A chara, - Language is much more than a mere means of communication. It is through language that the mind and world view of the speaker are formed. It is the most vital and vibrant of social bonds. Consider proverbs, prayers and jokes, literature and song. Consider the role of language in child rearing. Consider names, nicknames, surnames and placenames.
Consider the difference between Cluain Meala ("meadow of honey") and Clonmel, between Cill ("a church") and Kill, between Eire (the name of a beneficent goddess) and Ireland. Consider the multitude of common idioms that either defy translation or lose all their savour and associations in the process.
There exists an Irishness beyond the reach of the English language, an identity being created continuously through Irish for the past 2,000 years. To be "Irish via Irish" is not at all the same thing as being "Irish via English". A major component of their country's heritage and culture is denied to non-Irish speakers. A wholly English speaking Ireland would be but one small cultural province of a wider English-speaking domain.
Consider what would be lost, to the inhabitant and the visitor alike, were the people of Italy to abandon Italian. Consider the change in their world view that would follow Quebec becoming English-speaking. Now consider what the loss of Irish has meant for the people of Ireland. Consider how your life could be enriched by speaking your own language, singing your own songs and understanding the origins of your local place-names.
Only Irish provides us with a secure cultural basis for our identity, beyond colour and creed. It is a source of pride and confidence of all the people of Ireland. - Is mise,
Daithi Mac Carthaigh BL, An Leabharlann Dli, Na Ceithre Cuirt, Baile Atha Cliath 7.