Rali Deddf Iaith Gwyddeleg/ Irish Language Act Rally

Gweler isod newyddion o rali a ddigwyddodd penwythnos diwethaf ym Melffast yn gofyn am ddeddf i'r iaith gwyddeleg. Mae'r ymgyrch yn dwysau yng Ngogledd Iwerddon am yr ofyn am Ddeddf Iaith Gwyddeleg. Mae'n adlewyrchu'r ymgyrch yng Nghymru sydd yn galw am Ddeddf Iaith Newydd.

See below news of a rally that took place last weekend in Belfast calling for an Irish Language Act in the North of Ireland. The campaign is intensifying there on calling for a new Act. This reflects the work which campaigners are doing in Wales to call for a New Welsh Language Act.

March for Irish language rights

Thousands of supporters of the Irish language took part in a march through the city centre last weekend demanding equal rights for the language. The rally - the first of its kind - was to highlight the need for the promised Irish Language Act and to oppose unionist attempts to bin it.

During last November's St Andrew's negotiations, political parties agreed to introduce an Irish Language Act that will force the British government to allocate the language proper financial resources. But since then both the DUP and Ulster Unionists have voiced opposition to such a move. The consultation period on proposals for the Act ends on March 2. And to remind the British government of the widespread support for the new legislation, Irish language activists staged a colourful parade through the city centre. The march started at the Culturlann on the Falls Road before ending at Writers' Square.

West Belfast MP Gerry Adams told those gathered that he was confident that there would be an Irish Languge Act.

"The Act has to have at its heart legislative rights for Irish speakers. It needs resources to make this a reality and a commissioner to oversee all of that."

Janet Muller of Irish language umbrella group Pobal described the march and rally as "a really historic occasion".

Ms Muller said Irish speakers are "an integral part of the community and we would like that to be recognised in a strong rights-based Irish language act".

"There is a visibility problem with the Irish-speaking community very often - we tend to be a hidden community - so what we wanted to do was to come out and give people the chance to see how strong the community is, how young it is, how lively and how positive it is."

Ciaran Mac Giolla Bhein, secretary of Na Gaeil oga, said the north's young people were firmly behind the demand for an Irish language act.

"One of the biggest developments in the Irish language movement in the country has been the growth of the Irish-medium sector in education, so you have thousands of people coming through that system and many of them want to be as active as their parents were," he said.

"They see this campaign as an opportunity to get involved in helping bring about legislation which will bring about real, positive change that will benefit young Irish speakers in the future," he said.

Forbairt Feirste Director Jake Mac Siacais, one of the parade organisers, said he was thrilled with the turnout. The march started at the Culturlann on the Falls Road before ending at Writers' Square in the city centre.

"There was upwards of 4,000 people there and everyone enjoyed themselves. It was a real carnival atmosphere and very, very colourful," said Jake.

"We wanted to show the British government the massive support there is for an Irish Language Act."

Glyn Davies's love affair with Cymdeithas yr Iaith

Chanticleer- the Cardiff Journalist, has blogged about Cymdeithas yr Iaith. I read with interest his remarks on the organisation. One comment in particular caught my eye- that Cymdeithas 'need to begin lobbying professionally - to an extent they already do, but they're still regarded as a tin-pot collection of vocal students rather than a serious policy-forming outfit'. Obviously many people do hold this stereotypical viewpoint of Cymdeithas, and probably many a Conservative Party member, but not Glyn Davies AM. His opinion is as follows:

'The reason that Cymdeithas have lost a bit of profile is that all the political parties have moved onto their territory.

Perhaps its my rebellious streak but I see great value in unruly organisations (within reason) that challenge the establishment - that I have become a part of. There is a lot to be said for what you call a "tinpot collection of vocal students". I wouldn't have used this description myself. We need political opinion driven by the heart as well as by the head, to inject some grit into the cosy consensus.'

I must say I was surprised, if pleasantly so by Glyn Davies's remarks. It reflects much of why I have entered politics- to try and put the passion and the drive back in to Party politics that currently exists amongst pressure groups such as Cymdeithas. With the development of devolution, I don't want to see a Cardiff Bay bubble of dry, dull politics taking centre stage. I want to see groups with real interests and concerns protest at the Assembly, lobby, campaign in any way to make their voices heard. This should be so that Politicians are at the edge of their seats, ready for the next challenge.

This does not go without saying that Cymdeithas must also embrace new challenges as a pressure group. As a member, I would not wish to criticise overtly, but those leading the organisation are aware that I think that Cymdeithas should be working much more closely with other, similar groups. They should especially be working with equal rights organisations, to maximise their campaign, and so as not to appear isolated in their demands. The perfect example is when Cymdeithas took part in anti- war demo's at the height of the Iraq war.

Yes, some political parties have moved over to Cymdeithas's territory- especially with regards to supporting a New Welsh Language Act. Let's hope New Labour will take a leaf out of their book, and rediscover/ discover 'political opinion driven by the heart....'