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Walking briskly down Nassau Street to the train station on one of the first few days of term, I noticed two people following leisurely behind me, chatting about the weather. Their conversation was so relaxed, so casual, that I hardly noticed they were speaking Irish. It didn’t seem out of place. There was no glaring aberration on the linguistic landscape. Though it might not always be so clear as this, there is a feeling that, even just outside Trinity College, in what can only be described as the very centre of the Pale, the Irish language is being used more and more in everyday life. Is Irish undergoing something of a revival these days? Have we reached a turning point in the beleaguered history of a language that, for so many people, conjures up images of classrooms, school work and little more? Maria Schäler, Vice-President for the Irish Language at the Union of Students of Ireland (USI) shows little doubt on the matter. In an email statement to The University Times, she explained, “I think there is a revival going on at the moment. It certainly can’t be denied that Irish is very much alive.” She is of the opinion that “we have seen massive growth in the amount of speakers and interest in the language as of late.” And it appears that students have an important role in this revival. Schäler emphasises that there is a “young and renewed energy that’s emerging” which is a pivotal cost of this development. “Young people aren’t so cynical towards the language as previous generations,” she explained to The University Times. “There’s a view at the moment among young people that the language is very much alive and that it’s worth using.” There’s a very old-fashioned image of Irish that’s very prevalent, but despite that young people are still showing an interest This outlook is exemplified by Áine Haberlin, Reachtaire of Trinity’s Cumann Gaelach. Speaking about the state of the language among young people to The University Times, she confirms that there is interest in Irish despite the challenges that it faces. “There’s a very old-fashioned image of Irish that’s very prevalent, but despite that young people are still showing an interest.” It is clear from her approach to her role in the Cumann Gaelach that she is eager to change this perception of Irish. “More informal events are really important to give confidence to people who don’t yet feel comfortable in the language but who have an interest in it,” she explains. It is perhaps for this reason that she is so full of praise for Ravelóid (a play on the Irish word for “revolution” and an English term for a musical event wholly distinct from a ceilí), an Irish language music festival that was organised to take place last summer, but that was cancelled following low ticket sales. This revival of the language appears somewhat broader than the relatively narrow ambit of student life. Eoin Mac Cárthaigh, Assistant Professor at Trinity’s School of Irish has an optimistic view on the development of the language. “There’s a lot more literature written in Irish than you’d expect given the number of speakers it has – it is after all, a minority language” he explains to The University Times. “Liam Mac Cóil, for example, is a talented novelist, and, if he was writing in English, there would be significant demand for his work.” Mac Cárthaigh acknowledges other, more democratising trends in Irish literature, explaining that “popular literature and children’s literature in particular is becoming much more common in the language.” The Irish language and its use is spreading and becoming more and more a part of people’s everyday lives. Julian de Spáinn, High Secretary of Conradh na Gaeilge, affirms that the Irish language enjoys the favour of the public. “The Irish people are loyal to the Irish language and want to use it,” he told The University Times, emphasising that more than a million people in the country speak the language. Schäler also attests to the currency of the language. “It’s clear that the language is being used more and more across the country because of the significant efforts of Gaeilgeoirí on its behalf.” However, de Spáinn is keen to emphasis that any such revival is not a new development. “The revival of the Irish language began in 1893 with the founding of Conradh na Gaeilge,” he told The University Times, expressing a markedly long term view. It is perhaps easy for our generation to, somewhat narcissistically, think that we are on the cusp of a new era in the language’s development. It is altogether too easy to construct this narrative of uniform and continuous decline in Irish before some recent and sudden revival. It is, therefore, important to acknowledge that this new found energy that surrounds the use of Irish is really only the latest step in a long history, and the continuation of a sometimes uncertain process of recovery from the damage done to the language by the Famine in the mid-nineteenth century. We should not forget other moments of resurgence in the language’s history. After Irish independence in 1922, the Irish language was made a core subject in the education system and benefitted from state support and funding. However, the language’s relationship with the state has not been a stream of continuous support. If there is any revival, be it recent or on a much longer scale, it has, in places, continued despite, rather than because of, government action. Haberlin argues that the government’s education policy is damaging the language. “The Leaving Cert is terrible for the Irish language,” she told The University Times, explaining further that “so many people develop a negative attitude towards the language over the course of their time in school and preparation for the Leaving Cert”. But has education policy not helped Irish at all, particularly through making it a long standing compulsory subject for virtually all students? Jeffrey Kallen, Assistant Professor in Linguistics and Phonetics in Trinity believes it has. “I think the means which have been taken to use the education system to ensure the continuity of Irish for the population as a whole and to strengthen the Irish-language community where Irish is used as the main language have shown a considerable amount of success,” he suggested to The University Times, acknowledging nevertheless that “a great deal of the richness of the language has not been transmitted in the schools.” De Spáinn also recognises these positive aspects of the role Irish currently plays in the education system, but nevertheless calls for reform. “It’s great that Irish is still a core subject but there is so much more to be done,” he explains. “The government must put in place a standard Irish course that would be compulsory for every student,” he recommends, “and there should be a more advanced Irish course for students studying in Gaeltachtaí and Gaelcholáistí that would be based more on literature and translation.” Events like debates and plays are very difficult to organise when people lack confidence in their Irish… the most important people for the language are those who are not actively using it, but who have an interest in it Perhaps a more refined and ambitious system is necessary in order to strike a balance between the need to give basic skills and confidence to those people who are learning Irish as a second language and enhance the expression and understanding of fluent Gaeilgeoirí. There are two different types of student studying Irish participating in the education system and it may be that recognising their diverging needs may increase the overall standard of Irish. If improving the overall competence of people in the language is our aim, and if we want this revival of Irish to continue, what else can we do? It is obvious from Haberlin that the challenge is a complicated one as she speaks of the difficulties of nurturing interest in Irish within the walls of Trinity. “Events like debates and plays are very difficult to organise when people lack confidence in their Irish,” she explains, emphasising that “the most important people for the language are those who are not actively using it, but who have an interest in it.” This is undoubtedly an important message to the Irish speaking community given that, although 1.77 million people have some ability to speak the language according to the 2011 Census, only 110,000 use it outside the education system on a weekly basis. Even less people, 77,000 in fact, speak it on a daily basis. This means that an ability to speak Irish is already widespread in society, and the challenge remains to be that raising interest in the language. It is likely that this contemporary image of Irish, without the ancient, academic complexity with which it is so often associated, has a vital role in this change. De Spáinn agrees that “there needs to be more emphasis on young people and on clubs and societies,” adding that “there should be an Irish language centre in every town in the country to give people the opportunity to speak the language informally.” Both in universities and outside of them, it is obvious that people simply will not speak Irish if they do not have spaces in which they are encouraged to speak it, and it is because of this that organisations with links to society, such as the Cumann Gaelach and Conradh na Gaeilge, are so important. They are able to organise events where people can enjoy each other’s company in exactly the same way as they otherwise would, except through the medium of Irish. It is this that I have heard most consistently from those seeking to promote the language: we have to give opportunities to people to use Irish in exactly the same way as they would speak any other language. The budget for Gaeltachtaí and the Irish language authorities have been cut from €45 million in 2008 to €22 million in 2015 However, this certainly does not clear the state of its responsibility in this regard. Resources that support the language and that make services available through it are in decline. It is for that reason that organisations like Conradh na Gaeilge have been urgently lobbying the government, both before and after the budget. In a press release, Cóilín Ó Cearbhaill, the organisation’s president put it in particularly stark terms. “The budget for Gaeltachtaí and the Irish language authorities have been cut from €45 million in 2008 to €22 million in 2015.” We can see this perhaps most clearly in the unsuccessful attempts of those trying to exercise their right to communicate with the state through Irish. From my own experience, making the decision to adjust your tax credits through irish on the phone is an unwise one and will be met by an interminably long wait followed by the sound of a fire alarm, at which point you will likely give up. This is not exactly providing people with a casual opportunity to speak Irish. It is not only with the energy of its activists that a language will be preserved.
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Agus mé ag brostú thíos Sráid Nassau chuig an stáisiún traenach ar cheann dena laethanta ag tús an téarma, díreach amach geataí an Choláiste, bhí beirt ag siúl i mo dhiaidh ag comhrá go suaimhneach faoin dea-aimsir a bhí ann ar an lá sin. Bhí a gcomhrá chomh suaimhneach, chomh scíthúil sin, gur bheag nár thug mé faoi deara gur Gaeilge a bhí á labhairt acu. Ní fhacthas é ach mar ghnáth-ghné den timpeallacht theangeolaíoch. Agus b’fhéidir nár soiléir é sin, ach, go fiú in aice Choláiste na Tríonóide, i gcroílár na Páile, tá mothú ann go bhfuil úsáid na teanga sin ag éirí níos coitianta ná riamh. An bhfuil athbheochan ag teacht ar an nGaeilge sa lá atá inniu ann dá bharr sin? An bhfuil pointe casaidh ann in ádh na teanga a tharraingíonn íomhánna de sheomraí ranga d’fhórmhór na nÉireannach? Níl Maria Schäler, Leas-Uachtarán na Gaeilge le hAontas na Mac Léinn in Éirinn (AMLÉ) amhrasach ar chor ar bith i dtreo an ábhair. “Is dóigh faoin bpointe seo go bhfuil an athbheochán thart, toisc nach féidir a shéanadh ach go bhfuil an Ghaeilge beo ag an bpointe seo,” a dúirt sí i ráiteas ríomhphoist le The University Times. Tá sí den tuairim go bhfuil “fás ag teacht ar an líon cainteoirí agus an méid suime atá ag daoine inti.” Agus tá a chuma ar an scéal go bhfuil ról tábhachtach ag mic léinn san athbheochan sin. Treisíonn Schäler an “fuinneamh óg, úr atá á spreagadh faoi láthair” mar chúis mhór leis an bhforbairt sin. “Níl óige na tíre chomh soiniciúil céanna i leith na teanga agus a bhí na glúinte a tháinig roimhe,” a mhíníonn sí le The University Times, “Tá meon ann i measc na n-óg gur teanga í atá ina beatha, agus gur fiú úsáid a bhaint asti.” Tá íomhá ann atá thar a bheith sean-aimseartha ar an nGaeilge Is féidir ceann dena samplaí is soiléire den mheon sin a aimsiú in Áine Haberlin, Reachtaire an Chumainn Ghaelaigh i gColáiste na Tríonóide. Agus í ag labhairt faoi staid na teanga i measc na hóige le The University Times, cinntíonn sí go bhfuil “suim ann sa Ghaeilge.” Dar léi, “tá íomhá ann atá thar a bheith sean-aimseartha ar an nGaeilge.” Tá sé soiléir óna meon i dtaobh a róil sa Chumann Gaelach go bhfuil sí ag iarraidh an sean-íomhá sin a hathrú. Treisíonn sí tábhacht “imeachtaí níos neamhfhoirmiúla chun muinín a thabhairt do dhaoine atá suim acu sa teanga.” Is mór an moladh a dhéanann sí, dá bharr sin, don fhéile ceoil Ravelóid a bhí ar tí bheith ar siúl le linn an tsamhraidh ach a chuireadh ar ceal de bharr méid bige ticéad díolta. “Cúis díomá nár tharla Ravelóid mar féile nua-aimseartha a bhí inti a bhí bainteach le Gaeilge ach ní raibh sí dírithe amháin ar an nGaeilge,” a dúirt sí le The University Times, ag beimniú go raibh an ócáid “go hiomlán difriúil leis an íomhá traidisiúnta de fheirmeoir i dteach tábhairne i gConamara.” Is léir, tar éis comhrá ghearr le Schaler agus Haberlin, go bhfuil dearcadh suaithinseach ag an nglúin óg gníomhaithe teanga. Níos mó ná a bhí roimpi, tá an ghlúin seo Gaeilgeoirí ag lorg ghnáthshaolta nua-aimseartha, ach trí mheán na Gaeilge. Afach, ní cinnte go bhfuil an tairseach chriticiúil ag an dream sin Gaeilgeoirí go fóill. Leoga, b’í an easpa spéise a bhac aisling Ravelóid a chur ar siúl. Áfach, b’fhéidir go bhfuil an athbheochan le feiceáil i gcomhthéacs níos forleithne ná saol na mac léinn. Tá dearcadh soirbhíoch ag Eoin Mac Cárthaigh, Ollamh Cúnta i Scoil na Gaeilge i gColáiste na Tríonóide agus é ag labhairt i gcomhthéacs níos liteartha. “Tá níos mó litríochta ná an méid a bheifeá ag súil leis toisc gur mionteanga í an Ghaeilge,” a mhíníonn sé do The University Times, ag tagairt do scríbhneoirí cumasacha na teanga, “Liam Mac Cóil, an t-úrscéalaí mar shampla, dá mbeadh sé ag scríobh as Béarla, bheadh margadh an-mhór ann.” Aithníonn sé freisin go bhfuil “litríocht an phobail agus litríocht na bpáistí ag dul i gcoitinne sa teanga.” Tá an Ghaeilge agus a húsáid ag scaipeadh, dá bharr sin, thar an saol acadúil chun bheith bainteach le saol an phobail. Dúirt Julian de Spáinn, Ard-Rúnaí ar Chonradh na Gaeilge, le The University Times go bhfuil “pobal na hÉireann dílis don Ghaeilge agus tá siad ag iarraidh Gaeilge a úsáid.” Treisíonn sé ina theannta sin, go bhfuil níos mó ná milliún daoine sa tír a deireann go bhfuil Gaeilge acu. Tá an fhairsinge atá ag an athbheochan sin aitheanta freisin ag Schäler. “Is dóigh go bhfuil an teanga ag fás ar fud na tíre toisc dian oibre na nGaeilgeoirí uilig.” Áfach, maíonn de Spáinn nach úrnua an próiseas athbheochana sin. “Thosaigh an athbheochan sa bhliain 1893 le bunú Chonradh na Gaeilge,” a dúirt sé le The University Times. Dearcadh i bhfad níos fadtéarmaí atá i gceist aige. Don ghlúin seo, is éasca smaoineamh go féinspéisiúil go bhfuilimid ag tús ré nua maidir leis an nGaeilge. Is éasca íomhá a tharraingt dena scéal d’éag aonfhoirmeach ar feadh blianta roimh fhás tobann agus dosmachtaithe sa lá atá inniu ann. Áfach is dócha nach bhfuil san “fhuinneamh óg úr” i dtreo na teanga i measc mac léinn ach an choiscéim is déanaí i stair fhada na teanga, i bpróiseas a thosaigh tar éis an dochair a rinne an Gorta Mór don teanga. Déanaimid dearmad ar na forbairtí dearfacha eile a tharla don Ghaeilge. Tar éis neamhspleáchais na hÉireann sa bhliain 1922, fuair an teanga i bhfad níos mó tacaíochta, agus cuireadh í i gcroílár an chórais oideachais. Tá imeachtaí ar nós díospóireachtaí agus drámaíochtaí deacra a eagrú nuair a bhfuil daoine gan muinín ina gcuid Gaeilge….na daoine is tábhachtaí ná na daoine nach bhfuil bainteach leis an nGaeilge go fóill ach tá suim acu inti In ainneoin sin, ní sruth aonfhoirmeach tacaíochta atá faighte ag an teanga. Má tá athbheochan ann, go gearrthéarmach nó i gcomhthéacs níos faide, ta a chuma ar an scéal gur tharla é sin in ainneoin gníomhartha an rialtais. Áitíonn Haberlin go bhfuil polasaí oideachasúil an rialtais ag déanamh dochair don teanga. “Tá an Ardteist uafásach don Ghaeilge,” a dúirt sí le The University Times, ag míniú freisin, “tá droch-mheon á giniúint i scoileanna agus ag an Ardteist.” Áfach, nach bhfuil ról éigin ag an Ardteist i gcaomhnú na teanga, go háirithe toisc go ndéanann sí ábhar éigeantach den Ghaeilge? Measann Jeffrey Kallen, Ollamh Cúnta i dteangeolaíocht agus foghraíocht i gColáiste na Tríonóide go bhfuil. “Ceapaim go bhfuil rath suntasach ag na meáin a úsáideadh chun leanúnachas na Gaeilge don daonra ina iomlán a chinntiú agus chun comhphobal na Gaeilge a neartú i gceantair ina bhfuil Gaeilge mar phríomhtheanga,” a mhaíonn sé, cé go n-admhaíonn sé “ní tharchuirtear cuid mhór de shaibhreas na teanga i scoileanna” Aithníonn de Spáinn an gné dearfach sin dena scrúduithe stáit don teanga, ach aontaíonn sé gur gá don rialtas leasuithe oideachais a chur i bhfeidhm . “Is maith go bhfuil an Ghaeilge fós mar chroí-ábhar ach tá mórán níos mó le déanamh,” a léirmhíníonn sé. “Caithfidh an rialtas gnáthchúrsa Gaeilge a chur i bhfeidhm a bheadh éigeantach do gach dalta,” a mholann sé, “agus ba chóír go mbeadh cúrsa Gaeilge eile do dhaltaí na nGaeltachtaí a bhunófaí níos mó ar litríocht agus ar aistriúchán.” Córas níos caolchúisí agus níos uaillmhianaí atá riachtanach chun coimheá a chruthú idir scileanna bunúsacha agus muinín a thabhairt do dhaoine a fhoghlaimíonn í mar dara teanga agus cur i bhfocal na nGaeilgeoirí líofa a dhoimhniú. Tá dhá shaghas dalta na teanga atá ag glacadh páirte sa chóras oideachais agus is dócha go n-ardódh meán-chaighdeán na Gaeilge dá n-aithneofaí a riachtanais éagsúla. laghdaíodh buiséad na n-údarás Gaeilge agus na Gaeltachta ó €45 milliún in 2008 go €22 milliún in 2015 Má táimid ar tí athéirí fíorláidir a fheiceáil sa tsochaí, cad ata orainn a dhéanamh chun é a bhuanú? Dúshlán casta atá i gceist. Taobh istigh de bhallaí Choláiste na Tríonóide, labhraíonn Haberlin faoina deacrachtaí a bhaineann le suim a chothú sa teanga. “Tá imeachtaí ar nós díospóireachtaí agus drámaíochtaí deacra a eagrú nuair a bhfuil daoine gan muinín ina gcuid Gaeilge,” a léirmhíníonn sí, ag treisiú gurb iad “na daoine is tábhachtaí ná na daoine nach bhfuil bainteach leis an nGaeilge go fóill ach tá suim acu inti.” Is teachtaireacht tábhachtach é sin do phobal na Gaeilge mar, cé go bhfuil cumas éigin Gaeilge ag 1.77 milliún daoine de réir an daonáirimh sa bhliain 2011, ní úsáideann ach 110,000 í go seachtainiúil lasmuigh den chóras oideachais. Úsáideann go fiú níos lú daoine, 77,000, an teanga go laethúil. Ciallaíonn sé sin go bhfuil cumas éigin i measc an phobail, agus is gá an méid suime a mhéadú. Is dócha go bhfuil íomhá nua-aimseartha, gan an sean-chastacht acadúil a bhí bainteach léi go ró-mhinic atá riachtanach chun é sin a dhéanamh. Aontaíonn de Spainn gur cheart go mbeadh “níos mó béime ar dhaoine óga agus cumainn” chun an suim seo sa teanga a bhuanú. Ag an leibhéal náisiúnta, measann de Spáinn gur “chóir go mbeadh lár-ionaid Ghaeilge ar fáil i ngach baile timpeall na tíre”. In ollscoileanna agus taobh amuigh dóibh, is léir nár labhróidh daoine an teanga mura bhfuil spásanna ann ina bhfuil siad spreagtha í a labhairt agus sin an fáth go bhfuil ról lárnach ag eagraíochtaí cosúil le Cumainn Gaelacha agus Conradh na Gaeilge a bhfuil nascanna acu leis an tsochaí. Tá siad in ann daoine a bhailiú trí ócáidí chun sult a bhaint as a chomhluadar ach trí mheán na Gaeilge. Is sin, thar aon rud eile, atá mar théama sa mhéid a bhfuil cloiste agam ó dhaoine atá ag iarraidh an Ghaeilge a spreagadh: is gá deiseanna a thabhairt do dhaoine an teanga a úsáid sna comhthéacsanna chéanna ina labhróidís cibé teanga eile. Áfach, ní bhaineann sé sin freagracht an stáit sa chomhthéacs sin. Tá maoiniú don teanga agus chun seirbhísí a chur ar fáil inti ag dul in éag. Feictear é sin san easpa ratha a bheadh ag éinne a bhfuil iarracht déanta aige cumarsáid leis an stát a dhéanamh tríd Ghaeilge. Is féidir leat bheith ag tnúth le tréimhse feithimh fhada agus ansin torann aláraim a chloisteáil sula thréigfidh tú do phlean, má tá do chúrsaí cánach á reáchtáil agat ar an bhfón. Is cinnte gurb é sin an fáth go bhfuil Conradh na Gaeilge ag déanamh brústocaireacht go práinneach roimh an gCáináisnéis. I bpreas ráiteas, threisigh Cóilín Ó Cearbhaill, Uachtarán Chonradh na Gaeilge gur “laghdaíodh buiséad na n-údarás Gaeilge agus na Gaeltachta ó €45 milliún in 2008 go €22 milliún in 2015.” Ní le fuinneamh a ngníomhaithe amháin a bhuanófar an teanga.