Has the term Ard fheis become redundant?

stereomatic

Recently at the Fine Gael Ard Fheis it was referred to as National Conference and Party Conference and titled on RTE as National Conference ( and referred to as such by TV3 and various radio broadcasts) is this to be used in the future to replace Ard Fheis and will this be used for other political party Ard Fheiseanna.

For me I think it is strange as it is one of the few Irish words used in common Hiberno-English parlance like Garda Siochana, Taoiseach, Tanaiste, Oireachtas etc

Also with recent attempts to encourage the use of Irish it seems to be at odds with these attempts

Sierra Oscar

It was not cited as being an Ard Fheis because it was not an Ard Fheis.

It was a conference that merely consisted of speeches and some discussions. An Ard Fheis consists of party elections and actual motion debates amongst other things. Delegates were not even allowed submit motions to the Fine Gael conference. I would imagine that is why the media tried to make the distinction.

petronius

Party administration, management and manipulation has rendered the ard feiseanna bland and a mere rally rather than a conference or dialogue amongst the party members.

No debates of any merit, for fear of internal conflict being shown in front of the media, or dissent. No policy measure is voted on and no votes seem to be binding.

This shows a contempt of the ordinary party member by the party leaders, they see them only as a source of funding, and street walkers to plug pamplets into letterboxes.

The stage management is stomach wrenching -

Duffy the Vampire Slayer

I wouldn't like the term 'Ard Fheis' to disappear, mainly because it's one of the terms Northern Unionists and British journalists have trouble pronouncing. 'Aaard Fesh'.