Chothaigh díospóireacht teilifíse faoin nGaeilge a bheith ina ábhar riachtanach sa chóras oideachais fearg mhór i measc lucht na Gaeilge ar líne aréir.

Ba é Matt Cooper a chuir tús leis an díospóireacht ar The Tonight Show ar TV3 nuair a thug sé le fios go ndúirt a chomhláithreoir Ivan Yates le linn bhriseadh na bhfógraí go raibh sé ar son fáil réidh leis an nGaeilge ar fad.

Mar fhreagra ar an méid sin, dúirt Yates ‘I’ll let the cultural terrorists get on with it’ agus é ag tagairt do Bhláthnaid Ní Chofaigh, an craoltóir aitheanta Gaeltachta a bhí tagtha ar an gclár chun díospóireacht a dhéanamh faoin nGaeilge ‘éigeantach’ le Niall Boylan ó 4fm.

Nuair a chuir Ní Chofaigh in iúl do Yates gur chuir a ráiteas faoi ‘cultural terrorists’ iontas uirthi, dúirt an láithreoir go raibh sé ag tagairt do “these zealots who believe their way of life should be inflicted on us all”.

Ina dhiaidh sin, dúirt Niall Boylan go raibh sé “rude” ag Ní Chofaigh agus an Teachta Dála Gaeltachta Pearse Doherty, a bhí mar aoi ar an seó chomh maith, Gaeilge a labhairt lena chéile roimh thús an chláir.

Le linn na díospóireachta, mhaígh Boylan chomh maith gur cur amú airgid a bhí i TG4 agus gur seirbhís a bhí ann a bunaíodh chun freastal ar 12,000 duine.

Agus é ag aontú le Boylan, thug Yates “another turkey that nobody listens to” ar RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta.

Dúirt Bláthnaid Ní Chofaigh agus Piaras Ó Dochartaigh go raibh cearta ag dul do phobal na Gaeilge agus na Gaeltachta agus thug an staraí Diarmuid Ferriter “a complete and utter nonsense” ar chomparáid a rinne Yates idir ceist an ghinmhillte agus ceist na Gaeilge éigeantaí sa chóras oideachais.

Ach má chuir caint Yeats olc ar lucht na Gaeilge ar líne, seans gur ráiteas aisteach a rinne Boylan faoi stádas na Gaeilge sa chóras oideachais is mó a chuir mearbhall orthu.

“I would like to be able to speak Irish, I think it’s wonderful and I think it’s a very romantic idea to know your own language. In Australia they don’t force people who speak Australian English to speak an aboriginal, or a Native American [language] in America,” arsa Niall Boylan.

An bhfuil éinne eile ag féachaint ar #tonightTV3? pic.twitter.com/lbDYbtswCf — Séaghan (@Suilleabhanach) 19 Meitheamh 2018

I think @BlathnaidRua was remarkably dignified on #tonighttv3 given the appalling introduction and then dismissive, antagonistic and offensive attitude she and others had to endure. @PearseDoherty #DiarmuidFerriter — Siobhain (@SiobhainGrogan) 19 Meitheamh 2018

Imagine anyone being asked to contribute to a debate in their area of expertise and casually being called a terrorist at the top of the segment. Literally what just happened to @BlathnaidRua #tonightTV3 — Ursula Ní Shabhaois (@smaoineamhosard) 19 Meitheamh 2018

There’s s huge amount of disrespect being shown tonight to native Irish speakers tonight on #tonightTV3 Ivan is being ignorant. Irish is our national language. Pearse and Blathnaid shouldn’t be mocked for speaking to each other. — 🦊 (@DrDeclanK) 19 Meitheamh 2018

They don’t force the colonists to learn the native language of the indigenous people is hardly comparable to Irish people learning the Irish language that colonists tried to ban. #tonighttv3 — Siobhain (@SiobhainGrogan) 19 Meitheamh 2018