mainoff.gif
lastdyoff.gif
lastwkoff.gif
treeoff.gif
searchoff.gif
helpoff.gif
contactoff.gif
creditsoff.gif
homeoff.gif


The Daltaí Boards » Archive: 2005- » 2007 (March-April) » Archive through March 19, 2007 » Irish Language Acts « Previous Next »

Author Message
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Sgm
Member
Username: Sgm

Post Number: 49
Registered: 02-2006


Posted on Wednesday, February 28, 2007 - 04:16 pm:   Small TextLarge TextEdit Post Print Post

A chairde,

it's been a while because I'm preparing for my intermediate exams and that's exactly my question.
My topic is "The importance of the Irish Language in the 19th century"

Now, I have found very helpful books on the topic (including Tony Crowley's "War of Words: the politics of language in Ireland from 1537-2004" which is a very interesting read). What I lack are lists about Language Acts or laws, meaning what was proposed or passed in what year, even pre-19th century.

Does anyone of you guys know an official side where I can find this?

Thanks in advance.

Mise le meas,
Stefan

FRC - Fáilte Roimh Cheartúcháin

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Scathach
Member
Username: Scathach

Post Number: 53
Registered: 02-2007
Posted on Wednesday, February 28, 2007 - 05:12 pm:   Small TextLarge TextEdit Post Print Post

Here's a link, it might be too basic for you.
http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Irish_language

But from what I can remember from university days when Lord Stanley set up the National School system in 1831 with the infamous Lord Stanley letter, Irish was forbidden even in Irish speaking areas. Irish was eventually introduced. In 1879,commissioners of national education began to pay result fees for Irish when taught as an extra subject for advanced pupil, as an extra subject outside of school hours. Between 1831 and 1870 the minutes of the commissioners contain only two references to the language. One was the refusal to appoint a teacher of Irish in a school. I don't remember the second. Strangely enough, the teachers in 1831 didn't agitate unduly about not teaching through Irish, which seems strange as you'd think it would be easier to teach someone in their mother tongue. The petitions only started after the 1870's and it wasn't by the teachers or the managers of schools. The petitions were lodged by middle class groups like the Society for the Preservation of the Irish Language, the Gaelic Union and the Gaelic League.

There's a very good book called "The Irish Education Experiment" by Donald H. Akenson. There's a chapter in that book that deals with the issue of education and the Irish Language. I have a copy somewhere so if you can't find one, I'll unearth mine and I can post whatever answers you need.

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Sgm
Member
Username: Sgm

Post Number: 50
Registered: 02-2006


Posted on Thursday, March 01, 2007 - 03:28 pm:   Small TextLarge TextEdit Post Print Post

A chara,

that was very helpful so far. Thank you so much. When I'm done working the material through, and something should be missing, I'll be back here to call for help :-)

best wishes.

Mise le meas,
Stefan

FRC - Fáilte Roimh Cheartúcháin

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Domhnall
Member
Username: Domhnall

Post Number: 827
Registered: 06-2005


Posted on Friday, March 02, 2007 - 07:34 am:   Small TextLarge TextEdit Post Print Post

Stefan a chara,

Might i suggest that you will be writing about the LACK of Irish Language Acts etc..

British policy in Ireland was to wipe out the language and so many were passed that the language almost died.

Try researching the Penal Laws , Cromwell , The Plantations , The effects of the famine ,

You may be able to get quite a bit on these because these things directly or indirectly had a huge effect on the language, and it may be argued that the tide has still to turn...

A people without a language of its own is only half a nation.A nation should guard its language more than its territories, 'tis a surer barrier and a more important frontier than mountain or river

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Fog1990
Member
Username: Fog1990

Post Number: 4
Registered: 03-2007


Posted on Friday, March 02, 2007 - 11:52 am:   Small TextLarge TextEdit Post Print Post

"...these things directly or indirectly had a huge effect on the language, and it may be argued that the tide has still to turn..."

Domhnaill, I'm sorry, but i sincerely doubt the Irish language will make a comeback, at least certainly within the next several years... the attitude the majority of Irish people have towards the language is that they simply don't care or find it too hard. Even in the gaeltacht regions, the "bean an tí" women speak Irish only if they have to, or if it's to someone they've known a long time. They don't speak it unless there are students around or if they have to.

I would like to think it'll come back, and it probably is very slowly, but it will probably take years, until most narrow-minded Irish people take a different view towards it...

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Eoin
Member
Username: Eoin

Post Number: 176
Registered: 10-2004


Posted on Sunday, March 04, 2007 - 08:33 am:   Small TextLarge TextEdit Post Print Post

I think you are a leetle pesamistic perhaps...

Where I live - Cois Fhairrige - the local Glór na nGael Committee is very strong so stron that the parish has won the Glór na nGael competition, 40,ooo Euro, for the third (I think) time.

In my own townland there are about 25 houses and those with children seem to be speaking Irish amongst themselves as do the children.

The real problem is that the English language media don't give a whatever for Irish. This is a fundamental change in what things were like forty or fifty years ago. Remember it was an English language newspaper that published Mairtín Ó Cadhain in serial form in the late forties/fifties. Can anybody imagine that happening now.

However we do have an Irish Language daily newspaper now, Foinse every week and other periodicals too, several Irish Language Radio stations (RnaG, Raidío na Life, Raidío Fáilte agus Raidío Idirlíon (http://www.rid.ie). TG4 is there now - an excuse for RTÉ to broadcast less in Irish.

You are right things ain't that good but they are incomparably better in some ways than they were say twenty years ago when the state abandoned the cause.

Every thing that has been gained has not been through the leadership of the people but from the agitation of the grass roots...look at things like Stádas na Gaeilge in the European Union, TG4, Raidío na Gaeltachta, na Gaelscoileanna virtually all established in the teeth of opposition from the Dept of Education. (The story of Ballymun Gaelscoil in the seventies is a lesson in just how strong the departmental opposition can be.)

Today the Department of Education is still actively opposing education through Irish. Just look at the debacle of Col Iosagán in Baile Mhuirne where the minister turned the sod of an Irish Training College in 1999 and still they are wondering if it is a good idea.

Then there is the road sineage debate....

agus mar sin de

Nuacht Ghaeltacht na Gaillimhe agus Deisceart Mhuigheó http://anghaeltacht.net/ce

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Domhnall
Member
Username: Domhnall

Post Number: 834
Registered: 06-2005


Posted on Tuesday, March 06, 2007 - 11:47 am:   Small TextLarge TextEdit Post Print Post

Jeeez bhí mé féin ag an ócáid sin dé sathairn eoin, an raibh tú ann..

Fog, it's a fact that 80% of irish people empathise/ would like to be able to speak etc etc Gaeilge...

And it's getting stronger in the Galltacht, and weaker in the Gaeltachtaí (apart from this wonderful west belfast gaeltacht where i am now!)

Eoin, yes we do have Lá Nua but you can't get it in conamara!!! Lanuatv.com is coming soon!

A people without a language of its own is only half a nation.A nation should guard its language more than its territories, 'tis a surer barrier and a more important frontier than mountain or river

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Ultán
Member
Username: Ultán

Post Number: 36
Registered: 11-2004
Posted on Tuesday, March 06, 2007 - 02:59 pm:   Small TextLarge TextEdit Post Print Post

Dhomhnaill a chara,
Last year we had a Thread on the Tenga Gaeilge in Iochtar na hÉireann namely Béal Feirste re- the number of Unionist/Protestant speakers. I would be very interested as to your thoughts and any information you have picked up on this subject in the Tuaisceart. Also any personal experiences with said group? Is there a Gaeilge group that welcomes non-Nationists .... for people like myself?

Is the Clonnard mainistir still there??

Go raibh maith agat.

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Sgm
Member
Username: Sgm

Post Number: 51
Registered: 02-2006


Posted on Friday, March 09, 2007 - 08:39 am:   Small TextLarge TextEdit Post Print Post

A Dhomhnaill, a chara,

quote:

British policy in Ireland was to wipe out the language and so many were passed that the language almost died

this is exactly what I was looking into. I know that there was done little to promote Irish in the proper way (if such a thing really exist...) but it was those laws against the language that I wanted to have a look at.

quote:

the Penal Laws , Cromwell , The Plantations , The effects of the famine

I did, thank you. I'm just having an oral exam, so these points should do

Go raibh maith agat/agaibh.

P.S.: Dála an scéil, a Dhomhnaill, is dócha go ndearna mé dearmad an rphoist a scríobh duit ar ais, nach ea? Tá brón orm. Má tá an t-am agam arís... :-)

Mise le meas,
Stefan

FRC - Fáilte Roimh Cheartúcháin

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Domhnall
Member
Username: Domhnall

Post Number: 839
Registered: 06-2005


Posted on Wednesday, March 14, 2007 - 05:34 am:   Small TextLarge TextEdit Post Print Post

Fadhb ar bith Stefan...

Ultach, tá an chuma ar an scéal gur cuma le Gaeilgeoirí cén cúlra atá ag gaeilgeoirí eile... It's not as if you say "Dia Duit, what religion do you believe?" .. Unless you go out of your way and shove your religious/political beliefs it shouldn't ever be an issue. I don't think there's any specific group for Prod/Unionist Gaeilgeoirí.. There is one or two Protestant Gaeilgeoirí from Tuaisceart Eireann on this forum, and they were at the Acht Gaeilge march, along with the 5000 others..

In all fairness, there is your man Malcolm Dearg who writes in Lá Nua and he's a protestant unionist Gaeilgeoir...

Never heard of the Clonnard mainistir??

A people without a language of its own is only half a nation.A nation should guard its language more than its territories, 'tis a surer barrier and a more important frontier than mountain or river



©Daltaí na Gaeilge