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__̴ı̴̴̡̡̡ ̡͌l̡̡̡ ̡͌l̡*̡̡ ̴̡ı̴̴̡ ̡̡͡|̲̲̲͡͡͡ ̲▫̲͡ ̲̲̲͡͡π̲̲͡͡ ̲̲͡▫̲̲͡͡ ̲|̡̡̡ ̡ ̴̡ı̴̡̡ ̡͌l̡̡̡̡.___

Based on the comments, it seems like the idea that the language effort should be led by the Gaeltacht people is going right over everyone's heads. Should step 1 be to relieve anglophone Irish people of the notion that the language belongs to them and their personal experiences define the language movement? I feel like they fundamentally agree with the author but they're not paying close enough attention to notice.

Oh God, but this. As I mentioned in another thread, I've recently been involved in arguments on Duolingo (I stay there and help, because I hate to see so many people learn from it!) about this. In particular that Irish isn't your native language just because you happen to be Irish! And that your Urban Irish isn't a dialect, but poor learning! And that it's not your damn language to change because you aren't a native speaker - which leads back to point one.

Totally, but this is the same story told a million times where there is an imbalance of power

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Well if I understand the situation, the frustrating thing for me is that it seems like the average anglophone Irishman doesn't want anything to do with the language, or at least doesn't have any strong feelings about it. So with the right initiative, I don't see why a transfer of power to the Gaeltacht people couldn't happen. I don't see why any members of the public wouldn't be amenable to it.

It's not the public, it's the State. Ireland is a very centralised (and centralising country). To do such a transfer would fall foul to a number of conscious barriers and unconscious reflexes.

On a conscious level, state jobs are about patronage, and there is little gain to be had by transferring (albeit a small degree of) power to a group of people that have no real leverage to begin with. There would be an attendant jealousy on the part of insiders who might have gained were some more symbolic quango set up. Also, any even tiny shoot of independence in a country where group-think is all important is unlikely to be discouraged. Finally, certain elements of the media may drum up the old canards of 'waste' and 'better spent on x, y and z' which might gain traction in the wider population.

Unconsciously, whether people admit it or not, Ireland is a heavily Anglo-Saxonized country (not an Anglo-Saxon 'nation' -Britain is not identified with as the mother nation) following Common Law, speaking English, a British-like (and liking!) civil service, aligned with Anglo-American geopolitics, a law and court heritage moulded by the Anglo-Irish, and a general ignorance of anything not Anglo. Anything Gaelic is seen as somehow alien. Irish is treated variously as an irrelevance, a distraction, a joke, a cash cow or a symbol, but it certainly is never given respect.

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__̴ı̴̴̡̡̡ ̡͌l̡̡̡ ̡͌l̡*̡̡ ̴̡ı̴̴̡ ̡̡͡|̲̲̲͡͡͡ ̲▫̲͡ ̲̲̲͡͡π̲̲͡͡ ̲̲͡▫̲̲͡͡ ̲|̡̡̡ ̡ ̴̡ı̴̡̡ ̡͌l̡̡̡̡.___