Cultural Appropriation/Leithghabháil Chultúrtha

(https://nos.ie/gniomhaiochas/polaitiocht/leithghabhail-chulturtha/)

There was an interesting little article in NósMag recently about leithghabháil chultúrtha, or cultural appropriation. Cultural appropriation is basically the misuse of a minority culture by a majority culture. The NósMag article asked the question, where do we draw the line? There was an immediate response by Dennis King, who wrote this on Twitter with a picture of Cassidy’s ludicrous book: An leithghabháil chultúrtha é nuair a scríobhann duine ar bheagán Gaeilge leabhar a bhfuil a lán cacamais faoin nGaeilge ann? (Is it cultural appropriation when someone with little Irish writes a book which is full of crap about Irish?)

There have been a lot of arguments about what is or is not cultural appropriation. I don’t think anyone would argue about the most extreme cases – the Black and White Minstrel Show, or the writings of Asa Earl Carter are definitely inappropriate. Others are more dubious. Is it wrong for Anglo children to use a piñata? Should non-African Americans play the blues? Is it cultural appropriation when people get tattoos in bad Chinese or even worse Irish?

Wherever we draw the line, there is no doubt that Dennis King is right and that Cassidy is on the wrong side of it. After all, Cassidy’s book is basically a collection of made-up rubbish by a man who couldn’t even be bothered learning any Irish. Like Dennis King, I find Cassidy’s smugness and arrogance deeply offensive. It makes me angry to hear someone claiming that baloney comes from the Irish béal ónna, when there is no Irish phrase béal ónna – Cassidy invented it and then pretended it was Irish. Or that crony comes from Irish comhrogha, which exists but never had the meaning of friend or companion. Or that giggle comes from gíog gheal, which (if it existed), would mean a bright squeak. It’s all insulting, arrogant, stupid nonsense from a man with no degrees or qualifications who managed to con his way into a university job. Cultural appropriation or not, it’s a pack of lies.

 

(https://nos.ie/gniomhaiochas/polaitiocht/leithghabhail-chulturtha/)

Bhí alt beag spéisiúil ar NósMag ar na mallaibh faoin leithghabháil chultúrtha, nó an cultural appropriation, mar a thugtar uirthi i mBéarla. Is é atá i gceist leis an leithghabháil chultúrtha, lena rá i mbeagán focal, ná mórchultúr ag baint mí-úsáid as cultúr mionlaigh. Cuireadh an cheist san alt ar NósMag, cá háit a dtarraingítear an líne? Bhí freagra ann láithreach ó Dennis King, a scríobh seo ar Twitter maraon le pictiúr de leabhar bómánta Cassidy: An leithghabháil chultúrtha é nuair a scríobhann duine ar bheagán Gaeilge leabhar a bhfuil a lán cacamais faoin nGaeilge ann?

Bhí a lán argóintí ann le blianta beaga anuas maidir le cad is leithghabháil chultúrtha ann agus na rudaí nach leithghabháil chultúrtha iad. Ní dóigh liom go mbeadh amhras ar dhuine ar bith faoi na cásanna is measa – is cinnte nach bhfuil The Black and White Minstrel Show nó scríbhinní Asa Earl Carter inghlactha ar chor ar bith. Tá rudaí eile níos éiginnte. An bhfuil an ceart ag páistí nach bhfuil acu ach Béarla piñata a úsáid? Ar chóir do Mheiriceánaigh nach bhfuil de bhunús Afraiceach na gormacha a sheinm? An leithghabháil chultúrtha é nuair a fhaigheann daoine geala nach Gaeil iad tatúanna i ndrochShínis nó i nGaeilge uafásach?

Cibé áit a dtarraingítear an líne, is cinnte go bhfuil an ceart ag Dennis King agus go bhfuil Cassidy ar an taobh mhícheart den líne sin. Níl i leabhar Cassidy, i ndiaidh an tsaoil, ach bailiúchán de raiméis a chum duine nach dtiocfadh leis bheith gaibhte Gaeilge ar bith a fhoghlaim. Go díreach cosúil le Dennis King, cuireann féinsástacht agus ardnósacht Cassidy olc an domhain orm. Cuireann sé fearg orm nuair a chluinim duine ag rá gur ón Ghaeilge béal ónna a tháinig an focal baloney, cé nach bhfuil a leithéid de fhrása ann – chum Cassidy é agus lig air gur Gaeilge a bhí ann. Nó gur ón ‘Ghaeilge’ gíog gheal a tháinig giggle an Bhéarla, in ainneoin go bhfuil fianaise chuimsitheach leis an bharúil sin a bhréagnú. Níl ann ach raiméis mhaslach, ardnósach, amaideach ó fhear nach raibh céimeanna ná cáilíochtaí ar bith aige ach ar éirigh leis post ollscoile a fháil trí chaimiléireacht. Níl sa bhrilléis seo ach deargbhréaga, bíodh sí ina leithghabháil chultúrtha nó ná bíodh!

Nár laga Dia do lámh, a Mhaitiú!

I notice that the appalling IrishCentral has changed its system of comments. Unfortunately it hasn’t changed its policy with regard to publishing complete crap. Anyway, the comments have disappeared and a note states that the old comments will gradually be restored. Brendan Patrick Keane’s ridiculous article on Cassidy’s ‘research’ has only one comment at present, a newly-added comment from Maitiú Ó Coimín, who says simply that “Cassidy was a fraud and his book is nonsense.” You took the words right out of my mouth, Maitiú!  Once again, it is members of the Irish-speaking community who are stepping up to the plate to defend our beautiful language against Cassidy’s lies.

Tugaim faoi deara go bhfuil an tobar caca sin IrishCentral i ndiaidh a chóras tuairimí a athrú. Ar an drochuair, níor athraigh sé a bheartas maidir le cacamas lom a fhoilsiú. Cibé, tá na tuairimí a bhí ann ar shiúl anois agus deir nóta go gcuirfear ar ais iad de réir a chéile. Níl ach an t-aon tuairim le léamh faoi bhun an ailt áiféisigh a scríobh Brendan Patrick Keane ar ‘thaighde’ Cassidy, tuairim le Maitiú Ó Coimín a cuireadh ann ó rinneadh na hathruithe. Ní deir Maitiú ach an méid seo: “Cassidy was a fraud and his book is nonsense.” (Ba chaimiléir é Cassidy agus is raiméis a leabhar.)  Maith thú, a Mhaitiú! Mar a déarfadh mo bhéal féin é! Arís eile, is baill de phobal na Gaeilge atá ag seasamh an fhóid leis an teanga álainn s’againne a chosaint ar bhréaga Cassidy.

Number 300 – A Bilingual Post

An Trí Chéadú Post

Seo é. An trí chéadú post. Is beag a shíl mé nuair a chuir mé tús leis an bhlag seo i Márta 2013 go mairfeadh sé chomh fada seo, ach mhair. Bhí an oiread sin le déanamh, an oiread sin amaidí le nochtadh agus le náiriú. Agus anois, tá an obair chóir a bheith déanta.

An é seo an post deireanach, mar sin? Bhuel, ní rachfainn chomh fada sin! Chuaigh mé ‘ar scor’ roimhe seo agus a luaithe agus a rinne mé sin, bhí orm déileáil le píosa bómántachta éigin nó le leabhar a mhol an Caisideach go hard na spéire. Is dócha go mbeidh sé mar an gcéanna an iarraidh seo.

Ach mura bhfeicim rud ar bith mar sin a bhfuil freagra de dhíth air, tá sé ar intinn agam sos a ghlacadh agus gan a bheith ag postáil anseo go ceann tamaill. Amharcfaidh mé ar an bhlag go rialta, cuirfidh mé clibeanna agus pictiúirí le cuid de na seanphoist, agus freagróidh mé cibé teachtaireachtaí a chuirfear chugam.

Sílim go bhfuil go leor déanta agam. Tá bréagshanais Uí Chaiside tarraingthe as a chéile agam agus cháin mé na bocamadáin a thacaigh leis an bhréagadóir seo, go díreach mar a bhí tuillte acu. Tá mé cinnte go bhfuil daoine ann a chreideann sa tseafóid seo go fóill. Bíodh acu. Ní féidir ciall a chur i gcloigne atá róbheag lena toilleadh.

Mo mhíle buíochas le gach duine a chuidigh liom. Agus má bhíonn an deis agat, foghlaim giota beag Gaeilge. Má dhéanann tú amhlaidh, tuigfidh tú cad chuige a bhfuil an leabhar seo chomh hamaideach agus chomh maslach sin.

Ádh mór oraibh, a chairde!

The Three Hundredth Post!

This is it. The three hundredth post. I little thought when I began this blog in March 2013 that it would last so long, but it has. There was so much to do, so much stupidity to expose and shame. And now, the work is almost done.

Is this the last post, then? Well, I wouldn’t go that far! I ‘retired’ before and as soon as I did so, I had to deal with some piece of stupidity or some book which praised Cassidy to the heavens. It will probably be the same this time.

But if I don’t see anything like that which needs an answer, I intend to take a break and not to post here for a while. I will look at the blog regularly, I will add tags and pictures to some of the old posts, and I will answer whatever messages are sent to me.

I think I have done enough. I have pulled Cassidy’s fake etymologies apart and I have criticized the buck eejits who supported this liar, just as they deserved. I am sure there are people who will still believe this nonsense. Let them. You can’t put sense in a skull which is too small to accommodate it.

A thousand thanks to all those who have helped me. And if you get a chance, learn a bit of Irish. If you do so, you will understand why this book is so stupid and so insulting.

Good luck, my friends!