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Open Newsroom invitation: Can the EU help to grow the Irish language?

A powerful way to engage with this month’s reporting on the Irish language and minority language issues.

THIS WEEK THE Good Information Project invites you to join a free Open Newsroom webinar on how the Irish language can grow within the EU.

Earlier this year, the Irish language took a leap forward when it became recognised as one of the official languages of the European Union. Despite this improvement in status, the reality remains that only 4% of the population actually speak it daily.

We will be joined by Jim Maher, a senior policy advisor at the European Parliament, and Dr. Teresa Lynn, a research fellow at the ADAPT Centre at DCU and Principal Investigator of GaelTech, to learn what can be done in order to help the Irish language thrive. The Journal reporter Rónán Duffy will also be on hand to share the findings of our coverage so far.

Hosted by EU reporter and Gaeilgeoir Gráinne Ní Aodha, this panel promises to be an invaluable and insightful discussion for anyone with an interest in the future of the Irish language. You can register for free at this link.

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18 Comments
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    Mute David Saunders
    Favourite David Saunders
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    Mar 14th 2022, 12:54 PM

    After having it beaten into me in school I don’t have any time or use for it. As they say in frozen. Let it go

    107
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    Mute Rian Lynch
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    Mar 14th 2022, 1:10 PM

    @David Saunders: you cant blame the irish language for the manner in which its been mishandled by the education system. i would love to see its use expand.

    111
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    Mute Liam MacSuibhne
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    Mar 14th 2022, 1:17 PM

    @Rian Lynch: agreed. The past is a foreign country, they do things differently there. I would also love to see it used more in daily life

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    Mute Thomas Harrington
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    Mar 14th 2022, 1:36 PM

    @David Saunders: how old are you 70? I’m 47 and was never beaten in school

    30
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    Mute Allora
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    Mar 14th 2022, 1:57 PM

    @Thomas Harrington: I’m 54 and the $hit was kicked out of us in school. Your comment isn’t one of empathy and compassion.
    Say that I’d love to learn this language. I’ve made a couple of attempts but traveling around Europe with work is making it difficult although I do have lots of free time

    29
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    Mute Dave Barrett
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    Mar 14th 2022, 1:59 PM

    @Thomas Harrington: Concider your self extremely lucky.

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    Mute Fergus Mac Gabhann
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    Mar 14th 2022, 2:29 PM

    @Thomas Harrington: I’m 34 and was beaten in school, as were others during my time there. That was in 1997/98. In a town in the midlands. It’s not a shock for me to hear how we treated women and children over the past century. I got a view of the mindset behind it.

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    Mute David Saunders
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    Mar 14th 2022, 6:48 PM

    @Thomas Harrington: I’m 58 and yes I was beaten with a leather strap with old pennies sowen inside and a stick

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    Mute David Saunders
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    Mar 14th 2022, 6:50 PM

    @Thomas Harrington: I’m 58 and yes I was beaten with a leather strap with old pennies sown inside and a stick. Your too young to know anything about it

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    Mute David Saunders
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    Mar 14th 2022, 7:00 PM

    @Rian Lynch: yes you can

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    Mute Rian Lynch
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    Mar 14th 2022, 9:09 PM

    @David Saunders: oh no you cant

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    Mute David Saunders
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    Mar 14th 2022, 10:42 PM

    @Rian Lynch: anyway good by Irish language. Switch the lights off before you go. No amount of money can save it now

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    Mute billy bound
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    Mar 14th 2022, 2:33 PM

    No use for it. Eu would be wasting their money. TG4 the supposedly Irish speaking tv channel has all its adverts in English. That says it all.

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    Mute Dave Barrett
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    Mar 14th 2022, 3:07 PM

    @billy bound: agreed. It should be made an optional subject.

    35
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    Mute lisa duignan
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    Mar 14th 2022, 3:51 PM

    @billy bound: Agree on TG4. May as well not be there given the low output of quality content in Irish. It’s really gone downhill in past 5 years or so. The cynic in me says that’s by design.

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    Mute Rian Lynch
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    Mar 14th 2022, 4:10 PM

    @Dave Barrett: id argue it shouldn’t be a subject in an exam at all. the goal must be to foster use and positivity towards the language. so classes in spoken irish should be most important. dont add pressure to it by forcing children into having to learn poetry and write essays make it all about the spoken word and the rest can follow in secondary school.

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    Mute Pat Barry
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    Mar 14th 2022, 6:31 PM

    @Rian Lynch: I can’t see it expanding if you take it out of class.

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    Mute Peter donnelly
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    Mar 14th 2022, 10:11 PM

    I have 16 grand kids 12 went to irish school and secondary etc they are/were fluent in Irish but never used it outside school, and never watched tg4 they haven’t used it since leaving school/college it’s a dead language let those who want to use it do about stop trying to force it on the rest of us….

    6
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