The Gaelic cultures
Gaelic Nations
By Dr Vincent McKee
>Published by Bluestack Press
Price £10.00 (Ireland and Britain); $15.00 (USA and
Canada)
The central theme of this book is the link,
linguistically, between Ireland and Scotland. Dr McKee
looks at the progression of the Gaelic languages in
Scotland and the Six Counties. Despite being
economically starved, both cultures have succeeded in
keeping their languages and cultures alive.
Dr McKee points to the growing phenomenon of the gaelic
culture in Belfast and Derry; in particular he looks at
the growth of Irish medium schools. There are 37
naiscoileanna and 14 Bunscoileanna plus two
meanscoilleanna in the Six Counties. The author is
optimistic about the future of the cultures and why
shouldn't he be - since the book's publication one more
bunscoil has been launched in Derry and plans are in
motion for more naiscoileanna.
Those of us interested in gaelic culture in the Six
Counties and Scotland will be well armed with the
statistics provided by Dr McKee.
This is an excellent study of the Gaelic cultures,
easily read and with heart-warming information.
By Liam O'Faolain
![[An Phoblacht]](http://republican-news.org/graphics/title_gifs/aprn.gif)