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Sinn Fein Irish is enough to make you sic
Monday, 16 February 2009
enlargeAnother European poll looms and a very glossy brochure arrives from Sinn Féin.
Naturally, it is always fun to read these offerings and watch the various parties try and reconcile the square of reality with the circle of aspiration. That is particularly true of Sinn Féin and their overblown rhetoric in “Nation Building – the challenge ahead”. Nation building! Can you hear the drums, Fernando?
Sinn Féin start by saying that “2008 was a significant year that saw further progress made in bedding down the all-Ireland political institutions including the Executive in the North.” For which you can read: unification has been strengthened by partition.
Note, too, that the party still cannot bring itself to write “Northern Ireland”. Indeed, the party’s MEP for Here, Bairbre de Brún, is described as being from the Six Counties while its EU team in the Republic are simply noted as being from Dublin, East, South, East and Northwest. Is that, one wonders, East Free State, South Twenty-Six Counties or Northwest Mexico?
Nor is there any comfort to be found in the party’s use of Irish, the traditional couple of words that are obligatory for all nationalist enterprises. Though, come to think of it, now that the DUP has appointed members to the Irish-language cross-Border body, Foras na Gaeilge, perhaps we can expect a couple words in Ulster Irish in their election material?
Sinn Féin, the richest party in Ireland and a party always boasting about its commitment to Irish, has obviously not invested in something as mundane as an Irish-language dictionary or the marvellous computer spellchecker, GaelSpell (www.gaelspell.com).
Party president Gerry Adams writes: “Tá eolais (sic) sa (sic) foilseacháin (sic) seo ar obair do chuid Airí?” and “tá am deacair eacnamaíochta, naisiúnta (sic) agus idirnaisiúnta (sic) romhain (sic).” While the piece from Deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness, talks of “sochaí cothrom (sic) a cruthú” (sic), “obair furasta” (sic) “ar fud an Tuasiceart” (sic) and “chun phobail (sic) níos sábhailte (sic) a cruthú (sic) ?”
Conor Murphy’s wee bit of Irish has mistakes in it as does Bairbre de Brún’s, Michelle Gildernew’s and Gerry Kelly’s.
Yes, there is enough bad spelling to make anyone sic! The party has declared war on feminine nouns, the genitive case and the síneadh fada (forward accents), all the things that make Irish the distinctive language it is.
Fear not, I have an explanation. Minister for Education, Cáitríona (sic) Ruane, also writes in Shinner Irish that the party “won’t let the DUP or UUP stop the changing process in the Six Counties”. Given her inept leadership over the 11-plus issue and the party’s poor Irish, it would seem that the “changing process” involves making us stupid in two languages.
Can’t wait to see how the DUP answer them in Ulster-Scots.
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Comments
34 Comments
Ever hear of "Is fearr Gaeilge briste ná Bearla cliste" Pól?
I guess not.
Posted by Seán Ó Briain | 28.02.09, 11:38 GMT
If you had any knowledge of history, you would know that when George V addressed the parliament of the north-east of Ireland, he referred to the area as 'the six counties.' And the answer is that many republicans do indeed refer to the south of Ireland as 'the 26-county government.'
Posted by JerryF | 24.02.09, 03:46 GMT
Idea! Change the name of the language from English to American.
Everybody is happy and this is the last article on the subject we will have to read.
Posted by lanelle | 24.02.09, 02:04 GMT
What a pathertic article.
Gerry Adams learned his Irish when he was locked up in prsion.
Pol (sic) O'(sic) Muiri must realise that it is this sort of elitism that puts people off learning the irish language.
Cop yourself on.
Posted by Tarlach | 23.02.09, 15:08 GMT
Alan, no issues, I also made an innocent error, the 4.7% fluent Irish speakers is for Northern Ireland, not the island of Ireland as I had stated, apologies.
The Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht affairs of Ireland report that 41% of people (1.6M) in the Republic are 'competent' in Irish, but there is not a figure given for those who are fluents in Irish (read, write and speak); much like someone who studied French or Spanish at school, fumbling your way through ordering dinner on holiday does not classify you as fluent in that language, but yes, you could say you were 'competent'. That was my point.
There is a great article I found, not sure if the BT will let me post it, but it's about an Irish speaker trying to make his way around Ireland speaking only Irish, and it tells the true picture of the use of the language and the difficulites he faced, but with a bright side to it as well :)
Search for: Cá Bhfuil Na Gaeilg eoirí?
Posted by Steven 73 | 22.02.09, 11:39 GMT
@ Steven 73
Your wife not being able to have a proper conversation through the medium of Irish is an all too common problem which needs rectifying. In fact under the european framework if you achieve a set language standard, you are deemed to be that standard for life, regardless of whether you use the language again or not.
The 4.7 % you quoted is a ridiculous figure just as, and I have already stated, 1.5 million is a gross overestimate, in fact it is laughable (the 1.5 million that is).
I will however accept that I have unduly insulted you and I apologise for any offence caused.
Posted by Alan | 20.02.09, 16:15 GMT
Mickey,
Surely that's "Je ne comprends pas."
Great to see all those French classes weren't wasted.
Posted by Gavin | 20.02.09, 16:00 GMT
@ Mickey
Your continued irrelevance creates a great deal of humour in my life.
1. So you can speak a little french. So can I and many others on this island. Whether more people can speak French or Irish is not the point. The popularity of Irish (Gaeilge) is growing at a steady rate, which Pól should be encouraging rather than belittling. Hopefully Ulster Scots and the Traveller language will follow suit.
2. Just because the Life & Times survey misuse the word "survey" does not make it right. These are the same people who think that the republic has police, and a prime minister. The clue to help you is what they asked people for i.e. their opinion. Just like your arguments the so called "survey" was void of facts.
Void of facts, now that reminds me, you failed to tell us where you were for the 36 years that you failed to realise that the UK was part of the EU. Please do answer!
Posted by Alan | 20.02.09, 15:54 GMT
@ Oor Jimmy
Thank you for reiterating my point although if you had read it properly you could have saved yourself the trouble. Is there something you did not understand about the term "Gross Overestimate".
The point was that there is difficulty in assessing how many people can actually speak the language, and how you determine who you will include as daily users of the language. For example, over 8% of Irish kids are now educated through the medium of Irish, but they do not appear to have been included.
Either way it is clear that the Irish language is more popular than it has been for a long time and it will continue to grow stronger. I hope all languages on the island experience the same fate.
Posted by Alan | 20.02.09, 12:47 GMT
Je suis désolé. Je comprend pas.
Like most/many school children in NI I was taught French (Spanish & German too) in school.
I suspect more readers would understand my French above than any Gaelic Irish.
Posted by mickey | 20.02.09, 12:46 GMT
Now Alan, was the opinion poll to which you refer, just that, or instead a survey?
I believe it was called the "Life & Times Survey, 2007".
Clue is in the word "SURVEY". Actual/hypothetical is irrelevant. It was a s.u.r.v.e.y...
Glad to be of continued assistance....
Posted by mickey | 20.02.09, 12:14 GMT
Is fearr Gaeilge bhriste ná Bearla cliste: Better broken Irish than clever English
Posted by Paddy Kelly | 20.02.09, 12:01 GMT
Alan, why do you think I am lying and what do you believe my agenda is?
If you read my comments again, I am in support of the Irish language, I just think it is so poor that so few people actually speak Irish and I got the figures from an Irish survey, I don't have any hidden agenda?
The fact is, the majority of people on this island cannot speak fluent Irish, as you highlighted, it is getting better, but it's just not used. My wife went to an Irish speaking secondary school in Dublin, they were not allowed to speak English at any point, but she will admit, despite being submersed in the language for five years, having left school many years ago, she could no longer have a true conversation in Irish, so the figure that 1.5 million speak Irish is probably similar to me saying that I speak French because I have a GCSE in French, trust me, I cannot speak French nor would I claim that I can.
I only come on here to express my views, nothing hidden, no agenda, just opinions.
Posted by Steven 73 | 20.02.09, 09:47 GMT
What a lot oV Auld nonsense.
Paul/Pol, I was amazed at one of your previous articles about how you gushed, nay, waxed lyrical with such emphatic overtones about the praises, of the so called Christian brothers. Have you ever checked out their history in Australia? How way off the mark you were with that one….
But here you are again, talking nonsense. Goodness sake man, develop some minerals will ye?! An deliver us a real story and stop payin’ lip service.
Posted by Nexus 6 | 19.02.09, 19:04 GMT
@ Mickey
Get an education and learn the difference between an opinion poll and a survey.
i.e. this survey assessed the actual situation or how many people are actually using Irish on a daily basis. Your opinion poll assessed opinion - not an actual situation or in this case, what people say they might do in a hypothetical situation.
"I trust you feel educated....just trying to help."
Posted by Alan | 19.02.09, 17:54 GMT
Alan,
I would guess that more than 1,500,000 people on this island have also probably received an education in French or Spanish to a similar level as Irish and for that reason I don't think you can justifiably pull them into an argument in support of the Irish language.
Surely frequent use is a more worthwhile measuring stick?
Also
"Ulster Scots (unfortunatley I do not know the proper name of the language)"
I believe the term you were looking for was "Misspelt English"
Posted by Oor Jimmy | 19.02.09, 16:21 GMT
For the majority of people in both NI & the Republic, Latin is the dead language of choice.
PS Des - strikes me that you are now "from Australia".
Posted by PMcMurray | 19.02.09, 15:52 GMT
Alan "Incidentally a 2008 survey has found this figure to be closer to 3% of the population"
Ha, since this is a SURVEY it can be dismissed or swept under the carpet eh Alan?!
Posted by mickey | 19.02.09, 14:48 GMT
@ Steven
Why do you constantly come one here and lie to represent your agenda.
The 4.7% you speak of is for people who use Irish on a daily basis, not for those who can speak the language fluently. Incidentally a 2008 survey has found this figure to be closer to 3% of the population.
2006 census found that approx. 1.5 million can speak Irish although one would expect this to be a gross overestimate as a census is conducted via self reporting and there is no way to actually check.
For your information there are 170 Irish-medium primary schools and 43 Irish-medium secondary schools in the 32 counties, excluding those in Gaeltacht (Irish speaking areas). There are 10 new Irish-medium primary schools and 5 new Irish-medium secondary schools proposed for September. At present there are 35,500 children receiving education through the medium of Irish, outside the Gaeltacht areas.
The language is clearly a lot stronger than you would like to believe.
Posted by Alan | 18.02.09, 16:33 GMT
Steve and Mickey, don't you understand some people can't see your point of view, mainly because their head is buried in sand with their ipod in playing the wolfe tones full blast.
people like des are better of on the other side of the world
Posted by Neill | 18.02.09, 10:50 GMT
34 Comments