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Irish and ‘language snobs’

March 27, 2014

Sir, – The historical gaelteachtóir bias in Irish language policy has meant that other gaeilgeoirí such as myself, a third generation Dublin Irish speaker, are formally – and ridiculously – deemed not to have a native accent.

I and my many peers’ existence is seen as an inconvenience, the cure for which is a prescribed trip to a Gaeltacht to learn to mimic an accent not native to us.

Is mise mar dhea,

CLÍONA SAIDLÉAR,
Ballymoneen Road,
Knocknacarra,
Galway

A Chara, – I was interested to read Heber Rowan’s comments (March 26th) comparing the continuity of the Catalan language with Irish. However I should point out that Catalan always remained the vernacular language of the region, despite the efforts of the Franco regime to suppress its use, whereas this unfortunately cannot be said for Irish, which was evidently suppressed more successfully.

I myself very much regret that, growing up in Co Down and attending state schools in the 1960s, we were totally oblivious of our national language.

Is mise,
STEPHEN CONN,
Dantestrasse,
Heidelberg,
Germany

Sir, – Heber Rowan (March 26th) suggested that the best way to promote the use of Irish would be to dramatically increase the production of Irish language broadcasts. This letter was then followed by another from a Mr O’Cuinn which I could not read because it was in Irish. If Mr Rowan’s suggestion were to be transposed to print media and then enacted, I would have to stop reading your newspaper.

Yours, etc,
DANIEL STANFORD,
Upper Leeson Street,
Dublin 4

The Irish Times – Litir chuig an Eagarthóir