Ireland - Comhaltas Archive

,TIR GAN TEANGA ,,TIR GAN ANA MTREOIRJO 0 SfORAINDonnchadh Mag Loingsigh, who has tocount back five generations to the lastnative born Irish person in his family,recently gained an A grade GCSE inIrish Language and is currently studyingIrish to A Level, an examination inwhich he will sit next summer.Donnchadh, a member of theBradford Branch of Comhaltas, wherehe first began to learn the language,was elected Treorai Gaeilge for theBritish Province of Comhaltas lastyear and since that time has beenvery active promoting interest in andcommitment to the languagethroughout all the Comhaltas branchesin Britain. He has provided each branchwith a 24-lesson Course supplementedby audio-tape material which can beused to teach the very basics of Gaelicto branch members. He has alsoencouraged the greater use of thelanguage in sign-posting, 'calling' at ceiliandset-dancing events, singing, andduring meetings. His slogan is 'Better acup la focal than no focal at all'. He isadamant that 'Amhran na bhFiann'should be sung at all Irish functions andonly in Irish, even though it wasoriginally written in English. 'Did youever hear of any nation singing itsnational anthem in the language ofanother?; he says. 'Imagine the Frenchsinging the 'Marsallaise' in German, or'Deutschland Uber Alles' beingrendered in Russian'. He believes thatone of the solutions to the problem ofIrish identity, which exercises people'sminds so much these days, is preciselythe greater use of the Irish language.After all if someone who has to goback five generations in his ownfamily history before meeting a nativeIrish person can reclaim his Irishnessby gaining competence in the Irishlanguage, it should present littledifficulty to those who are second andthird generation. In fact. it is quiteremarkable how a person whoseeveryday accent is filled with the broad,flat vowels of Yorkshire, is able toconverse quite comfortably in Gaelic,compared to people who have a strongbrogue, but little if any Gaelic. It is thelanguage more than anything else thatdistinguishes us as a people, as Dr Hydesaid so long ago, 'Tir gan teanga, tir gananam'.The attempt to destroy ouridentity as a people during the colonialphase of our history was undertakenmainly through the prohibition of AnGhaeilge; it almost succeeded. To totallyregain our sense of being Irish is torevive our language and that by using itat every opportunity as is just now thepractice in West Belfast and other partsof the north of Ireland. If the people ofIsrael can do it after almost twothousand years of oppression, whatprevents us now that we are governorsof our own destiny?In the photograph, Deirdre UiShioniin, a muinteoir na Gaeilge,presents Donnchadh with his GCSEin Irish during a function in the IrishDemocratic League Club, Bradford.KillianSchiifer(age /0),Veidh/ead6ir,Mid/eton,Co. Cork27