Interested in maladministration. Estd. 2005
RTEs Sarah McInerney ? Fianna Fail?supporter? Anthony
Joe Duffy is dishonest and untrustworthy Anthony
Robert Watt complaint: Time for decision by SIPO Anthony
RTE in breach of its own editorial principles Anthony
Waiting for SIPO Anthony
Public Inquiry >>
Promoting Human Rights in IrelandHuman Rights in Ireland >>
The Green Party Continues to Persecute Me for My Belief That Men Can?t Become Women Wed Apr 30, 2025 17:00 | Shahrar Ali
Dr Shahrar Ali was the Green Party justice spokesman when he was removed over his gender critical views. He won an unlawful discrimination claim in 2024. But the party then ejected him! He's now taking it to court again.
The post The Green Party Continues to Persecute Me for My Belief That Men Can’t Become Women appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
Royal Marine Says Standards are ?Being Lowered? for Female Trainees and He Was Treated Like a Terror... Wed Apr 30, 2025 15:00 | Will Jones
A Royal Marine has gone public with his concerns that standards are being lowered for female trainees, claiming lives could be at risk and that he was treated like a terrorist for raising his worries.
The post Royal Marine Says Standards are “Being Lowered” for Female Trainees and He Was Treated Like a Terrorist for Raising Concerns appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
Met Officer Cleared of Murdering Gangster Chris Kaba Faces Sack for ?Gross Misconduct? Wed Apr 30, 2025 13:00 | Will Jones
Sgt Martyn Blake, the armed Metropolitan police officer who was cleared of murdering violent gangster Chris Kaba, now faces a gross misconduct disciplinary over the shooting and could be sacked.
The post Met Officer Cleared of Murdering Gangster Chris Kaba Faces Sack for “Gross Misconduct” appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
Pope Francis?s Liberalism is Not Why Young People Are Returning to Church Wed Apr 30, 2025 11:00 | Dr Roger Watson
As a Catholic, Prof Roger Watson is sure Francis was appointed Pope for a reason. It's just that he's damned if he can figure out what it was. Certainly, it's not his liberalism that's drawn young people back to church.
The post Pope Francis’s Liberalism is Not Why Young People Are Returning to Church appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
Global Climate Database Fed with Junk Data From RAF Airbase Where Helicopters Hover Over the Thermom... Wed Apr 30, 2025 09:00 | Chris Morrison
A key global climate database is being fed with junk data from an RAF airbase where helicopters regularly hover over the thermometer. Why does the Met Office keep sending junk class data, asks Chris Morrison.
The post Global Climate Database Fed with Junk Data From RAF Airbase Where Helicopters Hover Over the Thermometer appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
Lockdown Skeptics >>
Voltaire, international edition
Will intergovernmental institutions withstand the end of the "American Empire"?,... Sat Apr 05, 2025 07:15 | en
Voltaire, International Newsletter N?127 Sat Apr 05, 2025 06:38 | en
Disintegration of Western democracy begins in France Sat Apr 05, 2025 06:00 | en
Voltaire, International Newsletter N?126 Fri Mar 28, 2025 11:39 | en
The International Conference on Combating Anti-Semitism by Amichai Chikli and Na... Fri Mar 28, 2025 11:31 | en
Voltaire Network >>
international |
eu |
other press
Wednesday February 22, 2006 19:16
by Seán
printable version
Digg this
del.icio.us
Furl
Reddit
Technorati
Facebook
Gab
Twitter
View Comments Titles Only
save preference
Comments (7 of 7)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7A shock new EU report has shown that 100% of Irish people can speak a foreign language, English.
The survey, conducted by the European Commission, puts Ireland at the top of the list for foreign language ability, followed closely by Luxembourg (99%), Sweden (97%) and Latvia (95%).
The report shows that the Irish are so good at learning foreign languages that 91% of them no longer speak their own language fluently
The UK is at the bottom of the list with only 38% of people being able to speak a foreign language.
European business leaders have congratulated Ireland's remarkable achievement.
“Hopefully everyone in Europe will follow Ireland's example and not only learn English, but forget how to speak their native peasant languages as well."
“Having just one language in Europe would be of great financial benefit to us all, romantic notions of culture and identity simply won't pay the bills in an increasingly competitive global economy"
”The fact that the language everyone should speak, English, just happens to be my own native language, is a COMPLETE coincidence” said Mr. C. Romwell, CEO of Cultural Imperialism Ltd.
Idh tinc dis ios ónlí seatidhr
thats foreign enough.
The report took the form of a survey and quizzed people on their language capabilities. One question asked in how many languages other than your mother tongue can you hold a conversation. 66% answered NONE. This placed Ireland as the most monolog country in the EU 25. In other words 66% could only speak ONE language.
Irish and English are the languages of Ireland. So 66% of people surveyed therefore only spoke English* The survey did not ask HOW MANY FOREIGN LANGUAGES DO YOU SPEAK! So the situation is actually WORSE than the article makes it out to be.
* As everyone in Ireland of school going age and over can speak English, and Irish speakers in that group are bi-lingual and would be included in 34% who spoke at least two languages well enough to hold a conversation.
proclamation of the gaeltach
Proclamation of the gaeltach
The gaeltacht - if we consider it as a physical location occupied by Irish speakers has all but perished. English now permeates much of its land. For those who care, the failed strategy so far has to been to throw resources (usually intellectual rather than financial) at it. For those who don't care, the strategy has been to goad those who still speak Irish about its death. In a country that speaks mostly English the moral burden imposed on these Irish speakers, in their role as guardians of a language struggling for survival, is thus unacceptable.
It is time we reconceptualised the gaeltacht. Its culture has been transformed. The gaeltacht should no longer be seen as a physical location. With the internet, the gaeltacht is now virtual. It exists where the Irish language and culture exists. In the gaelschools, on you tube, on myspace. Anyone anywhere in the world who participates in this culture, belongs to this gaeltacht. They share the moral responsibility for its survival as much as anyone else. They should share and shoulder its burden.
The gaeltacht is dead, long live the gaeltacht!
and with that the proclaimer set off to learn his native language, muttering something inaudible.
I read somewhere of a journalist who was abducted in an African country, & the abduction was witnessed by an Irish colleague of his. Censorship was in operation, & phone-lines were tapped, but the colleague managed to phone someone in Europe, in Irish, to contact Amnesty International, who were able issue Urgent Actions to get the abducted person released. International Gaeltacht.
Considering that the EU are hoping that Ireland will vote yes to the Lisbon Treaty.
They would do well to engage brain and apply diplomacy, before criticising those for whom they are looking for a favour from!
Because to put forth such a critique at this stage is rather like shooting themselves in the foot.
All things considered then we would do well to avoid strengthening the club of such brainless oafs & vote No