Our language must be spoken if it is to flourish
Most of the primary school day is spent on Maths and English and in several schools Irish is not taught on a daily basis and it is never spoken outside of book controlled class time. A brilliant curriculum is being introduced next year and teachers will get one or two days off to familiarise themselves with it. They will speak English to each other whilst attending the course over lunch and will continue to murder the language back in their respective classrooms thereafter.
The teaching of Irish in schools and teacher training colleges leaves a lot to be desired. I challenge anyone to go into a teacher training college and ask for basic directions as Gaeilge from any student they meet.
How can we ask teachers to transfer a love of a language if the teacher feels incompetent speaking it themselves.
I went into a school recently and I spoke as Gaeilge to the principal and she responded in English. I knew by her embarrassment that she did not have the competency to speak as Gaeilge to me. So principals too are failing the Irish language in their schools due to their own inability to speak the language. Why is there not a real and practical emphasis on the use of Gaeilge in Irish teacher training colleges?
When I met Michael D Higgins at the Fleadh Cheoils before he was elected President he would grab my hand firmly and speak beautiful Irish.
My recommendation for him is in 2016 is to make all his speeches in Ireland as Gaeilge and an interpreter can give the speech in English or perhaps they could use English subtitles?
There was just one Irish speaking room at the Fleadh Cheoil Headquarters this year. In cafes and shops no Irish was in use. Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann should inform Ennis 2016 that Irish will be the main language of communication used in the bars, hotels and restaurants throughout the two week festival. “Is ar scáth a chéile a mhairimíd.”
The Oireachtas in City West was also fantastic this year. But I do not understand why they too, like CCE, cannot employ third level students who are studying Irish to work in the bars and restaurants.
We need to stop looking back and take the vision of our 1916 leaders forward and demand next year a referendum on language equality. By doing so doing we will have done something practical to commemorate the 1916 leaders.
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