A chara, - Kevin Myers has hit the nail on the head. The Irish language does provide us with a focus for our national identity not unlike the focus the Windsors provide for the British. Irish affords us an opportunity to develop a culture-centred concept of Irishness: beyond colour and creed.
Undoubtedly, English (or American as it will surely be known by the end of the century) is not only beautiful but useful. It is currently the international language, even more so than French or Latin were in their day.
Irish, without which there would be no Irish identity, has been spoken here for over 2,000 years and was the home language of the vast majority of our people until the mid-19th century. From the haunting beauty of Urchill an Chreagáin by Art Mac Cumhaigh to the post-modern slang of Ros na Rún and the authoritative versions of the EU treaties, Irish is a diverse linguistic feast. Why else would it be studied and taught in universities from Moscow to Lublin (Poland), from Helsinki to Freiburg?
The norm here in northern Europe is that people speak both their national language and the international language (English-American). Why should Ireland lag behind? Irish may once have been in retreat, but that is a trend which we are now reversing.
About 6,000 languages are spoken on earth at present. It is expected that 90 per cent of these will be lost by the year 2100. Irish is among the 600 expected to survive.
Every language which is lost brings to the grave with it a unique understanding and outlook on life and humanity, a collection of stories, legends, jokes. proverbs, songs and nicknames. Cluain Meala (meadow of honey) is not the same thing as Clonmel. Cill Bhríde (the Church of St Bríd) is not the same thing as Kilbride (murder your wife?). Consider the phrase "duine le Dia".
It is not a question of whether a separate identity/society/nation can survive the loss of its language. The question is: how long can a separate identity, society or nation subsist after such a loss? What became of the Cumbrians of northern England whose P-Celtic language was lost in the 10th century? What became of the eastern European Germanic Goths? Answer: assimilation.
Had the Poles abandoned Polish as their language following the partition of their country between Prussia, Russia and Austria, would Poland have reappeared on the map of Europe? Of course not. For a society, the loss of language is the loss of self. - Is mise,
DÁITHÍ MAC CÁRTHAIGH, BL, An Leabharlann Dlí, Baile Átha Cliath 7.