The state and the Irish language: the role of Bord na Gaeilge

• Published in: International journal of the sociology of language 1988, Vol.1988 (70), p.53-68
• Main Author: TOVEY, HILARY
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Indoeuropean Languages; Ireland; Language Maintenance; Language Planning; State Role
• ISSN: 0165-2516; 1613-3668
• DOI: 10.1515/ijsl.1988.70.53

Only a small minority of Irish people today speak Irish on any regular basis. The strength of the lang derives from the fact that it has been a central symbol of national identity, & its restoration an acknowledged goal of the Irish state since Independence. However, in the last two decades of extensive economic, social, & cultural change, traditional conceptions of "the nation" have been challenged, marginalized, or have threatened to become politically contentious. Changes in the form of state management of the lang issue are examined in this context. The state first appeared to withdraw its support from Irish though it subsequently established a new agency, Bord na Gaeilge, to take on the task of promoting the lang. Bord na Gaeilge's dilemma has been to develop a conception of lang promotion that both legitimizes continued state involvement & yet is politically nondivisive. The work of the agency over a 10-year period is analyzed, drawing on documentary sources, interviews, & personal observation to reconstruct the process through which a solution gradually evolved. After a number of shifts in direction, the agency's role is currently understood as "action planning." This allows it to present its work as technical rather than political: the maintenance of Irish, formerly understood as a matter of ethnic commitment & political will, can be presented as a routine task to be accomplished by consensus, coordination between organizations, & the cooperation of the powerful in Irish society. The impact of such bureaucratization of the lang issue on ordinary supporters of Irish is questioned as well as the capacity of a conception of bilingualism as "increased choice for all" to sustain its hegemony over alternative discourses, such as that of "minority rights," in the future. 14 References. AA