Recent talk about the new Gaeltacht Act 2012 – Acht na Gaeltachta, 2012, the reduced status of the Language Rights Commissioner, the cutting of funding for language development and deeper neglect within the education system and public services generally prompted this quick comment. The subject deserves more comment, it is central to the future of our country so we will return to it.
Comment is invited on this vital subject.
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I believe that successive Governments are actually trying to kill the Irish language. If they came out openly and said it they would be condemned!
Bit by bit they ensure that there is no scope for using the language and that its value is diminished in every sense.
Party people dominate most of the language movement and ‘Civil Society’ organisations and effectively ensure that no progress is made towards restoration of Irish as the first language. There is acceptance of a ‘dying language’ scenario … they act accordingly.
But many so called Gaeilgeoirí are happy to sit in positions of influence, take the status and often the gravy train that goes with it, but do NOTHING!
As Dúbhghlas de hÍde outlined… we need Irish, in a material and practical sense! It is not just down to sentiment alone, of which there is plenty.
We need national recovery, this needs national consciousness and revival – such is IMPOSSIBLE while we turn our backs on the most significant badge of our nationality – Irish. How can we have national revival, and thus create independent self-serving economic and social policy, without embracing our own culture and value systems fully.
Adoption of the Irish language as the first language, in practice, WILL liberate Ireland.
This change will only happen when the vested interests who rule OVER us are removed.
We Irish people must Empower Ourselves and assert our own national interests and decide the policy of our own state.
Let’s do this together!