MANY CONTEMPORARY ATTITUDES and behaviours have their origins in colonialism. People accept the inferiority of their own culture, rejecting what makes them who they truly are.

Such low self-esteem captures the essence of a psychological condition named ‘malignant shame’ by the noted psychiatrist, the late Garrett O’Connor.

There is widespread evidence that indigenous language loss, in particular, has destructive social, political and economic consequences.

Hopefully, things may be changing in Ireland. Now, there is ample evidence to support this claim, especially among young people.

In research undertaken by leading Irish market research agency Amárach, in collaboration with third level college Gaelchultúr and regional state agency Údarás na Gaeltachta, a survey was taken late last year of a representative sample of 1,000 adults aged 18 years and over living in the Republic. It included a booster sample of people living in the Gaeltacht.

People were asked about their attitudes to the Irish language and the importance of the Gaeltacht to the future of the language. The results make fascinating reading.

How do we feel about Irish?

Women, for example, display a stronger affinity to Irish than men, measured by their greater commitment to learning the language, with their children’s education a key motivator, and the importance they place on the Gaeltacht for the future of the language. It seems that women are to the fore in fostering Irish cultural identity.

Those under 35 have the strongest desire to learn Irish, with 73 per cent stating that they would like to learn or improve their Irish in the future, far higher than the figure of 68 per cent for the national sample. No doubt many now regret getting an exemption from the study of Irish in secondary school. Such exemptions have doubled over the last seven years.

Almost half of the respondents report using Irish in at least one setting, not surprisingly, the home being the most common milieu. Younger demographics are again driving the momentum, with a very healthy 52 per cent of those under 35 reporting that they are more likely to use Irish in at least one setting.

A most interesting result is the number of young people who want to see more Irish used by businesses and public organisations. The figure is 73 per cent for those under 35 versus 63 per cent for the national sample.

This backs up previous research by Amárach, which showed that young people like to see businesses use Irish to communicate with customers. They are also willing to pay more for their products or services. The language nurtures meaning, tradition and belonging, leading to a significant competitive advantage for a company. Yet very few Irish firms grasp this opportunity to tap into consumers’ identities, and the emotional association of the language with authenticity and locally made.

Policymakers take note: an impressive 74 per cent of those under 24, compared to 52 per cent in the national sample, think that it is very........

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