Bhí cruinniú an spéisiúil – agus ana thaithneamhach – agam le Deirdre Ní Loingsigh, Stiurthóir Aonad na Gaeilge in Ollscoil Luimní, agus tá súil agam go bhfeicfear toradh ar an gcruinniú sin go luath anseo i Múscraí.

Sa chéad dul síos, is ollscoil don 21ú aois é Ollscoil Luimní. Tá an campas féin go h-alainn agus tá fairsinge spáis ann.

Tá Aonad na Gaeilge ag solathar chúrsa an Fhómhar seo, An Ghaeilge Sa Saol Chomhaimseartha, a bheidh Teastas agus, níos déanaí, Dioplóma, ar fáil doibh san a eiríonn leo sa chúrsa.

Ní h-amháin sin ach tá cúrsa ullmhaithe ag an Aonad chun cuidiú le tuismitheoirí atá páistí leo ag freastal ar Ghaelscoil agus ar mhaith leo níos mó Ghaeilge a bheith acu chun cuidiú lena gcuid obair baile is eile.

Ba thogáil croí dom an dea thoradh a bhí ar an gcruinniú seo agus tá súil agam go mbeidh a thuilleadh comhoibrithe ar bun ag an gComharchumann anseo i Múscraí leis an Aonad uaillmhianach úsáideach seo.

Is i leathnach na litreacha a fhoilsítear na seoid is deise san Irish Times de ghnath – agus ar maidin inniu tá litir cliste ann ó Mhartine Nic Gabhann ag ‘tacú’ leis an argóint a bhí an Ollamh Orla Muldoon in oráid a deineadh tuairisiciú faoi in eagrán na Máirte agus ar deineadh roinnt phlé anseo faoi freisin. Ní miste liom a lua gur tháinig an nod faoin alt ó bhlagarthóir eile, eagarthóir Corcaighist. Tá a léargas le léamh anseo.

Mind your language

A chara, – Prof Orla Muldoon is quoted in the Health Supplement (March 31st) as stating (in relation to the State’s attempt to protect the Irish language) that “A language is about communication and about being able to communicate effectively – but a language that one can only speak to some people, and which excludes others, is by definition exclusive”.

This point is an important one. My family and I were victims of such linguistic exclusion on a recent trip to Portugal, not only in our spoken interactions, but even more bizarrely in the road signage.

Indeed my son found he had to resort to such reduced forms of communication as soccer and tennis in order to be take his part in the linguistic community.

I have heard rumours that such linguistically exclusive practices are rampant across the EU, including, I understand, Brussels itself. Clearly, urgent action is needed, – Is mise,

MARTINE Nic GABHANN,

Maith thú, a Mhartine!

Níl sé ró fhada ó shin go raibh an blag seo ag trácht ar íonsaithe ar an nGaelscolaíocht san Irish Times ag colúnaithe an nuachtáin sin, Sarah Carey agus Kathryn Holmquist.

Seo chugainn íonsaí eile sa nuachtán céanna. Tuairisc atá ann seachas colún.

Agus an Ollamh nua i Siceolaíocht in Ollscoil Luimní á insealbhú, dúirt sí an méid seo i dtaobh na Gaelscolaíochta.

“Our definition of Irishness is also used to exclude,” she said. “We liked to apply our Irishness politically to promote the self-stereotype of being friendly, open, welcoming and having had an experience of being victims in past history. The reality is that we can also use our Irishness very strategically to keep people out.”

One example of this is the State’s attempt to protect the Irish language.

“A language is about communication and about being able to communicate effectively – but a language that one can only speak to some people, and which excludes others, is by definition exclusive.”

Thus gaelscoileanna, established for altruistic motives, can “sometimes be tied up in this very exclusive definition of Irishness”.

“We have to be pro-active, rather than reactive, in our approach to the language and our definition of Irishness,” she said.

Tá sé spéisiúil gur in Ollscoil na Ríona a dhein an Ollamh Muldoon cuid dá taighde. Ollscoil é sin a léirigh naimhdeas don Ghaeilge i gcaitheamh na mblianta – fiú is go bhfuil Aonad Staidéar Eireannach ann nach ndeintear staidéar ar an nGaeilge ann, mar shampla.

Anois tá an aicíd seo ag leathnú go hOllscoil Luimní. Is cinnte gur ráiteas é seo a bhainfidh namhaid na Gaeilge úsáid as agus is cinnte go mbeidh úsáid á bhaint as seasamh an mhnaoi seo, Ollamh le Siceolaíocht, chun tacú le h-argóintí iad san atá naimhdeach don Ghaelscolaíocht.

“A language is about communication and about being able to communicate effectively – but a language that one can only speak to some people, and which excludes others, is by definition exclusive.”

An focal sin ‘exclusive’ agus an Ghaeilge á lua le chéile arís. Tá sé ag eirí tuirsiúil. Níl sé eisiach teanga sa bhreis a mhúineadh do pháistí nó do dhuine ar bith – níl aoinne ag séanadh an Bhéarla ar pháistí i nGaelscoileanna.

Chomh fada agus a fheictear domsa is é an eisiachas is mó atá á chleachtadh sa tír seo an bealach a dheineann caint leithéidí an Ollúna seo, an Dr. Muldoon, imeallú ar lucht labhartha na Gaeilge. Toisc go labhraimid Gaeilge, ní labhartar linn mar ghnath dhaoine. Nílimíd mar chuid den ghnath phobal agus, is cosúil, gur orainne an locht.

Déarfaidh mé rud amháin leis an Ollamh seo – labhraim Gaeilge agus scríobhaim i nGaeilge ar mhaithe le cumarsáid a dhéanamh le daoine – ní ar mhaithe le daoine a chur ó dhoras. Agus ní mionlach beag an líon duine a thaitníonn sé leo an Ghaeilge a úsáid ína saol.

Bí cúramach cé atá ag cleachtadh an ‘eisiachas’