Abstract
In this paper, we delve into the dynamics of the Irish-language public sphere, with a primary emphasis on the media landscape. In our analysis, we contend that the prevailing public sphere in Ireland predominantly functions in the English language, thereby subordinating the Irish-language public sphere. By scrutinising the challenges inherent in conceptualising an Irish-language public sphere vis-à-vis Irish speakers, we underscore the absence of a cohesive public of Irish speakers. Consequently, the Irish-language public sphere finds itself grappling with inherent fragility. The waning usage and proficiency in the Irish language exhibit a symbiotic relationship with the frailty of the Irish-language public sphere, consequently limiting the input of the Irish-language public sphere into the political sphere. In the predicted increase in employment opportunities for Irish speakers, there exists the potential for improvement in Irish-language fluency and usage, fostering a more consolidated Irish-language public sphere that could manifest more prominently. Our examination is grounded in the history of Irish broadcasting and theories of nations and nationalism. Central to our inquiry are the contrary forces of ratings (commercial motive) and revival (nationalist motive). Given the limited and dispersed number of the Irish speakers, we underscore the pivotal role of media in sustaining an Irish-language public sphere. As we navigate these dimensions, our study unravels the interplay between language, media, and societal frameworks that shape the contours of the Irish-language public sphere.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Availability of Data and Materials
No original data was gathered in this research. The data used in this paper is cited.
References
Anderson, B. 1991. Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism. London: Verso
Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht, Department of. 1995. ‘Active or Passive? Broadcasting in the Future Tense. Green Paper on Broadcasting’.
Barbour, S., & Carmichael, C. eds. 2000. Language and Nationalism in Europe. Reprint. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Borooah, V.K., Dineen, D.A., & Lynch, N. 2009. ‘Language and Occupational Status: Linguistic Elitism in the Irish Labour Market’. The Economic and Social Review 40(4):435–60.
Brown, D.K., Harlow, S., García-Perdomo, V., & Salaverría, R. 2018. ‘A New Sensation? An International Exploration of Sensationalism and Social Media Recommendations in Online News Publications’. Journalism, 19(11):1497–1516. https://doi.org/10.1177/1464884916683549.
Charleton, M. 2022, March 24. ‘Like, Follow, Share: The Social Media Stars Making Irish Shine: Young Irish Speakers Are Engaging a Whole New Audience with the Language Online.’ The Journal. https://www.thejournal.ie/irish-language-social-media-5719144-Mar2022/. Accessed: July 18, 2023.
CLAR. 1975. Committee on Irish Language Attitudes Research Report. Dublin: Government Stationery Office.
Delap, B. 2007. Ar an taifead: fís, fuaim, focal. Baile Átha Cliath: Cois Life Teo.
Edwards, L. 2018. Understanding Public Relations: Theory, Culture and Society. Los Angeles London New Delhi Singapore Washington DC Melbourne: SAGE.
Garvin, T. 1988. Nationalist Revolutionaries in Ireland, 1858–1928. Oxford [Oxfordshire] : New York: Clarendon Press; Oxford University Press.
Gellner, E. 2006. Nations and Nationalism. 2nd ed. Malden (Mass.) Oxford (GB): Blackwell.
Habermas, J. 1974. ‘The Public Sphere: An Encyclopedia Article (1964)’. New German Critique (3):49–55. https://doi.org/10.2307/487737.
Habermas, J. 1989. The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere: An Inquiry into a Category of Bourgeois Society. 10. print. Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press.
Herman, E.S., & Chomsky, N. 1988. Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media. New York, NY: Pantheon Books.
Hourigan, N. 2004. Escaping the Global Village: Media, Language and Protest. Lanham: Lexington Books.
Irish Independent. 2006, March 30. ‘Speakers of Irish “may Sue” over Lost Promotions’. Irish Independent. https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/speakers-of-irish-may-sue-over-lost-promotions/26396940.html. Accessed: July 19, 2023.
ISSP. 1995. ‘International Social Survey Programme Survey on National Identity I’. https://doi.org/10.4232/1.2880
ISSP. 2003. ‘International Social Survey Programme on National Identity II’. https://doi.org/10.4232/1.11449
ISSP. 2013. ‘International Social Survey Programme Survey on National Identity III’. https://doi.org/10.4232/1.12312
Kamusella, T. 2009. The Politics of Language and Nationalism in Modern Central Europe. London: Palgrave Macmillan UK.
Keane, J. 1995. ‘Structural Transformations of the Public Sphere’. The Communication Review, 1(1):1–22. https://doi.org/10.1080/10714429509388247.
Kelly, A. 2002. Compulsory Irish: Language and Education in Ireland, 1870s-1970s. Dublin ; Portland, OR: Irish Academic Press.
Lynott, O. 2023. ‘“New Ireland” Inevitable Says DUP Founding Member Wallace Thompson’. Irish Independent, September 4.
Mahelona, K. 2023, July 20. ‘Big Tech Won’t Revitalize Indigenous Languages’, Tech Won't Save Us 177. https://techwontsave.us/episode/177_big_tech_wont_revitalize_indigenous_languages_w_keoni_mahelona. Accessed: July 20, 2023.
Maleševic, S. 2014. ‘Irishness and Nationalisms’. Irish Journal of Sociology, 22(1):130–42. https://doi.org/10.7227/IJS.22.1.9.
McWilliams, D. 2005, December 20. ‘An Irish Solution to the Best Schools Question’. The Irish Times. https://www.irishtimes.com/news/education/an-irish-solution-to-the-best-schools-question-1.1287700. Accessed: September 6, 2023.
Ní Dhuinn, S. 2023, September 1. ‘It’s a New Era for Irish Language Programmes on RTÉ’. RTE. (https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2023/0901/1402870-its-a-new-era-for-irish-language-programmes-on-rte/). Accessed: September 7, 2023.
Ó Caollaí, É. 2013, December 5. ‘Commissioner Resigns over Government Failures on Irish. Ó Cuirreáin Highlights Continued Failures by State to Comply with Legislation on Use of Irish.’ The Irish Times. https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/commissioner-resigns-over-government-failures-on-irish-1.1616978. Accessed: July, 19 2023.
Ó Caollaí, É. 2020, October 7. ‘One in Five Recruits to Civil Service to Be Proficient in Irish. Cabinet Strengthens Language Legislation to Include Target Dates for Compliance.’ The Irish Times. https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/one-in-five-recruits-to-civil-service-to-be-proficient-in-irish-1.4374680. Accessed: July 19, 2023.
Ó Giollagáin, C. 2020, August 17. ‘Irish Is a Language of the Sympathetic Middle Class: Post-Gaeltacht Native Community Tongue Neglected for Symbolic “Staged Irish”’. The Irish Times. https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/irish-is-a-language-of-the-sympathetic-middle-class-1.4331515. Accessed: September 6, 2023.
Ó Riagáin, P. 1988. ‘“Introduction”, Language Planning in Ireland:’ International Journal of the Sociology of Language, 70:5–9.
Ó Riagáin, P. 1997. Language Policy And Social Reproduction: Ireland 1893-1993. Oxford: Clarendon.
Ó Riagáin, P., & Gliasáin, M.Ó. 1984. The Irish Language in the Republic of Ireland 1983: Preliminary Report of a National Survey. Dublin: Institiúid Teangeolaíochta Éireann.
Ó Séaghdha, D. 2019, December 29. ‘The Irish For. Reflecting on the Decade Gaeilge and Social Media Found Each Other. Let’s Look Back on Some of the Irish Words of the 2010s.’ The Journal. https://www.thejournal.ie/readme/the-irish-for-reflecting-on-the-decade-as-gaeilge-4943755-Dec2019/. Access: July 18, 2023.
O’Cearbhaill, M. 2023, June 29. ‘RTÉ, Ryan and Renault: The Broadcaster’s Deal to Keep Tubs on Side. How an Unsigned Contract, a Verbal Agreement and a “Loyalty Bonus” Lead to the Secret €75,000 Payments.’ The Journal. https://www.thejournal.ie/rte-ryan-tubridy-renault-deal-6104765-Jun2023/. Accessed: July 19, 2023.
O’Connor, W. 2023, July 8. ‘Taoiseach Says “Not up to Me” Whether Tubridy Is on Air but Hopes Public Keep Paying TV Licence’. Irish Independent. https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/taoiseach-says-not-up-to-me-whether-tubridy-is-on-air-but-hopes-public-keep-paying-tv-licence/a1283375267.html. Accessed: July 19, 2023.
Peillon, M. 1982. Contemporary Irish Society: An Introduction. Dublin: Gill and Macmillan.
Pine, R. 2002. 2RN and the Origins of Irish Radio. Dublin, Ireland: Four Courts Press.
Pooley, J., & Katz, E. 2008. ‘Further Notes on Why American Sociology Abandoned Mass Communication Research 1’. Journal of Communication, 58(4):767–86. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-2466.2008.00413.x.
Posocco, L., & Watson, I. 2022. ‘Speaking Irish and Belonging among Irish-Speakers of Diverse Ethnicity and Nationality in Ireland: A Pilot Study’. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2022.2060990.
Quann, J. 2023, August 2. ‘Idea Ireland Should Move on from History with England “ridiculous” - Historian’. Newstalk. https://www.newstalk.com/news/idea-ireland-should-move-on-from-history-with-england-is-ridiculous-1493560. Accessed: August 11, 2023.
Reckwitz, A. 2020. The Society of Singularities. Cambridge, UK Medford, MA: Polity.
Resende, G., Melo, P., Reis, J.C. S., Vasconcelos, M., Almeida, J.M., & Benevenuto, F. 2019. ‘Analyzing Textual (Mis)Information Shared in WhatsApp Groups’. Pp. 225–34 in Proceedings of the 10th ACM Conference on Web Science. Boston Massachusetts USA: ACM.
Rosa, H. 2022. ‘Social Media Filters and Resonances: Democracy and the Contemporary Public Sphere’. Theory, Culture & Society, 39(4):17–35. https://doi.org/10.1177/02632764221103520.
RTÉ. 2023a, September 1. ‘RTÉ Unveils a Wealth of Original Irish Language Content for New Season’. RTE. (https://about.rte.ie/2023/09/01/rte-unveils-a-wealth-of-original-irish-language-content-for-new-season/). Accessed: September 1, 2023.
RTÉ. 2023b, August 28. ‘The Upcoming Season from RTÉ Features a Diverse Mix of Unique Irish Content’. (https://about.rte.ie/2023/08/28/2003980/). Accessed: September 1, 2023.
Self, C.C. 2010. ‘Hegel, Habermas, and Community: The Public in the New Media Era’. International Journal of Strategic Communication, 4(2):78–92. https://doi.org/10.1080/15531181003704651.
Staab, P., & Thiel, T. 2022. ‘Social Media and the Digital Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere’. Theory, Culture & Society, 39(4):129–43. https://doi.org/10.1177/02632764221103527.
Tovey, H., Hannan, D., & Abramson, H. 1989. Why Irish? : Language and Indentity in Ireland Today. Dublin: Bord na Gaeilge.
Tuairisc. 2023a, July 31. ‘Duine as Gach Cúigear ó Dheas Agus Duine as Gach Ochtar ó Thuaidh Muiníneach as a gCuid Gaeilge – Pobalbhreith Nua.’ Tuairisc. https://tuairisc.ie/duine-as-gach-cuigear-o-dheas-muinineach-as-a-gcuid-gaeilge-a-labhairt-duine-as-gach-ochtar-o-thuaidh-suirbhe-nua/?fbclid=IwAR0fE2E4GIweGTRAbqo5cbWeyERXxh9AgaACzIMeE69lDN0Yy0n87lkrXhU. Accessed: August 3, 2023.
Tuairisc. 2023b, August 2. ‘Nach Mór 75% de Dhaoine Den Tuairim Gur Cheart Iar-Bhunscoil Lán-Ghaeilge a Bheith Ar Fáil Do Gach Páiste Gaelscoile – Pobalbhreith’. Tuairisc. https://tuairisc.ie/nach-mor-75-de-dhaoine-den-tuairim-gur-cheart-iar-bhunscoil-lan-ghaeilge-a-bheith-ar-fail-do-gach-paiste-gaelscoile-pobalbhreith/?fbclid=IwAR36IqHNg-UlYhyGMUPhfJNKjHn4fPu4akJEDRh6aIUz-wOsXWIKLXk6Q30. Accessed: August 3, 2023.
Ulbricht, L. 2020. ‘Scraping the Demos. Digitalization, Web Scraping and the Democratic Project’. Democratization, 27(3):426–42. https://doi.org/10.1080/13510347.2020.1714595.
de Valera, É. 1961, December 31. ‘President First On New Television Service’. https://www.rte.ie/archives/exhibitions/681-history-of-rte/704-rte-1960s/139351-opening-night-presidents-address/. Accessed: July 17, 2023.
Vosoughi, S., Roy, D., & Aral, S. 2018. ‘The Spread of True and False News Online’. Science, 359(6380):1146–51. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aap9559.
Watson, I. 2003. Broadcasting in Irish: Minority Language, Radio, Television and Identity. Four Courts Press Ltd.
Watson, I. 2007. ‘Identity, Language and Nationality’. Pp. 351–69 in O’Sullivan, S.(eds.). Contemporary Ireland: A Sociological Map. UCD Press.
Watson, I. 2016. ‘The Irish Language and the Media’. Pp. 60–80 in Sociolinguistics in Ireland, edited by R. Hickey. London: Palgrave Macmillan UK.
Watson, I., & Nic Ghiolla Phádgraig, M. 2011. ‘Linguistic Elitism: The Advantage of Speaking Irish Rather than the Irish-Speaker Advantage’. The Economic and Social Review 42(4):437–54
Weber, E. 2007. Peasants into Frenchmen: The Modernization of Rural France ; 1870 - 1914. Nachdr. Stanford, Calif: Stanford Univ. Press.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
The initial conceptualization and design of the paper and analysis of census data were done by I. W. L. P. contributed intellectually to the development of the ideas, concepts, and interpretations presented in the article through significant writing across all sections of the paper, reviewing and revising the paper for clarity, accuracy, and coherence, and providing critical feedback and constructive criticism during manuscript development. The final writing was completed by I. W., in continuous collaboration with L. P.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Ethics Approval
Not applicable.
Competing Interests
The authors declare no competing interests.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Watson, I., Posocco, L. Minority Language Public Sphere: The Irish Language in the Media and Beyond. Soc 60, 922–934 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12115-023-00916-y
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12115-023-00916-y