Regimenting the Gaeltacht: authenticity, anonymity, and expectation in contemporary Ireland

O'Rourke, B. and Breannan, S. C. (2018) Regimenting the Gaeltacht: authenticity, anonymity, and expectation in contemporary Ireland. Language and Communication, 66, pp. 20-28. (doi: 10.1016/j.langcom.2018.10.006)

Abstract

Drawing on the framework of authenticity and anonymity, this article explores the Irish State’s mobilisation of these opposing yet interrelated language ideologies in efforts to regiment the use of Irish both within the traditionally Irish-speaking Gaeltacht areas and nationwide. Based on ethnographic fieldwork in western Ireland, we examine how non-traditional Irish speakers’ understanding of the Gaeltacht and its native speakers as a resource for immersion in the authentic language shapes expectations of how native Irish speakers within these areas not only speak, but also live and act. This discussion highlights the interconnections between linguistic ideology, social action, and political economy.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: The writing of this article has benefitted from discussions with members of the EU-funded COST network IS1306 New Speakers in a Multilingual Europe: Opportunities and Challenges. Fieldwork conducted at the at the Cluain Lí site was part of a larger research project entitled “New Speakers of Minority Languages and their role in Linguistic Revitalisation” funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (UK) (Grant number AH/J00345X/1).
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: O'Rourke, Professor Bernadette
• Authors: O'Rourke, B., and Breannan, S. C.
• College/School: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Modern Languages and Cultures > Hispanic Studies
• Journal Name: Language and Communication
• Publisher: Elsevier
• ISSN: 0271-5309
• ISSN (Online): 1873-3395
• Published Online: 08 November 2018
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd.
• First Published: First published in Language and Communication 66:20-28
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher