# Language Politicisation, Revitalisation and Reconciliation

- Institution: Gresham College
- Speaker: Professor Mícheál Ó Mainnín
- Year: 2026
- Level: For everyone
- Language: English
- Subjects: History, Literature and writing, Languages and linguistics
- Source: [Gresham College](https://www.gresham.ac.uk/watch-now/series/language-politics)
- Licence: [Educational use (Gresham College's terms)](https://www.gresham.ac.uk/terms-and-conditions)
- Who can watch: Teens profiles and older (sources give no ratings; placed by Invisible Network from the source's own words)

The Irish language has been associated with politicisation and conflict, particularly in the context of contemporary Northern Ireland identity politics. However, debates around the language extend much further back in time and some key elements of the discourse may be traced to the sixteenth century in particular.This lecture looks at the portrayal of the Irish language by Shakespeare and his contemporaries, and the motivations for some negative stereotypes which were to prove resilient and enduring in later centuries.

## Lectures

1. [Shakespearean England and Views of the Irish Language](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/gresham/series-language-politics/375c5b90881f) (YouTube)