A chara, - I write in response to your report headed "Language guerillas prove costly for auctioneers" (Out of the West, November 23rd) which concerned a spate of attacks in Gaeltacht areas on English-language signs installed by estate agents.
The campaign to destroy private property in this way is to be condemned. Also to be condemned, however, is the stance of the estate agents that provokes this vandalism. They are showing a blatant disregard for the cultural and linguistic rights and heritage of the Gaeltacht population. Their aim in this is purely to save themselves a few pounds - as if the margins they make are not more than enough to compensate for this! Such a policy of fundamental disregard should not be tolerated by the Gaeltacht population, by Irish-speakers anywhere, or indeed by anyone who values Irish and other minority languages. Protest, however, should be confined to constructive dialogue, not destructive vandalism. Estate agents who post signs solely in English should be petitioned, written to and approached constructively in an organised campaign.
Any organisations that conduct business in the Gaeltacht have a duty and a responsibility to respect the language of the community from and in which they are profiting. To state that many potential buyers of property come from across Europe is not a valid argument for failing in this duty. An entire culture and way of life should not be ridden rough-shod over for the sake of saving a few pounds on a sign. Those who conduct business in Gaeltacht areas must realise and accept this duty. The exploitation must stop.
Bilingual signs are commonplace among estate agents throughout north Wales, for example. They allow the linguistic rights of the local population to be respected, whilst reducing the expense of doing so for the estate agents. By using bilingual signs as their standard stock agents would also be doing their bit for the language by increasing its profile in non-Gaeltacht areas. This could only be of benefit to the Irish language and to their business in Gaeltacht areas, while not reducing the ability of non-Irish speakers to understand what is on offer. - Yours, etc.,
Steve Bradley, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England.