Shannon Lally

School: Northwestern University

Major: Anthropology (archaeology) and Biological Sciences

DOI: https://doi.org/10.21985/n2-jq4d-zv83

Biography:

Shannon Lally is a fourth year student at Northwestern University studying anthropology with a concentration in archaeology and biological sciences. She is currently conducting research that will form the basis of her undergraduate honors thesis, “Irish Language Revitalization in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.” She is particularly interested in the intersection of nationalism and colonial power dynamics, especially as they manifest in cultural practices. She hopes to continue her studies on Irish culture in graduate school, with a goal of earning her PhD in archaeology.

Language Revitalization in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland

Abstract

The revitalization of endangered languages is both deeply personal and political, as language subjugation is directly linked to intentional efforts by colonizing powers to suppress and eradicate indigenous culture and dismantle local collective identity. Many studies have been conducted on how to promote endangered languages, but few evaluate the effectiveness of the movements and explore the underlying determinants of success, particularly how the relationship between minority language speakers and the colonizing powers may affect these movements. The Irish language revitalization movements in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland serve as a particularly valuable case study of the role of anti-colonial cultural movements especially as they relate to language; the Republic of Ireland is an independent country, while Northern Ireland is still part of the United Kingdom. Despite state-support for Irish language revitalization, census data shows that the Republic of Ireland saw a decrease in the percentage of speakers in all 26 counties from 2001 to 2011. On the other hand, the percentage of Irish speakers during this time in Northern Ireland increased in half of the counties, and decreased at a lower rate in the remaining counties. This research explores how nationalism drives language revitalization movements, and how the stage of decolonization determines its success. I argue that the presence of an identity conflict between colonizer and colonized increases the efficacy of language revitalization movements, as language is a component used to establish a separate identity and assert independence from a colonizer.

Author Q&A

What is your research topic, in a nutshell? 

My research focuses on the historical, political, and cultural causes of success within Irish language revitalization movements in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Using census data, GIS, and scholarly research, the disparity in revitalization success between these two regions is identified and attributed to issues of identity, nationalism, and decolonization especially as these regions have different relationships to the hegemonic English language and culture. 

How did you come to your research topic? 

I live with my great-grandmother, who grew up on a farm in Ireland. Growing up, she would talk about how she forgot all of the Irish she learned in school, and how it wasn’t a language worth learning. As someone who was looking for ways to connect with my heritage, this confused me as I felt a connection to the language and was deeply saddened by the fact that it is an endangered language. Leading up to the planning of my project, I was very curious as to how the language revitalization movement in Ireland was doing, and my project initially began as research on the efficacy of the movement. This evolved into a curiosity on how the successes of the language revitalization movement in the Republic of Ireland compare to those of Northern Ireland. I encountered some interesting data and scoured the literature available on the topic for answers, leading to my final conclusions.

Where do you see the future direction of this work leading (how might future researchers build on your work or what is left to discover in this field)? 

With the vote on Brexit passing and opinions split between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland, I am very interested in how this will affect the political climate of Northern Ireland and the language revitalization movement. I would also like to go to the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland in order to conduct interviews and conduct ethnographic fieldwork, as I was unable to do so due to Covid-19. My research can be used to develop effective strategies for language revitalization, and can be applied to many other endangered languages around the globe.

Where are you heading to after graduation? 

After graduation I plan on taking a gap year before attending graduate school. I hope to study Irish history in Ireland before getting a PhD in archaeology. I am also interested in the museum industry as a potential career path after working as an archaeologist.