L’irlandais et le développement économique en Irlande

John Walsh National University of , [email protected] Rapport du Commission pour le , 1925 (1) “Without effectively dealing with the very congested Irish Speaking populations, all hope of relieving the congestion in those areas will have vanished, and no future can be open to the traditional Irish Speakers affected but one of continued poverty and degradation in his native surroundings, involving dependence on American money, old age pensions, migratory labour in Britain or elsewhere, and Government relief; or emigration, with the consequent loss to the living language position” (14 juillet 1926). Rapport du Commission pour le Gaeltacht, 1925 (2)

“The position of the language in Achill arises from the economic conditions there. You were through Achill and you saw that it was over- populated. As long as the Achill people have to migrate, the is bound to suffer. You have to develop the economic resources of the island and get work for the people. Unless that is done there is no use in thinking that anything can be done in the matter of saving the language … (P. Ó Murchadha, instituteur d’école élémentaire, l’île d’Achill, 21 septembre 1925). Le domaine d’économie et langue François Grin : Language and Economic Development (Belfast, 2009). 1. Le paradigme de l’entreprise, du marché et de la gestion. 2. Le paradigme du développement. 3. Le paradigme du secteur de la langue et du multiplicateur. 4. Le paradigme du bien-être. MAP OF GAELTACHT

5 Étude de cas : le Gaeltacht

• Institutions de développement industriel pour le Gaeltacht. • 1957-1979: Gaeltarra Éireann (« produits gaéliques de l’Irlande ») • Depuis 1979: Údarás na Gaeltachta (« autorité du Gaeltacht » Une réponse à la critique : le rôle changeant de l’Údarás na Gaeltachta • La direction de l’Údarás: –M. Gearóid Ó Tuathaigh, ancien Chaire de l’histoire irlandaise à NUI Galway, Président de l’Údarás, 1995-9. –M. Pádraig Ó hAoláin, Directeur- Général de l’Údarás depuis 2005. Critique de la nouvelle politique de l’Údarás (1)

• « Secteur irlandophone » • « Industrie irlandophone » • « Emplois basés sur l’irlandais » Critique de la nouvelle politique de l’Údarás (2) “Maybe the same thing wouldn’t happen now with Údarás, but Irish was an obstacle to us. Údarás didn’t want us to come in because - as they said - ‘you can’t do business based on Irish’. And basically we were refused a place in the [industrial estate] ... because of Irish. They were laughing at us because we were trying to set up a business based on Irish … But if some other crowd came in with a big idea about something far more foolish, they’d be given far more credit … Three or four years after that Údarás thought we were the best thing in the world” (anonyme, traduction de l’irlandais). Critique de la nouvelle politique de l’Údarás (3) “I was critical because the Údarás put ads in English-language newspapers entirely in English and because they’re bringing in jobs into call centres ... If you travelled the world you wouldn’t find jobs worse for Irish than those which put Gaeltacht people speaking English from one end of the day to the other. The day that Údarás published those ads, they raised the white flag and said: ‘we give up, we can’t do the job as it’s set out for us’. If they can’t do the job, give it to someone else and let them fight for Irish if that’s their main aim” (anonyme, traduction de l’irlandais). Critique de la nouvelle politique de l’Údarás (4) “It’s interesting that he used the term ‘factory’ to define an Irish language college, because I was saying at the time that Irish would help this thing in economic terms. Everyone was against that at the time. I was nearly put out of the Gaeltacht with a pike because I linked Irish to money and progress. It was a terrible thing for someone to be earning a few pence from Irish” (Ó Foighil, 2004, traduction de l’irlandais). Débat sur les restrictions imposées sur les nouvelles constructions (1) “In the end of the day, I think that the aims which Údarás should have are top quality jobs, top quality facilities and Irish still being spoken as much as possible … This view is being put forward in certain places that industrialisation is finished. It hasn’t been worked out very clearly yet what will replace it, what will provide the jobs and it’s not enough to say: ‘Irish, Irish, Irish’. There aren’t a lot of jobs coming from Irish at the moment. Any job which we can create in Irish, let’s do that, but much more is needed” (Ó Cuaig, 2005, traduction de l’irlandais). Débat sur les restrictions imposées sur les nouvelles constructions (2) “There are strong forces, backed by big money, working against the language. It’s not easy for a small community group to stand its ground so we have to do our very best to influence the County Council ... to strengthen the [language] condition and to implement it properly. The community council in [another area], have put forward the opposite opinion, that they don’t want any language condition, or certainly that they want it moderated substantially. They say there is a problem with a lack of development which we don’t have at all. I suppose they’re trying to promote the area and they view Irish as an obstacle in that case, but we don’t agree with that” (anonyme, traduction de l’irlandais). Nouvelle stratégie de développement de l’Údarás “As far as Irish is concerned, language protection and development initiatives will be given a language planning basis, the approach to language consolidation among client companies will be reviewed and a new initiative agreed in association with them, alliances to consolidate and reclaim Irish will be created with local communities ... attempts will be made to increase substantially the number of language- based projects, and robust lobbying will be carried out on behalf of Irish speakers with other sections of the public service and with the most influential sections of the private sector” (Údarás, 2005, traduction de l’irlandais). Autres activités économiques au moyen de l’irlandais (1) • La loi des langues officielles, 2003. • La version irlandaise des titres des entreprises publiques: Aer Lingus, Bord na Móna, An Bord Pleanála. • Secteurs de la traduction et de l’interprétation. Autres activités économiques au moyen de l’irlandais (2)

• Chaines de télévision (TG4) et de radio (Raidió na Gaeltachta). • Un peu d’irlandais dans le marketing, la publicité et l’emballage. Autres activités économiques au moyen de l’irlandais (3) • Produits ou services irlandophones : livres, matériaux audio-visuels ou vêtements. • Centres d’apprentissage de l’irlandais. • Initiative économique à la ville de Galway, Gaillimh le Gaeilge (Galway avec l’irlandais). • Plus de renseignements: Walsh, John (2010). Contests and contexts: the Irish language and Ireland’s socio- economic development (Oxford, Peter Lang).