EU respects Irish more than leaders do
February 18, 2014
In January, Irish Language Commissioner Seán Ó Cuirreáin announced his intention to step down following the failure by Government to implement legislation to improve services to the public through Irish.
His decision was met with uproar in the Irish-speaking community , not least because of the fear of no Irish representation in government, or the fear that he would not be replaced. Degrading the status of Irish serves to erode long-standing traditions. I understand that Ireland has evolved into a much more diverse culture, but we need to respect indigenous languages. Speaking Irish is neither a political statement, highbrow or attention seeking — it’ s a human right. When Irish is supposedly the first language of Ireland, it seems bizarre that a business cannot contact our government in Irish. To them, it’s an indication of the hands off approach to its conservation. Realistically , Irish speakers know it will always be a minority language. However, that is not to say it deserves any less respect. The EU has shown great leadership in this regard. For example, you can contact an EU institution in Irish and expect to receive a response in that language.
The EU could be forgiven for not having people who can speak Irish but they do. They decided in 2007 to treat the language with dignity and respect. Meanwhile in Ireland, we shouldn’ t have to campaign for the most basic language rights, but we do. Conradh na Gaeilge staged a protest in Dublin dubbed “walk for your rights” on Saturday. Like lot’s of Irish people, I’m not naturally inclined to protesting. I prefer to let off steam in an article or video. However, the problem is that most of the Irish media seldom give this issue the time of day. And while it primarily affects a small proportion of our society , it is a huge issue in their lives.
I was never particularly that good at Irish in school. Most of the Irish I’ve learned has been through doing media in Irish. By taking part in something ‘real’, you realise that Irish is a language and not something that was just in vented to fill the hours of school. Personally, I quite like being bilingual. Apart from being handy, I find that it makes you a better communicator. That, and it offers a lot of opportunities. Irish has a largely silent presence in the country — on signs and in trains. But aside from that, we tend to use it for decoration rather than for its full potential. Irish has existed since at least the 5th century AD . In that regard, it seems a major disservice to make a language redundant simply because it is incon venient to civil servants. Regardless of our Government’ s financial situation, being able to speak a language is a right — not a privilege.
www.examiner.com
‘Lá Mór na Gaeilge an uplifting event’ – Bradley
February 18, 2014
SDLP Irish Language spokesperson and MLA for Newry and Armagh said today that the unsurpassed attendance at Lá Mór na Gaeilge over the weekend was an uplifting event for the Irish speaking community in this country.
Bradley insisted that it ‘clearly shows the two governments the total disgust’ that Irish speakers feel about the downgrading of the language in policy and funding terms. Speaking in Dublin after the event the SDLP MLA said “I travelled to Dublin with a group of Irish speakers from Newry and Armagh district and we felt truly uplifted by the huge crowd of people, upwards of 10,000 which turned out from all over Ireland and from every Gaeltacht to show their support for the language.
“Today’s attendance illustrates clearly that Irish speakers are not prepared to stand for the marginalisation of the language whether it be by reduced funding or half-hearted policies. “Irish is our national language and the brightest jewel of our heritage and we will not stand for its marginalisation, north or south. Bradley added, “I hope that today’s attendance is a wake-up call for the governments and that they now see that Irish speakers will not accept the downgrading of the language in any form whatsoever.”
www.newrytimes.com
10,000 Gaeilgeoir dearg le fearg
February 18, 2014
TEG Examinations 2014
February 17, 2014
Teastas Eorpach na Gaeilge 2014 (European Certificate in Irish 2014)
Irish Language Exams for Adult Learners
TEG exams (European Certificate in Irish), Irish language competency exams for adults, will take place in the following centres in Ireland (subject to demand):
- Belfast
- Castlebar
- Killarney
- Kilkenny
- Cork
- Galway
- Gaoth Dobhairl
- Letterkenny
- Limerick
- Maynooth
and in the following centres abroad:
- Paris
- Prague
- New York
- Ottawa
on the following dates:
- Intermediate 2 (B2): 5.04.2014 * B2 meets Irish language entry requirement for primary teaching*
- Intermediate 1 (B1): 10.05.2014
- Elementary 2 (A2): 24.05.2014
- Elementary 1 (A1): 7.06.2014
14 March 2014 is the closing date for applications
Further information:
www.teg.ie
01 708 3737 / 708 6417
Seoltar Seachtain na Gaeilge ó cheann ceann na tíre
February 17, 2014
Compulsory English for Irish Language Organisations enforced by Foras na Gaeilge
February 17, 2014
The results of a rationalisation process on the voluntary organisations core-funded by Foras na Gaeilge were announced recently. Six organisations out of nineteen were selected to receive funding under the new model, and the other organisations will have their funding cut from 30 June 2014.
As a part of this process, Foras na Gaeilge wrote to the core-funded groups on 29 January 2014 to inform them that a Change Management Consultant had been appointed and would soon be available to assist the sector in its preparations for the new model.
On 02 November 2011, the core-funded groups under the auspices of An Fóram, wrote to Foras na Gaeilge and to the Ministers of the North South Ministerial Council requesting that a consultant with expertise in change management be appointed to assist the sector in formulating a new model for the sector which would best benefit the language. This request was denied.
There are two ways of interpreting the decision by Foras na Gaeilge. One could reason that the sector faces a major transformation, and that this is an honest effort by Foras na Gaeilge to support the organisations in dealing with the practical implications of this change.
On the other hand, this could be interpreted as a cynical act by Foras na Gaeilge. When the sector requested help in 2011, to formulate a model for the future which would be for the greater good of the language, and which they as a sector could support, their request was explicitly denied. Now that Foras na Gaeilge have announced the new model, and the six lead-organisations have been chosen, there are many who believe this latest action by Foras na Gaeilge to be a box-ticking exercise so that the North/South Body can claim to be supporting the sector.
Both these opinions were widely held by members of the Irish language community, and for those less cynical than others, perhaps this act could have been looked upon as an olive branch of sorts from Foras na Gaeilge. In their letter to the organisations, Foras na Gaeilge offered support in relation to issues such as contracts of employment, planning, salary and conditions of employment, continuity planning and project management.
As some organisations readied themselves to accept the olive branch, it then came to light that Foras na Gaeilge expected these organisations to undertake this work through English.
Some of these voluntary organisations have been operating in the Irish language sector for over 70 years. It was particularly insulting to the staff of these organisations that Foras na Gaeilge chose to announce the cessation of their funding via Twitter prior to contacting the organisations directly to convey the results of the process. It is even more insulting that Foras na Gaeilge would expect these long-standing Irish language organisations to undertake their activities through English in their preparations for the winding down of their funding by 30 June 2014.
In a statement to Gaelport.com, Foras na Gaeilge stated that the chosen consultants were appointed after a public competition on Etenders.
The criteria involved in choosing the consultant included:
Arising from the public competition, Treacy Consulting were appointed by Foras na Gaeilge as they “achieved first place under the criteria set out, especially in relation to experience in this area”.
If the company appointed to assist the sector cannot provide this service through Irish, it is difficult to see how they could gain any marks under numbers 4 and 5 on the list above. To tackle this shortcoming Foras na Gaeilge have explained that Treacy Consulting “have a translator to assist them in their work”.
According to reports on TG4 last week, it appears each of the six organisations chosen as lead-organisations have refused to deal with the consultants appointed by Foras na Gaeilge.
In its statement to Gaelport.com, Foras na Gaeilge said: “While the organisations undertake this vital work, Foras na Gaeilge believe it is of the utmost importance that they have access to the best consultants in terms of expertise, experience and skills who were chosen by way of a public competition”.
Foilsithe ar Gaelport.com
Buaiteoirí Scléip 2014 i gCultúrlann Uí Chanáin
February 17, 2014
Donegal well represented at Lá Mór na Gaeilge march in Dublin today
February 17, 2014
Donegal was well represented at the Lá Mór na Gaeilge march in Dublin today where it was reported that 10,000 took the streets.
Marchers gathered at the Garden of Remembrance on Parnell Square and marched to Dáil Éireann to demand their language rights and equality for the Irish language. Coordinated by Conradh na Gaeilge, Lá Mór na Gaeilge was acelebration of Irish for all the family and a massive march forlanguage rights, attracting both members of the Irish-speaking community as well as those with a love for Irish, and drawing crowds of thousands into the streets to show their support for the language.
Donnchadh Ó hAodha, President of Conradh na Gaeilge says: “Conradh na Gaeilge extends its deepest thanks to the thousands that took to the streets ofDublin to take a stand for language rights, and to show the Governments north and south just how much support the language enjoys among the general public this Saturday, despite the atrocious weather across the country this past week. “Every single one of the ten thousand people that attended Lá Mór na Gaeilge was happy and willing to take a stand for the Irish language, to take proactive action to ensure a future for our language. Supporters of Lá Mór na Gaeilge have now put it up to the Governments north and south – are they now willing to take the challenge to choose a future for Irish by acting immediately on our demands?” In keeping with the Dearg Le Fearg / Red With Rage theme for Lá Mór na Gaeilge, the crowd wore red clothes and waved red flags in a striking symbolic display of their anger and disillusionment with the lack of Government support for Irish on Saturday.
Julian de Spáinn, General Secretary of Conradh na Gaeilge says: “Gaeltacht and Irish-language communities north and south are not happy with either Government, as their basic human right to use their language is neither being supported nor legally protected sufficiently. The aim of Lá Mór na Gaeilge was to drive the Governments to recognise and appreciate the importance and the value of the Irish language for this country, as well as acknowledging the fact that the majority of people on this island have a love for the language, but Saturday’s march is just the beginning – we will continue to campaign our public representatives until we achieve fairness and equality for the Irish-speaking and Gaeltacht communities throughout the island of Ireland.” Conradh na Gaeilge organised Lá Mór na Gaeilge following The Language Commissioner Seán Ó Cuirreáin’s announcement that he would be stepping down on 23 February 2014 as a result of the lack of support for the language rights of the Irish-speaking and Gaeltacht community from the Government in the south.
The campaign for human rights gained momentum with the publication of a report by The Council of Europe on 16 January 2014 which noted that the growth and promotion of the Irish language in Northern Ireland is being blocked by hostile attitudes in Stormont, and a lack of support for its use in the courts and in education. Based on the recommendations of An Coimisinéir Teanga and those voiced at public meetings across the country, below are the demands Conradh na Gaeilge agus the attendees of Lá Mór na Gaeilge are calling for to ensure language rights and equality for Irish:
The Gaeltacht community must be guaranteed State service through Irish, without condition or question, by the end of 2016;
State services must be made available in Irish to the Irish-speaking community at the same standard as they are provided in English;
A comprehensive rights-based Irish-language act must be enacted in the north;
The Official Languages Act 2003 must be strengthened in 2014;
The derogation of the status of Irish as an official language of the European Union must not be renewed after 1 January 2017; and The Irish-language and Gaeltacht community must be recognised as stakeholders in the implementation of The 20 Year Strategy for the Irish Language 2010 – 2030 in the south and in the Irish-Language Strategy in the north.
www.donegaldemocrat.ie
Thousands march for language rights
February 17, 2014
Thousands took to the streets of Dublin city centre this afternoon to protest against the treatment by Governments north and south of Irish-language speakers and Gaeltacht communities.
Organisers said some 10,000 people took part in the march which started at the Garden of Remembrance in Parnell Square and marched down O’Connell Street before gathering for a rally in front of Dáil Éireann.
The crowd, with many wearing red, heard from a number of speakers who condemned the lack of public services available in Irish.
Billed as a celebration of Irish on the streets of Dublin, Lá Mór na Gaeilge attracted participants from all parts of the island and was the largest such demonstration since the 2005 campaign to elevate the status of Irish in the European Union.
Citing the decision in December by language commissioner Seán Ó Cuirreáin to resign in protest over the failure by Government to implement legislation protecting the rights of Irish speakers, Conradh na Gaeilge general secretary Julian de Spáinn said Irish language speakers were “red with rage” at how speakers are being treated by the State.
“We will continue to campaign our public representatives until we achieve fairness and equality for the Irish-speaking and Gaeltacht communities throughout the island of Ireland. ”
Lá Mór na Gaeilge was organised by Conradh na Gaeilge and marks the beginning of a campaign to seek equal treatment for Irish language speakers north and south.
“We are planning a march on Sunday week in Conamara and in Gaoth Dobhair to coincide with the resignation of the Coimisinéir Teanga and on the 12th of April we are planning a large demonstration in Belfast,” Mr de Spáinn said afterwards.
“In addition we are going to focus on the local and European elections. There is a lot to do but today was just a beginning.”
Mr de Spáinn said Conradh na Gaeilge had responded to an offer of a meeting with Taoiseach Enda Kenny and was awaiting a response from the Taoiseach’s office.
www.irishtimes.com
Thousands protest for better recognition of the Irish language
February 17, 2014
Thousands of people marched in Dublin today calling for more recognition of the Irish language.
Organisers of the Lá Mór na Gaeilge protest say those living in Gaeltacht areas around the country are not able to access State services through Irish. They are calling on the Irish Government and the government of Northern Ireland to give more recognition to the native tongue.
www.independent.ie
