An Ireland without Irish - could that be what the future holds?

"There is something absurd and rather tragic about setting out on a journey around a country, knowing that if you speak the language of that country you will not be understood. It is even more absurd when the country is your native one and you are speaking its native language."

Manchán Mangan was, of course, referring to Ireland and to the declining Irish language. During his search for Irish speakers one of his experiences, in particular, highlights the dwindling use of Irish on a day to day basis.

At the beginning of his search Manchán Mangan walked into an Ordnance Survey Office in Dublin and began speaking Irish. Three times he was told to speak English or get out. In the end he was refused help and the office personnel ordered him to leave. Worse yet, they were angry at him for speaking Irish as they could not understand a word he was saying.

Now, it doesn't take an expert to see that there is something radically wrong with this situation. Firstly as a semi-state organisation the Ordnance Survey Office is obliged to provide certain services in Irish. Therefore why shouldn't this man, or anyone else, be allowed to speak Irish? Secondly, the Irish language is recognised by the Irish Constitution as our first language. Shouldn't we be entitled to speak it as openly and as freely as we wish? The answer simply is yes.

So where did it all go wrong? What happened that caused Irish to be swept under the rug and pushed English to the forefront of our lives? Well let us rewind back to the 16th century. The Queen of England, Mary 1, introduced a policy called plantations. In effect this meant driving the native Irish people from their land and replacing them with loyal English settlers who would speak the English language. As a result of this policy the Irish language declined and, subsequently, English spread throughout Ireland.

The Great Famine also saw a dramatic decrease in the number of Irish speakers and, by the end of the nineteenth century, and the end of British rule, Irish was only spoken by less than a mere 15 percent of the population. Unfortunately Irish never fully recovered and keeping our unique language alive has proved to be an uphill battle.

Nevertheless we are all given the chance to learn Irish. For the majority of Irish people, our first introduction to the cúpla focal as Gaeilge is through our schooling network. Irish remains a mandatory subject in both primary and secondary schools. The teaching of Irish however has been strongly criticised in the past and blamed primarily for the lack of interest students show in learning the language. Primary school children are not receiving a solid foundation of Irish before they head into secondary school. They then spend 6 years reading English versions of Irish novels and poems, memorising answers, essays and oral conversations so they can regurgitate them once June rolls 'round. Why do they do this, one might ask? The answer is easy. To obtain the maximum amount of points possible. They don't care about Irish. For the majority of them it is a chore. Those who regard it as a chore take pride in burning their Irish books, copies and notes once the Leaving Cert is over, safe in the knowledge that they will never have to speak "that language" again.

It is clear that improvements will have to be made, inside and outside the classroom, if our native language is to survive. The Country's National Authority for the preservation of Gaeilge is doing all it can to keep the language alive by supporting schools, newspapers and even a television station. Foinse, an educational Irish magazine is published and distributed freely every Wednesday with the Irish Independent. Television programmes such as Des Bishop's In the name of the Fáda and, more recently, Bernard Dunne's Bród Club have aimed to highlight the importance of the Irish language.

Seachtain na Gaeilge, which is an annual event, recently took place and is a week where Irish is emphasised and promoted throughout the country. People are encouraged to get involved and try to speak as Gaeilge. Now I don't claim to be fluent, but I do enjoy Irish. The tone of it, the sound of it, the way it rolls off the tongue. Listening to people speaking it is mesmerising. So with that in mind, and considering the week that was in it, I decided to attend an Irish play called Eilis. Afterwards I got chatting to a girl who was in the play. She admitted she never had a real grá for the Irish language and the thought of participating in a play as Gaeilge was "a bit ridiculous". However her love of drama outshone the fact she didn't exactly like the language and, afterwards, she declared it was well worth it and "it made me wish I gave Irish more of a chance in secondary school".

Bank of Ireland have also embraced Seachtain na Gaeilge with open arms. Eileen Walsh, Manager of Bank of Ireland Dungarvan, told how school children, from the nearby Irish-speaking school visited the bank, during Seachtain na Gaeilge. They displayed their singing and dancing talents as Gaeilge. She also told how the Dungarvan branch are getting into the swing of things. Each Friday, for the four Fridays of March, the bank is holding what they call "Fáilte Fridays". On "Fáilte Fridays" the bank workers are "encouraged to speak cúpla fócal amongst themselves and to the customers if possible".

Unfortunately not everyone is as inspired by Seachtain na Gaeilge, but it does go to show that if people cast aside their own inhibitions and give the language a chance they might actually enjoy it.

It is unrealistic to expect Ireland to abandon English. However it is not unrealistic to expect Ireland to accept and appreciate this individual and unique language we are privileged to have. It is time Irish was accepted and used by the broader community. Hopefully, in time to come, with more improvements and resources from our government a greater emphasis can be stressed on our native Irish language all over Ireland and not just in the Gaeltacht areas.

The Sound of Music

"Music speaks what cannot be expressed, soothes the mind and gives it rest, heals the heart and makes it whole, flows from heaven to the soul."

Music. It has the power to speak unspoken words. It has the power to make you laugh, cry and arouse every emotion in between. It has the power to relax you and motivate you. For many, music is a source of contentment, comfort and inspiration. For others, it is whatever we desire it to be.

Music is often described as a universal language that expresses who we are. Although universal in one sense, it is also something deeply personal and intrinsic to each one of us individually. It has the ability to speak for itself and to the person listening to it. Quite often we can relate to the lyrics as though they were written especially for us, with our lives, our thoughts and our dreams taken into account. Therein lies the beauty of music. Sometimes it understands us when noone else does.

It is one of life's great escapes. For everyone there are times when you feel like the whole world is against you. The chance to escape from that reality, through the lyrics and melodies affiliated with music, is a welcome distraction. For those precious minutes you can forget, or at least try to forget, about your own worries. You can get lost in the song, lost in the beat, lost in the music.

Bob Marley was once quoted as saying the "one good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.” Wise words from a wise man. Even if you are tone deaf and have the dance moves of an old man with two left feet it doesn't matter. You can still enjoy what you are doing, the music you are singing to and the beats you are dancing to.
The earliest song I can remember prancing around to is "Stop" by the Spice Girls. Oh how I loved those girls. I wanted to be Baby Spice. I wanted her attitude, her blonde pigtails and her style (what was I thinking?!). Unfortunately, for me, there is a video of a fair-haired five-year-old standing in the kitchen belting out the words to "Stop" and dancing like noone was watching. I possessed two left feet and couldn't hold a note to save my life, yet it didn't seem to matter. The big smile across my face said it all. I was oblivious to my lack of talent in the musical department but I thought I was the bee's knees. Even though I was bad at it, it still made me happy. That's the magic of music. As J.K. Rowling so perfectly put it, music is "a magic beyond all we do here."

Mr. Valentine...

Admit it ladies. We've all done it. At some point in our lives we have declared, spluttering and sobbing, with mascara stained tears, that we are giving up on the male species. At that moment in time we have been determined to cut all ties with the opposite sex. We've threatened to pack our bags, take off to the nearest convent and resort to living life as a nun for the rest of our lives.
The nun phase never lasts too long though and, before you know it, you find yourself pining for Mr. Right. Although Mr. Right might not exist, (or if he does he's doing a very good job of hiding) here's a blog about five different types of guys that DO exist in relationships, and the pros and cons of each.

Mr. Irresistible
Maybe he's good looking, or funny or you just simply have the craic with him. It's hard to pinpoint what it is that draws you to him time and time again, there's just something about him. 

Positives
The fact that you hold a soft spot for this boy, even as you move through different relationships, shows that you care A LOT about him. 

Negatives
You like him, he seems to like you, but somehow or other it's never managed to blossom into a relationship. You might be mad about him but maybe you've read the signals wrong and, maybe just maybe, he's just not that into you...

Mr. Play the Game
He's good looking, charming, and has the art of sweet talking down to a tee. He's a smooth operator, saying all the right things at all the right times. He's exhilarating, exciting and unpredictable.

Positives
His sweet tongue and smooth talking makes you smile from ear to ear, even when you know he's probably only telling you what you want to hear. The first few weeks spent together are like the honeymoon period. He surprises you, makes you laugh and before you know it you're head over heels in love with him. 

Negatives
You may think it's love and are adamant you'll be able to change him, however, in reality you're nothing but another cailín in his ever-expanding list. Once he's reeled you in and got you interested the chase, for him, is over. While he's eyeing up his next victim you're left wondering why he's not interested and what exactly she has that you don't.


Mr. I Can't Make Up My Mind
You're relationship status on Facebook changes more times than the wind.
In a Relationship.
Single.
In a Relationship.
Single.
It's clear this particular boy can't make up his mind. One minute he wants you, the next he's not even looking at you. 

Positives
Not many positives come from a relationship like this. On the rare occasions you're not arguing and things are good, then they're really good. However this is just a flash in the pan and is well over-shadowed by the negative aspects of the relationship. 

Negatives
You end up feeling exploited and used while he, on the other hand, is completely oblivious. The realisation that you were messed around and made to feel stupid, unfortunately, stays with you long after he's disappeared.


Mr. Romantic
He calls you when he says he will. He texts you first thing in the morning and last thing at night. He treats you well, takes you out for dinner, showers you with gifts, tells you how beautiful you are, and constantly reminds himself how lucky he is. 

Positives
He makes you feel appreciated and, cailíní let's face it, we love that. He always makes romantic gestures and acts like you're the only girl in the world.

Negatives
His constant praise, admiration and gifts can make you feel smothered. His enthusiasm for the relationship often comes across as neediness and, as time goes by, this becomes increasingly annoying. Before you know it you're running in the opposite direction trying to avoid him. Apparently there is such a thing as being 'too nice'.

Mr. Best Friend
He's your closest male friend and knows you inside out and upside down. You laugh and joke about the same things, share similar interests and, most importantly, he's there when you need him. You don't have to worry about experiencing a bad hair day or going totally au natural when your in his company. He's your best friend, you don't feel the need to impress him. 

Positives
 He's there when you need him and provides that all important shoulder to cry on. He listens to you moan and groan and doesn't complain that he's heard it all before. As well as listening to you rant and rave this buachaill provides advice on all your boy troubles through the eyes of a male. Another plus.  

Negatives
At some stage throughout your friendship one of you might fall for the other. While you may have been with plenty of other guys before he's been a constant in your life, so it's only natural that you start to question whether you like him as more than just a friend. This can be a tricky situation though and you will have to ask yourself; is it worth risking your friendship in an attempt to find out?

Right and Wrong

Recently I came across an article online that baffled and bewildered me. The article claimed that children, by the age of ten, know the difference between right and wrong. I had never given this much thought but, after reading through the article and thinking about it, I couldn't help but disagree strongly with the author.

It is my belief that children, by the age of ten, do not have the knowledge nor experience to judge the difference between right and wrong. Young children are not expected to understand the complex issues of right and wrong in life at such a young age. This understanding comes with education and life experience, something a young child has not had the chance to fully experience by the tender age of ten.

Do young children possess the same level of judgement that adults do? Did you know as a child what you know now as an adult? The answer simply is no. I certainly didn't anyway. Judgement is based on experience. At ten years old children do not have sufficient experience gained by work and travel that most of you now probably have as young adults. As a ten year old my main concerns were: was the tooth fairy going to come? had I been good enough for Santa Clause? and what kind of Easter egg would the Easter Bunny leave? All my needs were catered for and my judgement only stretched as far as my parents. I did not understand that occasionally adults get things wrong too. I believed my parents were the ultimate symbol of all that is good. In my eyes they could do no wrong. As a young adult now, I am aware that everyone makes mistakes and I fully acknowledge that people aren't always right.

If children know the difference between right and wrong they should be able to see all the wrong our politicians have been doing and be allowed to make an informed choice in elections. Of course children have not acquired a mature understanding nor have the majority of them any interest in politics or our disintegrating economy. While they may understand the difference between what is a right and what is a wrongly run country they cannot act on that understanding. They are simply too young and their sense of right and wrong is fuzzier and more blurred that that of an adult.

Is it fair to prosecute a child in the same way as an adult? While the majority of children are capable of telling you that murder is wrong, some are so traumatised by personal experiences that they cannot see the consequences of their actions. They do not have the same clear moral sense that adults have. They do not act like rational adults would, they act like the damaged child that they are. Research has shown that children imprisoned in adult jails are five times as likely to be sexually assaulted, twice as likely to be beaten by staff and fifty percent more likely to be attacked with a weapon. Surely to God if the adults cannot see the wrong in carrying out those actions how are we expected to believe that young children, who are influenced by the adults around them, know the difference between wrong and right.

It is ridiculous to think that children could possibly understand the difference between right and wrong by the age of ten. It is hard enough for adults to act on their understanding of right and wrong, let alone children. Life is a continuous learning process and learning the difference between right and wrong is not something that happens overnight, it takes time.

"It is no longer the body of a god or anything with power over my life."

Look around you. Do today's men and women appear to live as equal citizens from where you are standing? On the surface it appears so. Today women are entitled to vote, own their own property, attend university, work in their chosen profession, and seek a divorce. The law no longer addresses women as second class citizens. Thanks to women like Mary McGee, Josie Airey and Nuala Fennell huge strides have been made in the last four decades in improving the status of women. While many advances have been made, we are still in the very early stages of ridding ourselves of the age old stereotype placed upon women. The culture and attitude of our society in the past have acceded to the secondary status of women. Everyone will benefit from a world where men and women live equally but if we think we've reached that yet, we're only fooling ourselves.

Having attended an all-girls secondary school, we were always encouraged to grow up to be independent women. International Women's Day was celebrated annually and perhaps influenced my attitude towards the role of women in society. My view is that we are just as important, independent and influential as any man. Women can now do things that they never would have dreamt of doing before, nor their mothers or grandmothers. Fifty years ago, my grandmother was forced to abandon her teaching post in order to get married. Nowadays that idea seems ludicrous. Although men no longer have the same level of power over Irish women, we are still not entirely equal. Despite discrimination against women in the workplace being "supposedly" outlawed almost forty years ago, 30,000 women lose their jobs every year simply for being pregnant. As well as that, jobs traditionally done by women such as teaching, are still paid considerably less than those traditionally carried out by men. Where is the fairness in that?

Adrienne Rich, in her poem, "From a Survivor" reveals that her husband no longer has "power over" her "life". The harsh reality is men do still have the upper hand in today's world. Women in Ireland are paid 17% less than men and only 16% of Dáil members are women. No wonder our country is in the depths of despair! The epigram "the hand that rocks the cradle, rules the world" springs to mind. No expression could be more appropriate to use in the present economic climate. Unfortunately we still live in a world dominated by male politicians. The illusion of power drives men to do many things; destroy, distrust and deny. Recent statistics have confirmed what we all know already; men are excellent liars. This can be seen in Irish politics where honesty clearly gets you nowhere. It just means you cannot be trusted to be sneaky. Our male-dominated political government seem motivated by a desire to take what they can and save themselves.

A programme aired recently on RTE about Haiti highlighted the large numbers of women and young girls who are subjected to sexual abuse and rape there. Unfortunately rape happens everywhere and it sickens me to think how men can commit such a crime and then get away with it. This atrocious act undermines women and their status in society. If men are allowed to get away with this behaviour, which they were in the past, there will never be equality between males and females. In 1970 the Council for the Status of Women urged the creation of a crime of marital rape. I was absolutely astounded to discover that it was not defined as a crime until 1990. How could it possibly take twenty years to see that a woman should not be forced to have sex with her husband if she doesn't want to?

In her poetry Adrienne Rich deals with the oppression of women by men, and documents the struggles and difficulties that women endure in the modern world. Her desire to be respected as a woman and her need to express this, hurt her husband and in response he held her back. When she finally ended the marriage her husband committed suicide. The quote "...it is no longer the body of a god or anything with power over my life..." refers to her husband and is taken from her poem "From a Survivor". In my opinion that poem is one of Rich's best. Her ability to survive both the divorce and her husband's suicide, shows her to be a woman of courage and strength, something which every woman needs in today's world.

Unfortunately us women face a long road ahead of us if we are to gain equality with men across all boards. The fact that rape happens and world leaders are usually male is met with a shrug of the shoulders and the line, "That's just the way it is." But it needn't be just the way it stays. It is high time that all of this changed. Sadly it could take a further forty years before we are on a total level footing with men and equality has been achieved.

The future of Ireland lies in the hands of the young

Government corruption, widespread unemployment and rising levels of emigration. Yes, Ireland in the 1980s was a dull and dreary place to be. Back then Ireland was the sick dog of Europe. In the years that followed it transformed into a Celtic Tiger. Now Ireland is a pig. Our once thriving, successful, wealthy country is now part of the elite PIIGS group. PIIGS standing for Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece and Spain, the most economically troubled countries in Europe at the moment. Ireland has rapidly gone downhill at full speed. Mass unemployment has swept through the country, followed by increasing numbers of 'for sale' or 'to let' signs. Our government and state are in the most serious financial crisis ever witnessed. Savings and investments have been spent and squandered and nothing has been saved for a rainy day.

So who do we point the finger at to blame for the cause of our disintegrating economy? In reality there are simply not enough fingers on both my hands to blame the countless petty politicians and big-shot bankers who have contributed hugely to the downfall of our economy. However, it is fair to say that everyone had a part to play in the destruction of our country. We got caught up in the excitement of our new found wealth and prosperity. Luxury homes, flash cars and exotic holidays became the norm. Nobody stopped to ask where all the money was coming from or, more importantly, how we would inevitably have to pay it back. We took the easy option and enjoyed everything the Celtic Tiger had to offer us with absolutely no thoughts for the consequences of our selfish actions.

Someone was once quoted as saying “Education's purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one.” I could not agree more. However badly our economy was handled some right steps were taken that simply cannot be undone. Huge emphasis was placed on college and providing young people with the education they needed and were entitled to. Ireland proudly boasts one of the largest, brightest and most-educated workforces in the world. Young people have never been presented with the amount of opportunities as they are being offered now. We are more aware of the world around us, the possibilities in front of us and the ability we have to change the world one step at a time. The government might be fooling some people but they are not fooling the young people of Ireland. We know exactly what a well-run country looks like, because we've seen it with our own two eyes.

With this education and connection to the world we, the young people of Ireland, have the ability and means to lead. But where exactly are we going? Faraway hills seem much greener at the moment and increasing numbers of young people are choosing to emigrate abroad to countries such as Australia and New Zealand. This is not the answer to our problems. Those who move abroad believe that this country can not and will not change. In reality it is inevitable that it will undoubtedly change. The future of any society lies in its youth. Therefore one must ask the question, how is it possible for Ireland to have a better future if all its' young people are setting up home and establishing new lives on the opposite side of the world?

It is hard for anyone to admit that they have been wrong. It is even harder for a politician to admit this, particularly when their inability to lead and handle situations correctly has resulted in more than four million people blaming them for the state of their country. However it is high time that these so-called politicians swallowed their pride and admitted that they have been totally off the mark. I am still waiting for them to utter the three magic words of 'I was wrong', because they have been wrong. About everything; tax, NAMA, loans, you name it they misjudged the situation. As well as being wrong they are also in denial. Right now they are probably trying to find an alternative word for “bail-out” to make it sound better. Dick Roche attempted to call it an “arrangement” the other night on television. Full marks for trying , Minister, but you are not fooling anyone and the government's attempt to think they are is laughable.

The truth is we now have to call on our neighbouring countries for financial aid. The name Patrick Pearse is brought to mind and I ask myself, is this what the men of 1916 died for? Having fought tooth and nail for our political independence from Britain, to be masters of our own affairs, we are now surrendering our economic sovereignty and independence while Britain and other countries look on in feigned sympathy. Patrick Pearse would be turning in his grave if he knew.

We live in a world dominated by male politics. The illusion of power drives men to do many things; destroy, distrust and deny. Statistics have shown that men are excellent liars. This can be confirmed in Irish politics where honesty clearly gets you nowhere. It just means you cannot be trusted to be sneaky. Politicians are motivated by a desire to take what they can and save themselves. Although men are successful, behind every man is a more successful woman. The rise of women's role in society and the changing perception that they are as good, if not better, than men has contributed to more women getting involved in government roles. More women in politics would undeniably mean stronger politics.

Radical change is needed to dig Ireland out of the hole it has landed itself in. The voice of the future lies with the young people of this country and they are shouting to be heard. It is up to the government to listen to the new ideas and different approaches that we, the future generation, have to offer, before it is too late and we have packed our bags and headed for the shores of Sydney or New Zealand.

As technology improves the future looks bigger, better and brighter

Let us rewind back two hundred years ago. There are no lights, no televisions, no mobile phones, poor farming methods and no modern medicine. Can you imagine yourself living in a world like this? If you think science does not affect you, think again. Science affects us all, every day of our lives, from the moment we wake up to the moment we fall asleep. Your digital alarm clock, the light you switch on and off, the car you drive to work, your mobile phone, the decision to eat a baked potato instead of chips and the antibiotics that fight your flu have all been developed for our benefit, courtesy of science and technology. Technology is constantly changing and improving around us and can only mean bigger, better and brighter things for the future.

The decision to move with the times and embrace science and technology has led to the modern world we now live in. Although there has been debates in the past about the advancements of science and technology and whether they have caused more harm than good, in my opinion the answer is very clear. Without the understanding of technology enabled by science the modern world would not be very modern at all. Thanks to discoveries made by men such as Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell we no longer live in a world of darkness and isolation. Instead we can now see through the darkness at the flick of a switch or ring our friends and family at the touch of a button. It must be acknowledged that these men have contributed significantly to improving all of our lives for the better.

The past number of years has seen an epidemic of social networking sites around the world. Bebo, Facebook and Twitter have all become household names. Although initially targeted at younger people, particularly teenagers, Facebook now boasts over 800 million active users ranging from teeny boppers to older aunts, uncles and even grandparents. Imagine my shock when I logged onto my Facebook account one day and saw I had a friend request from a woman named Joan Maher. Low and behold, Nana Joan had entered the world of Facebook! At 75 years of age her decision to embrace technology had resulted in her mastering the ability to use the internet. Thanks to a programme run by transition year students where they teach people how to approach and use the internet Nana Joan is now e-mailing, blogging and a regular on Facebook.

My Grandmother's new found love of the internet has made the stereotypical Grandmother image a thing of the past. Another thing that has been thrown into the past is the idea of rooting out an old map before setting out on a road trip. Gone are the days of getting lost while venturing to an unfamiliar part of the country. Gone are the days of stopping strangers with confused and frustrated expressions on our faces and asking for directions. Our saviour, the sat nav, has been invented. What does this delicate device do I hear you ask? Simply type in the address of where you wish to go and the sat nav will show you how to get there. Magic isn't it?

Not being the most enthusiastic geography student meant that the decision for me to invest in a sat nav was easy. My own sat nav has been christened Mary. Though not always accurate (she has led me down some back roads!) Mary has been my saving grace and has always brought me home.

So as technology continues to improve and change the world around us, one must ask, are we prepared for this kind of world? Some might have their reservations but, in reality, we must move with the times, embrace new forms of technology with enthusiasm and strive to use it for the benefit of the world around us.