A Gaeilgeoir Political Party?

Further to the meeting of representatives from various Irish rights’ organisations on January 11th in Dublin the news and current affairs website An Tuairisceoir has the details of a series of proposals agreed at the gathering. Ironically many of the more pro-active suggestions are exactly those advocated and demonstrated here at An Sionnach Fionn for the last two years. Engagement with those fellow citizens of Ireland who speak English only but who still regard the Irish language, in a national and cultural sense, as their “native” language. Spreading information about the discrimination Irish-speaking communities face in both the public and private spheres. Tackling head-on the Anglophone bigotry and hate-speech as expressed by certain politicians, journalists and commentators. Seeking redress for the frequent restrictions on the civil rights of Hibernophones through the courts. And so on.

The news website Meon Eile has a short video report on the gathering which, despite its almost unprecedented nature, went virtually unreported by the Anglophone media establishment in Ireland beyond mockery or satire. Meanwhile the writer and radio presenter Scott De Buitléir has written an interesting piece suggesting that a political party with a strong language focus, a Hibernophone Plaid Cymru or Parti Québécois, could be established and what it might achieve (which is of course something I have suggested myself several times).

I am reminded of the words of the Japanese admiral Isoroku Yamamoto in the wake of the attack on Pearl Harbour in 1941:

“I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve.”