Irish in Ireland
Ireland’s current government party Fianna Fail, is failing. Every time a new statistic comes out, it always says they’re down so many points, or they’re line or bar is taking a nose dive. The next Irish general election is within the next 2 years. Why then, am I talking about this when the title says “Irish in Ireland”?
It’s simple. Irish is a compulsory subject right up until someone finishes Secondary school (High school) . Worse yet, it’s an exam subject and most colleges require a pass in the subject to get a course.If you take a step back and look at Irish society, you’ll see most people, if not everyone, processed through the current system since the Celtic tiger has a huge disdain for Irish. But why?
Because it’s shoved down our throats. Plain and simple. Oh and it has no practical application in real life, unless you want to be a language teacher. It’s blatant forced patriotism, and a bad form at that. Unless you specifically want a job where Irish is used, you’re goign to have wasted countless hours, which amass into days and weeks, studying this outdated language. It’s required de jure for everything, yet de facto you won’t use it. Modern society doesn’t call on it for every menial task.
Enda Kenny, leader of Irelands main opposition party and an Irish teacher, has promised to make it non-compulsory for the Leaving Certificate (G.C.S.E’s, SATS, etc.) . This would have many Irish speaking groups up in arms. They claim “A country without a language is a country without a soul”. In case you didn’t read the f*cking big print, it says its optional for two years. It’s still shoved down the throats of kids for 10 or so years. They think Irish society will collapse upon itself should Irish be optional for the final two years of mainstream education, and the Language will die out.
1) People who have the desire to keep it alive will. Do you honestly think someone who doesn’t have the desire to keep it alive will bother in the first place? It’s impeding the progress of those who don’t want to, and in so far as that, actually damaging our societies overall intellectuality
2) Under your logic, students should be doing Irish dancing, Irish history and virtually every aspect of Irish culture and have it examined. Now, defend that.
3) You like to throw out the fact we were oppressed by Britian for 800 years and they persecute our language. How then did it survive in an oppressive environment, but not be able to survive in a non-oppressive and even nurturing environment such a this?
If you want your kids to speak Irish, that’s good and well, but don’t expect me, or anybody else in Ireland, to have the same default thought.
Most people who advocate compulsory Irish aren’t stepping back and realising they’re doing the language more harm than good. Do they honestly think that Irish is better off having a forced majority bear it and then come back ready to destroy it later, or a select minority ready to learn it and the general populace accepting of it?
Ireland is climbing the hill that is modernism, and Irish is the little child clinging on crying, stopping Ireland while it wants to progress. We need to kick the child off, tell it to look after itself. After all, if all these special interest groups are already in place, they should have the ability to save it without state intervention. I’m not messing when I say the government pumps millions into Irish yearly, and has pumped more money into it in 2009, and people are fine with that and complain about a few thousands squander by a minister. The exact same people would cry foul if they said “We’re not funding Irish anymore”.
On this discussion with my dad, he said “A government could fall over the decision to make Irish an optional subject, some people care about it that much”.
That’s ridiculous to me. The government would be making, in my opinion, a practical choice. Yet there are some people who are zealots about it and want everyone to love Ireland whilst at the same time being in league with British Fascists. And then there are the sheeple who will see posters along the lines of “They want to destroy Irish” and “Don’t destroy our identity!”.
Do people actually think that those 2 years of education are pivotal in making sure the whole language doesn’t die out? Are the seriously going to try and attribute that to an exam which most people would prefer not to sit through and choose something else?
/Rant
October 7, 2009 - 2:06 pm
Does the language have any practical use aside from groups wishing to keep the language from dieing? If not, I say let it die…
October 9, 2009 - 8:47 pm
As a person that lives in a country with official bilingualism, who is forced to learn a language that, while more practical isn’t needed where I live, and basically goes through the same process that you do, I fundamentally disagree with your analysis.
It is important that such minority languages are nurtured, especially since they’re on the brink of destruction or threatened, and especially in a country like Ireland, where the national identity has been eroded from years of imperial rule, and will further be eroded because of its inclusion and participation in a broader national organization.
You may be a Eurocrat Panda, but Ireland cannot lose sight of its national character, even as it integrates further into the EU. Ireland’s national character, its drive, and its charisma come from its attachment to ethnicity, language and culture. Ireland needs to maintain those things in order for its citizens and its government to bother to fight for their rights within the EU and the world – an attachment to the country is important for the country to benefit.
So you can berate the promotion of the Irish language, but it is important. It makes you distinct from other countries, and can let you appreciate your history and culture more if you’re willing to open your mind a little.
October 11, 2009 - 11:14 am
I have no problem with the Irish language – I just don’t want the government trying to prop it up. Again, if all these groups are willing to defend it, leave it to them to save the language.
There is serious discrimination with the language. Students who do exams in Irish get a 5-10% score increase. I wouldn’t be surprised if Irish speakers got lower taxes.
October 12, 2009 - 3:38 pm
Panda, You should do an article on the proposed changes to the EU executive.
October 16, 2009 - 8:39 pm
What proposed changes? The Lisbon treaty??
October 16, 2009 - 9:10 pm
Yes.
October 18, 2009 - 7:04 pm
Do it, I have no idea what it is but I have a feeling I should know
October 18, 2009 - 7:57 pm
Lisbon treaty? Google it. It's pretty damn complicated, so in a nutshell – It's reforming the way the EU works. The majority of decisions now require a 55% majority of member states representing 65% of the EU's population. Also, it has has an EU president (Basically attends state affairs) and instead of 1 state on the EU presidency it has 3. That's basically it.