"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!"

Left wing or left out? Fine Gael wants to repossess Irish?

A recent article by Miriam Lord in the Irish Times mentioned the fact that a new Fine Gael TD, Gabrielle McFadden, was organising an Irish conversation group in Leinster House. "Sinn Féin has kinda taken the language over in the Dáil. I want to take it back off them, because it belongs to all of us."

Taking it back?

More recently the journalist, Ciarán Dunbar, asked the question "Is Irish now a language of the left wing!" (Article in Irish in Meoin Eile 23/2/2015). Perhaps it is hardly a surprising question since most of the speaking of Irish in the Oireachtas is instigated by Sinn Féin. The Taoiseach, Enda Kenny has, as far as I can see, never spoken on any subject other than the language itself unless in response to a question from some measure of Sinn Féin.

Perhaps it's is not so much that SF have taken the language in the Dáil (or anywhere else in our political life) but rather the other parties have abandoned it. One is reminded of the words of Seán Ó Cuirreáin to an Oireachtas Committee last year before he resigned. "I believe that the language is continuously being edged aside, pushed towards the margins of society and that includes much of the public sector."

Indeed I feel that Sinn Féin use Irish, not so much out of love of our National Language as a political expedient. (See for instance look of the "Irish Version of their website" or in their press releases almost all of which are in English.) With one or two notable exceptions - Trevor Ó Clochartaigh and Peadar Tóibín TD for instance - the use of Irish is fairly peremptory. If there is something important to say say on finance or the ubiquitous water controversy or farming or jobs, it is always the Queens English that this and every other party uses. I'm told that translation services are not always available. Why should they be when nobody speaks it except to flaunt a pseudo nationalism?

When was anybody expelled for unparliamentary language in Irish? Would the Ceann Comhairle know if somebody called a minister a liar in Irish?

Seriously though, the Minister for the Gaeltacht and all that other stuff, Heather Humphreys, has called on us to make 2016 a "Year for Irish!" My question is what is she and her party going to DO about it? They have produced heads of bill for the new Official Language Acts of which the current Coimisinéir Teanga, Rónán Ó Dómhnall, has declared that outside of one or two small details (the right of citizens to use their Irish form of their name and address) and some minor technical details, "there is nothing in these heads to strengthen language rights,"(our translation).

Does not the phrase appropriated by the Irish Times in it's editorial 9th December 2013, after the announcement of the decision of the resignation of the first Coimisinéir Teanga, Seán Ó Cuirreáin, seems moot. Speaking of the many, indeed countless promises of this and previous governments they thought that there was a case to be made in describing them as “a fudge, a farce or a falsehood”

The Government's decision - derogation or degradation?

"In all honesty there is not much to laud in the heads of the new Act as published!" (Coimisinéir Teanga)

The International Language Rights Conference, organised by Conradh na Gaeilge, was recently held in Dublin. The large audience was told that the amendments that are planned for the Official Languages Act 2003 now imminent and also the opportunity this year to end the derogation of the use Irish Language as a working language of the European Union. This was little reported in the English language media although well covered in the Irish language media notably by Tuairisc.ie. Tweets on the event (mostly but not exclusively in Irish) may be found using the hashtag #CeartaAnois. The meeting was served with a full interpretation service - Irish English and vice versa.

Part of the attendance

Among those speaking were the Ombudsman of Catalonia, Rafael Ribó i Massó, who spoke of the language rights in his own country and also in the other linguistic territories of Spain,  Rónán Ó Domhnail, the Coimiséir Teanga here in Ireland, Dr Pádraigh Ó Laighin, the expert on European Language Rights and politicians MEP Liadh Ní Riada, TDs Éamon Ó Cuív, Seán Kyne and Lucinda Creighton and Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh. Also on the panel of speakers were former Presidents of Conradh na Gaeilge, Cóilín Ó Cearbhaill and former presidents Barrister Daithí Mac Carthaigh and Íte Ní Cionnath, former lecture in communications in DIT.

Sessions were chaired efficiently by Eimear Ní Chonaola, Principal News Presenter with TG4 and Máirín Ní Ghadhra the presenter of the Midday News (Nuacht ar a hAon) on Raidío na Gaeltachta (Irish).

In opening the conference Cóilín Ó Cearbhaill pointed out that there were three opportunities for the Governments of Ireland, North and South, to support the Irish people during the current year (2015). He enumereated these as follows:

1. Strengthen the Official Languages Act and provide state services to the public at the same standard in Irish as in English. (Oireachtas Éireann)
2. Enact and activate a strong Language Act  (Stormont Assembly). (a meeting in Belfast to discuss this is scheduled for 25th February in  Culturlann McAdam Ó Fiaich)
3. End the derogation of the status of Irish as an official working language throughout the European Union. (Irish Government)

"I hope that the Governments will take our suggestions on board!" he concluded

Speakers LtoR: Rafael Ribó i Massó, Rónán Ó Domhnail, Máirín Ní Ghadhra (Chair), Éamon Ó Cuív TD, Seanadóir Trevor Ó Clochartaigh agus Seán Kyne TD.

Strengthening the Official Languages Act.
In his contribution early in the conference Coimisinéir Teanga Rónán Ó Domhnaill said, "If there are to be amendments to theis Act they ought to give us an appropriate workable Act which compliments the Language rights of the citizen.
"In all honesty there is not much to laud in the heads of the new Act as published. I welcome of course those aspects which add to the rights of the citizen, the right to use the Irish form of a name and address, and a mechanism ensuring new public companies are automatically covered under the Act.
"However apart from these and a small technical changes there is nothing in the heads which strengthen Language rights.!

The Catalonian Ombudsman, Rafael Ribó in his presentation said "No policeman, or no other public authority has no right to request, 'In English please!' We, all of us, have the right of choice. That is a basic human right!" He also warned against making the language a political football.

As might be expected the three politicians said what politicians usually say. The two Opposition representatives broadly supported the words of the Coimisnéir Teanga and the sole representative of the Government while accepting that there was some merit in some of the changes advocated by the Conradh broadly supported the Government published heads, including the extension of the widely condemned Language Schemes from a period of three years to seven, "Three years is too short but maybe seven years is too long!" All agreed that the number of civil servants who can interact with the citizens is inadequate and sometimes non-existent.

Íta Ní Cionnath, who was a former President of Conradh na Gaeilge and former Senior Lecturer in Communications at DIT, made a presentation where she made a strong plea for the abolition of these schemes which she maintained were a complete failure. The should be replaced by legally enforceable responsibilities. In effect "We are second class citizens at present!" she declared. She made a case for a strengthening the Act by looking at the equivalent and stronger legislation in Wales, which is in part based on what was learned from the system, its flaws and benefits, in Ireland.

In the discussions concluding this session was the absolute requirement (as mentioned in the 20 Year Strategy agreed by all parties in the Oireachtas, Dáil and Seanad) for a Senior Minister with responibility for Irish and Gaeltacht Affairs. This has not been implemented by the current Government.

Another topic raised was the absence of services for children with special needs, the responsibility of the VHI. Accounts were related of cases where medicak staff recommended that Irish speaking families (including those in the Gaeltacht) switch the family language to English to facilitate the Medical Services. Some heartbreaking cases were given.

The excuse, "The person with Irish isn't here at the moment please give your details and we'll call back!" was condemned roundly.

End to the derogation in the European Union & other opportunities for the Irish language in Europe

"I know that a decision in principle has been
made by the Government that the derogation
will not be ended by 31st December 2016 &
 that the derogation will be renewed from
the 1st January 2017." (Dr. P Ó Laighin)

Perhaps the most startling piece of information shared with those attending this service was the bald statement made by the respected expert on European Language rights, Sociology Professor Dr Pádraig B. Ó Laighin, that the Government has decided in principle to renew the derogation of Irish as a working language of the European Union. "I know that a decision in principle has been made by the Government that the derogation will not be ended by 31st December 2016 and that the derogation will be renewed from the 1st January 2017." (Writing this there has been no denial of this from Government sources - 19/2/2015!).

Under this derogation there is no requirement on the Union to provide the services provided in the other official languages.

He gave a blow by blow account of his vain efforts to secure a meeting with the Taoiseach since December 2013. Eventually he was palmed off (our words - he is far too gentlemanly a person to use such terms!) with a meeting with the Junior Minister Joe McHugh on the 11th February 2015. But the day before the meeting he was told that they would not be able to give him much detail on progress. In fact his detailed and informed questions remain unanswered.

This writer was quite shocked at the discourtesy shown a citizen as eminent as Dr Ó Laighin by the Taoiseach's office and the Government. This is especially marked when contrasted with the courteousness he was shown when the Government was in opposition.

He then asked if a decision has been made: "The Government has made no decision yet," was the response

He finally asked if a decision had been made "in principle" and received the response, "The Government has made no decision yet."

The Government has adopted a "closed secret stance on derogation in the European Union" he said. There is little reason in fact for this derogation now as he says that sufficent numbers of trained translators and interpreters are available and more being trained, if the positions were open for them.

He also said that the availabilty of terminology used in EU documents is not a problem either, indeed Irish is at the top of the list of the thirteen languages named as Official Languages from 2004 to 2013.

He pointed out that the decision IS that the Irish Govenment alone. The European Union is more than willing as a body to facilitate the language as a true working language as soon as they are advised of the Irish Government's final decision.

Lucinda Creighton addresses the assembly also at table are (ltoR), Eimear Ní Chonaola, TG4, Dr Pádraigh Ó Laighin, Liadh Ní Riada, FPE & Daithí Mac Carthaigh

Derogation in action:
A vivid account of how this works in reality was given by the Member of the European Parliament, Liadh Ní Riada FPE (Irish). She is a native of the Gaeltacht whose mother tongue is Irish, one of the official languages of the Union. "As a woman from the Gaeltacht it is a source of deep regret that I am unable to use my own language as I perform my duties.
"It disgusts me when I sit in the parliament when we are advised that translation services are available in every languge - and of course Irish is not among them."
She also announced that she is going on a "Speak only Irish" strike during the first two weeks of March and issued an invite to all public representatives to do the same. "Accompany me on my language strike!" she said. "Let us speak our own language!"

A contribution by Lucinda Creighton TD, former Minister of State for Europe gave her insights. She confirmed that she is taking refresher course in her Irish with Gaelcultur. She was misquoted in a tweet sent by an attendee during her contribution. "I am very sympathetic to the idea of ending the degradation" says @LCreighton." 

In the words worthy of The Brother "I couldn't have put it better meself!

A letter to Father Christmas!

This is a very sad story!

A little girl spent much time and effort in composing a letter to Santa and writing the address on an envelope to the address given to Irish speaking children at his Gaeltacht sub-office. She posted it with great expectation of a response from the great man in a short acknowledgment and the promise of his best efforts to fulfill her dreams.

But the inefficiency if not stupidity of An Post, an organisation not noted for it's love of the language of Ireland, frustrated the wishes of this little child. (An Post - the state owned postal service in Ireland has no Irish version of it's website! In 2015 it issued Christmas Stamps for the first time without the word "Nollag" written on it!)

Somebody, somewhere in that great organisation decided that this was addressed to someplace outside Ireland and so it was sent to the United Kingdom. It is not known what the English Queen's postal service made of it. It possibly spent some weeks roaming up and down her realm before they decided that the address was "incomplete" and returned it to the country of origin. As a returned letter it was sent to the relevant section which is apparently situated in the Treaty City of Limerick. (Note the stamp of this section is only in English!).

This story on Evoke.ie

Somebody in that section had a look at the address and realised it was an Irish address but obviously the ignorance of those involved in sorting mail is as abysmal as those who originally sent it across the sea so they decided to "correct" the address to an English language format to ensure that it would finally arrive at Santa's sub-office. The letter finally arrived on 22nd January 2015 and needless to say, Santa, resting after his exertions on the evening of the 24th December 2014 was roused and not best pleased at the ineptness of the Irish postal service.

When we tried to contact him at his holiday home in the Pacific he was unable to comment on individual cases but that any problems of this nature would be looked at very seriously.

It is rumoured that he has made a complaint to the Coimisinéir Teanga, who's office is in the same Gaeltacht and one can only hope that the Postal service will not send it to God knows where! We believe (and hope) that Santa has sent a response to the little girl advising of the long wait that he had for her letter and hoping that she liked the little presents that he took down her chimney almost a month ago.

We think that An Post will be in the bad books next Christmas and will be lucky to get anything from Santa in their stocking!

Some good news Since this story was published there have been some developments! The caretaker elves at Santa's Ceathrú Rua office have advised that the great man has been contacted and is sending a special reply. He has authorised them to seek a little present locally to send as well. An Post have stated in a response to the news agency tuairisc.ie (Irish), that it was not the address that caused the letter to be sent to Britain but they are investigating it further. The further stated that sometimes errors do occur in the mail service in the run-up to Christmas due to the greater volume of post at that time. They have not commented on the fact that "Co Galway" was scrawled on the envelope. The matter has been raised with the Coimisinéir Teanga though there is little he can do as postal errors like this are not included in the scéim teanga of An Post.

Putting the Gael into G-Mail!

Google has been a remarkable friend of the Irish language. From quite early on their search engine has had an Irish language version.

More recently it has provided a sometimes ridiculed translation facility. Among the Irish speaking community the facility offered by Google Translate's facility is sometimes unfairly criticised. The criticism should more properly be directed towards those who use it as a lazy way out,  rather than the remarkable technological achievement it does in fact represent. As somebody who uses it occasionally (not only for it's Irish section but also French, Italian, German and Portuguese) it is best used as a guide and a certain basic knowledge of the language is essential in using the facility. Thus somebody who wishes to say "rest" will know that "an cuid eile" (the other part) is not the same as "suaimhneas" (repose). Rest has at least two meanings in English.

Pic: Tuairisc.ie

Last week the Google organisation added a wonderful support system for the Irish Language. They launched the Irish version of GMail.

There are several interesting things which came to mind as I switched my own Gmail account to my own language!

Bottom up
First is that this was, like the others, a Google initiative. I understand that a Professor in St Louis approached them last year (2013) and asked if they were interested. They replied in the affirmative and a group of volunteers from Ireland, the US and elswhere, gathered and worked in association with the technical people in Google and in an incredibly short time a useable, accurate and user-friendly mail service was unveiled in less than 24 months.

This article in the business section of The Journal.ie describes how to change the working language of your g-mail account: Want to use Gmail as Gaeilge? Now you can!

Another example of this type of voluntary internet intervention is the availability of the Firefox browser in Irish - again quietly and with little state involvement, or the quiet evolving of facebook. And for more volunteer input just take a look at Vicipéid (Wikipedia as Gaeilge!).

Top down?
The second in this is the absence of any comment good bad indifferent, let alone encouraging, from the establishment on this launch. Indeed with one exception I have seen no comment for any member of the Seanad or the Dáil. One tweet commenting on this silence that because there was little or no Government input they were not willing to praise or give credence to such a initiative.

Compare and contrast with the launch of Microsoft as Gaeilge, which, I understand did have Government involvement and thus an extraordinary circus was organised with Government participation. Maybe you don't remember the hoopla: "A country-wide partnership was put in place and it included working closely with Foras na Gaeilge, DCU, NUI Maynooth, eTeams and EGTeo. The Irish speaking community was also invited to contribute to the community glossary, a foundational reference for all technical terms. Commencing in June 2004, the project took over 12 months to complete and involved the translation of over 600,000 terms in Irish, before being made available free to download. The programme was distributed free to all 4,000 primary and secondary schools and in 2006, An Taoiseach announced that due to its success, Irish language versions of Windows Vista and 2007 Office would also be made available." Was the Taoiseach at the launch of Gael Mail? Was the new Minister of State for Gaeltacht Affairs?

Also contrast the attitude of the Welsh government which supported the G-mail initiative in their own language.

Perhaps it is yet another example of the urge to control and centralise that seems to have been emphasised in Government since the exit of the Celtic Tiger.

Abolition of the democratic input in Údarás na Gaeltachta and it's gradual financial strangulation (finances reduced from around €20m to €6m), the attempted emasculation of the Office of the Comisinéir Teanga, the complete destruction of print media in Irish, the attempted decimation of the voluntary language organisations, the withdrawal of Gaeltacht family grants, the forcing through of a Gaeltacht Act without the consensual agreement of the parties in the Oireachtas for the first time in the history of the State, the appointment of a minister for Gaeltacht Affairs unable to converse in the language, the inexorable retreat on the obligations arising from the 2003 Language Act and every sign that the new Language Act will further weaken the position of the language that State organs claim to love, respect and declare a policy of encouraging. And more recently we learn the Nursery School movement for the naoinraí throghout the country is being disbanded (Gaeilge). All with little or no real public consultation.

Add to that the simple reluctance of many state entities and quangos to recognise  a letter with a diacritic mark. This is considered to be a different letter from its unmarked equivalent, and words that are supposed to have diacritic marks and don’t are considered to be misspelled. Thus they cannot recognise names or surnames with such accents. Ó Riain becomes "î Riain" and Éamon becomes "ƒamon" or Ciarán, "Ciar‡n". It cost nothing to have the software corrected to recognise this but does CIE and others care to do it?  (see Why The Internet Hates My Name (It’s The Accent Marks) for an understanding of why this is so.)

Dearg le Fearg

So what does this show?
More and more people are beginning to realise that the political system is failing the historic Irish nation and its people. In February 7000 to 10000 marched in Dublin. In March upwards of 1000 marched in Conamara, 5000 to 7000 in Belfast and various smaller protests occured elsewhere, and not only in Ireland, demanding action on Irish. No real response.

We have seen this in other demonstrations on other causes all being met more or less with the same incomprehension of the powers-that-be. The message "This is Ireland, we speak Irish, get over it!" has been sadly lost among the 97% of the Government who are unable to serve those of us who speak the national language - the European language in longest continuous use as a vernacular. The Government's message continues to be: "Speak Irish to each other but don't speak it to us!" (cf: The State attitude to the National Language & its speakers!)

Google, Mozilla (Firefox) & facebook are commercial organisations which value our ancient lan and are prepared to use it.

Let us thank them and use what they offer.

Irish? No good news? Don't you believe it!

Somebody asked the other day on twitter if there are any good news stories about Irish these days. We are so used to the bad, the attempted emasculation of the Coimisinéir Teanga's powers, total lack of understanding of the importance of the language to the national psyche among the State apparatchiks which eventually led to the resignation of the Commisinéir, closure of schools in the Gaeltacht, ending of subsidies in language institutions, withdrawal of subsidies against professional advice in print publications etc etc.

Dispair
It is difficult indeed to find anywhere where there is good news on this front and the lack of reporting (or maybe knowledge) of the good stories is having a detrimental effect on all those who love and speak the language especially in the areas where it has been spoken for over 2000 years, long before English was a baby!

It was little wonder that the resigning Comisinéir, Seán Ó Cuirreáin, stated as he left office (in translation), "Never before have I seen in over 30 years’ experience - as a journalist or language commissioner - morale and confidence so low. Despite the enormous goodwill of the vast majority of the people of this country, the language continues to drift further to the margins of society including within much of the public sector - " He also refered to the "sinister forces" in our State structures, for whom, to quote the words of President Michael D Higgins, "Irish was not half dead enough.” To be fair to Seán he did point out that there had been some advances in the position of the language in his period in that office.

The gallant few
We sometimes forget perhaps that there is a small faithful group, many times isolated and folorn within their work place who yet understand the importance of "Gaelachas" which many of us are allowing - if not willing it -  to slide into oblivion. These, who may truly be called "servants of the nation," feel isolated and abandoned too by those who fight for language rights as they are lumped in with those referred to by President Higgins.

Why am I writing this. Well earlier this month I read an article by Concubhar Ó Liatháin, regarded by some, if not many, as a bit of a curmudgeon, in the "Seachtain" (Itself something of a good story, an Irish newspaper, unsupported by Government Grant). His article certainly gave me a certain sense of optimism and I hope it will do the same for you.

This article headed Language and "sean-nós" (the term uses for traditional style unaccompanied solo singing - or dancing - mostly in Irish) are safe with the new generation. The author relates his visit to Oireachtas na Gaeilge (another good news story ignored by and large in the English Language media). This annual festival is a great chance to mix and renew friendships not only with well known faces in the Irish language sector but also those less known and unsung. During the week in Killarney he met a friend who works in the Gaeltacht Department and he spoke about the frustrations he and his colleagues feel from the indifference in the media for the good news of the development of the language in the Gaeltacht.

This was news to me, used as we all are to the doom and gloom, impending disaster, and finally end of the Gaeltacht in the next 20 years. I have been hearing this since the nineteen sixties when I first started to care about such things. My interest was aroused.

A hopeful sign
If I may give my own poor translation of Conchubhar's article he continued: "He (the civil servant) that since the opening of the Family Centre in Indreabhán in Conamara a substantial percentage increase of young children presenting for primary scholing in the area with Irish.

"'A survey was conducted back in 1973 on Children speaking at the schoolyard gates. According to this survey 30% of the children in the districts covered, could be counted as native Irish speakers. Today, in the same districts, this figure is 65% outside of the school yard.' said my authoritative friend...

"According to the authorities of the schools in the district where the Cois Fharraige Family Centre is situated, an improvement beyond imagination has occured in the use of the language in the area. One of these centres is being opened in Baile an Fheirtéaraigh next January and again investment of €3 milliom from Roinn na Gaeltachta and Údarás na Gaeltachta.

"Although certain advances are happening, there are many battles which my companion and his camrades are fighting with the Departments and with other Government Departments yet to be won..."

Problems continue!
He goes on to talk about lack of understaing shown by Minister Noel Dempsey (Local Government) in the past and even the new Minister Joe McHugh stating that the erection of a new industry in the Gaeltacht should not merit a language impact study (see on  You Tube). The Department of Education has had a similar attitude to providing an curriculum recognising proficiency in Irish in the Gaeltacht areas.

As I'm writing this news has been reported of the Secretary of the Department of Education has launched of yet another of the interminable reports on the language. This talks of the abilty of primary school in English exceeding that of that in Irish. Hardly surprising since the curriculum in their school is the same for Dalkey in Co Dublin as it is in Ros Muc in the heart of the Conamara Gaeltacht! This has been reported negatively in some circles but of course it is not necessarily a bad thing. One wonders what the result of such a study mutatis mutandis in another part of Ireland would unearth. One wonders also if it will join the multiplicity of Irish Language reports and studies gathering dust deep in the dusty cavernous cellars of some Government Department!

But back to the article in "Seachtain!"

Pól Ó Ceannabháin

"I was present myself where there was a grand crowd of boys and girls under 12 years competing with each other in the Sean-Nós Singing Competition at the Killarney Oireachtas. THe adjudicator, Pól Ó Ceannabháin, was absolutly correct when he remarked that they were a source of pride and hope. The future of sean-nós and Irish are safe in the next generation.

"As they say in certain part of the north, No surrender!, no surrender to dispair!"

And always remember the old chestnut. It always makes stope me up short! 
"Did you know that the last surviving speaker of Irish hasn't been born yet"