Friday 22 March 2013

'6 Counties' an Offensive Term? Raidió na Gaeltacht Raise the Question.


Is it right to refer to Northern Ireland as 'the 6 counties' or 'na 6 chontae'?  

This was the topic of debate on RnaG's Rónán Beo programme yesterday after the presenter, Rónán Mac Aodh Bhuí, had posted the following message on the programme's Facebook account, an hour before the start of the show:  

"Tá gearán déanta liom as 'na 6 chontae ' agus na '26 contae' a rá ar an chlár , seachas Poblacht na hÉireann agus Tuaisceart Éireann. Dúradh liom go raibh sé 'dí mheasúil'. Ach is le tréan measa a deirim é. Tuairim ag duine ar bith?"

Rónán's show is a mix of entertaining chat, irreverent ideas and contemporary music.  It is rarely controversial and certainly never disrespectful - as his Facebook comment illustrated (translation:  'I've been told it's disrespectful.  But I say it (six counties) with great respect').  It is, however, a show that can often ask those 'awkward' questions that we as a society rarely scrutinise.  What ensued on his programme yesterday was an interesting debate that reflected the confused state of our two-state Island.  

Language does matter and the spirit in which Rónán asked his question is to be commended.  In everyday life we tend to use expressions without giving a moment's thought as to whether they cause offence or not and what can be offensive to one can simply be fact to the other.  As I understand it,  referring to Northern Ireland as 'the 6 counties/na 6 chontae' can be offensive to some unionists while referring to Northern Ireland as 'Ulster' can be offensive to some nationalists. 

This has a long history... firstly the concept of 'county' boundaries in Ireland actually owes it's origin to medieval English bureaucracy.  The fact that Northern Ireland consists of six of those counties leads many Irish people to think nothing of referring to Northern Ireland as 'the six counties' - other than reflecting the accurate situation. Since the partition of the country in 1920 Northern Ireland operates as a separate state on this Island, so any reference to that part of the Island as 'the 6 counties' makes little of the 'separateness' of the two states. Think Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990:  the Iraqis referred to Kuwait as the '19th Province'.  Same logic and same historical context.

Some people in both the nationalist and unionist communities can often be tetchy about language.  Derry vs Londonderry.  RUC vs PSNI. The 'South' of Ireland. The use of 'Ulster' as a separate unit of unionist being... the list goes on.  As with all 'controversial' matters if we can take a step or two back and take a wider view of the issue it can actually become a bit comical, even farcical.

I 1937 De Valera's constitution changed the name of the southern state to 'Ireland' or 'Éire'.  This maddened the English government at the time and suggestions were made that the northern state would change its name to 'Ulster'.  Poor Monaghan, Donegal and Cavan, who are also in Ulster but not in the state of Northern Ireland, were left feeling a tad awkward on the outside.

So, what is the solution to the '6 county/6 chontae' debate?  Well, since the passing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998 every Northern Ireland citizen has the right to feel both British and Irish and to hold both a British and Irish passport.  This means that, yes, for some it is the 6 counties, and for others it is Northern Ireland.  

Once you know the full context it simply comes down to a question of who you do, or do not, wish to not offend - a sentence that has too many negatives for comfort.

Nóta ón údar:
Ní raibh mé cinnte ar dtús an scríbhfinn an alt seo i mBéarla nó Gaeilge ach shocraigh mé ar theanga na Banríona Sasanaigh a úsáid i ngeall ar go raibh an díospóireacht le clos cheana féin i nGaeilge amháin a chlár Rónáin.  Fair plé do Rónán Mac Aodh Bhuí as an gceist shuimiúil seo a chur agus tá súil agam go raibh m'alt in ann é a leathnú amach ar sin de bheagán, agus nach raibh aon mhasla ann d'éinne, nó ar a laghad gur mhaslaigh mé chuile dhuine in éineacht!


1 comment:

  1. Alt shuimiúil a Bhreandáin. Ní ceist nua é seo - tá neart comhaid sa Chartlann Náisiúnta dar teideal 'Use of terms `Six Counties', `Ulster' and `Northern Ireland', ag plé na ceiste céanna.

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