University College Cork's stiurthoir na Gaeilge labhartha (director of spoken Irish) Pol Ruiseal, says there are grounds for optimism and hope for the Irish language.
UCC's Bord na Gaeilge was established to create an Irish language environment in the college that would embrace not only staff and students but the wider community. The board was set up in 1973 by university statute.
In the late 1980s, some 60 Irish language students were attending evening courses at UCC. Now, the figure has reached more than 300. The courses are being attended by non-nationals, people from Northern Ireland, people with an elementary grasp of the language who want to improve their speaking skills, people from the sports community and many other walks of life. The board's annual report has just been published.
"There are great grounds for optimism and we believe the language is flourishing and gaining in support. The aim of the board was to foster Irish and to make it possible for the language to become a part of everyday life here at college and further afield. We are painting on a much broader canvas than just UCC and that's part of our mission too. I think we are succeeding in that objective".
Mr Ruiseal said that an Irish language hall of residence had been established off-campus at Castlewhite, Cork, an apartment complex on the Western road where 30 student residents live in an all-Irish atmosphere. UCC has also established an Irish language common room for staff who wish to converse in Irish during breaks and at meal times.
"Evening course programmes for the public imply that Ionad (centre) na Gaeilge Labhartha comes into regular contact with a very large cross-section of UCC students, staff and the broader community, in addition to the numbers of undergraduate and postgraduate students who participate in its day-time specialised language courses.
"It is estimated that an tIonad dealt with at least 6,000 people during 1997/8 as well as with those students of all age groups who attended its language programmes and numbered in total 825," the report said. As well, there is an Irish Language Schools Liaison Programme. While being directed primarily at Irish language secondary schools throughout Munster, non-Irish speaking schools are also visited if feasible.
"More and more of the latter schools have sought visits by Irish speaker panels in recent years - three such schools were visited in 1997/8. As each panel comprised one student representative and two or three staff members from across the university, senior secondary school students received a broad mix of information and analysis as to the multifaceted experience of being a third-level student at UCC."
Eleven secondary schools were visited throughout Munster. Schools in the Ring, Muskerry and Corca Dhuibhne Gaeltachtai were included. Three schools not previously visited were included in the year's schedule. Twenty-two speakers participated, including eight senior students and 14 members of staff, Mr Ruiseal said.