The Indo, the Irish language and learning the guitar

 

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If you ever wanted to take the temperature of the opinion formers south of the border, you could have done worse than read Ian O’Doherty in The Irish Independent  a couple of days ago. Having dismissed Ming Campbell as a “spoofing little ham”, even though he agrees with him on the subject of legalising cannabis (which, coincidentally and sensibly, Uruguay did the other day),  O’Doherty concentrates his main fire on Seán Ó Cuirreáin, who is resigning as head of the Irish language group Teanga. Ó Cuirreáin has resigned because so many of the civil servants he deals with can’t speak Irish. He’s also disgusted that native Irish speakers in the Gaeltacht are forced to conduct their business with state agencies in English. Yes, Virginia, I too would have considered that a noble act by Ó Cuirreáin, given the southern government’s pretend-concern for the language. That’s not how O’Doherty sees it.

He figures that the only possible response to Ó Cuirreáin’s stance would be for “the government to pour more money down the endless toilet of the Irish language”.  Besides, “most people are sick to death with the juvenile posturing of the Gaelgeoirí Grenadiers who think that everyone should be as interested in a dead language as they are”.  If people want to learn it in their own time and on their own money, fine. But “you wouldn’t expect the Government to subsidise guitar lessons, or any other hobby”, so neither should you expect government money to help learn the Irish language.

There are hacks who appeal to the best in people and there are hacks who appeal to the worst in people. O’Doherty belongs to the latter. It’s the easiest thing in the world to step away from the Irish language and say “Ach, for Jaysus’ sake, quit flogging a dead horse, haven’t we English?” Which is essentially what O’Doherty argues. It’s a bit harder to admit that we’ve never addressed the learning of the Irish language in a coherent, modern, practical way. If we  (north and south) had, we would have been a bi-lingual nation  decades ago. And no, Virginia, learning Irish is not on a par with learning the guitar. Sweet though the music of that instrument is, it is not bound up with our sense of identity and our sense of self-respect.

As all colonial powers do, Britain set out to eliminate the native language by teaching the Irish people to be scornful of their own tongue, to see it as inferior to English, something best confined to toothless old men and women huddled around an open fire in a hovel at the end of a boreen. In this they were 90% successful. O’Doherty has many allies in his contemptuous view of his own language. He says if the language were an animal, it would have been put down long ago.

But here’s the thing: Irish, if you must compare it to an animal, is like an endangered species of animal. A beautiful, complex, profound, thought-forming animal. What kind of a people are we, that we let bone-brains like O’Doherty form our thinking on a cultural gift that is beyond price?  If Enda Kenny wants to do something that would truly honour the centenary of 1916, rather than make Irish optional in the post-primary curriculum, he should develop modern, structured plans to begin a drive that would give everyone on this island the chance to learn Irish the way the people of Europe learn English, or the way the Quebecois maintain French alongside English.  Because something isn’t necessary in a functional sense doesn’t mean it isn’t necessary in a cultural sense. “Tír gan teanga, tír gan anam”- a country without a language is a country without a soul.  And while we’re waiting for Enda Kenny to give Ireland back its soul, let’s speak up every time a self-loathing clown like O’Doherty holds forth and tell him what he is. In any language you like.

 

28 Responses to The Indo, the Irish language and learning the guitar

  1. John Patton December 11, 2013 at 9:37 am #

    You are absolutely right that successive governments have paid lip-service to the learning of the Language. However, there are have been earnest efforts made by voluntary, non-governmental groups, north and south of the Border. The popularity of gael-scoileanna in the North is surely some evidence of this. There is a similar issue here in Scotland where Gaelic has no official status but substantial sums of money are allocated to its preservation.

  2. Cal December 11, 2013 at 10:19 am #

    Why do some Irish people seem to hate themselves and their culture/history so much while at the same time defending every aspect of Imperial Britain ? I wonder if this is a feature unique to the 26 or can it be found in other former British Empire conquests ?

    I think it could be a version of stockholm syndrome.

    • paul December 11, 2013 at 11:53 am #

      I wonder about this all the time. Why does the Dublin govt kow tow to Britains every whim? I see how there are actually gaeltacht area’s of the North and these people suffer at the hands of the security forces for their use of Irish. Not merely free but gaelic, not merely gaelic but free. Now who said that?

      • Am Ghobsmacht December 12, 2013 at 8:10 am #

        Sorry, but what exactly is ‘Britain’s whim’ in the context of the Irish language?

        Are you saying they don’t want people in the Republic of Ireland to speak it?

        But they spend bucket loads in the Outer Hebrides trying to keep it’s near-relative alive there?
        BBC Alba isn’t exactly a money spinner for the beeb is it?

        That makes no sense.

        What are you basing this on in this day and age?

  3. Antaine Ó Dubhthaigh December 11, 2013 at 10:50 am #

    Cal, it is found in many other former colonies, not least in places like Australia and their government’s scorn towards native languages and peoples. Franz Fanon said in Black Faces, White Masks, ‘A country does not need to be occupied to be colonised’. The attitude shown is an attitude fostered as a consequence of a historical legacy of imperialism, whether Irish people wake up and stop walking and talking like their former slave masters is yet to be seen. We hold hope, nonetheless, in the minority that have waken up. Maith thú Jude, alt iontach.

  4. michael December 11, 2013 at 10:53 am #

    this is very much unique to a large portion of 26 county irish (small i) i cant think of any other nation
    that would try and destroy its heritage and culture in a cheap and nasty fashion its not only the culture these morons want to deny they also do their best to rewrite our history

  5. Charles Glenn December 11, 2013 at 11:20 am #

    Regardless of the topic I find its best to think of the Indo(s) stable of journalists as a parallel to the menagerie of a medieval king. Never mind any attempt at coherence, what is important is that each creature is really, really odd ( and of course, that no one else has one.

  6. Ciarán Ó Pronntaigh December 11, 2013 at 6:52 pm #

    Great to see you are on the ball with this question, Jude. Coinnigh ort!

    • Jude Collins December 11, 2013 at 7:12 pm #

      Go raibh maith agat, Ciarán

      • willow December 11, 2013 at 10:01 pm #

        I too learned that phrase fiftysix years ago, but from what i remember, I would have ended it with “a Chiaran”. BTW there would have been dots where there are now h’s

  7. Anthony December 11, 2013 at 9:34 pm #

    Interesting article jude, Ó Cuirreáin’s was right to quit, its shocking to think only 4.5% of the government workforce is fluent in Gaelic. All my cousins in Dublin now go to primary Gaelic speaking schools as the pupil teacher ratio in the classes is far smaller than primary government run schools, in fact places in theses schools is in high demand in both the north and south, Also Gaelic is now the 13th out of 26 most searched language in the EU data-bases.
    The problem is how its thought in schools, were thought to read and write it but not to speak the language. Submersion in a language is the only way to truly become fluent so i think at the very least all primary schools in the country should be Gaelic speaking.

  8. Taxi Driver December 11, 2013 at 10:31 pm #

    What about the “Loifa” campaigns, are they not creating a new perception about the language? I thought a corner had been turned.

  9. ben madigan December 11, 2013 at 10:56 pm #

    Apart from the Liofa campaign – (has anybody any idea of how successful it was?)
    Have a look at eurofree3.wordpress.com to see why there has been no Acht na Gaelge in Northern Ireland – even though both the UK and the Republic signed up for it

  10. Am Ghobsmacht December 12, 2013 at 8:06 am #

    Dr C

    I was nodding my head in agreement whilst reading this up until the point you mentioned 1916.

    NO!

    Please, don’t do that.

    It is very very very very difficult for Protestant/Unionist learners of Gaelic (I say Gaelic as opposed to Irish as I’m half-assedly studying Scottish-Gaelic) like myself to bring others into our fold as it’s seen to have a lot of political baggage.

    Throwing 1916 in there makes our task even harder.

    I understand where you’re coming from but if you want to see real progress in Irish (or Gaelic) it’ll have to be depoliticised.

    Granted, there’s not many Protestants down south but as you know things don’t just stop at the border.

    If ‘themuns’ down south are seen to be promoting ‘rebels’ on the back of the Irish language then it’s all the more difficult up here for those of us who would like to see some progress on the matter.

    Cut us some slack eh?

    BTW, are play-schools/pre-schools bi-lingual down south?

    Would that not be a great place to start?

    • Jude Collins December 12, 2013 at 4:01 pm #

      Ah A G – always good to hear from you. (I’ve been scratching my head thinking I should have answered what was directed at Paul.)
      Right. Re Irish language and ‘political baggage’: it’s true that Shinners have used the Irish language and that has got up a lot of people’s noses (not all unionists either). But my 1916 reference was in fact cutting some slack for Enda Kenny, who otherwise might have to look at 1916 in terms of physical force republicanism, Michael Collins and all that bloody stuff. It’s true that the Irish language is politicised, in the sense that nationalism is saturated with it – the Gaelic revival was very much a part of what led up to 1916. I used to think it was just a language, an instrument for conveying thoughts and feelings, but I don’t any more. I see the Irish language as a biiiiig circle. Inside it there’s a smaller circle called Irish nationalism/republicanism. So I don’t see any point in ‘depoliticising’ it. Much better to remember that it is a very big circle and there’s no reason why unionists – if they chose,as they’re doing at the East Belfast Mission – shouldn’t plonk their circle inside the big Irish language circle as well. Have unionism saturated by the Irish language also. Why not? Unionists have every bit as much right to use and claim it as nationalists/republicans. But I can’t believe that unionists are somehow starting back in apprehension cos nationalists/repoublicans value the language. Anyone and everyone should boldly lay claim to it – it’s a veeery big circe/tent. (Damn – why didn’t I think ‘tent’ at the start?] Anyway, A G – do keep furthering your education by dipping into the BEST blogsite this side of the border…

      • Ciarán Mór December 12, 2013 at 4:18 pm #

        To put it simply…the campaign to destroy the Irish language (which you touched on in your piece), was very much a political project – any act of revival is, by extension, a political act. This ‘depoliticisation’ stuff is nothing new, its about narrowing the scope for language activists and allowing those who have acted as a bulwark against the language (Brit Gov, Unionist parties etc…) to define how the language can be revived or more accurately,contained. In the 80’s they called it ‘political vetting’ and it meant and end to funding for communiry based Irish language orgs. Who took the political decision to deny funding to Irish medium schools? Who took the political decision to refuse Irish language act (despite their being similar acts in Wales and Scotland?) Who took the political decision to maintain the archaic law which prohibits Irish being used in the courts here (despite it being recinded in Wales & scotland long ago). And I could go on…

        Btw…this campaing of global linguicide is very much on course…with leading international linguists stating that up to 90% of the worlds languages becoming extinct before the end of this century!

      • Am Ghobsmacht December 12, 2013 at 8:50 pm #

        Dr C

        Hey, we agree on plenty of things (I think) broadly speaking, the devil is in the detail.

        I’d love to see every one be bilingual, even if it means chopping it up a bit (Antrim Gaelic could be a way of bringing in a lot of Protestants from the cold, can bore you on that idea later).

        Linda Ervine is a legend for her efforts, I really hope the East Belfast project grows.

        In the meantime, for those of us trying to sell it to other unionists it is a hard sell as long as SF and Ugly na Herring types embrace it.

        If you want some fun during a tea break or and outing some day play the game “explaining to a Unionist that most Gaelic speakers in Scotland are Free Presbyterian”.

        The long winter evenings just fly by…

        PS As ever, a number of these ‘issues’ such as the Irish language and the GAA would be non-issues if unionists got involved. It’s a hard sell though.

    • Jude Collins December 12, 2013 at 4:03 pm #

      PS Forgot – don’t know if pre-schools/play-schools are Irish-medium in the south – but I’m pretty sure there are some in Belfast. And you’re right – it’s the ideal place to start. See? We agree on some stuff…

      • Ciarán Mór December 12, 2013 at 4:20 pm #

        Not all are but there are quite a few, at least one in every county. More info can be found at http://www.naionrai.ie

  11. Ciarán Mór December 12, 2013 at 12:19 pm #

    Great article Jude. Think we must remember however that people like O’Doherty/Myers and others aren’t representative of the Irish people. Every survey into attitudes on the Irish language (which are carried out every ten years) demonstrate that the vast majority of people do value it and want it maintained and revived. The fact that these hacks pointedly refuse to recognise this illustrates the weakness of their ‘argument’ and is why they continually flog the ‘lets cast an Ghaeilge aside’ dead horse, they are trying to create a false consensus. Unfortunately for us, they have powerful friends (particularly within the printed media) who are only too happy to give them a platform.

  12. Taxi Driver December 12, 2013 at 7:01 pm #

    When I was doing Irish it was the “control freaks” that upset the learning process most. The “Liofa” project puts it where it belongs, among the people

  13. Dan December 12, 2013 at 9:40 pm #

    All most everything that has being touched by politics in this Country have being divisive. Because when there is a choice between doing the right thing or the political option the political always wins. Keep Irish non-political and pro culture. Irish have being used as a badge of superiority in terms of education and position up until recently. The first thing many people who were supposed to be teaching Irish would do when an effort is to speak the Language is correct you, not encourage you. That would not happen in any other Country or in An Gaeltacht .Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine

  14. Argenta December 12, 2013 at 10:28 pm #

    Maybe I’m being pedantic but isn’t Ming Campbell a Liberal Democrat M P.You were perhaps thinking of Ming Flanagan T D an Independent in the Dail.

  15. Am Ghobsmacht December 14, 2013 at 6:42 am #

    BTW Dr C

    Just a thought after re-reading the comments on this blog.

    If there was a massive drive to remedy the situation would it be improper to address some of the attitudes that are evident e.g. ‘Britain’s whim’ or that it is somehow the expressed desire of Britain to see the language fail?

    Very seldom do I see the Catholic church ever take any stick for the role they played or even the attitude of Daniel O’Connell.

    The eradication of an indigenous language isn’t necessarily spawned from hate.

    If it was then surely there’s a case for arguing that the Gaels or perhaps even the Irish specifically eradicated the language of the Picts?

    Then WE would have to wear some blame too in the arena of ‘conquering, stealing and destroying’ land, people and culture?

    Food for thought.

    FYI, a Croatian friend of mine is very capable linguist and wrote his masters thesis on the decline of the Irish language.

    It is as fascinating as it is over my head and certainly gives the reader a number of “well I never” moments (unless you’re JP Mallory who probably knows it all any way).

    I’m sure he’d have no problem with me sending you a copy if you’d be interested.

    Food for thought

    AG

    • Jude Collins December 14, 2013 at 4:14 pm #

      I’m sure the Catholic Church or maybe even the Great Liberator himself has something to answer for, but Britain’s efforts to erase Irish are a matter of historical record – and, as I said, common practice by those who colonise. I’m sure it wasn’t just spleen on their part. More a matter of getting things organised so those colonised were better assimilated. Yes, we could go back to a time before the Gael came to Ireland but let’s stick with the history we know. I’d be interested in reading your friend’s book – if it’s a thesis the abstract would be a good start, if he wanted to put it up on the blogsite I’d happily accommodate him. Give us all something to, um, chew on.

  16. Am Ghobsmacht December 14, 2013 at 11:44 pm #

    Dr C

    Not doubting the influence of the British but merely highlighting that people pick and choose where to vent their spleen on certain topics, not all the rogues of the gallery are summoned.

    Anyhoo, in the meantime I’ll ask my mate and see if he’d mind me sending it/posting it up.

    Jolly good

    AG

  17. Gearoid. April 23, 2014 at 10:08 pm #

    Very interesting blog Jude, please keep me posted if you eventually acquire that thesis. GRMA.

    • Am Ghobsmacht April 23, 2014 at 10:18 pm #

      No word from my friend at all regarding the thesis I’m afraid.