Tomhas na Teanga

May/June 2008

Thug Éamonn Ó Cuív, Taoiseach Dáil, cuairt orainn in Nua-Eabhrac le déanaí. ÉÓC visited us in NY recently. Is garmhac Éamoinn De Valera é. He’s De Valera’s grandson. Agus is Aire Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta é. And he is minister of the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. Ba scoláire na Gaeilge é a athair, an tOllamh Brian Ó Cuív, a bhíodh ina mhúinteoir ag Ollscoil Chorcaigh. His father, professor Brian… was an Irish language scholar, who used to teach at Cork U. Tháinig an tAire Ó Cuív chugainn chun oráid a thabhairt ag ócáid i ndilchuimhne ar Bharra Ó Donnabháin. Minister OC came to us to give an oration at an occasion in memory of Barra… Ba é seo an tríú léacht bliantúil mar seo, ag Glucksman Ireland House ag Ollscoil Nua-Eabhraic. This was the third annual lecture like this, at GIH at NYU.

Scríobhadh Barra an colún Macallaí san Irish Echo le blianta, go bhfuair sé bás. Barra used to write the column Echoes in the Irish Echo for years, until he died. Fear tábhachtach i saol na Gaeilge ab ea é. He was an important man i the Irish speaking world. Bhíodh sé an-ghníomhach le Daltaí na Gaeilge, agus bhíodh sé ar an gclár raidió Míle Fáilte le Séamas De Bláca go minic, freisin. He used to be very active with DnaG, and he used to be on the program…with…often, too.

Bhí an tAire ag caint faoin teanga, as Gaeilge agus as Béarla. The Minister was speaking about the language, in Irish and English. Labhair sé faoin dul chun cinn atá déanta in Éirinn agus ar fud an domhain. He spoke about the progress that has been made in Ireland and throughout the world. Cheapadh go raibh an teanga marbh céad is caoga bliain ó shin, ach níl sí fós. It was thought that the language was dead 150 years ago, but it still isn’t. Bhí sí ar tí a bháis i ndáiríre ag tús an chéid seo caite, ach ansin bunaíodh Conradh na Gaeilge, agus bhain an chuid is mó d’Éire a saoirse amach, agus thug an stát tacaíocht láidir don teanga. It was seriously about to die at the start of the last century, but then the Gaelic League was founded, and most of Ireland achieved freedom, and the state gave strong support to the language. Ar dtús, ceapadh go mbeadh an Ghaeilge ann in ionad an Bhéarla, agus go mbeadh Éire gaelach ar fad arís. At first, it was thought that Irish might take the place of English, and that Ireland might be totally Gaelic again. Ach tuigtear ó shin nach mbeidh sí amhlaidh. But it has been understood since then that it will not be so. Is é an cuspóir atá ann inniu ná an teanga a neartú agus a chothú agus í a choimeád beo, agus go n-úsáidfear mar theanga laethúil í fós. The goal that exists today is to strengthen and nourish the language, and to keep it alive, and that it still be used as an everyday language. Ach ní bheidh teanga amháin ag aon duine in Éirinn, ach cúpla teanga. But no one in Ireland will know only one language, but rather a couple of languages.

Luaigh sé go bhfuil an teanga an-tábhachtach do beagnach gach Éireannach, agus go dtuigtear gur oidhreacht iontach í sa bhaile, agus ar fud an domhain. He mentioned that the language is very important to almost every Irish person, and that it is understood that it is a wonderful heritage, at home and throughout the world. Tugadh aitheantas don teanga san Aontas Eorpach tamall ó shin, mar theanga oibre oifigiúil. The language was recognized by the EU a while ago, as an official working language. Agus tá an Fulbright Commission ag tabhairt airgid do scoláirí ar fud an domhain anois chun an Ghaeilge a staidéar is a mhúineadh. And the FC is giving money to scholars all over the world now to study and teach Irish. Tá ranganna Gaeilge ar fáil in caoga ollscoil ar fud an domhain anois, lasmuigh d’Éire. There are Irish language classes available at 50 universities all over the world now, outside of Ireland.

Ag an ócáid chéanna, seoladh leabhar dar teidil Súil Siar. At the same occasion, a book entitled…(A Look Back) was launched. Cnuasach aistí le Barra is ea é. It is a collection of Barra’s essays. Roghnaíodh roinnt dá chuid colún ón Irish Echo. Some of his columns were chosen from the IE. Tá aistriúcháin ann, freisin. There are translations, too. Rinne Hilary Mhic Suibhne agus Eibhlín Zurell an obair seo, agus d’fhoilsigh Daltaí na Gaeilge iad féin é. H and E did this work, and D na G published it themselves. Tá sé ar díol acu ar a shuíomh idirlín ag www.daltai.com. It is for sale on their internet site at…

Thug Hilary agus Eibhlín óráid dúinn, freisin, maraon le Liam Guidry ó Dhaltaí, as Gaeilge, agus an tOllamh Seosamh Ó Laoi, a labhair as Gaeilge agus as Béarla. H and E gave orations, too, along with L from D na G, in Irish, and Professor Joe Lee, who spoke in Irish and English. D’inis sé dúinn go bhfuil sé riachtanach ag Ollscoil Nua-Eabhraic rang Gaeilge a dhéanamh chun céim mháistreachta a bhaint amach sa léinn Éireannach. He told us that it is a requirement at NYU to take an Irish language class in order to get a Masters degree in Irish Studies. Is iomaí eachtra atá ar siúl ag Glucksman Ireland House. It’s many the event that goes on at GIH. An oíche dar gcionn, mar shampla, thug an Dochtúir Séamus De Bláca léacht ar fhilí nua-aimseartha na Gaeilge. The following evening, for example, Dr. Seamus Blake gave a lecture on modern Irish language poets. Seo a suíomh: http://irelandhouse.fas.nyu.edu. This is their site…