Minding our language or Fine Gael's cultural suicide

IT WAS toward political, financial, cultural and linguistic sovereignty that Irish men and women sacrificed their lives in the GPO nearly 100 years ago. Perhaps the reason we feel the loss of sovereignty so sharply after the IMF's financial takeover is because, unlike Iceland and Greece, we don't yet collectively speak our own language.

The 20-year plan to promote the further use of our language just launched is already being threatened by Fine Gael, who wish to make Gaeilge a choice subject on the Leaving Cert.

Westminster, in 2005, ended mandatory foreign languages on their various syllabi, resulting in a 60% decrease in the first year.

Latin, once a mandatory subject on the Leaving Cert has little or no uptake in Ireland any longer.

Gaeilge is more than just a subject – it is a language and has encoded in its words a way of seeing the world from a uniquely Irish perspective. But Fine Gael would sacrifice it for the fickle whims of hormone-driven teenagers.

It must be clearly stated to any elected Irish Government that the enactment of such a policy would be an act of cultural suicide.

ROSSA Ó SNODAIGH

Cluainín Uí Ruairc

Contae Liatroma