Yesterday.
In the aftermath of the famine, An Gorta Mór, the number of native Irish speakers plummeted in Ireland, so that by the late 1800’s, traditional Irish language and culture had almost disappeared. It survived mainly in a few isolated areas along the western seaboard and had come to be regarded as the language of the backward and ignorant. A group of Irish academics recognised the risk to the language and founded Conradh na Gaeilge in 1893. It was founded as a non-political organisation with the sole aim of preserving and promoting Irish identity, language and culture. Douglas Hyde became its first president and subsequently went on to become the first president of the Irish Free State. Padraig Pearse, the leader of the Easter 1916 uprising, also recognised the importance of the Irish language and his catch phrase “Tír gan teanga, Tír gan anam”, translated as “A country without a language is a country without a soul” resonates with our efforts to preserve and promote the language today.
There are now 200 branches of the organisation scattered worldwide. Liverpool had no less than 7 different branches in the early 1900’s. Our branch, the Dr. Shéain Uí Dhonnabháin Branch was founded on 1st May 1896 and was the oldest and largest of the Liverpool branches. Alas, it is the only branch that still survives, the others having long since fallen by the wayside.
Down the decades the membership of the Liverpool branch dwindled and it finally lapsed in the 1970’s. During the 1970’s and 80’s, Dr. Brian Stowell, a Manx nuclear physicist with a keen interest in the Manx and Irish languages, taught Irish in Liverpool until his retirement in 1990.
On his retirement, Tony Birtill who had been one of Brian’s students and by this time had attained a high standard of Irish, started to teach Irish in his place and continued his weekly lessons through good times and bad times right up until his untimely death in 2021. In 1990, he revived the Liverpool Branch of Conradh na Gaeilge and was Branch Secretary from its re-formation up until the time of his death. Tony, whose mother was born in County Meath in Ireland, was a passionate advocate of Irish language and culture and was the driving force behind the Liverpool Branch of Conradh na Gaeilge. Tony was a “man of many parts”. Apart from his profession as a third level college lecturer in economics, he was an acclaimed author and his book “A Hidden History” – the story of the Irish language in Liverpool” received wide acclaim. He gave frequent interviews to local radio and television stations and wrote regular articles in several magazines and newspapers. A qualified mountain leader he loved to spend his holidays in Glencomcille Co. Donegal where he taught Irish and led hill walks.
A measure of Tony’s enthusiasm for the language may be gauged from an interesting anecdote: In 2018 Tony suffered a broken leg while rock climbing - one of his favourite pursuits. This resulted in him having a leg in plaster for several months. Not to be deterred from taking his Irish language classes on Thursday nights, he arranged for some of his students to pick him up from home and drop him off again after the lessons. He is still fondly remembered clumsily getting in and out of cars and awkwardly and noisily hobbling into the Heritage Room in the Irish Centre on his crutches. He would lean his crutches against a table, flop into a chair and then, with the help of his two hands, raise his ‘gammy’ leg up onto another chair. Having made himself comfortable, he would then proceed with lessons as if nothing was amiss.
The last 25 years of Conradh na Gaeilge in Liverpool is mainly about Tony Birtill and without him it is unlikely that the Liverpool Branch of Conradh na Gaeilge would be alive and flourishing as it is today.
Today
After Tony’s death, the branch found itself in a partial vacuum with the chairperson being the only remaining committee member. The membership got together and elected a new committee with a very diverse and complimentary range of skills. In recognition of Tony’s invaluable contribution, the Tony Birtill Library was established in the Liverpool Irish Centre, and was an annual Tony Birtill Annual Lecture. Also in partnership with the Liverpool Institute of Irish Studies and Oideas Gael in Co. Donegal, an annual Tony Birtill scholarship was established which funds a student to attend a week long course in Irish at the Oideas Gael college in Glencolmcille Co. Donegal every summer.
Post Covid, we have campaigned on behalf of the Irish language by supporting the Dream Dearg campaign for recognition of the Irish language by the Stormont government and petitioned the Irish government and our local MP’s on its behalf.
We have been busy developing and broadening many aspects of our contribution to Irish language and culture in Liverpool. Our Fáinne Award Day this year includes the Fáinne presentations, traditional Irish music and an exhibition of Irish step dancing given by some of the younger members of the Irish centre dance group. – The next generation. This year we offer five weekly Irish language lessons at various levels. This compares with two weekly lessons pre-Covid. These classes are very well attended and currently we have around 50 pupils of varying abilities. A Fáinne Award Scheme , originally introduced by Piaras Beaslaí in 1916, was introduced this year whereby an appropriate badge and certificate is awarded to those members who have been assessed as having attained the requisite standard of spoken Irish. This is the first time that this scheme has been used in Liverpool. The scheme has resulted in a large increase in pupil’s efforts to learn Irish in preparation for their interviews. Additionally two book clubs meet weekly and pop-up Gaeltacht events such as monthly Lón Gaeilge (Irish lunch) are held in local pubs and regular social events are held in the Irish Centre.
We have been busy forging links with other bodies, such as the Liverpool Irish Festival, Manchester Irish Language Group, Gaeláras Mhic Ardghail in Newry, Oideas Gael in Donegal and the Liverpool Institute of Irish Studies. In collaboration with the Institute we have established a series of annual lectures, where members of Conradh na Gaeilge and lecturers from the Institute deliver joint talks on topics associated with Irish language and culture. We take an active part in the events organised by the Liverpool Festival Committee and work with the Manchester Irish Language Group in organising and participating in joint language courses and social events.
We have established a prominent presence on Social Media, tapping into the social media skills of some of our committee members and this has greatly increased our reach.
Last but not least, we have successfully applied for a number of grants that have contributed significantly towards our overheads. These grants have been invaluable to our development.
The Liverpool Irish Centre has been very supportive of our activities and we thank them for their support and assistance.
Tomorrow
The future looks exciting as we experience a huge growth in the numbers learning Irish in Liverpool. Long may it continue.
Our immediate goal, going forward, must be to consolidate and develop the massive advances that we have made post Covid.
Our Social Media reach has resulted in an increase in demand for Irish language classes. This means that we have a need to recruit more Irish language teachers to supplement the three present hard pressed teachers and we are actively seeking volunteers.
We hope to further develop links with like minded associations to foster and develop the language and culture amongst younger geenerations.
With the current dynamic committee and enthusiastic membership, the future for Conradh na Gaeilge in Liverpool is very optimistic and it is not an exaggeration to say that we are rapidly becoming the proud standard bearers of our native and ancient language in UK.
Tom Ryan
Chair
Conradh Na Gaeilge Liverpool
28 Sept 2024.
コメント