Scéal an Ghaeilge in ord ama
A Brief Timeline of An Ghaeilge/the Irish Language
5ú haois – An Ghaelainn curtha i scríbhinn ar an nglaotar Ogham don chéad uair.
5th century – The Irish language appears in written form as Ogham. i
7ú haois – Scríobhadh an Ghaelainn sa chló Rómhánach don chéad uair.
7th century – Irish is first written in Roman script. ii
16ú haois – Ainneoin a bhfuil de dhaoine ag imeacht as an dtír, is í an Ghaelainn teanga labhartha fhurmhór mhuintir na hÉireann ag an am
16th century – in spite of immigration to the country, Irish is spoken by the majority of people in Ireland. iii
17ú haois – ‘Sé Béarla teanga riaracháin na tíre, ag cur sriain le húsáid na Gaelainne
17th century – English is the language of administration in Ireland, thus limiting the use of the Irish language. iv
Anuas go dtí an Gorta Mór (1845-49) tá an Ghaelainn á labhairt go forleathan in Éirinn ach ag cúlú roimh ghalldú na tíre
Up to 1848 – up to An Gorta Mór/The Great Famine (1845-49), v the Irish language is in decline due to the continued Anglicisation of Ireland. vi
1876 – bunaíodh Cumann Buan-Choimeádta na Gaeilge
1876 – The establishment of the Society for the Preservation of the Irish Language. vii
1878 – bunaíodh an chéad scoil Berlitz i bhfoghlaim teangan i Providence, Rhode Island, Stáit Aontaithe Mheiriceá. Trína labhairt a múintear teanga de réir an mhodha seo. I bpáirt leis an Modh Gouin, chuir an Modh Berlitz a chomaoin féin ar an Modh Díreach a cheapadh i gColáiste Múinteoireachta na Mumhan, Béal Átha an Ghaorthaidh, ó 1904 anonn.
1878 – The foundation of the first Berlitz school of language learning in Providence, Rhode Island, USA. viii The method involves learning through speaking a language. Along with the Gouin Series Method (see below), the Berlitz Method contributed to the development of An Modh Díreach/The Direct Method of teaching in Coláiste Múinteoireachta na Mumhan (Coláiste na Mumhan hereafter), Béal Átha an Ghaorthaidh/Ballingeary from 1904 onwards.
19ú haois – Cuireann Francois Gouin (1831–96) Modh na Sraithe i bhfoghlaim teangan ar fáil. Tá an Modh Díreach, a d’úsáidfí i gColáiste na Mumhan, Béal Átha an Ghaorthaidh, ar ball bunaithe, a bheag nó a mhór, ar an modh seo.
19th century – Francois Gouin (1831-1896) introduces the Series Method of language acquisition; iv An Modh Díreach/the Direct Method used in Coláiste na Mumhan, Béal Átha an Ghaorthaidh/Ballingeary is based on this, at least in part.
1888 – Ceapadh an tAthair Pádraig Ó Mhuirthile ina Shagart Paróiste in Uíbh Laoire (Paróiste ina bhfuil Guagán Barra agus Béal Átha ‘n Ghaorthaidh), agus tugann fé ndeara meath a bheith ag teacht ar labhairt na Gaelainne sa dúthaigh.
1888 – Fr Patrick Hurley is appointed Parish Priest in Uíbh Laoire/Iveleary (the parish in which Guagán Barra/Gougane Barra and Béal Átha an Ghaorthaidh/Ballingeary lie) and notices a decline in the use of the Irish language within the parish.
1893 – Bunaíodh Conradh na Gaeilge chun teanga agus litríocht na Gaeilge a chur chun cinn.
1893 – The foundation of Conradh na Gaeilge/The Gaelic League to promote the Irish language and literature.
1903 – Tugann an tAthair Risteárd Ó Dálaigh ceachtanna Gaelainne i dTigh Ósta Uí Chróinín sa Ghuagán
1903 – Lessons are given in Irish in Cronin’s Hotel, Guagán Barra/Gougane Barra by Rev Dr Richard Ó Dalaigh/O’Daly.
1904 – Bunaíodh Coláiste na Mumhan, Béal Átha an Ghaorthaidh – cláraigh 62 dalta sa chéad bhliain. Lean coláistí teanga eile tamall ina dhiaidh sin.
1904 – The foundation of Coláiste na Mumhan, Béal Átha an Ghaorthaidh/Ballingeary – 62 students enroll in the first year. x Other language colleges soon follow.
1907 – Tosnaíonn Shán Ó Cuív, Osborn O hAimhirgín, agus an tAthair Risteár Ó Dálaigh ar litriú simplí a sholáthar don nGaelainn
1907 – Shán Ó Cuív, Osborn Bergin and Fr Dr Richard Ó Dalaigh/O’Daly begin to devise a simplified spelling for the Irish language.
1908 – Bhunaigh Pádraig Mac Piarais scoil dhátheangach do bhuacaillí, Scoil Éanna, i Tigh Cullenswood in Raghnallach, Baile Átha Cliath.
1908 – The foundation of Pádraig Mac Piarais’s/Pádraig Pearse’s bilingual school for boys, Scoil Éanna, (St. Enda’s School) in Cullenswood House in Ranelagh, County Dublin. xi
1909 – Cláraigh 252 dalta i gColáiste Múinteoireachta na Mumhan, Béal Átha’n Ghaorthaidh, Iarthar Chorcaí.
1909 – 252 students enroll at Coláiste Múinteoireachta na Mumhan, Béal Átha’n Ghaorthaidh, West Cork.
1910 – Bunaíodh An Cuman um Letiriú Símplí xii – córas neamhchasta i litriú na Gaelainne – bunaithe ar an módh conspóideach a chum Ó Cuív, Bergin agus Ó Dalaigh sa bhliain 1907.
1910 – The foundation of An Cuman um Letiriú Símplí xiii – a simplified system for spelling in Irish – based on the controversial method developed by Ó Cuív, Bergin and Ó Dalaigh/O’Daly in 1907.
1915 – Molann Piaras Béaslaí in The Leader (30ú Deireadh Fómhair) go gcuirfí tús le scéim a spreagfaidh daoine chun an Ghaelainn a labhairt. Molann sé go gcaithfeadh lucht labhartha na Gaelainne comhartha líofachta. Go gairid ina dhiaidh sin, is ea a tháinig an Fáinne ar an saol.
1915 – Piaras Béaslaí proposes in The Leader (30th October) that a scheme be introduced to encourage people to speak in Irish; he suggests that a badge should be worn by Irish speakers to indicate fluency. xiv Soon after, An Fáinne (a circular ring or pin to indicate fluency in Irish) is introduced.
1922 – Ar bhunú Shaorstát Éireann fógraíodh gurbh í an Ghaelainn teanga náisiúnta na tíre í nárbh fholáir a mhúineadh i ngach ceann de scoileanna náisiúnta na tíre.
1922 – Upon the formation of An Saorstát Éireann/the Free State, An Ghaeilge/Irish is declared the ‘national language’ and made compulsory in all national schools. xv
1937 – Tugadh an gradam ‘PríomhTheanga Oifigiúil’ in Éirinn don nGaelainn agus an stádas ‘An Dara Teanga Oifigiúil’ don Bhéarla san leagan nuachóirithe de Bhunreacht na hÉireann
1937 – Irish is designated the ‘first official language’ in Ireland with English as the ‘second official language’ in the redrafted Bunreacht na hÉireann/ constitution. xvi
1958 – D’fhoilsigh Rialtas na hÉireann ‘An Caighdeán Oifigiúil’.
1958 – The Official Standard for the Language, known as An Caighdeán Oifigiúil, is published by the Government of Ireland. xvii
Endnotes
i Údarás na Gaeltachta [online]: https://www.udaras.ie/en/our-language-and-the-gaeltacht/background-on-the-irish-language/
ii Údarás na Gaeltachta [online]: https://www.udaras.ie/en/our-language-and-the-gaeltacht/background-on-the-irish-language/
iii Údarás na Gaeltachta [online]: https://www.udaras.ie/en/our-language-and-the-gaeltacht/background-on-the-irish-language/
iv Údarás na Gaeltachta [online]: https://www.udaras.ie/en/our-language-and-the-gaeltacht/background-on-the-irish-language/
v Britannica [online]: https://www.britannica.com/event/Great-Famine-Irish-history
vi Údarás na Gaeltachta [online]: https://www.udaras.ie/en/our-language-and-the-gaeltacht/background-on-the-irish-language/
vii Údarás na Gaeltachta [online]: https://www.udaras.ie/en/our-language-and-the-gaeltacht/background-on-the-irish-language/
viii Berlitz [online]: https://www.berlitz.com/en-de/about/our-story
ix C.W. Stansfield ‘A History of Dictation in Foreign Language Teaching and Testing’. The Modern Language Journal, Vol. 69, No. 2 (Summer, 1985), pp. 121-128.
x L. de Róiste, Coláisde Múinteoireachta na Mumhan (Unpublished, n.d.).
xi Pearse Museum [online]: http://pearsemuseum.ie/st-endas/
xii Mu Library Treasures [online]: https://mulibrarytreasures.wordpress.com/2016/11/26/document-of-the-day-peadar-o-laoghaire-archive/
xiii Mu Library Treasures [online]: https://mulibrarytreasures.wordpress.com/2016/11/26/document-of-the-day-peadar-o-laoghaire-archive/
xiv nidirect.gov.uk [online]: https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/irish-language-today-and-yesterday
xv An Coimisinéir Teanga [online]: https://www.coimisineir.ie/faoin-teanga?lang=EN
xvi An Coimisinéir Teanga [online]: https://www.coimisineir.ie/faoin-teanga?lang=EN
xvii Údarás na Gaeltachta [online]: https://www.udaras.ie/en/our-language-and-the-gaeltacht/background-on-the-irish-language/