Commemoration of Mamtrasna 1882 miscarriage!

“I will soon see Jesus Christ - he too was hanged unjustly”

Leagan Gaeilge

Myles Joyce who was unjustly executed for his alleged part in the ‘Maamtrasna murders’ 130 years ago will be recalled at a commemorative event in Galway next month. He was convicted in connection with the slaughter of a family in a remote valley on the Galway-Mayo border in 1882 and was hanged and buried at the then Galway Gaol on the site where Galway Cathedral now stands.

Myles Joyce - from book
"Maamtrasna, the murders and the mystery.")

A native Irish speaker from the Gaeltacht Myles Joyce, who had no English, was defended in court in Dublin by a solicitor and barristers who spoke no Irish. The evidence he gave in Irish was ignored in court while evidence which might have helped his defence was withheld and informers gave false evidence against him. The judge and jury who convicted him had no Irish and the jury deliberated for less than six minutes to decide on his guilt before sentence of death was passed.

The commemorative event, details of which were announced to mark the 130th anniversary today of the ending of his trial and his sentencing to death in Dublin’s Green Street Court, is jointly organised by the Office of An Coimisinéir Teanga, Galway City Museum and Conradh na Gaeilge.

The Galway event is prompted by a campaign in the British Houses of Parliament led by Lord Alton and Lord Avebury to persuade the authorities to review the case of Myles Joyce, to declare him the victim of a miscarriage of justice and to concede than he was falsely convicted and executed.

The commemoration on Saturday, 15th December next, the 130th anniversary of his hanging will include a mass in Irish in his memory in Galway Cathedral followed by the laying of wreaths on the spot where the gallows on which he was hanged stood and where his body lies buried under the tarmac in the cathedral car park. A symposium in Galway City Museum will hear contributions from historian Professor Gearóid Ó Tuathaigh, Lord Alton from the British House of Lords - whose mother was a native Irish speaker from the Tuar Mhic Éadaigh Gaeltacht bordering Maamtrasna. There will also be a contribution from Johnny Joyce from Dublin, a descendant of the Joyce family whose murder in Maamtrasna led to the conviction of Myles Joyce. An exhibition, readings from historical material and an RTÉ film about the Maamtrasna murders will also feature. Further elements of the event are to be announced later.

Details of the programme for the day are available here as a pdf.

Burial place of Myles Joyce

An Coimisinéir Teanga, Seán Ó Cuirreáin, said that Myles Joyce’s case was one of most significant and distressing cases ever concerning the denial of language rights. “At a time when the public’s language rights are confirmed in law, we shouldn’t forget cases such as that of Myles Joyce which remind us of the difficulty of getting justice under the law in the past if you didn’t have English.” He recalled that Myles Joyce was quoted as saying as he was led to the gallows: “Feicfidh mé Íosa Críost ar ball – crochadh eisean san éagóir freisin” [“I will soon see Jesus Christ - he too was hanged unjustly”].

Breandán Ó hEaghra from Galway City Museum said that the museum was pleased to be involved in the commemorative event: “What happened to Myles Joyce is part of the history of the city, the county and the country. Like any museum, we have an important role to play in presenting that history to the current generation and conserving these memories for future generations.”

Peadar Mac Fhlannchadha from Conradh na Gaeilge said that it was difficult now to imagine the injustice suffered by Myles Joyce and others who spent years in prison as a result of the Maamtrasna murders. “This Gaeltacht case led to a furious debate which raged for many years in the Westminster Parliament and it was one of the reasons that William Gladstone’s Liberal Government fell in 1885 when the Irish MPs under Charles Stewart Parnell withdrew its support and sided with the opposition Tories under the leadership of Randolph Churchill” he said.

Of the eight who were convicted for the Maamtrasna murders, three were hanged but it is generally accepted that one of those, Myles Joyce, was innocent. Five others were sentenced to penal servitude for life and two of those died in prison. Four of those prisoners were also believed to be totally innocent. In 1902 the three surviving prisoners - two brothers and a nephew of Myles Joyce - were freed having spent 20 years in jail.

However, official state records portray them all as convicted murderers.

Further details of the commemoration will be announced in the coming weeks.

Mamtrasna District (Pic S Ó Mainín)

The President, the bureaucracy and the language!

" I find it shocking the ease with which authoritarianism emerges and the expressions of authoritarianism….." Michael D Higgins, President of Ireland

In a recent interview the President of Ireland made the following comments:

The President of Ireland

Dúbhghlás de hÍde 1938-1945

Michael D Higgins 2011-

"I think that one needs to address….institutional inadequacy. How is a legislative proposal initiated and where does it come from? How is it processed and is it processed with participation? How is it administered? I’ve seen advocacy groups work for 20 years on getting as far as a piece of legislation but then the implementation of the legislation is frustrated by a whole set of bureaucratic blocks.

"And there is a very serious bureaucratic problem in this country…a very serious problem of hierarchy. It’s very fine to ask public servants to be flexible but there is a hierarchical structure there. There are still many elements of patriarchy and what I think is extraordinary to me at this stage of my life looking back on it after nearly a half a century as a sociologist, I find it shocking the ease with which authoritarianism emerges and the expressions of authoritarianism…..I spoke about it recently to a very senior person, about where people are almost waiting for their authoritarian moment…(in the bureaucracy)

"Yes, oh yes. In many cases therefore it is sometimes quite difficult to be original, to be flexible, to be very human. It is nearly impossible to be vulnerable. Because the culture of never being caught with a mistake just completely stymies real development.

"When a country is recovering, and I think it is, from what it has been plunged into by a false model of a speculative economy, you find people are very flexible and innovative and creative. And also people value the warmth of relationships. I find that again in relation to groups I’ve visited, receptions I’ve had here....."

Language and bureaucracy!
A very good example, and there are dozens, perhaps hundreds, of this, not to put too fine a point on it, obfuscation, is the management of Government policy on the Irish Language.

Take last Thursday's confirmation by the Government of Minister Brendan Howlin's decision in November 2011 to amalgamate the Office of Coimisinéir Teanga with that of the Ombudsman. This document (issued in English only at the time) excited strong and hostile comment and, as far as I can see, no favourable comment.

The press release from the Department that handles Gaeltacht affairs, (downgraded itself by this Government from a community department to a culture and arts department) purports to clarify the matter.

But does it?

This is what it says:

"An Coimisinéir Teanga (Irish Language Commissioner): The Office of An Coimisinéir Teanga is to be merged with the Office of the Ombudsman. A statutorily appointed Coimisinéir Teanga, based in the Gaeltacht, will continue to independently exercise existing powers under the Official Languages Act."

Later on it "clarifies" what this means in practice in a note for editors:

"An Coimisinéir Teanga (Irish Language Commissioner)
• The Office of An Coimisinéir Teanga is to merge with the Office of the Ombudsman.
• The statutory powers and functions of An Coimisinéir Teanga under the Official Languages Act 2003 will transfer to the Ombudsman and will be delegated to An Coimisinéir Teanga under the amending legislation.
• An Coimisinéir Teanga will continue to be statutorily appointed and exercise independent powers under the Official Languages Act 2003 and will also continue to be based in the Gaeltacht."

Hostile Policies
Fine Gael/Labour Coalition Governments have an unenviable reputation when it comes to the Irish Language and its recognition in state affairs.
The Cosgrave administration abolished the requirement for proficiency in the language among Civil Servants.
The current administration regards Gaeltacht Affairs as a matter of culture of Arts rather than as a matter of Community as the previous administration - however inneffective we might think it - did.
They abolished the requirement for the publishing of legislation bilingually.
They also abolished the direct democratic elections of Údarás na Gaeltacht.
They succeeded in breaking the cross party unanimity on the Gaeltacht and Language, after almost ninety years.
Other policies of this Government such as the closing down of rural schools and Garda Stations have had a disproportionate effect on the fabric of Gaeltacht Communities.

Most Irish Taoiseach?
The further delicious irony is that the current Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, uses more Irish in the Dáil than any Taoiseach on all aspects of policy (not only Irish or Gaeltacht matters) prompted by Gerry Adams, the leader of the junior opposition party!

Who was consulted!
Is this not a downgrading of the office of Coimisinéir Teanga? Or does it enhance the office as the Minister of State has mantained since.  Does it reflect the "comprehensive consultation" that the Minister of State's superior mantains has been engaged in since the Howlin Document was issued? It is interesting that nobody has come forward, not least the two offices involved, confirming that they were involved in this "comprehensive consultation!" Above all does it save money or the amount of bureaucracy (and therefore cost) involved in the work of this important, although perhaps fairly weak office.

A slight independance?
Let's look at the office itself.

It is an Office of State and the Coimisinéir is appointed directly by the President of Ireland of Ireland (as is the Ombudsman). This appointment is by the President on the advice of the government following a resolution passed by the Houses of the Oireachtas recommending the appointment.  (Dáil,Seanaid and Úactharán). The role and functions of the Coimisnéir Teanga, limited as they are, are clearly laid out on the Office internet site.

The new arrangement as outlined in the Department release appears to remove the direct connection with the President and the Oireachtas, and possibly the direct communication with the Minister for Gaeltacht Affairs. Instead the offices Coimisinéir will be delegated by the Ombusdman who will be the "de jure" Comisinéir Teanga. If he is delegated (and this is the word used in the release) of the Ombudsman then "ipso facto" we have an extra bureaucratic layer to the office.

The direct responsibility and access is gone and the extra works (and presumably expense) in becoming, in effect, a sub-office of the Ombudsman will further increase the work and the delay in the expedition of his reports and God alone knows how effective they would be in encouragement action.

The Presidency
The Coimisinéir will  "continue to be statutorily appointed" says this release. What does this mean? Will the President appoint the Comisinéir while the Ombudsman gives the office its powers? What is the sense, logic or indeed implications of this not only to the Office of Coimisinéir Teanga but to the Office of the President itself?  Indeed an unfortunate irony for an office first occupied by a man whose short paper "The necessity for de-anglicising the Irish nation!"  can justly be seen as what revivified the Irish people at the end of the nineteenth century and the ideals of which appear to be at best forgotten and at worst actively opposed by the administrative bureaucracy in Ireland!

Comprehensive consultation?

Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh has called on the Minister of State for Gaeltacht Affairs to clarify as to the future of the Language Commissioner. 

Leagan Gaeilge

The Sinn Féin spokesperson on Irish language and Gaeltacht Affairs was responding to a statement issued by Minister Dinny McGinley TD yesterday, indicating the Government's intention to subsume An Coimisinéir Teanga into the Office of the Ombudsman. According to Senator Ó Clochartaigh, the statement has added to the uncertainty of the future of the role and that there is little benefit to the State apparent from the move. 

“It was clear from the start that the Department had not put adequate thought or consideration in to the proposal to merge the two offices. There has been no evidence put forward for any potential financial savings, nor much detail as to how such a merger would work practically." 

  

"In a statement by line Minister, Jimmy Deenihan, he also said that a comprehensive consultation into the matter had been undertaken. However, that didn't appear to have included possibly the two most important players - namely the Ombudsman, Emily O'Reilly & the Language Commissioner, Seán Ó Cuirreáin. When I spoke to them both a little over two weeks ago they had not been consulted and I doubt a comprehensive consultation ensued with them since." 

"We are no wiser on this subject after the Minister’s statement on the matter yesterday. He should clarify whether the Coimisinéir Teanga will still be independent of the Ombudsman, or if the Ombudsman's Office will have have control over how the Coimisinéir Teanga fulfils his or her functions. Will he for example, still be able to investigate the Ombudsmans Office itself in relation to breaches of the Official Languages Act, as he has had to do in the past." 

"It is unclear also as to what this will mean for the remainder of the staff in the Office of the Coimisinéir Teanga. I understand from the statement that the staff will be merged with the Office of the Ombudsman. Does this mean that they will be based in Dublin - and if so, how will they be in a position to provide an effective service to the Coimisinéir Teanga?" 

"The bottom line is that this move does not make economic, or operational sense. The Minister of State and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform are trying to present this as part of a process of reform and improvement in Public Bodies, but this is a pretence. It is only optics on the part of an incompetent Government desperate to give the appearance of making savings. The result will be the undermining of the Official Languages Act and the crucial role that the Language Commissioner plays in its implementation." 

"The Minister should publish the outcomes of his consultation process and detail the savings he thinks he will make. I fear that they do not even understand the implications of the decision they are making, or the damage it will do to the rights of Irish language speakers in the future". 

  

Delegated independance?

Merging Oifig an Choimisineára Teanga with the Office of the Ombudsman is an “effort to deceive the public”.

Leagan Gaeilge

“An effort to deceive the public” is how Director of Comhdháil Náisiúnta na Gaeilge, Kevin De Barra, has described the statement by Minister of State at the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Dinny McGinley T.D., which outlines reform actions being progressed for An Coimisinéir Teanga.

In a statement issued by the Department of Arts, Heritage, and the Gaeltacht late this afternoon (31 Oct 2012), Minister of State McGinley declared:

“As a result of the Government decision today, a statutorily appointed Coimisinéir Teanga will continue to be based in the Gaeltacht and will continue to independently exercise existing powers under the Official Languages Act 2003”.

In November 2011, the Government agreed a Public Service Reform Plan, presented by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Brendan Howlin T.D. Since then, Comhdháil Náisiúnta na Gaeilge has expressed its concern in the strongest possible manner to Minister Howlin, to Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Jimmy Deenihan T.D., to the Minister of State Dinny McGinley T.D., and to a Joint Oireachtas Committee.

According to today’s statement from the Department of Arts, Heritage, and the Gaeltacht, following a period of assessment, consultation and review, the Government considered the progress made to date and agreed the following range of reform actions to be undertaken in relation to the Office of An Coimisinéir Teanga:

Who's Responsible?

Emily O'Reilly

Seán Ó Cuirreáin

The Office of An Coimisinéir Teanga is to merge with the Office of the Ombudsman.
The statutory powers and functions of An Coimisinéir Teanga under the Official Languages Act 2003 will transfer to the Ombudsman and will be delegated to An Coimisinéir Teanga under the amending legislation.
An Coimisinéir Teanga will continue to be statutorily appointed and exercise independent powers under the Official Languages Act 2003 and will also continue to be based in the Gaeltacht.
Speaking on the reform actions outlined above, Director of Comhdháil Náisiúnta na Gaeilge has expressed disappointment that appropriate recognition of the importance of the independence of the Office of An Coimisinéir Teanga in undertaking its functions under Part 4, Section 20-30, of The Official Languages Act 2003.

Kevin De Barra said: “The exact details are not clear yet as to how the Office of An Coimisinéir Teanga and the Office of the Ombudsman are to merge, or how this would be managed from a resources point of view. It is difficult to understand why the statutory powers and functions of one office would be transferred to another office only to be delegated back to the original office”.

“The Bord Snip Nua Report declared that there would be no cost savings from merging the Office of An Coimisinéir Teanga with any other state agency. If the Government are claiming that this new move will somehow save money, then I am afraid they are attempting to deceive the public”, said De Barra.

© A Pressrelease by Comhdháil Náisiúnta na Gaeilge

The struggle against "Apartheid"

Many people have bridled at an article, "To see real educational apartheid, look no farther than your local Gaelscoil," which appeared recently under the byline of the Education Editor of the Irish Times, Seán Flynn.

Gaelscoileanna in Ireland

Apartheid
That there is a certain misunderstanding, not to say hostility, to Gaelscoileanna is clear from reading certain newspaper columnists. Nevertheless they have grown steadily since the sixties and seventies not always with the blessing of the Department of Education.  Indeed sometimes with their strong discouragement.  They have, I think it may be said, in all cases sprung from the desire of Parents rather than from any desire of the Government - of whatever complexion! Could their attitude be described as "Apartheid?"

The fact that many primary schools were "de facto" Gaelscoileanna up to the fifties tells it own story on Government encouragement. Because of lack of support, such as the lack of text books and lack of staff in the Department unable to transact business in any language other than English. Thus by the early sixties there were only one or two real Gaelscoileanna left.  "Apartheid?"

Struggle
Parents in various locations fought long, hard, dispiriting battles with the Department of Education before in many cases, after years of struggle managed to wring approval from a reluctant Department. My personal recollection is of the struggle to establish the school in Ballymun and how it did not grow from the work of the "Gaeilgeoir Establishment," but from "ordinary" parents in the tower blocks of Ballymun. Their school is a monument to their endurance as well as their idealism. Not my understanding of the term "Apartheid!"

Letters
There were two letters published following the article in the Irish Times. (Gaelscoileanna 'apartheid' 25/10/2012). Today, the following letter has appeared from the Acting CEO of Gaelscoileanna, the national, voluntary organisation  supporting the development of Irish-medium schools at primary and at post-primary level. Its stated aim is "to establish and sustain a high standard of Irish-medium education throughout the country as well as to develop and strengthen the Irish speaking community and culture"

Here is the text of her letter:

A chara,

The “To Be Honest” column by a parent (Education Today, October 23rd) was such a misrepresentation of Irish-medium schools that it cannot be allowed to go unchallenged. Its publication in the Education section of The Irish Times lends it an authority that is very damaging to the public perception of Irish-medium schools.

Irish-medium schools are united by their language ethos, but as diverse as any other arbitrary grouping of schools in every other way. A gaelscoil may operate under any patron body and may be denominational or not. Gaelscoileanna exist in every county in Ireland including Northern Ireland and they serve populations as diverse as their geographical locations; small towns, socially disadvantaged suburbs, rural communities, city centres or a “middle-class area of South Dublin” – wherever the local community has campaigned for a gaelscoil to be established.

Irish-medium schools are open to all pupils regardless of their linguistic and social background or their level of ability. They are as willing and well-equipped as any English-medium school to cater for all pupils’ educational needs. Communicating this to parents is made difficult when opinion pieces such as the aforementioned are published without information of substance on what an Irish-medium school is and how school enrolment policies work.

Parents and patrons alike have been calling for plurality and diversity in our education system for years. To have an inflammatory and misleading opinion piece about schools of a particular ethos published in the paper of record at a time when the Department of Education and Skills has committed to providing for parental choice in the form of the surveys on diversity of patronage runs counter to everything the education community has been working towards.

The column did not recognise that many Irish-medium schools face considerable challenges. More than a third of Irish-medium schools are without a permanent school building; 39 per cent of primary and 36 per cent of post-primary Irish-medium schools. Ten per cent of Irish-medium schools are recognised as DEIS schools by the Department of Education Skills and are focused on addressing and prioritising the educational needs of young people from disadvantaged communities. That the demand for new gaelscoileanna remains high in spite of the difficulties the established schools often face speaks volumes about how parents have faith in the immersion-education model and community-led education.

While it’s true that most of the parents who choose Irish-medium education for their children do not speak Irish themselves, it does a great disservice to the parents of the 45,000 children who are attending Irish-medium schools at present to assume that their decision to enrol their child in a gaelscoil was made for elitist reasons. It does an even greater disservice to those parents who have chosen Irish-medium education for their children despite having neither Irish nor English as a first language, parents who appreciate that their children will start school on an even footing with other pupils who will also be learning through a language that is new to most of them, in a school where linguistic diversity is truly valued.

The story of how Irish-medium schools have grown and are flourishing is one rooted in community spirit and a sense of common purpose and the schools deserve to be celebrated for all they have achieved.

Is mise,

NÓRA Ní LOINGSIGH,
Acting CEO,
GAELSCOILEANNA TEO,
Institiúid Oideachais Marino,
Ascaill Uí Ghríofa,
Baile Átha Cliath 9.

This Gaelscoil in Cabra learned that after seventeen years in prefabs the Department has plans at last to build a school for the over 200 pupils! 

Ross de Buitléir of Gaelscoil Bharra gives news of their new school building the thumbs-up 

Adams modestly hits the nail on the head!

A correction to Miriam Lord, a backhanded compliment for Enda Kenny and a short exposition of his philosophy on speaking Irish.

The following appeared in Miriam Lord's inestimable column in the Irish Times (Dáil Sketch 10/10/2012):

"..Gerry doesn’t like people criticising him for trying to improve his Irish on the floor of the Dáil. He particularly doesn’t like sketch writers drawing attention to his efforts to speak the first language during Leaders’ Questions. In fact he went out of his way to point this out in no uncertain terms to this particular writer during a recent encounter in the corridors. We should be “encouraging” him, was Gerry’s view. It’s “lazy journalism”, he sulked..."

Image: Mark Stedman/Photocall Ireland

She was talking about Gerry Adams, President of Sinn Féin, who is possibly responsible for more Irish being spoken, albeit sometimes not perfect Irish, in the Dáil Chamber certainly in the past fifty years. Indeed he is possibly the person responsible for the most Irish being spoken in either chamber of the Oireachtas since the late Pól Ó Foigheal was a senator. Hopefully he will be eclipsed by some other deputies and senators, especially those whose mother tongue it is!

However back to the case in point. Mr Adams it appears read Ms Lord's column (don't we all?) and chose to take issue in a well reasoned response which I reproduce in full here:

A chara, – 

I am a fan of Miriam Lord. I enjoy her colour pieces and admire her writing skills. I do take issue with her, however, on the matter of Irish in the Dáil (Dáil Sketch, October 10th). 

For the record I did not ask her to encourage me. I put it to her in a perfectly reasonable way that she should be encouraging the use of Irish in the Dáil. I think all of us should do that. And not only in the Dáil. And not only during Seachtain na Gaeilge. 

It is a matter of puzzlement to me that Oireachtas members with much more Irish than me do not speak the language more often in the chamber. Of course the English language media generally does not use the Irish language contributions. So maybe that is the reason why many TDs, including Ministers, use only English. 

The Taoiseach is the exception. He will respond to questions in Irish though his answers are no clearer or informative than his responses in English. Ach sin scéal eile. 

For my part in my modest way I use Irish whenever I can. With my Sinn Féin colleagues and other Oireachtas members. In my everyday life. With my family and friends. That is what language is for. So, I will continue in my humble way to put questions in Irish to our Taoiseach. I encourage other TDs and Seanadóirí to do likewise. This is not a competition. Everyone who has Irish should use it. Everywhere. 

– Yours, etc, 

 GERRY ADAMS TD, Sinn Féin President, Kildare Street, Dublin 2.

As someone myself, it has always been a "puzzlement" to me to how people, including those whose cardle language it is, choose not to use it in public fora. I feel this letter from one of our political leaders gives a philosophy of use which is sadly lacking in virtually all public figures in whatever walk of life, political, eclesiastical, business, or academic etc.

Adams has hit the nail on the head. "Everyone who has Irish should use it. Everywhere."

As the old saying has it "Beatha teanga í a labhairt!"

• Féach ar seo chomh maith (Look at these too!)
No Irish for the Irish Parliament - An Sionnach Fionn
In praise of Gerry Adams and the Fáinne - Slugger O'Toole

We can't afford to fund Gaeilge!

This is a letter sent to the Sunday Independent last week but not published by them. I don't blame them for not publishing, the task of a letters editor is unenviable and I always respect a decision taken by him as totally unbiased.

Dear Sir

I find Mr Dryhurst's letter (29 July 2012) interesting and almost laughable.  It reflects the ignorance of the journalists he finds so brave and angry. The "cost of Irish" which they decry is in fact in no small measure due to a decision made by a former Fine Gael/Labour coalition (Cosgrave/Corish Administration:1974) who abolished the need for Irish in people who enter the civil service. (See Blog: Richie Ryan decision made language marginal! Feb 2012)

Where I live Irish is by no means virtually dead though the Government (despite the "millions" Mr Dryhurst alleges it costs) can hardly be said to be one of the agencies which supports it by providing anything like a full service in that language.

As an example, the bulk of the work of the Department of Education was conducted in Irish prior to the 1974 decision. Now only 1% of the staff of that department are capable of conducting business in Irish. This means they must contract out translations if they are to comply with their constitutional responsibilities. If competent staff are employed who are fluent in both languages there would be no increase in staff costs of this expensive Department and indeed a reduction in overall costs due the lack of need for out-sourcing of translations if required.

The same applies mutatis mutandis to other Government Departments. Using the figure he quotes 5% of the population which speaks Irish, (which by the way is incorrect unless he feels that the CSO is involved in some pro-Irish conspiracy!) then is it not logical that 5% of the Departments should be capable of conducting business in what is after all the only language we can call our own? A language that was here before English was thought of and which hopefully will be here long after "the Googles, Intels, Microsofts, GlaxoSmithKlines etc" are forgotten?

Incidently many corporations, including Microsoft, Google, as well as Facebook, Apple, and Samsung,  think enough of our language to invest money in developing programs ifor their platforms. Is it possible that they understand something that Messrs Dryhurst and the brave and angry journalists, Lynch and Hanafin do not?

Yours etc

PS The original article was sparked by the information that Vodafone charge extra if a "fada" (Long sign) is used while texting in Irish. 
Vodafone state: "As per the standards set by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute, texts sent in Irish or Mandarin languages will be charged for three text (SMS) messages if they included a single 'sineadh fada' in a text of 160 characters. Also note that a very short text, of less than 70 characters, can include multiple fadas and still be charged as one text. However, additional costs arise if the text is what the industry considers a standard length, or 160 characters."
One gasps at the comparison of Irish with Mandarin rather than another indo-european language say French, German, Danish or Polish.