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Antaine
Member Username: Antaine
Post Number: 284 Registered: 10-2004
| Posted on Saturday, March 26, 2005 - 05:40 pm: |
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I recently came into possession of a complete Encyclopædia Britannica, 13th edition. This consists of the text of the the legendary 1910, 11th edition reprinted without change, and several added volumes at the end to cover the period 1910-26. It is in one of those added volumes that "Irish Language" first gets its own entry (it was not even part of the "Ireland" entry in the years before. Following is a passage consisting of the final two paragraphs of the single-column entry: "Formerly many people might have been noticed, especially young men and women, wearing a gold ring on their dress in the streets of the bigger cities and towns. This was to show that they spoke Irish and wished to be addressed in that language. It was observed that many of these people came to a violent end, and the wearing of this ring was consequently to some extent discontinued. It is significan that after the formation of the Free State the wearing of this ring was largely resumed. For examinations held under the auspices of the civil service commission in the Irish Free State Irish was made an essential subject. Indeed, it seems certain that a knowledge of Irish will be in future years a necessity for all aspirants to Government posts and that no young man who does not know something about it will be looked upon as properly educated. From 1927-8 forward Irish is to be compulsory in all secondary schools. "Finally, it may be said that whilst the reading, writing and speaking of the Irish language increased very much during this period [1910-1926*] in the towns, amongst the cultured classes in teh north-west, west and south, where it was naturally spoken, it did not fare so well; in many of these places barely holding its own against English. *brackets mine |
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Aonghus
Member Username: Aonghus
Post Number: 1190 Registered: 08-2004
| Posted on Sunday, March 27, 2005 - 02:56 pm: |
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quote:It was observed that many of these people came to a violent end And being the encylopedia Britannica, there is no hint of why, or at whose hands! |
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Antaine
Member Username: Antaine
Post Number: 285 Registered: 10-2004
| Posted on Sunday, March 27, 2005 - 03:37 pm: |
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true, but I was therefore surprised to see it mentioned at all, and given a hopeful prognosis to boot... |
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