Eithne Shortall, author, journalist and broadcaster spoke on Drivetime on RTÉ Radio One about why she thinks so many of us are shy about speaking Irish and the Paul Mescal effect.
Paul spoke to Caitlín Nic Aoidh from TG4 on the BAFTAs red carpet and despite being a bit nervous about his level of Irish having not used it recently, he did it anyway, Eithne said. Eithne applauded Paul's efforts, especially as it showed his Irish 'didn't have to be perfect'.
Eithne said something like this couldn't be overestimated in terms of 'reputation and optics', particularly for younger people in Ireland.
Nuair a bhíonn Gaeilge Dhún na nGall ag an scrúdaitheoir! 😅 #BAFTAs #EEBAFTAs pic.twitter.com/yrkRvS2NJS
— TG4TV🪬 (@TG4TV) February 19, 2023
Eithne spoke about her recent efforts at speaking Irish at home with her children. She said she has introduced Irish into their daily routines such as getting dressed or going to the playground. Eithne said she uses the Foclóir app regularly to support her use of the language at home.
Shortall said there's a reluctance in Ireland to speak Irish because she thinks there's a sense of being ashamed of not being fluent in Irish or being judged by fluent Irish speakers.
