TuarascailEarnailnaMeanGhaeilge

the language outside their membership.' (Mac Gréil 2009: 119).
Perhaps we are finally starting to think 'outside the box' as a language
community and if not, it is time we did. On the one hand we see the
demise of the Gaeltacht which needs to be revitalized through
acknowledgement from the larger English-speaking community; on the
other hand we witness the language flourishing and acknowledge, 'as a
great achievement without international parallel the metamorphosis of
Irish from the first language of an impoverished and geographically
remote population into the modern second language of a privileged
urban elite'. (Romaine 2008: 19) In some way this 'urban elite' is
reflective of where the language was strongest at the beginning of the
eighteenth [1700-1730] century. Looking at it in this way one could
almost assert that the revival has been successful in some ways. The
education has bridged the 'us and them' mentality whereby Irish
language 'belonged' only to the Gaeltacht community by the
understanding promoted by revivalists in their canonization of the
Gaeltacht. It could be maintained that those in the non-Gaeltacht areas
have repossessed the language by their allegiance to the community
and the culture. A language community to be inclusive must be
mindful of all members - it is in understanding this concept that the
next generation of first language speakers will be fostered. With
second language statistics there appears to be at least adequate grounds
to claim that an Irish language public of sorts is beginning to emerge.
Clearly the traditional understanding of the language community as
confined to the Gaeltacht areas in Donegal, Galway, Mayo, Clare,
Cork, Kerry, Waterford no longer exists as a stand-alone demographic.
(Ó Giollagáin, Mac Donnacha 2008: 108-9) This is in no small way
due to the total immersion model of the Gaelscoileanna and naíonraí
which acknowledges, and perhaps can be said to give precedence to,
the usage of the language, while at the same time acknowledging
competency and accuracy in the usage. (Uí Chollatáin 2009).
(iii) Caighdeán na hiriseoireachta agus na n-iriseoirí gairmiúla féin:
Gan iriseoirí ardchaighdeánacha a thuigeann luach na meán cumarsáide,
riachtanais chaighdeán na teanga, luach an phobail, agus stádas an iriseora mar
urlabhraí an phobail úd dá réir, ní leathnófar agus ní fhorbrófar riamh ar an
spriocphobal. Ar bhonn gearrthéarmach mar sin, is gá fóram aitheantais d'iriseoirí
Gaeilge a chruthú agus a fhorbairt. Mar chuid de sin caithfear gréasán scríbhneoirí
agus iriseoirí Gaeilge ar ardchaighdeán a chruthú agus a spreagadh trí fhorbairt na
bhfóram teagmhála. Chun an sprioc seo a bhaint amach ar bhonn leanúnach agus
fadtéarmach ansin ba ghá oiliúint cheart i scileanna iriseoireachta a stiúradh chun
cumas anailíse agus iniúchta na hiriseoireachta a fhorbairt. Ní leor saothrú na
scríbhneoireachta gan saothrú scileanna iriseoireachta. Chun iriseoireacht ar
ardchaighdeán a sholáthar, taobh le hoiliúint teanga, is gá traenáil agus oideachas
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