Fine Gael's Feighan to introduce Irish to Clare Island

Clare Island Harbour, Clare Island, Co. Mayo.

Fine Gael have come under heavy scrutiny from Conradh na Gaeilga recently for once again bringing the issue of the Irish language to the table as a subject that should be made optional after the Junior Cert.

This issue rises it’s head again on the horizon of the Fine Gaels proposal of turning the entire English speaking population of Clare Island, into a Gaeltacht.

Enda Kenny has frequently said that the language has failed to revive because of the compulsory nature of the subject.

The Irish language movement, Conradh na Gaeilga, warns that making the language an optional one would cause a huge decline in the subject being chosen by students.

They also claim that the notion of being able to drop the subject before Leaving Cert would de-motivate students from an early age. This would deteriorate interest in the language further more as the subject has inherited a preconceived notion of being difficult.

Many argue that although the subject and the way it is taught needs to under-go huge reform, the introduction of the language as an optional subject would mean the certain death of our native tongue and a big part of our unique culture.

Which brings us to the other side of the wall. From what appears to be the Fine Gael agenda to the "Feighan agenda".

It is only a few months ago, the natives of Clare Island, Co. Mayo played host to Fine Gael Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Spokesman, Frank Feighan TD.

Feighan, visited the island in late August last year to see if it could perhaps be a suitable breeding ground for the reintroduction of the Irish language.

The TD provoked criticism himself at the appointment of his position as he is not an Irish speaker however he feels that it is possible to convert the Clare Island population of 160 to become a Gaeltacht area.

There was mixed reactions on the island to the ambitious plans of the TD.

One islander claimed, “it wouldn’t take a lot to encourage the island and the young people on it to speak Irish, though I was taught Irish for 14 years and I couldn’t speak a word of it the day I left school. We were taught to know the language not to speak it. It was never enforced upon us as our parents thought it a waste of time, considering the plan was to emigrate to the UK or America.”

TD Feighan came to this conclusion that Clare Island would be an “ideal testing ground for the Irish language” after his visit to the island to discuss unemployment, tourism and the broadband infrastructure.

Another Clare Island local says, “That is the daftest idea I have heard in a long time, it would be more in TD Feighans mind to go off and learn Irish himself instead of telling me I should learn it. I am 66 years of age and as much as I would love to be able to speak my native tongue, I’m not going to be learning it this late in life. If it was as easy as turning up on the island and deciding ‘right your all going to talk Irish’ then the mainland would be all Irish speaking. Where would funding for such a project come from? Where would that money have better being spent?”

He went on to say, “The island has greater problems than the language we speak such as unemployment and the amount of young people leaving here for work. Our tourism industry isn’t a quarter of what it was, now let them fix that before they fix the Language I talk. If you ask me, the man Feighan is only an amadán”