BYCATRIONA GALLEN
IRISH will no longer be spoken in Gaeltacht areas such as Glenvar, Carrigart, Downings and South West Donegal in 20 years unless radical measures are taken.
A new study which predicts the early demise of Irish as a primary Gaeltacht language comes as no surprise to the Director of Oideas Gael, Mr Liam Ó Cuinneagáin. He said in the peripheral areas of the Donegal Gaeltacht losing Irish as a spoken language in the home and community was an issue of serious concern.
"If we can't make sure education in the Gaeltacht regions in primary and secondary schools is taught through the medium of Irish then it will be increasingly difficult to claw back the use of Irish in the community. It is very likely that these areas will become post Gaeltacht areas in 20 years," he said.
The study by NUI Galway's Acadamh na nOllscalaiochta Gaelige and NUI Maynooth's national institute for regional and spatial analysis says that Irish will cease to exist as the language of the "home" and the community in the Gaeltacht within 20 years. Some 45 per cent of children in the gaeltacht areas are using English as their first language. The study which was commissioned by Minister for Community Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Éamon Ó Cuiv in January, 2004, will be brought before the Cabinet in the autumn. Mr Liam Ó Cuinneagáin, who is also Chairman of Údaras na Gaeltachta, made his comments as Director of Oideas Gael.
Oideas Gael, based in Glencolmbkille is an Irish language school, currently teaching Irish language to students from all over the world.
He said that interest in Irish culture and language would not fade in years to come as students as far afield as Japan and Canada are choosing to study Irish However the loss of the language in the community is a real threat.
"The larger Gaeltacht areas like Gweedore and Glencolmbkille are under less threat. All the people form the Gaeltacht areas appreciate their Gaeltacht status although there is a disparity between the willingness to maintain the Irish in the home and community," he added.
Mr Ó Cuinneagáin said the demise of native language and culture is a global issue affecting thousands of languages world wide with the 5,000 spoken languages today estimated to fall to half by the end of this century.
"Irish is in a comparatively healthy state in relation to some languages in the world. It is part of the educational syllabus and it is in State legislature but it is essential that the main pillar of maintaining the Gaeltacht, the culture and the language is through education otherwise it will be lost as a community language. Nobody can dictate or intervene what happens in the household. If a family chose to converse with their children in English that's their business but we can have an influence over education. If you don't have Irish language through the educational system it is hard to envisage it staying," he said.
Mr Ó Cuinneagáin said there are a number of other issues surrounding the decline of the native language but the main pillar of its future lay within the education system. Údaras na Gaeltachta have founded a structure of Naionra so children have Irish at pre-school level, making it much easier for pupils and teachers to learn through Irish at primary level.
Údaras have also founded Oíge na Gaeltacht to promote the use of Irish through all activities.
