Forget about the Irish language, it never done any of us elderly who had to emigrate in the 50s and 60s any good, a country that throughout history exports most of it’s youth ought to spend more time improving their understanding of English as this is where 80% of the exported go. As i remember back in the early sixties the holyhead boat was always full of the poor and Half-educated from the west of ireland. These people if not dead are now libving in doss houses all over britain. Language is only a means of communication nothing else,the is nothing permanent about any language as it change with time ,just try comparing the English of today with that of the sixteenth century. It is said there is about two million and more irish in britain, and very few will ever return so their children with their irish names will become very British and quite a few will end up in northern ireland in the British army,. The will not even remember that there ancestors died in the famine . The learning of Irish should be voluntary and good luck to those who wish to learn it,as it will not be of any benefit when you emigrate.

George, what a bleak attitude you seem to have about everything. You make LIFE almost seem futile. But to speak plainly, language isn’t about economics, or it shouldn’t. The Irish have bought that lie that English is a national jewel and advantage, but there are places that get by just fine without much English at all. You’d think in our “advanced” world you wouldn’t have to give up your language and be sucked into the English vortex in order to make a living. But the Irish language is YOURS. It a doorway into a culture and viewpoint that simply doesn’t exist in any other medium. Every man who dwells on the Island should take the personal responsibility to learn as much Irish as they can, and to have there children school into it so they can maintain or develop fluency. Use it and you’ll see that it has more “value” to you. That’s the thing about language, you have to use it to see the value. And think of any harm that can come of it? None. But much good, because you’ll have saved a treasure of your cultural identity and a cultural link from the great homogeneity of our time. Ádh mór oraibh, a chairde!

Poor George. I could not be angry with you but sorry for you. You see, there are none so blind as those who cannot see. George probably knows the cost of everything but the value of nothing. I suppose I am wasting my time if I say any more.