Ireland is in an Anglophone bubble that will be a disadvantage now that its future lies in the European Union while both Britain and the United States are in retreat as global powers. It’s time for the bubble to be popped.
Irish people coast on the status of English as an international lingua franca. To a certain extent this is an advantage – Irish speechwriters are in demand in Brussels – but it is also marginalising.
The Anglophone bubble means that Irish people are more familiar with the dynamics of the US Congress or Westminster than they are with matters with quite direct import for the country and the internal EU balance of power, such as who may replace German chancellor Angela Merkel or the upcoming presidential race in France.
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For Ireland to function effectively in the EU, this will have to change.
With Britain’s exit from the EU, Ireland has lost a major ally in defending its interests. To advocate for itself now, the country will need multilingual advocates who are fluent not just in different languages but also in the history and culture of our EU allies.
Painfully often, the Irish figures in any given room in Brussels are linguistically limited, and it shapes their opportunities and how people behave towards them. It’s assumed that English should be used for the Irish person’s benefit, that translation will be required if other languages are used, and it excludes the Irish person from conversations, opportunities, and involvement.