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Do Protestants really think the Irish language is not for them?
Protestants and unionists have nothing to fear from the Irish language, according to the author of a new book. In Towards Inclusion Dr Ian Malcolm examines the historic Protestant engagement with Irish and discovers what young Protestants today think of the language
Thursday, 30 July 2009
How do you feel when you hear the expression “Tiocfaidh Ár Lá”? It’s Irish, of course, and it means “Our Day Will Come”.
Sadly, it’s probably the one phrase of Irish that every Protestant and unionist understands.
How you react to those three simple words probably defines your overall attitude towards the language.
Yet it needn’t be so. If you knew even a little Irish, you’d quickly discover how to say “Ní Thiocfaidh Bhur Lá” — “Your Day Will NOT Come”.
There’s no such thing as a “political” language, but any language can be used politically and that’s where Irish has suffered.
History proves that Protestants have engaged positively with Irish over many centuries: only in relatively recent times has it become associated with nationalism and republicanism.
Politics and perception continue to exert a doleful influence on the debate, but there is tremendous reason for optimism.
Young people are the future of any society, and it’s important we find out what they think — not just about Irish, but about everything. Towards Inclusion reveals that many young Protestants have a tremendous curiosity about the language.
For starters they are much more open-minded about Irish than their parents. Many regretted not having the opportunity to learn it at school.
I believe that the best way to promote Irish on an all-inclusive basis is what I call “Living Irish” — that’s the language that’s all around us in placenames, surnames and even in the “Irish” way we use English.
A quick “geek” at Stormont Live uncovers the hidden Gaelic heritage of many of our politicians — McCrea, McIlveen, Campbell, Simpson, Donaldson and Paisley are just a few. Being a staunch unionist is clearly no bulwark against having a good Gaelic name...
Students were fascinated by placenames because they tell us so much about the geography, the history or the mythology of where we live. People of every background have a tremendous sense of attachment to their placenames, even if they don’t know they’re Irish.
In fact, you’ll find no better exhibition of Irish placenames than on the banners fluttering proudly in the breeze at a rural demonstration on the Twelfth of July.
Many years ago a unionist councillor, renowned for his determination to stop the evil republican octopus spreading its foul tentacles over the six, sweet counties of Northern Ireland, bristled when the matter was raised in his council.
He proudly proclaimed “Over my dead body will they translate Drumnahuncheon into Irish”. He needn’t have worried — Gaelicising so Irish a name would have been impossible.
I discovered many fascinating things during my research. For example, Church of Ireland participants were generally more favourable towards Irish than their Presbyterian counterparts. An interesting reversal of history, for Presbyterians are often credited with “saving” the Irish language.
Younger respondents were more positive about the language than those who were even just a few years older. This is probably the Children of the Ceasefire factor at work.
Virtually everyone questioned believed that Protestants should be given the opportunity to learn Irish — but only as an option. Compulsory Irish would be disastrous.
We all need to appreciate that Irish, like any language, can be used to express whatever view or belief you have. You might want to say “Ar Son Dé agus Uladh” — “For God and Ulster”.
Next time you’re at Windsor Park you could even launch into a resounding chorus of “Ní Sinne an Bhraisíl ach Tuaisceart Éireann” — “We’re Not Brazil: We’re Northern Ireland”.
Like a Meccano set, all the bits and pieces are there. How you put them together is up to you, but if you can say it in English, you can say it “as Gaeilge” too.
Perhaps “Living Irish” is the key to helping everyone begin to understand that everything is possible in this beautiful language which enriches us all in so many ways.
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Comments
43 Comments
I doubt this man would be saying the same about Ullans.
I am currently embarking on a journey to try to learn the languages of the British Isles, i plan on starting with Ullans and Irish.
But i am continually put of my people telling me MY culture is half baked but i must respect theirs, and im tired of it, when the kids learn ullans and irish together that will be the day im happy.
Posted by Connor (good gaelic name) | 16.08.09, 22:38 GMT
The Mighty B,
The reference to MacNeill was in response to another poster. Perhaps you should read more closely. It is not an irrelevant point about the connections between modren republicanism (1800s onwards) and the promotion of the language today. These connections make it even more irrelevant to those in the PUL community.
The poster above you 'Mairin' outlines eactly the reasons why it is important to that movement today. The promotion of inherant 'Irishness' in all inhabitants of this island has clear political value. It forms part of a justification for political views and beliefs and seeks to exclude those outside of the irish ethno-nationalist clique. The "we were here first" line of thought. Particularly those who do not have any affliation towards it. Those are the reasons why it is mis-trusted. And rightly so.
This is message is falling on deaf ears as your only motivation here is to portray 'Irish'=good, British=bad.
Posted by Ze Oracle | 06.08.09, 13:27 GMT
Ian, Irish has no place in our "modern-day culture" does it? So the Hungarians should stop speaking Hungarian should they? The French should stop speaking French? What a farcical comment.
Irish is a language older than English, one which has a vastly older literature as well. Irish provides the basis for Scottish Gaelic and Manx so I think it certainly does have a place in our globalized world. What a limited view of the world you have. Sad.
Also Observer, Irish is the native language of Ireland because it was the first language spoken all over the country. We have no records of the language(s) spoken before that, or even how many were spoken. Irish therefore is the native language as it was the first lingua franca between the tribes of this island and as it provides the basis for most of our names, our towns, our island (Ireland from the old Irish Eiru) etc.
Indeed, Hiberno-English (the native dialect of Ireland) borrows many words and constructions directly from Irish.
Posted by Mazarin | 03.08.09, 18:23 GMT
So Gaelic Irish is the native language of the Island?
Ireland was first inhabited by migrants from mainland Britain (probably Scotland) shortly after the end of the last ice age. Lets be conservative and say 8000 years ago. The celts/Gaels arrived, it is now known in small numbers, some 2000 years ago. Assuming the idigenous population were not mute, what language did they speak? Hard to say as pre-Celtic studies don't appear to be very popular amongst Irish academics.
Irish priests wrote in Irish. Throughout Europe priests wrote in Latin, a language not representative of the native populations. It is now scientifically proven the the population of Ireland is NOT predominantly celtic. The only way for Irish to have become the primary spoken language in Ireland is if it had been imposed by a political elite.
Hardly a good reason to try to reimpose it in these tough times, particularly when the Irish government have just axed to department repsonsible for the Gaeltact.
Posted by Observer | 03.08.09, 13:37 GMT
Irish language, huh, what?
It’s a defunct form of verbal communication.
It has no place whatsoever, in our modern-day culture.
Wise up you Philistines.
Irish, is a dead language. It is irrelevant and misplaced.
I pity the ignorance of the timid
Posted by Ian | 02.08.09, 17:17 GMT
Visited Belfast in February with my Aussie Husband went to an Irish language class at Maddens Pub, also had a try at Irish set dancing. What a night great company, craic and Music and Im a Protestant originally from East Belfast.
Thanks everyone.Ann & Doug (Capricorn Coast)
Posted by Ann Womersley | 02.08.09, 06:05 GMT
I've read through these comments, and am amazed at how a question about the usage of the Irish language has been either ignored or manipulated into a platform for political views?
Irish is the NATIVE LANGUAGE of Ireland, and LONG in use before Chrisianity, political agendas ever existed there. Language,customs and culture of a native people were nearly replaced due to occupation of a FOREIGN nation. The British empire as a matter of course sought to supplant the belief systems and culture in every land they occupied. Irish survived in spite of their influence!
Resurgence of a language under these conditions is remarkable and a credit to those who've sought to restore the linguistic identity of the Irish race. It's a living language; to dismiss it's growth and change is absurd. All languages change just as the world does. And everyone should have the choice to learn and explore their heritage. A nation without it's language is a nation without a soul. Ti'r gan teanga Ti'r gan anam!
Posted by mairin | 01.08.09, 05:00 GMT
To Ze Oracle -
thanks, but I made no reference to either Messrs Hyde & MacNéill or the Gaelic League. The point I was making was quite clear. Your inference, however, was that Irish cultural identity was somehow phoney or false. The fact that the prime movers in what has morphed into the modern republican movement were strong advocates of the language is largely irrelevant. The fact is that a certain hardcore cabal within unionism detest the language because they are vehemently anti-Irish and anti-Catholic. However, the next time I bump into my local SF representative I will beseech him to stop speaking as Gaeilge as it does the language a disservice.
Posted by The Mighty Begorrah | 31.07.09, 19:03 GMT
Ze Oracle,
I am intrigued by your reference to Eoin MacNeill. His inspiration in for the founding of the Irish Volunteers was the Ulster Volunteers and this was outlined in his essay "The North Began". While initially duped into accepting the 1916 Rising by a combination of forgery and kidnapping on the part of some of its participants, Mac Neill ultimately countermanded the order for the Rising. He was essentially against armed rebillion and believed it could only be justified on the basis of an overwhelming democratic mandate. The flaw of the 1916 Rising was that it had no democratic mandate.
Its to be noted MacNeill was an Ulsterman from Glenarm, Co Antrim.
Posted by Octavian | 31.07.09, 15:27 GMT
The purpose of my last comment is to reiterate that there are good reasons for those in the PUL community to have suspicions about the motviations and appeal of the use of the Irish language.
Its relevance today is borderline, historically, it has been used and still is being used by some as a vehcile to undermine our own culture and reinforce division.
This is perhaps an "enrichment" that we could do without.
Posted by Ze Oracle | 31.07.09, 13:14 GMT
'The Mighty B'
You are shooting so very wide of the mark, it almost seems intentional. The culture to which you refer in ancient terms is not in question. The association in contemporary history with resurgent Irish republicanism in the form of the Easter Rebels is also a matter of historical fact. The reference to the Gaelic League is an interesting one. Hyde was a co-founder although his reputation and description as a 'Protestant Unionist' is at the very least highly questionable. The Gaelic League was cofounded with Eoin MacNeill, Chief of Staff of the Irish Volunteers. Who opposed the Rising of 1916 only because he didn't think it could be militarily successful. Again there are clear links between the individuals political motivations in their involvement with the promotion of the irish language.
Clearly, the same motivations are at work today. Modern republicans have an interest in promoting ethnic Irish identity distinct from Unionist Britishness.
Posted by Ze Oracle | 31.07.09, 12:17 GMT
Enlightening stuff there from Paddy Taylor!
"it's the Island of Ireland", indeed it is - consisting of Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland.
Happy to be of assistance.
Posted by m!ck | 31.07.09, 11:52 GMT
Paddy Taylor,
If that is the case, when are you going to give America back to the Indians?
Posted by Will Hawkes | 31.07.09, 11:40 GMT
Purely as an observer,(I'm English ) I would presume and hope that the nationals of any country in the world would be proud to have a mother tongue,and be adept at speaking it.
Surely it is a part of the Irish heritage,that was in place long before England cast its influence over the Isle?
Learn, speak, use your Mother tongue and be proud to be Irish,whether from the North or South.
Posted by Pompeyroll | 31.07.09, 11:04 GMT
I know many English people who have learnt Irish, simply for the joy of learning. It's sad that in NI it has become a political tool, Irish is the native language of this island (and of the Scots settlers, or at least their ancestors who spoke the Scottish dialect) so to make it a political issue out of it is ridiculous.
Irish is for everyone. But it shouldn't be forced, those who don't want to learn it shouldn't have to, but those who want to tap into their ancestory, whether that be Catholic, Protestant, Quaker or whatever should be able to.
And enough with the Scots rubbish. Have any of you ever read it? It isn't a language, it's a dialect of late Middle English. I can understand all of it and have never studied it once, indeed it's mostly just Englaish writan loike dis, so to call it a separate language is downright idiotic.
Posted by Voltaire | 31.07.09, 10:44 GMT
GREAT PIECE !! We, as Irish Americans, wish for the unity, protestant/ catholic to realize, it's the Island of Ireland, how you got there, how we got here, is not a question, it's the isle of Ireland
Posted by Paddy Taylor | 31.07.09, 02:22 GMT
Ze, The Gaelic League established by Douglas Hyde (church of Ireland man) and later first president of Ireland reinvigorated the language not the IRB.
Posted by Steve | 31.07.09, 00:00 GMT
I have a friend who worked in Pomeroy in the RUC. He was also a fluent Irish speaker and it was a always a source of great amusement to him and his colleagues when some of the local Republicans, when stopped at a Vehicle Check Point, would try and give him a few bad manners in Irish. The vehicle`s occupants didn`t know where to look or what to say when he gave them his swift response in gaelic. We still laugh about it.
Posted by Cliff | 30.07.09, 22:32 GMT
To 'Ze Oracle' - 'The association of the Irish language with republicanism is well established' - really? Do you think that Irish republicans should perhaps associate with say, Swedish or Swahili? What a bizarre comment to make.
Is this 'faux cultural identity' that you speak of the one that Roman historians outlined two millenia ago? The one that Irish monks described in vivid detail from the advent of literacy on this island in the fifth century onward? Or would the true 'faux cultural identity' be the one that was borne out of an anti-Catholic pogrom instigated by thugs known as the 'Peep o' day boys' in 1795?
I know which one most reputable historians would rest their money on.
Posted by The Mighty Begorrah | 30.07.09, 19:31 GMT
Unfortunately Irish has been used as a political symbol in Northern Ireland, as a unionist I feel that it has some relevance to everyone however the way that it has been handled has made it appear as a republican symbol to many. I consider myself to be descended from Scots settlers who's ancestors probably also spoke Gaelic, in a sense it is a shared language for both communities however I fear the opportunity to use it for this purpose may have long been lost. The campaign to have billingual signs by putting stickers over road signs 'An Gaeilge Anois' is one example I feel of a current misuse of the language, and has caused irritation.
Posted by Kenny | 30.07.09, 18:58 GMT
43 Comments