Gaels And Anti-Gaels: Revisionism And The Irish Language - Report From Desmond Greaves School
On March 8th, a Desmond Greaves Annual School organised public meeting addressed the question of revisionism and its relationship to the Irish language. The seminar was held in the Teacher's Club in Dublin.
The two speakers were the journalist Eoin Ó Murchú, who was a member of the Misneach of the 1960s, and the historian Dr Kerron Ó Luain, a member of the modern day Misneach and an Éirigí activist.
Both speakers defined the term "revisionist" quite broadly. They took this to mean elements who have sought to diminish, twist, or erase the history or the status of Irish.
Éirígí activist Dr Kerron Ó Luain addressing a Leinster House committee on behalf of Misneach in 2018.
One of the key themes which was addressed was the question of education. It was highlighted how the system of National Schools, established in 1831, was used to promote use of the English language in Ireland. This system grew in tandem with the spread of capitalism into Ireland.
During the nineteenth century the individualist tendencies of capitalism were alien to Gaelic society. In large parts of the country communities existed that still worked in common. This was known as the meitheal (or, work group), where tasks were engaged in community. Land, before being enclosed, was held in common.
The spread of the English language education system helped the spread of the market. This, in turn, assisted in the destruction of Gaelic communalistic society.
Other topics addressed by the speakers included that of class. The low levels of visibility of working class people among the Irish language movement was highlighted. This occurs due to broader socio-economic patterns and the time needed to learn and maintain the language.
It was pointed out that this low level of participation was unfortunate. At least one study based on class and gender and sympathy towards the language demonstrated how working-class women were the most receptive, with middle-class males most hostile to Irish.
The revisionism and twisting of Irish history by the Irish far-right was also discussed. These elements try to associate the Irish language purely with "white ethnic Gaels".
But, as history shows, the Normans, of Viking and French ethnicity, embraced the language and culture, becoming "more Irish than the Irish themselves".
In the eighteenth century, on being informed of the existence of black Irish speakers on the island of Montserrat, famous Irish language author Amhlaoibh Ó Súilleabháin remarked “cia dubh bán iad is ionúin liomsa clanna Gael” (I don't care if they're black or white I love the Gaelic tribe).
The following century, the revival of the language was driven by those of planter stock and Protestants such as Thomas Davis. The Young Irelanders understood the language as a common cultural "glue" that could bind the different ethnicities and religions in the country together.
Other topics explored during the talk included the co-option of Irish by the élite, the relationship of the Catholic Church, the EU, and both states in Ireland towards the language.
Overall, there was a consensus that while the challenges facing the language are many, they are surmountable.