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LAST UPDATE | 4 Mar 2024
DUBLIN CITY COUNCIL will tonight hold its monthly council meeting completely in Irish for the first time ever, with questions and the agenda having been translated beforehand.
The Council has partnered with Conradh na Gaeilge to ensure that both those with and without a cúpla focal can take part.
The idea was put forward by the Lord Mayor of Dublin and Fianna Fáil councillor Daithí de Róiste, who said he’s delighted to see the initiative take shape.
“It’s the first time ever in the history of the state I believe that a council meeting will be done 100% as Gaeilge,” de Róiste told The Journal.
“It’s important for Dublin City Council to undertake this initiative and demonstrate that we can do more of our business in Irish.”
Friday marked the beginning of Seachtain na Gaeilge and de Róiste said this is a great way to kick start the event.
He added: “We’ve partnered with Conradh na Gaeilge, who have been a massive help to both myself and to the wider Council team.
“We’ve put together the entire meeting’s business as Gaeilge, so for those both with only a cúpla focal all the way up to those who are fluent, there will be services available.”
For anyone present in the chamber, there will be live interpreting services available.
De Róiste said work has also been undertaken on various parts of the agenda that might need to be translated for councillors, as well as translating councillor’s questions.
“A lot of effort has gone on in the background to make this a success,” said de Róiste.
“For those with a cúpla focal, we were able to work with them through the agenda, making the translation service available to them, and translating their questions as well beforehand so that they feel comfortable speaking.
“This has been a collaborative approach between all 63 elected officials and the executive in order to be able to do this for Seachtain na Gaeilge.”
De Róiste added that the meeting has to be “inclusive, not exclusive”.
“It’s just as important for somebody with a couple of words of Irish right up to somebody who’s fluent.
“When I brought this initiative forward, councillors wholeheartedly endorsed it, and I wanted inclusivity to make sure everybody feels welcome in tonight’s meeting, and I do believe we’ve achieved that.
“And for Dublin City Council as the largest local authority in the state to be able to take this on, so long it’s a success, it’ll demonstrate to other local authorities that they too can do it.
“Maybe next year, most local authorities in the state will be able to do this as part of Seachtain na Gaeilge.”
There must be loads of spare cash in the budget for something like this
@Mick Duvanny: A little education goes a long way.
@Mick Duvanny: How much does it cost to speak Irish?
@Sean O’Dhubhghaill: Nothing. But it costs quite a bit to have documents translated and have live translation facilities.
@Rob Goodbody: But is that not beung done anyway? Just now it is in the reverse direction?
@Sean O’Dhubhghaill: Not as far as I am aware.
@Rob Goodbody: Fair enough!
@Sean O’Dhubhghaill:
Nothing, just time and effort.
Consider how credible would we deem a character who claimed to be French but couldn’t speak French ¡!!
@Mick Duvanny: funded by money specifically ear marked for Irish language initiatives, nothing coming out of the kitty of other departments so keep your shirt on
@TC Murphy: Education? They basically have translators translate to Irish, communicate and then translate it back again. If they really wanted to promote Irish, they should try and speak it
@Sean O’Dhubhghaill: a couple of Billion Euros per year
I like to check out the daily worldly madness. I was not disappointed.
@Keth Tgi: It’s a basket case out here.
What a total waste. Looks like this meeting has already been held word for word so that when translated into our English language, the majority of those present, with little or no irish, will “understand”. Baffling nonsense.
@Patrice Ahern: “into OUR English language ” , so , you are not Irish then , ok, Slain Leat,
@Richard Fallon: English is our language as much as anyone else’s.
@Brendan O’Brien: It’s not the language of Spain , or France ,or Germany , etc etc , so why should it be Irelands language ??
@Richard Fallon: Because it’s the vernacular in Ireland but not in Spain or France or Germany
@Brendan O’Brien: why , and since when ?,
@Richard Fallon: Certainly since independence, and for the vast majority of people before that. We’re conversing in it right now.
You cannot possibly not know this.
@Richard Fallon: Also, you don’t know how to spell ‘Slán’.
If you’re patronising people about a language, at least spell correctly in it.
@Brendan O’Brien: as you well know , we don;t have our own Irish language because it was forbidden under threat of imprisonment or worse, by a foreign ( YOUR ) power , it couldn;t be taught in schools or spoken in public, .France,Spain nor Germany etc etc , never had that sort of brutal oppression,
@Brendan O’Brien: Oh, very funny , so you can put a sine fada on a letter A, So, you DO speak a bit of our own language,
@Richard Fallon: You didn’t notice that ‘Slán’ doesn’t have an ‘i’ in it?
‘forbidden under threat of imprisonment or worse’ is irrelevant to the indisputable fact that English is now our vernacular, and is as much ours as anyone else’s.
As for ‘a foreign ( YOUR ) power’: I’m as Irish as you or anyone else. Petty, ignorant grudges are not essential to Irishness.
@Richard Fallon: also , lets see how efficient you are on a keyboard when you reach 78 years old, have gammy fingers and poor eyesight .
@Brendan O’Brien: While I agree with mostly , my point is that Irish was, and should still be OUR national language ,were it not for a brutal foreign power destroying it , Otherwise , yes , we all speak English because that;s the way of things .
@Jimmy Wallace: Yes: Mary Lou McDonald can’t even make a speech about Gaza without saying ‘We have known the brutality of colonialism’
Virtue signalling nonsense.
There’ll be alot of statements beginning with “Well…” so.
@Louis Jacob: You mean ‘Bhuel’.
Why? I can’t see many people going to that meeting.
Céim dhearfach!
An bfhuil an fuinneog ar an urlar.
More time and money wasted, nice work DCC focusing in on the things that truly matter. Irish FFS
That’s gas!
Cos the councillors won’t have a clue what’s going on.
@Chris Curran:
What else is new.
Might as well hold it in Mongolian for all the sense they make!
If I didn’t understand them in the past, I definitely don’t understand them now.. Have to brush up! :)
Is breá linn lánaí Rothaíochta
Sorry ,whether they like it or not, but English is the spoken language in Ireland not Irish.Another attempt to deflect from the absolute balls they are making in this city.
Patrick, it’s nice of you as an English women to show such interest. I presume you’re English not Scottish, Welsh or Irish since you speak of “our” English language unless of course it’s another English language altogether. Then again with a name like Oatrice you probably would be more familiar with Dublin City Council’s first official language – Norman French… As they say across the water: Le Roy le vault!
Patrice, it’s nice of you as an English woman to show such interest. I presume you’re English, not Scottish, Welsh or Irish since you speak of “our” English language, unless of course it’s another English language altogether. Then again with a name like Patrice you probably would be more familiar with Dublin City Council’s first official language – Norman French… As they say across the water: Le Roy le vault!
@Denis Silver. Adults do not ask permission to go to the toilet, they just excuse themselves. Whether Council members are adults is another matter.
Is sean-veain anois le roth amháin san uaigh agus an roth eile ar an mbruach.
Abd before someone questions my gender usage I just mix it up these days …hence the feminine plural for Patrick who I presume is now identifying as Patrice.
Should have known this was going to happen sooner or later,especially with the city council. All the signs were there.
So how do you ask to leave the meeting to go to the toilet
have your say