Northern Irish Gaeilgeoirí

: An investigation of Irish speakers' identification with the Irish Language

Abstract

This study explores the individual and collective identification Irish speakers have with the Irish language. Two groups of Irish speakers from Northern Ireland (NI) participated in the study, one involving third level students from a Catholic, Nationalist or Republican background (CNR). The other involving individuals from a Protestant, Unionist or Loyalist (PUL) tradition, linked to an Irish language centre in Belfast. The study is framed within a social constructionist paradigm, viewing interaction and experience as central constituents in the construction of individual and collective identities (Jenkins, 2014; Woodward, 2004). Consistent with the research paradigm, a range of narrative inquiry research methods are employed (Esin et al., 2014), combining visual arts, written and spoken narratives. The approach to narrative analysis involves Bucholtz and Hall’s (2004) socio-cultural linguistics framework in conjunction with Braun and Clarke’s (2019) Thematic Analysis model. The analysis reveals the juxtaposition of emotions, experiences and challenges encountered by Irish speakers from NI and elucidates the influence Irish nationalist ideology and language revivalism plays in relation to identification with the language. Conclusions point to a need for political leadership in NI to create the circumstances where those who identify with the Irish language feel supported and valued, and to create opportunities where the use of Irish is normalised, enabling Irish speakers to feel accepted in their communities.

Date of Award	Jul 2022
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Queen's University Belfast
Sponsors	St Mary's University College
Supervisor	Joanne Hughes (Supervisor) & Dr Eibhlín Mhic Aoidh (Supervisor)