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Programme: accepted abstracts

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Abstract ID: 558

Part of Session 172: Urban Language Conflict (Other abstracts in this session)

Conradh na Gaeilge (Gaelic League) and the Language Freedom Movement (LFM): a case-study of conflicting language ideologies in an Irish urban context (1965-74)

Authors: Rowland, Hugh
Submitted by: Rowland, Hugh (National University of Ireland, Galway/Ollscoil na hÉireann, Gaillimh, Ireland)

Conradh na Gaeilge and the Language Freedom Movement (LFM) were urban social movements who engaged in agitation and social conflict, primarily in Dublin, in the pursuit of promoting their oppositional language ideologies.

 

The Language Freedom Movement sought to diminish the Irish state’s institutional framework to support the Irish language. This framework involved a policy of requiring a pass in Irish in state examinations and also requiring knowledge of the language to secure employment in the Civil Service. LFM adopted a system of signification (iconization) which equated these policies with ‘nationalism,’ ‘emotionalism,’ ‘infallible patriotism,’ ‘compulsion,’ ‘discrimination’ and ‘infringement of civil rights.’

 

Conradh na Gaeilge wished the Irish language to be revived and strongly opposed the LFM’s view which they perceived to be ‘anti-national.’ Conradh na Gaeilge evoked symbols (iconization) of ‘nationalism,’ ‘national community,’ ‘identity,’ ‘solidarity’ ‘civil rights’ and ‘culture’ as a means of legitimising their aims and of garnering support. This paper aims to discuss how both groups naturalised and essentialised their ideologies through the construction of a discourse which created opposing social realities, which were pursuant to each organisation’s respective ideological aims (Gal, 1998: 321).

 

This paper seeks to study the impetus for the social conflict between Conradh na Gaeilge and the LFM within the theoretical framework of language ideologies. Language ideological analysis will explain the interpretive framework within which group membership formed their subjective feelings, beliefs, notions and ideas in relation to the Irish language policy and how those subjective feelings contributed to the expression of the group (Woolard, 1998). This paper will investigate how the opposing feelings and beliefs of both organisations influenced their behaviour and agency (O’Rourke, 2011).

 

These issues of language conflict and ideology will be discussed in relation to a public meeting convened by the LFM in the Mansion House in Dublin in September 1966. A riot ensued as both LFM and Conradh na Gaeilge exerted their right to freedom of speech in order to disseminate their conflicting language ideologies.

 

References

Gal, S., 1998. ‘Multiplicity and Contention among Language Ideologies: A Commentary.’ In: Schieffelin, B,. Woolard, K.A., & Kroskrity, P.V. (ed.). Language Ideologies: Practice and Theory. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 317-332

O’Rourke, B., 2011. Galician and Irish in the European Context: Attitudes towards Weak and Strong Minority Languages. Palgrave Macmillan

Woolard K.A. 1998. ‘Language Ideology as a Field of Inquiry.’ In: Schieffelin, B,. Woolard, K.A., & Kroskrity, P.V. (ed.). Language Ideologies: Practice and Theory. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 3-47