Ms Eimear Nic Dhonnchadha:

Is beatha teanga í a labhairt. Labhróidh mé ar ról na Gaeilge sa gcomhrá faoi athaontú na tíre. Is scoláire mé atá 15 bhliana d’aois agus a dtagann as an gCeathrú Rua i gConamara. I mbliana, tá muid ag comóradh 100 bliain ó bhunaíodh Saorstát Éireann. Nuair a tháinig an Saorstát ar an bhfód i mí na Nollag 1922, bhí athbheochan na Gaeilge ar cheann de phríomhchuspóirí an Stáit. Caitheadh am agus dua le scéimeanna a chur i dtoll a chéile a chuirfeadh bonn níos fearr faoin teanga. Cinneadh go mbeadh an teanga ar fáil do chuile dhalta scoile sa tír agus, go deimhin, go mbeadh sé éigeantach í a fhoghlaim. Cuireadh Coimisiún na Gaeltachta ar bun i 1926 lena raibh i ndán don Ghaeltacht a phlé. Faraor, ní raibh mórán rath ar iarrachtaí an Stáit agus níor tharla an athbheochan.

Mar thoradh ar bhunú an tSaorstáit, cuireadh bonn níos láidre faoin gcríochdheighilt agus faoi Stát Thuaisceart Éireann. In ainneoin traidisiún fada na teanga ó Thuaidh den Teorainn, mar thoradh ar nádúr seicteach an Stáit ó Thuaidh, rinneadh chuile iarracht an Ghaeilge a chur faoi chois. Ó shin i leith, faraor, tá an teanga luaite le pobal amháin sna Sé Chontae agus leas bainte ag polaiteoirí ó gach taobh aisti mar armlón nó uirlis le beag is fiú a dhéanamh den phobal nach mbaineann sí leo ina gcuid súile.

Anois agus comhrá ar tí tosú faoin gcineál Éireann a bheadh i stát nua aontaithe 32 chontae, tá deis ag an teanga a bheith lárnach sa bplé. Ní bhaineann sí le ceachtar traidisiún ar an oileán; is linn ar fad í. Ba chóir í a úsáid le haontas a chur chun cinn. In 1994, dúirt an t-aontachtaí mór le rá, Christopher McGimpsey ón Ulster Unionist Party, "There is no reason, theological or otherwise, why a Protestant should not, or could not master Irish.” In 2019, nuair a bhí an sárú polaitiúil faoin Acht teanga i mbarr a réime, bhí an méid seo le rá ag ceannaire an Democratic Unionist Party, Arlene Foster: “Let me be clear, it is not incompatible to be an Irish-language speaker and a unionist.” Ní fada ó labhair Linda Ervine ón eagraíocht Turas in oirthear Bhéal Feirste le Seanad Éireann. Rinne sí cur síos ar an méid saibhris atá aimsithe aici ó thaobh a cúlra féin mar aontachtaí ó thosaigh sí ag foghlaim na Gaeilge.

Níor cheart go mbeadh an Ghaeilge riamh luaite le pobal nó traidisiún amháin sa tír seo. Faraor, tharla sé sin ach tá deis anois ann an botún a cheartú. Má tá suim dháiríre ag polaiteoirí den uile chineál inti, bíodh siad gníomhach ina cothú agus ina neartú.

Cuirtear an Ghaeilge chun cinn i measc chuile dhuine. Is seoid náisiúnta í ár dteanga ar cheart dúinn ar fad a bheith bródúil aisti. Is laochra iad na daoine a labhraíonn í chuile lá agus a chuireann chun cinn í. Ba chóir go dtacóidh muid leo. Ná bíodh sí ina hábhar magaidh nó gránach ar aon ócáid. Bíodh sí ina comhartha den chineál tír oscailte ba mhian linn a bheith againn, ina gcuirtear fáil roimh an uile dhuine ach ina léiríonn muid bród trínár dteanga.

Luaigh mé seanfhocal i dtús mo chuid cainte, is é sin, is beatha teanga í a labhairt. Ba chóir go dtabharfaidh muidne, mar shaoránaigh, agus na baill, mar pholaiteoirí, an tacaíocht sin di, ní trí chúpla focal a labhairt ar Lá Fhéile Pádraig ach trí iarracht dháiríre leanúnach an tseoid a chothú agus a chaomhnú ar fud ár n-oileán i measc chuile dhuine.

One hundred years on from the partition of Ireland, only one solution has ever made sense. The idea of abolishing the Border and reuniting Ireland has stood the test of time and remains the only logical option a century later. People have given their lives for this ideology, this hope, this dream. A united Ireland would not solve Northern Ireland's problems and it would be naive to think it could but it would finally give the people of Northern Ireland a sense of identity. It would solve many economic problems such as cross-Border trade and would ease Westminster's headache in trying to rule the last remaining acres of its empire across the sea. It would give Northern Irish people access to the EU again and would slowly heal a broken community. The people of Ireland should be given a choice through a fair referendum without war or economic turmoil hanging over their heads. No matter how much the people of the Republic or of the mainland UK say otherwise, it is a choice that belongs to the people of the occupied counties and to them alone. There would, of course, be problems in areas such as currency, healthcare and language. It will take time, effort, money, resources, patience, will, determination, dedication and focus but I wholeheartedly believe we can become a nation once again.

Throughout history, Ireland has been an island of 32 counties. Not even a border has managed to change that. A reunification would not be unifying two separate countries but healing a broken nation. There is a reason Ireland was cast out to sea by itself and it was not to be split in two. Ireland is and has always been an island and we can take care of ourselves, all 32 counties.