IRISH LANGUAGE:CRITICISM OF RTÉ's policy towards the Irish language struck a "sympathetic chord" with Charles J Haughey, shortly after he took office as taoiseach in December 1979.
Papers from the Department of the Taoiseach released under the 30-year rule include a letter to Mr Haughey from the prominent Irish-language publisher Caoimhín Ó Marcaigh.
Irish was the language of his home and his family was being reared through Irish but Mr Ó’ Marcaigh complained that the native language and culture were not being reflected on RTÉ.
“Would you please, a Thaoisigh, give priority to the appointment of persons to our broadcasting authority who will see to it that RTÉ broadcasts a fair reflection of life on this island as it is today. Let us have men of values, Irish values, bold, unafraid people who consider a national broadcasting service to have greater obligations towards our society than to pander to the cynic and the trivialist.”
The letter concludes: “Suffice to say that we, as a family of television viewers, are more familiar with the streets of San Francisco than the towns of County Clare.”
In his reply, Mr Haughey said: “I appreciate your writing and letting me have the benefit of your views about the Irish language and RTÉ. What you say strikes a sympathetic chord. I shall keep it in mind.”
