Speech by Taoiseach Micheál Martin “Tearmann Thar Toinn” Seminar Centre Culturel Irlandais, Paris Thursday, 21 May 2026

Speech

Speech by Taoiseach Micheál Martin "Tearmann Thar Toinn" Seminar Centre Culturel Irlandais, Paris Thursday, 21 May 2026

• From: Department of the Taoiseach

• Published on: 21 May 2026
• Last updated on: 21 May 2026

A Chairde gael;

Tá seanfhocal sa Ghaeilge a deireann gur "fearr Gaeilge briste ná Béarla cliste".

Tá mé chun a bheith cliste agus briste agus labhair libh inniu sa dhá teangachaí !

Ladies and Gentlemen;

I understand that in the 17th and 18th centuries many of the Irish students who came to study here tried often to prolong their studies so that they could stay in Paris. Looking at this beautiful Irish College, situated in one of the most historic parts of Paris close to the Pantheon and the Sorbonne, I can understand why!

This College is one of the finest examples of Ireland's cultural presence in the heart of Europe, throughout the centuries and still today.

As Ireland takes on the Presidency of the European Union for the eighth time, there is continuity in this Irish presence.

From the clerical students who studied here in the Irish College, to the Wild Geese and Merchant Irish who came to the ports of France in the 17th century, to the revolutionaries, such as Wolfe Tone and later the artists, including Eileen Gray, James Joyce and Samuel Beckett.

Our history in France is fundamental to our shared history on the island of Ireland.

Our republic was inspired and shaped by developments here. Our tricolour was brought from Paris in 1848.

Countless young Irish men fought and died under the French flag across the 18th century. Thousands more paid the ultimate sacrifice on French soil during the first war world and thousands more helped liberate France from Nazi Germany fighting with the British and US armies.

Our merchants found business here, our refugees found shelter here and our finest young minds, an education.

I was reminded of this vividly two years ago when I visited the archives at Vincennes. I saw Wolf Tone's last letter as the officer of the French army to his authorities in Paris.

I also saw papers related to Samuel Beckett's service with the French resistance.

Earlier today, I discussed these with President Macron and presented him with a copy of a biography of Daniel O'Connell written by Josephine De Gaulle, Charles de Gaulle's grandmother.

De Gaulle himself, descended from the McCartan family, personified this rich shared history.

As we take on the Presidency of the European Union, in just six weeks, it is good to remind ourselves that this is only the latest chapter in the European story to which we, the Irish, have contributed so much and which we have benefitted so richly from.

To bring elements of this rich history to light, I am delighted to launch a new initiative this evening: the "Journey to Europe: Archives of the Irish in France".

This project will identify material of significant Irish interest housed in French archives and, in collaboration with those archives, digitise this within the framework of the Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland.

The records will be available through a dedicated digital portal for researchers and members of the public.

A variety of themes will be uncovered throughout the two-year project. These will include military and political relations such as Wolfe Tone's mission to France, the Irish Brigade and Irish Legion in the French Army, the network of Irish Colleges teaching priests and lay people alike, and the diaspora of Irish merchants in western France.

Ladies and Gentlemen;

Paris was and remains a crossroads where the great cultural, linguistic and political traditions of Europe and the world meet and converse.

Many of you present this evening are members of the Irish diaspora in France and part of this great tradition.

You are important to us as part of this conversation that is essential to the well-being of our nation and of our continent: the dialogue and cooperation between Europeans.

I want to pay tribute to the Centre Culturel Irlandais for its work in showcasing Irish culture here in Paris and in promoting dialogue between Ireland and France.

I know the Board, Director and Staff who manage the Centre put in an enormous amount of work and have led a process of planning and reflection about the future. They display an enormous amount of commitment and dedication.

The Centre Culturel, in conjunction with Culture Ireland, will lead on elements of our cultural programme in Europe for the Presidency, including a major opening concert in Brussels and an exciting Irish theatre season at Theatre de la Ville here in Paris.

I said earlier that this beautiful and historic place, on Rue des Irlandais, is one of our treasures in Europe. This was the earliest and largest of some 30 Irish colleges built across Europe from the 16th century and is a rare survivor of that network still in Irish hands.

The buildings were financed largely through fundraising in parishes in Ireland during the penal era. From Irish men and women who had little to give and by bequests from the Irish diaspora in France.

Its care is in the hands of the Fondation Irlandais, in partnership with the Irish Government. Every generation has made its contribution and our generation, no less than those that went before us.

As part of the Ireland-France Joint Strategic Framework, the Irish government is committed to support continued investment in the Centre Culturel Irlandais in Paris as Ireland's cultural flagship in Europe.

The CCI has great potential as a place of inspiration for school groups, for the Irish who visit France or who have made their lives here and for the local community. A place of encounter, supporting the growth of our language and our sporting links. A home for the GAA. A place of critical conversations and easy friendship.

A Chairde gael;

Trí chéad bliain ó shin, bhíodh an Ghaeilge le cloistéail ar fud an choláiste seo agus sna sráideannaí thart timpeall ar an rue des Irlandais.

Agus is anseo, beagnach trí chéad bliain ó shin, a d'fhoilsigh Conchubhar Ó Beaglaoich an chéad fhoclóir Béarla-Gaeilge riamh, foclóir ar bronnadh cóip de ar an CCI tráthnóna. Léiriú paiteanta ar thábhacht na hEorpa i scéal na Gaeilge, agus le tábhacht na Gaeilge i scéal na hEorpa, is ea an foclóir seo.

Thug na Choláistí Eireannach i mórthír na hEorpa foscadh agus tacaíocht don léinn i nGaeilge le linn an ochtú aois déag. D'fheadadh compráid a dhéanamh leis an caoi gur thug Eireann foscadh don laidin on 5ú go dti and 7ú aois.

Agus measaim go mbeadh eagarthóir an fhoclóra sin an-sásta go bhfuil an teanga fós le cloistéail i bPáras inniu.

Chuir Lárionad na Gaeilge in Ollscoil Mhá Nuad tús leis na cúrsaí Gaeilge sa CCI - le tacaíocht ó Roinn na Gaeltachta - i mí Mheán Fómhair 2005, agus tá siad ag dul ó neart go neart ó shin.

I mí Mheán Fómhair 2025, d'fhógair an tAire Dara Calleary, an Roinn Forbartha Tuaithe agus Pobail agus Gaeltachta, maoiniú méadaithe do Lárionad na Gaeilge, le forbairt bhreise a dhéanamh ar an togra, agus é 20 bliain ar an bhfód.

Ba mhaith liom moladh a thabhairt don ochtú duine atá ag freastal ar na ranganna Gaeilge anseo.agus dá múinteoir ó Ollscoil Mhá Nuad, Darragh Ó Caoimh. Tuigim go bhfuil Gaeilge breá Chorcaí ag Darragh!

Tá an-obair á dheanamh ag eagraisí cosúil leis An Ghaeltacht Sur Seine chun an teanga agus an cultúr gaelach a neartú anseo.

Nach mbeadh an saol an-leadránach mura mbeadh ach teanga amháin againn?

Tugann gach teanga dearcadh eile dúinn chun an domhain agus an saol a thuiscint. Is cuid de éagsulacht iontach na hEorapa í an Ghaeilge, cosúil leis an bhFraincis , an Iodális , an Spáinnis nó an Ghearmáinis - agus col ceathrar Ceilteach naGaeilge , an Bhriotáinis.

Tá borradh mór ag teacht faoin nGaeilge sa bhaile. Tá éacht déanta ag TG4, Raidió na Gaeltachta agus ag scríbhneoirí cosúil le Manchán Magan chun áilleacht an teanga a chur in iúil.

Agus tá an borradh céanna le feicéail anseo i bPáras agus sa Bhruiséil.

Agus an Ghaeilge anois mar theanga oifigiúil san Aontas Eorpach tá caighdéan gaeilge an-ard anseo ar an mórthír.

Tá sé tábhachtach do thodhchaí an Gaeilge go gcabhródh muid leo siúd atá ag iarraidh an teanga a labhairt anseo agus do ndéanfar gach is féidir chun an pobal agus an cultúr Gaelach a chaomhnú .

Tá an-áthas orm go bhfuil deontas nua á chruthú againn do scoláirí agus dóibh sin a bhíonn ag obair ar son na teanga chun teacht anseo go dtí an Centre Culturel Irlandais ar thréimhse chónaitheachta chun tusicint níos fearr a chur chin cinn faoin Gaeilge sa chomhthéacs Eorpach agus an Gaeilge a chur chun cinn mar theanga beo Eorpach.

Is céim tábhachtach é sin don Gaeilge mar teanga oifigúil san Aontas Eorpach.

Dúirt mé le déanái gur iontach an áit í an Eoraip le bheith ag maireachtáil ann. Is iontach an áit í toisc an éagsúleacht dochreidte cultúrtha atá againn san Eoraip. Is iontach an áit é toisc an meas atá againn ar an éagsúlacht sin agus ar chearta daonna do gach duine.

Is sampla maith den éagsulacht cultúrtha seo fas an Cumann Luthcleas Gael sa Fhrainc . Ta breis agus 1,500 imreoiri anois, an chuid is mó acu Francach. Tá faitíos orm go mbeidh siad ag glacadh páirt i Craobh na Mumhain go luath!

Tá sé an tábhachtach d'Éirinn páirt iomlán a ghlacadh I cultúir agus ilteangachas na hEorpa agus tá an Ghaeilge mar eochair amháín againn chun doras na héagsúlachta sin a oscailt.

Is mór an onóir dom tús a chur leis an gcomhdháil seo "Tearmann Thar Toinn" chun na téamaí seo uilig a phlé.

Go raibh míle maith agaibh !

ENDS

English Translation:

Three hundred years ago Irish was to be heard around this college and in the streets around the rue des irlandais.

And here, nearly three hundred years ago, Conchubhair O Beaglaioch published the first ever English -Irish dictionary , a copy of which was donated to the CCI today. The dictionary is a patent example of the importance of Europe in the history of the Irish language, and the importance of Irish in the story of Europe.

The network of Irish colleges on continental Europe gave shelter and support to Irish language scholarship throughout the 18th century, similar to the how the monasteries in Ireland gave shelter to Latin from the 5th to 7th centuries.

The editor of that dictionary would be delighted that Irish is still spoken here. The Irish language Centre in Maynooth University started the Irish language centre here with the support of Roinn na Gaeltachta in September 2005, and they have been going from strength to strength since then.

In September 2025 Minister Dara Calleary announced increased funding for the project, 20 years after its foundation.

I congratulate the many people who attend Irish classes here and there teacher from Maynooth University, Darragh O Caoimh. I hear Darragh has the very best Cork Irish!

Great work is also being done by organisations such as An Gaeltacht sur Seine to promote Irish language and culture here on the continent.

Would life not be very dull if there were only one language? Every language gives its own insight into life and the world. The Irish language is part of the wonderful cultural diversity of Europe - just like French, Italian, Spanish, German and its celtic cousin Breton.

There is a great energy around the Irish language in Ireland at present. Great work has been done by TG4, Radio na gaeltachta and writers like Manchán Magan in demonstrating the beauty of the language.

This energy is replicated here in Paris and in Brussels.

With the Irish language now as an official EU language there is a high standard of Irish being spoken on the continent.

It will be important for the language that those who wish to use it are encouraged to do so and that we work to sustain Irish language and culture here on the continent.

I am delighted to announce that a new residency will be created here at the CCI to support those working on the language to promote better understanding of Irish in its European context and to promote the language as a living European language.

I said recently that Europe is a great place to live. It is a great place to live because of the wonderful cultural diversity we have in Europe. It is a great place to live because of the respect that exists for diversity and for the human rights of all.

It is crucial for Ireland to stay connected to the multilingualism of Europe and the Irish language remains an important key for us to open the door to that diversity.

It is my honour to open this seminar " Tearmainn thar Tonn" to explore all of these themes.

Thank you.

ENDS