Dearg le Fearg!

Red with Anger!

The lack of support from the government for our mother tongue saddens me. I have read article after article on tuairisc.ie recently, discussing the terrible stories of the decline of the Irish language. The government keeps saying one thing but doing the opposite. It is clear that the government is ignoring our language. What kind of things are involved? There is not space to mention them all here, but here are a few examples.

People are able to get jobs dealing with language matters and Gaeltacht matters, who do not (even) speak Irish! For example, in the past, a few people were appointed as Ministers of the Gaeltacht, who were not fluent in Irish - including Joe Mac Hugh and Jack Chambers. TD Catherine Connolly is worried that it is still happening - even in her home county (Galway)! Speaking before the Irish Language Committee of the Oireachtas, Minister of State for the Gaeltacht Thomas Byrne said he hoped the national recruitment plan would tackle the problem, but he also said he believed there was a "moral duty" to officials who are responsible for matters Irish to learn the language.

And what about Breandánn Ó Beaglaíoch, who was fighting with Kerry County Council for 15 years over his plans to build a small house on his family's land on the Dingle peninsula! The Kerryman warned that the Gaeltacht communities are in danger of losing their language without new laws that prioritize Gaeltacht folk (wanting) to build houses on their own land, and to avoid the depopulation of the Gaeltacht.

Or how about Cormac Chambers, Principal of Gaelscoil Lis na nÓg in Raglan. This is what he had to say. "Because there is no Irish language secondary school in the area, many children fall out of the Irish language school system. This is a scandal and shows the State’s and the Department of Education's lack of respect for the development of the Irish language and Irish education."

Dúirt an Teachta Dála Éamon Ó Cuív go bhfuil an Ghaeilge fágtha in áit na leathphingine, nuair a bhíonn buiséad na Roinne Turasóireachta, Cultúir, Ealaíon, Gaeltachta, Spóirt agus Meán á leithroinnt. “Má bhreathnaíonn muid ar bhuiséad na Roinne, tá méadú ollmhór ar an gcaiteachas atá ar an gComhairle Ealaíon, mar shampla, agus ar na healaíona ar fad,” a dúirt , “agus ag an am céanna, thóg airí sinsearacha éagsúla cinneadh sa Roinn sin go bhfáiscfí an t-anam as foilsitheoireacht na Gaeilge.”

Thomas Byrne is the first Gaeltacht minister of state to accept the irrefutable evidence that it is an emergency in terms of Irish being spoken in the Gaeltacht. "There is a crisis, there's no doubt about that."

Workable solution?

Although we have strong political advocates for language rights, they do not have the capacity to make the necessary changes, because they do not have the power directly. I am talking about language heroes like: The Language Commisioner – Mr. Séamas Ó Concheanainn; The Complaints Manager – Ms Órla de Burke; TD Catherine Connolly; TD Éamon Ó Cuív; TD Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Chairman), and Senator Lorraine Clifford-Lee. There are also great organisations fighting for the Irish language, organisations like Conradh na Gaeilge and its General Secretary Julian de Spáinn. They and their likes have been notifying the government for a long time that the language crisis is ongoing and that the government is obliged to take steps to preserve it and even expand it. You would be ashamed to see what is going on with Welsh in Wales! And what about the North - isn't it an incredible story what has been done for the Irish language in the North - where it is much more difficult to get language rights? I think the seeds of the solution can be seen in that story.

Political Activism!

Very often, politicians are able to ignore Irish language activists, and put Irish matters on the sidelines. That is exactly what happened in the North. Although official recognition of the Irish language was promised in the Good Friday Agreement of 1998, it was ignored. But the Irish language activists did not accept that and held protest rallies demanding official status for Irish. More than 50 language activists started the Red Dream (an Dream Dearg -a pressure group for language rights) in 2016, and organized a major protest in Belfast in 2017 - Lá Dearg! Around 15,000 people marched on the City Hall in Belfast, demanding the passage of the Irish Language Act, which was promised by the British and Irish governments in 2006. The British government had an easy excuse in Brexit, and Irish language matters were ignored during Brexit.

But the Red Dream did not stop trying to achieve its objective, and when the Brexit had been completed for some time, they organized a rally in 2022, in which more than 17,000 people marched for language rights. At the end of the same year, 'The Identity and Language (Northern Ireland) Act 2022' was passed in Westminster, giving official status to the Irish language in the North, with the various advantages associated with that status. As Churchill himself said – “Never surrender!”

And that is the way forward in Ireland too. We need to bring the government to account regarding its lack of support for the language, regarding the proper implementation of the Languages Act and to resolve the various problems mentioned above. Why wouldn't the Red Dream or similar organize protest rallies at Leinster House in Dublin, demanding that a specific plan be implemented soon to tackle the language crisis that has finally been admitted by the government itself ? Why wouldn't that work?

Hot off the press - green shoots!

As this article was going to press, I saw that a protest at Leinster House about the housing crisis in the Gaeltacht had just taken place. Among the protesters were the people of the Gaeltacht, the people of the community, and representatives from various organizations - Conradh na Gaeilge, the National Language Planning Committee, BÁNÚ, the Red Dream, the Students' Union in Ireland, the Post-Primary Students' Union of Ireland and CATU Ireland [Union for Communities and Tenants]. Good for you all! I hope that protests like this will take place as often as necessary, to publicly express the will of the people and the government's promises regarding language rights in a way that the government can no longer ignore them!

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Agóidí Síochánta sna hOllscoileanna!

Peaceful Protests in Universities!

Although some of them have been broken up by the police, many camps are still located on university grounds around the world, as a measure of solidarity with the people of Gaza, and to peacefully protest against the merciless slaughter that is wrought by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on the people of Gaza. It is estimated that at least 35,000 people have died and 78,000 were injured as a result of this horrific fighting. The war began with surprise terrorist attacks by the terrorist group Hamas on October 7, 2023. About 1,200 people were killed and 250 people were kidnapped in that attack. The Israeli government consequently promised to eliminate Hamas. Israel began a ground attack in the Gaza Strip on October 27, 2023, and they are not finished yet. Unfortunately, the civilians of Gaza are the most affected by the war. There are not many buildings left standing in the strip, and there is now a shortage of food. More than a million people, or half the population in the Strip, do not have enough food or clean water. That is a major disaster as it is, and the people of Gaza are facing even more disaster - especially if the IDF attacks the city of Rafah, now home to more than 1.5 million people, most of them refugees from elsewhere in Gaza.

Unconditional support

The Hamas attack shocked countries around the world, and all countries understood that there would be a strong response from Israel. The United States and the European Union stood firmly with Israel and understood that Israel had the right to defend its country and to counterattack and subdue Hamas. They also understood that the punishment should fit the crime, and that Israel had an international duty to avoid killing innocent civilians. But the IDF carried out attack after attack indiscriminately, and on average, a child dies in Gaza every ten minutes. This is unacceptable and in all likelihood Israel is breaking international law. But despite everything, the United States and the European Union are too slow to move their position and withdraw their support until Israel fulfills its international obligations. The United States is still supplying Israel with offensive weapons, when they know full well what will be done with them. That approach does not sit well with the view of the majority of the western public.

Public Protest

When there is a significant difference between the government's policies and the public's point of view, the public shows its displeasure and often takes to the streets in protest and organizes protest marches. It is now the case regarding Gaza, and large protest marches take place in Ireland, the United States and many other countries, demanding an end to the terrible violence taking place there.

A protest movement is also emerging in universities around the world, with students setting up camps on their university grounds. The students at Columbia University were among the first to set up camps, and that movement spread to campuses across the country, from California to Ohio to Georgia. Then, it spread around the world, including to universities in Ireland and to Trinity College in particular. The students have issued a list of demands, asking their universities to issue a statement criticizing Israel and to stop dealing with Israeli companies, and especially those companies involved in human rights violations against the Palestinian. On the Columbia campus, the students took over the university building (Hamilton Hall). On account of that, the president of the university called the police. They entered the campus and closed down the camp and arrested more than 300 people. A total of 2200 people were arrested across the country on university campuses. A few universities in the United States - including Brown University, Northwestern University, Rutgers University, University of Minnesota, UCLA and the University of California at Riverside - have said they would take steps to divest.

Ray of Hope

Over 40 tents were erected on the Trinity College campus on May 3, and therefore, a meeting was organized between the university and the protesters on May 6. The university has yielded to several demands saying it will stop investing in three Israeli companies that are on the United Nations Human Rights Council's list of companies involved in illegal Israeli settlements. The university also promised to establish a task force to investigate Israeli institutions, and to provide eight scholarships to Gaza students . Although the university did not give in to all the demands of the protesters, and although the protesters did not stop their campaign, it is a good sign that the two parties are talking and making progress together. As this article goes to press, President Biden has just intercepted a large shipment of bombs from Israel – 1,800 bombs weighing 2,000 pounds and 1,700 bombs weighing 500 pounds. That's a step in the right direction, and it's quite possible that the peaceful protests, including in the universities, had a significant impact on President Biden's decision. If so, it shows how powerful peaceful protests are against unrestrained violence!

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Stoirm Pholaitíochta

Political Storm!

It is a coincidence that I recently had a column entitled 'Unbridled Greed', discussing the abuse of power in various fields - including the political field. I read some news recently that shocked and appalled me - the leader of the DUP, Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, had resigned, accused of 'historical' sexual allegations. My first thought was 'unbelievable'! But then, the subject of my column came back to me, and then I thought maybe it wasn't so incredible after all. Things like that happen often in the United States, and usually, after politicians deny the charges, for the most part they end up being convicted. Although Jeffrey Donaldson's case doesn't look too good, let's leave it to the court to work out if he is guilty. Regardless, politicians in the North will soon have to contend with a new political landscape, and perhaps forge a new vision in the process. Political stability will be in the balance, and it is now quite difficult to predict what will happen. In the interim, who is Jeffrey Donaldson, and what are the implications of the new DUP leadership?

Jeffrey Donaldson

In 1968, as front bench spokesman in the British Government, Enoch Powell gave a controversial speech about 'Rivers of Blood', inciting his followers to hate people of color. As a result of his speech, he was sacked as speaker, but he remained an unwelcome member of the Conservative Party until 1974. In October 1974, Powell found refuge in the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) with the loyalists describing him as a prophet, and then he was elected as an MP in Down South. Powell said in one speech that all political careers eventually fail – something he himself knew well.

Jeffrey's cousin, Samuel Donaldson, was killed in an IRA bombing in 1970, while working for the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC). That inspired Jeffrey Donaldson to political life.

Jeffrey Donaldson began his own political career some 40 years ago as a constituency agent for Enoch Powell from 1983 to 1985. In 1985, he began working as a personal assistant to former Ulster Unionist Party leader James Molyneaux.

In 1997, when Mr Molyneaux resigned, Jeffrey Donaldson succeeded in taking the Lagan Valley seat. In 2003, amid opposition to the Good Friday Agreement and David Trimble's leadership, he left the UUP and joined the DUP with Arlene Foster. He was appointed as DUP leader in 2021, after Edwin Poots resigned after just three weeks in the role.

As leader of the DUP, Jeffrey Donaldson led a two-year boycott of Northern Ireland's political institutions in Stormont, in protest at post-Brexit trade arrangements. After long negotiations, the DUP agreed to return to Stormont in February, 2024, having secured a new agreement and a series of declarations regarding the constitutional position of Northern Ireland within the United Kingdom. The serious allegations occurred when Jeffrey Donaldson was at the top of his game. As for what his mentor, Enoch Powell said – that all political careers eventually fail – the prophecy might well come true in the case of Jeffrey Donaldson.

What can be done now?

When the allegations came to light, DUP party officials suspended Jeffrey Donaldson from the party and unanimously appointed deputy leader Gavin Robinson as interim leader. Mr Robinson is the MP for East Belfast and became deputy leader of the DUP in June 2023. He is a former Lord Mayor of Belfast and was first elected to parliament in 2015. His political stance is almost identical to Jeffrey Donaldson's stance, and he ran a successful leadership campaign for him in 2021.

According to Sinn Féin and the DUP, there is no risk to the political stability of the North. Although I don't believe that to be true, I understand that that is the best thing for them to say. The political ecosystem is now fragile, and easy to break. The ink is not yet dry on Jeffrey Donaldson's decision to end the Stormont boycott, a decision for which he did not have strong support in the DUP. There is a good chance that those who are against that decision would take the opportunity to reopen it and take a step back. On the other side of the argument, there is a lot of pressure on the DUP not to go back to a dysfunctional system in the North, a system where everyone suffers, including their own supporters.

Let's all hope that all political parties in the North and especially the DUP will have a little sense and concern in this hour of decision, and in that way peace will prevail. As we all know, we can never take the political situation for granted, especially in the North!

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Tuairisc ó Mheiriceá – An Searmanas Seamróige!

Opinion from America - The Shamrock Ceremony!

Opinion from America - The Shamrock Ceremony!

Many people in Ireland were demanding that the meeting between Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and the President of the United States Joe Biden be canceled as a protest against the support given by the United States of America (USA) to Israel during its horrific attacks in Gaza. More than 30,000 people were killed there, most of them civilians. Around 250 people are killed on average every day in the Strip – six times more than in the war in Ukraine. There can be no excuse for the destruction and looting that is going on in Gaza - including the Holocaust. It needs to be stopped immediately. This is an unmitigated shame, and the USA is indirectly to blame, as they are a facilitator. In addition to financial and military aid, the US also provides large-scale political support to Israel. The US has vetoed 83 UN Security Council resolutions. 42 of those were against criticizing Israel and the most recent one (on October 18, 2023) against a humanitarian pause in the Gaza Strip.

After thinking it over, Varadkar decided to make the visit to Washington, instead of turning his back on Biden. He was determined to express a strong position to Biden, criticizing the policies of the genocide that are being implemented by Israel, and that it is unacceptable for the western world to support Israel in relation to the same policies.

The Shamrock Ceremony

Varadkar attended the events celebrating St. Patrick's Day. An important part of the celebration is the visit of the Taoiseach to the White House to chat with the President of the United States, face to face. That is a great privilege, and no other country, especially a small country, is able to have such a chance, year after year. As important as it is, I was very pleased that Varadkar did not cancel that annual meeting. Also, isn't it better to have a difficult conversation, instead of a boycott?

The two had a private conversation at first, discussing many topics. Biden and Varadkar then gave speeches. Varadkar bluntly said that the problem for the Irish people is that the US is still giving military support to the Israelis, despite what the Israeli military forces (IDF) are doing in Gaza. At the same time, he accepted that the US was working hard to enforce a ceasefire in Gaza. It's interesting that Biden agreed with everything Varadkar said, but actions speak louder than words, and Biden's words and actions are in disagreement so far.

Here are a few excerpts from Varadkar's speech:

“Almost 250 years ago, we Irish were in the American War of Independence. Exactly 100 years ago, the United States became the first country to formally recognize the newly independent State of Ireland and establish diplomatic relations.”

"And tonight, let us all reflect on the words of President Kennedy when he urged us to do 'the most important work of peace' to protect the weak and the small, as he said in the Irish Parliament: ' from Cork to the Congo, from Galway to the Gaza Strip'.

"Mr President, as you know, the people of Ireland are very worried about the disaster that is unfolding before our eyes in Gaza. As I travel the world, leaders often ask me why the Irish have so much compassion for the Palestinian people. The answer is simple: we see our history in their eyes. A story of displacement and dispossession, national identity questioned and denied, forced emigration, discrimination, and now - hunger.

So we support your work and the work of your administration, to achieve a humanitarian ceasefire and to create space for lasting peace.

The people of Gaza are in desperate need of food, medicine and shelter. But especially they need the bombs to stop. This has to stop. On both sides. The hostages taken back home. And humanitarian relief allowed to come in.

Israel must reverse its rash decision regarding the ground invasion in Rafah.

And after 100 years of violence, as you said, the only way forward for security is to have two peaceful and sovereign states, side by side.

Ireland is ready to recognize a Palestinian state with like-minded partners at the right time in terms of peace.

Mr. President, we also see the history of Israel in our eyes. A diaspora whose heart was in Ireland generation after generation. A revived nation-state. And the revival of the language.

I believe that it is possible to be pro-Israel and pro-Palestine and I believe you believe the same.

Because the life of a Palestinian child has the same status as the life of an Israeli child.

And that the ambition of the Palestinian people to have their own homeland, a full-fledged State in the land of their ancestors, is on par with having a state for the people of Israel.

I also believe that there are lessons that can be learned from our own peace process in Ireland. A concept of equal respect and the importance of relationships in particular.

And also the vital role of America, personified by the chairman of our peace talks, Senator George Mitchell. There was a permanent secretariat based on American trust and oversight.”

Conclusion

The Taoiseach's speech tells its own story, and I think we all agree with what he had to say to Biden. I think things are going in the right direction but at a snail's pace. But I also think it's no coincidence that more is happening after the meeting between them than before. That is a small beacon of hope, and maybe there is a small chance that there will be a ceasefire in Gaza before long.

As a final word, Varadkar has announced that he will be stepping down from his role as Taoiseach and leader of Fine Gael. "After seven years, I'm not the best person for the job anymore," he said. I wiish you well in your endeavours, Leo!

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Fáilte Roimh Chách – Inné, Inniu agus Amárach!

Welcome Everyone – Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow!

Welcome Everyone – Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow!

It's not too long ago when nobody would have thought that the day would ever come when people would be flooding the coasts of our country, hoping to join us. Wasn't it in the opposite way that the human flood was pouring out of us, day after day, week after week and year after year? At that time, you would only hear complaints and grievances from the poor about the poverty of this poor country. Everyone had the same tune, all claiming that our country had gone astray. The media were confirming the same attitude, saying that this country had been "banjaxed", and had gone down the toilet, into the sea.

Even our education system was aimed at getting jobs for our young people in overseas countries, and we were training doctors, nurses, priests, teachers and more, who had no chance of getting a job ONLY overseas. In addition to that, the people of this country did not care about the migration of those educated people, or about the 'Brain Drain' as it is called in English.

Undoubtedly, those who migrated did well, but of course, we should never forget the injustice done to them, when we, as a community, were unable to serve them in their own homeland. Although they managed to achieve a good career, they often shed the bitter tears of exile, because wouldn't it be much better to have the same success in their own country? They were wonderful people, who sent money home to us when it was badly needed.

Arrival of the Celtic Tiger

Big changes began in the nineties, slowly at first and then faster, until we no longer had those difficulties. Young people were going on holiday to faraway places in the world. People had cars, who once had only poor four-legged, long-eared Neids. People were going out to inns and restaurants to dine. And as well as that, people were dressed elegantly, all the time. The look, taste and smell of money was to be found, below and above, near and far, all over the country. You would no longer hear people saying on the Radio or the Television that our land had been "banjaxed", as the people who used to sing that tune were now sitting pretty, earning a pile of money over the years, from the purse of that same "banjaxed" State. To make a long story short, the news of the money was soon out on us, all over the world.

The "Black Babies"

There was only one result of that reputation for money, and that was that people came to the coasts of this country, hoping that they would get a generous share here. Those people came, one by one at first, then in small groups, and finally, they became a strong, unstoppable flood. In the beginning, we did not treat the strangers who came among us so generously, since we had no practice of such, but with the passage of time, we had to accept that we had a duty to treat them with dignity and respect. Didn't we spend many years in this country collecting pennies for the "Black Babies", but when those same Children grew up, and when they came to try and get in, well - that was a whole other story! But after a while, we were made aware that we had no other choice but to give them asylum, when such was due to them, and in addition to that, we welcomed essential workers who came to us in a strong, hopeful, unstoppable toorent, and no wonder we welcomed them, as they helped us to feed and fatten the hungry, Celtic Tiger of ours. As far as I am concerned, we should welcome those righteous people who come to us, in search of asylum, or work, and we should also be happy to grant them the citizenship of our country, if they deserve that.

Now, it wasn't just the "Black Babies" who came to our door, since as soon as the word spread that there was excellent work and jobs to be found there, people from different ethnicities started raising their sails, to make their way to this country.

Welcome to All

Although it is more difficult to deal with more people, we still have to stick to our basic principles. May we never forget the millions of us who fled this country during the Great Famine and found refuge in other countries, including Canada and the United States. No matter how hard it is, it is better to do something, in my opinion, especially in a situation like this. That's not to say that rules aren't necessary, because they are, but when anyone is admitted legally into the country, and especially those seeking asylum, we have an obligation to treat them well. When I see terrible things happening in Dublin, where a camp for asylum seekers was set on fire, or in Ballincollig in Cork, where and a former school was set on fire, which was almost ready to give asylum to refugees from Ukraine, I am both disappointed and determined. Actions speak louder than words, and it is time for us in this country to fight xenophobia, and offer a helping hand to the refugees that our government took in in the first place, to give them a new life. We have no excuses and we have to do the right thing from now on.

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Suirbhé ag teastáil go géar!

A Survey is badly needed!

I read an interesting article on 'tuarisc.ie' recently written by Máire Ní Fhinneadha and it got me thinking. She wrote about data from the 2022 census and the number of people who speak Irish every day in the Gaeltacht in the Language Planning Areas. Máire was surprised that the experts didn't have much to say and especially that they didn't give us any advice based on those results. She said that 43% in her own area in the Gaeltacht claimed to be daily speakers, but she then made a good point that it was most likely the heads of families - adults - who filled in the census form, although the most important information about speaking the language at a young age. Máire did her own informal research in Cois Farraige.

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Patrúin úsáide na teanga

Máire identified three patterns in relation to the use of the language in her own area, in my opinion:

1. Bilingual use. Máire heard young men chatting together on the bus. They were speaking English one minute and Irish the next, switching languages back and forth without realizing it.
2. Language delivery from generation to generation. Máire saw another pattern at work when family members were talking together. The adults in the family talk to each other in Irish, but only English is spoken to the little boys.

Máire saw something that was both funny and sad. A young woman passed by with her son and they had a small conversation about the pleasure boat that was out on the road. The woman said to the boy - 'look at the boat'. 'Why are you speaking Irish Mammy?' says the wee lad!

3. Language of intergenerational communication. Máire noticed another pattern when young people are working in the Gaeltacht, for example in the shops. They speak English together, but they switch to Irish when talking to Máire and the like.

Analysis

According to the census, the number of people in the Gaeltacht who speak Irish has risen, from 63,664 in 2016 to 65,156 in 2022 (an increase of 1,492 / +2.3%) at a time when, however, the number of people in the Gaeltacht who speak Irish has fallen every day from 20,586 in 2016 to 20,261 in 2022 (fall 325 / -1.6%). Although there is a positive story in that there is an increase in the number of people who speak Irish, it is a cause for concern that the community that speaks Irish is falling. But when you combine the aforementioned usage patterns with the census figures, it becomes clear that the situation is even worse. When the heads of households who speak Irish every day filled out the census form, it is more likely than not that they described that everyone in the family speaks Irish every day. Therefore, there is every chance that the number of people in the Gaeltacht who speak Irish as their main language every day is considerably less than 20,261. Not only that, but there is a good chance that most young people do not speak Irish as their main language either, even if they speak Irish every day, and that is not a good thing, if it is true. This is what Julian de Spáinn, Secretary General of the Irish Language League, said on the subject:

"...strong, continuous and ambitious support from the State is urgently needed to turn the tide and achieve a significant boost in the use of the Irish language. There are plenty of things that need to be done to achieve that vision and to sustain the growth that is needed; it is necessary to finance the Growth Plan, Investment Plan for the Irish and the Gaeltacht 2024-29, which has been agreed by more than 115 Irish and Gaeltacht groups to ensure significant long-term investment; there is a need for a national housing policy for the Gaeltacht; there is a need for an education policy from early childhood education to third level, and beyond." Although I agree with him, I think that more information is needed to develop a more targeted and effective approach.

Recommendations

It would be very useful to carry out a survey to collect more personal data from the people who speak Irish every day, according to the census. I would ask for details such as: your age, your main language at home and outside, what percentage of Irish and English do you speak daily, do you speak a mixture of Irish and English? Do you speak Irish with your own generation and English outside of that (or vice versa)?

We would learn a lot from a survey like that and with the new information we would receive, we would be able to formulate better plans to achieve a significant boost in the use of the Irish language.

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