Letters

Gaelic Is Our Culture

JOHN Spain can be counted upon to provide, if nothing else, an interesting piece on a regular basis. His rant in the September 6-12 issue against the teaching of the Irish language in, of all places, Irish schools, is just such a provocative piece.

One could easily make an argument that the teaching of the Irish language has not been an area wherein Irish educators have spent a great deal of time developing new and more interesting methodology – at least, not in the past.

No subject will find eager adherents if it is not properly and creatively taught, for as we all know it is ultimately the teacher, and the engaged, motivated student, determining progress.

Yet to offer as proof of the uselessness of Irish instruction the fact that Spain’s kids don’t like studying it is quite something. Do they, and their peers, relish chemistry, maths, statistics, physics, and 16th century English poetry? If they don’t, should those subjects be dropped as well?

I’m all for involving students in the learning process, but I’m not sure we want to craft curriculums based on what kids “like.” Perhaps Mr. Spain would then suggest it should be what they “need.”

They don’t need Irish to live in 21st century Ireland, that’s true. They probably could get on without the 16th century poetry and the stats as well.

But the purpose of language study is not simply to allow for conversation and exchanging of pleasantries. It is to offer an insight into how another culture views the world and approaches life.

Irish speakers of long ago, and even those few left today, see the world in some ways quite differently then do English speakers. So do French speakers and Farsi speakers and Portuguese speakers. In a world as fraught with tension as is ours, it behooves us all to open our minds to different ways of seeing things.

In a country like Ireland, which has undergone such massive change in recent years, it is vital that people growing up there appreciate from whence they came, and what goes into making them unique.

No one expects the country to drop English and return to the original language, but if Ireland were to lose the language she would lose a very large part of her essence. That would be sad for Ireland, and for the world.

Beckett said, “I am interested in the shape of ideas even if I do not believe in them.” Spain and his children should take these words to heart when cracking open the Buntas Cainte.

Joe Moran
Glen Ridge, New Jersey

The Queen’s Man

MR. Cynical, John Spain, is always good for a bit of foot in mouth, and his knock on the wonderful Irish language is just another example of his far to the right and West Brit opinions on just about anything Irish.

It doesn’t surprise me that his offspring have a similar hatred for Gaeilge too, and I am sure they hate Sinn Fein with equal gusto, but at least probably glorify the Cruiser and Adolf McDowell.

The Irish language is our identity, and it is rich in lore and culture and is beautiful to listen to. So what if some people have a cupla focail and others write or speak it fluently?

At this moment there is a great interest in our lovely language, and Irish-born and immigrants together are making it strong again. Spain once again is wrong as he so often is when it comes to many things Irish.

John, tiocfaidh ar la, and you and your ilk can retreat to your little corner of Dublin 4, play croquet and moan as best you can, and no doubt you will be using the Queen’s English while doing that.

Dessie Coogan
Astoria, New York

Celtic Kitty

THIS is an open letter to Cormac MacConnell about his column in the September 6-12 issue about President Bush.

Cormac, it is not about President Bush and military stopovers at Shannon. It is all about the good old currency of the U.S, the mighty “cheap” dollar.

Shannon has had a history of military stopovers over the past 40-plus years, both American and Soviet, and sometimes, God forgive us, even British. These stopovers are expressly encouraged by Irish business and government leaders, despite all recent opposition and court actions by protesting anti-American Irish citizens.

The facts are that in 2005 Shannon Airport lost approximately $3 million to operate, while American troop stopovers contributed approximately $22 million in income to the airport.

Most American taxpayers, including Mr. Bush, our tax cutting president, would prefer if these troop transports would over fly Ireland to British military bases, where they can land and refuel for free, and save the $22 million bucks per year.

If that were to happen, together with the relocation of many generous American multi-national companies currently in Ireland, to the more American-friendly Eastern European countries, the consequences could be dire.The “roaring Celtic Tiger” could become an emaciated little kitty cat very quickly. Shannon and — God forbid – Cormac’s pub, may have to close.

M. Dolan
Hoffman Estates, Illinois

Famine Facts

PEADAR O’Fiach’s letter to Irish Voice issue of August 29-September 5, “Don’t Blame the British,” is full of tangled reasoning.

If Mr. O’Fiach would really like to know what happened during the Famine years, he should read either The Great Hunger, Ireland 1845-1849 by Cecil Woodham Smith, or The Great Famine, Studies in Irish History, 1845-1852, edited by Dudley Edwards and T. Desmond Williams.

Neither work cites Irish backwardness, alcoholism, lack of self-help or the hand of God as blame for the consequences of the Famine.

As to the IRA, the IRA is doing nothing more than the American patriots did in our revolution. Mr. O’Fiach says that the Irish were “sent out to the colonies.” More like “sentenced” would be the apt description.

The Irish, in faraway places, served long prison terms,15 years, for violation of curfew as an example.

Patricia K. Loffredo
North Miami, Florida

What Would Mexico Say?

ONE wonders what the Mexican government and its citizens would say, think, and do, if 20 million Americans were to illegally invade Mexico and expect the Mexican government to provide free medical care; supply them with free education and automatic Mexican citizenship for their children; require bilingual interpreters at all hospitals and courts; insist on bilingual government forms; demand that Mexico accept American IDs and provide us with sanctuary cities that would ignore our multiple lawbreaking and allow us to remain free from arrest; expect Mexicans to learn English so we wouldn’t have to learn Spanish; fly the U.S. flag from our homes and cars; insist on courses in American culture at our local schools; demand local driver’s licenses and in-state college tuition; balkanize their cities and towns; insist that police officers speak to us in English and require them to hire American bilingual officers that are culturally acceptable; and permit the American government to have 47 consulates in Mexico to subversively serve those American illegal aliens.

What would most Mexicans say about that?

Helen McClafferty
Nutley, New Jersey

Cheers, Cormac!

I’M not much of a fan of President Bush, but I have to say he’s done something right, judging by Cormac MacConnell’s ridiculous rant about how his life is turned upside down because of security checks around Shannon Airport.

Keeping Cormac from drinking and driving away from his local pub has to be a good thing, even if Cormac doesn’t think so. Imagine basing a whole column around this awful inconvenience? What a joke.

Cheers, Cormac, and thanks for a good laugh!

John J. Morris
Bayonne, New Jersey