Language Freedom Movement

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Founded in 1966, the Language Freedom Movement was an organization dedicated to the opposition of the state-sponsored Gaelic Revival of the Irish language in the Republic of Ireland with backing by such notable figures as Irish-speaking writers Séamus Ó Grianna ("Máire") and John B. Keane.

Meetings of the Language Freedom Movement were disrupted by Irish language enthusiasts. In August 1966, a group of protesters forced their way into a meeting, overturned a table and taunted the attendees by singing 'God Save the Queen'.

In September 1966, the Language Freedom Movement held a public meeting at the Mansion House in Dublin. Pro Irish language protesters swamped the meeting, waving Union Jacks, tearing at a tricolour on the platform and preventing the organisers from speaking. A stink bomb was thrown, after which a brawl broke out involving around 10 people.

Eventually a measure of order was restored when Dónall Ó Móráin, the chairman of Gael Linn, took the podium and said that the Language Freedom Movement should be given a chance to speak at their own meeting, so long as they listened to arguments from the protesters who had invaded them. The failure of the Garda Síochána to take any action in keeping order at the meeting was subsequently raised in the Dáil.

The Language Freedom Movement succeeded getting the question of abolishing compulsory Irish onto the political agenda. At the time the Movement was formed, if a student failed Irish in their Leaving Certificate they were deemed to have failed the whole exam. This had the effect of closing off access to progressing one's education. The requirement was abolished in 1973, although students are still obliged to study Irish as part of the Leaving Certificate programme. In 1974 Irish was removed as a requirement for entry to the civil service.

The Movement's concerns about education were also strengthened at the time by a discriminatory policy in textbook publication. Significant changes in the Leaving Certificate maths curriculum were reflected in two new textbooks produced by the Irish Christian Brothers. However, material for the new honours (higher-level) syllabus was only offered in a government-subsidised book in Irish, while the pass (lower-level) material was published in English. The policy had the effect of introducing additional hurdles, both pedagogical and economic, to a student's educational advancement. The situation continued for several years, until affordable alternative textbooks eventually became available.

The various practical changes in policy seemed enough to assuage supporters of the Language Freedom Movement, which has quietly gone out of existence. However, the controversy may have been revived in 2005 when Enda Kenny, leader of Ireland's main opposition party Fine Gael, called for the language to be made an optional subject in the last two years of secondary school, in the belief that compulsory Irish has done the language more harm than good. This call drew widespread criticism from some quarters, although others, such as the Reform Movement, have supported his views.