The
Irish language has been revised through the growing trends or
postmodern shifts towards a
nostalgic culture. The
growth of the
tourist industry brought 'Irishness' into fierce
competition with other major
European stereotypes and therefore
holiday destinations.
Cultural iconography or an
image acts like an advertisement, like a
television advert showing the best side/service available
attractively, therefore everything is a
commodity. The use of
Gaelic in
schools was always deemed as useless unless one wished a
career in
law or
medicine within
Ireland. With
emmigration as much a part of the
social norm, as any landscape, the embedded social conduct of leaving school then leaving
Eire was the norm.
The history of Ireland is well documented and covered in myth. The language was controlled and ultimately banned due to the Protestantism of Christainity in Catholic Ireland. English became the spoken word and the cultural tradition of story telling, folk lore, songs and poetry along with the secret masses were conducted in the native speak.
Within the past decade nationalist tendancies and self definitions and re-definitions of national identity have been of upmost importance. The Welsh assembley, Scottish parliament and the Good Friday Agreement all saw new formations of identity.
Previous conventions and stereotypes had to be reviewed by not just academics but everyone!
Language is a cultural tool and flows on the tides of change. The importance of what were considered 'dead' languages shows revivals are not just in fashion or music (although similarities can be drawn as these too are cultural texts). Although the Irish language is coming back it has to be noted that for the people living and working in Eire it has never gone away fully.
After the Republic was declared the importance of rebuilding hertiage and pride was raised from the trials of the past. Ireland is the fastest economic growing European country with immigration as the norm. Such shifts in the social structure have seen house and land prices soar. Universitites have more students than ever before attending as the importance and acceptance on the value of education has grown. The globalisation of language is a phenomena that ties in with technology,economics and communications industries. Gaelic is a historical language that has moved up a gear, Irish language television stations market the youth culture and this is a huge step.
Ireland will never speak its native fully as regression will not improve it, it will only separate and divisions are aplenty in parts of the nation. The 're-birth' of the Irish language is a sign that after oppression, depression, and with an ongoing war the future is optimistic. The mix of the old Gaelic hybrids the past and the new and reflects a nation on the up.