Turning the tide - Rejuvenating the Irish language

LAST month Údarás na Gaeltachta warned that Irish is unlikely to be the majority spoken language in Gaeltacht areas in ten years time. This near terminal decline, one even faster than had been anticipated, seems inevitable because of the apathy surrounding the use of the language — despite the hundreds of millions spent each year trying to sustain it.

Every campaign to rejuvenate Irish since the foundation of the State has one thing in common — abject failure. The language became politicised and lost its place in the heart of too many people to retain everyday relevance. This is, despite the objectional zealatory of extremists, a pity as once the language is lost it will hardly be possible to revive it.

The tide may be about to turn though, in the most practical way. The GAA in Cork are to run a summer camp for young people through Irish. Some rugby clubs have already done this and the idea has had some success.

Is it possible that freed from the shackles of exams and imposed learning that Irish might again become a living language? Courses like this can only support that hope.

VISIT THE VIEWPOINTS HOME PAGE