Bodhaire Uí Laoighre?
Tá fear uasal darbh ainm Wes Nolan chun dushlán fisiciúil ollmhór a chur ar féin amárach ón gCuas ar Oileán Chléire. Tá sé chun snámh ón bhfánann go dtí Trá Chiaráin ar 11.30 ar maidin. Measann sé go dtógfaidh sé cúig uair an chloig air ar an gaisce a chur I gcrích. Beidh John Kearney ó Irish Community Rapid Response ina theannta le Bád tacaíochta chun a shábháilteacht a chinntiú le linn an ghaisce. Cén fáth go bhfuil sé ag cur an obair sin ar féin a dearfá, ag dul I gcoimhlint leis an tonnta, na smugairle róin, na sruthanna láidre, an túirse agus an dua? Snámh in aghaidh easa fiú! Bhuel tá sé ar a sheacht ndícheall chun feasacht a ardú I measc an phobail faoi chás Phobal na mBodhar. In Éirinn úsáideann Pobal na mBodhar teanga shainiúil, is teanga í a d’fhorbair thar na blianta toisc gur fhreastal paistí bodhra ar scoileanna scartha, ceann do chailíní agus ceann do bhuachaillí agus de thoradh sin tá leaganacha éagsúil den teanga in úsáid ag cailíní agus ceann eile in úsáid ag buachaillí. Meastar go bhfuil an teanga Irish Sign Laugage ina máthair theanga ag tuairim is 40,000 duine in Éirinn; mionlach suntasach é sin. Níl aitheantas oifigiúil ag an teanga seo I bPoblacht na hÉireann ach aisteach go leor tá aitheantas aici sa Tuaisceart, fágtar lear mór daoine a bhfuil srian suntasach ar a gcearta agus deacrachtaí móra cruthaithe dóibh ina saol. Nach bocht an scéal é I dtír atá mortasach as cearta teanga a bheith ag lucht na Gaeilge agus aitheantas ag an nGaeilge san AE, nach bhfuilimid sásta na cearta céanna a chur ar fáil do Phobal na mBodhar? Samhlaigh na deacrachtaí a chruthaíonn sé seo do dhaoine ina saol laethúil, paistí ar scoil, fosaithe san ionad oibre, teagmhálacha le haisínachtaí stáit, gach uile chumarsáid srianta. Is mionlach iad Pobal na mBodhar sa tír seo lena gcultúr féin, lena dteanga féin. Is saoránaigh de chuid na tíre seo iad agus nach bhfuil sé thar am don rialtas reachtaíocht a fhorfheidhmiú chun cearta an phobail a aithint ionas gur féidir leo a saorántacht a fheidhmiú? Is é an snámh mór timpeall ar an oileán gaeltachta is faide siar ó dheas in Éirinn an chéad chéim, I Mí Lúnasa cuirfidh sé ar féin an Mhuir nIocht a thrasnú chun a chinntiú nach nglacfar a thuilleadh le Bodhaire UÍ Laoighre. https://www.gofundme.com/wesley-nolans-channel-swim-2017
A silent voice that needs to be heard.
Wes Nolan is putting his body on the line to raise awareness and encourage action to ensure that the Deaf Community of Ireland are given equality. Wesley Nolan’s battle with the waves, the jellyfish, the wind and strong currents is a fitting metaphor for the battle to win the right for language equality for the Deaf Community in Ireland. Currently deaf people in Ireland use Irish Sign Language which is a language unique to this country. There is a language for women and men, resulting from gender segregation in education of deaf people. In a country where we have finally achieved language rights for speakers of Irish we should also be able to respect the rights of our deaf community. Irish Sign Language is not officially recognised in the Republic of Ireland though it is recognised in the North of Ireland. What message is that sending our deaf community? That we don’t want to hear what 40,000 people with a unique culture have to say? How sad are we? Imagine that your state doesn’t want to hear you, that your education and career prospects have been arbitrarily limited, that your dealings with government agencies cannot be conducted in your native tongue. We don’t have to imagine, anyone who speaks Irish will remember those situations in the days before we had language rights. It is very appropriate that Wes chose to undertake a mammoth swim around Oileán Chléire, one of the last remaining Gaeltacht areas in Cork. Wes will begin his swim at 11.30 am and expects to arrive in North Harbour around five hours later he will be accompanied on his epic swim by John Kearney in a support boat from Irish Community Rapid Response. This swim is a precursor to an even greater challenge. During in August he will swim the English Channel to continue his campaign to raise awareness of the need for action to ensure that our deaf community are given language rights so that they can participate equally in our society.
Wes’s funding page is https://www.gofundme.com/wesley-nolans-channel-swim-2017
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