Trydar, Tweets or Giolcacha!

There is an interesting article in todays Guardian (Am I the only person who still thinks of it as the Manchester Guardian - like the Examiner I still think of it's original local affiliation?).

It is talking about an English speaking journalist who spent many years abroad serving the English press returning home and finding that his country has "reverted" to a truly respectful attitude to its own ancient heritage. There are some similarities perhaps to Ireland too.

I mostly follow the Irish language media, Raidío na Gaeltachta, TG4, Tuairisc, Meoin Eile and Nós and all too few print publications - no daily or weekly is published.

I do not follow the English Language media published in Ireland (The Irish media?) - though it is almost impossible to ignore it's smothering presence. Anyway back to the hillsides of Wales. The language there is respected. The Welsh Government tries to truly represent all the people. They even have two twitter accounts, @LlywodraethCym and @WelshGovernment.

Respect or?

What has Ireland got? 

@merrionstreet is an English Language presence with the odd tweet in Irish - mostly about Language issues though more recently some other topics have sneaked through. Even the President is @PresidentIRL and of late seems to have abandoned routine tweets in the National Language. The Taoiseach never tweets in Irish.

Even the Department with responsibility for the Gaeltacht - @DeptCulturelRL - is in English. Only one unlikely Government Department has the Irish name for its twitter handle - can you guess which?

Indeed the European Parliament with it's Irish twitter account seems to tweet more in this official language than the account of most if not all Government Departments or the Houses of the Oireachtas.

Only two State Bodies regularly publish bilingually on twitter (or at all), both based in the Gaeltacht - Udarás na Gaeltachta and the Coimisinéir Teanga. (Raidío na Gaeltachta and TG4 do mostly publish in Irish of course.) The only State Organisation that has both an Irish & English Language twitter account is The Central Statistic Office @POStaidrimh  and @CSOIreland. Who'll be next?

Even when a Government Department provides an Irish version of a release or policy or a consultation it rarely if ever publicises it. 

The article in the Guardian makes good and encouraging reading for those anxious to ensure the continuation (no not preservation!) of the original language of the Britons. It does however slip into some of the misconceptions people who speak Irish will recognise. It condescendingly describes Hew Edwards, long time anchor of BBC TV News, as an "evangelical Welsh speaker." We are used to this condescension in any obituaries or descriptions have we in Ireland seen, "Irish language enthusiast," "fluent Irish Speaker" "Inverterate Irish speaker" etc etc. I have heard Hew Edwards speak in Welsh on television once. It is his language. He is hardly an evangelist. Was Angela Merkel a language evangelist because she only spoke publicly in German?

A lot of people speak in Irish, my neighbours do, because it is the language of the place. It is their language. Few if any can be described as "evangelists" or even "enthusiasts." They speak Irish because it is their means of communication. Yet the state makes it virtually impossible for them to communicate indeed actually discourages it use. 

Recently I sense that Irish does seem to be more alive on line - like Welsh because of Raidío na Gaeltachta and TG4 but also I believe because of the influence of the Irish Speaking schools. There are other outlets too in radio, print and social media (and not all with State support).

It looks like there will be a long wait however for our Government to emulate the Welsh example. Maybe it's time for another commission or study group.

Will 2030 be postponed as 1928 was?

Perusing the English language media this last week you might be forgiven for not knowing the the Government introduced the Official Languages bill in the Dáil on Thursday. This bill, promised for the past ten, if not more, years, is supposed to be the natural progression of the 2003 Act which established the Coimisinéir Teanga and various regulations to promote the use of Irish what after all is the National Language particularly in the public sector. 

Was that act a success? 

Judge for yourself. Note particularly that the first Coimisinéir, the much respected Seán Ó Cuirreáin, was left with no other choice but to resign from his role in ensuring the implementation of Irish language legislation. He said his decision was a result of the State's lack of commitment to the protection of Irish speakers' rights. He went on (in translation) to observe: "I fear that the exercise (Government's intentions in a long delayed new Language Act) will be seen as a fudge, a farce or a falsehood."

While the new bill does address some of the issues mentioned by Seán Ó Cuirreáin and his successor and many organisations and private citizens they are understandibly doubtful of the bona fides of the Government in bringing this bill forward. This is of course based on bitter experience from the actions of every Government of the state since 1928. 

Catherine Martin (Aire Gaeltachta 2020) Risteárd Ua Maolcatha, Aire Rialtas Áitiúil 1928) & Jack Chambers (Aire Stáit Ghaeltachta 2020)

Research, which possibly led to the aforementioned resignation, shows that "the Irish language policy of the Irish state from 1928 has been little more than an excercise in cynicism, deception and long fingering!" During that year the then Minister of Local Government & Health, Risteárd Ua Maolchatha, introduced Legal Instrument (No 23 0f 1928) which specified that any local or health authority employee with duties in the Gaeltacht (Irish speaking area) be given three years to learn sufficient Irish to be able to perform their duties in the local language. If they failed to do this they were to be let go. 

These provisions were never implemented. 

As a target date approached a new instrument was signed which postponed it for a further six or twelve months. In fact during the years between 1928 and 1966 this happened FIFTY FOUR (54) times. 

In 1974 the then Government enacted legislation which abolished the requirement of proficiency in the National Language for applicants to appointments in the civil service. The Taoiseach of the day fully understood what this would mean and wrote:  "..that the abolition of the requirement might cause some difficulties in regard to the Constitutional position of Irish as the first official language of the State and might lead to a situation where few civil servants would be able to conduct business in Irish with those members of the public who would wish and would be entitled to do so..." 

Oh how true!

The new act states that a fifth of new recruits to the civil service will have to be proficient in Irish from 2030 (IT). However there is a clause which allows the Minister to extend that date. One wonders how frequently will this be done. Fifty four times? It is little wonder the the General Secretary of Conradh na Gaeilge, Julian de Spáinn wearily says in todays Irish Times (Irish)  - "It is time for the Government parties to adhere and fulfill their promises (before the election)!"

One sign of hope was the number of speakers who addressed the introduction of the bill on Thursday. Twenty two deputies spoke over a period of several hours in a civilised, intelligent and useful debate. All parties and independent groups with the notable, and noted, exception of Fine Gael, the successor party of that which introduced the 1928 act. And the party whose minister removed the Irish language requirement in the civil service with the words, "...there will be no weakening of Irish in the civil service and there will be a greater desire to use it because of the ending of compulsion..." 

Strong forces express certain cultural problem.

I sent a letter last month* to the leaders of the three parties at present negotiating the formation of our next Government. It was addressed to the leaders and to the Dáil speakers on Gaeltacht/Gaeilge affairs and the Minister of State in the Department of Arts Heritage & the Gaeltacht. As in all my dealings with the Irish state I wrote in the National Language.

Linguistic respect?

I expected little more than a letter of acknowledgement from those addressed rather than a detailed response but at least I expected the response to courteously in the language I had used in writing to them.

These are the responses.

Taoiseach: Leo Varadkar TD - Silence!
Minister of State: Seanadóir Seán Kyne - Silence!

Leader of Opposition: Micheál Mairtín TD - Acknowledgement (in English)!
Gaeltacht Spokesman: Dara Calleary TD  - Silence!

Ceannaire Chomhaontas Glas: Éamonn Ryan TD - Respectful Acknowledgment
Marc Ó Cathasaigh TD: - Silence

Do these not display the interest and respect held in the body politic here for the National Language?

There has been a considerable amount of talk and agitation about racial prejudice in our country. This attention is well overdue and there was a lot of pain involved in hearing some unpleasant truths. The 7 Lá program on TG4 last night was very painful to watch as was the interview with the young GAA footballer on Saol Ó Dheas (RTÉ Raidío na Gaeltachta) the previous day.

Of course these painful truths about Irish Society have been known but unreferenced until recent decades. Bias against Travellers was and is in evidence for a long time but more recently that against the Irish from another tradition whether it be African, Asian or South American or indeed other European origins. The attitude of the Department of Justice shown to the conditions of those in Direct Provision is another example. Of course the attitude shown towards women is a longstanding discrimination not unique to Ireland. Are they not all sides of the same coin? (See also Ola Majekodunmi's little YouTube film: 'What does "Irishness" look like?').

Can the attitude towards those who choose to use their Irish as their language of communication with the State be victims of this kind of abuse? I have been trying to conduct business with State bodies since I was able to vote and it has become more rather than less difficult. Sometimes they even ask what my "real name" is! Can it be said that the state shelters an "institutionally linguistically racist" attitude in these matters?

When we live in a state where the Minister of Arts, Heritage & the Gaeltacht is perfectly happy to discuss matters concerning Arts and heritage but not on the Gaeltacht. Is it any wonder the President of Ireland could state (24 June 2016) "...I believe there is a certain cultural problem which controls the system, senior officers of the system and leadership..." which ensures Irish is rarely heard (my translation). This echoes the words of the only Ombudsman in Europe to resign on principle when he said (January 23, 2014) "that there are stronger and more widespread forces in place who have little or no concern for the future of our national language."

It is no wonder that Irish speakers are insulted and/or belittled in private and public, even on the airwaves. Why are you "speaking a dead language!" Indeed as part of a "Language Gestabo" or worse.  This disrespect does hurt no less than the "but where are you REALLY from" suffered by our fellow countrymen and women in another context. It also demeans the person administering the insult.

As far back as November 1892 the man who later became our first President expressed his astonishment on how the Irish people "continues to clamour for recognition as a distinct nationality, and at the same time throws away with both hands what would make it so."

Of course it is not quite the same as the racial prejudice but nonetheless as harmful since it also is a denial of basic rights. In the matter of language of course it is easier to abandon it than to abandon the colour of our skin or our sexual orientation.

* Litir chuig na Ceannairí (26 Bealtaine 2020)

Any chance of spontaneous Umgangssprache?

I always enjoy, while not always agreeing with, the Irish Times's columnist Miriam Lord. Her Saturday contribution as usual unearthed a few snippits of information.

Entitled, Tourists ask Higgins to show them the way, (22nd September 2018) it describes how after an event in Dublin city centre the President was asked for directions as he left. Humourous as that event was I was more interested in the account of another event she covered.

Goethe & Schiller in Weimer (D)

This was the official opening of the Goethe Institut in Dublin's Merrion Square. As someone who has benefited in the past at this establishment I usually note the events that it organises in fostering and promoting German culture in Ireland.

Our Minister of Arts Culture and the Gaeltacht, Josepha Madigan, officially opened the new HQ and, according to Miriam, delighted he audience by delivering “three quarters of her speech in German.” We are told that she declared herself a little wary of descending into “spontaneous Umgangssprache.” It was also apparently her first time “speaking in German as a minister.” In her past life she shared that she actually dreamed in German when she lived in Vienna. Her speech earned  her a standing ovation.

I find it richly ironic, if not tragic, that as Minister charged with supporting, developing and encouraging our National Language she is happy to vaunt he knowledge of the language of Goethe and Schiller yet is unable (unwilling) to express herself at public events in the language of Ó Cadhain, MacAingil, Céitinn, and Colmcille.

Aodh Mac Aingil in Rome

This is the person whom, as she assumed the position as Minister she said “I think your proficiency and fluency in a language doesn’t mean that you don’t love the language. Obviously I would have been quite proficient some 30 years ago so yes, I probably will try and endeavour to make it a little bit stronger,” (Irish Times 4/12/2017). In effect this means that she has a significant disadvantage as an effective minister because it makes it more challenging for her to understand the real concerns of the Irish-speaking and Gaeltacht communities. It means that she is cut off from a real connection with the historic Irish nation which perhaps makes a mockery of her position as promoter of a culture which for almost 2000 years was expressed in the Irish language and only 250 years of which is expressed in the English language which itself is about 1000 years old.

The people of the Gaeltacht and Irish speakers would be particularly impressed, I feel, if she descended into Umgangssprache spontaneously or otherwise while speaking at cultural events. She might even get another standing ovation.

Perhaps she would benefit by asking Michael D for directions!

• See also A Pronounced low level of respect. (4/12/2017)

Liam Cosgrave's prophecy and Richie Ryan's legacy!

"There will be no weakening of Irish in the civil service and there will be a greater desire to use it..."

Liam Cosgrave, Taoiseach (L) & Riche Ryan, Minister for Finance. 

Richie Ryan was the Minister for Finance in the Fine Gael/Labour Party in the 1970s. There was a relatively strong movement at that time to abolish the necessity of Irish for candidates to work in the civil service. This came to a successful head when he announced the this in an announcement to the Dáil on the 27th Sept 1974.

He contrarily maintained that "...there will be no weakening of Irish in the civil service and there will be a greater desire to use it because of the ending of compulsion..." This despite the declaration at the time by a civil servant that the decision "...could lead eventually to a situation where few, if any, civil servants would have any knowledge of the language and it would almost certainly make it impossible to provide staff in sufficient numbers to deal with those who...would be entitled to expect to be able to conduct business in Irish with Government Departments and Offices..."

Even the Taoiseach of the time, Liam Cosgrave wrote prophetically in a memo, "the abolition of the requirement might cause some difficulties in regard to the Constitutional position of Irish as the first official language of the State and might lead to a situation where few civil servants would be able to conduct business in Irish with those members of the public who would wish and would be entitled to do so..." *

Today (14/5/2018) an article in the Irish on-line publication, Tuairisc.ie (ironically unavailable in many Gaeltacht area because of poor or unavailable broadband) demonstrates the fulfillment of Mr Cosgraves's prophecy is laid starkly bare.

They used the freedom of information (FOI) legislation to examine some correspondence on the great National Plan unveiled with great fanfare in the city of Sligo by The Taoiseach and Government on 16th February 2018. Apparently complaints had been made to the Coimisinéir Teanga about the unavailability of this policy document in the National Language which necessitated an official enquiry be sent to the relevent Department (Department of Public Expenditure and Reform). This instigated internal communications which demonstrate just how prophetic were the words of Liam Cosgrave.

An official response was made saying that the translation would issue "as soon as possible!" As yet no translation has appeared and presumable this lead to Tuairisc.ie making their enquiries under the Freedom of Information procedure. What they uncovered was illuminating of an attitude which is all to familiar to Irish people who wish to communicate with or be communicated by the Irish state in the National Language as is their Constitutional right.

The Coimisinéir's enquiry instigated some internal communications within the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform between the person responsible for replying and another functionary in the department. The advice was to state that a translation would be prepared "as soon as possible." The advisor continued, “It may also be helpful to state in the letter that efforts will be made to ensure that this does not reoccur.” 

The response back was shocking in its directness: “We just don’t have a capacity to deliver a letter in Irish, and can’t validate the detail of the complaint made (as it is in Irish). We also can’t particularly undertake that efforts will be undertaken to ensure this won’t recur, as presumably the Commissioner will expect a DPER corporate response to that effect.” To which the senior official responded “…I accept your point that you can’t particularly undertake that efforts will be undertaken to ensure this won’t recur at this time.”

Later this gem appears: “…It is most important that we respond correctly at this stage rather than have the matter escalated to a formal investigation by An Coimisinéir Teanga, which would be a lengthy and costly process given the amount of translating that your division would then have to be involved in.”

To date this 106 page document has not been provided in the National Language. The Coimisinéir Teanga has emphasised the importance that such documents are published bilingually and many people are upset that this does not seem to have happened in this instance.

A query made in 2013 still seems valid: "Are we foisting compulsory English in place of compulsory Irish in the state system of this country?"

* Details of research made by the previous Coimisinéir Teanga featured in an address made by him in 2013: National archive reveals shocking state cynicism!.  (4/9/2013). 

"But all these charms are fled "... maybe not?

Thousands of people have fled the area of Iorras Aithneach area due to unemployment.

This area is in the largest Gaeltacht District in the country, Conamara, and is situated on the western shore of Cill Chiaráin Bay stretching almost from Doire Iorrais in the North to Carna and its environs and islands in the south. The whole area is often referred to as the Carna/Cill Chiaráin area (See map at bottom of page). People in this area look with askance, if not with out right cynicism, at boasts from the Dublin government of rising employment rates. This area is looking at abysmal to non-existant figures of employment.

It appears that the words of the Anglo-Irish poet, words from who's famous poem on "Sweet Auburn," entitle this piece, are to ringing true once more:

"Far, far away, thy children leave the land. Ill fares the land, to hastening ills a prey..." as does his warning: "...a bold peasantry, their country's pride, When once destroyed, can never be supplied." Goldsmith

But this community is fighting back. This community is looking for sustainable jobs to keep their children from emigrating.

Páirc na Mara, Cill Chiaráin

The complexity of the way things are not really helping. Údarás na Gaeltachta, the cash-stretched development for the Gaeltacht has however instigated a Marine Park at Cill Chiaráin. Planning for such an enterprise must be submitted to the Local Authority and during the planning process people not from the area are opposing the initiative.

The local community have set up a committee recently, Jabanna do cheantar Iorras Aithneach (Jobs for Carna). This committee has a facebook page to support the Údarás plans.

The committee is two months old and one of the first steps decided upon was to implement a support petition for Páirc na Mara (Marine Park) in Cill Chiaráin. This was both on paper (for those many people in the area who are unable to get broadband cover) and on-line.  If you haven't signed already your signature would be appreciated. Tacú le Udarás na Gaeltachta & Páirc na Mara i gCill Chiaráin! (Support Marine Park!)

The committee has achieved the goal of 1000 signatures to support Údarás na Gaeltachta’s development of a Marine Park in Cill Chiaráin, Co Galway by getting over 1250 signatures. According to a report carried out by the local secondary school Scoil Phobail Mhic Dara in Carna and the Carna/Cashel GAA club, 70% of the young people from our area have left in the last 30 years and this loss has to stop for the Iorras Aithneach (Carna/Cill Chiarán) area to survive.

The committee chairman Mícheál Ó Cadhain says, “I see the Marine Park as one aspect of creating local employment and I very much welcome it”.

Colm Ó Neasa, committee secretary, sees the amount of signatures for the proposed Marine Park and the plans that Údarás na Gaeltachta have, as a positive sign that the local community strongly endorse these development plans.

"In the upcoming weeks we will be looking at ways to increase employment in the area and will want to meet with Údarás na Gaeltachta, Galway County Council and local politicians to determine the best method to move forward. It is extremely important that the petitions do not go unnoticed and the committee will make every effort that this is so."

The committee is grateful all the people who signed the petitions, whether on paper or online. This is proof that there is support for the Marine Park and the vision to create more local employment.

John Healy, the incomparable "Backbencher" in the Irish Times wrote a book on his home place in the Eighties. It is an instructive read and indeed tragically "No one shouted Stop!' is relevant  of many places in rural Ireland. In Iorras Aithneach the local people ARE shouting stop.

Is anybody willing to listen and act?

Surreal and no darling....

Is it any wonder that the single word comment, "Joke!" was made by one observer on the Department Representatives' performance?

Last Tuesday the Irish Times featured an article by Fintan O'Toole, entitled "Ireland is nobody’s little darling any more!" In it he mentions several of the recent failures of the country in the international arena, the Rugby World Cup and the efforts to secure host countries for the European bodies being displaced by Britain's leaving of the European Union. He mentions our lack of facilities in the cyber world. Indeed, as he pointed out our claim to have a robust scientific culture is belied by our position as the only Western European not involved in the great particle physics research project CERN.

His statement "We’ve lost our exotic allure without replacing it with the attraction of efficiency!" is difficult to deny on the same day that the Taoiseach was silenced by the Leas Ceann Comhairle in the Dáil.

Still later in the day (and perhaps lost in the political turmoil of other events) an Oireachtas Committee meeting was held which was described by its chair, Catherine Connelly as "surreal!" The dictionary definition of the word is perhaps more graphic,  "having the disorienting, hallucinatory quality of a dream; unreal; fantastic:" Later she described it as the most difficult meeting that she has chaired and she has chaired over fifteen of these.

The meeting was to examine the state system and its provision of a bilingual service to the community. The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, which is there "to serve the country, its people and the Government by delivering well-managed and well-targeted public spending, through modernised, effective and accountable public services."

The committee apparently sent a questionnaire to the Department so that they would be prepared for the items that were of interest to the members. This was completed and circulated to the members and normally read out to the meeting. However it transpired that the Department had not sent a delegation competent enough to read this in the National Language and so they read an English translation while the members followed it in Irish. The Chair stated that this was a surreal experience. When asked why they hadn't sent somebody who could address the committee in the language usually used by this particular committee the reply was not only surreal but revealing, "It didn't occur to us!"

Indeed the whole meeting was itself revealing of the State System's attitude to the language. When asked about the linguistic ability of the person in the Department responsible for ensuring that statutory obligations under the Official Languages Act they were told that she was unable to speak the language. That is worth repeating - the person responsible for ensuring that the Department Public Expenditure and Reform fulfills its obligations under the Official Languages Act is unable to speak one of them.

When asked if the had even read The 20 Year Strategy for the Irish Language they hadn't. Further they stated that there was little demand for service from the public in Irish. It was pointed out to them that people in the Gaeltacht had given up speaking to the State Service in Irish as they realised just how half-hearted, if not downright hostile, the reception of such interaction. Not only has "the state lost its allure" but perhaps (as pointed out by Seán Ó Cuirreáin some years ago), perhaps it never had it as far as those people who have managed to preserve out language over the generations.

The Chair remarked that the ability of the delegation to such a committee spoke volumes about the State System's seriousness in matters concerning the National Language.

The transmission starts about 20 minutes in - the written report had not been uploaded as yet (24 Nov 2017).

Is it any wonder that the single word comment, "Joke!" was made by one observer on the Department Representatives' performance?

More alarming was the evidence of any vision or leadership for the language for which the state is supposed to be the champion. Indeed one wonders if secretly they wish that Article 8 of our constitution be repealed!

Joke indeed?

Linguistic thoughts on the visit of a Prime Minister.

It's a great headline in today's Irish Times, "Bromance blossoms as Fanboy Slim meets Justin Biebeau" and (as usual) Miriam Lord had nailed another success to her never to be missed regular articles.

Premier ministre du Canada

This writer was struck by certain things during this visit by Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of the officially bilingual Canada to our own country. As is usual I was struck by linguistic aspects. How Canada "does it!" As an inveterate tweeter I am inclined to use twitter as a guage or measure of how things are.

It is interesting here to see how the two countries and "establishments" spoke about the same events.

The current Prime Minister of Canada has one personal twitter account @JustinTrudeau. He appears to tweet religiously on this account in both official languages, French first and then English. Compare with the Taoiseach of our country. Enda Kenny, as far as I can see, never tweeted other than in English. The new boy, Leo Varadkar, is perhaps to new to the job but so far it's not looking so good for Irish.

The Canadian Prime Minister has in addition two official twitter accounts, one in French (@PMcanadien) and the other in English (@CanadianPM). The tweets are concurrent and in addition in the profile they have links to the other language.

Uachtarán na hÉireann

During this trip he tweeted reports on his progress on all accounts and in both languages. I find it revealing that none of the commentators, including our national broadcaster, seemed to advert to this fact.

Compare and Contrast
Although the accounts are handled in a different way here it is marked that neither the tweets from the Taoiseach's personal account or the official Merrion Street (Irish Government News Service) tweets were totally monolingual and they only retweeted the tweets in English from the Canadian Accounts.

The only tweet from Irish officialdom on this visit in the National Language, (and what is often referred as the First Official Language) was on the twitter Account of the President . This account which was opened some years ago and attracted some adverse comment because it used the English "President" rather than the Irish -and more constitutionally correct(?) - "Uachtarán,"  form for the office. Having said that the President is in fact the only person who shows some modicum of respect for the National Language on this medium.

There was an official dinner given by the Taoiseach for his guest in Dublin Castle. It was interesting to hear the Prime Minister use both  official languages of his country (He apparently avoided using the "cúpla focal," thus avoiding that usual cringemaking applause reserved for such appeasement!) I wonder how often, if ever a Taoiseach ever used our National Language at such an occasion abroad!

Canada of course has a long tradition in bilingual activity and not only in French & English but more recently in fostering the indigenous languages. I have a vivid memory the passionate and emotional contribution of Sandra Inutiq, the first Nunavut Language Commissioner at the International Conference on Language Rights held in Dublin in 2013.

People complain about the intransigence of some representatives of the Unionist community with regard to our language but perhaps people on this side of the border, including those who purport to be fighting for Irish Language Rights, should look at their own house.

How much Irish is on the Fine Gael website.

How much Irish is on the Sinn Féin website?

How much Irish is on any Irish Political Website?

One is tempted to the belief that the words a commission on state attitude towards the Irish speaking community way back in 1926 are still valid and active and that the "establishment" in Ireland are still "direct agents in the spreading and establishment of English..."*



Don't we have lessons to learn?

Monolingual Taoiseach Tweet!

Bilingual Trudeau Tweet!

* Commentary on Language Schemes April 2017

The mask slips...again!

Shortly after this piece was published the Minister blocked the writer from her twitter account. Translation "You have no permission to follow @mitchelloconnor or to view tweets from @mitchelloconnor!"

The Minister of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Mary Mitchell O’Connor, let slip the mask yesterday in the Dáil (7 Jul 2016).

The Minister

In a debate on the "Banded Hours Contract Bill 2016," a private members bill, the Minister is reported as having said, “The Bill adds significant burdens. It requires every employer to display notices in the workplace. These notices will have to show the number of hours being allocated to workers in the next week or month and the relevant bands."

Fair enough but then she continued, “These notices will have to be in English and Irish and in other languages as required. Imagine telling a Silicon Valley company that it has to display work rosters as Gaeilge in Ireland.” 

Other Comments
Here is a comment (in Irish) on the iGaeilge Blog. Its title is good as it draws the attention to the percieved ambivelence of the Irish administration in tax matters with relation to large International conglomerates!
“Imagine asking a Silicon Valley company to pay taxes in Ireland” (8/7/2016)
This also has an unforgettable video of this same public representatives inglorious exit from Leinster House on one of her first days as a TD!

Leaving aside the question as to just how significant a burden is the provision of notices in any language, let alone Irish, does not this little aside from the Minister highlight a bias and a prejudice we have seen before? Does it not highlight the Fine Gael party's attitude in general to the National Language?

One remark on twitter in response stated "Can you imagine telling the people of the Gaeltacht to do their business with the Jobs' Department in English?" (my translation). In effect this is almost universally the case. In fact in my own experience since the abolition of Irish as a requisite for joining the Civil Service, also by a Fine Gael minister in 1974, the matter of dealing with almost any Government Department in the National Language is difficult. It lead to another twitter remark "Fine Gall ar a seanaphort cúng gearr radharcach!" ("Fine Gall at its old narrow shortsightedness!"). Note the change the twitter makes to the name of the party - "Fine Gall" = "Family of Foreigners."

Indeed as eminant a person as Supreme Court Justice, the late Adrien Hardiman stated bluntly, "... the stark reality that the individual who seeks basic legal materials in Irish will more than likely be conscious of causing embarrassment to the officials from whom he seeks them and will certainly become conscious that his business will be much more rapidly and efficaciously dealt with if he resorts to English. I can only say that this situation is an offence to the letter and spirit of the Constitution." (Translation of review: : Ó Beoláin v.Fahy [2001] 2 I.R. 279)

On the same day as the Minister displayed her views President Michael D Higgins was quoting from P. H. Pearse - “The language movement is, of course, only a part of the national movement, but it is its most important part – the part which gives vitality and coherence to the whole.” (Translation from President's Office) Indeed this is not the first time the President has referred to the unique place of the National Language and the "apparant" lack of regard for it by State officialdom.

Not only is he echoing Pearse, Hyde, our First President and indeed the person to whom one would imagine all Fine Gael party members would revere, General Michael Collins. He declared shortly before his tragic assassination, "...the biggest task will be the restoration of the language. How can we express our most subtle thoughts and finest feelings in a foreign tongue? Irish will scarcely be our language in this generation, not even perhaps in the next. But until we have it again on our tongues and in our minds we are not free..." (The Path to Freedom, Michael Collins: 1922).

It would appear that the Fine Gael party as a whole have forgotten if not abandoned that aspiration.

@FineGael @JobsEnterInnov @ceartateanga 

When you answer the door can they answer your questions?

Patrick Griffin is finding it difficult to get a coherent response from the canvessers!

Any answers?

At the beginning of the contests in the Roman Colosseum, 2,000 years ago, the cry went out, "Let the games begin". And when the games had concluded, there were the victorious and the vanquished, the winners and losers, the mighty and the defeated. The victors reveled in their new found positions and held on for dear life to their status.

Nothing has really altered. Today, the games are called General Elections. The cast and the scenery may have changed, but the plot remains basically the same. All of the contestants are well intentioned and geared for battle, and the victorious make promises of better lives for all.

At this stage I would like to pose the question, what makes us who we are? Like proud people of any culture we value our language, songs, art, theatre, folklore, cuisine and sports. Internationally we are defined by the massive contributions we have made in the fields of literature and music. Our use of the English language has been enriched by the musicality of the Irish language, which infuses our daily conversations. Indeed, in relation to our grasp of our native tongue, the 2011 Census declared that more than 40% of our population claimed at least some ability to speak the language. This brings me to the point of this article, and the preamble to the game we call the General Election. Recently, I had the pleasure of meeting canvassers from various political parties. They plied their wares, set out their stalls and told me of their plans to make my future rosier and more pleasant. These salesmen and sales ladies, of neatly wrapped political promises, asked me if I had any concerns, which they would gladly clarify for me.

Living Wikipedias on Health and USC
I asked them that if I had a question about the current state of our health system, would they be able to give me an answer. Of course, they replied. Well actually I didn't need to know anything about our health system, I told them, but it was reassuring that they had answers.
In relation to the Universal Social Charge, a similar question got the same reply. They had the answers, but, I was asked, what exactly did I need to know? Again I said that I felt safe and comfortable knowing that they would reassure me, if ever the occasion arose, when I had a sleepless night worrying about the intricacies of the USC.
These kind people were virtual, living, breathing Wikipedias, repositories of all knowledge relating to the smoothly oiled running of our dear little country.

The unanswered question!

The following parties & 200 candidates have
agreed to the above commitments to date.

Fianna Fáil, 

Sinn Féin, 

People Before Profit,

The Anti-Austerity Alliance

Then I said that really I had only one question on which I would like come clarification, namely, what was being done about the Irish Language. In some cases, when I posed that question, I was met with blank stares and glazed looks. At best, feeble attempts were made to reassure me that the state of our native tongue was safe and in good hands. But concrete answers were hard to come by. In relation to almost any other question I might have posed about health, finances, taxes, employment or education, there were sharp, clear cut, well defined answers, which at least gave me the impression that the state of the nation was safe. But when it came to querying their vision for one of the pillars of our culture, the answers at best were unclear and muddy.

No less a person than Nelson Mandela said, "If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart".

But time after time, if one phones up a government department and tries to connect with a Gaelic speaker, it ends up to be a futile attempt, because of the inability of departments and offices to provide such a service. If one queries why so many department offices cannot provide a Gaelic speaker, one is informed that there is no real demand. So, in the end, callers give up. This ends up being a self-perpetuating cycle. It becomes less frustrating to conduct one's business in English, and so, because of that, we are told 'there is no demand for Irish'. 

1175+ new jobs?
I struggle with the language, though at least I am making an attempt. But it is staggering to find out, at a time when there is resurgence in Gaelic language classes, that Government Funding Allocation for the Gaeltacht, and the Irish language in general, is €18,000,000 less than in 2009. Investing this amount in an Irish Language and Gaeltacht plan would expand the use of Irish and potentially create 1,175+ new jobs. Funding is diminishing, and promises, under the pretentious title of the '20 Year Strategy for the Irish Language', seem more fitting in an episode of 'The Twilight Zone', entertaining but meaningless.

Sometimes, our native Irish speakers are viewed as remnants of bygone age, living in the past, holding onto something that has no real value anymore in this enlightened age. But, armaments would be dusted off and polished, and knives would be sharpened, should one suggest to the French, the Germans, the Italians, that since English is almost the universal language of trade and commerce and international agreements, that their own native languages did not really matter anymore.

Yet, when it comes to one of the major strands of our own culture, successive governments seem to fall short of the mark when it comes to supporting the continuing life of our native tongue. I do not live in the past, but it was once declared that, "The Irish language is an essential of Irish nationality. It is more; it is its chief depository and safeguard”. That was said by Patrick Pearse. Does it seem fitting, therefore, that in this year, the 100th anniversary of 1916, part of our very core, whether we realise it or not, is being obliterated. Irish is part of our identity, our culture, our music, our literature, our conversation, our image. We cannot let it fade away. It is also vital that a joint Oireachtas committee is established for the Irish language and the Gaeltacht, one that has the same standing as other joint Oireachtas committees.

And still we do not have a senior Minister for Irish and the Gaeltacht. We need such a Minister, and one who has a strong grasp of the language so that there is a proper Irish language input at the Government table.

But, keeping the aforementioned 'games' in mind, promises will be made. We will be told that of course it is important to hold onto the 'Cúpla Focal'. It is more than a 'couple of words' that we need to retain. It is vital that we keep the life blood of the language flowing. As for me, I will keep asking the above questions.

How often have we all said about various things in our lives, that we didn't realise how important and valuable they were, until they had disappeared?  Do we want to leave future generations with a culture that has one pillar missing? Don't think for one moment that I am saying that our health services are unimportant, or that having a little more disposable cash is not a desirable thing. These are issues which can be fixed. Money lost can be gained again, a damaged health service can be repaired, but a language lost is lost forever. These are issues I will continue to put to our canvassers and politicians.

As I said at the beginning, 'Let the Games Begin', or, to put it in more modern parlance, 'It's Show Time'.

#GaelVóta #GE16

Election 2016 - 3 commitments sought #GE16 #Togh16

Thatcher out-Thatchered!

Faithful to the aspirations and legacy of Michael Collins?

If you are a reader of the English language newspapers you may be forgiven in not knowing that around 10,000 people were assembled during the past few days at the mammoth City West Hotel in the annual celebration of Gaeldom known as The Oireachtas. People travel from the length and breadth of Ireland and indeed from further afield, meeting old friends, enjoying that music, singing, dancing and poems, drama, literature and art that is irrefutably Irish.

Protecting the Taoiseach from the "Gaeilgeoirís"?

The Taoiseach, Mr Enda Kenny TD,  attended, accompanied by a large phalanx of Garda - not all of whom could speak the language of the attendees - to launch that section of the 1916-2016 commemoration which is in the oldest extant written vernacular in Europe, our National Language. This may be found on a website with the strangely incongruous web address of www.ireland.ie.

He agreed to be interviewed on the popular daily Raidío na Gaeltachta programme, Cormac ag a cúig. This is an interesting programme broadcast from Dublin hosted by Cormac Ó hEadhra - if you listen to Drivetime on RTE Radio he sometimes stands in for the usual presenter there.

Now Cormac is nothing if not a thorough and persistent presenter and interviewer. The Taoiseach is not known for giving interviews like this on news programmes and so the listeners were looking forward to hearing his views on the problems and difficulties that are the daily problems of those who wish to live through Irish in their own country.

Costed plan - unseen?

The short interview first discussed on the pre-budget documentation, proposed by over 70 Irish-language and Gaeltacht groups, including community and all-island organisations and their funding authorities. "Investment in the Irish language and in the Gaeltacht from 2016 onwards" (pdf-bilingual) published in early October sought to make the case for additional funding into those sectors. The launch was attended by senior political figures. It was a costed investment plan to create 1,160+ jobs and to provide Irish-Language opportunities for the public.

No No. 1
Cormac sumarised this fourteen page document which provided detailed costings which came to a figure just short of €18million. This amount is in fact €5 million less funding than was provided in 2008. Would the Taoiseach be acting on this and work towards providing this amount? Surprisingly the Taoiseach did not seem to realise that there was a detailed costing in this report as he said that he could not promise anything until he knew the financial implications. Cormac said in translation, "We'll take that as a no!" and the Taoiseach did not demur.

In passing we would point to the money already spent on Water meters (€??m) which are not being used or on the Eircode system (€58m) which is also unusable - did his Government know the financial implications before embarking on these adventures?

No No. 2
The second item discussed was the appointment of a senior minister, at the cabinet table, with responsibility for Irish & the Gaeltacht rather than the current situation where a Minister of State has that as part of his responsibilties (The current occupant of this position also holds responsibilities in the Department of Communications). This is one of the points also in the famous 20 Strategy for the Irish Language which achieved all party approval in late 2010 and has been more or less ignored as the Comisinéir Teanga, Seán Ó Cuirreán wryly remarked as he made his last statement in Leinster House, "...is the Strategy being implemented? I don’t know. And with all due respect to you as a subcommittee, I believe that you don’t know either as there is no independent audit or review being conducted on the implementation of the Strategy...what gets measured gets done!" (23 Jan 2014) But I digress! The Taoiseach again refused to commit to this request. "We'll take that as a no!" said Cormac again without any qualification from his guest.

No No. 3
The third commitment was that a separate Oireachtas Committee for Irish and Gaeltacht affairs be instituted instead of the current situation where there are sub-committees and committees share various aspects such as the Public Service Oversight and Petitions, Subcommittee on the 20 Year Strategy or the Joint Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht and others. Again the Taoiseach refused to commit to anything and inferred that the present set-up was adequate. Another no.

The Ironman?

It was pointed out that the two major opostion parties had already committed to these three points. The Taoiseach said that though he was favourable towards the Language he would not be involved in a competition of promises. And the interview was over.

A tweet received by the programme later in the programme accused the Taoiseach of being more Thatcher than Thatcher herself - No! No! No!

The Minister of State, Joe McHugh was interviewed afterwards and had little to offer other than more discussions - before the end of the year!

Is it worth it to point out that it was a Fine Gael/Labour government that removed the necessity of having Irish to be in the Civil Service (1964) which is the cause of so many problems to day. The current Fine Gael/Labour government has ram-rodded a Gaeltacht Act through the Oireachtas - the first time since the institution of the state that an Act on the language or the Gaeltacht has been passed with out the agreement of all parties.  This act removed the democratic component of the Gaeltacht Authority. They have also watered down some of the legislation on the co-publishing of Acts in both official languages (Minister Shatter). In fact it looks like when the State system errs because of not following the law the Government - in the best "Yes Minister" tradition - changes the law, (e.g. application of points for civil service appointments or the recent issuing of driving summons monolingually).

This is the party that says it looks up to the Big Fellow, Michael Collins. Is it not ironic, indeed tragically so, that their current leader out of his own mouth eschews the written words of the man his party idealises?

"They destroyed our language, all but destroyed it, and in giving us their own they cursed us so that we have become its slaves. Its words seem with us almost an end in themselves, and not as they should be, the medium for expressing our thoughts.

"We have now won the first victory. We have secured the departure of the enemy who imposed upon us that by which we were debased, and by means of which he kept us in subjection. We only succeeded after we had begun to get back our Irish ways, after we had made a serious effort to speak our own language, after we had striven again to govern ourselves. We can only keep out the enemy, and all other enemies, by completing that task....

"...the biggest task will be the restoration of the language. How can we express our most subtle thoughts and finest feelings in a foreign tongue? Irish will scarcely be our language in this generation, not even perhaps in the next. But until we have it again on our tongues and in our minds we are not free, and we will produce no immortal literature...." (The Path to Freedom 1922)

The policies of this Government, and the State Apparatus led to the extraordinary resignation of the person appointed by the President with unique responsibilities including"to monitor compliance by public bodies with the provisions of the Official Languages Act and to take all necessary measures to ensure compliance by public bodies with their duties under the Act." In his own words after ten years in office he was left with two choices. "to stand aside from my appointment as Coimisinéir Teanga on principle to draw attention to these matters or to continue in my role and, consequently, to participate in a pretence.  I am absolutely certain that I made the correct decision. " (23 Jan 2014)

Is it not a tragedy that the Government, and the Civil Service they are elected to use have done nothing and have promised nothing to engage in any serious way in this "the biggest task" outlined by Michael Collins.

Fine Gael has a strong affinity with Michael Collins and his legacy?

No Irish to be spoken!

‘Declaration setting out the means for the conversion of the Irish and the elimination of the Irish language’ 

When Government agency, Foras na Gaeilge made a decision which finally destroyed the Irish daily and weekly newspapers they were superceded by a service on-line, Tuairisc.ie. This enterprise although excellent in its own way does not really replace the print media and indeed in many areas of the Gaeltacht it is not available at all due to lamentable internet availability.

Today their reporter, Maitiú Ó Coimín, has an interesting story (Irish) on decision to repeal a Cromwellian law the aims of which, some might say, the Government has been (inadvertently?) pursuing assiduously since its election four years ago. (There are even some who might say that the Government is also assiduously pursuing its proscriptions on Popish doctrine too but who am I to judge?)

Pic: Tuairisc.ie

This law is aimed at the "conversion of the Irish and the elimination of the Irish language!" It states baldly, ‘Persons between eleven and twenty must speak and use English only within a year. All under twelve must be taught English....Children to learn the catechism in English. No Irish to be spoken’

The correspondent maintains that the policy at that time failed because of a lack of state resources. Is it not ironic that the policy is now succeeding ostensibly be cause of lack of state resources but perhaps more because of the existence within the state bureaucracy of "stronger and more widespread forces ... who have little or no concern for the future of our national language." (Seán Ó Cuirreáin, 23/1/2014) Those for whom "Irish is not half dead enough!"

Can anyone deny today in 2015 that, even in the Gaeltacht, Irish speaking areas, persons between eleven and twenty are obliged to speak English, especially to the State and that, according to a recent study, those under twelve are already more fluent in English than their own language.

Repealing this law may be right but in looking at the state of Ireland today perhaps it could be viewed as an exercise in crass hypocracy.

---

• Maitiú Ó Coimín has been nominated for Réalt Óg na Bliana (Young Star of the Year) in the Oireachtas Communications Competition this year.  He has been with Tuairisc.ie since it was set up last October and is a very prolific contributor ever since with interesting items like the one reported here.

This is how to vote for him:
Text: GRADAM105
To:  57003 (Within the Irish Telephone Area) or 60999 (within the British Telephone Area - N. Ireland or Gt Britain)

Irish in the North!

The Stormont Administration has been inviting submissions prior to enacting an Irish Act (Acht Gaeilge). Various interested parties and the general public have submitted ideas and reccomendations over the last few months.

The end of the period is this evening and if you have not submitted your ideas directly to the relevent Department at consultations@dcalni.gov.uk before 17.00 This evening (5/52015).

However a "quick method" has been institued by Conradh na Gaeilge roughly based on their their own submissions and this may be used right now if you wish- Provisions for an Irish Language Act - It only takes a minute or two.

"Put on yer headphones..."

A heading in the Irish Times strikes me as richly ironic: "Taoiseach criticised for lack of ‘understanding’ for non-Irish speakers!" A cursury glance at the reports of the Coimisinéir Teanga over the last ten years would explain this ironic reaction.

 Yesterday was Lá na Gaeilge - the Day of Irish - in the Dáil. One day in which Irish was to be the medium in which the business was to be conducted in the National Language.

Of course not all of our public representatives are comfortable in speaking or understanding that language and for that purpose a translation service is apparently available. Deputy Mick Wallace put a question in English to the Taoiseach and the Taoiseach answered in Irish only to be interrupted by the questionnaire asking that he respond in English. The Taoiseach, amidst some uproar, suggested that the Deputy use the headphones to get a clear idea of his reply. This proved a little difficult as headphones did not appear to be readily available at every deputy's seat however he did manage to find one close by and things moved forward. Perhaps the Taoiseach could have been a trifle less confrontational or patronising in his responses especially as Deputy Wallace was apologetic about his linguistic shortcomings. Indeed there are those who accused him of using it for political purposes. The MEP Ming Flanagan tweeted sensibly "it should never used as a weapon. It should be used to express!"

"Cuir ort na cluaisíní!"

This incident caused a flurry of excitement and not a little abuse on social media. If I may quote one of the less insulting ones, "Enda Kenny's actions in the Dail today regarding the Irish Language towards Mick Wallace were downright ignorant."  Perhaps they were but the uproar on social media at the afrontry of the Taoiseach responding to a question in English in the National Language will be viewed with a somewhat jaundiced eye by any Irish Speaker be they from the Gaeltacht or otherwise who has to deal with the state. Another tweet may illustrate this point: "Our leaders should be speaking it everyday and not once a year. There's room for both languages."

Only three weeks ago I received a reply to a written query in the National Language to the Chairman of an Oireachtas in English.  The irony is that at the base of this letter was the legend, "Cuirfear fáilte roimh chomhfhreagras i nGaeilge!" (Correspondance in Irish will be welcome!). This is by no means a unique experience. The Office of the Comisinéir Teanga is inundated with hundreds of examples of such "ignorance" each year.

Cathal MacCoille of Morning Ireland remarked on a radio programme yesterday evening that he had attended the Sinn Féin Ard Fheis over the weekend in Derry and that a simultaneous translation system was available, and in use, for all a delegates throughout the event. He lamented that the Dáil, with a much smaller number of Deputies did not seem to be able to manage that. That is a matter for house keeping. I wonder is that an area for the Ceann Chomhairle's staff to sort out?  He further remarked that no one in the European Parliament or at EU meetings seems to have any problem in donning these headphones as translations are available in all (except one) of the working languages.

I live in an Irish speaking area. I shop, have my car serviced, attend Church Services, attend local parish meetings, buy my medicines etc all through Irish. I live in a district where parents with children with chronic medical conditions are advised and encouraged to change the language of the family so that the State does not have to provide the requisite on-going treatment in the child's own language.

When I have to deal with the state I am constantly put on the long finger, "The person with Irish is off sick today!" or "on her lunch break!" I MUST use English, no translation service provided!

I see little understanding of mine or of those encountered daily by anyone endevouring to use our National Language in dealing with the manderins of state! Perhaps this incident will help in the understanding of this daily problem for the Irish speaking citizens in their own country.

As seen by ASNC in tuairisc.ie today!

"Speak in another language...."

Is Sinn Féin representative's stance diminished by the discomfort caused by the attitude of her party?

The slapping down of an elected representative of the Irish People in a forum of the European Union received little or no coverage in the English Language media in Ireland. It is only now receiving some coverage in the world press.

Liadh Ní Riada FPE

What others said!
• Aljazeera
• An Sionnach Fionn

Sinn Féin
• 17/2/2015
•4/3/2014

Sign the Petition!

Because of the actions of the Irish government the Irish Language, as an official working language of the Union, has been derogued since 2007. There may have been some justification in the earlier part of this period as there was arguably a shortage of suitably qualified interpreters though there are many qualified translaters who have been working the bureaucracy in Brussels and elsewhere since 1973. The situation is much improved now and interpreters are now readily available should the Government decide to lift the derogation. 

Adressing an International Conference on Language Rights recently Dr Professor P. B. Ó Laighin, a renowned expert on European Language Rights, following his meeting with representatives of the Taoiseach Enda Kenny stated: "To my knowledge a decision in principle has been made by the Government .... that the derogation will be renewed from the 1st January 2017." (my translation)

One of the elected members of the European Parliament vowed that she would speak only Irish at the institutions and meetings of the assembly for the first half of March 2015 (1st to 17th March 2015 which is called, perhaps euphamistially, Seachtain na Gaeilge - the Week of Irish!). Her first opportunity was on 2nd March 2015. During a joint meeting of Budgets and Economic and Monetary Affairs committees on March 2 Representative Liadh Ní Riada (Sinn Féin spoke in Irish - her native language and mother tongue - and this is what happened (this video last about 1 minute)

Though the chair of the meeting (who I believe was French and normally uses his own language officially translated for those whose French is not up to scratch) refers to a "decision of the Bureau" it is in fact a decision requested by the Irish Government and agreed by the other members of the union. Thus it is a matter for the Irish Government and the Taoiseach to decide in this matter. Sign the petion requesting this to happen!

A professional poll last month found that 70 percent of people in Ireland favoured the provision of all public services in Irish. But the Government is still inactive. Well might Seán Ó Cuirreáin, (the Coimisinéir Teanga who resigned in frustration at the lack of leadership from the present government) say: "... tick-tock, Tempus fugit and if, as is said in Irish, 'God’s mills grind slowly' it appears the wheels of the state turn more slowly still, particularly in the case of the language..." (23 January 2014 Translation the Coimisinéir's Office).

Perhaps another irony is the stance of the Party so well represented by this courageous woman. When I go to their website I am confronted with the Queen's English and even if I click the very difficult to find "Gaeilge" button, (See if you can find it!), there is little if no change except the headings which (when they work) lead to mish match of material which eventually leads on to more English pages. Press releases from Sinn Féin are general monolingualy Queen's English except the refer to Irish, the Gaeltacht or they are issued by the Senator from Galway West.

Maybe I am being a bit harsh and indeed in comparison with the other main parties north and south they are streets ahead. But if they wish to lead the Irish People they must respect its language and history and ethos. Look at their conduct in the houses of the Oireachtas. Yes they use the occasional phrases in Irish but evan the members whose mother tongue is Irish never (to my knowledge) use Irish in the house to discuss items other that Gaeltacht or Irish Language issues. Has Pearse Doherty (a Gaeltacht man) ever spoken at length on finance in Irish in the house? Newcomer, Galways West's Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh does use Irish frequently but generally speaking he retreats into English? (The same criticism may be levelled at say Fianna Fáil's Éamon Ó Cuív who has not, to my knowledge, ever made a speech in Irish to the house on his Agriculture Brief!).

In the North too they are regarded with some misgivings especially their actions or lack of actions on Foras na Gaeilge when they permitted that organisation to kill the only daily newspaer in Irish and the withdrawal of funds from some vibrant organisations.

In the recent Ard Fheis of the party held in the City of that great Irishman, Colmcille, a member, Dáithí Mac a'Bhaird, spoke of movingly and passionatly of his discomfort as an Irish speaker in the Sinn Féin party.

Never the less we must acknowledge the enthusiasm of those who do espouse and understand the cause. Listen to Trevor Ó Clochartaigh at the same Ard Fheis:

"'Live horse and get grass' is most likely the government's philosophy in relation to Irish. The danger is that the Irish language horse is on its deathbed because of the injustices met upon it by Enda Kenny and his friends.

“Fine Gael and the Labour have continually attacked the Irish language since they came into power. Seán Ó Cuirreáin, the Language Commissioner resigned from his position becuase of the lack of support for his work. The Official Languages Act is being amended in such a way that it is being completely weakened inasmuch as the government can get away with it.

“Heather Humphreys chose 'Google Translate' when she was launching the programme for the 1916 commemorations, reasoning that Irish has little role to play in such an event.

“Éamon Ó Cuiv and Fianna Fáil decimated the Údarás na Gaeltachta budget and Dinny McGinley followed suit. He ended direct elections to the bord to make sure that nobody could publicly condemn either the work of the organisation or government policies.

“Joe McHugh is a 'nice guy' who is making a good personal effort, but in relation to government policies regarding the Irish language – 'you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear'!

“The 20 Year Strategy for the Irish Language is not functioning and there is a crisis in Gaeltacht regions in terms of young people being able to speak the language.

“But it was heartening to see 10,000 people on the streets and they 'Red with Anger'. The Minister Carál Ní Chuilinn is highlighting the substantial investment and political drive Sinn Féin has regarding for our native language. There are other elected representatives who are promoting Irish at every level.

“It goes without saying that Irish speaking communities and the Gaeltacht would be better off with Sinn Féin in government.

“We have to tackle the hostility the civil service has in relation to the language. We have to introduce recruitment quotas so that services in Irish can become available.

“We have to strengthen and broaden the Languages Act. The Language Commissioner should also have a stronger role in overseeing the 20 Year Strategy for the Irish Language.

“Full status for Irish has to be granted in the European Union.

“There has to be a government in Dublin that will impress upon Westminister and on unionists that the promise to implement the Languages Act in the six counties must be fulfilled.

“Sinn Féin will stand with the Irish language community, if the Irish language community stands with Sinn Féin.” (Translation Sinn Féin)

Yes everything strikes a note with us but perhaps it would be more believable if the Party showed us what they could do in the areas it has control over, their speakers in the Dáil, Seanad, Northern Assembly, County Councils, their website, their public pronouncements as Gaeilge etc.

But back to Liadh Ní Riada talking about the wonderfu but so far fruitless "Lá Mór na Gaeilge" in Dublin a year ago. "What was wonderful was you could hear Irish spoken everywhere on the streets of our capital. And then you start thinking, 'My God, once upon a time this country spoke Irish all over. It is all because we were colonised and the last thing that you do in stamping out somebody's identity is crush their language."

If I may mangle an old saying, "One MEP never made a summer!"