Kevin Conroy – US Citizen Awardee of Irish Language Fulbright Award 2009/10

Fulbright Project: MA in Nua-Ghaeilge at NUI Galway (2009/10) followed by Masters in Pleanáil Teanga (Language Planning) through Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge (NUIG) (2010/11)

Kevin Conroy, a linguist and Celticist from near Buffalo, New York, attended Boston College to complete his BA in linguistics—writing a thesis about initial consonant mutation in Celtic languages. He was awarded the Irish language Fulbright in 2009 and spent his Fulbright year in Galway, first completing a MA in Nua-Ghaeilge at NUI Galway. His thesis concerned the synchronic variation and the diachronic development of Goidelic terminology for certain domestic animals. Following that, Kevin remained in Ireland for an additional year, with support from the Fulbright Commission, to complete a subsequent Masters in Pleanáil Teanga (Language Planning) through Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge (part of NUIG). His research focused on sociolinguistics, language ability, personality and identity in personal narratives of young native speakers of Irish from the Donegal Gaeltacht. This is an important topic in the context of Straitéis Fiche Bliain don Ghaeilge (20 years of Irish Strategy 2010-2030) and the continual decline of Irish in the Gaeltacht communities in Ireland. In addition to coursework, Kevin presented papers at Comhdháil (Central Steering Council for the Irish language Community) on Litríocht agus Cultúr na Gaeilge (Irish Literature and Culture) in 2010 and at Comhdháil Idirnáisiúnta sa Léann Ceilteach in Maynooth in 2011. He intends to continue and pursue doctoral work in Gaeilge, the Celtic languages and linguistics.

"I really enjoyed my time in Ireland. It was a valuable learning experience in numerous ways. Of course, it is the ideal place for someone wishing to improve his spoken Irish—as well as to use the language. I learned very much and greatly improved my fluency in Irish. I now am completely comfortable speaking as Gaeilge and am even better able to speak about certain topics in Irish than in English. It has become rather strange for me to be writing anything formal in English. (I have in fact had to translate a few phrases from Irish to English while writing this.)

One of the most significant aspects of my two and a quarter years in Ireland was my interaction with the Irish-speaking community/networks in Ireland, native Gaeltacht speakers especially. Through my own studies of the language before the Fulbright grant and after the first few months there, I had learned Irish well enough to feel very much a part of Irish language culture and community. I feel at home and accepted in the Gaeltacht, but could sometimes feel a bit lonely and out of place in Anglo-Irish/English-speaking Ireland. Some of the more significant moments of the Fulbright journey (and some of the greatest compliments to an Irish language learner) was when some friends commented that I was a Gael/Irish now, when I was mistaken for an Irish speaker from the Gaeltacht, and when I was told that some of them sometimes forget that I was not raised in the Gaeltacht.

Not only did I learn about the language in the Irish context, but I gained an insider’s view of the language (and its associated culture), and am able to understand minority language/cultural from the perspective of the in-group. I did not fully realize this until a woman in my Pleanáil Teanga class told a story about her experience talking to speakers of a certain Native American language in Canada (research for a presentation). She was asking a leader in this community about the state of the language in the community and the challenges that they face. The person was not very forthcoming or willing to tell her much about them. He was suspicious about her questioning and demanded to see what she would be saying about his people and culture. When she told him that he would not be able to understand it because it would be written in Irish, his attitude changed dramatically (because he now knew she was a minority language speaker and was not simply looking on from the outside as an English-only speaker). He proceeded to relate to her the challenges and problems that his minority linguistic community was facing (a community which is much stronger than any Gaeltacht area). They shared stories of their own linguistic communities. This is something that I had never really thought about before and a cultural affinity one could not develop unless one were to have the opportunity to experience it in the “homeland”.   Although I had supported minority languages in theory since my interest in Irish first peaked, I was never really able to understand this completely until I actually experienced it in Ireland. I will now be able to deal with any minority/endangered language community in a different way because of this (and could apply the experience to other minority groups in a like manner). My outlook as a linguist has changed.

Overall, on my Fulbright journey, I learned more than I expected and grew personally as well. I am very thankful for the opportunities that the Fulbright gave me. I look forward to continuing to work with my adopted language and culture and hope to inspire others to do so as well."