Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
THERE HAS BEEN a lot of talk this week about the Irish language. Claire Byrne had a passionate debate on Monday night on RTÉ 1.
The Language Commissioner, Rónán Ó Domhnaill, declared on Tuesday that the system of Language Schemes, which started in 2004 and were to provide services in Irish, has failed. And, of course the census figures published yesterday show a slight reduction in the numbers who have Irish in the country.
It’s very apt, therefore, to have a look at some of the many myths surrounding the Irish language, some of them are centuries old while others have only developed recently. I am going to take a look at the most common of these “alternative facts”.
“Irish is a dead language”
Census figures from the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland show that almost 2 million people have some knowledge of the Irish language. A Millward Brown survey from 2015 showed that 1.2 million people in Ireland are confident in their ability to speak Irish.
In terms of fluency, the Irish Language Survey carried out by Amárach Research in 2013 showed that almost 500,000 people across Ireland can have a conversation in Irish and another 150,000 have “native speaker fluency.” Even this figure would give Irish more fluent speakers than most languages in the world.
According to the linguistic project, Ethnologue, half of the world’s languages have 7,000 or less speakers. So by any rational definition, the Irish language is alive.
“Ireland would be poor if we spoke Irish”
Ireland is one of the wealthiest countries in the world, but some people think we would be poorer if we spoke Irish as we wouldn’t be able to trade with other nations.
If you believe this, just ask yourself a very basic question, are there any rich countries in the world that don’t speak English as their first language? Looking at a global list of national wealth (GNI) shows that there are many non-English speaking nations that are wealthy. Some of them are even richer than Ireland, like Denmark and Sweden.
They’ve also been richer than Ireland for generations, meaning that they haven’t had the massive problems of unemployment and emigration that Ireland has had. There is no reason Ireland couldn’t be wealthy and successful if more of us spoke Irish.
“Gaelscoileanna are elitist”
Over 50,000 children attend Irish-language schools (Gaelscoileanna) outside of Gaeltacht regions in Ireland. Some of these schools are located in middle class areas and for some reason this has been used by people to claim that Gaelscoileanna in general are somehow “elitist”.
However, children from every social class in Ireland attend Irish-medium schools. For example, over half of the primary level Gaelscoileanna in Dublin and Belfast are in working class areas.
In recent years some people have tried to explain the growth in Irish-medium education as a result of racism, that is parents not wanting their children to be in the same school as children whose parents come from abroad. While there may be some parents who have this motivation, to stereotype all Gaelscoil parents as racists because of the actions of a few is prejudiced in itself.
Irish-medium education is available and welcoming to children from all backgrounds.
“Irish shouldn’t be an official EU language”
Some people believe that the official status of Irish in the European Union is tokenism and a waste of money. However, since the Irish became an official language of the EU in 2007 more Irish has been spoken in the European Parliament than Estonian or Maltese.
In some years more Irish has been spoken than Latvian, which has over 2 million speakers, and Danish, which has over 5 million. Irish is a real, working language of the European Union.
The EU institutions employ translators and interpreters for all 24 of the EU’s official languages. They spend around €1.1 billion on language services every year (less than 1% of the total EU budget).
The cost of the entire language services works out at about €2.20 per year for each EU citizen – less than 5c a week, an even tinier fraction of which is spent on the Irish language.
“Irish isn’t compatible with modern technology”
Irish is one of the top 100 languages used on the internet. Gmail, Facebook, Linux, Joomla!, Mozilla Firefox, and Microsoft Office are just some of the software resources and programmes available in Irish.
Twitter has only been translated to approximately 50 languages, and one of those is Irish. Over 2.3 million people from countries all around the world have downloaded the Duolingo app to learn Irish.
Samsung provide predictive text in Irish as well as an Irish-language option for their smartphones, while a huge variety of apps in Irish are available on Android and iPhone.
Kevin Scannell, Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science at St Louis University in the US, led the original open source Irish localisation of Mozilla and has developed an Irish spell checker, grammar checker, and thesaurus, as well as dictionaries and translation engines that support Irish.
“We don’t have to speak Irish”
Having read the passages above you might be saying that, while it may all be true, we still don’t have to speak Irish. And you’d be right, we don’t have to speak Irish.
But then again, there are lots of things in life we do because we want to do them, and not because we have to.
So people in Ireland don’t follow the Irish rugby team because they have to, or because they’re the most successful or entertaining rugby team in the world, they follow them because they’re the Irish rugby team, and for no other reason. The Irish language is the same.
Colm Ó Broin is an Irish speaker from Clondalkin, Dublin and a member of Conradh na Gaeilge. He will be giving a series of talks around the country on myths about the Irish language.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
The fact you had to write this article in English to argue your case is telling. Languages are tools not hobbies and while you cite fluency at 150,000, figures show that outside school only 74,000 people I believe use Irish daily. I admire your passion for our language on some level I share. Yet the reality is in time Irish will slip away because it is not involved in commerce, social life etc. Set people free to approach Irish as they chose no more mandatory schooling. This fanaticism is pushing people away from the language you claim to care about.
@Sean Liam Molloy: The fact that Irish is not involved in commerce, social life etc is what in my opinion is what makes Irish a dead language like latin – regardless of what this fanatical author thinks -
The fact that you just spend some of your Sunday morning reading and commenting on an article about Irish is also telling. For good or bad, it existence is still a subject of interest. How many people are going to make a living through Irish? Not many. Then again, how many people end up making a living from hurling or dancing or tending their garden? Not very many either. As a survivor of 1970′s primary teachers, who never took to speaking Irish, I’m delighted to see how younger people today seem to love it. It’s a valid pursuit like many others. Life should not be completely about learning economic theories, or how to write code or lay cavity blocks, all in service to a monetary system.
@Sean Liam Molloy: “Flogging” and “dead horse” are words springing to mind reading this. Sort out more important problems first.If you want to learn it, do so outside schools for starters. Probably would be better for the language as students would actually want to learn the language instead of it been imposed on everyone,
@Gus Sheridan: I wish it would stop being compulsory, at least at secondary level. But it is great to see young speakers enjoying it more casually. And adding new words. Fón póca is a better word than cellphone or mobile phone.
@Fiona Fitzgerald: I dunno I don’t get the argument of getting rid of Irish as a compulsory subject but leaving others in place. English poetry or literature does little for us economically, nor does half the mathematics syllabus. Education in my mind is not to merely make use good little economically active soldiers, it’s to built a forward thinking able society. The way we teach Irish needs to (and is) changing. I see my nephews an nieces speaking it daily, with none of the fear and foreboding that was instilled in me. Now hopefully when the get to secondary school they won’t have to have entire acts of mac Beth rammed into their heads to memorise either.
@Sean Liam Molloy: The point of the article was to show common misconceptions about the Irish language. These misconceptions are held by people who are monoglot English speakers – Irish speakers already know that these “facts” are lies. If you want to tell English speakers they believe lies, you need to write in English. Simples.
Just for the record though, Irish speakers do speak about these issues in Irish as well…
http://tuairisc.ie/isnt-that-gas-after-all-the-time-we-spent-learning-it-thar-am-aghaidh-a-thabhairt-ar-cheist-na-gaeilge-eigeantai/
Also, you do realize the census counts people who speak Irish on a weekly basis as well as daily basis? We can assume people who are using Irish on a weekly basis also speak it fluently, so 150,000 seems about right.
And Irish is not involved in social life? Are you for real? Just because it isn’t involved in your social life doesn’t mean it isn’t central in the social life of other people.
@brian boru: What makes the author a fanatic? That he has a different opinion from you?
And yes, Irish is exactly like Latin. We have thousands of people who speak Latin as their home language, and thousands more who socialize with their friends through Latin. The Latin medium primary schools are becoming very popular, and sure I am forever listening to the Latin radio stations and watching the Latin TV channel. And I see the Pop-Up Vatican events are attracting a great buzz.
I am glad that you are able to make such well-thought out points – I would hate to see you spouting nonsensical tripe to support your own ideological point of view….you know, like a fanatic.
@brian boru: Don’t mistake your life for the universial experiance, you might not use Irish in commerce or in your social life, but others do. There are plenty of businesses out there that do use Irish, that’s why Irish in Business awards exist in several parts of the country. As for social life, Pop-up Gaeltachts have been ag preabadh anuas all over lately, there are many people who use Irish socially, in the pub, at yoga classes, in the GAA and in plenty of other areas. Just becuse you don’t do something does not mean that no one does.
@brian boru:
Why do you label the author a fanatic when all he is giving opinions based on logic and reason, says more about your attitudes than his! By the way the original Brian Boru would have been a fluent Irish speaker with a bit of latin also. Not much English though as it was still at the Anglo Saxon stage.
@Sean Liam Molloy:
Sadly Sean if he wrote as Gaeilge not as many people would be able to understand it.
I don’t see anything fanatical about the article, just reasoned argument, which you can agree with or disagree with. I’ m glad you share at least some of his passion but you are wrong in thinking Irish will slip away.The Catholic church and the british empire and the professions polititions havn’t managed to kill it yet.. Can’t kill a good thing!
After 13+ years in school trying to get a grip of ‘The Irish language” it’s still double Dutch eg, when ‘nuacht ‘ comes on the radio, can only understand a word or 2 in every sentence. Same on the TV. have to follow the subtitles. So many dialects of it within the country
@C_O’S: TG4 and RTÉ Nuacht both use speakers most from Connemara and other parts of Galway. Given that Connaught makes up little more than 10% of the population (albeit punching above its weight in native Irish speakers), this means that 90% of the population are struggling with a dialect of Irish on the national TV and radio stations. While a fluent speaker may not have trouble with other dialects, the vast majority of us are borderline in our abilities and lose all comprehension.
If the purpose of Irish language TV is to engage more with the general population (rather than simply provide a service to the minority), then more Leinster/Munster speakers should be used.
They should also communicate in Irish more slowly as you should always do to non-native speakers.
@Alan Lawlor: many Leinster speakers, which is what school teachers learn, do not pronounce irish well at all. If you have trouble understanding it this is why. The Gaeltacht speakers from all provinces are essential.
@Biróg: ALL provinces is the key thing. Far more people have learnt Munster Irish (which is what is used most often in Leinster as well), yet nearly all the TG4 and RNG people are from Galway and are solely speaking Connaught Irish
@Biróg: “If you have trouble understanding it this is why”
I speak Irish fluently in spite of the attitudes like that. If people from Leinster speak Irish differently than is done out in the shticks, what of it? The point of a language is communication and not strict adherence to a prescriptivist notions of what is “correct”. Only a dead language doesn’t change, so to claim there is a correct way to speak it is to admit that it is a dead language (which it is not; endangered – yes, dead – no).
For approx 100k people, it is their native language. For everyone else, it’s a hobby or a curiosity. Rubbishing attempts of those who aren’t “foirfe” is a really bad attitude.
Many of my generation feel Irish was inflicted on us. It should be optional after junior cert, forcing it has not and will not work and leaves a bad taste for many. Many see its functions as wasteful, translating irish in the EU parliament for 2 mps or a romanian getting of drink driving because he did not have the option of Irish, there are multiple of examples like this. Put the resources into learning it, not forcing it, and keep the Irish nazies away from policy they have made an utter balls of the language over the last 100 years which has been a total failure. Then it might have an oppurtunity to prosper.
@ktsiwot: It is changing, though. It’s being taught better, and I know a good few younger people who made a lot of friends in various parts of Ireland through learning Irish, so that does away with the stupid urban/rural spilt. I think it’s only fair to be able to drop it before the Leaving, you’re right. It should be a choice.
If people didn’t need it for work… isn’t an argument at all. I had two programming students, Irish lads who got jobs in Germany and night classes went with that, and they had no problem then.
Stop using “alternative facts” as a catch all. These are myths or misconceptions. It’s about intent.
@Titus Groan: i intended to learn Irish…but i never did learn anything that was screamed at me. Irish for my generation, was taught by red faced brutes who were to be feared. Change that and the language might have a chance.
@GameOverMan: they did change that and its still not helping. You wrote this in English, was tour English teacher a brute? Your maths teacher? How is it that you remember what they screamed at you?
@Dave O Keeffe: Personally, my other teachers were not demonic. Whats your point?
@GameOverMan: that you only think you never learned it but in reith you’ve just forgotten it because you don’t need it.
Why bother with Irish? It’s not going to bring a person any economic benefits
@Sara Elia López: Wrong! You can make a tidy sum translating the multitude of state and EU documents into Irish. You don’t even have to be that good as the chances of anyone reading them is fairly low.
@8bitplebian: All about the money. If you abandon your cultural heritage and pledge allegiance to globalization and the ruthless fraudulent economy you certainly can become very wealthy. Speak English, become involved in banking, become involved in wealth funds, plunder nations assets, manipulate nations decision makers…
@Biróg: Language is a tool for communication. On its own it doesn’t represent any of the above things.
@Sara Elia López: By that logic, why bother with playing hurling? Unless you become a hurley maker or an inter county manager. Some things aren’t just about money. Its about heritage. Cop on.
@Sara Elia López: By that logic why bother doing anything that won’t bring economic benifits? Cop on.
@Sara Elia López:
Economics has devastated Gaeltacht areas over the last decade. Our Irish language and culture cannot be held for ransom.I bother with Irish because its mine.
“More Irish has been spoken in the European Parliament than Maltese or Estonian”. What a pointless comment. I have direct experience of trying to get technical documents produced in Maltese and it was a nightmare, as (a) Malta has a tiny population and (b) English and Italian are the main languages of commerce there. As for Estonia – it has a population smaller than Dublin and a significant proportion of the population are from other ethnic backgrounds (German, Russian, Sweden). So basically the point is that Irish is spoken slightly more than two other extremely obscure languages. I get that people like Irish and want to preserve it, but the idea that it’s necessary or even useful is rubbish.
TG4 is pure quality (except for crook tíra!) and should be channel 1 on every households TV. There is a patriotic desire for most people to speak Irish but we are so saturated and distracted by Anglo American media and culture that we must make a solid commitment and dedicate time and enegy to reawaken our ancestors heritage. Sending your child to a gaelscoil is a great opportunity to relearn our heritage again. I will be actively speaking irish at home as best I can when our daughter starts this year. I envy the welsh people who have embraced their heritage and don’t make victim type excuses about not speaking their language.
@Biróg: I’m sorry but you don’t need to speak Irish to be patriotic.
English is an incredibly universal language and we are very grateful truncate that it’s our first language. We can travel the world and converse with people in nearly every country, we have multi-nationals setting up business here because we speak English (and will soon be the only EU country to have English as our first language).
It would be nice to keep the Irish language alive but the truth is it’s a difficult language and it’s becoming less and less relevant for Irish people. Ramming the language down children’s throats is certainly not a way to keep it alive
@Tweety McTweeter: so do you think it would be more patriot to have irish or English as your first language?
English literature (as opposed to English language) and mathematics are also “rammed down your children’s throats” as part of progression to third level, do you feel the same about hear subjects?
@Biróg: Pe
@Biróg: Many people don’t pick up or remember a lot from English classes at school, but that doesn’t particularly matter as people don’t learn to speak English at school – they learn that at home. The problem with the Irish curriculum is that it attempts to teach kids as if they can already speak the language- just like English – but most can’t speak or understand more than a few words. They need to start teaching it like they teach French or German, with an emphasis on being able to converse in the language.
@Biróg: .
Throughout my life in all aspects I have needed maths and english, even basics such as shopping,analysing an article, getting a mortgage (not so basic) nearly all aspects I have needed english or maths, I have not spoken or needed a word of irish to live life since my leaving cert which was forced.
@ktsiwot: but English literature was not required either. English language is completely different. I have no clue what the definitive article, a preposition or other mechanics of the English languageis but I got a B in honours as a learned off what Macbeth was doing talking to witches.
@Cornelius: I completely agree. The teaching syllabus is formulated by fluent speakers when in reality it must be taught as a foreign language because that it is completely estranged to most citizens.
Teach your kids spanish or chineese, not Irish.
Why do you presume that Irish should be ditched in order to learn another language? Most linguists agree that the greater exposure to different languages, the easier it is to acquire proficiency in other languages. Irish, with its case systems, acts as a wonderful aid in learning German or Russian for example. Irish has been immeasurably useful in my acquiring proficiency in other languages.
It is also wrong to ask for the removal of a subject from a curriculum on the basis of how badly it is taught. If this were the case, there would be many calling for the removal of mathematics and science from the curriculum.
@George Hogan: maths and science are useful, Irish is a waste of teaching time when most children are educated for export. Learn it outside school time.
Most children are educated for export? Really?
-
Irish is a useful language; not least in the provision of services to Irish language speakers and in the area of translation work, which is of benefit to all languages. The Irish language, for many of us, is part of our identity…whether fluent in the language or just a few phrases. It might surprise you to know that the majority of the world’s citizens are bilingual to some extent. The Dutch, for example, have little difficulty in speaking their national tongue as well as good levels of ability in German, English and often French.
-
For most people, the extent of their use of maths on a daily basis extends to simple arithmetic. Do you suggest that maths should be excluded from the curriculum?
@James Brown: The problem with that argument is that ALL languages are taught woefully in Irish schools, with most focus on written exercises, rather than developing oral skills. Not only Irish, but French/Spanish etc, should be taught through the immersion method, building up conversational skills. If this approach was taken in primary schools, then perhaps Irish needn’t be compulsory at secondary level.
@George Hogan: yes Many Irish children in school now will leave to work abroad just like I did. In rural areas west if the Shannon there are very few jobs available so you either go on the dole or emigrate. The day I left school was the last day I used it. My time would have been better spent learning German or even Russian.my parents and their parents before them didn’t speak a word of Irish, didnt make them any less Irish.
@George Hogan: and maths is far more important than learning a minor language few people speak.
@James Brown:
Learn to spell in English first before you lecture us. Ar teanga go dteo!
From my own experience, countries like Denmark/Sweden have a far superior command of English as a second language compared to us with Irish and also have a third widely used European language like German. English is often used because it is widely spoken at a level more advanced than ‘i went to the shop to buy milk’ (probably the majority of the Millward survey).
Our economic position in Europe is based in a large part due to the fact English is our primary language and so we can trade and operate with the larger economies in Europe/US who have English.
I’m not saying we would be a poorer nation if we all spoke Irish but we certainly wouldn’t be richer because of it which is an implication in your article.
After 13+ years trying to get a grip on the Irish language been taught at school, I still can only pick up a word or two when listening to nuacht on the radio and have to follow the subtitles on the TV to understand it. So many different dialects within the country. It’s still double Dutch to me. And l would say I’m in the majority here.
As the country has not gone “Full Irish,” and is unlikely to do so any time soon, no-one could possibly know if doing so would make the country richer, poorer or much the same. The Myth here is that someone can predict whether it would.
@Brian McDonnell: I agree that we cannot predict whether it was have any positive or negative effects. But many CEOs of US MNCs here (as well as IDA) have said the proliferation of native English speakers in this country has been a critical factor in their decision to set up operations here.
Tax breaks, skills availability and productivity have undoubtedly been major factors, but when looking to set up EU operations, being the one country that is both English speaking and in the Euro zone has sometimes been the deal clincher.
Yes we could become rich without inward multinational investment like Scandinavian countries, but until we can emulate their “secret sauce” we are heavily reliant on those MNCs for economic success.
Right on cue, as soon as a favourable article on our language shows up, out come the usual detractors with their lame excuses as to why they couldn’t learn Irish at school, and why it should be totally done away with – It costs too much is one of the usual complaints………What is wrong with you people?….Maybe we should bulldoze all those castles and ancient archaeological sites as well – they cost too much – let’s get rid of them we could then put the money saved on display for our tourists to admire….an ban Irish dancing too!
@Pádraig Ó Braonáin: the castles and archaeological sites (profitable or not) are likely what draws a huge number of tourists to Ireland. The same can’t be said for Irish.
@Pádraig Ó Braonáin: You’re dead right. Same old lazy culture haters. It’s fvkin tragic the hate they have for their own language. I pity them and the kids they raise passing on their bile to them.
@Chris Linehan: culture and craic is what draws people to Ireland. The castles are nice to see but tourists love the craic. And tourist visitors to Gaeltacht areas love to hear Gaeilge á labhairt!
@Chris Linehan:
Not true, lots of people come to Ireland to learn our language.
The comments here are the same clichéd anti-Gaeilge comments we’ve been hearing for years – I’m guessing these posters are of a different generation to me.
In schools now there’s much more of an emphasis on speaking & less so on prose & poetry.
There is of course need for more reform, but this anti-cultural, anti-intellectual, pro-economic argument against Irish is tiresome. Education isn’t about all about jobs. I’m starting on my career now & I have had no use for Shakespeare and likely will never will. I am, however, the richer for it.
Education is about broadening the mind, different ways of thinking; holding the opposing view. Learning a language from youth is a catalyst for this.
We need to preserve our culture…
Beatha teanga í a labhairt – Tír gan teanga tír gan anam
The poor old Irish language’s biggest problem is that it’s reliant upon the Irish people to survive – terrible owners. Maybe we could sell it and use the money to buy an iPhone for everyone. I’m sure another people would really appreciate the opportunity to save this grand old language and nurse it back to health. More aptly, maybe an international rescue operation should happen – have the language forcibly relocated from it’s current neglectful owners, before it’s too late.
“‘“Ireland would be poor if we spoke Irish”
If you believe this, just ask yourself a very basic question, are there any rich countries in the world that don’t speak English as their first language?”‘
Really? You want to compare the likes of spanish or chinese with Irish? Hundreds of millions speak those languages natively, while ireland has 150000. This artile tries to stich facts together which dont fit.
The solution is simple, in my eyes. Make speaking the language the primary focus. I spent so much time learning to write an imaginary letter to my penpal in spain, but I want able to hold a basic conversation. If you cant speak it, you wont use it. After the leaving cert nobody in my class was able to speak it.
I’m not sure what the solution is, I hated Irish in school and now I’m nearly 40 I wished I could speak In Irish.
I was very embarrassed recently when in the local Garage and an Indian guy started asking me questions in Irish,
He may as well have been speaking Indian.
I hadn’t a clue.
I think life is better enjoyed the more knowledge we have , other languages are very important.
Irish is a very important part of our identity and should be maintained.
Labhair Gaeilge, nó labhair Béarla, ach bíodh meas agaibh orthu siúd a roghnaíonn teanga. Tá mé tinn tuirseach ó bheith ag léamh “tuairimí” ina gcaitear go huafásach le mo theanga. Is mionlach (láidir) sinn, ach más sa mhionlach atáim, an fiú biorán mé?
Speak Irish, or speak English, but please respect peoples’ language choices. I am sick and tired of reading “opinions” in which my language choice is derisively disparaged upon. Irish speakers are a (strong) minority, but just because I am in the minority, does that mean my presence in the country is not worthwhile/relevant/economical?
So many blueshirts, anti-Gaels and Irish self-haters posting here! The fact is such people are impervious to facts or reasoned arguments as outlined by Colm and are really just anglophone bigots suffering from a deep-seated cultural cringe, who have a disproportionate amount of influence in what is esentially an anti-Irish media. Every argument made against the Irish language is been successfully demolished, but no matter to such people pursing their dream of anglophonic monligualism and corformity. Really, these anti-Gaels are a hollowed out core seeking to inflict their bile and hatred on the population at large. In a self-respecting society such people are regarded as traitors and potential collaborators!
good, good! let the hate flow through you
Yes 75,000 people use Irish daily. However 40,000 of these are teachers (35,000 in the primary sector and 5,000 Irish language teachers in the secondary system). This leaves a paltry 30,000 out of 4,700,000 using the language who do have to in the classroom. That this group and the idealists of Sinn Fein etc. hold the rest of us to ransom is shameful. The further fact that the state attempts to give unfair advantage to Irish language speakers at the rest of our expense is simply lingual apartheid. You are entitled to your own opinions, not your own facts, and this article is more an opinion piece thank a factual exploration. My opinion: Please free me from the political correctness that promotes the Irish language at my expense.
About 20 facts but zero links to primary sources.
As many posters have said, it is a shame we all can’t speak our native tongue despite its relatively limited uses.
Not being able to speak it has to be something to do with how its taught. Crazy after 13 years of learning anything not to be in a position to speak or use it. The system itself seemed to recognise that fact when the 3 week trip to the Gaeltacht was needed to get a grasp on how to speak the language, before reverting to the classroom discipline.
“Are there any rich countries in the world that do not speak English as a first Language?” Let’s see! Abu Dhabi, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany,Holland, Iceland, Israel, Luxembourg, Monaco, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Quatar, Quebec. And Spanish is catching up with English in the USA.
20 facts and zero links to sources. Come on. You are writing on a web magazine.
‘Myths’? I’ve never heard anybody say most of these. Has anyone ever heard someone say that the economy will do worse if we spoke Irish more?
As usual in Ireland the figures of how many speak Irish are drastically inflated and twisted. How many people who aren’t students in primary and secondary school speak Irish in any meaningful way?
Places like Denmark, Latvia and Estonia speak their own language primarily. This is obviously not the case hear. Comparing them to Irish is absurd.
@Jason Byrne:
Yes I have heard that said Jason, repeatedly.
If someone is able can they put a link up for that irish predictive text option for Samsung mobiles? The link thats up doesn’t seem to be working. And in all fairness, since when are 30000 people paltry in any way shape or form?
maith fear! an-spéisiúl mar alt. grma
You mention that Irish is used more often in the European Parliament than Latvian and Danish despite there is many more of those nationalities speaking their own languages than there is Irish speakers. There is a reason for this perceived discrepancy, those nationals speaks living languages, where new words grow from common adaption in daily use, not from artificially created sources. Also the teaching of foreign languages is seen as essential for trade contacts to the wider world, so it comes naturally to them to speak English at conferences or other international meetings instead of trying to make a point about their own national language.
@Povl Thim: FYI, Irish IS a living language and if you knew what you were talking about you would know that a state body called An Coiste Téarmaíochta regularly deal with new terms coming into the Irish language as modern society evolves and requires new terms. As a fluent speaker, I can tell that there is very little in modern English that can’t be rendered in Irish. But, of course, who cares about the facts when the real agenda is to expunge Irish as a spoken language and complete the project that the Brits failed in completing!
@Cathal Ó Murchú:
I wouldn’t get hung up in the Brits, Cathal, plenty of Irish have no time for our own language, besides the Brits couldn’t have done what they did without plenty of Irish people, churches etc to help them.
@Con Murphy: For me, the biggest threat to the Irish language at this time doesn’t come from the Brits, but rather from a certain section of Irish society with a disproportionate share of power and influence in the media and the state system. These people are deeply anti-Irish and can’t abide by the idea that Irish speakers have rights. They are basically bigots who want the Irish language to be expunged from our society and enforce their narrow anglophone monolingualism on the population at large!
Is it true that if parents have no Irish that they can’t send their children to a Gealscoil?
Someone told me that.
If it is true then Gealscoileanna are definitely elitist. Schools don’t ask to see the parents Leaving Cert results in order to get the child into other schools. It ensures that parents who left school early with little or no Irish and foreigners are excluded. Elitist and a bit anti foreigner.
@Jack Bowden:
Unfair comment Jack I see lots of kids going to the local gaelscoil who don’t look white with red hair and freckles! Easy to throw mud.
I think its time we had an Irish tax, if these folk want that life style then let them pay for it. All the extra cost that goes into staffing and translation. I also heard some clown calling for the Irish department responsible to be given same powers as IDA, like we need another quango.
@Makenzie Calhoun:
New tax Makenzie! Where do you stand on Irish Water or even Uisce Eireann. No Way We Won’t Pay!
Second article where you have to use the tricolour, why? One of the most encouraging things about the Irish language is that it’s becoming more popular in loyalist circles. It’s a language, it shouldn’t continue to be politicised or hijacked in the way it has been.
@Adrian:
Why shouldn’t he use the national colours! Irish language Irish Flag I don’t see the problem. Did you not notice the Orange part of the flag. Get an education.
@Con Murphy: It may have orange in it, but you know very well that it’s not loved by many of our northern neighbours. It’s the flag of the REPUBLIC OF IRELAND, not the whole island. Do I really have to point that out?
only logical thing to do is to give people an incentive, people who can prove that they can speak the language to a certain standard should receive a €1000 tax break every year , this will get enough people interested!
All migrant to this country have retained their language and speak it with pride as the should and is about time we did too!
maith fear! an-spéisiúl mar alt, grmma
I’m all for Irish but the lenition is a curse. We should have something like the French academy which would rationalise lenition, or preferably get rid of it altogether. Apart from anything else, all those “h” s are an eyesore.
@Paul O’Brien:
Yes Paul lenition is difficult but can’t be avoided. I find listening to R na G very helpful as regards getting an ear for the sounds. Music and songs are great, particulary groups like Altan Clannadh etc.
What the so called professionals won’t admit is that the Irish language is a very difficult language to learn, particulary if they have a cd or a course to sell. Irish language has its roots in the East rather than the West which is why people with an background in Arabic or Sanskrit may find it easier to learn the clowns brainwashed by the Catholic church who control our schools would have you believe it was invented by St Patrick when he
was sent over by Rome.
If you’re one of the 1.2m that ticked you can speak Irish, the next census form should be sent to you in Irish.
Irish is my language, even after it has been taken from us by the catholic and protestant churches, royal regiments both Irish and UK, by so called professions and teachers lining their pockets, they didn’t teach the language they just used it. In ar gcroi go dteo! The catholic church helped to eradicate the language when the Empire set up its schools in Ireland where the Irish language was beaten out of our kids by church appointed teachers,English only was allowed, because the church cut a deal to get their own college in Manouth. When the new state was set up suddenly the church became the champion of the Irish language and church appointed teachers could torture and abuse kids on the pretext of teaching Irish. Politicions used it to gain power and line their pockets with salaries expenses and pensions. Church got control, the teachers they appointed got status, comfortable lives and did the hirearchy’s bidding. Gaeltacht authorities were set up for the friends of political parties,more jobs for the boys even a few girls, all the while our kids were being emigrated from gaeltacht areas. This current recession is the same just business as usual for the Irish gangsters church and state, hand in glove who don’t care what language they rob you in!
Never surrender to the corrupt gangsters! We had our language long before there was ever a Bishop or a political party in this country. Its still there. Whatever reason you hate it it is still yours and mine. Don’t let the gangsters grind you down!
Check out http://www.cnag.ie/mythbusting for more information on the #mythbusting videos or contact Conradh na Gaeilge at eolas@cnag.ie anytime.
Excellent Colm ! Would you just pop up to Stormont and put some sense into the Duposaurus party that are refusing us an Irish language act ?
have your say