Irish can open new vista

`As fluent Irish speakers, our children have a unique understanding of the poetic magic which is all tied in with Irish culture and heritage," says Nollaig O Donnabhain, who speaks Irish at home with his wife Eibhlin and their five children, aged 12 to 27.

The O Donnabhain family are not alone. There has been an obvious upsurge of interest in the Irish language among parents. All-Irish primary school are notoriously hard to get into, there are waiting lists for all Irish pre-schools (naionrai) - and it doesn't stop there. There are all-Irish parent-andtoddler groups, the odd bilingual creche and organisations through which families who want to speak Irish outside the home can come together.

Far from this being a cunning ploy to give their children the edge at Leaving Cert or broaden their career prospects, parents seem to be choosing opportunities to learn and speak Irish simply out of a love for the language.

Deirdre Ui Ghradaigh is the cathaiorleach of an Comhchoiste Reamhscolaio chta, the organisation which co-ordinates the naoinrai. "The growing interest in revitalising Irish seems to be a parent-led thing. Not only are parents choosing education through Irish, they are also going to classes themselves and increasingly speaking Irish at home. "I think we have a more heightened awareness of our identity and we see language as part of that," she says. "Irish is the whole key to so much of our cultural heritage." Nollaig, too, has seen attitudes to the use of Irish change enormously over the years. "It was until recently considered a very odd thing to do, now it is quite acceptable to speak Irish in public," he says. "What is particularly remarkable is that it is very much an urban phenomenon." Nollaig and Eibhlin grew up speaking English, but met through an Irish-speaking organisation and decided to raise their own children through Irish. "It's not just about the language - on its own the language is practically useless," he says. "It is about giving the children the opportunity to relate to their environment in a unique way. They know all the old stories and songs and they have another way of understanding life in Ireland."

Anne Morrison is the co-ordinator of an Irish parent-and-toddler group, part of an organisation called na Mamalainigh. "I had very little Irish myself when I decided to send my eldest child to the local gaelscoil," she says. "But I used to work with Aer Lingus and from travelling the world I realised how important each country's language is. "Irish is a particularly lovely language, and I really wanted my children to have the chance to speak it fluently."

Na Mamalainigh was set up five years ago by Cherrie Ui Bhroin. "My two older children were at the gaelscoil and my youngest was feeling very lonely. I couldn't go out to night classes although I wanted to learn Irish. So I thought of setting up a parent-and-toddler group as a way for him to have company - and for both of us to learn Irish."

There are now three Mamalainigh groups up and running in south Co Dublin. Each group meets once a week in a member's home and spends the two hours engaged in a number of activities such as painting, singing, reading stories and chatting. "It is wonderful for the children, and the parents learn all sorts of useful phrases, like `don't jump into the water'," Cherrie laughs.

According to Anne Morrison, young children find using another language very easy. "It was only this summer that my four-year-old discovered Irish was another language," she says. "He thinks of Irish as something to do with with having fun and playing with his friends at na Mamalainigh."

Apart from developing a love of the language, learning a second language in a positive way can affect children's cognitive skills. "Apparently it increases their potential for divergent thinking," says Deirdre Ui Ghradaigh. "They can see there is more than one way of expressing something, so they soon realise there is more than one way of looking at a thing," she explains. "Also, when you are bilingual, it is easier to pick up a third or fourth language."

Over the years, the demands on organisations which assist families who speak Irish have increased significantly. Recently Comhluadar, an organisation which provides support and advice, got funding to appoint a full-time administrator. Mairead Ni Mhaoileoin is the new feidhmeannach. "Comhluadar started up in the early 1990s to give families the opportunity to use Irish outside the home. It broadens children's language, and helps dispel feelings they may have of being different." There are also several options for families who would like to go on holidays with other Irish-speaking families. Nollaig O Donnabhain is involved with a group that runs a summer school, Daonscoil na Mumhan, in Ring, Co Waterford. "People with an interest in Irish have been coming from all over the world for the last 40-odd years," Nollaig says. "The children have a wild time, going swimming, on treasure hunts, doing arts and crafts, music, all sorts of things - and they build up friendships which last throughout their lives. To this day our children would still go each year, regardless of whether Eibhlin and I were going."

Early Immersion Education in Ireland: Na Naionrai by Tina Hickey is available through an Comhchoiste Reamhscolaiochta. Comhludar is based in Cork (tel: (021) 320930).