Irish language gets full EU status today

Fair question. Tbh not sure. I just heard it on radio ulster news an I suppose I just thought it was rediculous waste of money for Eu. It struck a chord as I am in the midst of challenging an attempt to replace all the signs on my road with Irish signs.

maybe if I am really honest I have picked up little snippets of ideas in our debate to strengthen my case. It is likely I will end up asking the equality commission to support my position. Maybe it’s a research thread for me 🤔

I wouldn’t see the point. Would you see the point in putting a union flag beside all the Irish flags flying in the 26 counties?

Apologies you are correct. You did answer the question. I done what I am accusing most of doing on me. I read to much into your answer that you didn’t say. I had thought you were suggesting that to direct equal finding into both would be treating both communities equally. In fact it would be giving one community what they were asking for and giving the other community something they were not requesting.

Fair enough.

nice to hear your love for minority languages. That’s helpful for me to hear. I hated languages in school (even English) so maybe I was laying too much on Irish speakers, thinking that it must be tied up with their politics etc. Clearly it is for many and no one could argue that sf and the ira massively politicise and indeed weaponise the language. That is sad.

I guess my community need to engage more and be exposed more to people like you. I attend an optician based in an Irish language centre and when I enter it feels very alien. You may find this shocking but I would feel awkward if any of my unionist community saw me enter it - Maybe what a local nationalist would feel going in to use the credit union in the orange hall. Same feeling as I would have going into the GAA club. In areas like mine our only real engagement with the language is the bitter battle over signage, shinners election posters and derogatory graffiti aimed at intimidating us. I am sure there is more out there but I don’t see it (or maybe I avoid it, who knows).

you even see it in this thread from the same sort of posters. It’s became a battle even on here. Not an inch, no understanding of the other. And I include myself in that as I have got drawn in. If anything. This thread demonstrates why it is such a controversial issue with those on both sides who allow us to let it.

anyhow I appreciate the posters on here who have gave me an insight into how many love the language without the need to laud it over others or use it in the struggle.

we have a long way to go in the north.

I was thinking about Linda Ervine and wondering about her path. Did she grow up in a very unionist community with zero exposure to Irish, and then when she encountered it was it with people who just loved the language , with no struggle attached. I didn’t get that chance. I grew up surrounded by all the worst aspects of it and it was part of ‘the war’.

Maybe the battle now needs to be internal in nationalist community. How are they going to express/expose the generation of unionists younger than me. If people like you win that battle then there is real hope of unionists embracing it. If people like some of the posters on here win that battle then there is not a hope of young unionists cooperating with its public expression.

is this where we are headed ie that there will have to be police units in each area to try to protect the signage https://www.irishnews.com/news/northernirelandnews/2019/11/14/news/psni-nominate-officer-for-reports-of-attacks-on-irish-language-signs-in-mid-ulster-1764998/

….and yet some of the biggest agitators want to argue on here that it’s not controversial and consensus has been reached🤔

I am sorry deirdremf. I operate in a strange situation. You will note complaints here https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058223439/26-county-forum#latest that I takeover and reply too often. Yet a regular complaint against me is that I don’t respond enough. I have tried to find a balance and I honestly wasn’t meaning to avoid your question.

so on your question. Yes I would be absolutely opposed to equal prominence to Uk flag and roi flag. The gfa was very clear. This is the Uk until majority vote otherwise. So the Uk flag is the official flag. If a vote happens and a UI happens, I think it would be absurd then to ask for the Uk flag to have equal prominence with whatever would become the flag of whatever this new country would be called.

I would like to see the Irish flag respected at all times here

I agree with your first points.

the last para has no relevance to this.

Down is not a great example as ‘Down’ is an English word and I agree is meaningless re the county.

that the road Shan Slieve road. I understand that was written like that so as the majority no Irish speakers could pronounce it. It is Irish I think for old mountain. Council etc are trying to tell me that Shan Slieve is English and they want to add the Irish. They have been taken aback when I have pointed out the obvious, that of course it is not English. The English is old mountain. They currently have their knickers in a twist and are not responding.

We are very close here. You example is reasonable about Newcastle.

I am not saying Shan Slieve is proper Irish. I am saying it is phonetically spelt Irish so as English speakers can pronounce it. Currently Irish can look at it and understand that it is old mountain. The 90% English only speakers don’t have a clue what it means. It’s just words that don’t exist in their language. Yet you are telling me it is more English than Irish and the council want to put another sign beside it explaining the the Irish speakers, who already know, what it means and the 90% English speakers are nothing the wiser