GAA becoming a Gaeilge free zone?

IIMII

Noticed a while back that the new intertwinned GAA symbol was becoming more prevalent and that CLG has all but been dropped from literature. Whilst looking at www.gaa.ie I notice that it doesn't even have a couple of token words as Gaeilge. The only link I could find led to some forms and a Leinster Council initiative. It's amazing, I thought with TG4's efforts there would have been a recipricol effort made on the part of the GAA. Seems that it's a one way street on that front.

Yavvy

yeah I have to agree with you. The GAA seem to have lost one of their core values ..as a core value. Im sure Gaelic language is still important to them ...but not as important.

Perhaps its a sign of that times that retaining our language is no longer as important as we don't have a foreign occupying force - and defending our national identity doesn't mean promoting the language ... as much.

BTW PLEASE DO NOT START A POLITICAL DISCUSSION OUT OF THIS .. you can invite me to discuss in the politics forum if you want to take issue. this thread is about the reduction of the use of Irish language in the GAA

IIMII

Alany wrote: »

BTW PLEASE DO NOT START A POLITICAL DISCUSSION OUT OF THIS .. you can invite me to discuss in the politics forum if you want to take issue. this thread is about the reduction of the use of Irish language in the GAA

I know what the thread is about! I started it, and I didn't mention politics.. But since you mention it, I have political opinions like everyone one else, but I don't think there should be any connection between any language and politics. You'l get further politicing in English than in Irish in this country anyway. I studied English at College btw, and I have no problem with the English language. But the fact of the matter is that the name of the association (in English too) is the Gaelic Athletic Association, and a wee bit of Gaelic would be nice.

It might also be worth pointing out that when I attended Ireland v Scotland Hurling Shinty match in Scotland 2 years ago, the Scots had the scoreboard written as Alba and Éire. Most of those lads are Protestant (so it wasn't sectarian), Scot/British (so it wasn't political) and to be honest they put a wee bit more effort into it than we did. Nor did they see Gaeilge as political so why would we?

I didn't introduce it as a political topic

Grudaire

I agree, the GAA is happy to let some parts of its objectives go, the problem is that mostly they're the parts I like!

The problem is that if people aren't willing to stand up and insist on things like Irish staying it will drift away...

Yavvy

OP - My comments were not directed at you, apologies if it seemed like they were. I think its a great topic you brought up - should be a good discussion.

Its just I could see a potential for this thread going a bit political from other users.

Mr. Incognito

Well the GAA was founded as an organisation to promote gaelic games, traditions and aye, the language, the problem isn't really the GAA, it's the death of the language in general.

Maybe the GAA has neglected that side of things with the emphasis being on the physical games, but lets face it, it's not called the Grab all association for nothing. Punters PAY to come watch the games.

Maybe it should run it's summer training GAA camps through Irish for kids? that's an idea, kinda like a summer camp and gael scoil mixed into one.

Deedsie

Mr. Incognito wrote: »

Maybe it should run it's summer training GAA camps through Irish for kids? that's an idea, kinda like a summer camp and gael scoil mixed into one.

I think thats a really good idea. The GAA could do a bit more in relation to the language in fairness. Have they much involvement in Seachtain ná Gaeilge?

IIMII

Alany wrote: »

OP - My comments were not directed at you, apologies if it seemed like they were. I think its a great topic you brought up - should be a good discussion.

Don't worry about it..

Alany wrote: »

Its just I could see a potential for this thread going a bit political from other users.

That is always a problem. Some people sometimes approach language issues from a political rather than a language point of view (and I have a strong interest in politics). But when that happens you unfortunately have others that attack Gaeilge politically in reaction. The point of the matter again though is that irrespective of games, politics etc, the language should be worth using and learning on it's own merits. What is sad is that it looks like the almost forensic elimination of Gaeilge from the www.gaa.ie site means that someone or will have to approach CLG to ask them to correct that, instead of the Association having taken the initiative themselves..

Grudaire

IIMII wrote: »

What is sad is that it looks like the almost forensic elimination of Gaeilge from the www.gaa.ie site means that someone or will have to approach CLG to ask them to correct that, instead of the Association having taken the initiative themselves..

Also while they offer free websites for clubs, the .gaa.ie websites have no ability to be bi-lingual.

blackbelt

I have noticed this even with jersies.Just looking at my collection of Dublin jersies,the 2002-2004 has Dublin on it and not Átha Cliath.Same for 2007-2008 jersey while the jersies or Geansai from 2005-2007 and the present jersey has Átha Cliath on it.

I think it has a lot to do with marketing the product(s) to foreign markets and tourists that come to Ireland.

IIMII

That said the International rules jersey had Éire this time, and Ireland last time.. Nice touch with Éire this time, especially as the Scots have theirs as Alba

corcaioch

Mr. Incognito wrote: »

Well the GAA was founded as an organisation to promote gaelic games, traditions and aye, the language, the problem isn't really the GAA, it's the death of the language in general.

Maybe the GAA has neglected that side of things with the emphasis being on the physical games, but lets face it, it's not called the Grab all association for nothing. Punters PAY to come watch the games.

Maybe it should run it's summer training GAA camps through Irish for kids? that's an idea, kinda like a summer camp and gael scoil mixed into one.

I agree that the problem isn't the GAA's but as part of the GAA's core values is the promotion of the language, then I think the could be doing more in that. Especially with the membership the GAA has nationwide and the influence it has. Also, if TG4 weren't showing so much GAA, what televised GAA coverage would there be for the 7 months of the year when the Championship isn't running?

Daysha

In terms of match programmes though theres still a huge emphasis on Irish, both in the articles and the team names.

I know this isn't directly directed at Gaeilge, but there is still a whole host of traditional GAA customs before, during and after a match that still take place. Like the march around the field before the game....could you imagine Cristiano Ronaldo marching around Old Trafford behind the Artane Boys Band?!

IIMII

corcaioch wrote: »

I agree that the problem isn't the GAA's but as part of the GAA's core values is the promotion of the language, then I think the could be doing more in that. Especially with the membership the GAA has nationwide and the influence it has. Also, if TG4 weren't showing so much GAA, what televised GAA coverage would there be for the 7 months of the year when the Championship isn't running?

I agree. I don't understand why CLG hasn't tied in with Conradh na Gaeilge to try to offer a nationwide programme of adult classes in each club, follwed by Céilí-s for example. I just think even without any effort, there could be some attempt made with the website at least. Is there even a language promotion officer in HQ?

Daysha wrote: »

I know this isn't directly directed at Gaeilge, but there is still a whole host of traditional GAA customs before, during and after a match that still take place.

And those customs are grand, but in fairness our native language is more deserving than being regulated to the custom catagory, and unlike customs of pagaentry Gaeilge is a rich language which allows everyone to participate (and not just the winning captain)

Imposter

I think originally the GAA had the aim to keep Irish customs and traditions alive as that was what was populist at the time the constitution was written. Nowadays the reality is that Irish, Irish dancing and Irish music are just not as popular and the GAA has adapted to that reality.

One bugbear of mine though is the writing of the team names in Irish. In theory a team can lose a match if 1 name is wrongly spelt in Irish! For me a persons name is a persons name whether that's the english, Irish or whatever variant of the name.

IIMII

Imposter wrote: »

In theory a team can lose a match if 1 name is wrongly spelt in Irish! For me a persons name is a persons name whether that's the english, Irish or whatever variant of the name.

And in theory the GAA support Gaeilge, but that's not the reality. I have no problem with people using the English form of their names, or Polish or whatever for that matter. Ironically though in virtually every setting in Irish society, if you have an Irish name, you will inevitable be asked for it's English translation at one time or another, in a way which implies 'what's your name really'. In the overall scheme of things, Irish forms of names scribbled on team sheets are fairly harmless. But hey, I'd rather see a real effort made rather than teamsheet-tokenism, so I'm not bothered one way or the other

Gingy

IIMII wrote: »

I agree. I don't understand why CLG hasn't tied in with Conradh na Gaeilge to try to offer a nationwide programme of adult classes in each club, follwed by Céilí-s for example. I just think even without any effort, there could be some attempt made with the website at least. Is there even a language promotion officer in HQ?

And those customs are grand, but in fairness our native language is more deserving than being regulated to the custom catagory, and unlike customs of pagaentry Gaeilge is a rich language which allows everyone to participate (and not just the winning captain)

Agree fully, First President of CnaG/Amongst first patrons of GAA Douglas Hyde said, CnaG was founded to develop the intellectual side of Irishness, while the GAA was founded to develop the physical side of Irishness and that the two should work together.

For years the GAA were one of the main custodians of preserving the language, but IMO now that Irish is becoming fashionable again and more organisations are promoting the language (even the FAI), unfortunately the GAA is losing their ties with the language. Alan Milton was recently appointed PRO of the Association and I know that he proudly wears his fáinne so hopefully he can help promote the language.

IIMII

Gingy wrote: »

Agree fully, First President of CnaG/Amongst first patrons of GAA Douglas Hyde said, CnaG was founded to develop the intellectual side of Irishness, while the GAA was founded to develop the physical side of Irishness and that the two should work together.

Oft forgotten

Gingy wrote: »

Alan Milton was recently appointed PRO of the Association and I know that he proudly wears his fáinne so hopefully he can help promote the language.

Hopefully. They've been doing great work elsewhere but online CLG is becoming a monoglot organisation.

Time to put the Gaelic back in the Gaelic Athletic Association

Agus

Irish for the GAA

http://content.yudu.com/Library/A13b8q/GaeilgeRiachtanachdo/resources/index.htm?referrerUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.ie%2Fsearch%3Fhl%3Dga%26q%3DGaeilge%2Briachtanach%26meta%3D

peilgael

A reason for the lack of Irish on the GAA website is that apparently it is run by an Australian Company- so much for buying Irish.
:mad:

IIMII

That must be a wind up? It's being outsourced in the middle of a recession when thousands of players and supporters may be getting the boat? Absolutely disgraceful. :mad:

It take it Buy Irish has gone the way of the language in all of this

IIMII

Think the Railway Cup tells alot.

Christy Cooney didn't make any effort to speak to TG4 as Gaeilge - the discourse change to English for his interview. Diarmuid Lyng did Leinster proud with his interview. The lad from the west, well fair play.

The scoreboard said it all. It said Connacht, Connacht and Leinster, Laighean.

corcaioch

IIMII wrote: »

I agree. I don't understand why CLG hasn't tied in with Conradh na Gaeilge to try to offer a nationwide programme of adult classes in each club, follwed by Céilí-s for example. I just think even without any effort, there could be some attempt made with the website at least. Is there even a language promotion officer in HQ?


And those customs are grand, but in fairness our native language is more deserving than being regulated to the custom catagory, and unlike customs of pagaentry Gaeilge is a rich language which allows everyone to participate (and not just the winning captain)

..have to agree with the last part, and surely Gaeilge deserves a 'live' role in the CLG not just a token All Ireland Minor final broadcast as Gaeilge once a year, programme notes as Gaeilge or the odd word thrown in here or there. You will hear more Gaeilge out of Bláthnaid Ní Chofaigh, Daithí Ó Sé agus Gráinne Seoige in one episode of the AITS than you will on the Sunday Game all year..

Orizio

Who cares if its being run by an Australian company? Jingoism has no place is the GAA lads, leave out the patriotic indignation.

The GAA deals specifically with promoting Gaelic Games - the dead Irish langauge, is, and should be, outside their remit. Its absurd enough that children all over the country waste their time learning it.

chikuu

I have to agree with OP.

I give u an example, I applied for the free website from the GAA for my local club. We got the website no problem.

Our club is very passionate about gaeilge and was surprised when we got our banner for the website it said "[English name of club] GAA and [Irish name of club] GAA. notice how GAA is mentioned twice. the second one should say "CLG", so I emailed them, thinking it was a mistake.... heres the reply....


Thank you for your email [My name taken out].

The research that was undertaken during the brand review process found that the Association was universally referred to as 'the GAA'.

One of the recommendations that was accepted from a naming perspective was 'GAA' should be used in both the English and Irish context. Interestingly, this is something the media had already adopted in their coverage of our games, for example in TG4's coverage they refer to the game as GAA.

When founded in 1884 the Association was referred to as the Gaelic Athletic Association - Cumann Lúthchleas Gael then being the Irish translation of this. The GAA has played an important role in promoting the Irish Language and this is something that will not change, however when using Cumann Lúthchleas Gael it was accepted it should not be in the abbreviated form of C.L.G.

As part of the roll out of the new GAA identity we are encouraging all GAA units to use GAA from a naming perspective as this will assist in further promoting the GAA brand. However, if you would prefer this is amended to Cumann Lúthchleas Gael I can make this amendment to your web banner. Please confirm if you would like me to make this change.

With regards,

*************
********

It is such a small thing to put in but they refused to do it, in the end Cumann Lúthchleas Gael was put under the main logo.

Orizio

Well of course they bloody do. They are supposed to be promoting Gaelic Games first and foremost, not the Irish language.

chikuu

Orizio wrote: »

Well of course they bloody do. They are supposed to be promoting Gaelic Games first and foremost, not the Irish language.

oh I know that, its the sport thats important, but the irish was a big part of the GAA, than it is now.

IIMII

chikuu wrote: »

As part of the roll out of the new GAA identity we are encouraging all GAA units to use GAA from a naming perspective as this will assist in further promoting the GAA brand.

So it's about the new GAA "identity", and we are all just brand components? Let me guess - the market research was done by Australians too? And the bi-lingualism is a brand inconvieneice?

Flukey

I have often wondered why the GAA didn't use the Irish version of the name, given some of the the GAA's objectives.

IIMII

Orizio wrote: »

Who cares if its being run by an Australian company? Jingoism has no place is the GAA lads, leave out the patriotic indignation.

You are right. Lets all play soccer. And rugby, with a bit of cricket. Or for the mid-atlanticitstic amongst us, a bit of American football.

Orizio wrote: »

The GAA deals specifically with promoting Gaelic Games

No, our Gaelic identity, with a bit of imagination. But maybe that was lost over time.

Agus

Orizio wrote: »

The GAA deals specifically with promoting Gaelic Games - the dead Irish langauge, is, and should be, outside their remit.

You're entitled to your opinions, but this bit is factually totally incorrect. First, a dead language means a language that is no longer learned as a native speech, so Irish doesn't meet the definition. Secondly, the GAA does in fact have an official aim of promoting the language. Read the GAA charter and you'll note
"The Association further seeks to achieve its objectives through the active
support of Irish culture, with a constant emphasis on the importance of
the preservation of the Irish language and its greater use in the life of the nation".
Among the offical aims of the GAA is the promotion of Irish culture, including
"The Association shall actively support the Irish language"

Grudaire

chikuu wrote: »

I have to agree with OP.

I give u an example, I applied for the free website from the GAA for my local club. We got the website no problem.

Our club is very passionate about gaeilge and was surprised when we got our banner for the website it said "[English name of club] GAA and [Irish name of club] GAA. notice how GAA is mentioned twice. the second one should say "CLG", so I emailed them, thinking it was a mistake.... heres the reply...

Really?

Right time to just use CLG!

They are supposed to be promoting Gaelic Games first

Wrong on many levels, the CLG wasn't set up to only promote Football and Hurling (As it appears)

IIMII

What about an online petition? How would you phrase it? I think the 'new identity' language used in the email response would be useful.

Grudaire

IIMII wrote: »

What about an online petition? How would you phrase it? I think the 'new identity' language used in the email response would be useful.

I would sign it, emailing the hell out of them might work too!


From the website here you can see that General Rules - 8 says:

The Official Guide (1) wrote:

The rules of the association shall be printed in English and Irish, and in the event of a conflict the Irish version shall prevail

Since there's no Irish version (that's on the site) does that mean that we've no rules!?
Ní thuigim cad atá siad ag déanamh! An bhfuil aon duine fostaithe acu chun an Gaeilge a chur chun cinn?

LeoB

My club used to sponsor scholarships to Gaeltacht but stopped, lack of interest. Only this morning I met the Priomh Oide of the Gael Scoil and asked her if she could help me with some signs for around our village in Irish. I only have a few words mainly because it was thumped into me.

We have (G.A.A) to do more for the language. Even basic things like naming rooms in the club after people in Irish is something. But I think an Irish Camp similar to summer camps for kids who cant afford to go to Gaeltacht or dont go to Gael Scoil might be a good way of clubs and county boards getting more involved in Irish. Each club could sponsor 2 or 3 kids.

Fogra. Just last week I was at a juvenile game, the referee didnt show up so I was ref, when one of the opposing mentors who had everything in place, pitch in great nick, flags, nets and his team well turned out. He asked our mentor to number the team list "you must have it numbered" he insisted. His team list was beautifully submitted, Yes in English. So I insisted he do it again in Irish. Little things like team lists should be done in Irish and as much as is possible in clubs should be done in Irish.

Like it or loathe it it is part of what we are

geld

While it is fine having an aspiration to promote the Irish language I object to it being compulsory in the GAA.

LeoB I think that you are correct (according to the rule book) in insisting that the team lists should be in Irish but I believe that this rule is wrong. It discriminates against those of us who do not speak the language. Like it or not English is the spoken language of this country. Therefore the business of the association should be allowed to take place in English.

I know that my views will not be popular with many on this forum but there are some of us who do not speak and have no intention of promoting the Irish language. I wonder how our many foreign nationals find the use of Irish. How many of them would be able to fill out the team sheet of their team?

Promote it yes by all means but give us all a choice as to whether we want to use it or not.

LeoB

As I said in my post I only have a few words of Irish so I no Gaelgoeir.
I disagree with you on the rule it has served us fine up to now and should be enforced. It was not my choice to have English as the spoken language of the Country, Therefor where it is possible we should use our own language. I dont expect everyone involved in the G.A.A or C.L.G to go to Irish classes.
As for non-nationals using Irish "wow" If an Irish man went to Poland or Russia or Nigeria or Germany would they print forms for us in Irish or English, I dont think so. We would learn their language. I would make it compulsory for them to learn Irish before they come here;)
The C.L.G is wheather some people like it or not our national sporting organisation with an infrastucture which can and should be used to develop the Irish language. IMO
You may not agree with me but as I said earlier

Its part of what we are

We should be proud of it, its ours. I wont be going to Irish clases by the way I will hopefully pick up some more from my kids.

Grudaire

geld wrote: »

While it is fine having an aspiration to promote the Irish language I object to it being compulsory in the GAA.

LeoB I think that you are correct (according to the rule book) in insisting that the team lists should be in Irish but I believe that this rule is wrong. It discriminates against those of us who do not speak the language. Like it or not English is the spoken language of this country. Therefore the business of the association should be allowed to take place in English.

I know that my views will not be popular with many on this forum but there are some of us who do not speak and have no intention of promoting the Irish language. I wonder how our many foreign nationals find the use of Irish. How many of them would be able to fill out the team sheet of their team?

Promote it yes by all means but give us all a choice as to whether we want to use it or not.

It is far FAR FAR (ana ana fhad!) from compulsary in the CLG.

That rule can be problematic alright, especially trying to work out what some names are in Irish. I don't feel however that this is a hinderence to any non Gaelgeoirí. Irish is the standard for names in the CLG, so it is fair to expect them to be written in Irish on official documents (eg Team Lists). To solve any problems you could have a list made up of the players names in Irish at the start of the year, it if not difficult to list them from this.

The CLG was set up with the aim of promoting the Gaelic traditions, one of them is Irish. The CLG is not taking this commitment to the promotion of the Irish language seriously enough. Lets give us a choice if we want to speak/use/read Irish.

IIMII

Irish Times, 21.03.2009

INTERVIEW SEÁN BÁN BREATHNACH: KEITH DUGGAN talks to one of Ireland’s most distinctive broadcasters on the 40th anniversary of his first time on air
ON APRIL 1st, Seán Bán Breathnach, the indefatigable and arguably the original RTÉ Gaeilgeoir, will celebrate the 40th anniversary of his maiden broadcast by playing his all-time favourite songs. Although he has, in more recent times, become one of the most distinctive sports broadcasters on Irish airwaves, this programme is a throwback to his first coming as an irrepressible force of nature who demonstrated that pop culture and Irish need not be mutually exclusive.
Breathnach’s first show, Popseó na Máirte, holds the dual distinction of being the first pop music show announced in Irish and the first show aired on RTÉ without a script. To add to its claims, it had no less a reputation – or voice – than Terry Wogan as a continuity announcer. Wogan and Brendan Balfe had a show that went out directly before Breathnach’s, and, by way of signing off, Wogan told listeners in that suave, amused tone of his: “Time now for the groovy bábóg from Spidéil.”
Breathnach laughs at the memory: he knows new heirs have assumed that honorary title. He is as surprised as anyone to find he has become a respected statesman of Irish broadcasting, an institution on RnaG and habitue of the major – and minor – sports events of the calendar year.
It is easy to think now of Breathnach as a radio man and to forget that, for a time in the 1970s, a promising television career beckoned with the success of SBB in a Shuí, which ran from 1976 until 1982. But even at the height of its success – it topped the RTÉ ratings in its peak seasons – there was the sense Breathnach was reluctant to be categorised or to follow a conventional path within Montrose.
Although he had the aptitude for the emerging medium of light entertainment, he had too much energy for any one form and was forever pinging around and popping up in a new guise. Perhaps the RTÉ mandarins were not quite sure what to do with Breathnach, or perhaps they never got hold of him long enough to decide: either way, the Galway man didn’t stand still to think about it.
“I was doing everything. I had a live music show from 1973 until 1980. Then there was the television show. But I was freelancing all that time. It was easier to pay me per programme because there were restrictions on staff, and I was possibly in the wrong department – if I had been into news or current affairs, it might have been easier. I was into light entertainment and sport. And then when SBB started, I was travelling here, there and everywhere doing shows.
“I was doing magazine programmes, and then started the sport. There was a period when I was even doing discos around the country. It was life in the fast lane. It suited me grand, and then I was staffed in 1980. But sport was always my first interest.”
There is surely a case to be made that Breathnach’s place in Irish broadcasting helped to set an example for west of Ireland kids who have gone on to achieve success on Irish television and radio.
He was, as he emphasised when we spoke on the phone, a typical child of his time: he grew up in Indreabhán, left school at 14 and was in London at 16. There was, he recalls, a great impatience among his generation of Galway children to get out and get to London, perhaps stemming from the realisation that this phenomenon called the 1960s was happening – somewhere else.
But Breathnach left Ireland armed with an abiding fascination with radio and with pop culture. The former was nurtured by his father, who was, Breathnach attests, “a lunatic for getting up late to listen to the great boxing fights. I remember sitting up for Archie Moore fights, for Ingemar Johansson,” he says now.
“BBC Light carried all these fights live on longwave. With a perfect reception. And even then I was very influenced by the likes of Raymond Glendenning and Eamon Andrews – the best boxing commentator ever. Andrews had this guy with him, Barrington Dalby, who was also a member of the British Boxing Board. And they always had the English fighter doing well.
“I remember one particular fight, and years later I read the history of it. Dave Charnley was the guy’s name and, of course, on the radio, it sounded like he was winning. But, of course, he had the s***e beaten out of him by this guy called Joe Brown. Not that you could have told it from listening to the radio. But Glendenning doing soccer and racing and Andrews on boxing – I would listen to that stuff day and night.”
His parents were, he acknowledges, heartbroken when he decided to bolt, but at least they persuaded him to go to his uncle in the relative seclusion of Potter’s Bar rather than the Irish enclaves in the city. Because of his fascination with radio, the prevailing pop culture in suburban London did not seem so strange to him, and with the help of his relatives he quickly found his way.
“I think now that if I had gone into that jungle of Camden and Kentish Town, that would have been the end of me. I would never have seen daylight again. I did all the usual work, but I did a few courses in broadcasting and was starting to DJ a bit around London.
“The only time I didn’t get paid, in fact, was at an Irish wedding. I didn’t have Seven Drunken Nights with me and there was a riot. The wedding party turned my equipment upside down and then threw me out. They told me I was s***e and that I wasn’t getting paid.”
He didn’t heed the critics. In Dublin the following summer, he got his break and has been broadcasting since.
Sport, though, has become his chief subject and passion. If he is asked to single out moments he enjoyed most, then Seán Mannion in Madison Square Garden, the Galway footballers in 1998, Steve Collins’ word title fights and Ray Houghton’s goal in Giants Stadium stand out. He broadcasts with an off-the-cuff enthusiasm, but although he had the temerity to ad lib his first national broadcast, he quickly developed a need for absolute preparation.
“I used to drive as far as Longford for local papers just to dig out stuff on games in the old days. I have to have my homework done. I can’t abide broadcasting unless I have. On a Saturday, before the radio show, I will prerecord eight interviews before twelve o’clock. And I can’t face an interview unless I know all about the person I am talking with.”
Breathnach is the first to admit he wears his emotions on his sleeve, a trait he communicates on air and also in the friendships he has forged with the athletes he has covered down the years.
Prior to Collins’ first fight with Chris Eubank, he wrote out a small speech in Irish at the request of the Dubliner, which Collins then recited at the press conference. Eubank walked out, declaring himself insulted by his opponent. He was still highly indignant as he entered a lift in the hotel – in which, inevitably, Breathnach was standing.
As Eubank wrathfully expressed his disappointment, SBB nodded respectfully and muttered something about it being a terrible way to treat an English visitor. The late Seán Kilfeather, then boxing correspondent with this newspaper, could hardly contain his glee. “You were bloody lucky, Bán,” he said when Eubank strutted away. “You were lucky you weren’t nailed. I could easily have hung you there.”
Not long after, Eubank and Collins were fighting in Millstreet, Cork. Sky had the television rights but RnaG had the exclusive Irish radio rights. Immediately after the final round, the television sound failed and there was a brief period of panic. Breathnach, never one to ignore a gift horse, nimbly stepped into the ring and snatched Collins for his first interview.
As he chatted to the Irish man, he heard a dismayed London voice declare: “The sound has failed. And I think that this bald-headed b****cks speaking the Mongolese has something to do with it.”
The insult delighted SBB then and does still. Forty years down and still not sitting still.
Ceolta Croí le SBB will be broadcast on Wednesday, April 1st, on Raidió na Gaeltachta at 9pm.
SBB at 60 will be broadcast on Thursday, April 2nd, at 2pm.

geld

Cliste wrote: »

It is far FAR FAR (ana ana fhad!) from compulsary in the CLG.

Lets give us a choice if we want to speak/use/read Irish.

If you have to do it then it is compulsary! You don't have a choice.


You are right about having a choice, but that choice should be one where you can choose english as well as irish.

IIMII

geld wrote: »

that choice should be one where you can choose english as well as irish.

And Gaeilge as well as Béarla. Have you ever found the Gaeilge rule casued you problems either when submitting teamsheets, or when playing?

geld

IIMII wrote: »

And Gaeilge as well as Béarla. Have you ever found the Gaeilge rule casued you problems either when submitting teamsheets, or when playing?

Yes, I always struggled with teamsheets as my irish is very poor but the irish was never a problem when I was actually playing.

Grudaire

geld wrote: »

If you have to do it then it is compulsary! You don't have a choice.


You are right about having a choice, but that choice should be one where you can choose english as well as irish.

I don't see a huge problem with writing the names in Irish. There is far more compulsory English around an CLG, due to the lack of an Irish alternative.

How's about we let you have Béarla on the Team sheets, and we have Irish forms, websites etc? So we can all be happy?

IIMII

Irish Times, 24th March 2008

The GAA should use the anniversary year to address areas that have been neglected of late
AS CHAIR of the committee charged with organising a programme of events to commemorate the GAA’s 125th anniversary, former Armagh footballer Jarlath Burns was conscious of the need to reflect the frequently neglected cultural remit of the association.
Some of that was on view yesterday with the involvement in this year’s St Patrick’s Day parade and the return of the floats to Croke Park before the club finals, echoing times past when pageants were a popular spectacle in the stadium.
But aside from such traditional treatments of culture and history the GAA has little to celebrate in the overall context of safeguarding the past.
For the vast preponderance of the association’s history it failed to establish a museum or archive to preserve its past for the generations to come.
The GAA, however, is aware that anniversaries like the current one can provide an impetus for tackling worthwhile projects. Just as director general Páraic Duffy intended that some of the celebratory energy can be invested in the national strategic plan launched at the end of last year, Burns will also be mindful that recent strides made by the GAA in the area of history and culture are largely attributable to the impact of centenary year in 1984.
Liam Mulvihill, Duffy’s predecessor and someone who had a long-standing interest in the past and archive material, said that the idea for the GAA museum began to form back then when he and other GAA officials saw the volume of material uncovered in the centenary year and realised that somewhere would ultimately have to be found to collate and exhibit the memorabilia of 100 years.
Burns’s committee’s programme of events includes a couple of history symposiums and at the same time Mike Cronin and Boston College are organising an oral history project designed to capture memories of Gaelic games and their place in the life of individual localities.
The first symposium ran last weekend. “For Community, Club, County and Country: a conference celebrating 125 years of the GAA” took place in the Cardinal Ó Fiaich Library and Archive in Armagh, where the original idea emerged before securing support from the Ulster Council and the Heritage Lottery fund.
Described as “a national conference but with Ulster emphases”, by historian Donal McAnallen, who is the library’s assistant education officer (as well as, according to one of his academic acquaintances, trying to quarry a PhD thesis out of material that would support three) and the brother of the late Tyrone captain Cormac, it featured two days of interesting topics, part of the process of creating a three-dimensional past for the association.
One of the fascinating aspects of GAA history is the common themes that echo down the years. At the start of this year it was pointed out that conditions of economic hardship and plummeting national morale were among the ills that Michael Cusack wished to address when establishing the GAA with its emphasis on rebuilding the confidence of the people through its indigenous games and culture.
The fireworks display at Croke Park in January may not have been capable of reviving the stricken economy but it raised spirits sufficiently for most people to acknowledge that yes, there was something to celebrate.
There has been the emergence of ideas, such as that recently from outgoing Leinster chair Liam O’Neill that the GAA plan to use the apparently infinite spare capacity in the construction industry to advance its infrastructural projects and at the same time create employment.
Last Friday Eoghan Corry, the journalist and historian who assisted with the setting-up of the GAA’s museum, gave an interesting presentation on the role of the mass media in spreading the popularity of the games after 1884.
One striking aspect of the talk was the reminder that of the seven founders most commonly believed to have been in Hayes’s Hotel in Thurles back in November 1884, three were journalists, John Wyse Power, John McKay and Cusack (although primarily a teacher he published prodigiously in various outlets including ones he set up himself).
This, according to Corry, was important in pumping the oxygen of publicity into the new organisation and its activities, especially with Cusack’s talent for making enemies and consequently controversy. The commitment of the founding generation to securing coverage for the fledgling games played a significant role in the association, in Cusack’s timeless phrase, “sweeping the country like a prairie fire”.
For instance, as Corry pointed out, after its first two years the GAA had roughly 875 clubs affiliated compared to approximately 35 soccer and 55 rugby.
We live in a time of unprecedented change in the world of media and the extent to which the GAA is keeping pace with developments has to be a cause for concern. Broadcast rights might be the most commercially pressing but there are other aspects that demand attention if the future is to be better served than the past.
In the same year that the Croke Park museum was opened the GAA announced plans to establish its own website.
In the years since, that outlet has been sadly more reflective of the historically predominant, half-hearted approach to cultural projects. Considering what can be done with websites and what is done by other sports, the GAA is dismally served.
For an amateur, community based organisation gaa.ie should be a trove of information concerning clubs, history, video archive as well as up-to-date information on all aspects of the association. Instead there was recently even a struggle to update the rule book on the site months after amendments at congress.
Anyone keen to research the organisation should be able to treat the site as a one-stop shop and not in the sense that after one visit they won’t be back. Obviously this is a task requiring resources of time and money – and it’s not a great time for that.
Lisa Clancy’s appointment as director of communications last year – she previously held a similar position with the HSE, another national organisation with countrywide local outlets – was partly recognition that the GAA has a vast internal communications deficit, one that needs urgent up-dating to get it in line with best practice and particularly because of what the organisation has itself identified as a growing disjunction between the ground-level membership and headquarters.
But it is also necessary to project into the future not just the sense of an organisation that is confident about its place in the modern world but also mindful of the heritage and history that have shaped the GAA throughout its 125 years.
smoran@irishtimes.com

IIMII

For anyone that would like to point out the website mentioned in the above no longer contains Gaeilge, the email address for letters to the editor is lettersed@irishtimes.com. A few letters on the letters page would probably spreag CLG to at list reconsider this 'new identity' stuff

Ruffina07

Was really interested to see the above thread. As a mentor of a U10's team and PRO of Bord na n'Og in the CLG Club I would love to see more Irish been re-introduced. I would however be careful as not to put anyone off been involved due to them lacking in the language. Last weekend during a challenge match it was great to hear the kids calling to each other in Irish as a lot of the kids go to the local Gael Scoil. I would love to see it more. As a Mum of a 9 year old who has always spoken half and half to my son it is factastic to hear the kids coming out of school with the beauty of our native language flowing (even if they are throwing the odd curse in). In our GAA club we encourage the kids to get involved in Seachtaine na Gaelige and in fact I attended a Ceile last Friday. Had forgotton how much fun they are. I used to attend them when I lived in Dublin.
Start with your local club..become involved..and it will grow from there.

corcaioch

IIMII wrote: »

Noticed a while back that the new intertwinned GAA symbol was becoming more prevalent and that CLG has all but been dropped from literature. Whilst looking at www.gaa.ie I notice that it doesn't even have a couple of token words as Gaeilge. The only link I could find led to some forms and a Leinster Council initiative. It's amazing, I thought with TG4's efforts there would have been a recipricol effort made on the part of the GAA. Seems that it's a one way street on that front.

It does seem like a one way street with the CLG and TG4.

corcaioch

LeoB wrote: »

As I said in my post I only have a few words of Irish so I no Gaelgoeir.
I disagree with you on the rule it has served us fine up to now and should be enforced. It was not my choice to have English as the spoken language of the Country, Therefor where it is possible we should use our own language. I dont expect everyone involved in the G.A.A or C.L.G to go to Irish classes.
As for non-nationals using Irish "wow" If an Irish man went to Poland or Russia or Nigeria or Germany would they print forms for us in Irish or English, I dont think so. We would learn their language. I would make it compulsory for them to learn Irish before they come here;)
The C.L.G is wheather some people like it or not our national sporting organisation with an infrastucture which can and should be used to develop the Irish language. IMO
You may not agree with me but as I said earlier

Its part of what we are

You'd make it compulsory for non-nationals to learn the language before they come here...even though you admit to only having a "few words of Irish" yourself.

Therein is part of the problem with the country and the Irish language.

IIMII

I was only thinking of this thread on Sunday when I noticed that all of the fadas were missing on the tickets for Baile Atha Cliath 7 An Mhi, Baile Atha Cliath 7 Aontroim