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Stay and do something or get the hell away?!
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Apologies for the inaccuracy as to the source of the grants received but I'm sure you're not going to tell me that the man is actually earning a living.lol without making any additional comments, you clearly have no idea what you are talking about.. the Údarás issuing grants to writers? It's not in their remit. Why don't you do some googling before you start posting rubbish information. Or go back to sleep.
I'd personally be delighted if the state would like to pay me to be a photographer or to write my opus. It would do neither the economy nor the state any service to waste money on me in this fashion however.RichardAnd wrote: »An incredibly short sighted view on such things. The arts are one of the most precious aspects in any culture and that man is keeping an aspect of Ireland alive that is being eroded by insipid and hollow nature of the modern world. I say he and those like him should be supported and admired for actually doing something special with their lives rather than just vegetating in front of the X-Factor or Family Guy.
Any by the way, just because "no one" reads a book does not mean the book is worthless. "no one" read books like War & Peace or The Catcher in the Rye but they remain some of the greatest novels ever written. If people read more Tolstoy and less Twilight and Dan Brown, I believe Ireland would be far better off than is so.
Just think, if instead of throwing money into the black hole of supporting a dead language and wasting 5 hours a week for 13 years attempting to teach it, we might be able to afford to hire qualified Maths teachers, to wrest our education system away from the control of the Catholic church or even include War & Peace on the English curriculum
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...or even include War & Peace on the English curriculum
War and Peace on the English curriculum??? Seriously??? Thousands of better, if generally shorter, novels out there but you think it would benefit our children to struggle through a very long example of how not to edit a book. Because producing good book editors is the way forward?
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beeftotheheels wrote: »War and Peace on the English curriculum??? Seriously??? Thousands of better, if generally shorter, novels out there but you think it would benefit our children to struggle through a very long example of how not to edit a book. Because producing good book editors is the way forward?
War & Peace remains one of the most thought provoking and poignant books I've ever read. That being said, it's anything but easy reading and certainly, it's not for children but it is one of those books that I believe anyone who wishes to enrich their lives should read at some point.0 -
"Widely read amongst native Irish speakers"? Is that supposed to imply he sells enough books for commercially viable print runs? I'd be *very* surprised if that's the case. Everything else you've said about his writing is purely subjective. I'd argue if he was that good a writer we'd have seen English translations of his work doing well too.Joe Steve Ó Neachtain is a major talent and a terrific writer who is probably the best living writer in the Irish language. What's more his works are WIDELY read by native Irish speakers with almost every household in Conamara owning his works and there is always huge excitement whenever he has a new book out. He is a credit to this country, writing literature in our native language and helping to preserve much of the language that still exists.
Anyway neither you nor I know what other work the man does but with a permanent role in Ros na Rún and with his writings the man more than makes his living. Writers and actors make do with a lot less than others. And if you were a good enough writer you too might get some breaks from the Arts Council et al. Don't go holding it against others when they make it, it's a really bad attitude.
I personally don't see the value added to the country by the filling of a permanent role in a soap opera that only exists as filler on a loss-making television channel that exists purely as a sop to a vocal minority, the vast majority of which don't actually watch it.
We need to stop throwing money at Irish speaking levels. If you genuinely want to see the language preserved, ditch the artificial jobs, the state supports for it and have it taught as a foreign language in schools whilst removing it's compulsory status for Leaving Cert. That way, those that want to speak it will be able to, those that have no interest will still have a smattering of it and those of us that see no value to it won't be hit with the tax burden of the current attempts to "preserve" it.
Apologies, I was being a little facetious in the suggestion, using the famed length and complexity of War and Peace to illustrate the opportunity cost of forcing Irish students to study Irish.beeftotheheels wrote: »War and Peace on the English curriculum??? Seriously??? Thousands of better, if generally shorter, novels out there but you think it would benefit our children to struggle through a very long example of how not to edit a book. Because producing good book editors is the way forward?
Wouldn't it be great if we could ensure that every child leaving Irish schools had the reading comprehension required to understand it? Our Adult illiteracy levels are shocking and to say that's not a mis-allocation of resources problem is akin to saying that the Irish as a population are simply too stupid to read.RichardAnd wrote: »War & Peace remains one of the most thought provoking and poignant books I've ever read. That being said, it's anything but easy reading and certainly, it's not for children but it is one of those books that I believe anyone who wishes to enrich their lives should read at some point.0 -
"Widely read amongst native Irish speakers"? Is that supposed to imply he sells enough books for commercially viable print runs? I'd be *very* surprised if that's the case. Everything else you've said about his writing is purely subjective. I'd argue if he was that good a writer we'd have seen English translations of his work doing well too.
I personally don't see the value added to the country by the filling of a permanent role in a soap opera that only exists as filler on a loss-making television channel that exists purely as a sop to a vocal minority, the vast majority of which don't actually watch it.
We need to stop throwing money at Irish speaking levels. If you genuinely want to see the language preserved, ditch the artificial jobs, the state supports for it and have it taught as a foreign language in schools whilst removing it's compulsory status for Leaving Cert. That way, those that want to speak it will be able to, those that have no interest will still have a smattering of it and those of us that see no value to it won't be hit with the tax burden of the current attempts to "preserve" it.
Apologies, I was being a little facetious in the suggestion, using the famed length and complexity of War and Peace to illustrate the opportunity cost of forcing Irish students to study Irish.
Wouldn't it be great if we could ensure that every child leaving Irish schools had the reading comprehension required to understand it? Our Adult illiteracy levels are shocking and to say that's not a mis-allocation of resources problem is akin to saying that the Irish as a population are simply too stupid to read.
It would be better if schools had the standards that my father's generation had. They left national school with latin, and better Irish than Junior Cert students have these days.
Sadly there is a lower IQ level in Ireland, go over to the news and media section and you will see the discussion there. They stick us with FF and FG governments too. The dumbing down of the education system has a lot to answer for, that and every second person thinking they have it in them to be a great teacher.. ah yes, the security, the holidays, etc.
You will find that your views about the Irish language put you in a small minority in Ireland .. I won't waste my time making any further comments on that
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It would be better if schools had the standards that my father's generation had. They left national school with latin, and better Irish than Junior Cert students have these days.
Sadly there is a lower IQ level in Ireland, go over to the news and media section and you will see the discussion there. They stick us with FF and FG governments too. The dumbing down of the education system has a lot to answer for, that and every second person thinking they have it in them to be a great teacher.. ah yes, the security, the holidays, etc.
You will find that your views about the Irish language put you in a small minority in Ireland .. I won't waste my time making any further comments on that
In my opinion, education has nothing to do with one's intelligence. Virtually all that I know comes from my own interest in the world and my own private study. Education in IReland is about getting the paper work, knowlege comes from staying in and reading whilst one's peer waste time on frivolities.
I do admire you for your interest in the IRish language even though it's not a passion I share (I can't speak two works in Irish). IRish is important but I think that the way it's taught in schools is woefully inefficient and dreadfully wasteful of time and energy as "no one" seems even slightly bothered in learning it.0 -
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