Tag Archives: Albain (Scotland)

Nigel, Nigel, Nigel – Out, Out, Out

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English: Nigel Farage.

Nigel Farage

Scottish blogger James Kelly calls it right as he examines the ignoble retreat of the UKIP leader Nigel Farage from his expedition to Scotland. From the International Business Times:

“Farage thought it would be a great line to say that his tormentors want the “Union Jack… to be extinguished from Scotland forever”. Now I dare say that sort of thing goes down a storm in parts of England where Ukip are trying to whip up suspicion of ‘anti-British immigrants’, but here’s the thing, Nigel – we’re in the middle of a democratic process that could lead to Scotland becoming an independent country. And yes, that would mean for straightforward practical reasons that the Union Jack will no longer be our national flag. In other words, what Farage is charging the protesters with doing is supporting a Yes vote in the referendum.”

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Language Wars – Coming To A Sign Near You Soon

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Sign of Albain or Scotland

Alba – Albain – Scotland

More new from the Pax Anglia, via the Dunfermline Press:

“… councillor Dave Dempsey is proposing that road signs in Fife be in English-only.

His motion, “Council agrees that there is no need, point or advantage in road signs in Fife being in any other language or languages than English” went before fellow councillors yesterday (Thursday).

It was prompted by press reports last month of a £350,000 plan to promote Gaelic in Perth and Kinross and Councillor Dempsey now hopes to “lay down a policy marker”.

[Dempsey said] “Gaelic was never really spoken in Fife – it’s spoken in other parts of Scotland but not really when you get this far south and east.

“I understand the need to keep the language in existence but language is used to communicate and everybody can speak English.”

Yes, well colonisation does tend to end up with the natives foregoing their own language and adopting that of the overlord – just so they and their children, and their children’s children, can survive to see another day. Not to mention that there is little point in keeping a language in “existence” if no one is allowed to use it – because they are told that they must use English instead as Councillor Dempsey suggests.

Meanwhile some good news from Wales for at least one of the indigenous Celtic languages of the island of Britain. From a report in the Daily Post: 

“WELSH children are twice as likely to speak the language than pensioners or those of working age figures from the 2011 census reveal.

The figures show that across Wales, 37.6% of under 16s are now able to speak Welsh, compared to 15.5% of 16-64s and 16.2% of over 65s.

The discrepancy between different areas of the nation are evident, with 89.1% of Gwynedd children speaking Welsh –  compared with  22.7% in Merthyr Tydfil.

Interestingly, it’s also revealed that women are more likely to speak the language than men.

It’s also proven that national identity plays a large role on one’s ability to speak the language or not.

A quarter of people who identify themselves as Welsh, also classed themselves as Welsh speakers, and two-fifths of those who identify as Welsh and British can speak the language.

Unsurprisingly, the popularity of Welsh medium education has seen a huge rise in parts of the South Wales valleys, with children in Blaenau Gwent being 23 times more likely to speak the language than a pensioner in the same area.”

Wales Online has more analysis.

Québec

Québec

Finally from Québec an open letter published today in the English language Montréal Gazette written by the province’s Language Minister Diane de Courcy and the liaison with the Anglophone community Jean-Francois Lisée, both from the ruling PQ party. It deals with the wide range of opinions expressed in recent months around Bill 14 which will expand legislation protecting the rights of the province’s francophone majority and encouraging French language use amongst the English-speaking minority and new immigrant communities. Sensibly the new series of regulations will accommodate the concerns expressed by the anglophone and bilingual communities of some towns and municipalities.

Ruairidh Arascain Is Mhàirr

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Ceartas Airson Na Gàidhlig - Justice For The Scottish Language

Ceartas Airson Na Gàidhlig – Justice For The Scottish Language

Good article by Patrick Witt on the Irish Story examining the late 19th and early 20th Scottish Gaelic Republican writer Ruairaidh Arascain (Ruairidh Erskine) and his links with the Irish Revolution:

“This essay aims to shed light on a thread of Scottish nationalism that found inspiration in the Irish Gaelic revival and, later, in the Irish Revolution. The primary subject of this study, Ruairaidh Erskine, did not convert a significant amount of Scots to his irregular orthodoxy. He did, however, form an impressive network of Scottish nationalists. Erskine represents a nexus between Irish separatists and Scottish politicians, labour leaders, and intellectuals. The purpose of this essay is to illuminate an under appreciated connection between Irish separatist thinking and Scottish political thought in the early twentieth century.

In Erskine’s journal, Guth na Bliadhna, (The Voice of the Years) subscribers read essays that communicated themes similar to agrarian activist John Murdoch’s newspaper Highlander, of 1870s and ’80s, namely, the glorification of Highland peasant culture. Yet Erskine also composed grander plans.  For example, in 1906 he provocatively suggested the formation of an Irish-Scottish “Gaelic Confederation.””

The website of the Scottish Republican Socialist Movement (SRSM) carries a longer piece on the great man. And here is a link to some of his writing and the radical publication Guth na Bliadhna hosted by the Scottish language university Sabhal Mòr Ostaig.

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Scottish Sci-Fi With “Air Cuan Dubh Drilseach”

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Over at Bella Caledonia writer Paul F Cockburn has an interview with Tim Armstrong, author of the Scottish language Sci-Fi novel Air Cuan Dubh Drilseach.

Meanwhile some Irish related stuff here.

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From Scotland To Propaganda, Rats And Nutters

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A few quick posts, a chairde.

British Unionist censorship in Scotland

First up the Edinburgh Coffee House features a number of images that illustrate the actions taken by some in the British Unionist “Better Together” campaign to censor their Nationalist opponents in the upcoming referendum on Scottish independence:

“Is it just me or are things starting to get sinister? Websites being closed and bloggers being intimidated is something we might expect in China or Iran, but not in the UK. As well as being deeply worrying for a country that even post-Leveson purports to value a free press, it could prove disastrous for Better Together. They are already the force of the establishment, the union and the conservative party – a distant coalition of privilege and vested interests. Faced with a young, diverse and progressive independence movement the unionists are fighting back like the rich and powerful always fight back – with intimidation, legality and sheer bullying arrogance.”

Next up we have the Devil’s Agency and an interesting look at the revolutionary and counter-revolutionary rhetoric and propaganda surrounding the Irish Civil War and how its still shapes and influences opinions to the present day. The post also touches upon the works of the controversial historian Eunan O’Halpin of which I will write more next week.

“Something that has piqued my interest about Irish civil war historiography is its skewed nature and lack of context. The more thorough reading of the secondary material that my current work has involved has made the reason clear. Many historians refuse to engage with anti-treaty arguments on their own terms. Very few historians are not affected by pro-treaty propaganda, its scapegoating of individuals and groups (such as women and socialists) and especially its success in depoliticising the core arguments.

Yet, having only glanced at some of the many anti-treaty newspapers, pamphlets, leaflets, cartoons and posters in a rich and increasingly accessible body of sources, it is clear that there was a coherent and logical opposition to the treaty which was based on serious reservations about partition, empire, the rights of workers and the political stance of the Catholic church.”

I’m probably one the biggest fans of Ireland’s Come Here To Me blog and it is easy to see why when they feature fascinating snippets of Dublin history like this: The soldier who was eaten alive by rats in Christ Church Cathedral!

Meanwhile from today’s Oirish Independent newspaper, a few lines from an article by regular right-wing mouthpiece Ian O’Doherty:

“By the time I left school I had learned certain crucial things which would stand me in good stead in later life – an aversion to the Irish language and all forms of religion were also joined by a dislike of Gaelic football and other such rural pursuits.”

Yes, Ian, because only people in rural Ireland speak Irish and play Gaelic games! Oh well, I suppose if O’Doherty can indulge his moronic fantasies in the areas of culture and sports we should hardly be surprised when he applies them to the area of science too. What’s this he writes?

“… global warming nutters”

Hmmm. Well I think we know who the nutter is here…

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A Little Less Culture In The World

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Iain M. Banks

Iain M. Banks

Dreadfully sad news today about the Scottish author Iain Banks whose mainstream and genre books I’ve been reading – and loving – for the last twenty years. In a personal message on his website he announced that he has been diagnosed with a terminal cancer and is unlikely to live beyond the next year or so:

“I am officially Very Poorly.

After a couple of surgical procedures, I am gradually recovering from jaundice caused by a blocked bile duct, but that – it turns out – is the least of my problems.

I have cancer. It started in my gall bladder, has infected both lobes of my liver and probably also my pancreas and some lymph nodes, plus one tumour is massed around a group of major blood vessels in the same volume, effectively ruling out any chance of surgery to remove the tumours either in the short or long term.

The bottom line, now, I’m afraid, is that as a late stage gall bladder cancer patient, I’m expected to live for ‘several months’ and it’s extremely unlikely I’ll live beyond a year. So it looks like my latest novel, The Quarry, will be my last.

A website is being set up where friends, family and fans can leave messages for me and check on my progress. It should be up and running during this week and a link to it will be here on my official website as soon as it’s ready.

Iain Banks”

A sad, sad day and one that makes me ashamed for being so hesitant in following my own literary ambitions. The world is loosing a truly great Mind.

Scottish writer Val McDermid has a nice tribute in the Guardian.

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The Homeland Of The Celts, Where The Celts Have Always Been

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The origins of the Celts in western Europe

The origins of the Celts in western Europe – the ancient Atlantic homeland of the Celtic-speaking peoples

For the last century and more historians have believed that the homeland of the Celtic-speaking peoples lay in central Europe and from there they spread across the continent in several waves of migration bringing their language, culture and way of life to almost every corner of the European landmass. The Celts, we were told, originated in the Late Bronze and Early Iron Age communities of southern Germany and northern Austria and this became the default reading of early Celtic and indeed early European history.

However there is problem with all this. Why? Because the theory is wrong and has been suspected or known to be wrong in professional academic circles for decades.

The homelands of the Celtic-speaking peoples were never in central Europe. They were in the one place where Celtic-speakers have always been known to exist and where some still do exist: north-western and western Europe. The modern nations and territories of Ireland, Scotland, Wales, the Isle of Man, Cornwall, England, Brittany, western France, Spain and Portugal formed the historic heartland of the Celts – and their ancient place of origin.

The BBC has news on a new three-year project to trace the origins of the Celtic peoples, including an interview with Professor John Koch, who points out the failure of the old theories to explain the origin of the Celtic-speaking nations.

British Separatism In Scotland

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The partition of Scotland the new Greater England

The partition of Scotland – and the new Greater England

So Scotland’s First Minister, Alex Salmond, has finally unveiled the long-promised date for the Scottish independence referendum: Thursday the 18th of September 2014. Good news for the broad Nationalist movement in Scotland which now has a target date to aim for (along with the encouraging – if slight – rise in the polls for the potential pro-independence vote seen recently).

However the political war over Scotland’s (and Britain’s) future is well and truly on and nothing seems to be excluded. I noted back in January of 2012 the calls emanating from leaders of the separatist British Unionist minority in the north-east of Ireland suggesting that their vital (as well as historic) links with Britain and Lowland Scotland should be secured by “partitioning” any future independent Scottish nation (essentially moving the border between Scotland and England up to a line between Kilmarnock on the west coast and Dunbar on the eastern coast, and taking in areas around or including Glasgow). Lord John Kilclooney, better known as the former UUP head-honcho John Taylor, was the first off the blocks with this:

“Northern Ireland is not only geographically close to Scotland but shares more with Scotland than with any other country. When the majority in Ireland voted for independence from the UK… Northern Ireland remained within the UK as was the desire of most people in that part of Ireland. Should there ever be a majority in Scotland for independence it should not be binding on all the people of Scotland.

If, say, Strathclyde or the Lowlands prefer to remain in the UK then that decision should be honoured by a partition of Scotland.”

Ah yes, because appeasing a small, violent and anti-democratic British separatist minority worked out so well in Ireland didn’t it?

But no matter, Taylor’s attitudes were reflected in those of other British Unionist leaders. Tom Elliot, the then worse leader of the UUP up to the present worse leader of the UUP, declared:

“…the constitutional approach of Alex Salmond appears to pose a greater threat to the union than the violence of the IRA.”

Ta-dah! But others remained focused on the idea of divide and conquer. Like Tory bigwig Malcolm Sinclair, the 20th Earl of Caithness (but of course):

“A former Conservative minister has said Orkney and Shetland should have the right to remain part of the UK if Scotland votes for independence.

The Earl of Caithness has tabled amendments to the Scotland Bill, which gives further powers to Holyrood.

He said a referendum vote favouring independence should not be binding on the Northern Isles, unless the majority of islanders voted “yes”.”

For a while the battle-drums fell silent but they are droning loud again. From the Telegraph:

“The Orkney and Shetland islands could remain part of the UK if the rest of Scotland votes to separate, according to a report submitted by their MSPs to the Government. The islands could even declare independence themselves, it adds.

Alternatively, they could agree to join a separate Scotland only if they are granted a much bigger portion of North Sea oil and gas revenues, around a quarter of which lies in Shetland’s waters alone.

Tavish Scott, the Liberal Democrat MSP for Shetland, agreed the threat was political “dynamite” but questioned why Mr Salmond was the only politician who could use oil wealth to argue for self-determination.

Their residents have traditionally been extremely hostile to Scottish independence and preferred Westminster government to that from Holyrood. The SNP has previously recognised the islands’ right to decide their own future but Nicola Sturgeon, the Deputy First Minister, recently angered residents by stating this was wrong because they are “not a nation”.”

Could it be that one of the Unionist tactics for the Scottish referendum campaign is a simple threat: if you break up our nation we will break up your’s! And of course, all those oil and maritime resources in the northern extremes of the North Sea do help.

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Scottish Nationalist Podcast With Michael Greenwell And The Rev Stu

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Alba Gu Brath - Scotland Forever

Alba Gu Brath – Scotland Forever. Thousands attend Scottish independence rally, Edinburgh Scotland, 2012 (Íomhá: Wings Over Scotland)

Thought I’d highlight an audio podcast of an interview between Michael Greenwell, Scottish Nationalist blogger, and the Reverend Stu Campbell, owner-author of the increasingly popular Wings Over Scotland website. Lots of interesting stuff on the referendum debate in Scotland and well worth a listen to.

I’ve been thinking about the use of audio and video podcasts for some while now and how they could benefit Republican bloggers here in Ireland. Regular text blogging is all well and good (and some of it is very good indeed) but we need to add a multi-media dimension to our blogging. Hard to find the time to arrange these things. And of course there is also the natural reluctance or reticence of some bloggers to emerge from behind their keyboards (for reasons both personal and professional).

However some people are doing great stuff out there in terms of mixed media on their sites (The Irish Story and Irish History Podcast immediately spring to mind; not to mention the lads at the excellent Comic Cast!) and it’s something I hope to examine at some stage in the near future.

Ireland – Poster Child Of The Stockholm Syndrome

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Patty Hearst in front of the insignia of the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA)

Patty Hearst in front of the insignia of the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA)

Andrew S. Loveland has an interesting post over on The Frumious Bandersnatch examining the famous (if exceptional) psychological condition known as the Stockholm Syndrome:

“In 1973, Jan-Erik Olsson and Clark Olofsson entered the Kreditbanken premises in Stockholm fully intending to relieve the bank of it’s coffers. The heist failed miserably and the men subsequently took three females and one male employee hostage. The Swedish clerks were kept for six days in a vault during which time they were frequently held at gunpoint and on several occasions were asked to place nooses about their necks and strap bombs to their bodies.

Despite the trauma of such events, when the attempt to free them came, the four hostages fought with their captors against the police. Upon their release one of the hostages even went so far as to set up a fund for the hostage takers’ legal fees.

The rather bewildering response to this incident from the victims led to the term ‘Stockholm Syndrome’ being coined by the Swedish criminologist and psychiatrist, Nils Bejerot during a news broadcast following the events as a nation sought to come to terms with what they had witnessed.

Despite the number of high profile cases however, there remains to be found a coherent and consensus agreement on precisely what criteria needs be met before Stockholm Syndrome can emerge. Several traits ought to be present in any case,

- a severely uneven power relationship whereby the captor dictates what can/cannot be done by the victim

- a perceived threat, either real or imagined, at the hands of the captor

- occasional kindnesses shown by the captors toward the victim

- isolation of perspectives other than that of the captor

- a perceived inability, either real or imagined, to escape

Reviewing the list above however, I am more than content to posit the idea that Scotland presently is experiencing something of a societal Stockholm Syndrome, a creeping sentiment that has gradually but inexorably stolen into our nation’s psyche.”

The full article is well worth reading as Loveland uses this paradigm to explore the current state of Nationalist and Unionist politics in contemporary Scotland. However the concept of a “national” Stockhom Syndrome also has some applicability for us here in Ireland, not least in describing the obsessional relationship many Irish people have with our nearest neighbour – and former colonial masters – in Britain. And latterly, of course, the EU. For one of the characteristics of the syndrome is the fanatical need of the victim to be accepted by the victimiser as an equal. To be like them. Indeed, to be one of them. In the process the captive abandons their own identity and adopts that of the captive-taker.

Sound familiar?

HMG Official Statement – Britain Is England

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What is a Treaty worth? Not much it seems.

What is a Treaty worth? Not much it seems.

Did you know that Scotland ceased to exist as a nation after the so-called Act of Union between the Kingdoms of Scotland and England in 1707 that formed the United Kingdom of Great Britain? Maybe, yes, though people’s views differ but did you know that England continued to exist as a nation? In fact, England as a national and territorial unit simply became the United Kingdom of Great Britain and the “Union” was nothing more than the annexation of a neighbouring (and rival) territory on the island of Britain by the Kingdom of England making it another region of the English state.

This is a claim that would incense most Scottish nationalists and even irritate quite a few pro-Union Scots. Yet, remarkably, this very claim is implied in a document released by the British government yesterday putting forward its case for the continued existence of the UK and its opposition to Scottish independence. From “Scotland analysis: Devolution and the implications of Scottish independence” comes this constitutional, legal and political analysis on page 73, Part IV “The status of Scotland and the remainder of the UK in international law”:

“26. From 1603, when the Stuart King James VI of Scotland inherited the English throne, Scotland and England (and its colony Ireland) shared the same monarch.

27. There is little reason to doubt that between that date and 1707, England and Scotland remained separate states.

(a) Whether the union of 1707 created a new state

35. An alternative view is that as a matter of international law England continued, albeit under a new name and regardless of the position in domestic law, and was simply enlarged to incorporate Scotland. In support of this view, among other things:

35.1 Scottish members joined Parliament at Westminster, but there was no new election of its English members. This was in accordance with the Acts of Union Article XXII.

35.2 Treaties concluded by England appear to have survived to bind Great Britain.

35.3 England’s diplomatic representation in the rest of Europe continued uninterrupted. The Acts of Union Article XXIV appears to acknowledge this in retaining the Great Seal of England for transitional purposes.

36. We note that the incorporation… of Ireland, previously a colony, under the Union with Ireland Act 1801 (GB) and the Act of Union 1800 (Ireland) did not affect state continuity. Despite its similarity to the union of 1707, Scottish and English writers unite in seeing the incorporation of Ireland not as the creation of a new state but as an accretion without any consequences in international law.

37. For the purpose of this advice, it is not necessary to decide between these two views of the union of 1707. Whether or not England was also extinguished by the union, Scotland certainly was extinguished as a matter of international law, by merger either into an enlarged and renamed England or into an entirely new state.

43. The same result follows from the alternative possibility, discussed above, that Great Britain was the continuator of England rather than a new state.”

While it is welcome to see the British government formally recognise Ireland’s incorporation into the so-called UK as a case of colonisation and annexation, it is bizarre to see such an explicit acknowledgement by the British state of the belief held by most observers: that Britain equals England and British equals English. Has the British English prime minister David Cameron just handed Alex Salmond and the SNP another propaganda victory in the Scottish referendum war?

More here.

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Seanchas – Irish, Scottish And Manx Mythology And Folklore

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Cairn Loch Craobh, Sliabh na Caillí, Loch Craobh, An Mhí, Éire, Meitheamh 2009 (Photo: Séamas Ó Sionnaigh)

Cairn Loch Craobh, Sliabh na Caillí, Loch Craobh, An Mhí, Éire, Meitheamh 2009 (Photo: Séamas Ó Sionnaigh)

For those of you with an interest in early, middle and early modern indigenous Irish literature and post-Medieval folklore (Irish and Anglicised-Irish), here is a collection of my articles, long and short (though two are unfinished). Naturally it covers the national traditions of Scotland and the Isle of Man too.

Tuatha Dé Danann
Na Fomhóraigh
Lucharacháin
An Sí
Na Fathaigh
Na Bocánaigh, Na Bánánaigh
Na Púcaí
Na Péisteanna
Na Murúcha
Seanchas Agus Litríocht na nGael
Na Fianna

Of course some may prefer the Hellboy version of these things…

 

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Second Scottish-Medium School For Glasgow

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Alba - Albain - Scotland

Alba – Albain – Scotland

Big news for the Scottish-speaking community of Glasgow as the establishment of a second school teaching through the medium of the Scottish language is announced. From the BBC:

“A second Gaelic school is to open in Glasgow to meet spiralling demand for bilingual education.

The £800,000 facility, which will house up to 200 pupils, will be located in Pollokshields. It is part of a five-year plan to revitalise the language.

Work will begin in September with completion expected in early 2015.

The city’s first Gaelic School opened in 1999 for primary pupils, then relocated to the site of the former Woodside Secondary School in 2006.

The Scottish government wants to double the number of five-year-olds going into Gaelic classes over the next five years.

Currently 1% of young Scots are learning the Celtic language of their country, compared to 7% in Ireland and 21% in Wales.”

The 21st century revival of the Scottish Gaelic language outside of the 20th century heartland of the Gàidhealtachd (Gaeltacht) is of enormous significance and needs continued support and development.

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Gráinne Holland – Teanga na nGael

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Gráinne Holland – Teanga na nGael – Language of the Gael

In a shameless rip-off of the Cedar Lounge Revolution here (with apologies) is my own “Something For The Weekend“.

Belfast’s Gráinne Holland is one of Ireland’s most talented new musical artists. Her innovative 2011 album Teanga na nGael (“Language of the Gael”) combines traditional Irish music with a European sound that echoes elements of pop, jazz and several other influences. Its say’s much for her talent and breadth of artistic vision that even non-Irish speakers have given her work rave reviews, proving yet again that music can be a truly international language.

She typifies in many ways the new generation of Gaeilgeoirí or Irish-speaking citizens in Ireland: self-confident in their language, culture and identity. In Gráinne’s case this has allowed her to take Irish traditional music and craft it into something both new yet old that has gained a wide appeal beyond these shores.

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Some New Arrivals

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New Books – The World That Never Was, The Gaelic Finn Tradition, The Shadow-Walkers, Vanished Kingdoms, Celtic from the West, Weapons and Warfare in Viking and Medieval Dublin

In recent months I have been somewhat remiss in posting no new book reviews on An Sionnach Fionn. This is not for a lack of book purchases but rather a lack of time. The chill winds of recession have well and truly caught up with me and they are cold indeed. Like most people in Ireland outside of the corrupt elites of the Continuity State I find myself running fast to stand still and exhaustion is never that far away. However, as is my wont, I digress from the real purpose of this post: a quick round-up of recent purchases that might interest some of you. Especially with Christmas coming.

“Celtic from the West: Alternative Perspectives from Archaeology, Genetics, Language and Literature” edited by Barry Cunliffe and John T. Koch (published by Oxbow Books, 2010)

First off the (printing) blocks is “Celtic from the West: Alternative Perspectives from Archaeology, Genetics, Language and Literature“, a series of essays on the origins of the Celtic peoples edited by professors Barry Cunliffe and John T. Koch. The central thesis of the collection is the long-standing but now increasingly in-vogue suggestion that the Celts gradually emerged as a distinct peoples from the Neolithic communities dwelling in the so-called Atlantic Zone of western Europe during the Late Bronze Age. This new paradigm of course replaces the older and now difficult to sustain theory of a central European origin for the Celts. It presents the Celtic homelands as those self-same countries where the Celtic-speaking peoples are known to have been historically present, with an ultimate source of origin in an even further distant past perhaps somewhere on the Iberian peninsula. This theory of course answers the age old question of when did the Celts come to Ireland, Scotland and Wales with an elegant reply that stems from contemporary archaeological, genetic and linguistic evidence. The Celts never came to the modern Celtic nations because the Celts came from the modern Celtic nations.

Admittedly “Celtic from the West” is for the serious Celtic scholar, lay or otherwise, since it consists of a number of detailed academic studies. The text can be quite densely worded at times, with scholarly terms in profusion, but for those who make the effort it is a thoroughly rewarding and an eye-opening collection, finely produced with numerous colour photographs and illustrations that aid understanding. Unfortunately you must pay for such professional excellence. My copy cost some 45 euros so only purchase it if you are sure you want to engage with such a heavyweight work.

“The Gaelic Finn Tradition” edited by Sharon J. Arbuthnot and Geraldine Parsons (published by Four Courts Press Ltd, 2011)

Another collection of scholarly essays this time covering all aspects of the history, literature and poetry of Fionn mac Cumhaill, the legendary Gaelic hero-figure of Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man. This is a relatively unique book since no new studies have been published on Fionn and the Fianna in many decades and the series of thirteen articles brings Fenian studies bang up-to-date with the latest in historical, linguistic, textual and comparative analyses. While many casual readers will find some of it heavy going, and in places scholarly terms and abbreviations fall like rain drops, essays like Kim McCone’s “The Celtic and Indo-European origins of the fian” are an essential read. Unfortunately we have another pricey work here, in my case 50 euros plus shipping. Academic rigour and validity do not come cheap though one certainly wonders if it should come quite so high. With only 288 pages and a handful of dubiously relevant illustrations I had to think long and hard before placing my order. While I’m glad that I did so the high price justifiably gives one pause for thought.

“The Shadow-Walkers: Jacob Grimm’s Mythology of the Monstrous” edited by Tom Shippey (published by Medieval & Renaissance Texts & Studies, 2005)

If the name of Tom Shippey sounds familiar to you that should come as no surprise. For the last twenty years he has become synonymous with the publication of studies into the works of the English fantasy writer J.R.R. Tolkien. More than any other person (except perhaps Tolkien’s son Christopher) he has become the scholarly defender of Tolkien’s Middle-earth legendarium against its critics and possibly its greatest proselytizer. However Shippey is also a noted professor of Medieval and Old English literature and it is this expertise that comes to bear in this series of essays by a number of international scholars.

If you wish to investigate the origins of the supernatural races of English and Germanic myth, elves, dwarves, trolls and the like, but with the surety of academic rigour, this is the place to start. Thankfully free of New Age or Wiccan nonsense this large book (at some 433 pages) is very well produced, finely-stitched and bound with long-lasting acid-free paper (which I thoroughly approve of!). The majority of the articles are clearly written, though again the casual reader might find some of it quite challenging. If criticisms could be made one might look to the indexes which are extremely poor, something that will certainly hamper its use for ready referencing. The lack of illustrations that in some places could have broken up the dense text also tell against it.

Naturally Irish literary figures and institutions receive a mention in a book dealing with the Medieval mythologies of the nearest neighbours of the Celts, though at times one wonders about some writers understanding of their Irish source materials (for instance the féinnithe are not the exact same as the díbheargaigh, despite the implications drawn from some early Irish ecclesiastical texts). However, in general, there is very little to question here when it comes to scholarly learning.

One sour note, though, is yet again the hefty price to be paid for all this professional knowledge and guidance. At 63 euros it is very hard to justify the purchase of this book for the ordinary reader and I don’t think I shall even attempt to do so. All I can say is that for me not smoking and drinking has some benefits beyond mere health, not least the health of one’s bank account. Otherwise I’m not sure that I could afford any of the works above.

“Weapons and Warfare in Viking and Medieval Dublin” by Andrew Halpin (published by the National Museum of Ireland, 2008)

Now here is a truly excellent study of military matters in Medieval Ireland that extends well beyond the Scandinavian-Irish city of Baile Átha Cliath or Dublin. Everything you could want to know about warfare in early Ireland is touched upon here, especially in the first few chapters, and it’s safe to say that it will challenge and overturn several preconceptions about Irish, Viking and Norman-British warfare on the island of Ireland. The book, which is in a large format, runs to 269 lavishly illustrated pages and certainly justifies the 35 euro price tag. However this is a work for those interested not just in the broad scope but also in the minutiae of Irish military archaeology as it relates to Dublin city and its environs. If that is for you then you won’t regret the purchase. If not then perhaps you should look elsewhere.

“The World That Never Was: A True Story of Dreamers, Schemers, Anarchists and Secret Agents” by Alex Butterworth (published by Vintage, 2011)

This is a great read. The militant world of revolutionaries, democrats and anarchists in 19th century Europe and North America brought to vivid life. While in places there is a certain glossing over of the subjects, or lack of elucidation, in general this is a thoroughly enjoyable and at times thought-provoking work. My only criticism is the scarcity of Irish references and the author’s unfamiliarity with Ireland’s revolutionary movements, in particular the Fenians (both the Irish Republican Brotherhood and Fenian Brotherhood). However at only 8 euros you can’t go wrong.

“Vanished Kingdoms: The History of Half-Forgotten Europe” by Norman Davies (published by Allen Lane, 2011)

Another great read, as celebrated historian Norman Davies takes us on a grand tour of the “lost” states of European history, from the early Middle Ages right up to the 21st century. At 848 pages you certainly get your money’s worth (11 euros in paperback) in what is a well-written and thoroughly engaging book. The parts of the book dealing with the author’s predictions for the future of the ”UK” make for fascinating reading though, yet again, a lack of familiarity with Irish affairs does make for one of two annoyances.

And that, a chairde, is it for now.

BBC Alba And The Success Of Scottish Language Broadcasting

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BBC Alba

The Scotsman newspaper has an in-depth profile of Maggie Cunningham, the new head of BBC Alba, the Scottish language television service. Like Ireland’s TG4, Scotland’s BBC Alba has experienced a marked increase in audience figures over the last year despite its (extremely) limited funding and coverage. As with the Irish language many new Scottish speakers are urban dwellers and in the future the station’s programming will need to better reflect this demographic change.

“Farpaisean Chon-Chaorach is unlikely to trouble Downton Abbey in terms of ratings or audience share, but BBC Alba’s coverage of furry bullets rounding up their bleating foes has succeeded in corralling me as a fan. I came upon the Sheepdog Trials, in its English translation, while randomly stabbing the remote one Sunday evening. And there they were. Man and beast in perfect lock-step, separated by hundreds of yards, but in constant communication through the iPhone of the canine world: a symphony of whistles and the occasional cry of “come by”. Those Cheviots didn’t stand a chance. On screen were collies with the dribbling powers of Ronaldo, and so smart that after snaring the sheep in the pen I half expected them to settle down with the FT and prepare their owners’ tax returns. The programme had a contented, soporific feel with Donald MacSween and Catriona Macphee introducing us to the owners of these four-legged wonders. Yet there was one thing missing from the television coverage: head cams. In these days of miniature cameras why weren’t they fitted to the dog’s head so that the viewer could follow the action eye-to-eye? Surely it would revolutionise the sport and farmers would soon be driving Porsches and wearing Red Bull logos on their smocks.

So when Maggie Cunningham, the new chairwoman of BBC Alba, agreed to an interview it is among the first questions I put to her. Sitting in a booth in the bar of the Blythswood Hotel in Glasgow, the former joint head of programmes at BBC Scotland thinks for a second then replies: “That is a very good idea. I will be sure to tell them about it.” So if Farpaisean Chon-Chaorach looks a little different next season viewers can direct their e-mails of praise this way.

Having contentedly put a big red tick next to “dog cam” on my list of questions, I could then move on to one every journalist is required by law to ask whenever the subject of Gaelic is raised: “Maggie, why, in the midst of the worst economic crisis since the 1930s, are we spending £20 million a year promoting a language spoken by just 55,000 people?”

The idea of yanking the life-support of public cash from Scotland’s Gaelic television channel would clearly not be considered a “very good idea” by Maggie, who says of the question: “It’s boring, that is the first thing I would say, and secondly it’s not for 55,000 people, it is for 500,000 people (BBC Alba’s average weekly viewers) as you can see. We are talking about austerity but we are also talking about identity in lots of different ways and Gaelic is core to Scotland.

“If you look back at our history, it is the only place in the world where Gaelic is an indigenous language. I am very pro language-learning and very pro supporting people coming to live in Scotland and bringing their own indigenous culture, but basically Gaelic is the indigenous culture of Scotland. It is so fundamental to everything we are trying to preserve that nobody would challenge that we preserve Edinburgh Castle or the Wallace Monument or some of our great paintings, so why challenge the importance of keeping a language alive?”

It is four years since BBC Alba was launched and now that it is available on Freeview it is attracting a healthy audience of 500,000 per week, with nine out of ten viewers unable to speak Gaelic but drawn to the channel’s mix of documentaries, the occasional drama and, most popular of all, sport. Yet Cunningham is concerned that viewers will begin to switch off unless the channel can offer more than just 90 minutes of original programming each night. “Why will it be hard to hold on to that audience? Well, unless we can get additional funding we cannot sustain a channel on an hour and a half (of original programmes) every night. I don’t think an hour and a half a day is enough to hold an audience over time. The last four years, it has started well, it has exceeded expectation but once you start exceeding expectations, the expectation gets greater so the audience will keep wanting more. They have been happy to have what they have, but people will want more. I do think that at an hour and a half over a long period, the channel is unsustainable, basically.

“What we require is more origination (original programming) and maybe different ways of looking at the schedules and more content. How that plays out over the next four years, God knows, but we do need more original content. Ideally by 2017, if the BBC charter gets renewed, I would like to see us having three hours of original content per night, double where we are just now. On the same budget or finding clever ways to enhance the budget. There is no getting away from the fact that people want to watch the telly, and the big challenge is ‘How do we get people to stay watching us?’ They do watch us: 500,000 is good. The challenge is ‘How do we continue to deliver?’”

My other brilliant idea is that BBC Alba develop a new detective series, since the chattering classes are happy to watch murder if it comes with subtitles. We agree that subtitles are no longer the barrier they were in the past. “If you look at the success of The Killing or Montalbano. I’m just back from Sicily and part of the reason I went was Montalbano. If we could do something maybe like Montalbano, it would be universal.”

The channel is already in discussions with Chris Young, the producer of The Inbetweeners, the comedy series which became a monster hit when released on the big screen. “I am not responsible for commissioning, but I know that our guys are talking to Chris Young. He is based in Skye and video-conferences with LA, who are now doing an American version of The Inbetweeners. He doesn’t see the point of flying over all the time. He is very keen on Gaelic. His wife is pretty fluent and he himself is learning. The key is to use talent and also to allow the creativity to come through and not say ‘we need to have a drama and this is what it needs to be’. We want to see what we can do if we put a few creatives together.”

BBC Alba is unique in that it is a partnership between the BBC and another company, MG Alba, and could, in an independent Scotland, be the core around which any new post BBC channel is formed.”

Let us hope that any independent Scottish public broadcasting service makes a better job of serving its nation, and the two linguistic communities that form it, than RTÉ has made of serving the two language communities of Ireland. A job RTÉ did so poorly (and with such obvious anti-Irish bias) that in the end it had to be given to an entirely new broadcaster - TG4!

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A Scottish Map Of Scotland – But Where Is The Irish Map Of Ireland?

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Cnoc Alaidh – Knockally – Scottish Language Road Sign In Scotland

Paul T. Kavanagh and Newsnet Scotland, the Scottish nationalist news and current affairs site, have done their nation and the Gaelic-speaking world in general a great service by producing a new Scottish language (Scottish Gaelic) map of Scotland. Largely based upon the work of Ainmean-Àite na h-Alba, the Scottish Place-Names of Scotland project (the equivalent of Ireland’s Bunachar Logainmneacha na hÉireann) and some of their own original research, this is one of several self-confident statements to come from Scottish-speakers in the last five years as their community sees signs of new growth.

“Newsnet Scotland has a commitment to Scottish language and culture.  But we have limited time and limited resources, so instead we decided to focus our energies on a single project to promote the Gaelic language, one which would speak equally to Gael and non-Gael alike.

For the first time in Scottish history, Newsnet Scotland is proud to make available a detailed map of Scotland, entirely in Gaelic.

All maps are statements of possession and ownership.  They are pictures of a country, but they are portraits which show how the map-maker wants to present his or her subject.  The choice of language on a map speaks volumes about the perspective of the map-maker.  Most maps of Scotland tell Scots that we can only present ourselves to the world in English, and even that it’s only through English that we can present ourselves to each other.

This is a map with a different perspective, one which shows that irrespective of whether we become independent or remain under Westminster, Scotland is already a separate country, and it always has been.  That’s what makes this a map for all Scots, not just Gaelic speakers.

I started to learn Gaelic when I was a child.  My family were not Gaelic speakers, but from an early age I was obsessed with the language.  What sparked off my interest was the discovery that all the places around me had names that made sense in Gaelic.

As a wean what I wanted more than anything else was a map of Scotland in Gaelic, that would show me what these places really were.  But all the maps of Scotland were in English, showing only the graveyard of Gaelic in the form of place names seemingly made up of collections of nonsense syllables.  Gaelic was okay as long as it was dead, was the message of these maps.

But Gaelic is not dead, and it is still a national language of all of Scotland, even if most of us no longer speak it.  In order to survive and thrive in the 21st century, Gaelic requires all the resources needed by any modern language if it is to merit the title “national”.  And that includes a map of the country to which the language is proper.  This is a modern Gaelic map for a modern living national language.”

The map is available from the Newsnet online shop for 30 pounds (around 37 euros) part of which helps fund a very worthy and necessary news site. As far as I know (and I’d be very happy to be corrected on this) the only Irish language map currently available for purchase is the popular “Gaelic Map of Ireland and World Atlas” from Gaelic ABC, which uses a traditional late Irish script (Gaelic School Type true font). No modern map or atlas using Roman font is widely available in Irish. I’ve checked the official Irish government body in the area of mapping, the Ordnance Survey of Ireland (OSI), and amongst their large range of national and local maps I couldn’t find a single map or atlas in Irish. Bizarre. This is despite their mandate which quite clearly states that the OSI’s task is:

“To depict placenames and ancient features in the national mapping and related databases in the Irish language or in the English and Irish languages.”

English publications are plentiful but where are the Irish ones? Maybe I just can’t find them so if anyone can point me in the right direction for national and regional maps in Irish issued by the OSI please do so in the Comments section or via email.

UPDATE (25/09/2012): Peadar Tóibín, Sinn Féin TD for Meath West, has added a Comment below with some important news:

“Séamas a chara,

6 months ago after I became aware of the lack of an Irish langauge map I contacted the Coimisinéir Teanga who as a result investigated this. I’m glad to report that he has told the OSI that they must produce a fully Irish language map or a fully bilingual one as per the law. They were given a year to do this. We should see one in the next while. We dont use the Coimisinéir Teanga enough in this country.

Le gach deá ghuí,

Peadar Tóibín”

I quite agree with Peadar. The law and the constitution are the most important instruments to bring about equality that the Irish-speaking citizens and communities of Ireland have. We need to use them. We need to suffocate anglophone intolerance or discrimination with litigation, whether in the public or private spheres.

We need a “skirmishing fund” for Irish and an organisation to fight the battle through the courts – and everywhere else.

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Thousands March For Scottish Independence

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Alba Gu Brath – Scotland Forever. Thousands attend Scottish independence rally, Edinburgh, Scotland, 2012 (Photo: Wings Over Scotland)

Congratulations to the thousands who turned out for today’s independence rally in the Scottish capital, Edinburgh. At the advent, addressed by a number of leading Scottish nationalists, the First Minster of Scotland and SNP leader Alex Salmond announced that more than 100,000 people had signed up in support for the Yes campaign’s independence declaration. Despite the fact that the demonstration was not part of the official Yes campaign and only received wide publicity in the last two days several thousand still came out on a cold but sunny autumnal day to peacefully express their support for Scottish democracy and freedom.

A counter-rally by British Unionist protesters, including members of the far right British National Party and Loyalist-linked Scottish Defence League, drew a handful of flag-waving agitators.

Check out Wings Over Scotland for more.

Scotland’s First Minister and SNP leader Alex Salmond adresses independence rally, Edinburgh, Scotland, 2012 (Photo: Wings Over Scotland)

Polls, Polls, Polls!

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Parlaimint na hAlban, Tí an Róid, Dún Éideann, Albain (Scottish Parliament, Holyrood, Edinburgh, Scotland)

Via Newsnet Scotland, two interesting polls. The first from Scotland itself where support for outright independence has risen significantly amongst those taking part in the regular British Social Attitudes review. Some 32% of Scottish voters now support an independent Scotland, a 9 point jump from 2010 and just short of the highwater mark recorded in the Social Attitudes’ 2005 survey.

“The SNP’s Depute Leader and Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has welcomed the latest edition of British Social Attitudes survey published today.

The report shows that Scots have an increasing appetite for self-government, with support for Scotland having greatly extended powers at 72% and support for the Scottish Parliament having the full powers of an independent state at 43%.

The report finds that when asked to choose between a range of constitutional options, independence was the choice preferred by the largest number.  43% of the 1,197 Scottish residents polled in the survey chose independence as their preference, up 15% on the 28% who opted for independence in the previous year’s survey.

Support for so-called devo-max, where Scotland would have control of all taxation and government expenditure except defence and foreign affairs, has declined slightly as support for independence has increased.  29% report favouring devo-max, down three percentage points from the figure reported in last year’s survey.

Meanwhile support for the status quo has dropped to just 21%, down 6% on the figure from last year’s report.  The small minority of Scots who are opposed to any form of self-government is diminishing even further, with just 5% now reporting this as their preferred option, down from 10% in the previous survey.  Abolishing the Scottish Parliament is the position held privately by a number of Conservatives, and is official UKIP policy.”

Meanwhile a survey for Spanish television has shown increased support for the independence option in Catalonia following last week’s nationalist rally in Barcelona which saw an unprecedented 1.5 million people come onto the streets of the Catalonian capital:

“The Tele5 [Spanish TV channel] programme “El gran debate” (The Great Debate) which discussed Catalan independence this Saturday evening, has made public the results of an opinion poll carried out by the polling company Gesop:  50.9% of Calatans would vote in favour of independence, while just 18.6% would vote against.  9.5% report that they would spoil their ballot paper, and some 19% would abstain.

The results are very similar to those of the last poll from CEO, which found that some 51% of Catalans would vote yes to independence.”

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BBC Alba Leading The Way For A Scottish Broadcasting Service

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BBC Alba

Some potentially significant news for Scottish broadcasting reported by the Stage:

“Scotland’s first minister, Alex Salmond, has called for the country to have its own public service broadcaster, claiming the current situation is “failing Scottish TV viewers and producers”.

Addressing the Edinburgh International Television Festival, Salmond said that Scottish TV viewers and producers are being “failed by out-dated Westminster attitudes”.

He argued that Scotland should have its own public broadcaster outside of the BBC, which would be controlled by the country’s government.

“Scotland’s contribution to broadcasting is unparalleled. Television was invented by John Logie Baird and the very concept of public service broadcasting was shaped by Lord Reith. But Scottish viewers and TV production talent are today being short-changed,” he said.

He added that BBC Alba – the national Gaelic language station – had been a “huge success, with an audience size last month nine times the number of people who speak Gaelic”.

“So viewers are clearly voting with their remote controls for more Scottish content. Yet we do not have an English-language public service broadcasting channel of our own,” he said.”

At the moment Scotland contributes in excess of 320 million pounds (over 400 million euros) a year to the overall BBC budget via the television licence fee. However the money reinvested in Scottish broadcasting by the BBC will soon stand at some 80 million pounds (100 million euros) – around a quarter of what it taxes from Scottish television viewers. Using either a TV licence fee or direct public funding through general taxation, with limited commercial advertising, it would not be unreasonable to expect a Scottish public television service to be able to operate with a budget of between 400 and 500 million pounds (roughly over 500 to 600 million euros).

The total budget from all sources for Ireland’s award-winning Irish language television channel TG4 stands at less than 39 million pounds per annum (around 49 million euros), yet it is widely respected and admired internationally for the range of programming it produces and broadcasts. A future SBC would have a budget twelve times that of TG4.

Can anyone seriously question Scotland’s ability to produce and sustain quality television broadcasting?

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