Irish language gets full EU status today

If you wish to survey the issue of the importance of a language's status, review/google the knicker twisting that happens when it is suggested English will no longer be a working language of the EU.

It will take a while for all the new initiatives around reviving the language to come through. The Gael Scoil surge will be significant as will it achieving status like this in the EU and equality in it's native country.

I think you must associate with only hardliners. I dont find it a "daily battle" at all, its not a source of contention with anyone I know beyond the usual few DUP wingnuts. Maybe you should talk to other people not concerned with such issues.

Better yet, get a copy of Buntus Cainte 1 and try to learn a little yourself. I did, only just started - but be warned, its not easy ! I speak French to B1/B2 (ie I can scan a newspaper article and understand the gist but not every word), Spanish and German to A1 (ie menus and directions and not very much else) but Irish I'm finding a lot more difficult.

We should overcome the bigots in our community and speak some Irish like our Protestant ancesters did. Absolutely no reason why not. I wholeheartedly encourage you to try it.

Look this EU status thing is all about jobs for the boys & girls - or the buachaillí & cailíní if you prefer. The truth is that you took away the constitutional & institutional support & funding for Irish, it would collapse back to it's rightful place as the preserve of those who speak it for pleasure.

But if you create a whole edifice built around the language and it's supposed relevance, then you have to find ways and means and funding and people to prop it up.

I have great pity for those who are sucked into working on this sort of Irish language support translation work. Most people want to feel that their working lives have some use & relevance. Can you imagine spending your days translating EU treaties into Irish and knowing full well, that the resulting texts will only ever be read by a small handful of people, if anyone at all. What a waste of a working life. Cleaning the public jacks and sweeping streets would be far more useful jobs for Irish society.

I sympathise with you as in the case of NI, it's clear that the Irish language has and is being used as a political tactic. Which does it a great disservice.

Consider for a moment that the Republic achieved control of it's own affairs in 1922 and yet it took till 2003 for the Official Languages Act to be brought in, which act effectively legislates for the enforcement of our constitution. That's 80 years.

To try and bring in related type language legislation in NI whilst also debating all matters relating to co-operation on the island and between communities, is just plain ill thought out. Should be put quietly aside for a couple of decades at least in the interests of all our hopes and aspirations.

There is a way...stop insisting it a political weapon.

Recognise it is part and parcel of your culture. You don't have to like that, you just need to recognise it like ordinary Unionists living in Fermanagh, Mid Ulster, Omagh districts have for ages now and will in Belfast now the council has voted in new rules. .

I was reading about a Unionist representative complaining about roadsigns and it was pointed out to him that the chain of office he was wearing had Irish on it.

Unionist political leaders are again out of touch with ordinary people as they are on the Protocol and most progressive/normalisation moves in the north

No stress, no pressure. It's money for jam for the lads.