Monday, October 12, 2009

Cearta Teangan: De Réir a Cheile a Thógtar na Caisleáin

Bhí Micheal Flanagan, dlíodóir ó Bhéal Feirste, ag caint oíche aréir i Glucksman Áras na hÉireann faoin gcúis chúirte a theip le déanaí i dtuaisceart na hÉireann. Seo na sonraí:
Bhí fear ag iarraidh teacht ar cheadúnas na dí i gcomhair ócáide san ionad Cultúrtha, agus ó ba rud é go raibh Gaeilge aige bhí suim aige an t-iarratas a chur isteach trí mheán na Gaeilge.
Ní bhfuair sé cead é sin a dhéanamh.
Bhí an freagra diúltach seo bunaithe ar acht dlí ó 1737…… ón am sin bíonn ar gach ní sa chuairt na tíre a bheith trí mheán an Bhéarla. Nuair a theip air an t-iarratas a chur isteach as Gaeilge d’oscail seans dó agóid i gcoinne an tsean dlí seo agus as sin athrú a dhéanamh ar stádas na Gaeilge i dtuaisceart na hÉireann….b’fhéidir, nó ar a laghad ceist na teangan a aithint ansin…… Cúis samplach is dócha a dtabharfaí ar…

Cad é an scéal sa Bhreatain Bheag agus in Albain? Bhíodar faoin rialtas céanna i 1737 mar a bhí Éireann fhéin….! Níl trioblóid ag cainteoirí dúchasacha a dteanga a úsáid más maith leo i gcúrsaí oifigiúla na dtíortha san, is cosúil go raibh leasú ar an Acht céanna. (Welsh Language Act 1993: Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005)

Sin an scéal go simplí, fad is a dtuigimse é. Tuilleadh eolais anseo faoin Acht 1737 féin agus faoin breithiúnas anseo.

An mbíonn aon rud simplí sna cuairteanna? Ní bhíonn riamh, in aon tír! Bíonn córais iontu agus bíonn ar chách leanúint leo. B’fhéidir nach féidir leis an gcuairt i dtuaisceart na hÉireann athrú nó leasú a dhéanamh ar an 1737 Acht mar níor chuireadar i ndlí é, dá bharr sin níl siad freagracht as…….Cúis bholscaireachta is dócha a dtabharfaí ar…

Ach féach ar stair na teanga. Tosnaíodh ag labhairt an teanga Béarla in Éirinn de dheasca cúrsaí riarachán na tíre, tháinig brú ar an teanga ón rialtas ar dtús. Bhí tuismitheoirí páirteach gan dabht, mar ní raibh sé soiléir dóibh go mbeadh todhchaí mhaith os a gcomhair nó os comhair a bpáistí gan Bhéarla, b’shin í an fhírinne. Ar dtús sa Saorstát bhí postanna do Gaeilgeoirí le fáil sa státseirbhís, múinteoirí in áireamh ach b’shin é ……go dtí deireadh an chéide seo caite nuair a d’éirigh le Raidió na Gaeltachta agus Tg4…ansin bhí postanna sa mheán cumarsáide, sa deisceart agus i dtuaisceart na tíre. De réir a cheile……

Bronnadh stádas oifigiúil ar an teanga Ghaeilge mar teanga na hEorapa i 2007. Ba mhór an t-aitheantas seo ina saol fada angarach agus bhí sé tuillte go mór aici. Faoi láthair aithnítear an teanga mar teanga oifigiúil na hEorpa gach áit sa Eoraip ach amháin i dTuaisceart na hÉireann….an é sin ceart?

1 comment:

Hilary de Bhál, bn. Mhic Suibhne said...

Tháinig an nóta thios chugam ó Kate Mc Cabe. Hilary


POBAL, the umbrella organisation for the Irish speaking community in the North brings our solidarity greetings and our thanks to the Irish American Unity Conference and the Brehon Law Society for your keen attention to the issue of Irish language rights in this corner of the world.

Irish Americans have been most generous in their support for our community over many years and the identification which we have with you and with your own work is a close and warm one. The situation of the Irish language in the North today is a very mixed picture. Our community, like your own, is strong and vibrant. We are determined to continue to build a future for our children in which their talents and abilities are recognised and their rights upheld. In turn, we shall continue to teach them the value of openness and sharing and the importance of knowing who you are and of respecting others. We are very proud of our community.

However, there is still an attitude towards Irish identity and the Irish language in the North of Ireland which deprives our children of their rights. The North of Ireland is the only part of these islands where there is no significant legislation to protect and promote the primary indigenous language. Indeed, the status of Irish is better protected in Brussels than it is in Belfast. Irish speakers must constantly struggle to make the language more visible, to avoid exclusion and to promote the positive vision which we have of ourselves and the future. There are limits however to how much we can achieve whilst there still exists discrimination against the Irish language at the highest levels of the British and Stormont governments. The British government gave an unequivocal commitment in the St Andrews’ Agreement to enact the Irish Language Act, but it has not fulfilled its commitment. It has repeatedly recognised that one day it will have to repeal the out-dated 1737 Administration of Justice (Language)(Ireland) Act, which bans Irish from the courts, and yet in the last few months, it has mounted a ferocious defence of its continued use in the North. This sends a clear signal to those who are hostile to the Irish language.

In these circumstances, the support of Irish Americans and others is crucial. Thanks to your interest in the past and present, the North is no longer a place where civil and human rights can be trampled underfoot without international outcry. Ar son phobal na Gaeilge ó thuaidh, tá muid buíoch daoibh as ucht bhur gcuidithe. On behalf of the Irish speaking community in the North, we thank you for your help.