Gaeilge go brách!
This autumn I really really am going to learn Irish properly. I went to classes for three years and know about six words – OK, a few more than that, but I certainly can’t hold a simple conversation. I don’t even know if the title of this post is entirely correct.
I’m in good company, though. In Northern Ireland, the 2001 census found that 10.4% of the population had some knowledge of the language. However, if you look at the figures in more detail, only 4.6% say they are able to speak, read, write and understand spoken Irish, in other words are reasonably fluent. Elsewhere within the UK, 21% can speak Welsh and just over 1% can speak Scots Gaelic.
In the South, there is a complete volume of 2002 census analysis on Irish speakers (2006 not yet available), as well as an unpublished government report which predicts the spoken language will die out in 20 years. Over the whole country 42.8% can speak the language, rising to 72.6% in Gaeltacht areas. Of those who speak it, in the State as a whole 21.6% speak it daily, 29.3% never, the rest somewhere in between. In Gaeltacht areas, 54.4% speak it daily and 7.3% never. The number who can speak the language in the Gaeltachtaí seems low, and in the State overall the figure who use the language daily is higher than I would have expected.
Of course census figures are self-declared, with the possibility of exaggeration creeping in. The TG4 series ‘No Béarla’ was a reality check here. In the South, most people made a valiant effort (except in Dublin) and seemed to be able to understand the language but not converse in it; in the North it showed that those who want a genuine Gaeltacht in West Belfast have a very long way to go.
So there are problems in both jurisdictions, albeit of course very different ones. In the South, the Gaeltacht approach has essentially failed - although there are anecdotal signs that Irish-medium education is becoming fashionable and I doubt if many people would like to see the language disappear altogether. Bilingualism seems to be the best way forward, assisted by the arrival of increasing numbers of people from parts of the world where it doesn’t seem unusual to speak several languages.
In Northern Ireland, arguments continue about the status of the commitment made to an Irish Language Act in the St Andrew’s Agreement. The DCAL consultation papers are worth a look for lots of background and discussion of the options. If we get any kind of legislation at all, it looks as if it will follow a language scheme approach, similar to Wales, Scotland and the Irish Republic. This requires public bodies to make provision for use of the language but does not provide a legal right to use it. Of course the language is contested territory in the North, and despite the oft-cited role of Protestants in its history, and the claim that the language belongs to all of us (which I support), we can’t overlook its recent history and the reaction that provokes in some quarters. I do think more sensitivity is needed over this.
Of course, making provision for use of the language isn’t the same as actually using it. I’m surrounded by people who think learning Irish is a waste of time, and I do find it hard to argue rationally for its preservation. I just know that it has enriched my short stay on this island to know the place names, to understand some of the English linguistic twists and origins of words, and to feel connected with the history and culture. That’s why I want to continue to make an effort. Just like this young man.
