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Cambridge students bid ‘fáilte’ to Irish language  By
Siobhan Breatnach
A QUIET pub in Cambridge is the last place you’d expect to hear
the echoes of an Irish language conversation.
But for a group of university students the language is proving to be quite
a social phenomenon.
Modern Irish has been introduced as the newest subject to become available
at the University of Cambridge and hordes of British students have been
flocking to it with great enthusiasm.
The move is in recognition of the establishment of Irish as an official
EU working language, as well as the rising enthusiasm for Irish studies
as a whole.
As a result, students are now gathering in and outside the classroom to
speak Irish, as well as opting for an evening of genuine Irish language
films as an alternative to a night at the flicks.
South African Aidan Russell grew up in Liverpool and Bristol and is studying
Anglo-Saxon Norse and Celtic (ASNC) at the university.
Fed up with devoting all his study time to languages that have little
or no place in the modern world he decided to give the Irish classes a
go.
He said: “I’ve developed a deep devotion to the language as
a whole and to be able to contribute to keeping it alive means a lot to
me. I love languages and beyond the exquisite literature, it’s the
peculiarities and uniqueness of Irish that absorb me.
“There are meetings in the pub for a drink and a chat in Irish
and English as well as events for St. Patrick’s Day, the celebration
of Irish in Cambridge a few weeks back and the like.
“Those I have attended have been a lot of fun and a fantastic opportunity
to see three years of my ‘dead’ Irish studies come to life.”
Guernsey native Emilie Yerby studies French and Russian at the university
and it was her keen interest in foreign languages that led her to take
up modern Irish.
She said: “I’m very interested in foreign languages. I also
love Irish music and dance, in which I’m also taking classes at
the university, so the chance to combine two interests by learning the
language was one I didn’t want to pass up.”
Coming from the Channel Islands the 19-year-old has no previous experience
of the language but has enjoyed getting to grips with some of the more
challenging aspects of the language.
She said: “I’m in the beginners’ class, for people who
have absolutely no former knowledge of Irish, so this year we’ve
been learning basic speaking and grammar.
“Mostly we work through a textbook but the classes are very interactive
and every now and again we’ll learn an Irish song together, which
is very helpful in terms of learning pronunciation and vocabulary.”
Uniquely, Cambridge is the only university anywhere that allows students
to study Irish in its wider context.
Academics at the university hope that the classes will help reinforce
an understanding of Irish identity not just within Ireland itself but
also among the enormous Irish Diaspora beyond its shores.
Cambridge Irish teacher Dr Kaarina Hollo said: “Learning Irish need
not be related to ethnicity or family background, however.
“One of the main reasons for setting up classes at Cambridge is
to stress that the study of Irish is of value for anyone interested in
it for whatever reason.”
Senior lecturer in Celtic languages and literature Dr Máire Ní
Mhaonaigh said: “In addition, it is sending a message that Irish
need not be only for the Irish but anyone who has an interest in Irish
heritage, culture, or a love of the language itself.”
Modern Irish classes are taught at beginner, intermediate and advanced
levels as well as informal Irish conversation sessions for enthusiasts.
The course also involves the study of Irish poems, short stories, newspaper
articles and Irish-language films and television programmes. |
