Broken Promises: Why Irish Independence Failed the Irish Language

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In 1922, Ireland gained its independence. The new state promised to revive the Irish language. A century later, English still dominates daily life. What went wrong? In this episode, I speak to John Walsh of the University of Galway, author of One Hundred Years of Irish Language Policy, 1922–2022 , about why a movement that had real momentum in the years before independence stalled in the decades that followed. John traces the high ambition and lofty ideals to the failed policies of successive Irish governments. He also reveals how at times outright hostility to the language within the political establishment emerged in the later 20th century with devastating consequences. The episode also…