In what can only be described as an historic celebration for the Irish language, the first official cúpla focail were spoken in the European Parliament yesterday.
Munster MEP Brian Cowley officially introduced Irish to his EU counterparts for the first time saying:
“Is mór an onóir dom labhairt i mo theanga dúchais anseo tráthnóna inniu”. / “It’s a huge honour for me to be speaking in my native language this afternoon”.
The Government threw a party to celebrate the debut of an Ghaeilge in the European Parliament. Present at the celebrations were the official EU Irish translators Labhras Ó Finneadha and Róisín Ní Úrdal, and Fionnuala Croker who is the EU Irish legal translator.
Irish EU Commissioner Charlie McCreevy said a few words in Irish, adding that: “I haven’t spoken as much Irish as that since I took my orals during my Leaving Cert”.
The University of Westminster in London is currently training a further five people to work as full time Irish interpreters at the EU (apparently there are no courses at Irish universities to cater for this).
The cost of the implementation of an Ghaeilge into the EU is €677, 048- hardly a sum to break the bank.
Check out http://www.eurolang.net for more on minority languages within the EU
