Pól Ó Foighil
Pól Ó Foighil | |
---|---|
Galway County Councillor | |
In office 1979–1985 | |
Senator | |
In office 1989–1993 | |
Constituency | Labour Panel |
Galway County Councillor | |
In office 1999–2004 | |
Údarás na Gaeltachta Board Member | |
In office 1979–2004 | |
Comharchumann Inis Méain Teo Manager | |
In office Unknown–2005 | |
Personal details | |
Born | Pól Ó Foighil 1 June 1928 |
Died | 21 March 2005 Galway, Ireland | (aged 76)
Nationality | Irish |
Political party | Fine Gael |
Pól Ó Foighil (1 June 1928 – 21 March 2005) was an
Early life and family
Ó Foighil was born in
One of their four sons, Éanna, a medical student at UCG, committed suicide in 1982. Ó Foighil later spoke on RTÉ television about the impact of suicide on families.[1]
Activism
Ó Foighil's first community development effort was the establishment of group schemes for water supply, leading to the nickname "fear an uisce". He went on establishing Irish-language summer colleges in Connemara, and to develop co-operatives in Connemara, the Aran Islands, and Inishbiggle.[2]
As manager of the co-op on
Political career
His first political contest was as an independent candidate at the
However, in 1989 he was elected to the
As a councillor, Ó Foighil successfully tabled a proposal to the draft
Ó Foighil's proposal was diluted before the development plan was adopted. The final plan required a "language impact statement" only for developments of more than one dwelling. It stated that "Permission will only be granted where the Authority is satisfied that the effect of the development will be beneficial to the usage of the language in the area, if permitted."[13]
The requirements were criticised by
Ó Foighil unsuccessfully sought a nomination to run as a Fine Gael candidate in the
He died on 21 March 2005, aged 76. He had resigned from Galway County Council and Údarás na Gaeltachta in 2004, but had been intending to run as an independent candidate in the 2005 elections to the Údarás.[16]
Legacy
Ó Foighil is the subject of the 2011 TG4/Broadcasting Authority of Ireland funded documentary film, An Tarbh, by Mac Dara Ó Curraidhín.
References
- ^ a b c d "Strong activist for Irish language and west coast communities". The Irish Times. 26 March 2005. Retrieved 19 February 2008.
- ^ "Ó Cuív tribute to late Pól Ó Foighil". RTÉ News. 21 March 2005. Retrieved 19 February 2008.
- ^ Lorna Siggins (16 August 1999). "Energy agency supports proposed Aran windfarm". The Irish Times. Retrieved 19 February 2008.
- ^ "Decision on Inishbiggle cable car by January?". The Western People. 22 October 1997. Archived from the original on 11 November 2004. Retrieved 19 February 2008.
- ^ "Objection to CPO endangers Innisbiggle cable car project". The Irish Times. 6 February 2001. Retrieved 19 February 2008.
- ^ "Islanders are left all at sea". The Irish Times. 10 March 2001. Retrieved 19 February 2008.
- ^ Lorna Siggins (10 December 2005). "Inishbiggle residents lose their 30-year fight for cable-car link". The Irish Times. Retrieved 19 February 2008.
- ^ "Pól Ó Foighil". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 19 February 2008.
- ^ "Pól Ó Foighil". Oirechatas Members Database. Retrieved 19 February 2008.
- ^ "Ó Cuív tribute to late Pól Ó Foighil". RTÉ News. 21 March 2005. Retrieved 19 February 2008.
- ^ "Government knows stakes are high on referendums". The Irish Times. 7 April 2001. Retrieved 19 February 2008.
Many remember the campaign of the former senator, Pól Ó Foighil, to have his constitutional rights as an Irish speaker vindicated in practice as well as in theory. Pól's point was that since Irish was the first official language, he was entitled to have legislation and official documents available to him in that language
- ^ Lorna Siggins (21 December 2002). "Where only fluent Irish speakers need apply". The Irish Times. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
Several years ago, attempts by residents of Carraroe in Co Galway to block local authority housing on grounds that the language would be threatened, received a negative reaction within Galway city. "Fascist" and "a bit Bosnian" is how some residents of the city area described the current proposal when canvassed for a reaction this week.
- ^ "Galway County Development Plan" (PDF). Galway County Council. p. 81. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 November 2007. Retrieved 19 February 2008.
- ^ Liam Fay (18 June 2006). "Comment". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 19 February 2008.[dead link]
- ^ Dara Flynn (20 February 2005). "Ireland: The Market: Language barriers". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 19 February 2008.
- ^ Lorna Siggins (22 March 2005). "Tributes paid to former Fine Gael senator". The Irish Times. Retrieved 19 February 2008.