Changes to Irish language policy on Slugger…

Like many things in Northern Ireland, the Irish language can divide opinion. I understand the reasons for this but it is unfortunate as language is a crucial part of our identity.

Over the past few decades, tremendous progress has been made in revitalising the Irish Language. Several Irish-medium primary and secondary schools across Northern Ireland educate thousands of kids through the Irish medium. Excellent work is being done by Linda Irvine and others, showing that Irish is not just for one community.

Mick is fluent in Irish, and there have been Irish language posts in the past, but we have decided to support the Irish language on Slugger more actively.

What does this mean in practice? Well, two things:

1: We welcome posts in Irish. They can be on any topic. You will notice one today from Philip McGuinness, which is bilingual. We are exploring the best way to present these posts. Some may be bilingual. Others may be purely in Irish with a link to the translation.

2: You can write comments in Irish on any post, not just the ones in Irish.

A few new rules:

Any comments along the lines of ‘I can’t read this’, ‘what is the the point of this post when we all speak English’ etc may result in a ban.

Overzealous fada/spelling or grammar policing by Irish language speakers could also result in a ban. People are trying their best. Give them some leeway.

I am happy to answer any questions or take feedback on this.

Here are some answers to the usual questions:

What’s the point?

The point is the Irish language is part of our identity. Yes, I know English is a universal language, but that does not mean we admit defeat and absorb into the global mono-cultural blob.

More people in Northern Ireland speak Mandarin, Polish etc why do we not have posts in those languages?

This is such a stupid argument. We are in Ireland, Irish is our native language.

Is this just another example of Slugger being part of the pan-nationalist front/Nationalist cabal/Anti Unionist agenda/ insert your favourite derogatory term here

My personal view is that politicising the Irish language was a mistake. Many language activists resent this politicisation. It needs to be depoliticised and normalised.

Will you have posts in Ulster Scots?

Yes, we would be happy to run posts in Ulster Scots. There is one condition: they must come from recognised Ulster Scots speakers, as I know some wag will submit a ChatGPT generated Our Willie/The Broons pisstake.

This is an insult to my Unionist/British Identity

There are many native languages of the UK. Scots Gaelic, Welsh, Cornish etc all are actively supported and Irish should be no different. You are not forced to read or engage with these posts, you are free to ignore them and get on with your life.

Are you getting paid to do this?

No, we have decided to do it based on suggestions from readers. Mind you, if there is any funding going, do let me know.

How can I translate posts or comments in Irish?

We will provide either the English translation or a link to the translation. Google Translate supports Irish, and I think Hyvor is working on a translation feature.

This is an evolving policy, so it may change based on reader feedback.

I help to manage Slugger by taking care of the site as well as running our live events. My background is in business, marketing and IT. My politics tend towards middle-of-the-road pragmatism, I am not a member of any political party. Oddly for a member of the Slugger team, I am not that interested in daily politics, preferring to write about big ideas in society. When not stuck in front of a screen, I am a parkrun Run Director.