Finding our voice: Looking to Wales to save the Irish language

The breathalyser controversy last week revealed how many don’t believe our native language should be part of Official Ireland and that it’s a waste of money. They’re wrong, says Sharon Ni Chonchuir. That’s exactly what has kept Welsh a living language

Croeso i Gymru. These words welcome you to Wales. Written on road signs, they tell you you’re in a country with a language and culture all of its own. Turn on the TV in Wales and you’ll hear Welsh being spoken. Listen to the radio and chances are you’ll catch bands like the Super Furry Animals singing in their native tongue.

We have our own language in Ireland too. It features on road signs but in a smaller font to English. We’ve got an Irish-language TV channel but only a proportion of its programming is in Irish. And, Des Bishop aside, popular culture has yet to embrace Irish.