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HEATHER HUMPHREYS, THE new Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Minister, has said she hopes to ‘squeeze in’ some Irish lessons shortly after previously admitting she had lost the the ability to speak the language fluently.
Humphreys and her junior minister Joe McHugh, who has specific responsibility for Gaeltacht Affairs, have been criticised in recent weeks after it emerged that neither of them were fluent in the language.
Both were surprise promotions in the reshuffle of ministers and ministers of state in July and have faced criticism for their lack of Irish, particularly McHugh.
But while McHugh has made much of his efforts to re-learn the language in recent weeks, Humphreys, a Fine Gael TD for Cavan-Monaghan, admitted today she has been too busy to begin lessons.
She said in July that she was prepared to “brush up” on her Irish.
But speaking at the launch of Culture Night 2014 in Dublin today she said she has been “very busy” in recent weeks having just returned from a culture summit in Edinburgh.
Humphreys said: “No I haven’t started Irish lessons yet, but I do hope to get some squeezed in at some stage shortly. I can’t give you a timescale because the schedule is very busy.”
- reporting from Aoife Barry
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I think the fact that these ministers can’t speak Irish is reflective of the state of the language across the country. Either we actively revamp how the language is taught in school so people can actually speak it or just cut the line and let it die.
Most Welsh people I meet have a good command of their native language and did not study it in school, they picked it up from their family and community. We went the wrong way about it in this country, I for one cant string a Gaelic sentence together but would love to see a revival where people wanted to learn their language.
Ye it’s hard to learn a language when hardly anyone speaks it, you learn a lot by listening to people and trying to speak but you find more people in Dublin speaking español than gaeilge
If we are education children for export as we are at the moment its a waste of time
Don’t get me wrong, I would love if the language made a revival. At the moment very few people can string a few sentences of irish together. Personally I’ve pretty basic conversational Irish, not great but I would get by. However if I tried to speak to anyone in Irish I would probably be seen as a bit of a weirdo.
The current education system teaches Irish in the same way it teaches English, which is clearly ridiculous. People leaving school can’t speak it and are resentful for having had to waste so much time on learning it. Irish should be taught almost the same way we teach French or Spanish, as a foreign language. Forget about dissecting poetry for the moment and just concentrate on getting people to leave school with the ability to speak, read and write in Irish.
I would like it if we were bi lingual and spoke gaelic and English. English is ‘our’ language for most Irish people though.
2 Ministers for the Gaeltacht ??? Must be the oil
Gaeilge was never meant to be written down….
It is an oral language !
According to legend the God Ohm gifted the Irish writing and ironically enough this is reflected in Ogham , (same pronunciation not OGOM AS THE English SAY ), our ancient text…
But it was rejected and Gaeilge was not written down again until the monks started to write down legends etc..
The bundle system of counting or what ever it is called where one counts in bundles of five – four vertical strokes and one horizontal one is very similar to Ogham and it probably represents counting on one’s fingers !
I have a friend whose gaeige isn’t the best but his child is in Gaelscoil and it’s all coming back to him now ..- for talking like !
What rubbish Ryan. What are you on these days?
Your ignorance is as usual ; self evident “Irishman” called Glen Hoddle …what sprung you – the English not being able to pronounce properly is it ?
Why assume anything from a name on a screen, Ryan?
But your regular/frequent posts (on all subjects) – clearly illustrates your status as an idiot.
Get a job. It may stop you having to live on here….
Hoddle or should I write “‘oddle,” I have a job and I don’t comment on everything …why are you lying to me ?
Your insults suggest you are threatened by me … and your use of surname suggests military training … hope you are not involved in Elm Guest house or the like ‘Oddle ..because the time for those type of people is very very limited now !
Ryan – you ARE daft, but also a bore on speed.
Why does a random screen name faze/intrigue/interest you – in your pathetic efforts to make up insults?
Yes, you do type drivel. Maybe the worst on here…
And you wonder why the British Army could at best score a draw against a few farmboys …ha, ha, ha, ha !
Most people will have no idea what you’re typing about Ryan – including me.
I live in Dublin. Why bring in British/English into every post?
Do you hate our biggest trading partners?
Yanking your chain Glen …you live in Dublin ..I was born and reared in Ireland …. look; let’s bury the hatchet shall we .?
It is only cyber space after all !
You NEVER answer a question Ryan.- but no to yours, you uneducated pillock.
You’re right andrew. The education system is ridiculous. Over 50 percent of secondary school children learn french but where do you hear it on the street . It has made zero economic difference to a country . its time to get rid of these so called modern languages. It’s a dead outside France but still over half of leaving cert kids are forced to learn it. The teachers are earning ridiculous amount of money and pensions for what benefit.? I had it forced upon me even though there was no chance of a job in a French company in Ireland. Can anyone name one? I used it once on a campsite to find the toilets. Does nothing to help you learn your culture or history either. Sava? (sorry might be spelled wrong) had a crazy teacher in the Marist!
I
Perhaps your daft meanderings should have remained not written down.
strong case of pot kettle black there
If this issue was about *Speaking in Irish*, our civilization would have ‘cut the line and let it die’ two hundred years ago. This isn’t about what we can say. It’s about what we can think.
“At the moment very few people can string a few sentences of irish together”
Come on. Be fair. Garda. Madra. Lána bus. Who in Ireland would be perplexed? And don’t mind if someone thinks you’re a “weirdo”. Maybe lots of people want to live and think as Gaels but are intimidated by what other people think. We’ve got the capacity. Samhlaigh é!
The minister for the marine can’t swim never mind command a trawling vessel.
The Minister for Transport is avoiding getting involved in issues relating to Transport.
The minister of the marine is not expected to communicate with mariners while swimming or while in command of a trawler.
They are capable of communicating in English aren’t they, to not do so would be just obtuse.
To do so is their legal right & linguistic norm.
It is also the legal right of the dean of Trinity to let his sheep graze on Stephen’s green, but because he isn’t a complete gobdah he doesn’t.
Does he graze sheep on his lawn at home? Irish speakers speak Irish, get used to it.
Yep he’s a farmer. You said it was their legal right to communicate with the minister in Irish, can you provide the statue please.
It is the first official language of the state, of course it is. I don’t carry around a copy of the constitution, that would be obtuse.
Correct Irish is the first official language but if it is ok for a judge to use a translator because somebody wanted to speak Irish then surly it’s good enough for a minister. How exactly do you hold a copy of the constitution in a annoyingly insensitive way?
Judges deal with all sorts of cases, that they are not expected to be professionally adept in. A minister for the Gaeltacht is a specialised position, that should require fluency in the language of the people they represent.
I would think that a judge should be pretty adept with the law, you know the thing that he is judging. All ministries are specialised positions, the minister for the Gaeltacht doesn’t just represent the people who speak Irish they also represent those who don’t.
Fair point, but the Gaeltacht is pretty meaningless as a concept without Irish speakers. She doesn’t speak their language, that is not good, considering all the people that do.
All the people also speak English
Probably, but as hard as it might be for you to comprehend, it is not their first language. Why should native speakers of the first official language of the state be treated like second class citizens? Officials of the state, especially the Minister for the Gaeltacht, should be able to communicate in the official language of the state. It’s not complicated.
The state has two official languages. Nobody is being treated like a second class citizen, the very fact that you have a minister for the Gaeltacht negates any second class citizen nonsense. You want to be accommodated which is fair enough but you are not willing to use a translator which isn’t very helpful.
Maybe you should move to England so you can fully embrace their language & culture, and comfortably ignore the cultural & linguistic realities here.
Ooh, I also speak German and Italian, should I move there as well. English is also the official language of this Country, why should I move again?
Yea, addio!
The State recognises English as a subservient language to Gaeilge !
“Nobody is being treated like a second class citizen,” that is absolutely correct; provided you speak in English!
Language rights are civil rights. Successive Irish Government have turned their backs on Gaelic Ireland in every regard except the one that suits them: using it to add an air of legimacy to their activities and speeches.
This attitude leads to comments of such startling ignorance as
Irish speakers are just being obtuse. etc
Heather comes across as someone whose “command of isn’t the best” for pretty much everything.
I had never seen her make a speech in the Dail, or make an appearance on air or even mentioned in the print media before she was promoted. FG promoted her for the sole reason of having a Minister in Cavan/Monaghan in the hope of stopping SF’s growth in this constituency but I don’t think it will make much of a difference.
Bang on – a useless politician and a shameful excuse for a person
You could be wrong there Seanie, she is out and about almost every day attending functions and meeting people in the communities. I have never met her but I know that she is very popular and well liked.
Caoimhin is in that constituency and is a fluent speaker of the Gaelic !!
Hopefully she will prove me wrong and do a good job.
Well he talks plenty of crap anyway….
@Seanie Ryan she fits in well to FFFG so
Well liked by whom Chris ?
It would be more beneficial for her to get to grips with her department than learning irish. Having a doctor as Minster for health did not seem to make much of a difference so I hardly think her ability to speak irish will improve the running of her department now
Wait – let’s not lose sight of the madness that is transpiring here with this appointment. The line we are being sold is that she hasn’t had time to learn to speak a language because she has been busy managing it on behalf of the state. I’ll try that on so with my boss – ” ah I haven’t actually got started on any of the work you asked me to do because I have been busy administrating the work”. There are thousands of competent speakers of the language out there and this lady was selected ahead of them. If people can’t see the issue there, I genuinely despair.
Seems to be the way of politics. Give people positions they are not qualified for. No wonder there is such ineptitude!
Chill out Heather,
Not one member of our government has a F***ing clue what their at….
You are in good company. ….
Nobody speaks Irish these days in Cavan/Monaghan anyway. I did census enumerator a few years back and only one person asked me for the Irish version census form, and that was a retired man who spent most of his working life in England.
In a census in Ireland in the 1970′s a man was found in Connemara who didn’t have a word of English – that’s not that long ago !
Chris ..I’m not being ignorant here – but are you English and if you are then why would an Irish person speak English to you ?
You have based your assertion on a request for a written form on an oral tradition …Talking and writing are different things Chris !
Dermot, census enumerator’s ask people do they want census forms in English or Irish. It is also the enumerator’s job ro check that the form is filled in properly, not such a difficult job really as most people are literate theae days.
Dermot, that man in Connemara was already dead, thats why he hadn’t a word of English.
That’s correct Chris – but Ryan wouldn’t know the difference!
Chris the man was not dead …. why does the fact make you joke about such things …
There was an Englishman who lived in Oranmore once Chris and he was an MI5 agent …posing as a driving instructor ….now he was nearly more dead than your imagined contention !
Galway is a funny ould spot lads ,
Bhi fear an am eigin agus bhi se sna my5 agus ag dul timpeall an ait mar muinteoir stiurtha …. rith se co tapaidh na a cosanna a raibh abalta e a thagan !
Surname = Military !
I rest my case. D Ryan should be certified. /o\
many a slip between the cup and the lip G Hoddle ..mind your keyboard now ! There’s a recession on you know !
DAFT AS A BAT……..
indeed you are Glen ..thanks for sharing !
It’s good to type !
Poor reasoning, Mr Kirk.
Why are people being so insulting towards the Irish language? Its our culture and heritage, everyone should be able to speak it
‘Should’ being the operative. yet how did you mean it; as an expectation, an obligation, duty or expediency?
So is Ogham writing – should we all learn that?
Just because something was in our past doesn’t mean it should be in our present or future, the world moves on. By all means if you want to learn and speak Irish, do so, but you shouldn’t expect everyone to embrace a minority language useless to most of us in our daily lives.
Depends how you define yourself.
If you see yourself and those around you as Irish, English or Jewish, then I suppose it matters.
If you think that the world would be a far better place without national pride, patriotism or flag waving, then it probably isn’t in your top 10 most important things to focus your life on.
Reason people like to post anti Gaeilge is cos they do not want to be reminded or even part of Irish culture and heriitage.. they would much prefer we all just spoke the Queen’s english …..ach is fear Gaeilge briste na Bearla cliste
Too simplistic a reduction. Flag wavers aren’t normally Irish speakers. This is only about race or ethnicity for people who want to think only in English. But language is software; not hardware. Anyone of any race or culture can learn Irish. It’s just a different way of thinking, grown over thousands of years on a tiny and perfectly beautiful island, like nowhere else on earth. Shaped by the life and death and life of people who lived 1000 years before a word of English was ever spoken. And here it is, for anybody to make their own. Más maith leat.
scannalach agus uafsach
Simply because I was forced to learn Irish – I wouldn’t have anything to do with it.
And, I had to play hurling and be a Catholic. The typical Irish stereotype.
Now I speak fluent French (much more useful), play soocer (a better game) and am an agnostic.
My choice – not the State’s…….
How is fluent French useful? Would it not be more useful for you to learn to communicate in English or Chinese?
Because I live/work in Paris, Joe. And – like you – I speak English.
Since I left school – I have never had a need or desire to speak Irish.
Tell me more about yourself, I find you fascinating
@ Gravel Pitt to rebel against one stereo type you become another lol
Well, if you ever want to change your mind, really a lot of progress is being made with things like Duolingo and Memrise. (They’re free.)
I am antagonistic towards the language simply because it was forced upon me for years. Maybe if they give people a choice, they will be more inclined to learn it
@ Philip
Would it not be more correct to say you are antagonistic towards the teaching method than towards the actual language. I would hope so, as a language is just a method of communication between people who agree on rules, grammar, etc.
I was taught through the medium in all my Primary and Secondary schooling, but it was not the language of home or community. It was completely wasted on me, as almost nothing remains, which saddens me.
As others noted, there has to be a community and family tradition of the language, therefore revival seems a remote, forlorn possibility. Which is such a pity.
Or maybe if we actually spoke it to each other in school rather than drilling modh conniollach into us more people would speak and appreciate it. The problem it the curriculum and how it is taught. I always wonder why the teacher unions do not make an effort to get the curriculum changed so that students will actually speak the language.
Danny – You are right, but years of awful tutelage has led to me associating the hatred of the language in my mind. I can’t disassociate hatred of the teaching and hatred of the language. As well as that, we speak english natively, so it kind of lessens the importance of learning our historical language
Do we not have more to be worrying about really than whether someone can speak a language that’s been on life-support for the last several decades?
Besides, it’s not like Irish speakers don’t have “full command” of English too!
She’s the minister of Arts, Culture and Gaeltacht.
The reason she cann’t speak irish because she from a unionist/protestant background. The irish language wouldn’t have being a priority in sunday school.
Indeed HUMPHREYS – anglo-irish planter family.
Enda showing strange judgement once again.
Inis Bigil island off the coast of Achill – entirely Irish-speaking and entirely Protestant. Douglas Hyde, co-founder of Conradh na Gaeilge and President of Ireland – son of a Protestant clergyman. There is also an Irish-speaking branch of the Orange Order and Irish classes organised by Linda Ervine, wife of former PUP leader Brian Ervine, in East Belfast.
Irish speaking branch of the orange order. Now that irony. I can just picture it now. They finish up their irish lessons and go out and put a match to their bonfire with the tri-colour on top.
Is God a catholic, does he speak Irish…..??
Definitely odd, Galwaybay. But then, the Orange Order isn’t exactly renowned for its logic! In fairness, it may have been an attempt by them to claim they’re not sectarian. No, it’s just Catholics they hate and not the Irish. That’s hardly sectarian at all at all…
Bay. Like spelling wasn’t in yours?
It was a Protestant bishop of Kilmore, William Bedell who translated the bible from Latin into Irish during the seventeenth century, so that the Irish people would be able to understand what the bible was about..
Well said galwaybay. It well know here in Monaghan thats she’s a member of the orange order. She attends their annual parade in Drum Co Monaghan and would no though take part in it except for the fact that she a woman.
As she is entitled to, Pat. Yes?
No God is not a Catholic ach ta glor gaeilge go an a mhaith ar fad aici …. (but she has a lovely Irish voice ) …… I could of course be wrong !
@Brian. You’re correct. The classes run in the east Belfast mission and the programme is called turas. When doing genealogical research it turned out that her husband David’s father or grandfather was an Irish speaker. Don’t know how popular the classes are, but I know it has led to controversy with the uup. http://m.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-26728156. You have to admire her.
@Gravel Pitt support the Orange Order a sectarian body that bans all members of any other religion and all women
Irish is virtually a dead language – with no place in commerce, arts, travel, politics etc. Forcing it down our throats has obviously failed – and rightly so.
The cost of trying to keep it alive, through the generations, has been enormous – and still is. And our government insists that all EU documents are translated into Irish!
Who reads the translations?
Nobody…..
Pure madness.
No place in the arts?
Very few Irish language plays staged here – or anywhere else. No movies.
I read them. Léim iad a bhaineann liom.
How much extra do we borrow to support the Irish language and all things Irish? Sick children could do with the support.
Bet she calls Derry “Londonderry” like so many in her party. No need for the oirish among these quasi unionist FGers
It is called Londonderry. It’s in county Derry. Get over it.
@ Jack Bowden the majority of people from Derry (Doire as gaeilge) call it Derry
Dublin is in Co. Dublin. Does that make it Londondublin or Dublindublin?
Why don’t they just hire a translator when going to the gaeltacht? BTW I hear there is a two for one deal on Klingon and Irish…
You’re joke was shite.
I think you mean ‘Backtag! P’Tok…’
BTW Peig in Klingon makes much more sense, I highly recommend it.
Like your spelling, Fergus.
Did you ever hear of the white-shites and the red-shites Will ?
She is starting in Junior infants in Sept.. And Enda will give her extra lessons after school hrs… :-) …
If she travels in a car then the least she could do is buy a few teach yourself cds. Learning the language would compliment a job she’s paid nicely for by the tax payer. Sheer laziness.
Shameful
What a waste of money.
agreed, but if her parents didn’t feed her, they would have been charged with neglect.
Tough one alright.
Typical Irish
going to cram the night before
and hope that some of it sticks
maith an cailín!
1. Being unsuitable and completely unqualified never stopped an Irish nepotistic political appointment.
2. How laughable it is to the point of tragedy that this Idiot holds the role and is so keen to lead the race to the bottom with the Governments blessing – lets put Jedward in as Ministers for Finance and Justice while we are at it.
If they keep this up soon ; about the end of September , the Minister for Jobs will have no Job !
Is bean le trí chíoch í gan amhras
That’s sooo Irish…
I’m delighted she isn’t fluent in the language. It’s a waste of time learning it. As soon as she and the junior are out of office it will be forgotten again. In fact I’d say it would be better for them to learn “the cant” (traveller language) as no effort has been made by Irish society to understand a language spoken by so many Irish people every day all over the country.
Cant pay taxes wont pay taxes. Cant you understand!
It’s you that wont understand, won’t care and won’t try. As is obvious by your lack of understanding.
an dTuigeann tu aon rud faoin mBunreacht agus an fath a bfhuil se a mhadra ?
New Ryan gibberish. Gone to Wetherspoon….
The last minister had perfect fluent Irish and look how good a job he did……………… thing is ta easpa suim aici (she clearly has no interest in Irish
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