In 'Decolonization of the Gaelic Mind', Conchobhar Ruadh explores the ways in which colonization has affected us mentally, and how we can begin reclaiming our unique heritage and language.
“Our forebears knew the importance of their local environment and that we are ‘fite fuaite’ (interwoven) with the land. Language and land are inseparable, so changing our relationship to the land and all living creatures is vital if we want to decolonize our minds.”
Current attitudes to the Irish language can be shown to clearly be the consequence of the success, and extreme brutality, of the English colonization project in Ireland…
So how do we begin to repair the damage, how do we find ourselves again, after the trauma of colonization? Here are the five stages in the process of decolonization…
“An Gorta Mór (also referred to as ‘The Great Hunger’ or ‘The Irish Famine’) had a disastrous effect on Ireland and on the Irish language.”
The entire populace of Ireland may be heirs to what is known as ‘Super Colonised Irish Syndrome’.
