Cá raibh an Gaeilge?

A Chairde,

Déanaim agóid láidir toisc nach raibh aon altanna Gaeilge sa Phoblacht ar an 22ú Márta 2001.

Ní féidir duine bheith ina phoblachtánach muna bhfuil meas ceart aige ar an nGaeilge agus rún aige í d'fhoghlaim agus í a labhairt agus í a chur chun cinn i ngach slí gur féidir leis.

San eagrán céanna, d'fhoilsigh sibh alt fada faoi shacair, spórt an ea? Níl baint ar bith ag sacair profaisiúnta le spórt. Is gnó mór é, cuid den chultúr impirúlaí!

N'fheadar an bhfuil sibhse dáiríre faoin nGaeilge?

Seán Mac Stiofáin,

An Uaimh,

Co. na Mí

Gaeilge Abú

A Chairde,

Ba mhaith liom tacú leis an mhéid a bhí le rá ag Máiréad Holt ó Londain ina litir seachtain ó shin. Aontaím go hiomlán léi nach bhfuil go leor Gaeilge le léamh i leathanaigh An Phoblacht.

Tá mé féin ag scríobh altanna i nGeailge don nuachtán seo le beagnach dhá bhliain anois. Caithfidh mé a rá fosta gur mhinic a raibh alt scríofa agam agus nach raibh sé curtha i gcló ar chor ar bith, rud a chuireann isteach orm go mór i ndiaidh tréimhse a chaitheamh ag scriobh agus nuair nach bhfuil alt eile i nGaeilge le léamh ann.

Creidim go bhfuil neart Gaeilgeoirí taobh istigh den ghluaiseacht phoblacht.nach ach tá gach cuma ar an scéal go bhfuil an Ghaeilge curtha ar an mhéar fhada acu féin. Tuigim go bhfuil a lán daoine gnoitheach i rudaí éagsúla ach ní chóir dearmad a dhéanamh fán tionchar atá ag impiriúlachas cultúir orainn ar fad.

Ba ghnáth go raibh poblachtánaigh go mór chun tosaigh i ngluaiseacht na Gaeilge ach tá an iomhá sin caillte anois le blianta. Cé gur eagraíodh Slogaidh ag Roinn an Chultúir agus ag Ógra Shinn Féin, níl cuma ar an ghluaiseacht go bhfuil siad chomh gníomhach agus a bhí blianta ó shin, nuair a bhí `Nuacht Feirste' agus `Saoirse' agus foilseach.in eile ag teacht amach go rialta.

Dá bhrí sin, tá roinnt moltaí agam féin do lucht eagarthóireachta an nuactháin:

1. Foireann Gaeilge a cheapadh don nuachtán. Ba cheart do cheathrar ar a laghad a bheith ag comhoibriú le chéile.

2. Réimse altanna a chur ar fáil. Ní leor alt amháin gach seachtain.

3. Ceachtanna do fhoghlaimeoirí a shol.thar gach seachtain.

4. Foclóir a chur taobh l'altanna ag tagairt d'fhocail ar leith. Creidim gur chóir do léitheoir eile foclóir a chumadh.

5. Crosfhocail agus cartúin a chur ar fáil chomh maith.

Tá súil agam nach dtugtar neamhaird do na moltaí seo ach go mbeidh eagathóirí an nuachtáin ag dul i mbun gníomhartha leis an easpa Gaeilge sa nuachtáin a leigheas.

Mar fhocal scoir, cuireann sé áthas orm go bhfuil léitheoirí ann i Londain a chuireann spéis in altanna Gaeilge in An Phoblacht.

An Draoi Rua

Garda harassment must stop

A Chairde,

Big Brother is alive and well and residing somewhere amid the Halls of Power in Dublin. Despite years of peace in the North and the genuine engagement of opposing parties and views, the old system of Special Branch harassment still continues in the South. Have these anonymous people nothing better to do? On St. Patrick's Day, our national holiday, my wife hung a Tricolour from our bedroom window to celebrate and possibly to add a bit of colour to what was rather a dull and cold day.

Upon our return from town, we discovered a Special Branch car drawn up outside the house. When the detectives spotted us, which wasn't hard as they were blocking our entrance, they pulled off. Is this the depth to which official Ireland has sunk? The flying of a tricolour is apparently perceived as a putative threat to state security. Surely the Special Branch would be better employed assisting their overworked, uniformed colleagues than `staking out' flags.

The level of petty harassment of Sinn Féin members by the Gardaí is unacceptable. Sinn Féin is a legal political party and any attempted intimidation of its members while engaged in lawful activities is contrary to basic civil rights. This harassment could also be construed as the improper use of state bodies acting as political agents on behalf of the government of the day.

This low-level intimidation has existed for years in this state. It has continued because people are afraid to complain and because those who did object found that their complaints ran into mire of officialdom, which hid the inaction behind it. If you need examples of this, look at the victims of the Dublin/Monaghan bombings. Who remembers the Garda `heavy gang' of the `70s? What about the shooting dead of John Carthy in Abbeylara?

I have no doubt that there are many good, conscientious members of the Garda Síochána, some who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the course of their duty to protect the citizens of this state. Unfortunately, there are too many of those who appear to believe that the constitution is a bastion behind which they may behave in any manner they feel fit.

Do not permit this to continue.

Jim Dwyer,

Mayfield,

Cork

Exposing the Special Branch

A Chairde,

The activities of the Special Branch over the past 30 years of conflict and the part they played in maintaining British rule in Ireland should be publicised and archived so that future generations can learn about their treacherous deeds.

How many young people did they harass out of their ideological beliefs? How many hospitals and factories would be built if the taxpayers' money was not wasted on Special Branch sitting outside republicans' houses, spying in graveyards, raiding houses, tearing down posters etc.?

The Irish people should be told the truth about the pro-British element in the police force in this country. Maybe Tim Pat Coogan could edit all the findings. Maybe An Phoblacht could facilitate the collection of the data.

Seán Ó Cléirigh,

Béal an Átha,

Co. Mayo

Sean O'Farrell

A Chairde,

I am currently undertaking research on the republican movement during the 1920s and 1930s and I wonder if readers of An Phoblacht may be able to help me with some information.

I am looking for details of the career of one of the leading Leitrim republicans of that era, Sean O'Farrell. Any information on his family background, occupation and career on leaving the repoublican movement would be greatly appreciated.

Brian Hanley,

C/o Department of Modern History,

Trinity College,

Dublin 1