134-691: The United Left Alliance ( Irish : Comhaontas Aontaithe an Chlé , ULA ) was an electoral alliance of left-wing political parties and independent politicians in the Republic of Ireland , formed to contest the 2011 general election . The grouping originally consisted of three existing political parties, the Socialist Party , the People Before Profit Alliance (PBPA), and the Workers and Unemployed Action Group (WUAG), as well as former members of
268-457: A pro-European stance and is generally considered to be more of a proponent of economic liberalism than its traditional rival, Fianna Fáil . Fine Gael describes itself as a "party of the progressive centre" which it defines as acting "in a way that is right for Ireland, regardless of dogma or ideology". It lists its core values as " equality of opportunity , free enterprise and reward, security, integrity and hope." In international politics,
402-540: A unique dialect of Irish developed before falling out of use in the early 20th century. With a writing system , Ogham , dating back to at least the 4th century AD, which was gradually replaced by Latin script since the 5th century AD, Irish has one of the oldest vernacular literatures in Western Europe . On the island, the language has three major dialects: Connacht , Munster and Ulster Irish . All three have distinctions in their speech and orthography . There
536-454: A "no" vote in the 2012 European Fiscal Compact referendum . In 2012 TDs Joan Collins, Claire Daly and Joe Higgins were embroiled in a controversy over expenses claims; their travel expenses seemed to have been used for travel expenses other than for constituency travel and journeys to the Dail, expenses were used for travelling to anti-household charge meetings. Joan Collins TD also admitted to using
670-697: A bargaining chip during government formation in Northern Ireland, prompting protests from organisations and groups such as An Dream Dearg . Irish became an official language of the EU on 1 January 2007, meaning that MEPs with Irish fluency can now speak the language in the European Parliament and at committees, although in the case of the latter they have to give prior notice to a simultaneous interpreter in order to ensure that what they say can be interpreted into other languages. While an official language of
804-560: A better future for Ireland and all her citizens." The Strategy was produced on 21 December 2010 and will stay in action until 2030; it aims to target language vitality and revitalization of the Irish language. The 30-page document published by the Government of Ireland details the objectives it plans to work towards in an attempt to preserve and promote both the Irish language and the Gaeltacht. It
938-645: A commitment to "tax equity and defence of public services" which could more effectively be campaigned for outside the United Left Alliance. The statement also cited concerns over "factional activity" by the Socialist Workers Party , which it claimed was attempting to boost its own membership at the expense of the ULA. In December 2012, the Socialist Party stated "we will be diminishing our participation in
1072-570: A country with "a smaller, more dynamic and more responsive political system" by reducing the size of the Dáil by 20, changing the way the Dáil works, and by abolishing the Irish senate, Seanad Éireann . The question of whether to abolish the Seanad or not was put to a referendum in 2013 , with voters voting 51% to 49% to retain bicameralism in Ireland. The Irish health system , being administered centrally by
1206-472: A cultural and social force. Irish speakers often insisted on using the language in law courts (even when they knew English), and Irish was also common in commercial transactions. The language was heavily implicated in the "devotional revolution" which marked the standardisation of Catholic religious practice and was also widely used in a political context. Down to the time of the Great Famine and even afterwards,
1340-541: A degree course in the NUI federal system to pass the subject of Irish in the Leaving Certificate or GCE / GCSE examinations. Exemptions are made from this requirement for students who were born or completed primary education outside of Ireland, and students diagnosed with dyslexia . NUI Galway is required to appoint people who are competent in the Irish language, as long as they are also competent in all other aspects of
1474-460: A fully recognised EU language for the first time in the state's history. Before Irish became an official language it was afforded the status of treaty language and only the highest-level documents of the EU were made available in Irish. The Irish language was carried abroad in the modern period by a vast diaspora , chiefly to Great Britain and North America, but also to Australia , New Zealand and Argentina . The first large movements began in
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#17328519125171608-642: A general election in early 2011, and the day after the unveiling of a four-year austerity plan to tackle the country's financial crisis . On 11 January 2011 it was reported that members of the Labour Party in Laois–Offaly had joined the ULA due to dissatisfaction with the selection convention for the general election . Ray Fitzpatrick was selected to run in Laois Offaly as a ULA/Socialist Party candidate. Another candidate Liam Dumpleton chose to break his ties with
1742-581: A historic coalition government with its traditional rival, Fianna Fáil, and the Green Party , with Simon Harris serving as Taoiseach since April 2024. Fine Gael was created in 1933 following the merger of three political organisations; Cumann na nGaedhael (CnaG) led by W. T. Cosgrave , the National Centre Party led by Frank MacDermot and James Dillon , and the National Guard (better known as
1876-569: A mobile phone license to Esat Telecom by Michael Lowry when he was Fine Gael Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications in the Rainbow Coalition of the mid-1990s. Lowry resigned from the Cabinet after it was revealed at the Moriarty Tribunal that businessman Ben Dunne had paid for an IR£395,000 extension to Lowry's County Tipperary home. Lowry, now an independent TD , supported
2010-746: A number of CnaG TDs , including Thomas F. O'Higgins . In early 1933, Eoin O'Duffy took over the ACA, renamed them the National Guard, and began instilling the organisation with elements of European fascism . However, in August 1933 the Fianna Fáil government banned the National Guard, fearing a planned parade in Dublin might be an attempt to emulate the March on Rome , which saw Benito Mussolini rise to power in Italy. In September 1933,
2144-574: A paper suggested that within a generation, non-Gaeltacht habitual users of Irish might typically be members of an urban, middle class, and highly educated minority. Parliamentary legislation is supposed to be available in both Irish and English but is frequently only available in English. This is notwithstanding that Article 25.4 of the Constitution of Ireland requires that an "official translation" of any law in one official language be provided immediately in
2278-554: A pass in Leaving Certificate Irish or English, and receive lessons in Irish during their two years of training. Official documents of the Irish government must be published in both Irish and English or Irish alone (in accordance with the Official Languages Act 2003, enforced by An Coimisinéir Teanga , the Irish language ombudsman). The National University of Ireland requires all students wishing to embark on
2412-596: A preference for postmaterialist values. Fine Gael supported civil unions for same-sex couples from 2003, voting for the Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Bill 2010 . In 2012, the party approved a motion at its Ardfheis to prioritise the consideration of same-sex marriage in the upcoming constitutional convention. In 2013, party leader and Taoiseach Enda Kenny declared his support for same-sex marriage. The Fine Gael–led government held
2546-426: A pro-enterprise point of view. Its fairer budget website in 2011 suggested that its solutions are "tough but fair". Other solutions conform generally to conservative governments' policies throughout Europe, focusing on cutting numbers in the public sector, while maintaining investment in infrastructure. Fine Gael's proposals have sometimes been criticised mostly by smaller political groupings in Ireland, and by some of
2680-410: A referendum on the subject on 22 May 2015. The referendum passed, with the electorate voting to extend full marriage rights to same-sex couples, with 62.1% in favour and 37.9% opposed. In 2015, months before the marriage equality referendum , Leo Varadkar became the first Irish government minister to come out as gay. In May 2019, former Rose of Tralee Maria Walsh , was elected as a Fine Gael MEP for
2814-611: A religious context. An Irish translation of the Old Testament by Leinsterman Muircheartach Ó Cíonga , commissioned by Bishop Bedell , was published after 1685 along with a translation of the New Testament. Otherwise, Anglicisation was seen as synonymous with 'civilising' the native Irish. Currently, modern day Irish speakers in the church are pushing for language revival. It has been estimated that there were around 800,000 monoglot Irish speakers in 1800, which dropped to 320,000 by
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#17328519125172948-488: A result of linguistic imperialism . Today, Irish is still commonly spoken as a first language in Ireland's Gaeltacht regions, in which 2% of Ireland's population lived in 2022. The total number of people (aged 3 and over) in Ireland who declared they could speak Irish in April 2022 was 1,873,997, representing 40% of respondents, but of these, 472,887 said they never spoke it and a further 551,993 said they only spoke it within
3082-485: A service in Ireland more akin to the Canadian , German , Dutch and Austrian health systems . Fine Gael's current healthcare policy revolves around the implementation of Sláintecare , a cross-party plan for the reform of the Irish health system. Sláintecare is focused on introducing "a universal single-tiered health service, which guarantees access based on need, not income… through Universal Health Insurance". Fine Gael
3216-474: A statement on 3 September questioning her future membership as she had "already inflicted serious damage on herself, and some damage on the Socialist Party and the United Left Alliance". On 8 October 2012 Daly appeared on the Tonight with Vincent Browne programme on TV3 and was questioned on her reasons for resigning from the Socialist Party. She stated that "not enough attention was being put into...the building of
3350-478: A way to enhance energy security and the digital reputation of Ireland. A very broad-ranging document, it proposed the combined management of a portfolio of semi-state assets, and the sale of all other, non-essential services. The release of equity through the sale of the various state resources, including electricity generation services belonging to the ESB , Bord na Móna and Bord Gáis , in combination with use of money in
3484-537: A wider meaning, including the Gaelic of Scotland and the Isle of Man , as well as of Ireland. When required by the context, these are distinguished as Gaeilge na hAlban , Gaeilge Mhanann and Gaeilge na hÉireann respectively. In English (including Hiberno-English ), the language is usually referred to as Irish , as well as Gaelic and Irish Gaelic . The term Irish Gaelic may be seen when English speakers discuss
3618-487: A year and suggesting Ireland needed a "fundamental rethink" of its security approach. Since Brexit , Fine Gael has taken a strong pro-European stance, stating that Ireland's place is "at the heart of Europe". In government, the party has launched the "Global Ireland" plan to develop alliances with other small countries across Europe and the world. Fine Gael is a founding member of the European People's Party (EPP),
3752-584: Is a Celtic language of the Indo-European language family . It is a member of the Goidelic language group of the Insular Celtic sub branch of the family and is indigenous to the island of Ireland . It was the majority of the population's first language until the 19th century, when English gradually became dominant, particularly in the last decades of the century, in what is sometimes characterised as
3886-448: Is also An Caighdeán Oifigiúil , a standardised written form devised by a parliamentary commission in the 1950s. The traditional Irish alphabet , a variant of the Latin alphabet with 18 letters , has been succeeded by the standard Latin alphabet (albeit with 7–8 letters used primarily in loanwords ). Irish has constitutional status as the national and first official language of
4020-460: Is also receiving backing from Socialist Democracy , a small Trotskyist group. The Irish Republican Socialist Party (IRSP) permits its members to aid ULA election campaigns in a personal capacity but has criticised the ULA's lack of revolutionary and anti-imperialist platforms. A number of other left parties including the Workers' Party and the Communist Party of Ireland are not affiliated to
4154-641: Is among the most pro- European integration parties in Ireland, having supported the European Constitution , the Lisbon Treaty , and advocating participation in European common defence. The party have been supportive of NATO . In 1998, party leader John Bruton called on Ireland to join the NATO-led Partnership for Peace . The party's youth wing, Young Fine Gael , passed a motion in 2016 calling on
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4288-463: Is commemorated each year in August. Although Fine Gael was historically a Catholic party, it became the de facto home for Irish Protestants. Its membership base had a higher proportion of Protestants than that of Fianna Fáil or Labour. The party promoted a strong Catholic image and depicted itself as a defender of Catholicism against Atheistic Communism , of which it accused the two aforementioned parties of being sympathetic to. Fine Gael adopted
4422-511: Is divided into four separate phases with the intention of improving 9 main areas of action including: The general goal for this strategy was to increase the number of daily speakers from 83,000 to 250,000 by the end of its run. By 2022, the number of such speakers had fallen to 71,968. Before the partition of Ireland in 1921, Irish was recognised as a school subject and as "Celtic" in some third level institutions. Between 1921 and 1972, Northern Ireland had devolved government. During those years
4556-567: Is only in Gaeltacht areas that Irish continues to be spoken as a community vernacular to some extent. According to data compiled by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht , Sport and Media , only 1/4 of households in Gaeltacht areas are fluent in Irish. The author of a detailed analysis of the survey, Donncha Ó hÉallaithe of the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology , described
4690-412: Is still spoken daily to some extent as a first language . These regions are known individually and collectively as the Gaeltacht (plural Gaeltachtaí ). While the fluent Irish speakers of these areas, whose numbers have been estimated at 20–30,000, are a minority of the total number of fluent Irish speakers, they represent a higher concentration of Irish speakers than other parts of the country and it
4824-659: The Fíor-Ghaeltacht (true Gaeltacht ), a term originally officially applied to areas where over 50% of the population spoke Irish. There are Gaeltacht regions in the following counties: Gweedore ( Gaoth Dobhair ), County Donegal, is the largest Gaeltacht parish in Ireland. Irish language summer colleges in the Gaeltacht are attended by tens of thousands of teenagers annually. Students live with Gaeltacht families, attend classes, participate in sports, go to céilithe and are obliged to speak Irish. All aspects of Irish culture and tradition are encouraged. The Act
4958-482: The 1934 local elections and concerns over his increasingly rabid rhetoric, O'Duffy resigned from the leadership after the party attempted to control what he said in public. He was replaced by W. T. Cosgrave, with James Dillon becoming deputy leader. O'Duffy attempted to regain control of the Blueshirts, but was rebuffed by the majority of them, who chose to stay with Fine Gael. Under the stewardship of Cosgrave and Dillon,
5092-571: The Blueshirts ), led by Eoin O'Duffy . Cumann na nGaedhael, born out of the pro- Anglo-Irish Treaty side in the Irish Civil War , had been the party of government from the creation of the Irish Free State in 1922 until the 1932 general election , which it lost to the newly emergent Fianna Fáil . The National Centre Party was a new party that had done well at the 1932 election, and represented
5226-613: The Fianna Fáil – Green Party government in Dáil Éireann until March 2011. It was also revealed in December 1996 that Fine Gael had received some £180,000 from Ben Dunne in the period 1987 to 1993. This was composed of £100,000 in 1993, £50,000 in 1992 and £30,000 in 1989. In addition, Michael Noonan received £3,000 in 1992 towards his election campaign, Ivan Yates received £5,000, Michael Lowry received £5,000 and Sean Barrett received £1,000 in
5360-611: The Health Service Executive , is seen to be poor by comparison to other countries in Europe, ranking outside expected levels at 25th according to the Euro Health Consumer Index 2006. Fine Gael has long wanted Ireland to break with the system of private health insurance, public medical cards and what it calls the two tiers of the health system and has launched a campaign to see the system reformed. Speaking in favour of
5494-473: The Labour Party that Fine Gael returned to government in 1973. This period also saw Fine Gael becoming increasingly liberal in ethos, particularly under the leadership of Garret FitzGerald who took the reins of the party in 1977; It was during this time that Fine Gael campaigned in a number of referendums: the party supported Irish entry into the European Economic Community , supported lowering
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5628-509: The Labour Party . Its formation was announced in early November 2010 and it was formally launched on 29 November 2010 at the Gresham Hotel in Dublin. In the February 2011 general election it ran twenty candidates of which five were elected. Its share of the national vote was 2.6%. The Workers and Unemployed Action Group withdrew from the alliance on 2 October 2012 following disagreements with
5762-455: The Live Register in a year by combining a National Internship Program, a Second Chance Education Scheme, an Apprenticeship Guarantee and Community Work Program, as well as instituting a German style Workshare program. In 2010 Fine Gael's Phil Hogan published the party's proposals for political and constitutional reform. In a policy document entitled New Politics , Hogan suggested creating
5896-581: The Pro-Life Amendment Campaign (PLAC) and Catholic bishops, and Fianna Fáil , the largest party in the State at the time, but then in opposition. The amendment resulted in the addition of Article 40.3.3° to the Constitution, giving the unborn child a qualified equal right to life to that of the mother. In 1992, in the X Case , the Supreme Court held that a risk to the life of woman from suicide
6030-569: The Republic of Ireland , and is also an official language of Northern Ireland and among the official languages of the European Union . The public body Foras na Gaeilge is responsible for the promotion of the language throughout the island. Irish has no regulatory body but An Caighdeán Oifigiúil , the standard written form, is guided by a parliamentary service and new vocabulary by a voluntary committee with university input. In An Caighdeán Oifigiúil ("The Official [Written] Standard ")
6164-663: The Thirtieth Amendment (Houses of the Oireachtas Inquiries). The Socialist Party/ULA also unsuccessfully contested the Dublin West by-election securing 21.1% of the first preference vote, in third place behind Labour and Fianna Fáil. On 2 November 2011, Sinn Féin and United Left Alliance TDs walked out of the Dáil in protest against the government's decision not to hold a debate on the payment of more than €700 million to Anglo Irish Bank bondholders. They campaigned for
6298-516: The X case ruling of the Supreme Court, granting access to a termination of a pregnancy where there is a real and substantial risk to the life, not the health, of the mother, including a threat of suicide. Five TDs and two Senators, including Minister of State Lucinda Creighton , lost the Fine Gael party whip for voting against the legislation. Creighton later left Fine Gael to found Renua . The Act
6432-548: The trade unions , who have raised the idea that the party's solutions are more conscious of business interests than the interests of the worker. In 2008 the SIPTU trade union stated its opposition to then-Taoiseach Enda Kenny's assertion, in response to Ireland's economic crisis, that the national wage agreement ought to have been suspended. Kenny's comments had support however and the party attributed its significant rise in polls in 2008 to this. Fine Gael's Simon Coveney launched what
6566-404: The "Just Society" policy statement in the 1960s, based on principles of social justice and equality. It was created by the emerging social democratic wing of the party, led by Declan Costello . The ideas expressed in the policy statement had a significant influence on the party in the years to come. While Fine Gael was traditionally socially conservative for most of the twentieth century due to
6700-611: The 17th century, largely as a result of the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland , which saw many Irish sent to the West Indies . Irish emigration to the United States was well established by the 18th century, and was reinforced in the 1840s by thousands fleeing from the Famine . This flight also affected Britain. Up until that time most emigrants spoke Irish as their first language, though English
6834-769: The 1998 Good Friday Agreement , the language gradually received a degree of formal recognition in Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom, and then, in 2003, by the British government's ratification in respect of the language of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages . In the 2006 St Andrews Agreement the British government promised to enact legislation to promote the language and in 2022 it approved legislation to recognise Irish as an official language alongside English. The bill received royal assent on 6 December 2022. The Irish language has often been used as
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#17328519125176968-403: The 6th century, used the Latin alphabet and is attested primarily in marginalia to Latin manuscripts. During this time, the Irish language absorbed some Latin words, some via Old Welsh , including ecclesiastical terms : examples are easpag (bishop) from episcopus , and Domhnach (Sunday, from dominica ). By the 10th century, Old Irish had evolved into Middle Irish , which
7102-512: The Act all detailing different aspects of the use of Irish in official documentation and communication. Included in these sections are subjects such as Irish language use in official courts, official publications, and placenames. The Act was recently amended in December 2019 in order to strengthen the already preexisting legislation. All changes made took into account data collected from online surveys and written submissions. The Official Languages Scheme
7236-490: The Alliance is defunct. Although the Alliance was not long-lasting, it arguably paved the way for the creation of Solidarity–People Before Profit , another left-wing electoral alliance in Ireland. The formation of the group was announced at a press conference held on 25 November 2010. This followed the announcement a few days earlier that the Green Party would be exiting from the governing coalition with Fianna Fáil , leading to
7370-591: The Eighth Amendment, which would be considered by an Oireachtas committee, to whose report the government would respond officially in debates in both houses of the Oireachtas. Fine Gael Oireachtas members were promised a free vote on the issue. Leo Varadkar succeeded Enda Kenny as Taoiseach on 14 June 2017 and promised to hold a referendum on abortion in 2018. Several Fine Gael TDs, notably Health Minister Simon Harris and Kate O'Connell , were prominent supporters of
7504-412: The European People's Party (YEPP). It is inferred from the party's relationship with its European counterparts via membership of the European People's Party that Fine Gael belongs on the centre-right . The party conforms generally with European political parties that identify themselves as being Christian democratic . The Moriarty Tribunal has sat since 1997 and has investigated the granting of
7638-404: The European Union , only co-decision regulations were available until 2022, due to a five-year derogation, requested by the Irish Government when negotiating the language's new official status. The Irish government had committed itself to train the necessary number of translators and interpreters and to bear the related costs. This derogation ultimately came to an end on 1 January 2022, making Irish
7772-431: The Fine Gael government held a referendum on the Eighth Amendment , the provision in the Irish constitution which forbid abortion . The party campaigned to repeal the amendment and were successful. After the 2020 general election , for the first time in history, Fine Gael entered into a coalition government with its traditional rival Fianna Fáil , as well as the Green Party , with Leo Varadkar serving as Tánaiste for
7906-400: The Irish ' ) is a liberal-conservative and Christian democratic political party in Ireland . Fine Gael is currently the third-largest party in the Republic of Ireland in terms of members of Dáil Éireann . The party had a membership of 25,000 in 2021. Simon Harris succeeded Leo Varadkar as party leader on 24 March 2024. Fine Gael was founded on 8 September 1933 following
8040-425: The Irish language policy followed by Irish governments as a "complete and absolute disaster". The Irish Times , referring to his analysis published in the Irish language newspaper Foinse , quoted him as follows: "It is an absolute indictment of successive Irish Governments that at the foundation of the Irish State there were 250,000 fluent Irish speakers living in Irish-speaking or semi Irish-speaking areas, but
8174-409: The Labour Party returned with their best results ever. For the first time in its history, Fine Gael became the largest party in Dáil Eireann. Once more Fine Gael and Labour paired up to form a government, their tenure marked by the difficulty of trying to guide Ireland towards economic recovery. In 2013, a number of Fine Gael parliamentary party members, including Lucinda Creighton , were expelled from
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#17328519125178308-404: The Midlands-Northwest constituency in the 2019 European Parliament election , running alongside Mairéad McGuinness MEP. Walsh was Fine Gael's first openly lesbian candidate. Fine Gael has an LGBT+ section, Fine Gael LGBT, and in 2017, Leo Varadkar became the first Taoiseach to march in Dublin Pride . In 1983, the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution , which proposed to protect the life of
8442-434: The National Pensions Reserve Fund, was Fine Gael's proposed funding source for its national stimulus package. The plan was seen as the longer term contribution to Fine Gael's economic agenda and the basis of its program for government. It was publicised in combination with a more short term policy proposal from Leo Varadkar . This document, termed "Hope for a Lost Generation" , promised to bring 30,000 young Irish people off
8576-434: The Registrar of Political Parties had not been completed in time for the 25 February poll. In April 2012 in Dublin the second ULA conference was held, two non-aligned members (non-Socialist Party or People Before Profit members) of the ULA were elected to the steering committee. The alliance declared that it wished to become an alternative to a potential Fine Gael – Labour coalition government that could be formed following
8710-424: The Republic of Ireland ), new appointees to the Civil Service of the Republic of Ireland , including postal workers , tax collectors , agricultural inspectors, Garda Síochána (police), etc., were required to have some proficiency in Irish. By law, a Garda who was addressed in Irish had to respond in Irish as well. In 1974, in part through the actions of protest organisations like the Language Freedom Movement ,
8844-441: The ULA and ran as an independent. Sligo councillor and former Labour TD, Declan Bree 's Independent Socialist Group joined the ULA in February 2011, and it was confirmed that Bree would be standing in the Sligo–North Leitrim constituency. Bree had been involved in the talks about setting up the ULA in November 2010 however disagreements arose over the addition of other candidates such as Catherine Connolly in Galway West. The ULA
8978-568: The ULA banner sit as part of the Technical Group , along with 11 other Independent TDs. It was reported in April 2011 in the political magazine The Phoenix that the ULA was divided between the Socialist Party and the PBPA with "palpable tension between the two groups at their own weekly ULA meetings as well as at Technical Group gatherings, with BB [Richard Boyd Barret] and [Joe] Higgins barely speaking to each other unless required to conduct essential business." The ULA held its first national convention on 27 June in Liberty Hall in Dublin which
9112-413: The ULA but co-operate with one another on issues where they hold common positions. The United Left Alliance name did not appear on ballot papers for the 2011 general election, and candidates were listed under their individual parties or as non-party. This was because the alliance is not yet a registered political party: attempts to have "United Left Alliance" added to the names of the constituent parties by
9246-441: The ULA" and referred to "plenty of reasons" over a long period. Daly also condemned "the actions" of Mick Wallace in avoiding payments of VAT. On 2 October 2012 the Workers and Unemployed Action Group withdrew from the United Left Alliance. The party chairman, Seamus Healy, stated that the WUAG's calls for Wallace's resignation had been blocked on a number of occasions by the other parties in the alliance. The party stated that it had
9380-417: The ULA". On 26 January 2013, the Socialist Party announced they were withdrawing from the ULA. In April 2013 it was announced that Clare Daly and Joan Collins had officially registered the United Left party and that it would be launched in May 2013. Irish language Irish ( Standard Irish : Gaeilge ), also known as Irish Gaelic or simply Gaelic ( / ˈ ɡ eɪ l ɪ k / GAY -lik ),
9514-577: The beginning of the following academic year. For a number of years there has been vigorous debate in political, academic and other circles about the failure of most students in English-medium schools to achieve competence in Irish, even after fourteen years of teaching as one of the three main subjects. The concomitant decline in the number of traditional native speakers has also been a cause of great concern. In 2007, filmmaker Manchán Magan found few Irish speakers in Dublin , and faced incredulity when trying to get by speaking only Irish in Dublin. He
9648-413: The call for Wallace to stand down. Daly resigned from the Socialist Party on 31 August 2012. The party said "it believed Ms Daly had resigned because she placed more value on her political connection with Independent TD Mick Wallace than on the political positions and work of the Socialist Party." Daly stated that she intended to remain a member of the ULA as an independent. The Socialist Party responded with
9782-502: The campaign which also includes other left parties and political groups such as the Workers' Party , Workers Solidarity Movement (Anarchist organisation), Éirígí and some Sinn Féin members and a majority non-aligned activists and householders. Richard Boyd Barrett promised "a mass campaign of resistance" and Joe Higgins promised "a very, very big campaign in political and organisational terms". United Left Alliance TDs Richard Boyd Barrett, Joan Collins, Clare Daly and Joe Higgins opposed
9916-464: The campaign, Fine Gael then health spokesman James Reilly stated "Over the last 10 years the health service has become a shambles. We regularly have over 350 people on trolleys in A&;E, waiting lists that go on for months, outpatient waiting lists that go on for years and cancelled operations across the country..." Fine Gael launched its FairCare campaign and website in April 2009, which stated that
10050-523: The conservative Christian ethos of Irish society during this time, its members are variously influenced by social liberalism , social democracy and Christian democracy on issues of social policy. Under Garret FitzGerald, the party's more socially liberal, or pluralist, wing gained prominence. Proposals to allow divorce were put to referendum by two Fine Gael–led governments, in 1986 under FitzGerald, and in 1995 under John Bruton, passing very narrowly on this second attempt. Its modern supporters have shown
10184-605: The earlier 1987 election. John Bruton said he had received £1,000 from Dunne in 1982 towards his election campaign, and Dunne had also given £15,000 to the Labour Party during the 1990 Presidential election campaign. Following revelations at the Moriarty Tribunal on 16 February 1999, in relation to Charles Haughey and his relationship with AIB , former Taoiseach Garret Fitzgerald confirmed that AIB and Ansbacher wrote off debts of almost £200,000 that he owed in 1993, when he
10318-713: The education system. Linguistic analyses of Irish speakers are therefore based primarily on the number of daily users in Ireland outside the education system, which in 2022 was 20,261 in the Gaeltacht and 51,707 outside it, totalling 71,968. In response to the 2021 census of Northern Ireland , 43,557 individuals stated they spoke Irish on a daily basis, 26,286 spoke it on a weekly basis, 47,153 spoke it less often than weekly, and 9,758 said they could speak Irish, but never spoke it. From 2006 to 2008, over 22,000 Irish Americans reported speaking Irish as their first language at home, with several times that number claiming "some knowledge" of
10452-557: The election. They oppose public spending cuts and reductions in welfare and pay rates and have ruled out deals or coalitions with either Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael – who they describe as "right wing parties". The programme agreed by the parties making up the alliance has seven "key demands". The alliance initially stated that it expected to stand about twenty candidates for election in 2011. By 14 February twenty had been announced. Five candidates were elected. Denotes candidates elected to Dáil Éireann The five TDs elected under
10586-468: The end of the famine, and under 17,000 by 1911. Irish is recognised by the Constitution of Ireland as the national and first official language of Republic of Ireland (English being the other official language). Despite this, almost all government business and legislative debate is conducted in English. In 1938, the founder of Conradh na Gaeilge (Gaelic League), Douglas Hyde , was inaugurated as
10720-538: The expenses to campaign against the household charge, and said she would repay them. Richard Boyd Barrett did not claim travel expenses for travel outside his constituency and Seamus Healy did not use travel expenses for anti-household charge campaign meeting travel. It was subsequently confirmed by the Minister for Public Expenditure Brendan Howlin that they were entitled to claim travelling expenses for travel outside of their constituencies. The ULA and Socialist Party stated at
10854-487: The first President of Ireland . The record of his delivering his inaugural Declaration of Office in Roscommon Irish is one of only a few recordings of that dialect. In the 2016 census, 10.5% of respondents stated that they spoke Irish, either daily or weekly, while over 70,000 people (4.2%) speak it as a habitual daily means of communication. From the foundation of the Irish Free State in 1922 (see History of
10988-587: The first half of the government's five-year term, then becoming Taoiseach in December 2022. Leo Varadkar resigned as leader of Fine Gael on 20 March 2024, and was succeeded by Simon Harris , who was elected unopposed on 24 March. As a political party of the centre-right , Fine Gael has been described as liberal-conservative , Christian-democratic , liberal , conservative liberal , conservative , and pro-European , with an ideological base combining elements of cultural conservatism and economic liberalism . Although Ireland's political spectrum
11122-474: The first preference vote. Fine Gael formed a government between 1994 and 1997 with the Labour Party and the Democratic Left . This government legalised divorce after a successful referendum in 1995. The party's share of TDs fell from 54 in 1997 to only 31 in the 2002 general election , its second-worst result ever at that point. It was at this point Enda Kenny took over leadership of the party and began
11256-399: The government as a minority government , made possible by a confidence and supply agreement with Fianna Fáíl, who agreed to abstain in confidence votes. Enda Kenny resigned as party leader in 2017. Following a leadership contest , Leo Varadkar became his successor as well as Taoiseach. In doing so, Varadkar became one of the first openly LGBT heads of government in the world . In 2018
11390-458: The government to apply for membership of NATO. Under Enda Kenny, the party called on the state to end Irish neutrality and to sign up for a European defence structure, with Kenny claiming that "the truth is, Ireland is not neutral. We are merely unaligned." Following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine , Fine Gael called for an increase in defence spending, with Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney proposing an increase of €500 million
11524-486: The government's own bill. The arrangement between Fine Gael and Labour proved pleasing to both parties and their election pacts remained throughout the rest of the 1970s and into the 1980s, seeing the pair enter government a number of times together. In 1985, Fine Gael/Labour voted to liberalise access to contraceptives. That same year FitzGerald signed the Anglo-Irish Agreement with Margaret Thatcher , paving
11658-500: The health impacts" of cannabis. Fine Gael has, since its inception, portrayed itself as a party of fiscal rectitude and minimal government interference in economics, advocating pro-enterprise policies. In that they followed the line of the previous pro-Treaty government that believed in minimal state intervention, low taxes and social expenditures. Newly elected politicians for the party in the Dáil have strongly advocated liberal economic policies. Lucinda Creighton (who has since left
11792-451: The health service would be reformed away from a costly ineffective endeavour, into a publicly regulated system where compulsory universal health insurance would replace the existing provisions. This strategy was criticised by Fianna Fáil's then-Minister for Children, Barry Andrews . The spokesperson for family law and children, Alan Shatter TD , robustly defended its proposals as the only means of reducing public expenditure, and providing
11926-470: The imprisonment of County Offaly pensioner Teresa Treacy, jailed on 13 September 2011 for contempt of court after refusing access to her land for the construction of ESB power lines. In the two constitutional referendums held alongside the 2011 Irish presidential election , the United Left Alliance advocated a "yes" vote on the Twenty-ninth Amendment (Judges' Remuneration) and a "no" vote on
12060-548: The interests of farmers. The National Guard were not a political party, but a militant group made up of former pro-Treaty Irish Army soldiers, and was previously known as the Army Comrades Association. Following the disruption of Cumann na nGaedhael meetings by members of the Irish Republican Army , the ACA had begun providing security at their events. This led to the leadership of the ACA being taken over by
12194-698: The language family, is derived from the Old Irish term. Endonyms of the language in the various modern Irish dialects include: Gaeilge [ˈɡeːlʲɟə] in Galway, Gaeilg / Gaeilic / Gaeilig [ˈɡeːlʲəc] in Mayo and Ulster , Gaelainn / Gaoluinn [ˈɡeːl̪ˠən̠ʲ] in West/Cork, Kerry Munster , as well as Gaedhealaing in mid and East Kerry/Cork and Waterford Munster to reflect local pronunciation. Gaeilge also has
12328-410: The language was in use by all classes, Irish being an urban as well as a rural language. This linguistic dynamism was reflected in the efforts of certain public intellectuals to counter the decline of the language. At the end of the 19th century, they launched the Gaelic revival in an attempt to encourage the learning and use of Irish, although few adult learners mastered the language. The vehicle of
12462-472: The language. For most of recorded Irish history , Irish was the dominant language of the Irish people , who took it with them to other regions , such as Scotland and the Isle of Man , where Middle Irish gave rise to Scottish Gaelic and Manx . It was also, for a period, spoken widely across Canada , with an estimated 200,000–250,000 daily Canadian speakers of Irish in 1890. On the island of Newfoundland ,
12596-722: The largest European political party comprising liberal conservative and Christian democratic national-level parties from across Europe. Fine Gael's MEPs sit with the EPP Group in the European Parliament , and Fine Gael parliamentarians also sit with the EPP Groups in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and Committee of the Regions . Young Fine Gael is a member of the Youth of
12730-484: The merger of its parent party Cumann na nGaedheal , the National Centre Party and the Blueshirts . Its origins lie in the struggle for Irish independence and the pro-Treaty side in the Irish Civil War , with the party claiming the legacy of Michael Collins . In its early years, the party was commonly known as Fine Gael – The United Ireland Party , abbreviated UIP , and its official title in its constitution remains Fine Gael (United Ireland) . Fine Gael holds
12864-563: The mid-18th century, English was becoming a language of the Catholic middle class, the Catholic Church and public intellectuals, especially in the east of the country. Increasingly, as the value of English became apparent, parents sanctioned the prohibition of Irish in schools. Increasing interest in emigrating to the United States and Canada was also a driver, as fluency in English allowed
12998-771: The name of the language is Gaeilge , from the South Connacht form, spelled Gaedhilge prior the spelling reform of 1948, which was originally the genitive of Gaedhealg , the form used in Classical Gaelic . The modern spelling results from the deletion of the silent ⟨dh⟩ in Gaedhilge . Older spellings include Gaoidhealg [ˈɡeːʝəlˠəɡ] in Classical Gaelic and Goídelc [ˈɡoiðʲelɡ] in Old Irish . Goidelic , used to refer to
13132-463: The new immigrants to get jobs in areas other than farming. An estimated one quarter to one third of US immigrants during the Great Famine were Irish speakers. Irish was not marginal to Ireland's modernisation in the 19th century, as is often assumed. In the first half of the century there were still around three million people for whom Irish was the primary language, and their numbers alone made them
13266-639: The number now is between 20,000 and 30,000." In the 1920s, when the Irish Free State was founded, Irish was still a vernacular in some western coastal areas. In the 1930s, areas where more than 25% of the population spoke Irish were classified as Gaeltacht . Today, the strongest Gaeltacht areas, numerically and socially, are those of South Connemara , the west of the Dingle Peninsula , and northwest Donegal, where many residents still use Irish as their primary language. These areas are often referred to as
13400-498: The other official language, if not already passed in both official languages. In November 2016, RTÉ reported that over 2.3 million people worldwide were learning Irish through the Duolingo app. Irish president Michael D. Higgins officially honoured several volunteer translators for developing the Irish edition, and said the push for Irish language rights remains an "unfinished project". There are rural areas of Ireland where Irish
13534-597: The other parties. The Socialist Party left the United Left Alliance in January 2013, later co-founding the Anti-Austerity Alliance . There was a reorientation within the ULA in March 2013 when Joan Collins TD left PBPA and, along with other public representatives Clare Daly TD and Cllr Declan Bree as well as some individual members, formed a new platform or organisation within the ULA called United Left . Since late 2013,
13668-543: The party for defying the party whip on anti-abortion grounds to oppose the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill . These members subsequently formed a political party called Renua . In 2015, the Fine Gael/Labour government held a referendum to allow gay marriage under the constitution . The government campaigned for a yes vote and were successful. Following the 2016 general election , Fine Gael retained control of
13802-571: The party is highly supportive of the European Union , along with generally supporting strengthened relations with the United Kingdom and opposition to physical force Irish republicanism . The party's autonomous youth wing, Young Fine Gael (YFG), was formed in 1977. Having governed in coalition with the Labour Party between 2011 and 2016, and in a minority government along with Independent TDs from 2016 to 2020, Fine Gael currently forms part of
13936-447: The party returned to the more traditional conservatism espoused by Cumann na nGaedhael, with the moribund League of Youth disbanded by 1936. Fine Gael remained out of government and at a low ebb for a prolonged period until the aftermath of the 1948 general election , which saw the party form a grand coalition with several other parties in order to oust Fianna Fáil and place Fine Gael member John A. Costello as Taoiseach. The coalition
14070-506: The party termed a radical re-organisation of the Irish semi-state company sector. Styled the New Economy and Recovery Authority (or NewERA), Coveney said that it is an economic stimulus plan that will "reshape the Irish economy for the challenges of the 21st century". Requiring an €18.2 billion investment in Energy, Communications and Water infrastructure over a four-year period, it was promoted as
14204-458: The party to the left in a social democratic direction with a document entitled "Towards a Just Society". The document was adopted as the basis for the party's manifesto for the 1965 general election ; however, when the party failed to make headway at the polls the momentum behind the Just Society document wilted and faded. It was not until leader Liam Cosgrave secured an election pact with
14338-447: The party) and Leo Varadkar in particular have been seen as strong advocates of a neoliberal approach to Ireland's economic woes and unemployment problems. Varadkar in particular has been a strong proponent of small, indigenous business, advocating in 2008 that smaller firms should have benefitted from the government's recapitalisation program. Its former finance spokesman Richard Bruton's proposals were seen as approaching problems from
14472-539: The political party holding power in the Stormont Parliament , the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), was hostile to the language. The context of this hostility was the use of the language by nationalists. In broadcasting, there was an exclusion on the reporting of minority cultural issues, and Irish was excluded from radio and television for almost the first fifty years of the previous devolved government. After
14606-430: The pro-choice side before and during the referendum. While the party was divided, the majority of Fine Gael TDs and Senators, as well as most members, were in favour of repealing the Eighth Amendment. A referendum to repeal the Eighth Amendment was held on 25 May 2018 and was approved by 66.4% of voters. The party has traditionally held a strong stance against the decriminalisation of drugs. In 2007, Fine Gael's leader at
14740-464: The process of rebuilding it. At the 2007 general election Kenny was able to bring Fine Gael back to its 1997 levels with 51 TDs. The collapse of the Celtic Tiger resulted in the post-2008 Irish economic downturn , which threw Ireland not only into economic turmoil but also political upheaval. The 2011 Irish general election saw the governing Fianna Fáil collapse at the polls, while Fine Gael and
14874-487: The relationship between the three Goidelic languages (Irish, Scottish Gaelic and Manx). Gaelic is a collective term for the Goidelic languages, and when the context is clear it may be used without qualification to refer to each language individually. When the context is specific but unclear, the term may be qualified, as Irish Gaelic, Scottish Gaelic or Manx Gaelic. Historically the name "Erse" ( / ɜːr s / URS )
15008-483: The requirement for entrance to the public service was changed to proficiency in just one official language. Nevertheless, Irish remains a required subject of study in all schools in the Republic of Ireland that receive public money (see Education in the Republic of Ireland ). Teachers in primary schools must also pass a compulsory examination called Scrúdú Cáilíochta sa Ghaeilge . As of 2005, Garda Síochána recruits need
15142-625: The revival was the Gaelic League ( Conradh na Gaeilge ), and particular emphasis was placed on the folk tradition, which in Irish is particularly rich. Efforts were also made to develop journalism and a modern literature. Although it has been noted that the Catholic Church played a role in the decline of the Irish language before the Gaelic Revival, the Protestant Church of Ireland also made only minor efforts to encourage use of Irish in
15276-416: The three groups combined forces and merged to form Fine Gael. The National Guard (referred to informally by this point as "the Blueshirts") were to serve as the youth wing of the new party, "The League of Youth". CnaG members dominated the new party. However, to avoid the perception that Fine Gael was simply Cumann na nGaedhael under a new name, O'Duffy was made leader of the new party. Following poor results at
15410-441: The time Enda Kenny called for drug and alcohol testing to be performed in schools, saying cocaine usage at schools was "rampant" in some areas. At the party's 2014 Ard Fheis, a proposed motion to support the legalisation of cannabis was voted down by the membership. In 2016, the Fine Gael health minister James Reilly said that they would not be changing their policy on the legalisation of cannabis, due to "serious concerns about
15544-743: The time that the story was a "manufactured controversy" and part of a "vindictive smear campaign by Independent Newspapers". In June 2012 it was revealed that independent TD Mick Wallace had knowingly underdeclared VAT . While Wallace was not a member of the ULA, within the Technical Group he was known to be close to the ULA TDs, particularly Clare Daly. Seamus Healy, WUAG TD, immediately called for Wallace to resign his seat, describing his behaviour as "completely and absolutely wrong and unacceptable". Clare Daly , Socialist Party TD for Dublin North, refused to support
15678-507: The unborn, was put to a referendum. Fine Gael initially supported the proposal, but then came out in opposition to it. Under leader and Taoiseach Garret FitzGerald , the party campaigned for a 'No' vote, arguing, on the advice of the Attorney General Peter Sutherland , that the wording, which had been drafted under the previous government, was ambiguous and open to many interpretations. Its stance conflicted with that of
15812-655: The vacancy to which they are appointed. This requirement is laid down by the University College Galway Act, 1929 (Section 3). In 2016, the university faced controversy when it announced the planned appointment of a president who did not speak Irish. Misneach staged protests against this decision. The following year the university announced that Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh , a fluent Irish speaker, would be its 13th president. He assumed office in January 2018; in June 2024, he announced he would be stepping down as president at
15946-557: The voting age from 21 to 18, and supported a proposal to remove the "special position" of the Roman Catholic Church from the constitution. It was on the successful side in all three of these campaigns. The party also began to take a more liberal approach to the introduction of contraceptives to Ireland, although an attempt by the Fine Gael/Labour coalition to legalise contraceptives in 1974 stumbled after six members of Fine Gael, most prominently Taoiseach Liam Cosgrave, voted against
16080-645: The way to devolved government in Northern Ireland . In 1986 the party campaigned for a Yes in that year's referendum on legalising divorce , which was defeated, with the No side obtaining 63.5% of the vote. The 1980s had proven fruitful electorally for Fine Gael, but the 1990s and early 2000s saw this momentum decline quickly. One of the first signs of this was the party's poor result in the 1990 presidential election , in which their candidate Austin Currie obtained just 17% of
16214-594: The work of such writers as Geoffrey Keating , is said to date from the 17th century, and was the medium of popular literature from that time on. From the 18th century on, the language lost ground in the east of the country. The reasons behind this shift were complex but came down to a number of factors: The change was characterised by diglossia (two languages being used by the same community in different social and economic situations) and transitional bilingualism (monoglot Irish-speaking grandparents with bilingual children and monoglot English-speaking grandchildren). By
16348-488: Was a permissible ground under Article 40.3.3° for abortion. In 2002, Fine Gael campaigned against the Twenty-fifth Amendment to the Constitution , which proposed to remove suicide as a grounds for granting a termination of a pregnancy. The amendment was rejected by Irish voters. In 2013 it proposed, and supported, the enactment of the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act 2013 , which implemented in statute law
16482-523: Was also sometimes used in Scots and then in English to refer to Irish; as well as Scottish Gaelic. Written Irish is first attested in Ogham inscriptions from the 4th century AD, a stage of the language known as Primitive Irish . These writings have been found throughout Ireland and the west coast of Great Britain. Primitive Irish underwent a change into Old Irish through the 5th century. Old Irish, dating from
16616-598: Was attended by 400 people. The ULA has no constitution nor a mechanism for its members to directly participate in election of officers or decide on policy. It is governed by a "Steering Committee" composed of representatives from the Socialist Party, PBPA, and WUAG. This was originally intended to be an interim arrangement pending agreement between the constituent parties on a permanent party structure. However such an agreement looks increasingly unlikely. The Phoenix magazine on 10 February 2012 reported relations as "descended into fratricide yet again" and "open warfare". A decision
16750-401: Was criticised by various anti-abortion groups and Catholic bishops, but supported by a majority of the electorate in opinion polls, with many indicating they wished to see a more liberal law on abortion. Enda Kenny's Fine Gael–led minority government took office after the 2016 election with a programme which promised a randomly selected Citizens' Assembly to report on possible changes to
16884-643: Was enacted 1 July 2019 and is an 18-page document that adheres to the guidelines of the Official Languages Act 2003 . The purpose of the Scheme is to provide services through the mediums of Irish and/or English. According to the Department of the Taoiseach, it is meant to "develop a sustainable economy and a successful society, to pursue Ireland's interests abroad, to implement the Government's Programme and to build
17018-661: Was establishing itself as the primary language. Irish speakers had first arrived in Australia in the late 18th century as convicts and soldiers, and many Irish-speaking settlers followed, particularly in the 1860s. New Zealand also received some of this influx. Argentina was the only non-English-speaking country to receive large numbers of Irish emigrants, and there were few Irish speakers among them. Fine Gael Fine Gael ( / ˌ f iː n ə ˈ ɡ eɪ l , ˌ f ɪ n -/ FEEN -nə GAYL , FIN - , Irish: [ˌfʲɪnʲə ˈɡeːl̪ˠ] ; lit. ' Family (or Tribe) of
17152-461: Was in financial difficulties because of the collapse of the aircraft leasing company, GPA, in which he was a shareholder. The write-off occurred after Fitzgerald left politics. Fitzgerald also said he believed his then Fine Gael colleague, Peter Sutherland , who was chairman of AIB at the time, was unaware of the situation. The leader of the Fine Gael party is Simon Harris . The position of deputy leader has been held since 2024 by Helen McEntee TD,
17286-465: Was passed 14 July 2003 with the main purpose of improving the number and quality of public services delivered in Irish by the government and other public bodies. Compliance with the Act is monitored by the An Coimisinéir Teanga (Irish Language Commissioner) which was established in 2004 and any complaints or concerns pertaining to the Act are brought to them. There are 35 sections included in
17420-422: Was short-lived but revived again between 1954 and 1957. However, following this stint Fine Gael returned to opposition for 16 years. The party went through a period of soul-searching during the 1960s, in which a new generation of Fine Gael politicians led by Declan Costello sought to revitalise Fine Gael with new ideas. In what has later been hailed as a landmark moment in Fine Gael history, Costello proposed moving
17554-678: Was spoken throughout Ireland, Isle of Man and parts of Scotland . It is the language of a large corpus of literature, including the Ulster Cycle . From the 12th century, Middle Irish began to evolve into modern Irish in Ireland, into Scottish Gaelic in Scotland, and into the Manx language in the Isle of Man . Early Modern Irish , dating from the 13th century, was the basis of the literary language of both Ireland and Gaelic-speaking Scotland. Modern Irish, sometimes called Late Modern Irish, as attested in
17688-592: Was taken by the Steering Committee and communicated to members in November 2011 to hold a national conference of the ULA in late January 2012. It was then changed to 28 April 2012. Two independent members were elected by members unaffiliated to the three founding organisations to the steering committee at the conference. In September 2011, a national campaign was launched to boycott a proposed €100 household charge. The ULA and its constituent parts are heavily involved in
17822-477: Was traditionally divided along Civil War lines, rather than the traditional European left–right spectrum , Fine Gael is described generally as a centre-right party, with a focus on "fiscal rectitude". As the descendant of the pro-Treaty factions in the Irish Civil War, Fine Gael cites Michael Collins as an inspiration and claims his legacy. He remains a symbol for the party, and the anniversary of his death
17956-442: Was unable to accomplish some everyday tasks, as portrayed in his documentary No Béarla . There is, however, a growing body of Irish speakers in urban areas, particularly in Dublin. Many have been educated in schools in which Irish is the language of instruction. Such schools are known as Gaelscoileanna at primary level. These Irish-medium schools report some better outcomes for students than English-medium schools. In 2009,
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