TuarascáilPól Ó MuiríEagarthóir Gaeilge:Sraith cainteanna a tugadh ar chomhdháil in Albain atá ar fáil sa leabhar seo, Revitalising Gaelic in Scotland. Aithneoidh daoine a bhfuil spéis acu i gceist na teanga in Éirinn na téamaí atá le fáil ina measc.
Díríonn na húdair ar ról agus ar úsáid na Gàidhlig i gcúrsaí oideachais, sna meáin chumarsáide agus i gcúrsaí dlí. I mBéarla agus i nGàidhlig atá na haistí agus tá achoimre bheag i mBéarla ag deireadh gach aiste Ghàidhlig don té atá aineolach ar an teanga sin (mar atá an colúnaí seo).
Conas mar atá an Ghàidhlig? Scríobhann eagarthóir an leabhair, Wilson McLeod: "Like many other minority languages, Gaelic shows signs of both health and death. Since the mid-1970s, and especially since the 1980s, revitalisation initiatives on behalf of Gaelic have become more systematic and co-ordinated although strategic language planning is still only beginning to take form."
Aithneoidh lucht na Gaeilge an port sin agus aithneoidh siad mórán eile atá sa leabhar - na scéimeanna logánta leis an teanga a chur chun cinn agus an t-athrú ó Ghàidhlig go Béarla atá le sonrú i mórán ceantar. Oiread chéanna le Gaeltacht na hÉireann, is ag an Bhéarla atá an lámh in uachtar i mórán áiteanna traidisiúnta Gàidhlig.
Aithneoidh lucht na Gaeilge fosta na hiarrachtaí atá ar siúl oideachas trí mheán na Gàidhlig agus cás na teanga a chur chun cinn trí reachtaíocht agus chúrsaí teilifíse.
Ach is é aiste James Oliver, "Where is Gaelic? Revitalisation, language, culture and identity" ceann de na haistí is spéisiúla ar fad. Rinne sé staidéar ar mheon daoine óga i leith na teanga agus bhraithfeá go bhfuil a thaighde ina scáthán ar thaithí lucht na teanga abhus in Éirinn.
Fiafraíonn Oliver: "If the question is 'where is Gaelic?', then there are many relevant locations: 'in' communities of the Highlands and Islands, 'in' place names throughout Scotland, 'in' the census; but also 'in' the education system, 'in' the media, 'in' public administration, 'in' the arts and tourism, 'in' the economy, and now, 'in' the statue book. One especially important locus, however, is in the minds and the imagination of the people of Scotland (and beyond). It seems reasonable to suggest that attitudes to Gaelic will determine its future(s)."
Cuireann sé ceisteanna faoin Acht Gàidhlig, ceisteanna a bhaineann le cás Acht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla abhus: "The new Gaelic Language Act will undoubtedly give the language more prestige and help the process of normalisation for the language nationally. However, there is a paradox, where the normalisation of language can generate ambivalence ... So, whilst the may become a more normalised part of Scottish culture, it does not follow that it will automatically be revitalised as part of local or national conversation."
Is minic lucht gaelscoileanna bheith ag maíomh as dul chun cinn na teanga. Tá an scéal amhlaidh in Albain ach creideann Oliver nach ionann sin agus a rá go bhfuil dul chun cinn ar siúl: "Gaelic-medium education has been successful in attracting steady numbers of pupils, and it is supplementing the number of people able to speak the language.
"However, can these young people make a difference? Where is Gaelic in their lives? Will they choose to use Gaelic in later life? Is enough being done, or can enough be done, to ensure the maintenance of Gaelic as an everyday language of choice for communities?"
Tugann sé rabhadh fosta: "that there is still a danger that the relevance of the language will be reduced to existence value only. That is, it might become purely symbolic, with "value that does not hinge on its use as a tool for communication". Sproull suggests that there is a growing "Gaelic economy" that cannot be "meaningfully defined in terms of the language of transaction".
"Therefore, the fact that Gaelic is there, that is, "in the economy", is perhaps enough to boost a locale and the language's status without necessitating or precipitating increased language use. Just as the Gaelic Language Act will further improve the prestige of Gaelic nationally, it might also make it more banal and taken for granted."
Beidh le feiceáil an mbeidh an toradh céanna ar Acht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla.
Revitalising Gaelic in Scotland, Dunedin Academic Press, €30. Eagarthóir: Wilson McLeod.
Éire Eorpach
'Éire agus an Eoraip sa 17ú hAois' atá mar théama ag Léachtaí Cholm Cille a bheidh ar siúl ar Ollscoil na hÉireann, Má Nuad, Dé hAoine agus Dé Sathairn. Cuirfidh an tOllamh Breandán Ó Buachalla tús leis an phlé le léacht ar 'Ó Néill agus an tAos Léinn' ag 8pm agus seolfar imeachtaí Léachtaí Cholm Cille 2006 (Saothar an Chadhnaigh) ag 9pm.
Is ar an Satharn a bheidh an chuid is mó de na léachtaí. Labhróidh Michelle O'Riordan ar "Dána an turas trialltar sonn"; tabharfaidh an scríbhneoir Liam Mac Cóil caint ar "Stíl na nIarlaí"; díreoidh an scoláire Mícheál Mac Craith ar obair na bProinsiasach agus labhróidh an t-údar agus criticeoir Breandán Ó Doibhlin ar chreideamh agus chultúr sa 17ú haois sa chomhthéacs Eorpach.
Lena chois sin, tabharfaidh an scoláire fealsúnachta Michael Dunne léacht i mBéarla ar chúlra diagachta Aodha Mhic Aingil; pléifidh Éamon Ó Ciosáin le gréasán Choláistí na nGael ar an mór-roinn; agus cíorfaidh Nicholas Williams cúrsaí polaitíochta agus cultúrtha in Éirinn.
Dúirt stiúrthóir na léachtaí, Tadhg Ó Dúshláine: "Tá breis agus leathchéad bliain ann ó d'áitigh an scoláire Cainneach Ó Maonaigh gurb é an 17ú haois aois ghlórmhar phrós na Gaeilge agus tá fírinne na téise sin léirithe ó shin ag an bhfoireann scoláirí thuas. Beifear ag cur lenár n-eolas agus lenár dtuiscint thar an deireadh seachtaine seo. Mar le rud de níor mhiste cuimhneamh go raibh ceithre cinn de choláistí ag na hÉireannaigh in Leuven na Beilge amháin."
Eolas: 01-7083666 nó tadhg.odushlaine@nuim.ie
Beidh Alan Titley ag tabhairt léacht phoiblí, 'Sean O'Faolain and the Queer Mind', inniu ag 5pm in G04, Brookfield Health and Sciences Complex, Coláiste na hOllscoile, Corcaigh. Fáilte roimh chách. diagacht divinity - glórmhar glorious - iarracht attempt scoláire scholar - sraith series - téis thesis