Irish is a dead language, the language of our ancestors and about as far removed from us as the moon is from the sun, right? It is of no use or interest to anybody except the Irish themselves, if even, right? Summer courses in the Gaeltacht are run only for secondary school students who want to have a bit of craic and to do better in their exams, right?
Iomlán mícheart ! Wrong, wrong, wrong! Where have you been? People's attitudes to and interest in Irish are changing. No longer is learning Irish confined to youngsters who, as with most school subjects, often have no choice in the matter. These days, there are thousands of adults who attend summer courses in order to learn Irish. And, what's more, approximately 50% of these adults are not Irish! Incredible, right? Wrong again! A quiet revolution has been going on, and unknown to many Irish people, courses for adults have sprung up throughout the country, catering for all levels of learning.
Three of the main centres are Oideas Gael - Donegal, Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne - Kerry, and Áras Mháirtín Uí Chadhain - Galway. Together, they welcome 3000 adults to their respective Gaeltacht regions to learn Irish. Oideas Gael is the largest of the three operations, welcoming 2000 avid students from far and wide through their doors annually. Approximately half the visitors are Irish, and the other half is made up of Americans and Europeans, as well as visitors from as far away as Japan, China and Australia. Among the most honoured students in Oideas Gael each year is the president of Ireland, Mrs. Mary McAleese. Áras Mháirtín Uí Chadhain in Conemara is host to approximately 700 people every year. Most of their pupils are Irish, since there is only one course during the summer for foreigners. However, among these foreigners have been people from Norway, Iceland and Estonia. Many of the Irish people who attend courses in Áras Mháirtín Uí Chadhain have spent an extended time living abroad, and through this experience have come to appreciate their native tongue more. It appears also that many retired people have an interest in brushing up their cúpla focal now that they finally have the time.
Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne has about 200 students every year, including students from a far afield as Japan, Australia and the US. The format for the courses tends to be similar across the different colleges. Classes take place in the morning, followed by cultural activities in the afternoon, and social occasions in the evenings.
These type of cultural choices are becoming more popular as the philosophy of lifelong learning gains momentum. So it seems that the days of indiscriminate use of Irish as a secret language when abroad, patriotism reborn, may be numbered!
