# Language
Last year
2022
# the explainer
The Explainer: Is there a significant revival of the Irish language underway?
Listen here for a discussion on how interest sa Ghaeilge is flourishing, and how the State can harness that.
Voices
Extract: Irishisms - Craic, grand, yokes; what our words say about us
Author Denise Deegan uses Irish sayings and phrases to look at the Irish soul.
# Language
Taoiseach will not follow Amnesty International in using 'apartheid' in relation to Israel
Micheál Martin said using the term apartheid would not “add anything right now”.
All time
Voices
Opinion: We should build a 'Gaelollscoil' in the Gaeltacht as a means of reviving the Irish language
On Seachtain na Gaeilge, Caoimhín De Barra highlights international examples of the rejuvenation of languages and says Ireland should consider similar steps.
# Language
'The guy said, 'There's no way you play for Munster, you can't speak English''
CJ Stander talks about learning a new language, being told he was too small, and dealing with criticism.
# Language
Boris Johnson criticised for using name of murdered MP Jo Cox to sell Brexit
Several MPs had said Johnson should moderate his language in memory of Cox.
# Recruitment
Call for change in language requirements for garda recruits with dyslexia
Learning additional languages is often very challenging for students with dyslexia.
Voices
Opinion: What does it take to raise your children through Irish?
My daughter speaks mostly in English but there are also lots of words that she only knows the Irish for – so she mixes them in, writes Caoimhín De Barra.
# Development
Babies who hear two languages at home have a better ability to concentrate
This new research suggests the advantages of living in a bilingual home begin from the very earliest stage of development.
Voices
The Irish For: Brexit and the rise of Hiberno-English
With the United Kingdom set to leave the European Union this year, it’s time for Hiberno English to become the official language of the EU, writes Darach Ó Séaghdha.
# Galway
Maamtrasna murders: Wrongful detention and execution in a divided Ireland
Myles Joyce, who was hanged for the murders, was pardoned President by Michael D Higgins this year.
Voices
The Irish For...The role of dogs in legends, proverbs and the Brehon laws
Dogs took centre stage in Irish mythology, stories and proverbs, just like they dominate our social media feeds today, writes Darach Ó Séaghdha
Voices
The Irish for... 'Why the naming of new technologies in Irish can be more controversial than with English'
Darach Ó Séaghdha talks us through the Irish words for emerging technology, including ‘computer’, ‘selfie’ and ‘spam’, exploring their roots and meaning.
# break it down
Department of Social Protection to train staff in the use of plain English
Plain English is a way of presenting information that helps people understand it the first time they read or hear it.
# Research
Can chimpanzee vocalisations reveal the origins of human language? This study found out
It has long been difficult to determine how and why human language began.
# príomhchathair
Dublin could be getting a 'flagship' Irish language hub for speakers to meet and speak
It’s part of an investment plan for the language.
# Internal Review
Craig Gilroy apologises for 'totally inappropriate' WhatsApp message sent to Stuart Olding
Ulster Rugby and the IRFU said Gilroy is subject to an internal review and is not available for selection.
# Gaeilge
Irish-speaking areas in the North to receive official recognition for the first time
Five areas north and south have been chosen to receive formal status as Irish language network communities.
Voices
Attitudes towards Irish: 'You can't speak that in the delivery room, I'm not racist I say it to Muslims too'
Irish speakers are sharing things that are said to them about the Irish language – but are replacing it with other languages, Peter Kavanagh explains.
# ISL
Legislation to officially recognise Irish Sign Language set to pass through Dáil today
The bill is expected to pass through all stages of the Dáil today.
# singalong
Birds may learn new songs in similar way to how children learn new language
Their strategy also resembles methods used in computer linguistics to compare documents.
# excuse my french
Here's how Leaving Cert students did in French, Russian and Japanese
Some performed very well, while others struggled with basic vocabulary.
# 99 Problems
'It's about how we speak and live': How rap music is saving languages on the brink of extinction
From Norwegians to Native Americans, people are using rap music to keep indigenous language alive.
# Meningitis
'I needed something to centre myself around': US woman learned Irish to improve memory loss
Shannon O’Neill is travelling to Ireland in the summer to visit Gaeltacht areas and advance her level of Irish.
# Watch your language
Irish MEPs criticised as term 'mompreneur' used in European Parliament
The word appeared in legislation on women and their role in rural areas which was supported by two Fine Gael MEPs.
# mother tongue
Peru is fighting to save 17 languages that are in danger of dying out
The native way of life has been wiped out in parts of the Amazon.
Voices
The case for ending state support of Irish language is littered with dubious 'facts'
For starters, we don’t spend €1.2 billion in preserving An Ghaeilge each year, says Caoimhín De Barra.
# grá don ghaeilge
Over 2.3 million language learners have signed up for Irish lessons on Duolingo
It’s estimated that almost a quarter of all Duolingo users are resident in Ireland.
# taxi-ing questions
Should taxi drivers here have to take an English language test? The NTA is asking that question
A new questionnaire is being posed by the National Transport Authority as part of its review of how drivers should be licensed to work in the industry.
# Taxi
New York taxi drivers no longer have to pass English proficiency test
Immigrants make up 96% of the 144,000 cabbies in the city.
# the irish for
8 perfect Irish words and phrases English just can't match
There’s a word for ‘one of those visits that goes on way too long’.
# Controversial
Gerry Adams: “I’ve never seen myself as white. That’s only skin deep."
The Sinn Féin leader has again defended his comparison of Irish nationalists with African-American slaves.
# mblíp mblíp
8 Irish words and phrases that English just can't match
There’s a word for ‘trying to talk while bawling crying’.
Voices
'Abortion on demand' phrase pushes idea women will get abortions as easy as choosing a Netflix movie
The term is left hanging in the background of debate, casting a vague and supposedly scary shadow over the future, writes Dr Robert Grant.
Voices
My little girl was fixated at dropping the F-bomb. Here's how I got her to stop
Sadhbh Devlin says she tried to get her little girl to stop cursing, but nothing was working, so she had to let her say it.
# lost in translation
Failure to translate legislation after 11 years could see criminal cases dismissed
The government has been given until 21 March to translate an almost 12-year-old act into Irish.
