“There are three kinds of lies” said Benjamin Disraeli “lies, damned lies, and statistics.” Then there is The Irish Language and the Irish People, a survey sponsored by the Department of the Gaeltacht and Islands to justify its own existence.
The survey, from a sample of 1000 people, was compiled by Father Micheal Mac Greil, SJ (of NUI Maynooth) and Fergal Rhatigan, and concluded that 93% of those surveyed “supported the Irish Language”.
However, on closer inspection, it becomes obvious that two separate responses to questions were given, and then the two were added together, to give the misleading figure of 93%.
According to the survey, 41% of those questioned believed that Irish should be revived for public use, 52% believed it should be “preserved” (as in the Gaeltacht and art and culture), while 7% believed it should be discarded altogether.
Closer inspection still reveals that of the 41% of “revivalists”, 3.7% hardliners believed that Gaeilge should be the “main language” of the country, 4.7% believed that Ireland should be “bi-lingual” with Gaeilge as the “main” language, while 32% believed it should be “bi-lingual” with English as the main language. Confused? Join the club. It's all about how you frame your questions.
The most telling thing about a self-serving survey like this, however, is that it can mean anything its authors want it to mean. So though there is plainly some intersection in the responses to the two questions, as the 41% who want Gaeilge revived would plainly also want to see it preserved (conversely, it follows that 59% don’t want it revived) what the authors have done is add the two figures together to come up with the impressive figure of 93% overall support. Somewhat disingenuous, no?
Interestingly, the report condescendingly berates the “popular mass media” for its “relentless expression of negative attitudes” towards Gaeilge. There’s a thing. If the language is really as popular as the authors claim, why does none of that “popular mass media” communicate through the medium of Gaeilge.
One has to conclude there is no market for it, once the crutch of State funding is taken away.
Back to Gombeen Nation main page
Thursday 23 April 2009
Irish Language Survey
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
16 COMMENTS:
You are such a dim wit!
That´s a pretty dim comment, if ever there was one. But expected, given the constituency.
"Why does none of that popular mass media communicate throught Gaeilge"
That is the most disingeuous comment on the whole blog.
There has been the introductoin of TG4 and the growth in Gaeilge usage on Irish Radio e.g. Radio na Life, Near90 fm. The introduction of a new magazine "Nós" also suggests that there is more demand for Gaeilge media.
Unfotunately the traditional media sit back on the old "Shur everyone can speak English" argument.
You are claiming that the authors are being dishonest yet you have not shown even one of example of dihonesty.
For example, even the 52% who believe the language should be preserved are definitely in favour of supporting the language as it will not be preserved without support. You should look up the meaning of "support".
If anything, the claim that 93% support the language plays down the fact that 41% want to see the language actively revived
I have cleary stated why I think the "findings" of the State-sponsored survey are flawed.
Bottom line - Gaelic can't exist without State funding. It's a free market. Why are there no Gaelic language publications that can sustain themselves through public demand, if it is as "popular" as you presume?
I am a German who has learnt Irish and is still continuing to do so because it is an interesting language with an interestung heritage. Therefore I have also made my own experiences during my two travels to Ireland. Indeed there is mostly passive support, but rarely active hostility. With passive supporters I mean those who have a positive attitude but do not actively dominate and use it. I suppose that about 10% can really speak and understand it and are willing to do so if you are talking in Irish. There are noticeable differences also between areas outside the Gaeltacht. In Galway you are more likely to get by with Irish than in Cork City. Of course I wish there would be more active userss. But without the passive support and some hardliners Irish would be on the brink of disappearance everywhere.
You're welcome to learn Gaelic if you so desire, Anon. A lot of linguists find all sorts of languages interesting.
Bottom line, you did not have it forced on you and you did not suffer educational disadvantage as a result of its promotion. There is plenty on such topics on this blog. See "bonus points" for instance.
Speaking as someone who was brought up here in Ireland.I would say the "hardliners" you refer to are the ones who have done their cause the most damage.
Very good post!
Keep up the good work.
I like your site gombeen man, but if your are against the irish lanuage then you've lost me because your not really Irish. Who cares what a survey says. If there was only one person in the world speaking Irish it would deserve our support, we have lost our way lets not kill off our culture completely. Ta do chroi san ait micheart Gombeenman. is mise Gaeilgoir
Well mate, if you think I'm "not really Irish" because I dont' subscribe to a purely Gaelic definition of Irishness (which such a statement suggests), I don't think you're really getting what the site is about. Bye bye so.
Explain what is your site is about then. What does the whinging conceal, a latent rightwing agenda? Why don't you emigrate to somewhere more to your liking, there are plently of English speaking countries to choose from.
Btw, just because you don't like what I said doesn't mean I am not comment in future on anti-irish statements. Of course as it is your site you can pull my comments, which would prove my above statement.
Yours Gaeilgeoir.
Corrrr-ect! I don't have to publish your comments, but I will, as they prove my point so well.
I don't have to explain my site to you, or anyone else. It's my site, full stop. If you don't like it, you don't have to visit it. There are lots of sites out there for Gaelgoir fascists like you.
"latent-right wing agenda"?... and you are telling me to emigrate from my own country because I don't - along with the majority of Irish people - speak Gaelic. Sort of a Gaelgoir BNP, is it?
Hilarious.
Now go away.
PS you won't find any info on "Gaelgoir holidays" here.
Touched a raw nerve there did I Gombeen man. It's funny how quickly you rightwingers resort to calling people fascists. Your the one who is trying to push your views down peoples throats. Actually Gombeenman I am enjoying annoying you so much that I won't go away just yet, although to be honest I have got better things to do than read your website. You should try a Gaeilgeoir holiday sometime you might find you like it. Tír gan teanga, tír gan anam, go maire ár nGeailge slán. Is mise "An Nóinín Gaelach"
The only nerve you touched was the one in my funny bone. I'm breaking my shite laughing here.
Enjoy your Gaelgoir holiday.
I glad that you have a sense of humour. I can see where Ireland is heading and I hope that the poet Quigley won't mind me stealing this quote. "Off in the distance I could see a group of youths throwing an oval object. It could have been a rugby ball but no it was the rotting head of a shamed Cúchulainn. While the lads cooed in their psuedo-English accents, tears of blood fell from his fetid eyes and soaked into the betrayed earth". Is mise "An Pocán Meidhreach"
Oh Jaysus... this is too much!
I'm in communication with the spirit of Gearóid Ó’Cuinneagáin!
Ah sure, they should have banned those dirty "foreign games" years ago. Oh... the GAA tried that, didn't they...
Nasty alien influences corrupting the Gaelic heart of Old Erin. And then there's Coronation Street too.
The dirty bowsies!!!!!!!
Gombeen Man, I have never heard of Ó Cuinneagáin but I would certainly agree with preserving the Hill of Tara and the nationalisation of Ireland's resources instead of giving them away to multinationals. I don't think that you can call that fascism just common sense something that the place hunters and visionary pygmies that run Ireland are in short supply of. I would like to keep this going but I got other things to do, so I will have to leave you to your musings. No hard feelings.
is mise "Popshúil Mairnéalach"
Post a Comment
Moderation is enabled (spamming), so there may be some delay before comments appear.
Some people have reported difficulty in posting comments. Sometimes they might only go on the second attempt, so copy your comment before pressing "send" just in case. Also, if it only allows you to send anonymously, you can always just sign your name at the end. Sorry about this - something to do with Blogger.com!!
Thanks.