This week I finished reading Gaeilge: A Radical Revolution by Caoimhín De Barra. The book does an excellent job at describing the many facets of the relationship between Ireland and the Irish language, from ancient history to modern day. De Barra debunks all of the automated responses most of us Irish have inherited about Gaeilge, such as "It's the way it is taught" and "You'd be better off learning Mandarin".