Fighting Irish Say 'No' to English Speakers

Reuters ^ | Thursday, December 19, 2002

[Willie Green]

For education and discussion only. Not for commercial use.

DUBLIN (Reuters) - Determined to repel an invasion of the English language, a local authority has proposed a ban on home building by non-Irish speakers in a scenic coastal area of western Ireland.

The council wants the ban to apply to a 60-mile stretch of Connemara coastline from Barna to Carna, near the booming city of Galway.

Subject to public consultation, the ban could become law in April or May and be the first in the republic's history,

Despite concerns about its legality, practicality and whether it might be discriminatory, the ban, or some such measure, has strong support in what is known as the "Gaeltacht," or Irish-speaking area, which is predominantly in the west.

"We have to do all we can to protect the language," Galway County councilor Connie ni Fhtharta told Reuters Wednesday.

The ban stems from age-old efforts by Irish speakers to protect their language, which the English severely discouraged under colonial rule. Strong economic and social pressures keep English the dominant tongue, although Irish is the first official language.

[Willie Green]

ping

[dfwgator]

Connie ni Fhtharta

Wasn't she one of the main characters in "The Man With Two Brains?"

[Cousin Eddie]

Phew! Thought I wouldn't be allowed back to my alma mater.

[DoughtyOne]

I don't see anything wrong with them trying to make sure their language survives. Good for them.

[Flashman_at_the_charge]

Fek Off!

[Mike Darancette]

Determined to repel an invasion of the English language, a local authority has proposed a ban on home building....<

Sounds like parts of Southern California.

[driftless]

From what I understand English is the lingua franca of Ireland. I know there is an effort to promulgate Irish Gaelic, but these people are cutting off their nose to spite their face. There's nothing wrong in learning to speak your ancient tongue, but why penalize people, including I assume other Irish citizens, who don't? Making Irish Gaelic the standard language of Erin would further isolate it and reverse the economic progress it has made in recent years. Happy Gal can probably tell us more.

[DoughtyOne]

You've got some valid points, but I think it's reasonable to make a small area language specific in the interest of hanging on to heritage.

[ex-snook]

Making Irish Gaelic the standard language of Erin would further isolate it and reverse the economic progress it has made in recent years. "

The 'Gaeltacht' western coast of Ireland has been that for many years. I imagine they will be bi-lingual as people are throughout Europe. English will still be the common 'business' language.

[Happygal]

I can understand what is happening here, although I'm not sure fully if I agree.

I am a fluent Gaelic speaker, and I credit much of my bi-lingualism, not to the fact that I had 14 years of compulsory Irish taught to me in school (and chose to take it as a minor subject (over French) in college), but because I spent time over a number of summers in the Gaelteacht. Being immersed in a community where only Irish is spoken two or three weeks over a summer, taught me more than ANY text book could about the uses and value of the language.

People should also note that the west of Ireland is being bought up by Germans, buying secondary homes...thus bumping up the price of housing for indigenous people.

When Irish speaking communities are forced out of Gaelteacht areas into English speaking towns, there is no 'indigenous' working communities where the language is still seen as vibrant.

I saw the benefits the Gaelteacht can give a girl from a non-Irish speaking family, by spending summers in cheap supervised accommodation as a teenager..where you had to learn the language to survive. (If you asked for something in the shop in English you may not be served for example).

I can completely understand the people in the Gaelteacht trying to preserve that. I just wonder if this 'enforcement' is the right way to go about it.

Le gach dea guí (With every good wish)
Áine Mháire (Anne Marie = Happygal)

[Bob J]

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[Happygal]

BTW...I LOVE the Irish language. But I hated it in school until I went to the Gaelteacht and saw it in action.

It is such a beautiful lyrical language.

(Do you know there is no word for YES or No in Irish?) Hence the verbosity of the people who evolved from it, I imagine. :-)

And I think those of us (who bastardise English (as I do meself)) and aren't passionate about another language may not completely appreciate the beauty in the phrasing and lyricism of an alien 'tongue'. :-)

[PJ-Comix]

Are there still people in Ireland who speak Irish exclusively?

[Happygal]

There are four Gaelteacht areas in Ring (Waterford), Kerry, Galway and Donegal where Irish is the 'first' language, and is used as the 'day to day' language.

But all lán Gaelige (all Irish) speaking populations also speak fluent English (they couldn't survive without it).

[PJ-Comix]

Hmmmm.... But English must have been predominant in Ireland by the mid 19th Century since the Irish immigrants to the USA back then were already speaking English.

BTW, what do they think of The Quiet Man in Ireland? It's one of my favorite movies. And there was a scene in there where Maureen O'Hara spoke to the priest (Ward Bond) in the "Old Tongue" i.e. Gaelic.

[The Irishman]

Aine:
Are you aware that there are many Irish speaking clubs and associations here in the States? It would be a shame if the Irish themselves allow their heritage to be drowned out by Germans buying second homes. I'm sure that there, as well as here, the $ reigns supreme with the elite but one could only hope that the conservative nature of the country folk would not let this happen. I hope you join the gentleman in his battle. And to you Willie Green, thanks for the post.
Regards

[Happygal]

Hmmmm.... But English must have been predominant in Ireland by the mid 19th Century since the Irish immigrants to the USA back then were already speaking English.

*LOL* The English were predominant in Ireland well before that *L* But there were MANY cases of the Irish diaspora solely speaking Gaelic when they arrived in Ellis Island. And districts of NYC at the turn of the century when Irish was STILL vibrant. Honestly.

BTW, what do they think of The Quiet Man in Ireland? It's one of my favorite movies. And there was a scene in there where Maureen O'Hara spoke to the priest (Ward Bond) in the "Old Tongue" i.e. Gaelic.

Personally, I love the Quiet Man as a movie. (Although it is stage Oirish!!). John Wayne could NEVER be an ex-pat with that accent coming home to the auld sod. And Maureen O'Hara types weren't quite like that at the turn of the century. But it is a nice 'quaint' stereotype. (And in fairness O'Hara showed that us Irish girls are NO pushovers...although, I wouldn't 'have the dinner on the table when you get home' for a man who just had a bar room brawl. *L*) But as an old movie I love it. (BTW Barry Fitzgerald was the WORST perpetrator of enforcing the stereotype and HIM a Dubliner!! Sheesh! *L*)

I would advise Irish Americans to erase the stereotypes from their brains. We aren't all 'Oirish', we don't all talk like leprechauns, and we don't dance like Michael Flatley. BUT we do hospitality better than ANY country I've ever visited, and we spin a good yarn and sing a good song. And a vacation to Ireland (while expensive to many) is a holiday in a lifetime for the Yank prepared to leave his snap-happy camera behind him and enjoy the NOW, as opposed to the slide show he plans on taking for the family on return.

Come to Ireland.
Chill out
Enjoy
Skip the tourist traps
And leave the camera at home

You'll have a ball!!!

[Happygal]

But Irishman (nice to meet you by the way, I haven't seen you on the boards before. Should I add you to my Irish ping list?)..while I love my language, I dislike 'plastic paddies'.

Do you understand what I mean by saying that?

People who think that Ireland is something 'twee'.

(All I can say is that I made two trips to Canada this year, and my brother made a trip to Australia....Both of us, while having a wonderful time came home and decided that our country (yes, little old leprechaun ridden Ireland)..was more advanced and progressive than much bigger nations).

In other words..(we don't need Irish classes to plastic Paddies in New York to keep our langugage alive. If it lives of dies, it's not going to happen by people across the Atlantic who don't even visit the country to keep it alive.) Sorry if I sound frank...but that's how I am.

[stylin19a]

Thanks for the history lesson.
Just saw your "Hurling" pictures. I bet the old-timers are griping about the wussy helmets.

What I can't understand is, why on God's green earth would anyone give a bunch of Irish men sticks.