Interview by Alyssa O’Sullivan
What does promoting the Irish language on campus look like in practice, beyond just symbolic gestures?
“Is dóigh liom féin go bhfuil cuma ar an Ghaeilge a chuireann ár gcampas chun cinn, seachas b’fhéidir ná rudaí beaga a dhéantar ó thaobh crochadh, ná go mbeidh an Ghaeilge feiceálach agus idir ghníomhaíochtaí agus amanna, girsagama ansin bíonn mé ag magadh go nós cineál greamanna ‘stickers’ agus rudaí ansin ach tá rudaí sin iontach tábhachtach mar má tá cuma tíonúid ar na meáin, tá cuma ‘cool’ ar an teanga. Anois tá daoine ag iarraidh Gaeilge a labhairt, más féidir linn b’fhéidir linn cuma a chur ar an gcampas go bhfuil an mothúchán á ullmhú’ann. Má tá daoine bíonn ag caitheamh cineál, téann tú duine ag caitheamh t-léine nó tá ‘stickers’ nó greannáin ar an laptop nó cloiseann tú duine ag labhairt Gaeilge atá feiceálach, tá sé cineál i mbéal an phobail fiú má sin taobh amuigh de gnáth phobal Gaeilge sin, sin an sort sprioc atá agam, go maith linn beidh Gaeilge fairsing go ní fheiceann sin agus tá comórtais in airde agus cineálacha cluichí spraoi ag baint leis ach chomh maith céist beidh idir ghníomhaíocht agus teacht, tá sé deacair le déanamh i amannaí ach is fiú an iarracht mar sílim go bhfuil torthaí iontach maith le baint amach as.”
I think the way to promote the Irish langue is to have it visible on campus, that there would be activities and planned events surrounding the Irish language. I sometimes joke about sticking stickers everywhere to promote the language, but those things do matter because if it looks cool it well encourages people to speak it. People want to speak Irish and if were able to get the message across through people wearing T – Shirts or through stickers on laptops, or even by hearing someone speaking Irish outside native Irish speaking communities, that is my main goal .
How would you encourage engagement with Irish among students who may have little confidence or previous interest in the language?
“An rud a dhearaigh mé ar ná mura bhfuil mórán teagmháil agat leis an Ghaeilge thanaféin tá sé cineál mar bhuntáiste agat, tá neart daoine a bhíonn ag streachailt leis an Ghaeilge mar go raibh siad ag streachailt ar scoil agus níl fhios agam faoi duine ar bith eile ach níl mé féin ar an scoil a thilleadh agus tá cloíochtacht ar an teagmháil atá agam leis an teanga a chinn taobh amuigh den seomra ranga ach tá cuid mór déiseanna ann, déiseanna iontach ann rudaí a dhéanamh tríd an teanga tríd an Ghaeilge agus dul ag teagmháil le daoine tríd an Ghaeilge agus sílim go spéisiúil rud é sin agus gur maith an déiseann do daoine nach raibh teagmháil ar bith acu leis an Ghaeilge riamh gur cineál deis úr atá ann agus na gnáth an iorróid sin fháitáis ar daoine tá sé cineál, tigim gur féidir leis bheith mar rud mór scanrúil fháitasha seo ach ní gá go raibh agus is dóigh liom muid a phost sagainne múitir na Gaeilge díosaí againn achan cineál an dearcadh sin a chur chun cinn go mbeimid fáilteach agus go bhfuil na deiseanna sin ar fáil do daoine.”
What I’ve come to realise is that if you don’t have prior experience speaking Irish , it’s kind of an advantage. There are plenty of people who struggle with speaking Irish due to how it was taught in school, I don’t know about anyone else but I myself didn’t speak it in school. The learning I did with the language was done outside of the classroom, but there are great opportunities to do things through Irish and to connect with other people in Irish. It’s a good opportunity for people who never spoke the language, It can be intimidating at first, but it doesn’t have to be, and I think we have a responsibility as Irish officers to promote a positive attitude towards the langue, and we will be welcoming those opportunities that are available to students.
What changes would you like to see in how the university supports Irish language services and visibility on campus?
“I taobh athchritheacha b’fhéidir gur chuir tigh atá i gceist agus nach é gur maith liom gan athrú an ollscoil na rudaí a dhéanann siad tá ceist agam le sinn na tá neart gealltacha ag an ollscoile linn gheall siad hanna féin go mbeidh seirbhísí Gaeilge cimtitha ar fáil sa leabharlann úr atá ag teacht na mbliana seo thugainnn fósta I taobh múitir stáidair Gaeige agus múitir a mbíonn in áras na Gaeige go minic an séan caife tá sé ráitithe ag an ollscoil go mbeadh siad ag iarraidh an áit a mhaisiú mar spás sóisialta don Ghaeilge agus go mbeidh ach choinne cistín ann ach tá an áras cairne agus an áras Alice Perry agus an áras cearta daoine. Ach ba mhaith liomsa an an herraí ón an ollscoil ach ní amháin go ndéanann siad na gealltanais seo ach go ndéanaid siad iad a comhlíonadh go luath mar tá na seirbhísí seo i dteideal i múitir na Gaeige, tá siad ag teideal ag múitir fóillaima na Gaeilge atá bhfad níos mó nó múitir leabharacha na Gaeilge agus seans gur níos tábhachtaí arís sin go caithfidh muid siad a bheith cinnte go mbeidh na déiseanna ag daoine dul ag teagmháil leis an teanga agus mur a héanann an ollscoil na gealltanais déanta acu théana féin comhlíonadh tá siad ag déanamh fáil ar múitir na Gaeilge.”
In recent instances, not that I don’t like what the University is doing in terms of promoting the Irish language and aiding Irish language services , I do see plenty of commitments made by them like the promise that Irish language services would be available in the new library next year. The University has stated that they would like the old ‘caifé na gaeilge ‘ to be a social space for Irish speakers and for it to be decorated and the walls painted with murals, but there are also facilities lacking in the Cairne building, the Alice Perry building and the Human Resources building. I would like for the University to fulfil their promises and commitments they made such as Irish classrooms, Irish book rooms and again for there to be opportunities to engage with the language, and if the University fails to fulfil these promises, they are failing Irish speakers.
Do you believe the university is doing enough to meet its obligations as the country’s only bilingual campus? And if not, how would you challenge that?
“De réir a chuirfe mé féin, le bheith honric de réir an straitéis Gaeilge an go náisiúnta i sna 26 contae ar an léid tá an sprioc ann faoi 2030 go mbeidh 20 faoin chéad do ostaí in sna seirbhísí poblacht go mbeidh siad in ann phost sacu a dhéanamh tríd Ghaeilge go leibhéal réasúnta ar a léid ní chreidim féin go mbeidh an ollscoil a dhéanamh an mothúchán leis sin le cineál gol in leic le sin, de réir mo thuairim sa, agus da eir mar tá auigh thana féin am lea achlinn a dhéireann tá faltais cu ollscoileacht atá ag go thill agus go hiomlánn deireacha ar an ssproic an straitéis Gailge nua tá an sttus sin aag líonadh mar an teann ollscoil an ainm achn tenaga ó theas in héireann go gineralta caithfidh níos mó don ollscoile gal in dtreo tilleadh moduel tilleadh cursaí agus tilleadh déiseanna hiollanach a chur ar fáil tríd an Gailge go mbeidh daoine ag fágail na ollscoile gus céim acu agus scilleanna acu atá in heastraithe ó bearla go dtí Gaeilge no ca beith teanga atá acu gur féidir leo fúim as scríobh ar do CV go bhfhuil “armhac tá seo déanta agam agus ní amháin tá sé déanta agam, tá sé déanta agam I brieste teanga amháin.”nó “tá sé déanta agm I Gailge agus gur ar luacht daoine ata fháigáil na hollscoile go meidh siad iomícha fáil poist agus go meidh déis acu mas maith leo fannacht sa tír sna meidh orthú go thar lár , silium gur rí thabhachta don ollscoil ggo meidh siad ar gaill in ach nó I gall I dtreo cinali sproic sin.”
Regarding the Irish language strategy in the 26 counties, the gaol is that by 2030, 20% of workers in public serve roles will be able to do their work through Irish. In my opinion I don’t think the University is doing much in line with that. I believe there are ways in which the University can align themselves to cater for the new Irish language strategy. With their influence and status, they must do more towards returning Irish based modules and courses and provide internship opportunities through Irish. This will ensure that people leave this University with a degree and skills that are transferable from English to Irish or any language they choose. I hope that they are able to show on their CV that “this has been done by me and not only has it been done by me but it has been done in more then one language,” or it was done through Irish and people who leave this university will have the opportunity to get jobs and the chance to stay in the country long term.
By the end of your term, what tangible difference should students notice regarding the status of Irish on campus?
“Bhuel, tá súil is saghas ar a leithéid go mbeidh mar a bheidh sé críochnaithe go mbeidh in áras na Gaeilge. Is é an sean chaife mar a bhfuil an obair críochnaithe go mbeidh obair ar bun leis an sean chaife a mhaisiú mar áis nua shóisialta go mbeidh sé péinteáilte nua ar na ballaí go mbeidh suíocháin compordacha ann go mbeidh áiseanna cistine ar fáil atá i rochtain do na mic léinn do phobal na Gaeilge, an spás seo a úsáideann siad go rialta fosta cineál níos fearr ar an gcampas go bráth liom do rud éigin go dtí an straitéis illsiú. Tá muid chun na cúrsaí seo, na modúil seo a chur ar fáil go héasca sna hearnálacha ETÍM nuair atá barraí ollmhór ann faoi láthair i na sochaíoibre atá ag déanamh macasamhail Fintan Hegerty agus an leas-uachtarán reatha, tá beirt acu ag déanamh sár-obair ach ní mór filtriú straitéisí ag cinneadh againn go mbeidh plean ar súil ag deiseanna a chur ar fáil do Ghaeilgeoirí agus muintir fhoghlama na Gaeilge go mbeidh an obair sin a dhéanamh agus i dteacht ó críoch roimh dheireadh nuair a thagann 2028 linn agus mar a bhfuil muid ag dul an treo ceart beidh fáilte againn uilig.”
Well, there is some kind of hope that it will become an Irish language centre. The work will begin with decorating the old café as a new social facility, with painted walls and comfortable seating, that kitchen facilities are available and accessible to students and the Irish speaking community. We are going to make course and modules easily available where there are huge barriers. We will run with the {STEM lecturer} Finntan Hegerty model, and the current vice president which both of them are doing excellent work but a plan must be put in place to provide more opportunities for Irish speakers and the learning community of the Irish language. We hope by the end of 2028 we are heading in the right direction and we welcome everyone!
