Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Tá áthas orm cúpla focal a rá faoi Sheachtain na Gaeilge. I want to salute a number of people. I am not fluent in Irish and ní raibh aon Bhéarla ag mo sheanmháthair. Rugadh m'athair in 1899 and bhí mo hometown, an Caisleán Nua, ina bhreac-Ghaeltacht go dtí 1957. Fuair na Gaeilgeoirí go léir bás agus tá siad imithe anois. Thosaigh muid coláiste samhraidh 20 bliain ó shin agus rinne sé go han-mhaith ar fad. Gabhaim buíochas leis an iar-Sheanadóir, Labhrás Ó Murchú, agus lena bhean chéile ó Chontae an Chláir, Úna, as an sárobair a rinne siad ar son na Gaeilge, an rince, an cheoil agus gach rud cultúrtha. Tá naíonra againn sa Chaisleán Nua a thosaigh mé féin agus Helen Mhic Craith and it is flourishing. It is an industry in our village and to see the young people coming from all over speaking in the medium of Irish is wonderful. Rinneadh sárobair leis na cailíní agus na daoine go léir anseo agus rinne an board of management sárobair freisin. Tá naíonra ag Kathleen Ní Loingsigh i gCathair Dhún Iascaigh freisin. Tá daoine óga ó gach cearn den domhan ina gcónaí i gCathair Dhún Iascaigh agus ag foghlaim Gaeilge. Bhí mé ag caint le Kathleen lá amháin and she told me it is easier for the people who do not speak English to learn Irish, which is interesting. It is there and it is within our grasp to nurture it again and to try to do what we can for it. That is important because to quote Pádraig Mac Piarais: "A country without a language is a country without a soul." It is only when we go abroad that we realise this. Tá dlúthchara agam, fear óg ón gCaisleán Nua, Seán Ó Ceallaigh, atá ag obair sa Bhruiséil mar translator sa Ghaeilge. Sin obair chrua ach obair shuimiúil. Tá orainn a lán oibre eile a dhéanamh chun é sin a chur chun cinn. It is our task to keep it alive. The naíonra would give you enthusiasm, as would the meánscoileanna. It is there and it is within our being. We need to nurture, value, enjoy and celebrate it. It will come back. For years I said we should ban it; not that I want to ban it but that banning it would make everyone speak it as we are funny people that way. Nonetheless it is important and I enjoyed this debate.

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