An Cosantóir

| 5 www.military.ie THE DEFENCE FORCES MAGAZINE In 1993 An Comhairle Gaeilge, a like-minded group of serving Irish enthusiasts, was founded, and we held our first Campa Gaeilge in Dún Uí Mhaoilíósa that year, an Irish Language Training Camp that has taken place each year since, with the exception of one Covid affected year. In 2004 An Comhairle Gaeilge was formally tasked by Lt Gen Dermot Earley who was D COS (Sp) at the time, to monitor compliance with The Official Languages Act 2003 (Amended 2021) and the implementation of the Defence Forces Official Languages Policy (Admin Instr A8 Chapter 5). Our work to date, supported by the Director of Defence Forces Training and Education, has supported and advocated on behalf of personnel who wish to use or improve their Irish but we are entering an exciting, if challenging, period in respect of the work we do. National Plan 2024-2030. The Defence Forces must now prepare for, and implement The National Plan for Irish Language Public Services 2024-2030 which aims to normalise Irish in Public Services and empower users to access services in Irish. The plan is to create a fully bilingual public service in Ireland, with a target of 20% of public sector recruits being competent in Irish by 2030. The National Plan is supported by the Action Plan for Irish Language Public Services 2026-2028, with over 100 actions identified across 5 strategic themes; Recruitment and Human Resources; Training and Language Skills Development; Delivery of Public Services through Irish; Technology; and Awareness, Monitoring and Evaluation - Tá go leor oibre romhainn!! "Tír le Anam – Tír le Teanga (A land with a soul is a land with a language) While this seems daunting the Defence Forces is in a good position - see Text box - and there is a really encouraging groundswell of support for the language in society. The revivalist battle cry of "Tír gan Teanga, Tír gan anam - A land without a language is a land without a soul" has been very effective in stirring emotions over the years but we are very much in the space now of Tír le Anam - Tír le Teanga - a quiet falling or re-falling in love with Irish; choosing to use a little Irish as part of a cultural movement inspired by gaelscoileanna, the emphasis on the spoken word on the Irish curriculum, quality of content on TG 4, the proliferation of Irish language resources online and Irish language influencers on Social Media, and of course in the use of Irish in our music and songs with national treasures such as Liam Ó Maonlaoí and Kíla, Cormac Ó Beaglaíoch, and Séamus and Caoimhe Uí Fhlátharta. For the Defence Forces, the challenge is to balance operational effectiveness with cultural commitment. Modern military operations require clear and efficient communication, particularly in multinational environments. At the same time, maintaining Irish- language traditions and supporting bilingual public services reflects the values upon which the organisation was founded. Ultimately, the presence of Irish in the Defence Forces is more than about policy compliance. Its use every day on parade reflects a deeper connection between military service and national identity and continues to symbolise the history, culture and spirit of the Irish nation- reminding those who serve that we are part of a tradition that reaches far beyond the parade ground. If you would like more information or to join the Irish Language Network drop a line to mdl_gaeilge@defenceforces.ie Beir Bua!! Did you know: Personnel who are competent in Irish may wear a unique insignia "An g" on their uniforms. If you wish to have your name in Irish on the PMS or to have a síne fada inserted in your name you can do so. To insert the Sine Fada in a document press and hold ALT GR and then the vowel. There is a vibrant Irish speaking network in the Defence Forces. There are Irish Language Representatives in your Service, Brigade. The Defence Forces Library has a great Cúinne Gaeilge! Campa Gaeilge takes place during the last week in May each year, providing beginner, intermediate and advanced classes. Online Irish classes are regularly provided. Opportunities to undertake diplomas in Irish are available each year. A Defence Forces Military English Irish Dictionary is available. An Comhairle Gaeilge has a page on Connect with regular updates on Irish language activities and events. The Foras na Gaeilge website – forasnagaeilge.ie provides information on all Irish language resources including podcasts, published books, Focloir.ie, the first monolingual Irish dictionary was published in 2025. The Teanglann App is an excellent an excellent online tool with free, easy-to-use dictionaries and grammatical information and pronunciation sound files. Tráth na gceist boird Tráth na gCeist Laochra ban

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