DUP: “TUV Antaŭenigas la Irlandalingvon”

...de le Demokrata Unuecisma Partio:

DUP MP for East Londonderry Gregory Campbell has expressed his disgust at the inaction of the TUV’s sole representative on Limavady Borough Council Boyd Douglas.

At the 16th March 2010 council meeting a proposal was brought forward by the SDLP and Sinn Fein that the Roe Valley Cultural and Historical Centre should adopt a bi-lingual – English and Irish policy.

The DUP moved an amendment that any such change should be subject to a full Equality Impact Assessment and depending on the outcome of that assessment, full public consultation.

The vote on the DUP amendment was defeated 6-5 with the TUV refusing to back it. As a consequence of that vote a bi-lingual policy will be initiated at the centre without any equality assessment or public consultation...

Jim Allister

…de Ulster’s Doomed!:

What makes the promotion of the Irish language a 'bad thing' for Mr Allister? He doesn't explain his opposition to it – the reasons seem (to him) to be too obvious to need explaining.

To anybody else, though, Allister's visceral hatred of Irish can only seem to stem from a prejudice bordering on racism. Irish is just a language, a medium of communication. No-one is proposing to outlaw the speaking of English in Northern Ireland, and the incarceration of recidivist Anglophones in re-education camps. There will be no requirement to speak the Irish language to get jobs, education, or anything else. The costs of bilingual signage will be insignificant (and certainly a tiny fraction of the cost of other cultural activities). So what is Allister's problem?

“Jim Biogóideach Mac Allasdar”

….de la blogo iGaeilge, de Concubhar Ó Liatháin:

Dar le Jim Allister, polaiteooir atá ina cheannaire ar an nGuth Thraidisiúnta Aondachtach, tá airgead á chur amú ar an Ghaelscoileanna ar an mBaile Meanach a fhéadfaí bheith á chaitheamh ar mhaoiniú scoileanna do pháistí le riachtanais speisialta.

Ar ndóigh, níl tuismitheoir ar bith le páíste ag freastal ar Ghaelscoil a shéanfadh maoiniú ar pháiste le riachtanas speisialta. Tá páistí acu le riachtanais speisialta an oiread is atá ag tuismitheoirí eile nach seolann a bpáistí chuig Gaelscoileanna agus tá an seirbhís atá á fháil acu chomh h-olc nó níos measa ná na scoileanna Béarla.

Ach seo chugainn Jim Biogóideach Mac Allasdar agus é ag iarraidh a chur ina luí nár cheart tacú le Gaeloidachas mar, dar leis, is caitheamh aimsire atá ann.

Is dócha go gcreideann sé go bhfuil sé ar thalamh slán agus é ag labhairt ar son páistí le h-uathachas agus riachtanais speisialta eile agus ag íonsaí na Gaeilge…

Gaelscoileanna "Mollycoddled"

..de Glór Traidisiúnta Aontachtach:

“At a time when in the controlled sector Ballee Primary School in Ballymena is facing closure, it is astounding to discover that the NEELB, which wielded the axe so mercilessly against Ballee, is considering an application for a grant-aided Irish-medium primary school in Ballymena. The proposal before the Board is to have the Irish language school opening in September 2010, just after Ballee closes.

“The promotion by the Sinn Fein Minister of Irish schools and the preferential funding directing towards them, at a time when schools like Ballee are being targeted for closure, displays political bias, which those who boasted that in Stormont they could veto the republican agenda are powerless to stop. Shutting a state controlled school in Ballymena but funding an unwarranted Irish school in the town is Ruane’s destructive agenda in action.

“For what it’s worth I have written to the Department of Education vigorously objecting to both the Ballee closure and this proposal for a state funded Irish language school in Ballymena. I will not remain silent and watch state schools be destroyed but Irish language schools promoted and mollycoddled into existence...."

Turnamh Shéamuis Mhic Alasdair

“Shut up, Harbinson. You made Barry McElduff sound intelligent on the radio.”

“Leader that child at Headquarters wrote the press release.”

“One council by-election and you think you’re Boris Johnson. I’m a QC you know. Boris had to apologise to the scousers. You groveled to the sqeaky Shinner of your own accord.”

Tradiciaj Unuecismaj Leprekonoj

...de la Demokrata Unuecisma Partio:

“After TUV apologies about their stance on the Irish Language here's the secret footage from their conference!! You can decide if they're elves or leprachauns”

Pardonpeto Akceptita

...de la Irish News:

Gaeilgeoiri have welcomed an apology from the TUV after the party described Irish as “leprechaun language”...

... Seamus Mac Aindreasa from Irish language campaign group Pobal said it was concerned with the content of the statement, but welcomed the apology.

“I think it’s to be welcomed that TUV have withdrawn the ‘leprechaun language’ part of the statement,” he said.

“That hasn’t been heard since the eighties.

“They have gone as far as to apologise for the headline, but not about what they refer to in their original as a dead language.

“According to census figures and the European Union that is not the case.”...

Malkovrita

...de la blogo, From the Balcony, de Máirtín Ó Muilleoir:

Our pal in Nua Eabharc Daithí Mac Lochlainn spotted the TUV u-turn on this one first: the party branded Irish a leprechaun language and then recanted with a simple bashing of Irish language.

The party has now apologised.

This BBC report notes that the term "leprechaun language" was first famously used by Sammy Wilson in the 1980s during a City Hall debate.

It was actually used as part of a motion to throw me out of the council at my first meeting in November 1987 when I had spoken Irish.

"Infaneca Eraro"

...de le BBC:

Traditional Unionist Voice has apologised for its "childishness" after issuing a statement describing Irish as a "leprechaun language".

The statement was issued under the name of TUV vice-chairman Keith Harbinson and condemned the Department of Education for "wasting" money on Irish.

However after being distributed to the media, the press release on the party's website was changed to remove the term.

A spokesman told the BBC the original words were a "childish mistake". ..

Cén fáth?

…al Glór Traidisiúnta Aontachtach:

Mr. Harbinson:

I am very curious as to why you changed the wording in your recent press release regarding the Irish language.

The original heading read:

"TUV Blast Leprechaun Language Waste"

http://url.ie/2slp (from Google cache)

Later, this was changed to read:

"TUV Blast Irish Language Waste"

http://tuv.org.uk/press-releases/view/377/tuv-blast-irish-language-waste

It seems to me that the former would attract more reportage.

Why did you change it?

Is mise, le fiosracht,
Daithí Mac Lochlainn

“Leprekona Lingvo”*

…de Glór Traidisiúnta Aontachtach:

“The revelation that spending on Irish translation increased by more than 350% in the Department of Education over the last year will shock many – and not just Unionists...

“While the Minister is happy to squander money on a dead language in order to promote her own narrow political agenda, thousands of parents and pupils are left in a state of anxiety as the transfer system has descended to state of unregulated chaos. This is nothing short of outrageous, and I would respectfully suggest that the Minister employ more time, effort and budget towards finding a resolution to the current calamity, which she has brought to bear on our prized Education System.

“It seems that Minister Ruane is more concerned about using her Ministerial position to further her own narrow Republican agenda by wasting departmental money on Irish than the future of Ulster’s children”.

* Aistríodh "Leprechaun" go "Irish" ar an suíomh Glór Traidisiúnta Aontachtach inniú. / "Leprechaun" estis ŝanĝita al "Irish" en la TUV retejo hodiaŭ.