Irish version

UNESCO states that Gaeilge (the Irish language) is 'definitely endangered', yet mainstream media ignore the music being sung in Gaeilge. If the French can bring in a law to play French music and songs on their airwaves, so too can the Irish.



I've been in a band who sing in Irish for 31 years, we've released 20 albums, played big international festivals in 38 countries, composed music for Oscar nominated films and yet we have been roundly ignored by Ireland's mainstream media's playlists. I've also been running 'An Puball Gaeilge', the Irish language performance tent at the country's biggest music festival, Electric Picnic, for 11 years; and this year alone, along with pod casts, Ted talks, theatre and comedy, we staged 35 acts performing anything from rap, rock, barbershop and pop; all as Gaeilge!



It's like the British weather forecast, while our country is shown, no place-name outside it's territories are mentioned. The country called Éire is just quietly ignored. Mainstream media in Éire treat Irish language music the same way.One would think that there's an unspoken broadcasting policy of compulsory English lyrics. This has to change in order to promote the ever growing number of bands reclaiming their language against the overwhelming odds and to help the language move from being 'definately endangered' to being 'safe'.