Gaeilgeoir Gardaí
Non-Irish speaking criminals who want to commit crimes in Gaeltacht areas may not be treated as fairly as Irish speaking criminals while non-English speaking criminals may get a raw deal in non-Gaeltacht areas. Confused? So will the criminals confronted by a garda they can't understand.
This week the first group of Irish language recruits started in the Garda Training College in Templemore. Comprising 10 per cent of the intake, they will complete the same course as English language recruits but they will also do an examination through Irish. They will then be posted to Gaeltacht areas to solve crimes ‘as Gaelige’.
The move to put gaeilgeoir gardaí in Gealtacht areas came as a result of complaints made to the Language Commissioner in 2010 about a shortage of Sergeant Plucks and Policeman MacCruiskeens[1] able to deal with the public ‘as Gaelige.’ But what impact will this have on the ordinary, decent criminals of Ireland?
Irish speaking criminals living outside Gaeltacht areas will be denied their rights to conduct their business with an Irish speaking guard. They will listen in complete bewilderment when their rights are being read to them in English. When they are brought in for questioning they will be unable to co-operate, confess or deny.
And what about non-Irish speaking criminals who happen to be caught ‘lamhá dearg’ in a Gaeltacht area? How can they explain the car boot full of smart phones and flat screen tellies if they don’t have the local lingo? A grave injustice may be done to them if they cannot understand the proceedings.
Scéal capall?
In parallel with this recent development Irish language night classes around the country have experienced an extraordinary surge. “We are seeing a completely new type of student this year,” said Máire Mhac an Teach, Irish teacher in a Dublin city centre college. “These new students have totally different needs to students in previous years. They are also a more diverse bunch, which is really refreshing,” she said. “It’s not often you see students coming to our night classes with studs in their necks and tattoos on their shaven heads. These lads are very focused and they even have a list of the phrases they want to learn – like for example, ‘stick ‘em up’, ‘hand ‘em over’, ‘your money or your life’. They told me that there’s going to be an Irish language version of Love Hate on TG4 and that they want to audition for it. Sure it’s great to see such enthusiasm in young lads; isn't it all about engaging them and making the language relevant to them? Their vocabulary test for next week is – sawn-off shotgun, knuckleduster, getaway car, alibi, safe house and witness protection. Isn't that fascinating? They are really immersing themselves in the learning experience. I think they call it method acting; sure good luck to them.”
Máire Mhac an Teach has already arranged for her students to be placed with families in the Connemara Gaeltacht. Who knows? Maybe they can act as interpreters for some unfortunate non-Irish speaking ordinary, decent criminals who find themselves on the wrong side of the law in Gaelic Ireland.
[1] Those lovable lads from Flann O’Brien’s The Third Policeman, or should I say An Garda Triú?
Copyright Berni Dwan 2014
Non-Irish speaking criminals who want to commit crimes in Gaeltacht areas may not be treated as fairly as Irish speaking criminals while non-English speaking criminals may get a raw deal in non-Gaeltacht areas. Confused? So will the criminals confronted by a garda they can't understand.
This week the first group of Irish language recruits started in the Garda Training College in Templemore. Comprising 10 per cent of the intake, they will complete the same course as English language recruits but they will also do an examination through Irish. They will then be posted to Gaeltacht areas to solve crimes ‘as Gaelige’.
The move to put gaeilgeoir gardaí in Gealtacht areas came as a result of complaints made to the Language Commissioner in 2010 about a shortage of Sergeant Plucks and Policeman MacCruiskeens[1] able to deal with the public ‘as Gaelige.’ But what impact will this have on the ordinary, decent criminals of Ireland?
Irish speaking criminals living outside Gaeltacht areas will be denied their rights to conduct their business with an Irish speaking guard. They will listen in complete bewilderment when their rights are being read to them in English. When they are brought in for questioning they will be unable to co-operate, confess or deny.
And what about non-Irish speaking criminals who happen to be caught ‘lamhá dearg’ in a Gaeltacht area? How can they explain the car boot full of smart phones and flat screen tellies if they don’t have the local lingo? A grave injustice may be done to them if they cannot understand the proceedings.
Scéal capall?
In parallel with this recent development Irish language night classes around the country have experienced an extraordinary surge. “We are seeing a completely new type of student this year,” said Máire Mhac an Teach, Irish teacher in a Dublin city centre college. “These new students have totally different needs to students in previous years. They are also a more diverse bunch, which is really refreshing,” she said. “It’s not often you see students coming to our night classes with studs in their necks and tattoos on their shaven heads. These lads are very focused and they even have a list of the phrases they want to learn – like for example, ‘stick ‘em up’, ‘hand ‘em over’, ‘your money or your life’. They told me that there’s going to be an Irish language version of Love Hate on TG4 and that they want to audition for it. Sure it’s great to see such enthusiasm in young lads; isn't it all about engaging them and making the language relevant to them? Their vocabulary test for next week is – sawn-off shotgun, knuckleduster, getaway car, alibi, safe house and witness protection. Isn't that fascinating? They are really immersing themselves in the learning experience. I think they call it method acting; sure good luck to them.”
Máire Mhac an Teach has already arranged for her students to be placed with families in the Connemara Gaeltacht. Who knows? Maybe they can act as interpreters for some unfortunate non-Irish speaking ordinary, decent criminals who find themselves on the wrong side of the law in Gaelic Ireland.
[1] Those lovable lads from Flann O’Brien’s The Third Policeman, or should I say An Garda Triú?
Copyright Berni Dwan 2014
