The new hope for the Irish language: Northern Irish Protestants!

[seabhac siulach]

Read the OP in the thread. It is designed as an attack on PSF. No mention of the many SDLP fluent Irish speakers. I'll look forward to reading what sounds to be an interesting book that I'd already heard of in the A Town News. But imo thats just a side issue to why this thread was started.

No, not really an attack on PSF as it is now...more an attack on the historical entity that was the Provisional movement some years ago. The phrase 'Tiocfaidh ar la' (can't do 'fadas'), and others, indelibly linked the Irish language with a particular form of physical force republicanism. I think everyone can agree that this was a retrograde step. It linked the Irish language with 'terrorism' in the eyes of many Unionists and must now be a strong factor in their refusal to pass the Irish Language Act. The language was allowed to be hijacked in the services of a narrow political outlook to the detriment of its long-term survival. It would be better now for the language (and this is not a political attack!) if Gerry Adams or Sinn Fein distanced themselves from the language (no more of Gerry's mangled cupla focal, etc.)...

[Supermanpolitician]

Hopes of saving the Irish language resting on Northern Protestants.....

Really clutching at straws.

[biffo50]

I live in the south, have been up north many times in the past year, never felt any danger.

[Darren Mac an Phríora]

Hopes of saving the Irish language resting on Northern Protestants.....

Really clutching at straws.

The Irish language is saved. Thanks to the Gaelscoileanna; the Irish language media; and the number of politicians albeit mostly at national level who speak it.

The question is how to we make it grow radically. And, no, I am not one that puts my faith in anyone else apart from generally Irish speakers to do this.