A chara, - The argument used by most nay-sayers and begrudgers opposed to making Irish a working language of the EU is that the teanga dúchasach is not used by enough people to warrant such positive discrimination. But the language is used daily by a significant proportion of our population.
Moreover, it is known and loved by the great silent majority of Irish people. The language is to be found everywhere, even deep within the so-called "Pale".
On a recent trip to Dublin, I found the language to be i ngach áit. On my various ramblings through the city, I encountered many speakers of Irish, some who required only a little prompting to engage in conversation as Gaeilge.
Mar sin, caithfear í a chaomhnú, is fiú é tacaiocht iomlán a thabhairt di, agus go n-éirí go geal libh, gaeilgeorí Baile átha cliath. - Is mise,
AMHLAOIBH BUÍ MAC GIOLLA, Oileán Cliara, Co Mhaigh Eo.