‘Your country — your call’, but not as Gaeilge

I WAS dismayed when I was told I could not submit my application to the ‘Your country — your call’ website because it was in the first official language of the state.

This website displays several Irish phrases such as “is leatsa é”, etc, with a large photograph of President Mary McAleese on the home page. I’m sure the President would not put her name to such a site knowing Irish speakers are excluded. After all, the President is there to uphold our constitutional rights.

It seems clear to me that people who speak and do their daily business through Irish do not have the same constitutional rights as English speakers.

On enquiry I was given a lot of technical gobbledegook as to why Irish speakers could not enter. It seems the promoters of the site do not wish to facilitate those who think differently from them. I think we are ashamed of our identity as well as our language. Maybe they should change the name of this site to ‘Your call — Ireland’s Call’.

Con MacParthaláin

Páirc an Charraig

Baile an Locha

Corcaigh