Language, Resistance and Revival : Republican Prisoners and the Irish Language in the North of Ireland

Language, Resistance and Revival tells the untold story of the truly groundbreaking linguistic and educational developments that took place among republican prisoners in Long Kesh prison from 1972-2000. During a period of bitter struggle between republican prisoners and the British state, the Irish language was taught and spoken as a form of resistance during incarceration. The book unearths this story for the first time and analyses the rejuvenating impact it had on the cultural revival in the nationalist community beyond the prison walls. Based on unprecedented interviews, Feargal Mac Ionnrachtaigh explores a key period in Irish history through the original and "insider" accounts of key protagonists in the contemporary Irish language revival. This is the untold story of the truly groundbreaking linguistic and educational developments that took place among Republican prisoners in Long Kesh prison from 1972-2000.

During a period of bitter struggle between Republican prisoners and the British state, the Irish language was taught and spoken as a form of resistance during incarceration. Based on unprecedented interviews, Feargal Mac Ionnrachtaigh explores the undertakings of veteran prisoners from the 1940s and 50's, Bobby Sands and the Blanket protesters and the female prisoners at Armagh and Maghaberry, revealing not only the impact of colonialism on minority languages, but the rejuvenating impact this reclamation of the native tongue had on cultural revival in the nationalist community within and beyond the prison walls. Intro -- Title page -- Copyright page -- Dedication page -- Contents -- Acknowledgements -- Abbreviations -- Foreword by Phil Scraton -- Introduction -- 1 Colonialism, Culture and Ideology -- 2 The Irish Language: Conquest, Suppression and Revival, 1169-1920 -- 3 'Promoting Sedition': The Irish Language and the 'Orange State', 1922-72 -- 4 Imprisonment, the Irish Context and the Language -- 5 'Na Cásanna': The Cages of Long Kesh, 1973-84 -- 6 'Ar an Phluid': The H-Blocks, the 'Blanket Protest' and the Aftermath, 1976-85 -- 7 'Bringing the Language to the People': Revival -- Conclusion -- Epilogue -- Notes -- References -- Narrator Biographies -- Appendix -- Index Cover Contents Acknowledgements Untitled Foreword by Phil Scraton Introduction 1. Colonialism, Culture and Ideology 2. The Irish Language: Conquest, Suppression and Revival, 1169 - 1920 3. 'Promoting Sedition': The Irish Language and the 'Orange State', 1922-72 4. Imprisonment, the Irish Context and the Language 5. 'Na Cásanna’: The Cages of Long Kesh, 1973–84 6. 'Ar An Phluid': The H-Blocks, the 'Blanket Protest' and the Aftermath, 1976-85 7. 'Bringing the Language to the People': Revival Conclusion Epilogue Notes References Narrator Biographies Appendix Index Feargal Mac Ionnrachtaigh. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.