Cover not available
Article published In:
Language Problems and Language Planning
Vol. 38:1 (2014) ► pp.19–41

Unfirm ground

A re-assessment of language policy in Ireland since Independence

| Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, the University of the Highlands and Islands, Scotland
This is the first of a two-part article which examines the implications of the transformations in the relationship between those who exercise political and State power in Ireland and those who adhere to the minority Irish language culture. The evolution of language policy in the Irish State since independence in 1922 is considered from the perspective of linguistic sustainability, as opposed to the well-established trend in language policy discourse in Ireland which primarily focuses on institutional provision. The analysis here delineates the various policy phases which defined the official approach of the Irish State to its national but minority language. This analysis provides the basis for the examination in the second article of the process of contemporary language policy reform in Ireland. From the joint perspective of legacy issues in language policy and planning and the current transformations in relevant State policy, these two papers contend that the Irish State effectively abandoned the language revival in the early 1970s and that the current reform process marks an equally significant policy watershed in that the independent State is now preparing to abandon its policy concerning the small surviving Irish-speaking districts (Gaeltacht).
Keywords: language revival, the Gaeltacht, the Irish language, language minoritization, minority language regeneration, language policy reform, L1 and L2 language planning interventions, minority language legislation
Published online: 21 July 2014
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/lplp.38.1.02gio
References (46)
Bord na Gaeilge. (1988). The Irish language in a changing society: Shaping the future. Coiste Comhairleach Pleanála. Dublin: Bord na Gaeilge.Google Scholar
Bourdieu, P. (1991). Language and symbolic power. Cambridge: Polity Press.Google Scholar
Comhairle na Gaeilge. (1971). Towards a language policy. Dublin: The Stationery Office.Google Scholar
Fennell, D. (1970). The Irish language movement: Its achievements and its failure. 20th Century Studies, 31, 64–77.Google Scholar
Fiontar [An Irish-medium department of Dublin City University]. (2009). 20-year strategy for the Irish language: Report prepared for the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. Dublin: Fiontar DCU.Google Scholar
Fishman, J.A. (1991). Reversing language shift: Theoretical and empirical foundations of assistance to threatened languages. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.Google Scholar
Garvin, T. (2004). Preventing the future: Why was Ireland so poor for so long? Dublin: Gill and Macmillan.Google Scholar
. (2010). News from a new republic: Ireland in the 1950s. Dublin: Gill and Macmillan.Google Scholar
Gathercole, V., & Thomas, E.M. (2009). Bilingual first-language development: Dominant language takeover, threatened minority language take-up. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 12(2), 213–237. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Giddens, A. (1991). Modernity and self-identity: Self and society in the late modern age. Cambridge: Polity Press.Google Scholar
Government of Ireland [The Irish Free-State]. (1926). Coimisiún na Gaeltachta / Gaeltacht Commission: Statement of government policy on recommendations of the Commission. Dublin: The Stationery Office.Google Scholar
Government of Ireland. (1965). White paper on the Restoration of the Irish language. Dublin: The Stationery Office.Google Scholar
. (1975). CILAR – Committee on Irish language Attitudes research. Report. Dublin: The Stationery Office.Google Scholar
. (2002). Gaeltacht Commission: Report. Dublin: The Stationery Office.Google Scholar
. (2010). 20-year strategy for the Irish language 2010–2030. Dublin: The Stationery Office. [[URL]].Google Scholar
. (2012). Gaeltacht Act 2012. Dublin: The Stationery Office. [[URL]]Google Scholar
Griffith, A. (1904). The Sinn Féin policy. In A. Griffith (Ed.), The resurrection of Hungary: A parallel for Ireland (pp. 139-163). Dublin: Whelan.Google Scholar
Hindley, R. (1990). The death of the Irish language: A qualified obituary. Oxfordshire: Routledge.Google Scholar
Lenoach, C. (2009). Dioscúrsa na Gaeilge iarthraidisiúnta [Discourse of Post-traditional Irish]. Unpublished MA Thesis, National University of Ireland, Galway.Google Scholar
. (2012). An Ghaeilge iarthraidisiúnta agus a dioscúrsa [Post-traditional Irish and its discourse]. In C. Lenoach, C. Ó Giollagáin & B. Ó Curnáin (Eds.), An chonair chaoch: An mionteangachas sa dátheangachas [The blind alley: The minority language condition in bilingualism] (pp. 19-109). Indreabhán: Leabhar Breac.Google Scholar
Lenoach, C., Ó Giollagáin, C. & Ó Curnáin, B. (Eds.) (2012). An chonair chaoch: An mionteangachas sa dátheangachas [The blind alley: The minority language condition in bilingualism]. Indreabhán: Leabhar Breac.Google Scholar
Lyons, F.S.L. (1973). Ireland since the famine. London: Fontana.Google Scholar
Mac Donnacha, S. (2013). An Ghaeltacht i 2013: I ndeireadh na feide [Irish-speaking districts in 2013: The last gasp]. In Comhar March 2013, 10-11, based on a paper delivered at Tóstal na Gaeilge 2013, Dublin 16 February 2013.Google Scholar
Mac Giolla Chríost, D. (2005). The Irish language in Ireland: From Goídel to globalisation. Oxford: Routledge.Google Scholar
Montrul. S. (2008). Incomplete acquisition in bilingualism: Re-examining the age factor. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Ó Cuív, B. (1951). Irish dialects and Irish-speaking districts. Dublin: Dublin Institute of Advanced Studies.Google Scholar
Ó Curnáin, B. (2007). The Irish of Iorras Aithneach, County Galway, Vols. I–IV. Dublin: Dublin Institute of Advanced Studies.Google Scholar
. (2009). Mionteangú na Gaeilge [Minoritizing Irish). In B. Ó Catháin (Ed.), Sochtheangeolaíocht na Gaeilge, Léachtaí Cholmcille XXXIX, 90-152 [The sociolinguistics of Irish, Colmcille Lectures XXXIX). An Daingean: An Sagart.Google Scholar
. (2012). An Ghaeilge iarthraidisiúnta agus an phragmataic chódmheasctha thiar agus theas [Post-traditional Irish and the pragmatics of code-mixing in Western and Southern Irish]. In C. Lenoach, C. Ó Giollagáin & B. Ó Curnáin (Eds.), An chonair chaoch: An mionteangachas sa dátheangachas (pp. 284-365). Indreabhán: Leabhar Breac.Google Scholar
Ó Giollagáin, C. (2006). Gnéithe de stair theorainn na Gaeltachta: Coimhlint idir dhá Riachtanas [Aspects of the history of the Gaeltacht boundary: A conflict of two requirements]. In A. Doyle & S. Ní Laoire (Eds.), Aistí ar an Nua-Ghaeilge in ómós do Bhreandán Ó Buachalla [Essays on Modern Irish in honour of Breandá Ó Buachalla] (pp. 95-116). Dublin: Cois Life.Google Scholar
. (2011). Breac-chríocha na heitnitheangeolaíochta agus an forás oideachais sa mhionteanga [Hybridic ethnolinguistic districts and educational development in the minority language]. Comhar May 2011 71(5), 5–9.Google Scholar
Ó Giollagáin, C., Mac Donnacha, S., Ní Shéaghdha, A., Ní Chualáin, F. & O’Brien, M. (2007). Staidéar cuimsitheach teangeolaíoch ar úsáid na Gaeilge sa Ghaeltacht: Tuarascáil chríochnaitheach[Comprehensive linguistic study of the use of Irish in the Gaeltacht: Final report]. Dublin: The Stationery Office. [CLS]Google Scholar
Oireachtas Éireann (2011). Third report on the 20-year strategy on the Irish language 2010–2030. Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Sport, Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs of the Irish Parliament.Google Scholar
Ó Riagáin, P. (1997). Language policy and social reproduction, Ireland 1893–1993. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Ó Riain, S. (1994). Pleanáil teanga in Éirinn 1919–1985 [Language planning in Ireland 1919-1985]. Dublin: Carbad.Google Scholar
Ó Tuathaigh, G. (1990). The development of the Gaeltacht as a bilingual entity. Occasional Paper No. 8 Dublin: Institiúid Teangeolaíochta Éireann.Google Scholar
Péterváry, T., Ó Curnáin, B. & Ó Giollagáin, C. (Forthcoming 2014). A study of bilingual linguistic abilities of native speakers of Irish in the Gaeltacht. Dublin: An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta/Council for Gaeltacht and Irish-Medium Education.Google Scholar
Plunkett H. (1904). Ireland in the new century. London: J. Murray.Google Scholar
Regan, J.M. (1999). The Irish counter-revolution, 1921–1936: Treatyite politics and settlement in independent Ireland. Dublin: Gill & Macmillan.Google Scholar
Russell, G. (AE) (1912). Co-operation and nationality. Dublin: Maunsel. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
. (AE) (1916). The national being: A design for developing Ireland. Dublin: Maunsel.Google Scholar
Share, P., Tovey, H. & Corcoran, M. (2007). A sociology of Ireland. Dublin: Gill and McMillan.Google Scholar
Thomas, E.M. & Roberts, D.B. (2011). Exploring bilinguals’ social use of language inside and out of the minority language classroom. Language and Education, 1–20. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Titley, A. (2004). How did we get here from there? In C. Mac Murchaidh (Ed), ‘Who needs Irish?’ Reflections on the importance of the Irish language today (pp. 13-23). Dublin: Veritas.Google Scholar
Tovey, H., Hannan, D. & Abramson, H. (1989). Why Irish: Irish identity and the Irish language. Dublin: Bord na Gaeilge.Google Scholar
Walsh, J. (2002). Díchoimisiúnú teanga: Coimisiún na Gaeltachta 1926 [Language decommissioning: The 1926 Gaewltacht Commission]. Dublin: Cois Life.Google Scholar
Cited by (16)

Cited by 16 other publications

Lewin, Christopher
2023. Gaelic Community Development and theGàidhealtachdQuestion. Scottish Affairs 32:2 ► pp. 154 ff. DOI logo
Mufwene, Salikoko S.
2023. Sound language policies must be consistent with natural language evolution. International Journal of the Sociology of Language 2023:281 ► pp. 1 ff. DOI logo
Murray, Clíona, Andrea Lynch, Niamh Flynn & Emer Davitt
2023. Articulating Minority Language Value in Diverse Communities: The Case of Compulsory Irish Language Education. Journal of Language, Identity & Education 22:3 ► pp. 247 ff. DOI logo
Vulchanova, Mila, Valentin Vulchanov, Antonella Sorace, Cristina Suarez-Gomez & Pedro Guijarro-Fuentes
2022. Editorial: The Notion of the Native Speaker Put to the Test: Recent Research Advances. Frontiers in Psychology 13 DOI logo
Coakley, John
2021. Geographical retreat and symbolic advance?. Language Problems and Language Planning 45:2 ► pp. 239 ff. DOI logo
Flors-Mas, Aveŀlí, Natxo Sorolla, Miquel Àngel Pradilla & F. Xavier Vila
2021. The recent evolution of first languages in Catalonia. Language Problems and Language Planning 45:1 ► pp. 31 ff. DOI logo
Hickey, Tina M.
2021. Heritage Language Early Years’ Immersion: Irish-Medium Preschools in Ireland. In Handbook of Early Language Education [Springer International Handbooks of Education, ], ► pp. 1 ff. DOI logo
Hickey, Tina M.
2021. Family Language Policy: Promoting Partnership in the Early Years to Support Heritage Languages. In Language Revitalisation and Social Transformation, ► pp. 141 ff. DOI logo
Hickey, Tina M.
2022. Heritage Language Early Years’ Immersion: Irish-Medium Preschools in Ireland. In Handbook of Early Language Education [Springer International Handbooks of Education, ], ► pp. 317 ff. DOI logo
Ó Giollagáin, Conchúr & Iain Caimbeul
2021. Moving beyond Asocial Minority-Language Policy. Scottish Affairs 30:2 ► pp. 178 ff. DOI logo
Williams, Colin H. & John Walsh
2019. Minority Language Governance and Regulation. In The Palgrave Handbook of Minority Languages and Communities, ► pp. 101 ff. DOI logo
Edwards, John
2017. Celtic languages and sociolinguistics: a very brief overview of pertinent issues. Language, Culture and Curriculum 30:1 ► pp. 13 ff. DOI logo
Nic Fhlannchadha, Siobhán & Tina M. Hickey
2017. Acquiring an opaque gender system in Irish, an endangered indigenous language. First Language 37:5 ► pp. 475 ff. DOI logo
Nic Fhlannchadha, Siobhán & Tina M. Hickey
2018. Minority language ownership and authority: perspectives of native speakers and new speakers. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism 21:1 ► pp. 38 ff. DOI logo
Parsons, Christine E. & Fiona Lyddy
2016. A longitudinal study of early reading development in two languages: comparing literacy outcomes in Irish immersion, English medium and Gaeltacht schools. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism 19:5 ► pp. 511 ff. DOI logo
Ó Giollagáin, Conchúr
2014. From revivalist to undertaker. Language Problems and Language Planning 38:2 ► pp. 101 ff. DOI logo

This list is based on CrossRef data as of 12 august 2024. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers. Any errors therein should be reported to them.