An Lá Dearg: Óráid Chiaráin Mhic Giolla Bhéin

Fáilte romhaibh, a Ghaela, chuig an lá stairiúil seo!

Féachaigí ar na sluaite! Táimid anseo inár mílte – bródúil, misniúil agus Gaelach – ag glacadh seilbhe ar ár gcathair agus ár dtodhchaí féin! ACHT GAEILGE ANOIS! ACHT GAEILGE ANOIS!

Is linne an chathair seo agus is linne an todhchaí! Tá na Gaeil i lár an aonaigh. Tá an teanga lárnach sa ghéarchéim pholaitiúil anseo ó thuaidh agus caithfidh cearta do phobal na Gaeilge a bheith lárnach in aon socrú polaitiúil a dhéantar amach anseo.

Táimid anseo le fanacht agus ní bheimid ag dul áit ar bith!

Cé go bhfuil mise, Tomaí agus Caoimhe ag caint libh inniu, tá linn leathan de dhíograiseoirí ag obair go dian, dícheallach, deonach le tamall fada anuas ar an mhórshiúl stairiúil seo a tharraingt le chéile.

A chairde dearga, there has been much talk recently in the media about how only a minority of “political activists” want an Irish Language act.

Well, if that is the case, then THOUSANDS of political activists stand before me now as we pack into Belfast to clearly demand a rights-based Irish language act.

Because the truth of the matter is that the Irish language has been a vexed political issue for centuries, when it was deliberately targeted as part of a calculated process of cultural colonisation which forced its rapid decline. This attempted extermination of the language by those with power in Ireland politicised the language and made it a non-language – and moreover, made speakers of Irish a non-people.

Mar sin, deirimid go sonrach anseo inniu GUR mórshiúl polaitiúil é seo, díreach mar a bheadh in aon mhórshiúl polaitiúil ar domhan atá ag éileamh cearta daonna.

Ach is feachtas é an Dream Dearg atá oscailte agus fáiltiúil do chách. Táimid fréamhaithe sa phobal agus mar dhlúthchuid den phobal.

An Dream Dearg is a non-party political campaign, and like our community, we are open and inclusive and we seek and welcome support from ALL.

D’eagraigh ár bpobal an Lá Dearg deireanach in 2014 agus bhí an feachtas ar son Ghaelcholáiste Dhoire agus córas taistil do Choláiste Feirste ó thuaisceart Bhéal Feirste, #BUSANOIS, chun tosaigh ar an mhórshiúl sin. D’éirigh linn na buanna sin a bhaint amach agus tá an Gaelcholáiste i nDún Geimhin ag dul ó neart go neart ó shin agus iad breá glórach agus dearg inniu! MAITH SIBH!!

Is lá stairiúil é seo mar gurb é seo an chéad uair a shiúil pobal na Gaeilge, ar bhonn eagraithe, go Halla na Cathrach. Is sa teach seo ar ár gcúl a bunaíodh an stát seo beagnach 100 bliain ó shin. Teach fuar don phobal s’againn a bhí ann ón tús.

This northern state was founded in this institution behind us and presided over a regime that was built on the discrimination, marginalisation and exclusion of Irish speakers.

In every decade of the twentieth century from the 1920s until the 1970s, those who dared promote the Irish language – in places like An Ardscoil Ultach and Cumann Chluain Ard and throughout the north – found themselves imprisoned under the Special Powers Act.

Nuair a chinn ceannródaithe na hathbheochana reatha ar Bhóthar Seoighe bunscoil a bhunú i 1971, cuireadh bagairt an dlí orthu. Nuair a d’úsáid baill thofa Gaeilge i seomra na Comhairle taobh thiar dínn sna hochtóidí, dhíbir an RUC iad.

But the times, a chairde, they are a changin’…

Just a couple of weeks ago, this Council finally passed a proposal to appoint an Irish language officer for this city, thus bringing our wonderful city in line with the new cultural reality.

Bímis ionraic agus bímis iontach soiléir faoi: tá laethanta Uladh Cheilte thart.

The Irish speaking community are no longer in hiding and won’t accept being invisible in the backstreets and the hidden corners of this state. We are here to stay in the centre of our cities and towns and won’t be held to ransom by those who refuse to move into the 21st century. We have every right to take ownership of our spaces and be recognised and respected as a rich part of our diverse society.

Is linne an chathair seo, agus beidh muid fanacht i lár an aonaigh.

Beagnach 20 bliain ó shin ag Comhaontú Aoine an Chéasta, gealleadh ré úr do phobal na Gaeilge. Níos mó na deich mbliana ó shin, tugadh gealltanais dúinn i gComhaontú Chill Rìmhinn go n-achtófaí acht Gaeilge. Rinneadh neamhaird orainn ó shin.

Ainneoin roinnt athruithe suntasacha, is ón bhun aníos a tháinig an borradh mór fá phobal na Gaeilge. Is muidne a thóg na Gaelscoileanna agus na hionaid chultúrtha agus na cumainn óige agus na tionscadail phobail, agus tá sé thar am go gcaithfidh an stát linn le cothrom na Féinne agus go bhfaighimid na hacmhainní, cearta agus seirbhísí cuí atá uainn.

D’imigh muid inniu ó cheanncheathrú na hathbheochana i mBéal Feirste, Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich, agus ní mór dúinn ár dtacaíocht a léiriú go poiblí don Chultúrlann agus do Chultúrlann Dhoire agus iad faoi bhagairt go gcaillfidh siad an maoiniú atá an stát ag cur ar fáil daofa. Seasfaimid le muintir na gcultúrlann, mar a sheas muid le tuismitheoirí Ard Eoin agus pobal dheisceart Dhoire in 2014.

Dar leis na Bascaigh, tá ceithre cholún de dhíth le hathbheochan teanga a bhuanú, agus tá acmhainní chomh tábhachtach céanna le reachtaíocht. Laghdaítear deiseanna úsáidte agus fostaíocht dár bpobal le ciorruithe agus cúlaíonn an teanga dá réir.

Is saol trí Ghaeilge atá uainn – ní deonaíocht ná pribhléid speisialta, ach an ceart chun a bheith beo, le meas, inár rogha teanga.

Léirigh an chonspóid i Nollaig na bliana seo – nuair a rinne Aire Stáit de chuid an DUP ionsaí suarach ar dhaoine óga sa phobal s’againn nuair a bhain sé sparánachtaí Gaeltachta Líofa ar shiúl – nach féidir linn a bheith ag brath ar dhea-thoil na bpolaiteoirí chun cearta agus seirbhísí a bhaint amach.

Tá cosaint dhleathach agus stádas cuí de dhíth orainn lena chinntiú nach gcaitear linn mar shaoránaigh den dara grád.

The Líofa scandal in the mouth of Christmas proved how vulnerable our community and our young people are in this state when we aren’t afforded legal protection that enshrines our human right to use and have adequate support for our language of choice.

Ach dhlúthaigh seo ár bpobal le chéile agus dhaingnigh sé an Dream Dearg, atá ag feachtasaíocht go tréan ó shin.

An Dream Dearg, our broad-based Irish language campaign, re-organised last year after a six month period of continuous attack and stagnation, where our Irish medium schools were obstructed and attacked and the draft Stormont Programme of Government defined our community out of existence.

The Líofa bursaries was the straw that broke the camel’s back, and our community rallied like never before. We brought our protest to the Minister’s office and our young people had their Gaeltacht bursaries restored. Our community made their voices heard in Newry, in Derry and at the gates of Stormont.

Just 8 weeks ago, when the Education Authority thought it acceptable to refuse funding to our youth clubs and decimate our frontline services, our young people mobilised and rallied with an Dream Dearg like never before.

Ghlac muid seilbh ar oifigí an Údaráis Oideachais i mBéal Feirste agus d’ardaigh muid ár nglór.

Agóid eile agus bua eile – agus ní amháin gur tugadh an maoiniú ar ais, ardaíodh é de thairbhe chumhacht na ndaoine.

Because people like us, a chairde, can – and do – change things for the better. We are the risen people who will not stop until we receive the respect, recognition, and rights that we are entitled to as citizens. Our message is loud and clear. No government and no settlement and no new political arrangements that facilitate the discrimination and exclusion of Irish speakers!

Ní uasal aon uasal ach muid a bheith íseal. Éirímis!

Ní rialtas go hacht Gaeilge.

Is Gaeil muid.

Is saoránaigh den chéad grád muid.

Is daoine muid nach bhfanfaidh a thuilleadh go mbronnfar ár gcearta orainn.

Tá laethanta na díospóireachta thart. Tá leathanta na gcomhairliúchán poiblí thart. Táimid fuinniúil. Táimid tiomanta. Agus táimid DEARG LE FEARG.

Leanfaimid orainn ag eagrú, ag agóidíocht, ag stocaireacht agus ag troid gan stad gan staonadh go dtí go bhfaighimid ár gcearta.

Anois an t-am. ACHT ANOIS!