. The English form is normally devoid of meaning to all however.
“That Charter equally applies to Ulster-Scots so if we’re to have multi-language signage then U-S would have to be included on the same basis as Irish”
I have tried to explain why that would be impossible. It is nothing to do with the European Charter. It is the simple fact that no Ulster Scots form exists for 99% of place-names.
That is something that even tit for tat politics cannot change it is a simple linguistic fact.
interested, I believe I was being equal to both. The reason Irish language schemes recieve more funding is because they ASKED for more, simple as that. As the language re-developed, the need for increased funding grew proportionatly. I well remember when Irish language funding meant myself, family and friends, standing outside local churches with collection boxes, or knocking on doors to collect a few pence, which was then used to pay our teachers.
U-S thankfully doesnt have to do this, as there are now many more funding sources available. Indeed, when the Ulster-Scots Society recieved its first major amount of funding, Lord Laird went on tv to thank the Irish language community for its help and guidance in securing the funding. This is how it should be, two languages and cultures side by side, supporting each other.
But trying to put the 2 at the same level in terms of development at the present time is not sensible. Ulster-Scots does not at present have the resources to support such a move. Hopefully in the future it will.
Irish never truly died out in this part of the island, people spoke it everywhere, it just wasnt as obvious as it is now.
Just seen Caitríona Ruane saying ‘go rabh maith agat’ to a DUP MLA.
I am deeply opposed to that. It is horseshit.
I will happily admitt that that does damage and that that is it a vote loser.
Why therefore is there a disproportionate demand for Irish signage/promotion etc.
Disproportionate? INTERESTED, there are Irish Gaelic speakers all over the north. They have primary schools, secondary schools, pubs, magazines, newspapers etc.
Everybody, except certain Unionist politicians, accepts and realises that the Hamely Tongue does not have the same community of speakers, or interested groups, as Irish Gaelic. Greatly increasing funding for Scots here is not needed as the demand does not exist.
I don’t think that saying ‘go raibh maith agat’ (may good be with you) can be construed as anything other than a benediction and if a unionist MLA sees it in some other way, that’s his or her problem.
Gaelgannaire,
After being turned off by compulsory Irish my interest in the subject was rekindled by a more open attitude from modern Irish fans and their willingness to engage with the sort of ‘cúpla focal’ beginner like myself, and also incidentally my two children who have both gone to nightclasses to improve their spoken Irish.
What I really don’t need is the sort of fiorgael like Gaelgannaire who practically killed the language oriiginally coming on here and sneering at those who actually do speak it outside the ghetto. The reason why there is a revival is because people aren’t ashamed to use Irish in public any more. Not because there are purists who want to hide the language away like some private rite reserved for the initiated but because there are enthusiasts who are prepared to share their Irish with the rest of us.
My representative using my ancestral language in a public place is exactly what I voted for. You can take your nasty elitest attitude and stick it where the sun doesn’t shine.
If unionists don’t want to learn Irish then there are translation facilities which they are free to use, unless Gaelgannaire wants to ban those as well. If Unionists don’t want to learn about their own culture that’s their loss but let the rest of us flaunt it where we want. It may, after all just attract the more intelligent observer into realising what they are missing.
Boy! I never realised how much I detested those er- nice people for trying to steal my language.
Mick Fealty,
Going back to Elvis Parker’s comment, is there any chance that you would open a thread on the lines of isn’t Paisley great to the Catholics? It would be useful if Catholic people could leave a few tales here of how Paisley came round and fixed their blocked drains on Christmas day – that sort of thing.
Mick Fealty,
Going back to Elvis Parker’s comment, is there any chance that you would open a thread on the lines of isn’t Paisley great to the Catholics? It would be useful if Catholic people could leave a few tales here of how Paisley came round and fixed their blocked drains on Christmas day – that sort of thing.
lib,
Thanks for that.
Oilifar – “Sinn Féin have been the blight of the Irish-language movement since it’s inception. I genuinely find their attitude to the language sickening and I don’t blame many unionists for being driven away from the language and made to be think that concern for it can only be politically motivated.”
Exactly. Many people have grown up associating Irish with Sinn Fein IRA terrorists.
I don’t have a problem with anyone learning Irish and taking part in groups where the language is spoken. Good luck to them as learning a language can often be a challenge.
What sickens me is the SF IRA use of ‘pigeon’ Irish to push their agenda. I would say that people should let the language grow organically while we get on fixing things like the health service. Trying to push a language down the throats of people is never going to work.
Also, SF IRA need to stop having an air of superiority about the Irish Language and Culture. Trying to treat Ulster-British culture as some second-class culture which needs to stay at the back of the bus is not on.
let’s cut the crap on this issue once and for all.
You don’t have to be a minister to introduce a bill in the Assembly. Get some “pro-Gaelic” MLA to draft and support an Irish Language Bill and see how far it gets in the legislature.
Remind me, who was in such a hurry to get the institutions back up?
“I would say that people should let the language grow organically while we get on fixing things like the health service.”
It’s not a binary choice, P&J;. Generally, governments have separate departments for culture and health. Yes, a government has limited funds to spend over-all, but it’s not as if energy is going to be distracted from the improvement of the health service if some is directed towards improvement of the culture.
One area where this energy could be spent is in improving the “relations” between the two cultures – maybe getting back to a more normal situation where it’s not a case of one-or-the-other and undoing the damage that has resulted in Irish being seen as oppositional to unionist culture and, as you say, Ulster-British (not my choice of words) culture being seen as unauthentic.
I’m no great believer in letting thing grow organically – it doesn’t happen. Nothing exists in a vacuum. Whether the executive supports Irish or doesn’t support Irish they have made a statement on it, one way or the other.
Trying to treat Ulster-British culture as some second-class culture which needs to stay at the back of the bus is not on.
Now that’s just funny.
“Just seen Caitríona Ruane saying ‘go rabh maith agat’ to a DUP MLA.
I am deeply opposed to that. It is horseshit.”
Actually, gaelganaire, it means ‘Thank You”
If she wanted to say ‘horseshit’ she would have said “cac chapaill”.
Or, in the old Connacht dialectical way, “cacanna chapaill”
Or, seeing as she’s from Mayo, “harshit”
Antichrist,
Bheadh orm a rá sa cás sin gurb ionann ‘go rabh maith agat’ agus cac na ngcapall in amanntaí.
Tá mé ag seasamh le mo phointesea, níorbh ghá di a thafaint air as Gaeilge, is cuma cé chomh feargach is a bhí sí.
Da mba rud é go raibh suíochán agam féin sa tionól úd agus is beag an baol, ní labhairfinn ach Gaeilge ach beirim mo dheimhin dhuit ach da mba rud é gur leor duine liom i dteanga ar bith a thuig mé go maith, labhairfinn sa teanga ceanna leo.
Sin mo thuairim.
Surprise surprise
Tá Lá Nua lán ar maidin de ráitéisí ó Shinn Féin, ag tacú leis an Ghaeilge. Cé a dúirt nach néisteann siad leis na daoine? An píosa is fearr – Ní mar gheall ar vótaí atá mé spreagtha chun an fód a sheasamh don Ghaeilge, ach mar gheall ar go gcreidim sa Ghaeilge – Mac Adhaimh.
Lá Nua is full today of statements from Sinn Féin supporting the Irish language. Who says they dont listen to the people? The best bit – It’s not because of votes that I am encouraged to take a stand for Irish, but because I believe in the Irish language – Adams
No doubt SF felt they were on the back foot following several weeks of bad publicity directly attributable to their own ineffectiveness. They, like any party, can always ask the newspaper for a platform piece and no one’s ever been refused that.
Reading what the SF leader says, I find a few problems.
Calling for an Irish Language Commisioner in the north is all very well – but I am more concerned that the party makes a stand for the Irish Language Broadcast Fund which promotes Irish in a way which would be impossible for this commissioner, if he or she is ever appointed.
I don’t believe the party’s reliance on the Equality Impact Assessments is going to do anything to offset the damage done. After all it can only affect ‘the future redistribution of resources’ as Jim Gibney points out in his article in the Irish News on Thursday. And secondly what legal compulsion is there on any ministry to do anything for the Irish Language even if the EQIA finds that, for example, the Irish Language Broadcast Fund was unfairly axed, it doesn’t necessarily follow that an EQIA finding in favour of this propostion will result in the Irish Language Broadcast Fund being retained and, as should be the case, awarded extra funding after the Minister’s cut off date of March 2009.
I find it very disheartening that Poots et al feel no need to provide money for the ILBF, SF and SDLP seem to doing the absolute bare minimum (ie, raising it occasionally in the Assembly and publishing statements when they see a percentage of the electorate have the cheek to criticise them in public) at a time when it’s just been announced that Scotland will have a Scots Gaelic station before the end of the year. I sincerely hope I can get this channel when it goes on air, cos there wont be much Irish programmes coming from here. Unless of course you dont mind Irish language programmes interspersed with ‘Western na Seachtaine’.
The problem with SF/the SDLP response to the axing of the ILBF has been too little too late. There’s no plan to get it back, no realistic means of securing its future being proposed by the different parties who should be to the forefront on this issue.
The ILBF plus Lá Nua and Raidio Fáílte and Blas on BBC Radio Ulster, are the vehicles to bring the Irish language to all parts of NI. That’s where the funding should go. An Irish Language Commissioner, no doubt prompted by the appointments of Victims Commissioner, won’t do this. It’ll be a figurehead and won’t have any effective power to promote the Irish language. A figleaf to cover SF”s abject embarrassment on this issue.
I agree 100% OILibhear. A language commissioner, appointed now, would be a complete waste of time. If however ( and I am waiting for pigs to fly by my window) the Act, as proposed by POBAL, was enacted in it’s entirety, then a commissioner would be crucial to ensure it was complied with.
I think SF and SDLP should be ashamed of the way they have handled the whole Irish language issue, in all it’s forms. Adams’ statement says that SF secured funding for Irish medium education. They didnt. People like my parents and their neighbours started that ball rolling back in the 70s, and far better people than SF or SDLP have kept it going ever since.
Francie Brolly (SF) and Dominic Bradley (SDLP) were on Blas last night trying to defend their lack of action regarding the ILBF.
Franice, who’s not an effective speaker, just said it was ‘difficult’ and that they would continue standing up for the Irish speaking community.
He had no answer for the reason SF supported the budget even though no provision for Irish was included.
It’s not good enough from either Francie or Dominic or their respective parties. They’re not being paid peanuts for their representations on our behalf. They have let themselves and their parties and the Irish language down badly and the expression of anger this week was deservedly aimed at them. Sure we know that the DUP and its little brother, the UUP, are opposed to the Irish language and will do everything they can to stymie its progress, but that’s no excuse for SF/SDLP to sit on their hands and utter the occasional platitude about “Irish Language Commissioner”. If they can’t ensure the survival and the enhancement of the Irish Language Broadcast Fund they will signal effectively to all Irish speakers and, indeed, to the wider community that powersharing is a one way system, back to the past.
“powersharing is a one way system, back to the past. ”
*Stifled laugh* Be careful what you wish for lads…
Apparently the DUP and its fellow travellers wish to drag us back to the past, when anti Irish bigotry was at its height. They have done little but misuse power since getting it – they nearly managed to give away the Giant’s Causeway to a mate of Ian Paisley Junior for the cost of a holiday home. All I’m saying here is that SF need to wake up to this agenda and fast and stop it in its tracks and the Irish Language Broadcast Fund is the issue which could be the litmus test of their commitment to progressive forward looking politics as against a short sighted political view.
It is such a shame that nothing positive comes from Unionist politicians on this. The sight of Edwin P dismissing ILA, cutting funding for Irish and then appealing to GAA for inclusivity is just so bizarrely ridiculous.
And why on earth can’t you get simultaneous translation in the assembly? Strange.
“The chances of an Irish speaking revival that knocks English off its pedestal is a long shot. Many indigenous languages have suffered similar neglect, and in almost every case efforts to revive them fail.
Last time I was in Donegal I heard Irish spoken and it was a beautiful thing. I hope it can be kept alive as the first language of a people, but I can’t see it replacing English on the big stage.”
Actually, you’d find that very, very few people think Irish will ever become the dominant language across Ireland again. Plenty have no desire for that anyway. What’s wanted, I think, is an increase in the number of speakers. More visibility for the language. Being able to communicate with State institutions in Irish etc..
Multilingualism is a very positive thing and there’s nothing unreasonable about speaking Irish Gaelic in Ireland.
The present situation is that approx. 2% of the population in the Republic use Irish regularly in their day-to-day lives. It’s much less in NI, of course. That CAN be vastly improved. There’s plenty of room for both English and Irish here. There’s no reason for the language to remain on the edge of collapse (in terms of native speakers) like it is.