All Estate Names to be in Irish

I can't figure out who i hate more, iriih language heads or religious heads

dlofnep wrote: »

Well, considering the education given to you is dreadful and leaves the majority of the people with an inability to speak Irish - that might account for your lack of hearing it.

If the educational process was completely revamped and taught like other European languages - you would hear it alot more in society.

You seem to think that a minority language is unique to Ireland. It is not. Wales has Welsh, Scotland has Scottish Gaelic, The Isle of Man has manx. Switzerland has 4 languages.

The reality is - Irish is unique to Ireland. It is a distinct part of our culture. And while it hasn't been the majority language in Ireland for about 150 years - it doesn't stop it from being a unique aspect of our culture, something deeply rooted in our country for a thousand years.

The Irish language will always be constitutionally protected, and with that in mind - I'd rather invest time into helping it, rather than shunning it. I posted a previous article which stated that Irish contributes €136 million anually to the Galway economy, and supports 5,000 jobs. It's not all take.

You've already made your mind up, and you are entitled to it. But the Irish language is only going to get stronger, and it will become a relevant part of society within the next 25 years outside of the Gaeltachtaí.

And given that Irish is constitutionally an official language - it's time to start putting that into practice and making it more relevant.

I bet you like ramps as well

I have some experience of this topic having been a member of Gael-Taca, their representative in Dublin 15, and having once raised the question of Irish names for new residential developments in the main local papers in North-West Dublin and also having made a presentation to a Dublin City Council committee in 2006 along with Padraig O' Cuanachain their Marketing Director who died last year suggesting that the Galway City/Shannon all-Irish policies be in the capital city. Padraig gave the verbal presentation and I put together the above Powerpoint presentation.

I agree with the spirit of this proposed policy. HOWEVER tactically as in the real world I don't agree with it. Maybe if things go well in e.g ten years the policy would be more acceptable. Now though it isn't.

There are too many problems with how Irish is promoted- e.g it being compulsory for the Leaving Cert; unnecessary translation of many annual reports; dead Irish language movement (bar perhaps three places in the state) on the ground; the pay of translators; non-existence of annual marketing campaigns in the media (excluding the cultural week Seachtain na Gaeilge) et al. for this policy to be generally acceptable now. AND there are too many people with undealt with scars from literally having Irish beaten into them for the policy to be generally acceptable, now. I admit that most of the latters are just nuts, but still these people exist particularly in disadvantaged areas. If you agree with the proposed policy and you don't have to deal with them then that is O.K for you but I know some of these people and most of them if not all of them are NUTS. You won't convince them of the all-Irish policy approach, now.

I think that TACTICALLY a bilingual policy for both national languages, with names solely in Irish still being welcomed if a developer wants to name their areas like so, should come into the city. I mean bilingual in terms of equal prominence for both languages on the entrance pillars to the new developments. It is an appalling legacy of the Bertie Ahern era that most of our residential areas built in the last ten years are named solely in English, albeit with a paltry Irish translation on the road signs, typed smaller in Irish.

Finally I did an e-project on the development(s) of Irish names for new residential areas across the state a while back. You may like to have a look at it. Also on the right hand side of my blog is a section "Iar-Obair le Gael-Taca i mBaile Atha Cliath" i.e. Previous work with Gael-Taca in Dublin.

Part of the solution- an important part- in helping to create the circumstances of na teanga to grow radically in Ireland is for there to be Irish language activists on the ground. I suggest that the workers in the Irish language bodies in favour of this proposed policy start to take an interest in promoting the language in their own areas outside of their 9-5 jobs. It would be very helpful in terms of promoting the language.

I am happy to share my views and experience of promoting the Irish language with anyone interested.