Post by earl on Apr 9, 2008 16:25:32 GMT
WELL, I would probably be the first to admit that I wouldn’t be the go-to guy for the history of the Irish language here in America, but I do know that last week was certainly a historic one for a couple of reasons. The visit of the grandson of Éamon de Valera, Éamon Ó Cuív, minister for community, rural and Gaeltacht affairs, to New York figured in both of them.
His first stop was New York University’s Glucksman Ireland House where he was invited to deliver the 2008 Barra Ó Donnábhain Lecture on the Irish language on a most auspicious occasion in that a book of the late writer’s “Macalla” columns for the Irish Echo was being launched.
Ó Cuív spoke about the “Future of the Irish Language in the 21st Century,” and considering that it was almost eradicated 160 years ago before starting its revival a century ago under the determination of the Gaelic League in Ireland and America, the progress is surely significant as he happily pointed out.
Only 1% of the population spoke Irish solely at the end of the 19th century. Today some 5%, or 80,000, speak it daily in Ireland, though 43% claim to speak some Irish as a result of the government’s commitment throughout the 20th century.
A recent battle was waged successfully to have Irish as one of the 20 official languages of the European Union, an argument made much more easily when you could point out that there is a 24 hour national radio channel Raidió na Gaeltachta and a dedicated TV channel in TG4.
Once known as the language of the poor and oppressed in historically dismal times which helped give colonizers incentive to suppress it, Gaelic is one of the oldest literary languages in Europe that now has a vibrant middle class to protect it and to preserve its cultural diversity in the world’s linguistic community.
Besides delivering the good news of the healthy state of the Irish language today, the minister bore even better news to the over 50 Irish languages programs currently in existence at third-level or collegiate schools.
Working through the educational channels of the Fulbright Irish Language Program from 2008-2011, a grant of $1 million from his Department’s Ciste na Gaeilge would be made available to fund the teaching and learning of Irish at the increasing number of U.S. colleges and universities that offer Irish language classes.
Ó Cuív’s stop at City University’s Irish American Studies Center at Lehman College where currently a Fulbright Scholar, Ailbhe Ni Ghearbhuigh, is employed, dramatically brought home the potential for the growth of the language beyond just that of the Irish diaspora, but for anyone with curiosity about an ancient yet living tongue.
But the symbolism of one of Ireland’s foremost politicians driven to keep Irish alive delivering such a hopeful message on the occasion of the publication of Ó Donnábhain’s essays should not be lost.
Súil Siar: Cnuasach Aistí le Barra ÓDonnabhain is a collection of Irish language essays (in Irish and English) by John Finbarr Donovan edited by Hilary Mhic Suibhne and Eibhlíin Zurell that represent approximately 10% of his 300 essays for the Irish Echo over an eight year span.
Barry Donovan served as a literary linchpin for the Gaeilgeoirí who rallied Irish speakers to reach out to one another and to form a united front to help promote the language in all its forms, literary and spoken.
He was a great friend and inspiration to the Irish teachers who united under the Daltai na Gaeilge banner, so it is fitting that they published this book and are also are worthy recipients of the minister’s largesse courtesy of the Irish government and its citizens at home.
His first stop was New York University’s Glucksman Ireland House where he was invited to deliver the 2008 Barra Ó Donnábhain Lecture on the Irish language on a most auspicious occasion in that a book of the late writer’s “Macalla” columns for the Irish Echo was being launched.
Ó Cuív spoke about the “Future of the Irish Language in the 21st Century,” and considering that it was almost eradicated 160 years ago before starting its revival a century ago under the determination of the Gaelic League in Ireland and America, the progress is surely significant as he happily pointed out.
Only 1% of the population spoke Irish solely at the end of the 19th century. Today some 5%, or 80,000, speak it daily in Ireland, though 43% claim to speak some Irish as a result of the government’s commitment throughout the 20th century.
A recent battle was waged successfully to have Irish as one of the 20 official languages of the European Union, an argument made much more easily when you could point out that there is a 24 hour national radio channel Raidió na Gaeltachta and a dedicated TV channel in TG4.
Once known as the language of the poor and oppressed in historically dismal times which helped give colonizers incentive to suppress it, Gaelic is one of the oldest literary languages in Europe that now has a vibrant middle class to protect it and to preserve its cultural diversity in the world’s linguistic community.
Besides delivering the good news of the healthy state of the Irish language today, the minister bore even better news to the over 50 Irish languages programs currently in existence at third-level or collegiate schools.
Working through the educational channels of the Fulbright Irish Language Program from 2008-2011, a grant of $1 million from his Department’s Ciste na Gaeilge would be made available to fund the teaching and learning of Irish at the increasing number of U.S. colleges and universities that offer Irish language classes.
Ó Cuív’s stop at City University’s Irish American Studies Center at Lehman College where currently a Fulbright Scholar, Ailbhe Ni Ghearbhuigh, is employed, dramatically brought home the potential for the growth of the language beyond just that of the Irish diaspora, but for anyone with curiosity about an ancient yet living tongue.
But the symbolism of one of Ireland’s foremost politicians driven to keep Irish alive delivering such a hopeful message on the occasion of the publication of Ó Donnábhain’s essays should not be lost.
Súil Siar: Cnuasach Aistí le Barra ÓDonnabhain is a collection of Irish language essays (in Irish and English) by John Finbarr Donovan edited by Hilary Mhic Suibhne and Eibhlíin Zurell that represent approximately 10% of his 300 essays for the Irish Echo over an eight year span.
Barry Donovan served as a literary linchpin for the Gaeilgeoirí who rallied Irish speakers to reach out to one another and to form a united front to help promote the language in all its forms, literary and spoken.
He was a great friend and inspiration to the Irish teachers who united under the Daltai na Gaeilge banner, so it is fitting that they published this book and are also are worthy recipients of the minister’s largesse courtesy of the Irish government and its citizens at home.
