Éist, Éist, Éist!

national | rights, freedoms and repression | feature Thursday November 17, 2005 01:12 by Sean

From Sean on the newswire: Hundreds march against Fine Gael attack on Irish language

Hundreds demonstrated today against Fine Gael’s worrying proposal to make Irish language education optional, and no longer compulsory.

The demonstration was kicked off at the main gates of Trinity College at lunchtime, and so was witnessed by large crowds of sympathetic spectators as well as participants.

Hundreds marched to the headquarters of Fine Gael, to shouts of “Fine Bearla.” When the group arrived at Fine Gael headquarters, party leader Enda Kenny emerged to address the crowd. He received jeers from the crowd when he told them that removing the Irish language requirement would actually help the language. In an act of dispcicable cowardice he then fled from the crowd when someone from Ogra na Gael got up to speak.

Some observers such as "Fear Bocht" are unimpressed:

There is nothing intrinsically progressive about Irish; in fact the cultural snobs and elitists have often used it to look down on the working class. Nor has it anything especailly republican about it; I'll think you'll find Wolfe Tone did not have a word. For those who want to speak it, learn it and teach it, all facilities should be given but compulsion did not and will not work.

March sets off down to the Fine Gael Head Office

UCD students union supports the protest

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