Europe calls our bluff on language

DENMARK insisted on full recognition of its language on joining the then EEC with Ireland and Britain. Ireland did not. At the time, I was working in The Hague and there was a rumour that a highly placed Dutch official opposed Irish lest its introduction lead to the acceptance of Frisian, a regional language in the north of the Netherlands.

Another view was that the Irish were just not sufficiently interested. Whichever view is correct might be ascertained under the 30-year rule, following a request under the Freedom of Information Act.

In fact, Irish negotiators gained recognition for the Irish language in the official texts of EEC (later EU) treaties, since the wording of these might require amendments to our national constitution, where the Irish version over-rides the English in case of doubt.