It might just be stretching it a bit to raise this here but I sense from previous threads that there's a considerable grá for the language on the Yellow Board and that to many people it's very much a part of the tradition. If the language is under threat today, then it could be the music next and in any case the Newspaper in question always runs an excellent trad column with singer Josephine Mulvenna every Friday!
"Lá Nua" one of the few Irish language newspapers, is in danger of collapsing due to lack of funds. Apparently £100,000 is required to keep the paper afloat for the rest of the year, a sum which would be pretty modest in terms of Government annual spend.
It's ironic that this situation has been allowed to develop when great strides are being made in promoting the language on both sides of the border and the Gaelscoileanna movement has never been stronger. Surely the least we can do is ensure that these young people who are being educated through Irish have a newspaper in their own language available to them.
If you agree with me that this Irish language newspaper deserves to survive, then please bring pressure to bear on the "powers that be" by signing the petition on the website over at:-
A bit of background information I got from Josephine Mulvenna:
Seosaimhín anseo. I'm writing to you to ask for your support by signing the online petition to keep Lá Nua the Irish Language National daily newspaper in print, you may or may not have read or heard through media publications or news bulletins that the publication will close at the end of February if financial support is not given.
I have been writing an Irish Traditional Music Column for Lá Nua for almost a year and a half out of the three years of writing on our music which is an honour and a passion, a privilege to work with such great Irish language activists, the language, the music, song, dance and poetry are strands of the one thread, I am asking you as a musician, composer, writer, singer, event organiser,Irish Traditional organisation, of whatever part of the Irish Traditional musical family you belong to support this newspaper which has been in publication for twenty years, to sign the petition log onto www.nuacht.com the newspaper's own website, click on Lá Nua and then on Tar i gcabhair ar Lá Nua/ Support Lá Nua top of list and the petition will surface for you, or http://www.petitiononline.com/ln0502/petition.html
We need the Irish language speakers and learners, all involved in the many areas of our culture to support Lá Nua, I do my best to support you and your event, festival,album, tour etc by writing an article in Nótaí Ceoil for you through the medium of our native language, please support our Irish language newspaper by signing and by contacting government bodies and Foras na Gaeilge and whatever other contacts you can email yourself, go raibh mile maith agat, tógaim aire, enjoy the music, like the language it is beo.I am asking you to sign this petition now, le do thoil.
The Online petition request reads: 'We request the board of Foras na Gaeilge, the cross border Irish Language body to support Lá Nua, the Irish language daily newspaper, to ensure it's survival and to put a proper basis under the future development of the Irish language print journalism. We also request the Irish and British goverments to come to the aid of the newspaper by guarenteeing it equality of treatment with regard to the publication of public advertisments in Irish and English'.
Seosaimhín Ní Mhaoilmheanna.Nótaí Ceoil. Irish Traditional Music Correspondent-Lá Nua.
A paper with a huge wodge of adverts is an unappealing thing, but that way - even if some of the ads are in English! - it might be able to support itself without being dependent on Government grants or subsidies, which might end up tying it to the apron-strings of this or that politician or party.
(And these days, of course, it could carry ads in all manner of languages beside English, as there are so many tourists and expat foreigners in the country.)
Judge for yourself Nicholas - if you go to http://www.nuacht.com/ and click on the green section near the top of the page you get an on-line version where you can actually turn the pages and hear the turning sounds (first time I've come across anything like this which I think is pretty innovative). Personally I think it's a very attractive layout without an undue amount of adverts. Funnily enough I get the impression that this may be part of the problem in that neither government administrations on the island put any advertising their way.
Go raibh míle maith agat, Dave. I've just been over reading some of the comments on the petition site and this one struck me as being sadly apt: "It's a SAD state that we (The Irish) have to sign this to keep our own language".
Ok, so I don't speak the language, but I would like to see the culture preserved. I'm new (2 months or so) and this is my first post. I live in Nebraska, US but am of a broad Celtic heritage (Grandma who was Irish, just passed away 2 weeks ago at 101). Mostly interested because of the music, but know that the language is important too. My questions are: (1) would a subscription help (dumb question, but I have a point) and (2) how do I learn to read it? The point to question (1) is that there are probably many of us throughout the US, Canada, Australia, etc who hate the thought of the language dying out. Love the music - love the language. Thoughts?
It's probably not much use if you live in Nebraska but there are Irish classes in Dallas, Texas see http://www.gaeilge.ie/learning/learn_nasc_search_details.asp?id=839. You also mentioned Canada and I'm sure that there's a Gaeltacht (Irish language community) there - I'll do a bit of research to find more information on this.
The Canadian Gaeltacht is based in Ontario, north of Toronto - details are given at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaeltacht_Bhuan_Mheiriceá_Thuaidh
The organiser is Aralt Mac Giolla Chainnigh, a captain in the Canadian armed forces. In fact reading Aralt's bio details, it seems he's had some run-ins with the military establishment over procedures and symbols, although this was not related to his Irish language activities.
Another option available for anyone wanting to learn the language would be to attend a Summer course in an Irish Gaeltacht area. There are a number of these around the country and an example in Donegal can be seen at http://www.oideas-gael.com/. These courses would be very effective as it's a total immersion experience, and it has the added attraction of nightly cultural activities such as playing traditional music!
The Gaeltacht in Ontario is a bit of a misnomer really. It's a few fields with some cottages on them that nobody really lives in apart from a few weekends throughout the year where they commendably host immersion weekends. It's called North America's first official Gaeltacht which I think does a disservice to the tens of thousands of Conamara emigrants in Boston and Chicago who speak Irish on a daily basis, who have a community and have ongoing regular interactions with "home". Anyone who's ever walked into JJ's on Dorchestrer in Boston on a Saturday night can attest to that, you would never find it in Hamilton Ontario.
Alright it's not a fully fledged Gaeltacht but at least it provides access to the language on the North American continent. However, it's great to hear of the situation in Boston and Chicago and JJ's in Boston is somewhere else for enthusiasts to go on a Saturday. If similar places in other American towns were listed here, I'm sure it would be welcomed by many people wanting to exercise their cúpla focail.
This discussion has an interesting parallel in the Polish expat community in Ireland, Dublin especially who have a number of successful newspapers published weekly. There may even be a daily, I'm not sure but I betcha they're not getting grants for those.
It was just pointed out to me that this is the only daily Irish language newspaper - foinse is a weekly publication - which makes its survival all the more important. And if anyone wanted another reason for saving it have a look at today's issue on pages 10 and 11 (two pages dedicated totally to trad).
it's the same story here in wales. the population is only 3 or 4 million, of only a few hundred thousand speak the language primarely to english. living near the border i go to an english school. i love it there, but it lacks something in the way of my welsh heritage. sure, i went to the local primary school (in wales) and i have to say, i hated learning the language, but this was because i had a rubbish teacher, but the language is brill. not learning welsh is a huge shame for me, in that welsh was replaced with french and german at high school, and i am ashamed at myself for even forgetting the words of my great national anthem. the only welsh i do use is the odd phrase at home like "Cair y drws", and with my maths teacher.
Last time I was in a gaeltacht (Ballyferriter, Dingle, sorry about the English) yer local man told me the problem was that the children of the incoming families do not learn Irish, preferring English. That'd be the history for the last number of hundreds of years of course (I remember seeing in the Clare Library the old records of English speakers in Clare only down around the coastal areas in the 1500s or so, now Irish is really not spoken in Clare, and maybe only remembered by some locals as the dual language of their grandparents circa early 1900s).
A newspaper is not going to preserve it, imo, as much as I would support its survival. The Irish language schools would seem to have a much better chance. You have to teach the children the language...and they need to want to learn it. How do you accomplish that...answer to that is the solution, imo.
For the adults who want to learn Irish - and there are many imo - please make it easy, so that people can learn to say something functional, and not be made to feel eejits just because they aren't absolutely perfect native speakers. Teach the verbs, teach the conjugations, teach a few nouns, that's fine for a start. But for Irish - teach the pronunciation most importantly, just in bite-sized fashion...it is SO different to English that it needs to be studied in microcosm.
The Irish language is a gem, it has a warmth and inter-personal politic that would be a tragedy if lost. English is fine, but it is, imo, a cold language in terms of message -and sound. It only has one drawback though to world domination - and that is - wait for it, in case you didn't already know - it isn't spelled the way it sounds...once that is changed - and it will be - you won't stop it.
Link Irish language to your land for those living there and you may have a hope of preserving it. That means the music, the folklore and the feeling of the land itself there. The rot has not stopped just because it is 2008, it will probably accelerate. Sorry about the rant.
Great getting support from Wales - go raibh maith agat. I wouldn't be so pessimistic "DD" about the rot accelerating as everything can be turned around. The whole Irish experience is an example of this in that prior to the famine we had a population of 8 million which was then decimated in the late 1840s by this cataclysmic event and the Administration's reaction to it. One million were lost through hunger while a further million emigrated and in the century that followed severe emigration saw the population decline still further to perhaps less than 4 million in the fifties and sixties. Now with the economic regeneration (including the "Celtic Tiger") we have a resurgence in population (6 million or so at present on the island as a whole) with some experts forecasting 7 million by 2020.
I see no reason why we might not experience a similar revival for the language as there is no doubt but that the Gaelscoileanna have been highly successful and that this has had a spin-off effect with parents now going back to classes. I go to a weekly class of 30 or so adults in Ennis where over half have children at Irish language schools. And as you mention Clare, Ennis was last week awarded the Glór na Gael prize for its use and promotion of Irish in 2007. I agree totally with you that it has to be within a cultural context where the music, song and literature, etc are equally important rather than the emphasis on sterile grammar many of us suffered back in the bad old days!
And let them be Irish! They move to your country, they like it...and may they be part.
I teach language in one of my incarnations - it is not too hard to get some functional level to people - and they LOVE it. Just the verbs, conjugations and a welcome at the sessions and a few encouraging words of Irish.
The problem with the burgeoning population is that it might be good for the economy, they'll all be speaking English! - only!
Let English be the second language and the one that's good for business and the economy. Irish can be the one we love and that we use for socialising in sessions, etc!
Nice sentiment, Banner, but really - once a language becomes the one for business and the economy, that's the number one, and may be only!
I remember a few musicians out here some years ago from the connacht gaeltacht...they could understand English, but made a point of only speaking Irish. Good on them.
The children need to '*want* to speak Irish - apparently they do in Dublin these days...it's sort of a code among them.
Clare could well be the start of the resurrection, I agree. There needs to be a pride in speaking it though. Foreigners often like the thought of speaking it, but seems to me (in my opinion only) that many of the locals thinks it's second rate.
It's a beautiful language...old and mellow and many shades of meaning...can only come from age and tradition. I can listen to a song in Irish and never get tired of it, even though I don't speak the language. What does that tell you.
1006 signatures so far and the number is still rising! Many people have also commented and here are just a sample of these:-
Caoimhín O'Hare - The closure of this paper would mean another step closer to the ending of our celtic heritage, it can't happen
Liam Dehal - Please support this newspaper and help it to thrive in the interests of media and cultural diversity, the employment of media workers and the promotion of the Irish language.
Cormac Mac Thiarnáin - Lá Nua is a vital Irish language resource for all, with a great web site and it would a tragic blow for our cultural diversity if it was to disappear due to lack of funding.
If you agree that this, the only daily Irish language newspaper still in existence should be saved and have not yet signed the petition, then please go to http://www.petitiononline.com/ln0502/petition.html and add your voice to this plea for sanity to prevail.
Culture Under Threat
Culture Under Threat
It might just be stretching it a bit to raise this here but I sense from previous threads that there's a considerable grá for the language on the Yellow Board and that to many people it's very much a part of the tradition. If the language is under threat today, then it could be the music next and in any case the Newspaper in question always runs an excellent trad column with singer Josephine Mulvenna every Friday!
"Lá Nua" one of the few Irish language newspapers, is in danger of collapsing due to lack of funds. Apparently £100,000 is required to keep the paper afloat for the rest of the year, a sum which would be pretty modest in terms of Government annual spend.
It's ironic that this situation has been allowed to develop when great strides are being made in promoting the language on both sides of the border and the Gaelscoileanna movement has never been stronger. Surely the least we can do is ensure that these young people who are being educated through Irish have a newspaper in their own language available to them.
If you agree with me that this Irish language newspaper deserves to survive, then please bring pressure to bear on the "powers that be" by signing the petition on the website over at:-
http://www.petitiononline.com/ln0502/petition.html.
Go raibh maith agaibh!!
# Posted on February 7th 2008 by Bannerman
Re: Culture Under Threat
A bit of background information I got from Josephine Mulvenna:
Seosaimhín anseo. I'm writing to you to ask for your support by signing the online petition to keep Lá Nua the Irish Language National daily newspaper in print, you may or may not have read or heard through media publications or news bulletins that the publication will close at the end of February if financial support is not given.
I have been writing an Irish Traditional Music Column for Lá Nua for almost a year and a half out of the three years of writing on our music which is an honour and a passion, a privilege to work with such great Irish language activists, the language, the music, song, dance and poetry are strands of the one thread, I am asking you as a musician, composer, writer, singer, event organiser,Irish Traditional organisation, of whatever part of the Irish Traditional musical family you belong to support this newspaper which has been in publication for twenty years, to sign the petition log onto www.nuacht.com the newspaper's own website, click on Lá Nua and then on Tar i gcabhair ar Lá Nua/ Support Lá Nua top of list and the petition will surface for you, or http://www.petitiononline.com/ln0502/petition.html
We need the Irish language speakers and learners, all involved in the many areas of our culture to support Lá Nua, I do my best to support you and your event, festival,album, tour etc by writing an article in Nótaí Ceoil for you through the medium of our native language, please support our Irish language newspaper by signing and by contacting government bodies and Foras na Gaeilge and whatever other contacts you can email yourself, go raibh mile maith agat, tógaim aire, enjoy the music, like the language it is beo.I am asking you to sign this petition now, le do thoil.
The Online petition request reads: 'We request the board of Foras na Gaeilge, the cross border Irish Language body to support Lá Nua, the Irish language daily newspaper, to ensure it's survival and to put a proper basis under the future development of the Irish language print journalism. We also request the Irish and British goverments to come to the aid of the newspaper by guarenteeing it equality of treatment with regard to the publication of public advertisments in Irish and English'.
Seosaimhín Ní Mhaoilmheanna.Nótaí Ceoil. Irish Traditional Music Correspondent-Lá Nua.
# Posted on February 7th 2008 by Bannerman
Re: Culture Under Threat
Does it carry adverts?
A paper with a huge wodge of adverts is an unappealing thing, but that way - even if some of the ads are in English! - it might be able to support itself without being dependent on Government grants or subsidies, which might end up tying it to the apron-strings of this or that politician or party.
(And these days, of course, it could carry ads in all manner of languages beside English, as there are so many tourists and expat foreigners in the country.)
# Posted on February 7th 2008 by nicholas
Re: Culture Under Threat
Judge for yourself Nicholas - if you go to http://www.nuacht.com/ and click on the green section near the top of the page you get an on-line version where you can actually turn the pages and hear the turning sounds (first time I've come across anything like this which I think is pretty innovative). Personally I think it's a very attractive layout without an undue amount of adverts. Funnily enough I get the impression that this may be part of the problem in that neither government administrations on the island put any advertising their way.
# Posted on February 8th 2008 by Bannerman
Re: Culture Under Threat
I should have said that the bit to click on says "Ioslódáil"
# Posted on February 8th 2008 by Bannerman
Re: Culture Under Threat
Done
# Posted on February 8th 2008 by bazouki dave
Re: Culture Under Threat
Go raibh míle maith agat, Dave. I've just been over reading some of the comments on the petition site and this one struck me as being sadly apt: "It's a SAD state that we (The Irish) have to sign this to keep our own language".
# Posted on February 8th 2008 by Bannerman
Re: Culture Under Threat
Maybe I will learn the Irish my self one day
# Posted on February 8th 2008 by bazouki dave
Re: Culture Under Threat
I'd like to learn it as well.
# Posted on February 8th 2008 by Fishmonger
Re: Culture Under Threat
PS - Done.
# Posted on February 8th 2008 by Fishmonger
Re: Culture Under Threat
Ok, so I don't speak the language, but I would like to see the culture preserved. I'm new (2 months or so) and this is my first post. I live in Nebraska, US but am of a broad Celtic heritage (Grandma who was Irish, just passed away 2 weeks ago at 101). Mostly interested because of the music, but know that the language is important too. My questions are: (1) would a subscription help (dumb question, but I have a point) and (2) how do I learn to read it? The point to question (1) is that there are probably many of us throughout the US, Canada, Australia, etc who hate the thought of the language dying out. Love the music - love the language. Thoughts?
# Posted on February 8th 2008 by irishcornhusker
Re: Culture Under Threat
AWWW NOO.. I cant view the page, i'm at work and the god damned "web filter violation" thing comes up.... someone sign for me please.
# Posted on February 8th 2008 by session savage
Re: Culture Under Threat
It's probably not much use if you live in Nebraska but there are Irish classes in Dallas, Texas see http://www.gaeilge.ie/learning/learn_nasc_search_details.asp?id=839. You also mentioned Canada and I'm sure that there's a Gaeltacht (Irish language community) there - I'll do a bit of research to find more information on this.
# Posted on February 8th 2008 by Bannerman
Re: Culture Under Threat
The Canadian Gaeltacht is based in Ontario, north of Toronto - details are given at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaeltacht_Bhuan_Mheiriceá_Thuaidh
The organiser is Aralt Mac Giolla Chainnigh, a captain in the Canadian armed forces. In fact reading Aralt's bio details, it seems he's had some run-ins with the military establishment over procedures and symbols, although this was not related to his Irish language activities.
Another option available for anyone wanting to learn the language would be to attend a Summer course in an Irish Gaeltacht area. There are a number of these around the country and an example in Donegal can be seen at http://www.oideas-gael.com/. These courses would be very effective as it's a total immersion experience, and it has the added attraction of nightly cultural activities such as playing traditional music!
# Posted on February 8th 2008 by Bannerman
Re: Culture Under Threat
The Gaeltacht in Ontario is a bit of a misnomer really. It's a few fields with some cottages on them that nobody really lives in apart from a few weekends throughout the year where they commendably host immersion weekends. It's called North America's first official Gaeltacht which I think does a disservice to the tens of thousands of Conamara emigrants in Boston and Chicago who speak Irish on a daily basis, who have a community and have ongoing regular interactions with "home". Anyone who's ever walked into JJ's on Dorchestrer in Boston on a Saturday night can attest to that, you would never find it in Hamilton Ontario.
# Posted on February 8th 2008 by Patkiwi
Re: Culture Under Threat
Alright it's not a fully fledged Gaeltacht but at least it provides access to the language on the North American continent. However, it's great to hear of the situation in Boston and Chicago and JJ's in Boston is somewhere else for enthusiasts to go on a Saturday. If similar places in other American towns were listed here, I'm sure it would be welcomed by many people wanting to exercise their cúpla focail.
# Posted on February 8th 2008 by Bannerman
Re: Culture Under Threat
This discussion has an interesting parallel in the Polish expat community in Ireland, Dublin especially who have a number of successful newspapers published weekly. There may even be a daily, I'm not sure but I betcha they're not getting grants for those.
# Posted on February 8th 2008 by Patkiwi
Re: Culture Under Threat
Déanta
Maith thú Bannerman as muid a chur ar an eolas
# Posted on February 8th 2008 by Cealgach
Re: Culture Under Threat
I wonder if more people speak Polish in Ireland than Irish itself
# Posted on February 8th 2008 by bazouki dave
Re: Culture Under Threat
It was just pointed out to me that this is the only daily Irish language newspaper - foinse is a weekly publication - which makes its survival all the more important. And if anyone wanted another reason for saving it have a look at today's issue on pages 10 and 11 (two pages dedicated totally to trad).
# Posted on February 8th 2008 by Bannerman
Re: Culture Under Threat
I purchased a copy at the station today which is how I found the trad section but I've just checked the Lá Nua website and sure enough the full edition is there too. If you want to check out the trad articles, click on http://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/launchire.aspx?refresh=5My019Fax13Z&PBID=f5caf46d-f41f-4d77-8926-abf0f05c9300.
# Posted on February 8th 2008 by Bannerman
Re: Culture Under Threat
I am participating in a quiz tomorrow night, which is conducted ion Irish.
I think I will pretend to be Polish, and not speak. (they need me to answer the questions)
# Posted on February 9th 2008 by bodhran bliss
Re: Culture Under Threat
it's the same story here in wales. the population is only 3 or 4 million, of only a few hundred thousand speak the language primarely to english. living near the border i go to an english school. i love it there, but it lacks something in the way of my welsh heritage. sure, i went to the local primary school (in wales) and i have to say, i hated learning the language, but this was because i had a rubbish teacher, but the language is brill. not learning welsh is a huge shame for me, in that welsh was replaced with french and german at high school, and i am ashamed at myself for even forgetting the words of my great national anthem.
the only welsh i do use is the odd phrase at home like "Cair y drws", and with my maths teacher.
# Posted on February 9th 2008 by jack.rowe
Re: Culture Under Threat
Last time I was in a gaeltacht (Ballyferriter, Dingle, sorry about the English) yer local man told me the problem was that the children of the incoming families do not learn Irish, preferring English. That'd be the history for the last number of hundreds of years of course (I remember seeing in the Clare Library the old records of English speakers in Clare only down around the coastal areas in the 1500s or so, now Irish is really not spoken in Clare, and maybe only remembered by some locals as the dual language of their grandparents circa early 1900s).
A newspaper is not going to preserve it, imo, as much as I would support its survival. The Irish language schools would seem to have a much better chance. You have to teach the children the language...and they need to want to learn it. How do you accomplish that...answer to that is the solution, imo.
For the adults who want to learn Irish - and there are many imo - please make it easy, so that people can learn to say something functional, and not be made to feel eejits just because they aren't absolutely perfect native speakers. Teach the verbs, teach the conjugations, teach a few nouns, that's fine for a start. But for Irish - teach the pronunciation most importantly, just in bite-sized fashion...it is SO different to English that it needs to be studied in microcosm.
The Irish language is a gem, it has a warmth and inter-personal politic that would be a tragedy if lost. English is fine, but it is, imo, a cold language in terms of message -and sound. It only has one drawback though to world domination - and that is - wait for it, in case you didn't already know - it isn't spelled the way it sounds...once that is changed - and it will be - you won't stop it.
Link Irish language to your land for those living there and you may have a hope of preserving it. That means the music, the folklore and the feeling of the land itself there. The rot has not stopped just because it is 2008, it will probably accelerate. Sorry about the rant.
# Posted on February 9th 2008 by duij
Re: Culture Under Threat
Great getting support from Wales - go raibh maith agat. I wouldn't be so pessimistic "DD" about the rot accelerating as everything can be turned around. The whole Irish experience is an example of this in that prior to the famine we had a population of 8 million which was then decimated in the late 1840s by this cataclysmic event and the Administration's reaction to it. One million were lost through hunger while a further million emigrated and in the century that followed severe emigration saw the population decline still further to perhaps less than 4 million in the fifties and sixties. Now with the economic regeneration (including the "Celtic Tiger") we have a resurgence in population (6 million or so at present on the island as a whole) with some experts forecasting 7 million by 2020.
I see no reason why we might not experience a similar revival for the language as there is no doubt but that the Gaelscoileanna have been highly successful and that this has had a spin-off effect with parents now going back to classes. I go to a weekly class of 30 or so adults in Ennis where over half have children at Irish language schools. And as you mention Clare, Ennis was last week awarded the Glór na Gael prize for its use and promotion of Irish in 2007. I agree totally with you that it has to be within a cultural context where the music, song and literature, etc are equally important rather than the emphasis on sterile grammar many of us suffered back in the bad old days!
# Posted on February 9th 2008 by Bannerman
Re: Culture Under Threat
And let them be Irish! They move to your country, they like it...and may they be part.
I teach language in one of my incarnations - it is not too hard to get some functional level to people - and they LOVE it. Just the verbs, conjugations and a welcome at the sessions and a few encouraging words of Irish.
The problem with the burgeoning population is that it might be good for the economy, they'll all be speaking English! - only!
# Posted on February 9th 2008 by duij
Re: Culture Under Threat
Let English be the second language and the one that's good for business and the economy. Irish can be the one we love and that we use for socialising in sessions, etc!
# Posted on February 9th 2008 by Bannerman
Re: Culture Under Threat
Nice sentiment, Banner, but really - once a language becomes the one for business and the economy, that's the number one, and may be only!
I remember a few musicians out here some years ago from the connacht gaeltacht...they could understand English, but made a point of only speaking Irish. Good on them.
The children need to '*want* to speak Irish - apparently they do in Dublin these days...it's sort of a code among them.
Clare could well be the start of the resurrection, I agree. There needs to be a pride in speaking it though. Foreigners often like the thought of speaking it, but seems to me (in my opinion only) that many of the locals thinks it's second rate.
It's a beautiful language...old and mellow and many shades of meaning...can only come from age and tradition. I can listen to a song in Irish and never get tired of it, even though I don't speak the language. What does that tell you.
# Posted on February 9th 2008 by duij
Re: Culture Under Threat
PS Bodhrán Bliss - Tá súil agam go mbeidh an tádh leat anocht is go bhfaigheadh tú duais éigin.
# Posted on February 9th 2008 by Bannerman
Re: 1006 People Support Lá Nua !!
1006 signatures so far and the number is still rising! Many people have also commented and here are just a sample of these:-
Caoimhín O'Hare - The closure of this paper would mean another step closer to the ending of our celtic heritage, it can't happen
Liam Dehal - Please support this newspaper and help it to thrive in the interests of media and cultural diversity, the employment of media workers and the promotion of the Irish language.
Cormac Mac Thiarnáin - Lá Nua is a vital Irish language resource for all, with a great web site and it would a tragic blow for our cultural diversity if it was to disappear due to lack of funding.
If you agree that this, the only daily Irish language newspaper still in existence should be saved and have not yet signed the petition, then please go to
http://www.petitiononline.com/ln0502/petition.html and add your voice to this plea for sanity to prevail.
# Posted on February 11th 2008 by Bannerman