Connolly says Irish ‘seen as a problem for too long’ at first visit as president

By Gráinne Ní Aodha, PA

President Catherine Connolly visited an Irish language school in Dublin on her first official engagement.

Ms Connolly, who learned Irish as an adult, said Gaelscoil Inse Choir was an exemplary school.

She said students without any Irish arrive at the school and are immersed in the language, before being taught English in first class.

Ms Connolly was inaugurated as the 10th president of Ireland on Tuesday, in a room filled with ministers, parliamentarians, judges, ambassadors, and her family.

During her speech delivered in St Patrick’s Hall in Dublin Castle, she pledged to help put the Irish language “in first place”, as well as emphasise the challenges of conflicts and climate change.

As Ms Connolly arrived at the school on Wednesday, located in the Irish National War Memorial Gardens, students from the school chanted her name.

She and her husband Brian McEnery greeted a guard of honour of students waving tricolour flags they had made.

She was asked questions by the students, including what her favourite food is, and about how many solos she can do.

“I can do around 10, but I used to be able to do a hundred,” she replied in Irish.

“Out of practice.”

She also met the school’s eco committee, its chess players and listened to students perform an Irish language version of Wagon Wheel.

Addressing the school’s staff, students and teachers in Irish, she said that during the election campaign she had been accused of misusing the language, which she said she had never done in her life.

She said Irish was an advantage and “a gift” that gives you a different perspective on life, as it is a language infused with hope and nature.

“For too long we have looked upon Irish as if it was a problem. It is not a problem, it is a complete gift.”

She said bilingualism gives people courage and ability to learn other languages.

She said that while she is president she will do her best to promote the language “at every level” and to “bring it in from the edge”.

She said the world was “in trouble” due to climate change, wars and genocide and there was a need to build on skills in Irish and English to tackle those issues.

She said a policy document came out two weeks ago in relation to the policy for the Irish language in schools, and she said she would go back to read that document.

She said it had been treated like an “afterthought” and her aim was to put Irish at “the centre of the marketplace”.

“I promised three projects: one in relation to people with disabilities, another one in relation to young people – to open the Aras to these projects – and the third one in relation to the Irish language and there will be a year of celebration for the Irish language and you will be a part of it.”

She said that a mantra painted on the side of one of the school buildings had made a significant impression on her.

“‘Every small step answers the big question’,” she said as she completed her speech in Irish to applause.

Before departing to visit a resource centre in Trim, Co Meath, and an engagement later in Co Galway, Ms Connolly also met with students from the nearby St John of God Special School.