A realistic expectation by Ó Cuív?
During his recent visit to New York, the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs Éamon Ó Cuív stated that the Irish language would be at a positive tipping point if it had 250,000 speakers by 2028.
Let’s compare that to the latest census figures. 1,600,000 people claimed in 2006 to be able to speak Irish.
139,000 people speak Irish at least weekly outside of the education system.
Effectively, Minister Ó Cuív hopes to have an extra 100,000 people actively speaking the Irish language within 20 years.
However, he in no way stated that he expects that figure to become true.
Colm said,
April 8, 2008 @ 5:51 am
Like all politics it’s smoke screens and mirrors. The government comes out with all these fancy figures and aspirations (without any real plans or hard details) and the public nod their heads and go about their everyday life.
I just wish their was a day when the government would actually engage with the people of Ireland in an honest dialogue and get involved in the grassroots events going on. According to Manachán’s No Béarla 2 the government spents twice as much each year than in it does on the Irish language, leading to suggest that government stationary is more important than our native tongue.
Lisa said,
April 11, 2008 @ 8:36 am
I’m a newbie to the Gaelige language, but would very much like to learn it myself and see its use continue into future generations. Please join us for the next editon of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture. An article from you with your expertise on the Gaelige language would be much appreciated!
Lisa
Small-leaved Shamrock
A light that shines again
100 Years in America
imothuairim said,
April 12, 2008 @ 10:17 am
The entire country could be fluent in two generation if we put our minds to it.
I’m not saying using similar methods, but the English had Irish effectively wiped out (but for the west and a few Gaeltacht areas) in two generations in place of English.
Generation A: Irish Only
Generation B: Irish and English
Generation C: English Only
The reasons stated for its decline apart from the Great Famine were that it was used in schools and politics. Surely the Irish government (under the leadership of a fluent speaker Mr Cowen) can put this into action.
However, ineffective as the current system seems to be, MY main problem is An Caighdean that’s diluting the dialects… Conas atá tú shoudl never have been said…
imothuairim said,
April 12, 2008 @ 10:19 am
Sorry for the double-post but I mean the reason was that ENGLISH was used in School and Government, not Irish – duh….
Eoin said,
April 13, 2008 @ 1:34 pm
Regarding imothuairim’s mention of Cowen, I read that he had 15 minutes of leader’s questions in the Dáil through Irish this week. He has also mentioned that the language is an important issue. This is good that it’s on his radar.
Gerald King said,
April 14, 2008 @ 3:33 pm
14 years to learn Irish. 5 minutes to forget Irish. Good riddance. A waste of time, money, effort, sweat and tears. Its already a dead language. Why not bury it. RIP.
Another comment. I was in Donegal, trying to find the Airport. No such luck. A lot of the west depends on tourism, but imagine going to England and seeing all the road signs in French? Now got to Donegal and see a sign for Baile Atha Cliath and your map says Dublin. The Irish fanatics require that ALL signs are in Irish ONLY, but the maps are printed in English only. The local KNOW how to get there and don’t need signs in any language. Take pity on the poor tourists who need at least one language that they can find on their maps. The few bilingual signs that exist have had the English names blacked out by biggoted fools.
I asked in Donegal Airport when I found it, for an Irish language map and was informed that none were made.
imothuairim said,
April 17, 2008 @ 6:13 pm
If you were in English there would be no point to have french signs… bad example.
In France they do have French signs… we deal with it. Have Irish maps so.
Eoin said,
April 17, 2008 @ 6:23 pm
@Gerald: I do recognise that as a problem. But it’s a MAPPING problem, where the map makers need to match official signage. Official maps are bilingual (Ordinance Survey Ireland). If other, say, Michelin maps do not include the Irish version, then it’s their problem, not the language’s problem.
The only reason I can guess that the sign was monolingual (except for vandalism) was that you were in the Gaeltacht region. Even then, there’s no law preventing bilingual signs in the Gaeltacht pointing towards places outside of the Gaeltacht. While towns within the Gaeltacht can only be referred to by their Irish versions on road signs across the State, it’s allowed to have a sign saying “Gaillimh Galway” within the Gaeltacht.
Eejit said,
April 21, 2008 @ 1:30 am
Erse should only be spoken to cattle and dogs. English is the language of power, money, and politics. Even in West Britain.
Eoin said,
April 21, 2008 @ 3:03 pm
Al said,
April 28, 2008 @ 3:37 pm
I was trying to find Dungloe and the sign says An Clochán Liath. Now do turn left or right? I have a michelin map, but the do not sell Ordinance Survey Ireland in my country. Hang on, there is a sign ahead but half the sign is blacked out??? Where am I? Dont they like tourists. I thought Ireland was supposed to be a friendly country?
ONLY Ordinance Survey Ireland publish maps with the place names in two languages and NO map on sale in Europe does. Perhaps in Donegal An Clochán Liath could be large letters and Dungloe small. In the rest of the country, Dublin large and Balie Atha Cliath small. That would show which was the main spoken language in each area. A Irish solution to a gaelic problem
.
Eoin said,
April 28, 2008 @ 8:34 pm
We’re going off topic with this mapping thing, but anyway…
If Michelin maps showed only “Anglicised” versions of placenames in Germany, who is wrong – the German road signs, or the Michelin map?
“Tourists” follow road signs for München, not Munich.
imothuairim said,
May 8, 2008 @ 7:02 pm
In Ireland, Irish signs should be as expected as English ones in England.
Quite why Gerald King is on an Irish Blog is somewhat of a mystery in the first place, but as Eoin says, the mapmakers are a fault if the names on the map aren’t those on the signs.
Now, to move away from this bewildered tourist chat, as I said before: Ó Cúiv has realistic expectations, if he puts in some work. If I had any authority I should think he’s setting the bar a little low.
A majority of the population speaking the language is possible in fifty years, if the government are prepared to stick their head out and get things done.
Eoin said,
May 8, 2008 @ 7:12 pm
@imothuairim: the government (except for some mutterings perhaps) has no push for a ‘bilingual’ population, and therefore I have no expectation for them to push for one! If it’s not happening now, why would they help between now and 2050?
Overall, a stupid question, as the government is voted in every 5 years. But still, I see no overall change to policy.