Bunreacht na hÉireann: A study of the Irish text - Volume 2

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question as to the validity of any law having regard to the provisions of the Constitution’ is translated as ‘Ní dhéanfaidh aon ní san alt seo difear d’fheidhmeanna an Ard-Aighne maidir le haon cheist i dtaobh bailíocht aon dlí ag féachaint d’fhorálacha an Bhunreachta’. ‘Such company shall not be entitled to question the validity of the policy’ is translated as ‘ní bheidh an chuideachta san i dteideal dleathacht an pholasaí … do chonspóid’ in s61(5)(a) of the Insurance Act, 1936, with ‘ní fheidhmeoidh aon rún den tsórt san chun dochair do dhleathacht éinní a déanfar roimis sin fén Ordú san’ translating ‘no such resolution shall operate to prejudice the validity of anything previously done under such Order’ in s19 of the Adaptation of Enactments Act, 1922. ‘Validity of purchases from Under Sheriff’ is translated as ‘Éifeachtúlacht ceannuíochtanna ó Fho-Shirriamh’ in the Margin Title of s8 of the Enforcement of Law (Occasional Powers) Act, 1923. Note, finally, that ‘or any valid private interest therein’ is translated as ‘no d’aon cheart dlisteanach príobháideach ’na leith’ in Article 11 of the 1922 Constitution. See further the commentary on Article 44.4.3o. a tharraingt anuas ‘Tarraingt’ is the verbal noun of ‘tarraing’, Ó Dónaill translating ‘tarraing anuas’ as (1) ‘pull, draw, down’ and (2) ‘introduce, bring forward’, citing ‘scéal a tharraingt anuas, to introduce a subject’. Dinneen translates ‘tarraingim anuas’ as ‘I pull down, introduce or mention’. The simple verb ‘tarraing’ comes from ‘do-srenga’, ‘draws, drags, pulls’, this being based on ‘sreng’ (‘string, cord’, Modern Irish ‘sreang’), which itself comes from Old Norse ‘strengr’. DIL cites ‘co motairrngend suas … in lia sain co na drolaibh’ (‘draws up ...’) from the Book of Ballymote, written c. 1400. Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú remarks that ‘a tharraingt anuas’ is the equivalent expression in Irish of ‘raise’ here, citing ‘tharraing sé ceist eile anuas’. ‘Where a person other than the Seanad returning officer proposes to raise a question at the completion of the panels’ is translated as ‘Má bheartaíonn duine seachas ceann comhairimh an tSeanaid ceist a tharraingt anuas le linn comhlánú na rollaí’ in s39(2) of the Seanad Electoral (Panel Members) Act, 1947. ‘An auditor … may … raise any such question as is mentioned in the foregoing sub-section’ is translated as ‘Féadfaidh iniúchóir … aon cheist den tsórt a luaidhtear sa bhfo-alt san roimhe seo … do tharrac anuas’ in s12(2) of the Local Services (Temporary Economies) Act, 1934. ‘Any such question may be raised’ is translated as ‘Féadfar aon cheist den sórt sin a thógáil’ in s166(3) of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 1981, with ‘Where a question is raised as to the disqualification of a person to receive old age pension’ being translated as ‘I gcás ina dtógfar ceist i dtaobh duine a dhícháiliú chun pinsean seanaoise a fháil’ in the following subsection. ‘No question as to its correctness shall be raised on the hearing of an appeal’ is translated as ‘ní chuirfear a chirte faoi cheist le linn éisteacht … a bheith á thabhairt d’achomharc’ in s73(2) of the Income Tax Act, 1967. Note, finally, that ‘to raise a question’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as being translated as ‘ceist do thógaint’ in translations for the Department of Agriculture. trí phléadáil ‘Pléadáil’ is translated as ‘plea’ in Téarmaí Dlí, this being the verbal noun of ‘pléadáil’, translated as

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‘plead’ in Ó Dónaill, who also gives the sense of ‘disputation, wrangle’. Dinneen translates ‘pléideail’ as ‘act of disputing, wrangling, jibing, pleading’, being followed by the abbreviation for ‘Ulster’. DIL gives but two citations of ‘pléideáil’, ‘pleading (a suit)’, both from O’Molloy’s Lucerna Fidelium (1676), this word perhaps being a formation from English ‘plead’, according to DIL, with ‘plé’ (‘pleading [a suit], arguing, disputing’) almost certainly coming from ‘plea’, according to Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú. ‘Without amendment of any writ, pleading, or other document’ is translated as ‘gan aon eascaire, pléadáil nó doiciméad eile a leasú’ in s107(2)(h) of the Building Societies Act, 1989. ‘The repeal of any enactment by this Act shall not … affect any established jurisdiction, form or course of pleading, practice or procedure derived from the repealed enactment’ is translated as ‘Ní dhéanfaidh aisghairm aon achtacháin leis an Acht seo … difear d’aon dlínse, foirm nó cúrsa pléadála, cleachtas nó nós imeachta atá bunaithe agus a tháinig ón achtachán aisghairthe’ in s9(5) of the Succession Act, 1965. Looking at early Acts, ‘but nothing in this Act shall prevent any registered decree being pleaded and given in evidence by way of defence or set off in any proceeding’ is translated as ‘ach ní choiscfidh éinní san Acht so aon aithne chláruithe do phléideáil agus do thabhairt mar fhianaise chun cosanta no mar chur in aghaidh ní eile in aon imeachta’ in s5(5) of the Dáil Éireann Courts (WindingUp) Act, 1923. Note that ‘pléideáil’ also translates ‘plea’, with ‘In any such action tender of amends before the action was commenced may, in lieu of or in addition to any other plea, be pleaded’ being translated as ‘In ionad no i dteanta aon phléideála eile féadfar a phléideáil in aon aicsean den tsórt san gur tairgeadh sásamh sarar tosnuíodh an t-aicsean’ in s200(2) of the Defence Forces (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923. argóint This headword is translated as ‘argument’ in Téarmaí Dlí, citing ‘argóint dhlíthiúil, legal argument’. Ó Donaill gives ‘argóint’ as a verbal noun of ‘argóin’, the noun ‘argóint’ being translated simply as ‘argument’. ‘Argúint’ is the form of the headword in Dinneen (‘argóint’ given as a variant), translated as ‘act of arguing’, Dinneen also giving ‘argúinteacht, argumentation’. ‘After hearing argument on the appeal’ is translated as ‘tar éis argóint ar an achomharc a éisteacht’ in s431(1) of the Income Tax Act, 1967, with ‘tar éis argóna ar an athchomharc san d’éisteacht’ translating ‘after hearing argument on such appeal’ in s9(1) of the Finance Act, 1932. Taobh amuigh de chás dá socraítear a mhalairt ‘Save as otherwise provided by this Act’ is translated as ‘Ach amháin mar a fhoráiltear a mhalairt leis an Acht seo’ in s3(2)(b) of the Criminal Justice Act, 1990, this same English phrase being translated as ‘Ach amháin sa chás dá bhforáltar a mhalairt san Acht so’ in s157(1) of the Defence Forces (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923. See further the commentary on Articles 13.9, 15.11.1o and 25.2.1o. beidh dlínse ‘The jurisdiction under section 685 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1894, shall not extend to an application for compensation under this Act’ is translated as ‘Ní shroichfidh an dlínse faoi alt 685 den Merchant


A study of the Irish text

Shipping Act, 1894, chun iarratas ar chúiteamh faoin Acht seo’ in s24 of the Malicious Injuries Act, 1981. In s1 of Article 24 of the Second Schedule to the Arbitration Act, 1980, ‘The jurisdiction of the centre shall extend to any legal dispute arising directly out of an investment’ is translated as ‘Sroichfidh dlínse an Lárionaid chuig aon díospóid dhlíthiúil a eascróidh go díreach ó infheistíocht’. Finally, in s69(3) of the Land Act, 1923, ‘the jurisdiction of the County Court shall extend to any such proceedings’ is translated as ‘leathfidh údarás na Cúirte Contae chun na n-imeachta san’, with ‘Provided that the liabilitity of a Clerk of the Crown and Peace … shall not extend to any such increase in salary’ being translated as ‘Ach an ceangal a bheidh ar Chléireach Coróinneach agus Síochána … ní shroisfe sé aon mhéadú tuarastail den tsórt san’ in s14 of the Electoral Act, 1923. Commenting on the direct translation below, Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú favours the variant ‘bainfidh dlínse na hArd-Chúirte le’ as being more intelligible than ‘sroichfidh dlínse na hArd-Chúirte chun’. ná eile ‘To recover any sum not exceeding £2,500 due to or recoverable by or on behalf of the State whether by way of penalty, debt or otherwise’ is translated as ‘chun aon suim a ghnóthú nach mó ná £2,500 atá dlite don Stát nó inghnóthaithe ag an Stát nó thar a cheann, cibé acu ar mhodh pionóis, féich nó eile’ in s6(a)(iii) of the Courts Act, 1981. ‘In relation to an order under this section creating a fisheries region (whether by union, subdivision or otherwise)’ is translated as ‘i ndáil le hordú faoin alt seo ag cruthú réigiúin iascaigh (trí nascadh, foroinnt nó ar dhóigh eile)’ in s10(13) of the Fisheries Act, 1980. Looking at ‘otherwise’ in early Acts, ‘shall be administered by the District Councils or otherwise as the County Council … may determine’ is translated as ‘riarfar é ag na Comhairlí Ceanntair no ar aon chuma eile a cheapfidh an Chomhairle Chontae’ in s12 of the ‘Galway County Scheme’ in the Schedule to the Local Government (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923, with ‘The Accounts of the Committee shall be audited half-yearly by the Auditor of the Local Government Department, or otherwise in accordance with such Orders or Regulations as may be made by that Department’ being translated as ‘Iniúchfar Cuntaisí an Choiste uair sa leath-bhliain ag Iniúchóir Roinn an Rialtais Áitiúla no, neachtar acu, do réir pé Orduithe no Rialacháin a dhéanfaidh an Roinn sin’ in s15. ‘And otherwise to enable the Trust to carry out the purposes of the said section’ is translated as ‘agus chun a chur ar chumas an Chóluchta ar shlite eile crícheanna an ailt sin do thabhairt chun críche’ in the Preamble to the Land Trust Powers Act, 1923. Finally, ‘an authorised undertaker shall not divest himself, by transfer or otherwise, of any such power … as is mentioned’ is translated as ‘ní scarfidh gnóthaire údaruithe, tré aistriú ná eile, le haon chomhacht … a luaidhtear’ in 70(2) of the Electricity (Supply) Act, 1927. dá socraítear See the commentary on Articles 8.3 and 15.5.2o regarding ‘socraigh’; ‘dá’ is a compound of the preposition ‘do’ and the relative particle ‘a’.

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Direct translation Ach amháin mar a fhoráiltear1 a mhalairt leis an Airteagal seo, sroichfidh dlínse na hArd-Chúirte chun 2 ceist bhailíocht aon dlí ag féachaint d’fhorálacha an Bhunreachta seo, agus ní ardófar aon cheist den sórt sin (cibé acu trí phléadáil, trí argóint nó eile) in aon Chúirt arna bunú faoin Airteagal seo nó faoi aon Airteagal eile seachas san Ard-Chúirt nó sa Chúirt Uachtarach3.

Variants 1 ‘mar a bhforáiltear’ 2 ‘bainfidh dlínse na hArd-Chúirte le’ 3 ‘seachas an Ard-Chúirt nó an Chúirt Uachtarach’

ARTICLE 34.3.3O

AIRTEAGAL 34.3.3O

TÉACS GAEILGE

Ní bheidh dlínse ag Cúirt ar bith chun bailíocht dhlí nó fhorála ar bith de dhlí a chur in amhras is dlí a ndearna an tUachtarán an Bille lena aghaidh a chur faoi bhreith na Cúirte Uachtaraí faoi Airteagal 26 den Bhunreacht seo, ná chun bailíocht fhorála de dhlí a chur in amhras má rinne an tUachtarán an fhoráil chomhréire sa Bhille le haghaidh an dlí sin a chur faoi bhreith na Cúirte Uachtaraí faoin Airteagal sin 26. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

No Court will have jurisdiction to put in doubt the validity of a law or of any provision of a law which is a law that the President submitted the Bill for it to the Supreme Court for decision under Article 26 of this Constitution, nor to put in doubt the validity of a provision of a law if the President submitted the corresponding provision in the Bill for that law to the Supreme Court for decision under that Article 26. ENGLISH TEXT

No Court whatever shall have jurisdiction to question the validity of a law, or any provision of a law, the Bill for which shall have been referred to the Supreme Court by the President under Article 26 of this Constitution, or to question the validity of a provision of a law where the corresponding provision in the Bill for such law shall have been referred to the Supreme Court by the President under the said Article 26.

Divergences between the official texts 1 2

‘To question’ is twice rendered as ‘a chur in amhras’ (‘to put in doubt’) in the Irish text. ‘Referred to the Supreme Court’ is twice rendered as ‘a chur faoi bhreith na Cúirte Uachtaraí’ (‘submitted to the Supreme Court for determination/decision’) in the Irish text, as we have seen earlier.

Note that this is a new subsection inserted by the Second Amendment of the Constitution Act, 1941.

ag féachaint d(o) See the commentary on Article 16.2.4o. ní cead See the commentary on Article 9.1.3o.

Commentary bailíocht dhlí nó fhorála ar bith de dhlí According to the official standard, ‘dlí’ would not be lenited here in the


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genitive case following ‘bailíocht’ – d, t, s are usually not lenited after d, n, t, l, s, according to s6(I) of the chapter entitled ‘Séimhiú agus Urú’ in An Caighdeán Oifigiúil, ‘cúirt dúiche’ being the relevant example cited there. One could also argue that ‘forála’, being qualified by ‘ar bith’, should also remain unlenited, the rule being that if followed by an adjective (and ‘ar bith’ here functions as an adjectival phrase) the noun in the genitive case following a feminine noun remains unlenited (see s6(I)(c), ibid, where ‘scian coise duibhe’ is given as an example). Note that ‘the question of the validity of any law’ is rendered as ‘(maidir leis) an gceist sin bail a bheith nó gan a bheith ar aon dlí áirithe’ in the previous subsection – see the commentary on Article 34.3.2o. a chur in amhras ‘Amhras a chur i rud, to cast doubt on something’ is cited in Ó Dónaill, who translates ‘amhras’ primarily as ‘doubt’, with the secondary sense of ‘suspicion’, citing ‘amhras a tharraingt, a chaitheamh ar dhuine, to draw, cast, suspicion on someone’. Dinneen translates ‘amhras’ as ‘doubt, suspicion, anxiety, distrust’, with ‘sochar an amhrais’ being translated as ‘benefit of the doubt’ in Téarmaí Dlí. The earlier form ‘am(a)ires’, literally ‘unbelief’, is composed of the negative particle ‘am-’ and ‘iress’ (‘faith’), and in Old Irish had the (theological) sense of ‘lack of faith’ (with the sense ‘religious doubt’ in later religious contexts), with the general sense of ‘doubt, disbelief, incredulity’. DIL cites ‘arna tarta amiris … don lobur hiressach’ (‘lest he bring unfaith … to the weak believer’) from the eighth-century Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles. ‘If any person aggrieved by a compulsory purchase order … desires to question its validity’ is translated as ‘Aon duine arb éagóir leis ordú ceannaigh éigeantaigh … agus ar mian leis a bhailíocht a chur i gceist’ in s78(2) of the Housing Act, 1966. ‘To question the validity of such election of such person’ is translated as ‘chun dleathacht an toghacháin sin an duine sin do chonspóid’ in s4(1) of the Local Authorities (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1936. In s17(3) of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1931, ‘If any person aggrieved by an order desires to question its validity’ is translated as ‘Más mian le héinne ar a ngoillfidh ordú amhrus do chaitheamh ar dhleathacht an orduithe sin’. ‘Nor shall the verdict thereon be impeached or questioned on account of the return of such person as a juror’ is translated as ‘ná ní déanfar breith an choiste sa triail sin do choiriú ná do chur in amhras mar gheall ar an duine sin do bheith cláruithe mar choisteoir’ in s3(3) of the County Courts (Amendment) Act, 1923. Finally, ‘Certificate of validity questioned’ is translated as ‘Deimhniú ar dhleathacht do theacht i gceist’ in the Margin Title of s132 of the Industrial and Commercial Property (Protection) Act, 1927, with ‘that the validity of any claim in the specification of the patent came in question’ being translated as ‘go dtáinig dleathacht aon éilimh in áireamhacht na paitinne i gceist’ in s132(1). an fhoráil chomhréire ‘Comhréire’ is the genitive singular of ‘comhréir’ as attributive adjective. Ó Dónaill translates ‘comhréir’ as (1) ‘accord, congruity’, (2) ‘proportion’ – translating ‘i gcomhréir (le)’ as ‘proportioned (to)’ – and (3) ‘syntax’. ‘I gcomhréir le’ is translated as ‘consistent with’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘Cóimhréir’ is translated as ‘congruity, construction, syntax, concord, analogy; uniformity’ in

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Dinneen, while DIL translates ‘comríar’ as ‘submission, control, attendance’, this headword being based on ‘ríar’, translated principally as ‘will, wish, demand, request, decision’ in DIL. ‘As a reference to the corresponding provision of this Act’ is translated as ‘mar thagairt don fhoráil chomhréire den Acht seo’ in s124(4) of the Building Societies Act, 1989, as in s97(5) of the Building Societies Act, 1976. ‘A reference to the corresponding provision’ is translated as ‘tagairt don fhoráil chomhréireach’ in s24(1)(b) of the Finance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1968, with ‘there shall be substituted a reference to the corresponding provision contained in Part II’ being translated as ‘cuirfar tagairt don fhoráil chó-réire atá i gCuid II’ in the Third Schedule to the Finance Act, 1929. See the commentary on Article 19.1, where ‘comhrollaí’ expresses ‘corresponding panels’, for early citations from the Acts. a chur faoi bhreith ‘Cás a chur faoi bhreith duine’ is translated as ‘to submit a case to someone for determination’ in Ó Dónaill. DIL cites ‘ní nár dhuit dol fár mbreithne’ (‘… to yield to our judgment’) from the seventeenthcentury ‘Contention of the Bards’. See the commentary on Articles 15.11.1o, 26.3.1o and 34.3.1o regarding ‘breith’ and the commentary on Article 26 regarding ‘a chur faoi bhreith’.

Standardised Irish text Ní bheidh dlínse ag Cúirt ar bith chun bailíocht dlí nó forála ar bith de dhlí a chur in amhras is dlí a ndearna an tUachtarán an Bille lena aghaidh a chur faoi bhreith na Cúirte Uachtaraí faoi Airteagal 26 den Bhunreacht seo, ná chun bailíocht fhorála de dhlí a chur in amhras má rinne an tUachtarán an fhoráil chomhréire sa Bhille le haghaidh an dlí sin a chur faoi bhreith na Cúirte Uachtaraí faoin Airteagal sin 26.

Direct translation Ní bheidh dlínse ag Cúirt ar bith chun bailíocht dlí, nó aon fhorála de dhlí, a cheistiú, a mbeidh an Bille lena aghaidh tarchurtha1 chun na Cúirte Uachtaraí ag an Uachtarán faoi Airteagal 26 den Bhunreacht seo, nó chun bailíocht forála dlí2 a cheistiú a mbeidh an fhoráil chomhréire sa Bhille le haghaidh an dlí sin tarchurtha1 chun na Cúirte Uachtaraí ag an Uachtarán faoin Airteagal 26 a dúradh3.

Variants 1 ‘curtha’ 2 ‘forála de dhlí’ 3 ‘faoin Airteagal sin 26’

ARTICLE 34.3.4O

AIRTEAGAL 34.3.4O

TÉACS GAEILGE

Beidh ar na Cúirteanna Céadchéime, fairis sin, Cúirteanna ag a mbeidh dlínse theoranta áitiúil maille le ceart achomhairc ina n-aghaidh faoi mar a chinnfear le dlí. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Among the Courts of First Instance, moreover, will be


A study of the Irish text

Courts which will have limited local jurisdiction along with a right of appeal against them as will be determined by law. ENGLISH TEXT

The Courts of First Instance shall also include Courts of local and limited jurisdiction with a right of appeal as determined by law. Note that Article 34.3.4o was originally Article 34.3.3o before the Second Amendment of the Constitution Act, 1941.

Divergences between the official texts 1

2

3

4

‘With a right of appeal’ is expressed as ‘maille le ceart achomhairc ina n-aghaidh’ (‘along with a right of appeal against them’) in the Irish text. ‘Courts of local and limited jurisdiction’ is expressed as ‘Cúirteanna ag a mbeidh dlínse theoranta áitiúil’ (‘Courts which will have limited local jurisdiction’) in the Irish text, though this can also be read as ‘Courts which will have limited and local jurisdiction’, the conjunction ‘agus’ sometimes not being written between two qualifying adjectives. ‘The Courts … shall include’ is expressed as ‘Beidh ar na Cúirteanna’ (‘Among the Courts will be’) in the Irish text, as we saw in Articles 34.2 and 34.3. ‘Also’ is expressed as ‘fairis sin’, ‘along with that’, as we have seen in some earlier Articles; this phrase is preceded and followed by commas in the Irish text alone.

Note that Article 64 of the 1922 Constitution contains the following: The Courts of First Instance shall include a High Court ..., and also Courts of local and limited jurisdiction, with a right of appeal as determined by law. Ar na Cúirteanna Céad-Chéime beidh Ard-Chúirt, … agus fós Cúirteanna go mbeidh a n-údarás go háitiúil agus go teoranta maille le ceart aith-éisteachta mar a cinnfear le dlí.

Commentary faoi mar ‘Faoi mar’ is translated as ‘according as’ by Ó Dónaill s.v. ‘mar’, citing ‘faoi mar atáimid ag dul ar aghaidh, at the rate at which we are progressing’, with the conjunction ‘mar’ being translated as ‘as’. Ó Dónaill s.v. ‘faoi’, translates ‘faoi mar’ as ‘as if, as’, citing ‘faoi mar a bheadh fearg air, as if he were angry’ and ‘faoi mar ba ghnáth leis, as was usual for him’. Dinneen gives ‘féibh mar’, ‘fé mar’ and ‘fá mar’ as ‘strengthened forms’ of ‘mar’, translating these forms as ‘just or exactly as’, citing ‘féibh mar léightear, as we read’. The original sense of ‘feb’ may be ‘way, manner, kind’, the meaning implicit in the adverbial use, according to DIL, the only form in the Glosses being the dative singular ‘feib’/‘fib’ (with force of a relative adverb), which Thurneysen regards as the dative singular of ‘fuí’ (‘quality, worth’). DIL cites the following from the ninth-century St Gall Glosses on Priscian as an example of the dative in the sense of ‘as, according as, in like manner as’: ‘feib fondúair som la auctora’ (‘as he has found it in authors’). ‘Mar’ comes from ‘immar’, which is not found in the Old Irish Glosses, DIL citing examples of ‘mar’ as a conjunction in the sense of ‘as, like as’ (‘express-

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ing manner or implying a comparison’) from Leabhar na hUidhre (written in Clonmacnois c. 1100) onwards. Turning to the Acts, in s208(1) of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 1981, ‘In the case of a person who has no means as determined by this Chapter’ is translated as ‘I gcás duine gan acmhainn mar a bheidh cinnte leis an gCaibidil seo’. ‘Order him to pay … a sum not exceeding the full value of the article as determined by the court’ is translated as ‘a ordú dó suim nach lú ná luach iomlán an earra, mar a chinnfidh an chúirt é, a íoc’ in s25(2) of the Pawnbrokers Act, 1964. Finally, ‘to pay in respect of the dwelling a rent equal to the lawful rent of the dwelling as determined by the said order’ is translated as ‘cíos a íoc i leith na teaghaise is comhionann le cíos dleathach na teaghaise mar a cinneadh sin leis an ordú sin’ in s23(1)(c)(iii) of the Rent Restrictions Act, 1960. See Article 64 of the 1922 Constitution above. áitiúil This adjective is translated as ‘local’ in Ó Dónaill, ‘áiteamhail’ being similarly translated in Dinneen. ‘Áitiúil’ is based on ‘áit’, ‘átt’ being perhaps the original form of this word, DIL translating ‘áitt’ as ‘place, situation, position, dwelling’, citing ‘co cach inchruth a thige inna áttaib córaib’ (‘with all the furniture of the house in its proper position’) from the law-text Críth Gablach, compiled in the opening years of the eighth century. Note, in passing, that ‘locally’ is translated as ‘ina cheanntar féin’ in Iris an Phoist, 14/3/28, with ‘locally’ in the sense of ‘from local office’ being translated as ‘ón oifig áitiúil’ in Iris an Phoist, 28/4/26. ‘If work is done locally’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as being translated as ‘má dintear an obair cois baile’ in translations for the Department of Finance. maille le This phrase is translated as ‘with, along with’ in Ó Dónaill, as ‘together with, along with, by means of, because’ in Dinneen – see the commentary on Articles 23 and 10.1. Beidh ar See the commentary on Article 34.2. fairis sin See the commentary on Article 10.4. dlínse See the commentary on Articles 3 and 34.3.2o. theoranta See the commentary on Article 34.1.

Direct translation Ar na Cúirteanna Céadchéime beidh1 Cúirteanna dlínse áitiúla teoranta2 chomh maith3 a mbeidh ceart achomhairc acu mar a chinnfear le dlí.

Variants 1 ‘Áireofar ar na Cúirteanna Céadchéime’ 2 ‘Cúirteanna dlínse áitiúla agus teoranta’ 3 ‘chomh maith,’, ‘freisin’

ARTICLE 34.4 AIRTEAGAL 34.4 TÉACS GAEILGE

1o

An Chúirt Uachtarach is teideal don Chúirt Achomhairc Dheiridh.


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2o

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An Príomh-Bhreitheamh is teideal d’uachtarán na Cúirte Uachtaraí.

Bunreacht na hÉireann

An Príomh-Bhreitheamh See the commentary on Articles 14.2.1o and 31.2.

LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

1o 2o

It is the Supreme Court which is the title of the Court of Final Appeal. / The Supreme Court is the title of the Court of Final Appeal. It is the Chief Justice which is the title of the president of the Supreme Court. / The Chief Justice is the title of the president of the Supreme Court.

Direct translation 1o 2o

An Chúirt Uachtarach a thabharfar ar an gCúirt Achomhairc Dheiridh. An Príomh-Bhreitheamh a thabharfar ar uachtarán na Cúirte Uachtaraí.

ENGLISH TEXT

1o 2o

The Court of Final Appeal shall be called the Supreme Court. The president of the Supreme Court shall be called the Chief Justice.

ARTICLE 34.4.3O

AIRTEAGAL 34.4.3O

Divergences between the official texts 1

‘Shall be called’ is expressed as ‘is teideal do’, ‘is the title of’, in the Irish text.

Note that Article 64 of the 1922 Constitution contains the following: These Courts shall comprise Courts of First Instance and a Court of Final Appeal to be called the Supreme Court. Beidh ar na Cúirteanna so Cúirteanna Céad-Chéime agus Cúirt Aith-éisteachta Deire dá ngairmfear an Chúirt Uachtarach.

Commentary is teideal do ‘Teideal’ is translated as ‘title’ in Ó Dónaill and in Téarmaí Dlí – see the commentary on Article 28.5.1o. ‘Titul’ is translated in DIL as (a) ‘title, heading’, (b) ‘epithet, title’, citing ‘gairm 7 teidiol Chríost’ from Keating’s seventeenth-century Eochair-sgiath an Aifrinn, and (c) ‘prescriptive right, title (in legal sense)’. The phrase ‘is teideal do’ parallels the common ‘is ainm do’. In s2(1) of the Sixth Amendment of the Constitution (Adoption) Act, 1979, for example, following earlier Acts amending the Constitution, ‘The amendment of the Constitution effected by this Act shall be called the Sixth Amendment of the Constitution’ is translated as ‘An Séú Leasú ar an mBunreacht a bhéarfar ar an leasú a dhéantar ar an mBunreacht leis an Acht seo’. ‘A body established under the said subsection (1) shall be called and known by such title as may be specified in the establishment order’ is translated as ‘Is é cibé teideal a shonrófar san ordú bunaithe a thabharfar ar chomhlacht, agus a ghairfear de chomhlacht, a bhunófar faoin bhfo-alt sin (1)’ in s3(5) of the Local Government Services (Corporate Bodies) Act, 1971. In s13(1) of the Health Act, 1970, ‘There shall be appointed … a person who shall be called and shall act as the chief executive officer of the board’ is translated as ‘Ceapfar … duine ar a dtabharfar príomh-oifigeach feidhmiúcháin an bhoird agus a ghníomhóidh mar phríomh-oifigeach feidhmiúcháin don bhord’. Finally, ‘The central office shall be under the management and control of an officer who shall be called the Registrar of Titles’ is translated as ‘Beidh an phríomhoifig faoi bhainistíocht agus urlámhas oifigigh dá ngairfear Cláraitheoir na dTeideal’ in s9(1) of the Registration of Title Act, 1964.

TÉACS GAEILGE

Taobh amuigh de cibé eisceachtaí agus faoi chuimsiú cibé rialacha a ordófar le dlí, beidh dlínse achomhairc ag an gCúirt Uachtarach ar bhreitheanna uile na hArd-Chúirte agus, fairis sin, ar na breitheanna sin ó chúirteanna eile a ordófar le dlí. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Apart from whatever exceptions and within the constraint/ scope of whatever rules that will be enjoined by law, the Supreme Court will have appellate jurisdiction on all the judgements of the High Court and, moreover, on those judgements by other courts that will be enjoined by law. ENGLISH TEXT

The Supreme Court shall, with such exceptions and subject to such regulations as may be prescribed by law, have appellate jurisdiction from all decisions of the High Court, and shall also have appellate jurisdiction from such decisions of other courts as may be prescribed by law.

Divergences between the official texts 1 2

3

4

5

6

‘Regulations’ is expressed as ‘rialacha’, ‘rules’, in the Irish text. ‘Appellate jurisdiction from’ is expressed as ‘dlínse achomhairc … ar’ (‘appellate jurisdiction on’) in the Irish text, with ‘appellate jurisdiction’ being repeated in the English text alone. ‘As may be prescribed by law’ is twice expressed as ‘a ordófar le dlí’ (‘as will be enjoined by law’) in the Irish text, as we have seen earlier. ‘With such exceptions’ is expressed as ‘Taobh amuigh de cibé eisceachtaí’ (‘apart from whatever exceptions’) in the Irish text, ‘such regulations’ being expressed as ‘cibé rialacha’ (‘whatever rules’). ‘And shall also’ is expressed as ‘agus, fairis sin,’ (‘and, moreover,’) in the Irish text, the comma preceding the ‘and’ in the English text, no comma following ‘also’. ‘Subject to’ is expressed as ‘faoi chuimsiú’ (‘within the constraint/scope of’) in the Irish text, as we have seen in many earlier Articles.

Note that Article 66 of the 1922 Constitution commences as follows:


A study of the Irish text

The Supreme Court of the Irish Free State (Saorstát Éireann) shall, with such exceptions (not including cases which involve questions as to the validity of any law) and subject to such regulations as may be prescribed by law, have appellate jurisdiction from all decisions of the High Court. Gan dochar do pé rialacha agus maille le pé eisceachtaí a cinnfear le dlí (lasmuich d’aon chás do thabharfadh ceist dlisteanachta aon dlí anuas) beidh údarás aith-éisteachta ag Cúirt Uachtarach Shaorstáit Éireann ar gach breith den Ard-Chúirt.

Commentary dlínse achomhairc This phrase is translated as ‘appellate jurisdiction’ in Téarmaí Dlí and in Ó Dónaill, ‘achomhairc’ (‘appeal’) as an attributive genitive – see the commentary on Article 34.2 regarding ‘achomharc’. ‘With such appellate jurisdiction as is prescribed by the Constitution’ is translated as ‘agus pé údarás achomhairc aici a horduítear leis an mBunreacht’ in s18 of the Courts of Justice Act, 1924. ‘Whether in a court of first instance or a court having appellate jurisdiction in respect of such proceedings’ is translated as ‘pé’ca i gcúirt chéad-chéime é no i gcúirt go ndlighinse athchomharcach maidir leis na himeachta san’ in s2(3) of the Electricity (Supply) (Amendment) Act, 1935. ‘No appeal from any order made under subsection (5) shall be brought after the expiration of one month from the date of perfection of the order’ is translated as ‘Ní thionscnófar aon achomharc i gcoinne aon ordaithe faoi fho-alt (5) tar éis mí a bheith caite ón dáta ar cuireadh an t-ordú i gcrích’ in s105(7) of the Building Societies Act, 1989. ‘An order made by a court on appeal from another court shall be treated as if it had been made by that other court’ is translated as ‘déileálfar le hordú a rinne cúirt ar achomharc ó chúirt eile ionann is dá mba í an chúirt eile sin a rinne é’ in s1(2) of the Family Law (Protection of Spouses and Children) Act, 1981. a ordófar See the commentary on Article 27.2. ‘Such court established under this Constitution as may be established by law’ is rendered as ‘cibé cúirt do bunuigheadh faoin mBunreacht so agus a ordóchar le dligheadh’ in the new subsection 2o of Article 41.3 proposed by the Tenth Amendment of the Constitution Bill, 1986 [as outlined in s1 of Part II of the Electoral (Amendment) Act, 1986] to be substituted for Article 41.3.2o. ‘Or such other sum as may be prescribed by the Central Bank in regulations’ is translated as ‘nó cibé suim eile a fhorordóidh an Banc Ceannais i rialacháin’ in s17(10) of the Building Societies Act, 1989. ‘Within such period as may be prescribed by regulations under this section’ is translated as ‘laistigh de cibé tréimhse a fhorordófar le rialacháin faoin alt seo’ in s11(1) of the Maternity Protection of Employees Act, 1981. eisceachtaí The plural form of ‘eisceacht’, translated as ‘exception’ in Téarmaí Dlí, Ó Dónaill and Dinneen, DIL giving examples of ‘uisgeacht’ from Keating’s seventeenth-century Three Shafts of Death, stating that the first edition of that work had ‘eisceacht’. See the commentary on Article 11. rialacha See the commentary on Article 6.1 regarding ‘riail’ and see the commentary on Article 12.5 regarding ‘rialaigh’, ‘regulate’. ‘Rialachán’ translates ‘regulation’ in

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the modern Acts. Note that De Bhaldraithe, while translating this sense of ‘regulation’ as ‘rialachán’, cites ‘hospital regulations, rialacha ospidéil ’. faoi chuimsiú See the commentary on Articles 12.5 and 18.7.2o. fairis sin See the commentary on Article 10.4.

Direct translation Beidh ag an gCúirt Uachtarach, leis na heisceachtaí sin agus faoi réir na rialachán sin1 a fhorordófar le dlí, dlínse achomhairc ó chinntí uile na hArd-Chúirte, agus beidh dlínse achomhairc aici chomh maith2 ó na cinntí sin3 le4 cúirteanna eile a fhorordófar le dlí.

Variants 1 2 3 4

‘le cibé eisceachtaí agus faoi réir cibé rialachán’ ‘freisin’ ‘ó cibé cinntí’ ‘de chuid’

ARTICLE 34.4.4O

AIRTEAGAL 34.4.4O

TÉACS GAEILGE

Ní cead aon dlí a achtú a chuirfeadh ar an taobh amuigh de dhlínse achomhairc na Cúirte Uachtaraí cásanna ina mbeadh ceisteanna le réiteach i dtaobh bail a bheith nó gan a bheith ar aon dlí, ag féachaint d’fhorálacha an Bhunreachta seo. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

It is not permitted to enact any law which would put beyond the appellate jurisdiction of the Supreme Court cases in which questions needed to be settled regarding any law’s having validity or not, having regard to the provisions of this Constitution. ENGLISH TEXT

No law shall be enacted excepting from the appellate jurisdiction of the Supreme Court cases which involve questions as to the validity of any law having regard to the provisions of this Constitution.

Divergences between the official texts 1

2

3

‘Cases which involve questions’ is expressed as ‘cásanna ina mbeadh ceisteanna le réiteach’ (‘cases in which questions needed to be settled’) in the Irish text. ‘Excepting from the … jurisdiction’ is expressed as ‘a chuirfeadh ar an taobh amuigh de dhlínse …’ (‘which would put on the outside of the … jurisdiction’) in the Irish text. ‘Questions as to the validity of any law’ is expressed as ‘ceisteanna … i dtaobh bail a bheith nó gan a bheith ar aon dlí’ (‘questions regarding any law having or not having validity’) in the Irish text, this Irish expression being also found earlier.


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‘No … shall be’ is expressed as ‘Ní cead’ (‘It is not permitted’) in the Irish text, as we have seen in some earlier Articles.

Commentary ar an taobh amuigh de ‘Taobh amuigh de’ is generally used, without preceding article, in the sense of ‘outside of’, ‘apart from’, as we have seen in the previous subsection – ‘Taobh amuigh de cibé eisceachtaí’, literally ‘Apart from such exceptions’. Ó Dónaill cites ‘taobh amuigh den gheata, outside the gate’ and ‘taobh amuigh de sin, apart from that’, translating ‘ar an taobh amuigh de’ as ‘at most’. Ó Dónaill translates ‘an taobh amuigh’ as ‘the outside, the exterior’, citing ‘bíodh an taobh amuigh agat, get out’. ‘Ar an dtaobh amuigh de’ is translated as ‘on the outside, at most’ in Dinneen, who cites ‘taobh amuigh de sin, not counting that’. DIL cites ‘ataid don taobh amuigh don Eaglais’ from Parrthas an Anma (1645). See the commentary on Articles 12.3.3o and 13.9 regarding ‘taobh amuigh/istigh’. Modern Irish ‘amuigh’ comes from Middle Irish ‘ammaig’, earlier ‘immaig’, literally ‘in the plain’ (‘mag’, Modern Irish ‘maigh’/‘má’ (‘plain’) as in ‘Maigh Nuad’, ‘Maynooth’) – in early Irish laws, ‘in fer amuigh’ (literally, ‘the man outside’) refers to the ‘plaintiff’. See the commentary on Articles 21.2.2o and 48 respectively regarding ‘istigh’ and ‘amach’. De Bhaldraithe translates ‘except’ as ‘eiscim, déanaim eisceacht de, fágaim amach, fágaim as’, translating ‘present company excepted’ as ‘ach amháin a bhfuil láithreach’. ‘Power of High Court … to except innocent act from being illegal practice’ is translated as ‘Comhacht ag an Ard-Chúirt … gníomh nea-chiontach d’eisceacht o bheith ina chleacht nea-dhleathach’ in the Margin Title of s28 of the Prevention of Electoral Abuses Act, 1923. ‘This Act applies to every company which … is not excepted from this Act by the next sub-section’ is translated as ‘Baineann an tAcht so le gach cuideachtain … ná dintar í eisceacht ón Acht so leis an gcéad fho-alt eile’ in s1(1) of the Companies (ReConstitution of Records) Act, 1924. Looking at modern Acts, ‘the regulations may provide … for excepting from the obligation to pay levy any specified class or classes of persons’ is translated as ‘féadfaidh na rialacháin foráil a dhéanamh … maidir le haon aicme nó aicmí sonraithe daoine … a eisiamh ón oibleagáid tobhach a íoc’ in s12(6) of the Bord Glas Act, 1990. In s56(1) of the Copyright Act, 1963, ‘make regulations excepting from the provisions of this subsection … publications wholly or partly in the nature of trade advertisements’ is translated as ‘rialacháin a dhéanamh ag eisceadh foilseachán ó fhorálacha an fho-ailt seo … is foilseacháin arb éard iad ar fad nó go formhór cineál fógraí trádála’. Ní cead See the commentary on Article 9.1.3o. de dhlínse achomhairc previous subsection.

Bunreacht na hÉireann

Direct translation Ní dhéanfar aon dlí a achtú1 a dhéanfadh cásanna lena ngabhann ceisteanna i dtaobh bhailíocht2 aon dlí ag féachaint d’fhorálacha an Bhunreachta seo a eisiamh3 ó dhlínse achomhairc na Cúirte Uachtaraí.4

Variants 1 2 3 4

ARTICLE 34.4.5O

Is é a chraolfas breith na Cúirte Uachtaraí ar cheist i dtaobh bail a bheith nó gan a bheith ar dhlí ag féachaint d’fhorálacha an Bhunreachta seo ná an duine sin de bhreithiúna na Cúirte sin a cheapfaidh an Chúirt sin chuige sin, agus ní cead tuairim ar bith eile ar an gceist sin, ag aontú nó ag easaontú leis an mbreith sin, a chraoladh ná ní cead a nochtadh tuairim ar bith eile den sórt sin a bheith ann. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

He who will announce the judgement of the Supreme Court on a question regarding a law’s having validity or not having regard to the provisions of this Constitution is that one of the judges of that Court which that Court will appoint for that (purpose), and it is not permitted to announce any other opinion on that question, agreeing or disagreeing with that decision, nor is it permitted to disclose there being any other opinion of that kind. ENGLISH TEXT

The decision of the Supreme Court on a question as to the validity of a law having regard to the provisions of this Constitution shall be pronounced by such one of the judges of that Court as that Court shall direct, and no other opinion on such question, whether assenting or dissenting, shall be pronounced, nor shall the existence of any such other opinion be disclosed.

Divergences between the official texts 1

2

3

réiteach See the commentary on Article 23.1.2o.

ag féachaint d(o) See the commentary on Article 16.4.2o.

AIRTEAGAL 34.4.5O

TÉACS GAEILGE

See the commentary on the

bail a bheith nó gan a bheith See the commentary on Articles 15.4.2o and 34.3.2o.

‘Ní achtófar aon dlí’ ‘bailíochta’ ‘eisceadh’ ‘Ní dhéanfar aon dlí a achtú a dhéanfadh eisceacht, maidir le dlínse achomhairc na Cúirte Uachtaraí, de chásanna lena ngabhann ceisteanna i dtaobh bhailíocht aon dlí ag féachaint d’fhorálacha an Bhunreachta seo.’

4

‘Pronounce’ is rendered by ‘craol’, the term generally used today to translate ‘broadcast’; ‘craol’ also has the sense of ‘announce, proclaim’; ‘I pronounce (judgement)’ is translated as ‘fógraím’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘As that Court shall direct’ is rendered in the Irish text as ‘a cheapfaidh an Chúirt sin chuige sin’, ‘which that Court shall appoint for that (purpose)’. ‘A question as to the validity of a law’ is rendered in the Irish text as ‘ceist i dtaobh bail a bheith nó gan a bheith ar dhlí’ (‘a question regarding a law having validity or not’), the same phraseology as in the previous section. ‘No . . . shall’ is again rendered as ‘Ní cead’ (‘It is not permitted’) in the Irish text, as we have seen in the previous subsection and in some earlier Articles.


A study of the Irish text

Note that this subsection was inserted into the text following the Second Amendment of the Constitution Act, 1941.

Commentary a chraolfas The special relative form of the future tense of ‘craol’ – see the commentary on Article 6.1 regarding the special relative in ‘-s’. Ó Dónaill translates ‘craol’ as ‘announce, proclaim’, citing ‘rud a chraoladh ón altóir, to announce something from the altar’, with secondary (‘wireless telephony and telegraphy’) sense of ‘broadcast’, this being the usual current usage of ‘craol’. Dinneen translates ‘craolaim’ as ‘I announce, especially from the altar or pulpit’, followed by the abbreviation for ‘Waterford’ and referring the reader to ‘creidhill’, ‘a knell’, ‘creidhill báis’ being translated as ‘the death-knell; death, news of death’; ‘a proclamation’ is also given as a sense of ‘creidhill’, Dinneen referring to ‘do chrael (chraol) sé ón altóir é, he announced it from the altar’, giving Most Rev. Dr Michael Sheehan, Sean-chaint na nDéise (1906) as source. DIL does not appear to give the verb ‘craol’ as a headword, and gives English ‘knell’ as the source of ‘creidil’; DIL also has a headword ‘craidail’, translated as ‘proclamation, announcement’, referring the reader to English ‘cry’ as a possible source. Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú has kindly written the following note (which is translated here) on ‘craol’: Apparently this is another unhistorical form (see the note on ‘aiceanta’ in the commentary on Article 10.1). It would appear that it is from Dinneen that the drafters and others of that generation took the word. Dinneen got it from Mícheál Ó Síothcháin, but ‘crael’ is the form he had in Sean-Chaint na nDéise, and Sean-Chaint na nDéise II shows that it was pronounced ‘craeil’ /kre:l′/; that was also the form of the verbal noun. As recognised by DIL, it probably contains some trace of English ‘cry’, in the sense of ‘proclaim publicly’ (“fógairt os ard”). Conchobhar Ó Síothcháin has a clear illustration of that range of sense and terminology in his account of his first trip to Skibbereen: ‘A Mhuire!’ arsa mise ‘godé a chuir an bhéic as?’ ‘Arú’, arsa duine de sna fearaibh, ‘sin é an craidhire, agus gach uair a bhuailfidh an clog geobhaidh sé thríd an sráid ag callaireacht ar an gcuma san, go maidean gheal amáireach …’. Of the two words, ‘craidhire’ (< ‘cry’ + (a)ire) and ‘callaire(acht)’ (< ‘call’ + aire), the first one has received little formal recognition, though the second one is fully recognised. Most likely it is following the diversification of the sense of ‘callaire’ that ‘craidhire’ was introduced in the particular sense and, therefore, also that it appeared to lexicographers of this time that ‘callaire’ was more native (“níos tíorachasúla”). ‘Craobhscaoileadh’ is the older term in this range of sense – ‘go bhfuil an reacht go foirleathan arna chraobhsgaoileadh 7 arna fhógra’ (TBGB, l. 3488-9); ‘cryer’/ ‘creidher’ is found in the same clause with ‘craobhsgaoileadh’ in Pairlement Chloinne Tomáis (‘tugsad rena gcraobhsgaoileadh don chreidher’, ll. 1561-2, Williams) – and perhaps some trace of this, in sense and form, is found in the Decies ‘craeil’. It is clear, at any rate, that Mícheál Ó Síothcháin, and perhaps his informants, recognised some connection between the two words.

Turning to the Acts, ‘as security for the satisfaction of

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any judgement which may eventually be pronounced by a Court having jurisdiction so to decide’ is translated as ‘mar urrús chun aon bhreithiúnas a shásamh a fhógróidh Cúirt faoi dheoidh ag a mbeidh dlínse cinneadh a dhéanamh amhlaidh’ in s2 of Article 7 of the First Schedule to the Jurisdiction of Courts (Maritime Conventions) Act, 1989. ‘Until … the date upon which the decision of the Court is pronounced’ is translated as ‘go dtí an dáta a bhfógrófar breith na Cúirte’ in s21(5)(b) of the Fire Services Act, 1981. See further the commentary on Article 26.2.1o where ‘breith a thabhairt’ expresses ‘pronounce a decision’; see the commentary on Articles 13.3.2o and 25.1 regarding ‘fógair’. ag aontú nó ag easaontú See the commentary on Article 26.2.2o. ‘Aontú’ is the verbal noun of ‘aontaigh’, ‘easaontú’ being the verbal noun of ‘easaontaigh’, the latter verb being composed of the negative prefix ‘eas-’ (generally indicating ‘a ceasing to be what the second element implies’, according to Dinneen, as distinguished from the prefixes ‘an-’, ‘éa-’ or ‘dí-’) combined with ‘aontaigh’. ‘Aontaím’ is translated as ‘I assent’ in Téarmaí Dlí, ‘aontuighim’ being translated as ‘I unite, assent to, consent, agree’ in Dinneen, who translates the verbal noun ‘easaontughadh’ as ‘act of disagreeing’, giving ‘schism’ as the sense of the noun ‘easaontughadh’. Ó Dónaill translates ‘easaontaigh’ with the preposition ‘le’ as ‘disagree (with), dissent (from)’, citing ‘easaontú le duine, to disagree with someone’ and ‘easaontú le teagasc, to dissent from a doctrine’. ‘Aontaigh’ followed by ‘le’ is translated as ‘assent, agree’ by Ó Dónaill. The earlier ‘oentaigid’, based on ‘oen’ (‘one’), is translated principally as ‘unites, joins with, consorts with, makes one’ in DIL, ‘aentochmaid let’, from one early source, being translated as ‘we shall be one with thee’. DIL cites only one example of the verb ‘esóentaigid’ (‘disagrees, opposes’): ‘ro chinnset a comairli 7 nir easaentaig in t-ardflaith ’na n-agaid sein’ (‘… did not dissent from them’), from the Banquet of Dún na nGedh and the Battle of Magh Rath. ‘The decision of the Court shall be pronounced by the chairman or such other member as the chairman shall authorise for the purpose, and no other opinion, whether assenting or dissenting, shall be pronounced nor shall the existence of any such other opinion be disclosed’ is translated as ‘Is é an cathaoirleach nó pé comhalta eile a údarós an cathaoirleach chuige sin a chraolfas breith na Cúirte, agus ní craolfar aon tuairim eile, ag aontú nó ag easaontú leis an mbreith sin, ná ní nochtfar tuairim ar bith eile den tsórt sin a bheith ann’ in s20(4) of the Industrial Relations Act, 1946. Note in passing from the early Acts that ‘and the verdict of such nine members or upwards shall be taken and recorded as the verdict of the jury, without disclosure of dissentients, if any such there be’ is translated as ‘agus déanfar breith-fhocal an naonúir sin no níos mó do thógaint agus do chur ar breaca mar bhreith-fhocal ón gcoiste, gan scéith ar an méid nár aontuigh léi, má bhí a leithéidí ann’ in s95 of the Courts of Justice Act, 1924. ‘And every person having such turbary rights shall have the like rights of making objections to and of expressing assent to or dissent from the scheme as are conferred on such occupiers by virtue of this Act’ is translated as ‘agus gach duine ag á mbeidh cirt mhóna den tsórt san beidh aige na cirt chéanna a bronntar ar na sealbhairí sin de bhua an Achta so chun cur i gcoinnibh


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Bunreacht na hÉireann

na scéime no chun a rá ce’ca aontuíd leis an scéim no ná haontuíd’ in s18(c) of the Arterial Drainage (Minor Schemes) Act, 1928, with ‘for the purpose of determining whether the number of dissents from the scheme is or is not sufficient to prevent the confirmation of the scheme’ being translated as ‘chun a dhéanamh amach ce’ca is leor no nách leor chun cosc do chur le daingniú na scéime an líon daoine ná haontóidh leis an scéim’ in s18(d). a cheapfaidh ‘The amendment must be directed to’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as being translated as ‘ní foláir an leasú do bheith ceaptha chun’ in the 1926 Standing Orders of Dáil Éireann, with ‘the amendment must be directed to omitting words’ being translated as ‘caithfidh an leasú bheith ar intinn focail do leigeant ar lár’. ‘I am directed by … to acknowledge receipt of your letter’ is cited as being translated as ‘dubhairt … liom a rádh leat go bhfuair sé do litir’ in translations for the Department of Industry and Commerce. ‘I direct (jury)’ is translated as ‘treoraím’ in Téarmaí Dlí. Looking at modern Acts, ‘under the control of such other person … as the court shall direct’ is translated as ‘faoi urlámh cibé duine eile … a ordóidh an chúirt’ in s40(1)(b) of the Status of Children Act, 1987. ‘Such notice of an application under this section as the High Court shall direct’ is translated as ‘cibé fógra i dtaobh iarratas faoin alt seo a ordóidh an Ard-Chúirt’ in s21(3) of the Plant Varieties (Proprietary Rights) Act, 1980. See the commentary on Articles 6.1, 13.1.1o and 15.10 where ‘ceap’ respectively expresses ‘designate’, ‘appoint’ and ‘attach’. Note that ‘stiúir’ expresses ‘direct’ in Article 12.8 and ‘ordaigh’ renders direct in Article 40.4.4o – see the commentary on that Article for further examples of official translations of ‘direct’. nochtadh See the commentary on Articles 26.2.2o and 40.6.1oi and note that ‘nochtaim’ is translated as ‘I disclose’ in Téarmaí Dlí. tuairim See the commentary on Article 40.6.1oi.

Gender-proofed Irish text Is é nó is í a chraolfaidh breith na Cúirte Uachtaraí ar cheist i dtaobh bail a bheith nó gan a bheith ar dhlí ag féachaint d’fhorálacha an Bhunreachta seo ná an duine sin de bhreithiúna na Cúirte sin a cheapfaidh an Chúirt sin chuige sin, agus ní cead tuairim ar bith eile ar an gceist sin, ag aontú nó ag easaontú leis an mbreith sin, a chraoladh ná ní cead a nochtadh tuairim ar bith eile den sórt sin a bheith ann.

Direct translation Déanfaidh cibé duine de bhreithiúna na Cúirte Uachtaraí a ordóidh an Chúirt sin breith na Cúirte sin a fhógairt ar cheist maidir le bailíocht1 dlí ag féachaint d’fhorálacha an Bhunreachta seo,2 agus ní fhógrófar aon tuairim eile ar an gceist sin, cibé acu ag aontú nó ag easaontú,3 ná ní nochtfar aon tuairim eile den sórt sin4 a bheith ann.

Variants 1 ‘faoi bhailíocht’ 2 ‘Déanfaidh cibé duine de bhreithiúna na Cúirte Uachtaraí a ordóidh an Chúirt sin breith na Cúirte sin ar cheist maidir le

bailíocht dlí, ag féachaint d’fhorálacha an Bhunreachta seo, a fhógairt,’ 3 ‘cibé acu ag aontú nó ag easaontú leis an tuairim sin,’ 4 ‘a leithéid sin eile de thuairim’

ARTICLE 34.4.6O

AIRTEAGAL 34.4.6O

TÉACS GAEILGE

Ní bheidh dul thar breith na Cúirte Uachtaraí i gcás ar bith. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

There will be no passing over / bypassing the judgement of the Supreme Court in any case. ENGLISH TEXT

The decision of the Supreme Court shall in all cases be final and conclusive.

Divergences between the official texts 1

2

‘The decision … shall be final and conclusive’ is expressed as ‘Ní bheidh dul thar breith’ (‘there will be no passing over / bypassing the judgement’) in the Irish text. ‘In all cases’ is expressed as ‘i gcás ar bith’, ‘in any case’, in the Irish text.

Note that Article 66 of the 1922 Constitution contains the following: The decision of the Supreme Court shall in all cases be final and conclusive .... Ní bheidh dul thar breith na Cúirte Uachtaraighe in aon chás.

Commentary dul thar breith na Cúirte ‘Breith’ would be lenited here according to the official standard, ‘thar’ leniting except in the case of adverbial phrases like ‘thar bráid, thar sáile’, etc. – see An Caighdeán Oifigiúil, s4(e) of the chapter entitled ‘Séimhiú agus Urú’. According to Ó Dónaill, ‘thar’ lenites in qualified or particularised references, citing ‘dul thar dhuine sa tsráid, to pass someone on the street’. ‘Dul’ is the verbal noun of ‘téigh’. Ó Dónaill translates ‘téigh thar’ principally (literally) as ‘go, pass, over’, giving ‘exceed’ and ‘surpass’ as secondary senses, citing ‘ná téigh thar ceart, don’t go beyond what is right’ and ‘ní féidir dul thairis, it can’t be surpassed’ respectively – Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú remarks that this latter sense is not the sense involved in the present Article 34.4.6o. Ó Dónaill also cites ‘níl dul thairis agat, you can’t evade it’ s.v. ‘thar’. Dinneen cites ‘ní raghainn thársta, I would not ask any better than these’. DIL gives ‘exceeds, surpasses’ as a secondary sense of ‘téit tar’, citing ‘ní thét a ccu dar cona’ (‘their Hound outstrips hounds no more’) from the Wasting Sickness of Cú Chulainn in Leabhar na hUidhre (written in Clonmacnois c. 1100), giving examples of the senses ‘goes over, across, past’ and ‘transgresses, violates (a law, etc.)’ from the Glosses of the eighth and ninth centuries onwards.


A study of the Irish text

‘Conclusive evidence’ and ‘conclusive presumption’ are translated respectively as ‘fianaise dochloíte’ and ‘toimhde dochloíte’ in Téarmaí Dlí, with ‘final order’ being translated as ‘ordú críochnaitheach’. ‘The decision of the local pension committee … shall be final and conclusive’ is translated as ‘Is cinneadh críochnaitheach, dochloíte cinneadh an choiste phinsin áitiúil’ in s164(2) of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 1981, for example. See further the commentary on Article 22.2.1o.

Standardised Irish text Ní bheidh dul thar bhreith na Cúirte Uachtaraí i gcás ar bith.

Direct translation Cinneadh críochnaitheach, dochloíte1 a bheidh i gcinneadh na Cúirte Uachtaraí i ngach cás.2

Variants 1 ‘críochnaitheach dochloíte’ 2 ‘Is cinneadh críochnaitheach, dochloíte cinneadh na Cúirte Uachtaraí i ngach cás.’

ARTICLE 34.5.1O

AIRTEAGAL 34.5.1O

Staidéar ar an téacs Gaeilge

503

faithfully and to the best of my knowledge and power execute the office of Chief Justice (or as the case may be) without fear or favour, affection or ill-will towards any man, and that I will uphold the Constitution and the laws. May God direct and sustain me.”

Divergences between the official texts 1

‘Affection’ is expressed as ‘bá, ‘partiality, friendship’, in the Irish text, whereas ‘gean’ translates ‘affection’ in Téarmaí Dlí. 2 ‘Favour’ is expressed as ‘claonadh’, ‘bias’, in the Irish text. 3 ‘The Constitution and the law’ is expressed as ‘Bunreacht agus dlíthe Éireann’ (‘the Constitution and laws of Ireland’) in the Irish text. 4 ‘Execute the office’ is expressed by ‘oifig a chomhlíonadh’ (‘perform/fulfil the office’) in the Irish text. 5 ‘Sincerely’ is expressed by ‘go fírinneach’, more usually ‘truthfully’, in the Irish text, again as we already saw in Article 12.8. 7 ‘Subscribe’ is expressed as ‘a lámh a chur le’ (‘put his hand to’) in the Irish text, as we have already seen in Article 12.8. 8 ‘Shall’ is expressed as ‘ní foláir’ (‘must’) in the Irish text, as we have seen in some earlier Articles. 9 ‘Any man’ is expressed as ‘duine ar bith’ (‘any person’) in the Irish text. 10 ‘As the case may be’ is expressed as ‘nó de réir mar a oireas’ (‘or according as suits’) in the Irish text.

TÉACS GAEILGE

Gach duine a cheapfar chun bheith ina bhreitheamh faoin mBunreacht seo ní foláir dó an dearbhú seo a leanas a dhéanamh agus a lámh a chur leis: “I láthair Dia na nUilechumhacht táimse, , á ghealladh agus á dhearbhú go sollúnta agus go fírinneach go gcomhlíonfad go cuí agus go dílis, chomh maith agus is eol agus is cumas dom, oifig an Phríomh-Bhreithimh (nó de réir mar a oireas) gan eagla gan claonadh, gan bá gan drochaigne chun duine ar bith, agus go gcumhdód Bunreacht agus dlíthe Éireann. Dia do mo stiúradh agus do mo chumhdach.” LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Every person who will be appointed to be a judge under this Constitution (he) must make the following declaration and put his hand to it: “In the presence of God the Almighty I, , (am) promising and declaring solemnly and truthfully that I will duly and faithfully perform, to the best of my knowledge and ability, the office of Chief-Justice (or according as suits) without fear or bias, without partiality or malevolence/ill-will to anyone, and that I will uphold the Constitution and laws of Ireland. God direct and protect me.” ENGLISH TEXT

Note that s99 of the Courts of Justice Act, 1924, reads as follows: The Declaration to be taken on appointment by every Judge of the Supreme Court, the High Court and the Circuit Court and by every Justice of the District Court shall be as follows:I do solemnly and sincerely before God promise and declare that I will duly and faithfully and to the best of my skill and power execute the office of Chief Justice of the Supreme Court (or President of the High Court … or Justice of the District Court as the case may be) of Saorstát Éireann without fear or favour, affection or ill-will towards any man, and that I will uphold the Constitution of Saorstát Éireann as by law established. Mar leanas a bheidh an Fhaisnéis a dhéanfidh gach Breitheamh den Chúirt Uachtaraigh, den Ard-Chúirt, agus den Chúirt Chuarda, agus gach Breitheamh den Chúirt Dúithche, tar éis a gceaptha:Dinim-se a gheallúint agus a fhaisnéis go solamanta agus go macánta i láthair Dé go bhfeidhmeod go cuibhe agus do dílis agus chó fada lem’ éirim agus lem’ chomhacht oifig PhrímhBhreitheamh Chúirt Uachtarach (no Uachtarán Ard-Chúirt … no Breitheamh de Chúirt Dúithche, pe’ca aca é) Shaorstáit Éireann gan faitios ná fabhar, gan grá ná fuath d’éinne, agus go seasód le Bunreacht Shaorstáit Éireann mar atá sé bunuithe do réir dlí.

Every person appointed a judge under this Constitution shall make and subscribe the following declaration:

Commentary

“In the presence of Almighty God I, do solemnly and sincerely promise and declare that I will duly and

gan claonadh The preposition ‘gan’ lenites a following single word unless it begins with d, t, s or f, according to


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An Caighdeán Oifigiúil (s4(c) of the chapter headed ‘Séimhiú agus Urú), where ‘gan chuid, gan chiall’ are cited. Ó Dónaill cites ‘gan chaint gan chomhrá, without talk or conversation’, along with ‘gan tús gan deireadh, without beginning or end, in utter confusion’, these also being examples of the repetition of ‘gan’ in the sense of ‘without … or’. Dinneen cites ‘gan aithne, gan urlabhra, unconscious and speechless’. As ‘claonadh’ and ‘bá’ here are linked with ‘gan duine ar bith’ they would remain unlenited here, according to Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘gan cúis chóir, without just cause’, for example. ‘Claonadh’ is translated as ‘inclination; tendency, trend’ in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘claonadh chun na trócaire, leaning toward mercy’. ‘Claonadh’ is the verbal noun of ‘claon’, Dinneen translating ‘claonaim’ as ‘I incline, slant, diverge; bend, pervert, turn away; am inclined’, citing ‘ó chlaonais le Lútar, since you turned over to Luther’. The earlier form, ‘cláenad’, verbal noun of ‘cláenaid’, is translated principally as ‘act of bending, bringing low, inclining; inclination’ in DIL, where ‘clointa cinn són’ (‘of bending the head’) is cited from the ninth-century Milan Glosses on the Commentary on the Psalms, glossing Latin ‘hoc gestu’. The adjective ‘cláen’, upon which the verb ‘cláenaid’ is based, is translated in DIL as ‘uneven, crooked, sloping; aslant, bending, stooped; curving, curved’, with the moral sense of ‘iniquitous, perverse, unjust, biased’. The following Declaration is found in the First Schedule to the District Justices (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923: “I …… do swear that I will well and truly serve the Irish Free State (Saorstát Éireann) in the office of District Justice without favour or affection, malice or ill-will; that I will see and cause the peace to be preserved; that I will prevent to the best of my power all offences against the same; that while I shall continue to hold the said office I will to the best of my skill and knowledge discharge all the duties thereof in the execution of Warrants and otherwise faithfully according to law … So help me God.” “Bheirimse …… mo mhóid go dtabharfad seirbhís mhaith mhacánta uaim do Shaorstát Éireann in oifig Ghiúistís Dúithche gan fabhar ná páirt, gan mailís ná droch-aigne; go bhféachfad chuige agus go n-abharód go ndéanfar an tsíocháin do chimeád agus do choinneáil; go gcoiscfead chó fada lem’ chumas gach cionta i gcoinnibh an chéanna; go ndéanfad mo dhícheall, do réir mo thuisgiona agus m’eolais, an fhaid a bhead i seilbh na hoifige roimh-ráite, ar dhualgaisí uile na hoifige do chó-líona go macánta do réir dlí maidir le feidhmiú Barántas agus gach ní eile … A Dhia dem’ neartú.”

The ‘Form of Declaration’ in the Second Schedule to the Gárda Síochána Act, 1924, commences as follows: “I …… do solemnly and sincerely before God declare and affirm and my word and honour pledge that I will be faithful to the utmost of my ability in my employment by the Executive Council of Saorstát Éireann in the office of … in the Gárda Síochána and that I will render good and true service and obedience to Saorstát Éireann and its constitution and government as by law established without favour or affection, fear, malice or ill-will, and that I will see and cause the peace to be kept and preserved, and that I will prevent to the best of my power all offences against the same, and that while I shall continue to hold the said office, I will to the best of my knowledge discharge all the duties thereof faithfully according to law ...”. “Dinim-se …… a fhaisnéis agus a dheimhniú agus m’fhocal agus

Bunreacht na hÉireann

m’onóir do thabhairt, go solamanta agus go macánta i láthair Dé, go mbead dílis chó fada lem’ chumas sa bhfostaíocht ina bhfuil Ard-Chomhairle Shaorstáit Éireann am chur in oifig … sa Ghárda Síochána agus go dtabharfad seirbhís agus go mbead umhal, go maith agus go dílis macánta, do Shaorstát Éireann agus dá bhunreacht agus dá rialtas fé mar a buníodh do réir dlí, gan báidh ná páirt, gan eagla, mailís ná droch-aigne, agus go bhféachfad chuige agus go gcuirfad fé ndeár go gcimeádfar agus go gcosnófar an tsíocháin, agus chó fada lem’ dhícheall go gcoiscfead gach cionta in aghaidh an chéanna, agus an fhaid a bheidh an oifig sin agam go ndéanfad chó fada lem’ eolas gach dualgas a bhaineann leis do chó-líona go dílis do réir dlí ...”.

Finally, ‘performing their duty according to their oath without fear or favour’ is translated as ‘a ndualgas do chólíona do réir a mionna gan fabhar gan faitcheas’ in s7(5) of the Juries (Protection) Act, 1929. gan bá See the commentary on ‘gan claonadh’ above regarding lenition after ‘gan’. Ó Dónaill translates ‘bá’ as ‘sympathy, liking’, citing ‘tá bá agam leis, I like him’. Dinneen cites ‘tá báidh agam leat, I have a feeling of friendship for you’, translating ‘báidh’ as ‘love, friendship, hospitality; leniency; humanity’. DIL translates ‘báid’ as ‘affection, fondness, attachment, partiality’, with the object of affection expressed by the genitive or the preposition ‘fri’ (‘la’, Modern Irish ‘le’), ‘i’ or ‘im(m)’. DIL cites the phrase ‘breith le báidh’ (‘partial judgement’) from the seventeenth-century ‘Contention of the Bards’. Originally, according to DIL, ‘báid’ may not have been distinct from ‘bág’, ‘boast, threat, promise, undertaking, declaration’. In the ‘Form of Declaration to be made by a Commissioner for Offices’ in Schedule 17 of the Income Tax Act, 1967, ‘that I will judge and determine upon all matters and things which shall be brought before me under the said Acts without favour, affection or malice’ is translated as ‘agus go ndéanfaidh mé breithiúnas agus cinneadh gan fabhar, dáimh ná mailís ar gach uile ábhar agus ní a thabharfar os mo chomhair faoi na hAchtanna sin’, with ‘gan fabhar ná dáimh’ translating ‘without favour or affection’ in another such ‘Form of Declaration’ in the same Schedule. ‘Natural love and affection’ is translated as ‘grá agus gean nádúrtha’ in Téarmaí Dlí. gan drochaigne This compound of ‘droch’ and ‘aigne’ is translated as ‘evil disposition, evil mind; ill-will, malevolence’ in Ó Dónaill, ‘droch-aigne’ being translated as ‘malevolence; malice, evil disposition, ill-will’ in Dinneen, who cites ‘ag bailiughadh droch-aigne chum, cherishing ill-will towards’ and ‘corp droch-aigne, sheer spite’. ‘Aigne’ comes from the earlier form ‘aicned’, the primary sense of which is ‘inherent quality, essence, nature’, DIL citing ‘combad aicned nindib a nolc’ (‘that the evil is natural to them’), from the ninth-century Milan Glosses on the Commentary on the Psalms, where it glosses Latin ‘naturalis’. The first citation in DIL of the sense ‘mind, spirit, feeling’ is from the Irish version of Lucan’s Pharsalia, where it is linked with ‘ergna’ (‘understanding, discrimination, discernment’) and ‘intliucht’ (‘intellect’) – see further the commentary on Article 10.1. do mo stiúradh … do mo chumhdach See the commentary on Article 12.8. Note that Ó Dónaill cites ‘Dia ár gcumhdach, God protects us’ and ‘Go gcumhdaí Dia sibh,


A study of the Irish text

may God help you’ as examples of the sense ‘keep, preserve’ s.v. ‘cumhdaigh’, and ‘an dlí a chumhdach, to uphold the law’ as an example of the sense of ‘uphold’. DIL cites ‘Día már romc[h]umhdaighfea’ as an example of the sense ‘protects, preserves’ of ‘con-utaincc’ in later language, the principal sense being ‘builds, constructs’. go gcomhlíonfad … go gcumhdód The synthetic forms, first person singular, future tense, of ‘comhlíon’ and ‘cumhdaigh’ respectively – see the commentary on Article 14.5.1o regarding the synthetic and analytic forms of the verb, the commentary on Articles 12.1 and 13.9 regarding the verb ‘comhlíon’ (generally expressing ‘perform’ in the Constitution), and on Article 12.8 regarding ‘cumhdaigh’. ‘There shall be paid to any person who shall have executed the office of Comptroller and Auditor-General’ is translated as ‘aon duine a bheidh tar éis oifig an Árd-Scrúdóra do chó-líona díolfar leis …’ in s2(2) of the Comptroller and Auditor-General Act, 1923. In s5 of the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act, 1980, ‘to execute the office of a Minister of the Government having charge of a Department of State’ is translated as ‘chun oifig Aire Rialtais i gceannas ar Roinn Stáit a fheidhmiú’. ‘That I will truly, faithfully, impartially and honestly, according to the best of my skill and knowledge, execute the powers and authorities vested in me as a Commissioner for Offices’ is translated as ‘go ndéanfaidh mé go fírinneach, go fíreata, go cothrom agus go macánta, feadh iomlán mo chumais agus m’eolais, na cumhachtaí agus na húdaráis a dhílsítear dom mar Choimisinéir d’Oifigí … a fhorghníomhú’ in Schedule 17 of the Income Tax Act, 1967. Commenting on a draft of the direct translation below, Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú remarks that he recognises no sense in ‘oifig … a fhorghníomhú’ and that De Bhaldraithe associates ‘forghníomhú’ with ‘order’. However deficient, according to Máirtín Ó Murchú, the original verb ‘comhlíon’ is the best available. is eol ‘Is eol dom (go)’ is translated as ‘I know (that)’ in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘déan é mar is eol duit, do it as best you know’. Dinneen translates ‘mar is eol dom’ as ‘as best I know how to’. ‘Eól’ is translated as ‘knowledge (of a person or thing); acquaintance (with person or thing); experience in, skill’ in DIL, where the phrase ‘is eol dom’ is translated as ‘I know, am experienced; skilled’, with ‘in eól dúib a dindshenchas?’ (‘know ye its legend?’) being cited from the twelfth-century Book of Leinster. Regarding early citations of ‘knowledge’ and ‘ability’, ‘unless it is proved that the copies were to his knowledge pirated copies’ is translated as ‘mara gcruthuítear gur chóipeanna píoráidithe na cóipeanna go bhfios do’ in s184(1) of the Industrial and Commercial Property (Protection) Act, 1927. ‘Shall to the best of his knowledge, ability, or belief (as the case may require) duly and correctly fill up or otherwise complete such document’ is translated as ‘déanfa sé, chó fada le n-a eolas, le n-a chumas no le n-a thuairim (pe’ca aca é), an scríbhinn sin do líona no do chríochnú ar an slí eile sin go cuibhe agus go cóir’ in s7(1) of the Statistics Act, 1926. ‘That such person is fully qualified as to age, sex, health, character, knowledge, and ability for that situation’ is translated as ‘go bhfuil an duine sin lán-cháilithe i gcóir an phoist sin maidir le haois, innscin, sláinte, carachtar, eolas, agus ábaltacht’ in s3 of

Staidéar ar an téacs Gaeilge

505

the Civil Service Regulations (Amendment) Act, 1926. ‘That … I will in all respects act diligently and honestly, and without favour or affection, to the best of my knowledge and belief’ is translated as ‘go ndéanfaidh mé … gníomhú i ngach slí go dícheallach agus go macánta gan fabhar ná dáimh de réir mar is fearr is eol dom agus mar a chreidim’ in a ‘Form of Declaration’ in Schedule 17 of the Income Tax Act, 1967, with ‘that I will diligently and faithfully execute the office of clerk according to the Acts relating to income tax, to be best of my knowledge and judgement’ being translated as ‘go ndéanfaidh mé go dícheallach agus go fíreata oifig chléirigh a fhorghníomhú de réir na nAchtanna a bhaineann le cáin ioncaim, feadh m’eolais agus mo bhreithiúnais’ in another such ‘Form of Declaration’ in that Schedule. is cumas ‘Cumas’ is translated as ‘capability, power’ in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘rud a chur ar chumas duine, ar a chumas do dhuine, i gcumas do dhuine, to enable someone to do something’, along with ‘de réir a chumais, as far as he is able, according to his means’. Ó Dónaill also cites ‘chomh maith agus a bhí ar a chumas, to the best of his ability’ s.v. ‘chomh’. Dinneen cites ‘ní’l sé ar mo chumas, ar chumas (or gcumas) dam, im’ chumas, I am not able to do it, I have it not in my power or at my disposal’, translating ‘do réir a chumais’ as ‘all things considered in regard to him’. ‘Commus’ is the verbal noun of ‘con-midethar’ (‘is competent, able; rules, governs, controls’), and is translated as (a) ‘act of controlling, arranging, directing’ and (b) ‘power, ability, capacity’ in DIL, the latter senses being the usual senses according to DIL. David Greene (in his edition of Fingal Rónáin and Other Stories [1955, p. 42]) translates ‘Ad coimse mo chrod dot chainmacniu’ as ‘you are capable (of taking) my cattle for your fair sons’ in a rhetorical passage in the Old Irish story ‘Esnada Tige Buchet’. See further the commentary on Articles 14.2.2o and 31.2. a oireas The special form of the relative, present tense, of ‘oir’ – see the commentary on Article 6.1 regarding the special form of the relative in ‘-s’. Ó Dónaill translates ‘oir’ as ‘suit, fit, become’, citing ‘oireann sé don chás, it suits the case’. The intransitive verb ‘oirid’ is translated as ‘is suited or adapted (to), corresponds (to), is in keeping (with)’ in DIL, the first of but a few relatively late examples cited there being ‘don droing oirios annró’ (‘the gang whose just lot might be misery’) from O’Grady’s Catalogue of Irish Manuscripts in the British Museum. In Article 45.4.2o ‘nach n-oireann dá ngné’ expresses ‘unsuited to their sex’. As regards ‘as the case may be’ in the Acts, ‘At the end of the accounting period or, as the case may be, at the beginning of an immediately succeeding accounting period’ is translated as ‘i ndeireadh tréimhse cuntasaíochta nó, de réir mar a bheidh, i dtosach tréimhse cuntasaíochta díreach ina dhiaidh sin’ in s9(c) of the Finance Act, 1990, for example. I láthair Dia na nUilechumhacht See the commentary on Article 12.8o and note that this phrase is followed by a comma in that Article, as in Article 31.4, unlike the present Article. go cuí ‘I gcúrsa cuí’ is translated as ‘in due course’, for example, in Téarmaí Dlí – see the commentary on Article 43.2.1o.


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de réir This phrase is translated as ‘in accordance with’ in Téarmaí Dlí – see the commentary on Article 1. o

dearbhú See the commentary on Article 12.8 . a lámh a chur leis See the commentary on Article 12.8o. go sollúnta agus go fíreannach See the commentary on Article 12.8. go dílis See the commentary on Article 31.4. Bunreacht Éireann See the commentary on Article 12.8.

Standardised gender-proofed Irish text Gach duine a cheapfar chun bheith ina bhreitheamh nó ina breitheamh faoin mBunreacht seo ní foláir dó nó di an dearbhú seo a leanas a dhéanamh agus a lámh a chur leis: “I láthair Dhia na hUilechumhachta táimse, , á ghealladh agus á dhearbhú go sollúnta agus go fírinneach go gcomhlíonfaidh mé go cuí agus go dílis, chomh maith agus is eol agus is cumas dom, oifig an PhríomhBhreithimh (nó de réir mar a oireann) gan eagla gan claonadh, gan bá gan drochaigne chun duine ar bith, agus go gcumhdóidh mé Bunreacht agus dlíthe na hÉireann. Dia do mo stiúradh agus do mo chumhdach.”

Bunreacht na hÉireann

LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

It is in the presence of the President that the Chief Justice will make that declaration and put his hand to it, and it is in the court publicly and in the presence of the Chief Justice or of the most senior judge of the Supreme Court who will be available that every other judge of the Supreme Court and every judge of the High Court and of every other Court will make that declaration and put his hand to it. ENGLISH TEXT

This declaration shall be made and subscribed by the Chief Justice in the presence of the President, and by each of the other judges of the Supreme Court, the judges of the High Court and the judges of every other Court in the presence of the Chief Justice or the senior available judge of the Supreme Court in open court.

Divergences between the official texts 1

2

Direct gender-proofed translation Gach duine a cheapfar ina bhreitheamh nó ina breitheamh faoin mBunreacht seo déanfaidh agus síneoidh sé nó sí an dearbhú seo a leanas:1 “I láthair Dhia na hUilechumhachta, táimse, á ghealladh agus á dhearbhú go sollúnta fíreata go ndéanfaidh mé2 oifig an Phríomh-Bhreithimh (nó de réir mar a bheidh) a fheidhmiú3 go cuí agus go dílis agus ar feadh m’eolais agus mo chumais, gan eagla ná fabhar, gean ná drochaigne 4 i leith aon duine, 5 agus go gcumhdóidh mé an Bunreacht agus na dlíthe. Go stiúraí agus go gcumhdaí Dia mé.”

Variants 1 ‘Déanfar an dearbhú seo a leanas agus síneofar é ag gach duine a cheapfar ina bhreitheamh nó ina breitheamh faoin mBunreacht seo:’ 2 ‘déanaimse, a ghealladh agus a dhearbhú go sollúnta fíreata’ 3 ‘a chomhlíonadh’, ‘a fhorghníomhú’ 4 ‘eagla nó fabhar, gean nó drochaigne’ 5 ‘gan eagla gan fabhar, gan gean gan drochaigne chun duine ar bith,’

ARTICLE 34.5.2O

AIRTEAGAL 34.5.2O

TÉACS GAEILGE

Is i láthair an Uachtaráin a dhéanfaidh an PríomhBhreitheamh an dearbhú sin agus a chuirfidh a lámh leis, agus is sa chúirt go poiblí agus i láthair an PhríomhBhreithimh nó an bhreithimh den Chúirt Uachtarach is sinsearaí dá mbeidh ar fáil a dhéanfaidh gach breitheamh eile den Chúirt Uachtarach agus gach breitheamh den Ard-Chúirt agus de gach Cúirt eile an dearbhú sin agus a chuirfidh lámh leis.

3

4

‘In open court’ is expressed as ‘sa chúirt go poiblí’ (‘in the court publicly’) in the Irish text, ‘i gcúirt oscailte’ translating ‘in open court’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘The senior available judge of the Supreme Court’ is expressed by ‘an breitheamh den Chúirt Uachtarach is sinsearaí dá mbeidh ar fáil’ (‘the most senior judge of the Supreme Court who will be available’) in the Irish text. ‘Each of the other judges of the Supreme Court, the judges of the High Court and the judges of every other Court’ is rendered as ‘gach breitheamh eile den Chúirt Uachtarach agus gach breitheamh den Ard-Chúirt agus de gach Cúirt eile’ (‘every other judge of the Supreme Court and every judge of the High Court and of every other Court’) in the Irish text. The phrase expressing ‘This declaration shall be made and subscribed’ is repeated in the Irish text alone, ‘subscribe’ being expressed as ‘a chuirfidh (a) lámh leis’ (‘put [his] hand to’).

Note that the words ‘den Chúirt Uachtaraigh is sinsearaighe dá mbeidh ar fagháil a dhéanfaidh gach breitheamh eile den Chúirt Uachtaraigh agus’ were inserted following the Second Amendment of the Constitution Act, 1941, replacing ‘is neasa sinsearacht dó a bheas ar fagháil de bhreitheamhnaibh na Cúirte Uachtaraighe a dhéanfaidh’, no corresponding amendment being made to the English text. Note also that s99 of the Courts of Justice Act, 1924, contains the following: Such declaration shall be made and subscribed by the Chief Justice in the presence of the Governor-General and by each of the other judges and justices in the presence of the Chief Justice in open court. Déanfar agus sighneofar an fhaisnéis sin ag an bPrímh-Bhreitheamh i bhfianaise an tSeanascail agus ag gach duine de sna breithimh roimhráite i bhfianaise an Phrímh-Bhreithimh sa chúirt go hoscailte.

Commentary is sinsearaí The superlative of the adjective ‘sinsearach’, which adjective is translated as (a) ‘senior’ and (b)


A study of the Irish text

‘ancestral’ in Ó Dónaill. While Dinneen gives two headwords ‘sóisear’, ‘junior’, as both adjective and noun, he does not appear to give an adjectival form of ‘sinnsear’ as a headword. DIL s.v. ‘sinserda’, gives one (late) example of the senses (a) ‘ancestral’ and (b) ‘olden, of yore’, this adjective being based on ‘sinser’, ‘the elder, the eldest, a senior; in plural elders, ancestors, forefathers’. The opposite of this, ‘ósar’, has the same ending as ‘sinser’ combined with ‘óa’, the comparative of ‘oac’/‘óc’, Modern Irish ‘óg’, ‘young’ – as Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú remarks, ‘ósar’ later became ‘sósar’ and eventually ‘sóisear’. ‘All proofs … shall be held by or at the order and disposal of the judge or the senior of the judges by or before whom such suit or matter is heard’ is translated as ‘Gach cruthúnas … cimeádfar iad i seilbh no fé ordú agus fé dheighleáil an bhreithimh no sinsir na mbreithiún ag á mbeidh no gur ina láthair a bheidh an chúis no an ní sin á éisteacht’ in s65(3) of the Court Officers Act, 1926. ‘By the senior ordinary Judge of the Supreme Court’ is translated as ‘isé gnáth-Bhreitheamh sinsearach na Cúirte Uachtaraí a dhéanfidh san’ in s2 of the Courts of Justice Act, 1928. ‘With a Chairman who shall be the senior judge of the Supreme Court able and willing to act’ is translated as ‘agus mar Cheann Comhairle ortha an breitheamh is aoirde céim den Chúirt Uachtarach a bheidh ábalta agus toilteannach ar fheidhmiú’ in Article 35 of the 1922 Constitution. Finally, ‘All jurisdictions, powers, authorities and functions for the time being vested in him … shall be exercised or performed by the senior ordinary judge of the High Court who is for the time being available’ is translated as ‘déanfaidh an gnáth-bhreitheamh den ArdChúirt is sinsearaí a bheidh ar fáil de thuras na huaire na dlínsí, na cumhachtaí, na húdaráis agus na feidhmeanna go léir a bheidh dílsithe dó de thuras na huaire … a fheidhmiú nó a chomhlíonadh’ in s18(2) of the Courts Act, 1981. See further the commentary on Article 40.4.4o. a chuirfidh a lámh leis See the commentary on Articles 12.8 and 13.3.1o and note that we find ‘a chuirfidh lámh leis’ at the end of this subsection. go poiblí See the commentary on Article 26.2.1o. ‘Hearing in open court’ is translated as ‘éisteacht i gcúirt oscailte’ in Téarmaí Dlí. an dearbhú See the commentary on Article 12.8. sin See the commentary on Articles 6.2 and 13.1.1o.

Direct translation Déanfar an dearbhú seo agus síneofar é1 ag an bPríomhBhreitheamh2 i láthair an Uachtaráin, agus ag gach duine de na breithiúna eile den Chúirt Uachtarach, ag breithiúna na hArd-Chúirte agus ag breithiúna gach Cúirte eile i gcúirt oscailte i láthair an Phríomh-Bhreithimh nó i láthair an bhreithimh is sinsearaí3 den Chúirt Uachtarach a bheidh ar fáil.

Variants 1 ‘Déanfar agus síneofar an dearbhú seo’ 2 ‘Déanfaidh agus síneoidh an Príomh-Bhreitheamh an dearbhú seo’ 3 ‘an bhreithimh sinsir’

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ARTICLE 34.5.3O

507

AIRTEAGAL 34.5.3O

TÉACS GAEILGE

Ní foláir do gach breitheamh an dearbhú a dhéanamh agus a lámh a chur leis sula dté i gcúram dualgas a oifige, agus cibé scéal é, ar dháta nach déanaí ná deich lá tar éis lae a cheaptha, nó dáta is déanaí ná sin mar a chinnfidh an tUachtarán. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Every judge must make the declaration and put his hand to it before (he) takes up the responsibilities of the duties of his office, and at any rate, on a date not later than ten days after the day of his appointment, or a date which is later than that as the President will decide. ENGLISH TEXT

The declaration shall be made and subscribed by every judge before entering upon his duties as such judge, and in any case not later than ten days after the date of his appointment or such later date as may be determined by the President.

Divergences between the official texts 1

2

3

4

‘Before entering upon his duties as such judge’ is expressed as ‘sula dté i gcúram dualgas a oifige’ (‘before he takes up responsibility of the duties of his office’) in the Irish text. ‘Not later than ten days after the date of his appointment’ is expressed as ‘ar dháta nach déanaí ná deich lá tar éis lae a cheaptha’ (‘on a date not later than ten days after the day of his appointment’) in the Irish text, ‘lá’ (‘day’) expressing ‘date’ as we have seen in some earlier Articles. ‘Subscribe’ is expressed as ‘a lámh a chur leis’ (‘put his hand to’) as we have seen in the two previous subsections. ‘Shall’ is expressed as ‘ní foláir’ (‘must’) in the Irish text, as we have seen in some earlier Articles.

Commentary cibé scéal é This phrase is translated as ‘anyhow’ in Ó Dónaill, who similarly translates ‘pé scéal é’. Dinneen translates ‘pé scéal é’ as ‘anyhow, at any rate, in any case’. The earlier form of ‘cibé’, ‘cía bé’, is cited in DIL in ‘cia bé a mmet’ (‘however great it may be’) from the ninth-century Milan Glosses on the Commentary on the Psalms. Note, incidentally, that ‘cip’ with ‘cruth’ had the sense of ‘however it be, at all events’, DIL citing ‘cipcruth bíid páx libsi’ (‘however it be, let there be pax with you’) from the eighth-century Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles. ‘The landlord shall, as soon as may be, and in any case not later than six months after the expiration of such fourteen days, execute and complete … the improvement mentioned therein’ is translated as ‘déanfaidh agus críochnóidh an tiarna talún an feabhsúchán a luaitear sa gheallúint feabhsúcháin sin chomh luath agus is féidir é, agus in aon chás tráth nach déanaí ná sé mhí tar éis na ceithre lá dhéag sin a bheith caite’ in s51(2) of the Landlord and Tenant (Amendment) Act, 1980. In s7(2) of the Transport Act, 1958, ‘to conduct its undertaking so that,


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Bunreacht na hÉireann

as soon as may be, and in any case not later than the 31st day of March, 1964’ is translated as ‘a ghnóthas a stiúradh ar chuma go dtarlóidh, a thúisce is féidir, agus ar aon chor ar dháta nach déanaí ná an 31ú lá de Mhárta, 1964’. ‘As soon as may be after, and in any case not later than the second week day after, whichever of the following events first occurs’ is translated as ‘chó luath agus is féidir tar éis pé trátha aca so leanas is túisce agus ar aon chuma uair nach déanaighe ná an dara lá seachtaine tar éis an trátha san’ in s3(2)(b) of the General Elections (Emergency Provisions) Act, 1943.

sula dté The present subjunctive of ‘téigh’, the future tense now usually expressing the present subjunctive except in the case of the optative (e.g. ‘go dté tú slán, safe home’) – see the commentary on Article 12.3.1o.

i gcúram dualgas a oifige According to the official standard, ‘dualgas’ would be lenited and remain in the nominative (plural) rather than the genitive (plural), as above, after the prepositional phrase ‘i gcúram’, ‘oifig’ (as it is preceded by a possessive pronoun) being a definite noun – see the commentary on Article 1 regarding the nominative in place of the genitive. See the commentary on Article 12.3.1o, where ‘enter office’ is expressed by ‘dul i gcúram oifige’, regarding ‘i gcúram’. ‘He possesses the requisite knowledge and ability to enter on the discharge of his duties in that situation’ is translated as ‘go bhfuil an t-eolas agus an ábaltacht san aige is gá dho a bheith aige chun dul i mbun a dhualgaisí sa phost san’ in s3(2)(d) of the Civil Service Regulation Act, 1923. In s13(2) of the Veterinary Surgeons Act, 1931, ‘The Council shall meet at the time and place appointed under this section for their meeting and shall thereupon enter upon their duties under this Act’ is translated as ‘Tiocfaidh an Chomhairle le chéile san am agus san áit a ceapfar fén alt so dá gcruinniú agus leis sin tosnóid ar a ndualgaisí fén Acht so do chólíonadh’. ‘Internees so elected shall enter upon their duties after their election has been approved by the detaining authorities’ is translated as ‘Rachaidh na himtheorannaithe a thoghfar amhlaidh i mbun a ndualgas tar éis na húdaráis choinneála a ghlacadh lena dtoghadh’ in Article 102 of the Fourth Schedule to the Geneva Conventions Act, 1962. ‘The head of a consular post shall not enter upon his duties until he has received an exequatur’ is translated as ‘ní rachaidh ceann poist chonsalachta i mbun a dhualgas go dtí go mbeidh exequatur faighte aige’ in s3 of Article 12 of the Second Schedule to the Diplomatic Relations and Immunities Act, 1967. Regarding ‘as such judge’ following ‘entering upon his duties’ in the English text, Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú questions the meaning of this phrase, which is unexpressed in the Irish text. Máirtín Ó Murchú recommends a translation such as the following in place of the direct translation given below: ‘… sula rachaidh an breitheamh sin i mbun a dhualgas nó a dualgas’.

Standardised gender-proofed Irish text

a chinnfidh See the commentary on Article 1; ‘cinnim’ is translated as ‘I determine (issue etc.), I find (as a fact, etc.)’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘And the scheme as so amended shall have effect from such date as may be determined by the Minister’ is translated as ‘agus beidh éifeacht ag an scéim agus í leasuithe amhlaidh ón dáta a cheapfaidh an tAire’ in s4(2) of the National Health Insurance Act, 1942. ‘Or on such earlier date as may be determined by the Council at its discretion’ is translated as ‘nó ar pé dáta is luaithe ná sin a chinnfeas an Chomhairle dá rogha féin’ in s5(3) of the Medical Practitioners Act, 1955.

tar éis lae a cheaptha As above, this would read as ‘tar éis lá a cheaptha’ according to the official standard, ‘lá’ remaining in the nominative case in place of the genitive, but unlike ‘dualgas’ above no lenition is shown in the case of ‘lá’.

Ní foláir do gach breitheamh an dearbhú a dhéanamh agus a lámh a chur leis sula rachaidh i gcúram dhualgais a oifige nó a hoifige, agus cibé scéal é, ar dháta nach déanaí ná deich lá tar éis lá a cheaptha nó a ceaptha, nó dáta is déanaí ná sin mar a chinnfidh an tUachtarán.

Direct gender-proofed translation Déanfaidh agus síneoidh gach breitheamh an dearbhú1 sula rachaidh sé nó sí i mbun a dhualgas nó a dualgas mar bhreitheamh den sórt sin,2 agus in aon chás tráth nach déanaí ná deich lá tar éis dháta a cheaptha nó a ceaptha nó cibé dáta is déanaí a chinnfidh3 an tUachtarán.

Variants 1 ‘Déanfaidh gach breitheamh an dearbhú agus síneoidh sé nó sí é’, ‘Déanfar agus síneofar an dearbhú ag gach breitheamh’ 2 ‘sula rachaidh an breitheamh sin i mbun a dhualgas nó a dualgas,’ 3 ‘mar a chinnfidh’

ARTICLE 34.5.4O

AIRTEAGAL 34.5.4O

TÉACS GAEILGE

Aon bhreitheamh a dhiúltós nó a fhailleos an dearbhú réamhráite a dhéanamh ní foláir a mheas go bhfuil scartha aige lena oifig. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Any judge who will refuse or neglect to make the aforesaid declaration (it) must be deemed that he has relinquished his office. ENGLISH TEXT

Any judge who declines or neglects to make such declaration as aforesaid shall be deemed to have vacated his office.

Divergences between the official texts 1

2 3

‘To make such declaration as aforesaid’ is expressed as ‘an dearbhú réamhráite a dhéanamh’ (‘to make the aforesaid declaration’) in the Irish text. ‘Declines to’ is expressed as ‘a dhiúltós’ (‘refuses to’) in the Irish text. ‘To have vacated his office’ is expressed as ‘go bhfuil scartha aige lena oifig’ (‘to have relinquished his office’) in the Irish text.


A study of the Irish text

4

‘Shall’ is expressed as ‘ní foláir’ (‘must’) in the Irish text, as we have seen in the previous subsection and in many earlier Articles.

Note that s99 of the Courts of Justice Act, 1924, concludes as follows: Any judge or justice who declines or neglects to take the declaration aforesaid in the manner aforesaid shall be disqualified from entering on and shall be deemed to have vacated his office of judge or justice (as the case may be). Aon bhreitheamh a eiteoidh no a leigfidh i bhfaillí an fhaisnéis roimhráite a dhéanamh ar an gcuma roimhráite beidh sé gan teideal chun dul i mbun a oifige mar bhreitheamh agus tuigfar é bheith tar éis an oifig sin d’fhágaint.

Commentary a dhiúltós nó a fhailleos The special form of the relative, future tense, of ‘diúltaigh’ and ‘failligh’ – see the commentary on Article 6.1 regarding the special form of the relative in ‘-s’. ‘Diúltaím’ is translated as ‘I refuse’ in Téarmaí Dlí, ‘diúltuighim’ being translated as ‘I deny, refuse, oppose’ in Dinneen. Ó Dónaill translates ‘diúltaigh’ principally as ‘deny, refuse’, translating ‘diúltú rud a dhéanamh’ as ‘to refuse to do something’. DIL translates ‘diúlta(ig)id’ as ‘refuses, rejects’, this verb being based on the verbal noun of the earlier compound verb ‘do-sluindi’, which verb has the sense of ‘denies’ (i.e. ‘refuses to believe’), glossing Latin ‘negare’ in the ninth-century Milan Glosses on the Commentary on the Psalms, DIL also citing ‘is ed insin dorosloinn íc n-erum-sa, ised insin dorosluind cainchomrac ar mu chnamaib-se’ (‘that denied healing to me … that denied peace to my bones’), from the same collection of Glosses, as an example of the sense of ‘refuses (a request, gift, etc.)’. See the commentary on Article 26.3.1o where ‘diúltaigh do’ expresses ‘decline’. ‘Any officer of the Forces who declines or neglects to take an oath or make the declaration aforesaid in the manner aforesaid, shall be deemed to have resigned his commission and appointment as an officer in the Forces’ is translated as ‘Aon oifigeach de sna Fórsaí dhiúltóidh no fhailleoidh an mionn roimhráite do thabhairt no an dearbhú roimhráite do dhéanamh sa tslí roimhráite, tuigfear é d’eirghe as a choimisiún agus a cheapachán mar oifigeach sna Fórsaí’ in s6(3) of the Defence Forces Act, 1937. ‘This paragraph shall not have effect if the Minister declines to reappoint him because of stated misconduct or incapacity’ is translated as ‘Ní bheidh éifeacht ag an mír seo má éarann an tAire é d’athcheapadh de dheasca mí-iompair nó éagumais shonraithe’ in s4(b) of the Schedule to the Industrial Development Authority Act, 1950. In s4 of Article 12 of the First Schedule to the Air Navigation and Transport Act, 1936, ‘if the consignee declines to accept the consignment note or the goods’ is translated as ‘má dhiúltaíonn an consighní an nóta consighneachta no na hearraí do ghlacadh’. Finally, ‘where the person has declined to retain one of the sealed containers’ is translated as ‘i gcás ar dhiúltaigh an duine ceann de na coimeádáin shéalaithe a choimeád’ in s20(3) of the Road Traffic (Amendment) Act, 1978. ‘Failligh’ is translated as ‘neglect; omit, delay’ in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘rud a fhailliú, to neglect something’.

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Dinneen translates ‘faillighim’ as ‘I fail, neglect, delay’, citing ‘ná failligh do dhinnéar go háirthid, do not neglect your dinner anyway’ from Inis Meáin. DIL cites ‘arna . follaigdis gudi nDae’ (‘they should not neglect to pray to God’) from the ninth-century Milan Glosses on the Commentary on the Psalms, translating ‘follaigid’/‘fallaigid’ as ‘neglects, omits, fails (to do)’. In early Irish laws, this verb is used in the sense of ‘omission, evasion’, DIL citing the following from an early Irish law-tract: ‘cuic seoit hi lobud cacha hathgabala … noch fil tri seota cacha tratha ro follaigther’ (‘five “seds” for neglecting [to redeem] every distress … and there are three “seds” for every day that it is neglected [to be redeemed]’). In his Guide to Early Irish Law (p. 152), Fergus Kelly states that the early Irish law-texts employ a number of terms to cover various forms of negligence, ‘most commonly étged, anfot, anfaitches, and díchell’, the phrase ‘aithgein cach étged’ (‘every negligence requires restitution’) being quoted in a number of texts – Professor Kelly explains this phrase as ‘an offence against property through negligence requires merely the replacement of the object damaged or destroyed’. See the commentary on Article 41.2.2o regarding ‘faillí’. ‘Where any registration officer … refuses, neglects, or fails without reasonable cause to perform his duties in that behalf’ is translated as ‘Má dhineann aon oifigeach clárathachta …, gan cúis réasúnta, có-líona na ndualgaisí sin a bheidh air d’oba no do leigint i bhfaillí no gan déanamh’ in s63(1) of the Electoral Act, 1923. ‘Unlawfully inducing … any officer of the Government of Saorstát Éireann to refuse, neglect or omit to discharge his duty as such officer’ is translated as ‘Aon oifigeach do Rialtas Shaorstáit Éireann do mhealla …, go nea-dhleathach, chun có-líona a dhualgais mar oifigeach den tsórt san do dhiúltú no chun é leigint i bhfuaire no i bhfaillí’ in s2 of the Schedule to the Public Safety (Powers of Arrest and Detention) Temporary Act, 1924. In s141(1)(b) of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 1981, ‘if he fails or neglects to comply with the provisions of paragraph (a)’ is translated as ‘má mhainníonn sé nó má fhaillíonn sé forálacha mhír (a) a chomhlíonadh’. scartha … le ‘Scartha’ is the past participle of ‘scar’, ‘scaraim le’ being translated as ‘I relinquish’ in Téarmaí Dlí and as ‘I part with, leave, give up, go away from, escape’ in Dinneen, who cites ‘scaraim le céill, I take leave of my senses’, translating ‘scartha le’ as ‘separated from, parted from, through with, done with, devoid of’, citing ‘táim scartha le céird, I have given up my trade’. DIL cites ‘in corp marbde frissa roscar-som’ (‘the mortal body from which He has parted’), from the eighth-century Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles, as an example of the sense of ‘relinquishes, gives up, is without, desists from’ of ‘scaraid’, the principal sense being ‘separates, parts’. See further the commentary on Article 12.6.2o and note that ‘vacate’ is expressed by ‘éirigh as’ in Article 15.14. ‘The office of any judge of the High Court … may be vacated by resignation in writing under his hand’ is translated as ‘Féadfar oifig aon bhreithimh den Ard-Chúirt … d’fholamhú tríd an mbreitheamh féin d’éirghe aisti le scríbhinn uaidh fé n-a láimh’ in s11 of the Courts of Justice Act, 1924, with ‘Every Circuit Judge who resigns or otherwise for any cause vacates his office’ being translated as ‘Gach Breitheamh Cuarda a imeoidh as oifig no a fhágfidh a oifig ar aon tslí eile ar chúis ar bith’ in s41. ‘Ag


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imeacht as oifig’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as translating ‘vacating office’ in Iris Oifigiúil, 1922/23. Finally, ‘he shall thereupon vacate his office and give notice in writing to the society concerned … that he has vacated his office by reason of such disqualification’ is translated as ‘scarfaidh sé air sin lena oifig agus tabharfaidh sé fógra i scríbhinn don chumann lena mbaineann … go bhfuil scartha aige lena oifig mar gheall ar an dícháilíocht sin’ in s87(3) of the Building Societies Act, 1989.

Standardised gender-proofed Irish text Aon bhreitheamh a dhiúltóidh nó a fhailleoidh an dearbhú réamhráite a dhéanamh ní foláir a mheas go bhfuil scartha ag an mbreitheamh sin lena oifig nó lena hoifig.

Direct gender-proofed translation Aon bhreitheamh a dhiúltóidh nó a fhailleoidh dearbhú den sórt sin a dhéanamh mar a dúradh measfar go mbeidh1 scartha aige nó aici lena oifig nó lena hoifig.

Variants 1 ‘go bhfuil’

ARTICLE 35.1

AIRTEAGAL 35.1

TÉACS GAEILGE

Is ag an Uachtarán a cheapfar breithiúna na Cúirte Uachtaraí, na hArd-Chúirte agus an uile Chúirte eile a bhunaítear de bhun Airteagal 34 den Bhunreacht seo. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

It is by the President that the judges of the Supreme Court, the High Court and every other Court which is established in pursuance of Article 34 of this Constitution will be appointed. ENGLISH TEXT

The judges of the Supreme Court, the High Court and all other Courts established in pursuance of Article 34 hereof shall be appointed by the President.

Divergences between the official texts 1

‘Article 34 hereof’ is expressed as ‘Airteagal 34 den Bhunreacht seo’ (‘Article 34 of this Constitution’) in the Irish text, the more natural construction in the language.

Bunreacht na hÉireann

Commentary breithiúna … an uile Chúirte eile This would generally be written today as ‘breithiúna … na huile Chúirte eile’, Ó Dónaill citing ‘tobar na huile mhaitheasa, the fount of all goodness’ and ‘aiséirí na n-uile mharbh, the resurrection of the dead’, with Dinneen citing ‘thugadar rátha na n-uile dúl, they cited all the elements as surities’. Ó Dónaill translates ‘uile’ as ‘all, every’, translating ‘an uile ní’ as ‘all things’. Dinneen translates ‘uile’ as ‘all, whole’, translating ‘an uile’/‘gach uile’ as ‘every, each’, and ‘an uile nídh’ as ‘everything’. DIL translates ‘uile’ as ‘every, the whole’, citing ‘esseírge inna nuile marb’ from the eighth-century Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles, the very phrase Ó Dónaill cites in Modern Irish. ‘For the purposes of this paragraph and for the purposes of all other provisions of this Act’ is translated as ‘Chun críocha na míre seo agus chun críocha gach forála eile den Acht seo’ in s3(2) of the First Schedule to the Capital Gains Tax Act, 1975, for example, with ‘chun críocha gach ailt eile den Acht sin’ translating ‘for the purposes of all other sections of that Act’ in s2(3) of the Diseases of Animals (Bovine Tuberculoisis) Act, 1957. Commenting on the direct translation below, Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú remarks that ‘uile’ can be omitted if one wishes, having only a reinforcing sense (“brí threisithe”) in this context. den Bhunreacht seo ‘On the date hereof’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as being translated as ‘ar an dáta atá air seo’ in translations for the Department of Local Government and Public Health. ‘Subject to subsection (2) hereof’ is translated as ‘Faoi réir fho-alt (2) den alt seo’ in s27(1) of the Fisheries Act, 1980, for example, as in s22(1) of the Wildlife Act, 1976. ‘Provided that on the happening of any of the events specified in Paragraph 5 hereof’ is translated as ‘Ach ar thárla d’éinní dá luaidhtear i Mír 5 de seo’ in s6 of the Second Schedule to the Creamery Act, 1928. Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú, commenting on the direct translation below, remarks that ‘den Bhunreacht seo’ is perhaps clearer but ‘de seo’ is as correct and as clear as the English text’s ‘hereof’. de bhun This phrase is translated as ‘in pursuance of; on foot of; pursuant to’ in Téarmaí Dlí – see the commentary on Article 28.3.3o. Note that we find the genitive singular ‘Airteagail’ following this phrase in the original text.

Standardised Irish text Is ag an Uachtarán a cheapfar breithiúna na Cúirte Uachtaraí, na hArd-Chúirte agus na huile Chúirte eile a bhunaítear de bhun Airteagal 34 den Bhunreacht seo.

Note that Article 68 of the 1922 Constitution commences as follows: The judges of the Supreme Court and of the High Court and all other Courts established in pursuance of this Constitution shall be appointed by the Representative of the Crown on the advice of the Executive Council. Is é Ionadaí na Coróinneach a cheapfaidh ar chomhairle na hArd-Chomhairle breithiúin na Cúirte Uachtaraighe agus na hArd-Chúirte agus na gCúirteanna eile go léir a bunófar do réir an Bhun-reachta so.

Direct translation Déanfaidh an tUachtarán breithiúna na Cúirte Uachtaraí, na hArd-Chúirte agus gach uile Chúirte1 eile a bhunófar de bhun Airteagal 34 de seo2 a cheapadh.3

Variants 1 ‘gach Cúirte’ 2 ‘den Bhunreacht seo’ 3 ‘Is é nó is í an / An tUachtarán a cheapfaidh breithiúna na Cúirte Uachtaraí, na hArd-Chúirte agus gach uile Chúirte eile a bhunófar de bhun Airteagal 34 de seo.’


A study of the Irish text

ARTICLE 35.2

AIRTEAGAL 35.2

TÉACS GAEILGE

Beidh gach breitheamh saor neamhspleách maidir lena fheidhmeanna breithimh a oibriú, gan de smacht air ach an Bunreacht seo agus an dlí. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Every judge will be free (and) independent as regards the operation of his judicial functions, with no restriction on him except this Constitution and the law. ENGLISH TEXT

All judges shall be independent in the exercise of their judicial functions and subject only to this Constitution and the law.

Divergences between the official texts 1 2

3

4

5

‘Independent’ is expressed as ‘saor neamhspleách’, ‘free (and) independent’, in the Irish text. ‘Subject only to’ is expressed as ‘gan de smacht air ach’ (‘with no restriction/control on him except’) in the Irish text, ‘subject to’ being translated as ‘faoi réir’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘In the exercise of’ is expressed as ‘maidir le … a oibriú’ (‘as regards exercising/operating’), the verb ‘oibrigh’ being translated as ‘operate’ in Téarmaí Dlí but here expressing ‘exercise’, as we have seen in some earlier Articles. ‘Judicial’ is expressed by the attributive genitive singular of ‘breitheamh’ (‘judge’), ‘judicial’ being translated as ‘breithiúnach’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘All judges … their’ is expressed as ‘gach breitheamh … a [plus lenition]’ (‘each judge … his’) in the Irish text.

Note that Article 69 of the 1922 Constitution commences as follows: All judges shall be independent in the exercise of their functions, and subject only to the Constitution and the law. Le linn feidhmithe dhóibh beidh na breithiúin uile nea-spleách agus fé riail an Bhun-reachta agus an dlí amháin.

Commentary gan de smacht air The preposition ‘de’, used mainly with the substantive verb and copula, expresses ‘extent’, Ó Dónaill citing ‘ní raibh de chiall aige ach seasamh, he had no more sense than to stand’. Dinneen cites ‘tá sé de bhuaidh, de chéill, de chéird, agam, I have the virtue of, the good senses to, the art of’ as examples of ‘de’ in appositions in the sense of ‘as, by way of’. Turning to ‘smacht’, Dinneen cites ‘tá smacht orm-sa, I am not my own master’ and ‘beidh siad le smacht ar dhaoine, they will be rulers of men’, translating ‘smacht’ as ‘control (often parental control), restraint, authority, sway, institute, discipline, chastisement, oppression’. Ó Dónaill translates ‘smacht’ as ‘rule, dominion, sway; subjection’ and ‘control, restraint, discipline’, citing ‘smacht a bheith agat ort féin, to be able to control oneself’. DIL translates ‘smacht’ principally as ‘rule, ordinance, regulation, command, stipulation’, citing ‘tect fo smachtu rechto’ (‘to go under the rules of the

Staidéar ar an téacs Gaeilge

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Law’) from the eighth-century Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles. In early Irish laws, ‘smacht’ had the sense of ‘penalty, fine for breach of law, trespass, non-payment of debt, etc.’ (DIL) – according to one law-tract, for example, if an advocate changes from one ‘path’ to another when pleading a case, he must pay a ‘smacht’ of one cow (see Fergus Kelly, op. cit., p. 192). ‘Subject to’ is translated as ‘faoi réir’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘Except upon the terms of making that person … if the Court thinks fit, subject only to the same liabilities and obligations as if the lease had been assigned to that person at that date’ is translated as ‘ach amháin ar théarmaí lena gcuirfear an duine sin … más cuí leis an gCúirt é, faoi réir na ndliteanas agus na n-oibleagáidí céanna sin amháin a mbeadh an duine sin faoina réir dá sannfaí an léas dó ar an dáta sin’ in s56(8) of the Bankruptcy Act, 1988. ‘The decision of the returning officer … shall be final, subject only to reversal on a petition questioning the Assembly election’ is translated as ‘Is cinneadh críochnaitheach cinneadh an cheann comhairimh … agus ní fhéadfar é a fhreaschur ach amháin le hachainí ag tabhairt an toghcháin Tionóil faoi cheist’ in s67 of the First Schedule to the European Assembly Elections Act, 1977. ‘The allowance or disallowance by the Seanad returning officer of any application … shall be final and conclusive, subject only to such appeal as is provided for by this Act’ is translated as ‘Nuair a lamhálfas nó a dhílamhálfas ceann comhairimh an tSeanaid don iarratas … is breith chríochnaitheach dosháruithe an lamháil nó an dílamháil sin, agus ní féadfar achomharc a dhéanamh ina coinne ach amháin mar forálfar leis an Acht seo’ in s11(8) of the Seanad Electoral (Panel Members) Act, 1947. Finally, ‘subject only to the proviso that the action taken by the Central Bank shall not be such as to render compliance with the conditions of the licence more onerous’ is translated as ‘faoi réir an choinníll, agus faoina réir sin amháin, nach ndéanfaidh an Banc Ceannais gníomh a fhágfaidh go mbeidh sé níos dochraidí coinníollacha an cheadúnais a chomhlíonadh’ in s12(3)(d) of the Trustee Savings Bank Act, 1989. Commenting on a draft of the direct translation below, where the final clause was translated as ‘agus ní bheidh siad ach faoi réir an Bhunreachta agus an dlí amháin’, Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú remarked that this would correspond to an English text which read ‘they will be just subject to the Constitution and the law’. Commenting on the variant ‘agus gan iad faoi réir ach ag an mBunreacht seo agus ag an dlí amháin’, Professor Ó Murchú remarked that the syntax requires that ‘faoi réir’ have a headword, e.g. ‘faoi réir aon ní’. Máirtín Ó Murchú notes the merits of the syntax involving ‘gan’ in the neat original text and suggests ‘gan de threoir/smacht/d’fhorlámhas/d’údarás orthu ach an Bunreacht seo agus an dlí’. saor neamhspleách As regards ‘neamhspleách’, see the commentary on Article 5, ‘Ireland is a sovereign, independent, democratic state’ being expressed in that Article as ‘Is Stát ceannasach, neamhspleách, daonlathach Éire’. ‘Conraitheoir neamhspleách’ is translated as ‘independent contractor’ in Téarmaí Dlí, for example. The adjective ‘saor’ is translated primarily as ‘free’ in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘na tíortha, na ciníocha, atá saor, the countries, the races, that are free’ as an example of the sense of ‘independent’. Dinneen cites ‘saor slán, safe and sound’. ‘The Board shall be independent in the exercise of its


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functions’ is translated as ‘Beidh an Bord neamhspleách ag feidhmiú a fheidhmeanna’ in s1(2) of the First Schedule to the Garda Síochána (Complaints) Act, 1986, for example. Regarding ‘in the exercise of’, note that ‘Where this Act, or the Central Bank in the exercise of its functions under this Act, requires’ is translated as ‘I gcás ina gceanglaíonn an tAcht seo, nó an Banc Ceannais i bhfeidhmiú a fheidhmeanna faoin Acht seo’ in s36(16) of the Building Societies Act, 1989. lena fheidhmeanna breithimh ‘Breithimh’ is the genitive singular of ‘breitheamh’ as an attributive adjective. Note that Téarmaí Dlí gives ‘breithiúnach’ as an adjectival form of ‘breitheamh’, citing ‘aird bhreithiúnach, judicial notice’ and ‘rogha bhreithiúnach, judicial discretion’, for example, Ó Dónaill also having this headword. Dinneen gives ‘breitheamhdha’ as a headword, translating that adjective as ‘judicial, judge-like’. See the commentary on Article 29.2, where ‘judicial determination’ is expressed as ‘cinneadh breithiúnach’, regarding ‘judicial’. ‘Judicial functions’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as being translated as ‘feidhmeanna breithiúntais’ in a 1928 Report of the Public Accounts Committee. ‘The Judicial Separation and Family Law Reform Act, 1989’, is cited in Irish as ‘an tAcht um Idirscaradh Breithiúnach agus Athchóiriú an Dlí Teaghlaigh, 1989’, for example, with the ‘Public Authorities (Judicial Proceedings) Act, 1954’ being cited as ‘Acht na nÚdarás Poiblí (Imeachta Breithiúnacha), 1954’. ‘For so long as he continues to hold the judicial office held by him’ is translated as ‘fad a shealbhóidh sé an oifig bhreithiúnach a shealbhaigh sé’ in s2 of the Courts (No. 2) Act, 1981, with ‘in the said judicial office’ being translated as ‘san oifig bhreithiúntais sin’ in s17(b) of the Courts of Justice Act, 1936. o

a oibriú See the commentary on Articles 3 and 13.5.1 ; again Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú, commenting on the direct translation below, recommends using ‘oibrigh’ in order to avoid ‘feidhmeanna … a fheidhmiú’.

Gender-proofed Irish text Beidh gach breitheamh saor neamhspleách maidir lena fheidhmeanna, nó lena feidhmeanna, breithimh a oibriú, gan de smacht air nó uirthi ach an Bunreacht seo agus an dlí.

Direct gender-proofed translation Beidh na breithiúna go léir1 neamhspleách le linn a bhfeidhmeanna2 breithiúnacha a fheidhmiú3 agus iad faoi réir an Bhunreachta seo agus an dlí amháin4.

Variants 1 ‘uile’ 2 ‘Beidh gach breitheamh neamhspleách le linn a fheidhmeanna nó a feidhmeanna’ 3 ‘a oibriú’, ‘Beidh na breithiúna go léir neamhspleách ag feidhmiú / i bhfeidhmiú a bhfeidhmeanna breithiúnacha’ 4 ‘agus gan iad faoi réir ach ag an mBunreacht seo agus ag an dlí amháin’, ‘agus gan de threoir/smacht/d’fhorlámhas/d’údarás orthu ach an Bunreacht seo agus an dlí’

Bunreacht na hÉireann

ARTICLE 35.3

AIRTEAGAL 35.3

TÉACS GAEILGE

Ní cead aon bhreitheamh a bheith ina chomhalta de cheachtar de Thithe an Oireachtais, ná bheith in aon oifig ná post sochair eile. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

It is not permitted that any judge be a member of either of the Houses of the Oireachtas, nor be in any other gainful post or office. ENGLISH TEXT

No judge shall be eligible to be a member of either House of the Oireachtas or to hold any other office or position of emolument.

Divergences between the official texts 1

2

3

‘Eligible to be a member’ and ‘(eligible) to hold’ are expressed in the Irish text simply as ‘a bheith ina chomhalta’ (‘to be a member’) and ‘bheith in’ (‘to be in’), these same Irish phrases expressing ‘be a member’ and ‘(to) hold’ rather than ‘eligible to be a member’ and ‘(eligible) to hold’ in Article 33.3. ‘Or to hold any other office’ is expressed as ‘ná bheith in aon oifig … eile’ (‘nor to be in any other office’) in the Irish text, this being preceded by a comma not found in the English text. See the divergences noted in the commentary on Article 33.3 regarding ‘any other office or position of emolument’ and ‘No … shall’.

J.M. Kelly, op. cit., p. 211, writing on ‘Conflicts which have not yet surfaced’ between the texts of the Constitution, remarks: Another discordance appears to exist in Article 35.3, where the English text makes a judge “ineligible” to be a member of the Oireachtas (i.e. arguably, debarred from standing for election) while the Irish text merely says he may not be a member (“bheith ina chomhalta”).

See the Report of the Constitution Review Group (May 1996, p. 182): It seems to the Review group that the English phrase more accurately reflects the underlying purpose of this section, in that a serving judge would be simply debarred from standing for election. The Irish text should be brought into conformity by substituting “intofa mar chomhalta” for “ina chomhalta”.

Note that Article 69 of the 1922 Constitution concludes as follows: A judge shall not be eligible to sit in the Oireachtas and shall not hold any other office or position of emolument. Ní bheidh breitheamh iontoghtha chun suidhe san Oireachtas, agus ní bheidh aon oifig ná ionad eile sochair aige.

Commentary a bheith See the commentary on Articles 12.3.2o and 12.4.1o respectively, where ‘intofa’ expresses ‘eligible for


A study of the Irish text

re-election’ and ‘eligible for election’. ‘Inghlactha’ expresses ‘eligible’ (to become) in Article 18.2. ‘A person shall not be eligible to be a member of the Governing Body’ is translated as ‘Ní bheidh duine i dteideal bheith ina chomhalta den Chomhlacht Ceannais’ in s6(b) of the First Schedule to the National Institute for Higher Education, Limerick, Act, 1980, for example. Regarding ‘hold’, ‘Where a pensionable officer of a local authority ceases to hold any office under them’ is translated as ‘Má scoireann oifigeach inphinsin d’údarás áitiúil d’aon oifig a shealbhú fúthu’ in s9 of the Local Government Superannuation Act, 1956. ‘I seilbh oifige’ expresses ‘hold office’ in Article 12.3.1o, with ‘hold’ expressed simply by ‘ina’ in the following subsection. See also the commentary on Article 13.5.2o regarding ‘hold’. As ‘eligible’ occurs only once in the English text, Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú recommends ‘i dteideal ar’ in the direct translation below, with the repetition of ‘ar’ in the final clause, i.e. ‘Ní bheidh aon bhreitheamh i dteideal ar a bheith ina chomhalta … ná ar aon oifig … eile a ghlacadh’. post sochair The genitive singular of ‘sochar’ as an attributive adjective, ‘sochar an amhrais’ and ‘sochar míchumais’ being translated respectively in Téarmaí Dlí as ‘benefit of the doubt’ and ‘disablement benefit’ – see the commentary on Article 33.3.

Staidéar ar an téacs Gaeilge

mura rithid Dáil Éireann agus Seanad Éireann rúin á éileamh é a chur as oifig. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

It is not permitted to put a judge of the Supreme Court nor of the High Court out of office except because of misconduct or mental disability which will be mentioned, nor even at that time unless Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann pass resolutions demanding he be put out of office. ENGLISH TEXT

A judge of the Supreme Court or the High Court shall not be removed from office except for stated misbehaviour or incapacity, and then only upon resolutions passed by Dáil Éireann and by Seanad Éireann calling for his removal.

Divergences between the official texts 1

2

ná While the English text has ‘or’, Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú remarks that ‘ná’ (‘nor’) is essential in the Irish text when two separate things are involved. ná bheith in aon oifig Note that we find ‘ná a bheith in aon oifig’ in Article 33.3, which agrees substantially with the present Article.

3

Ní cead See the commentary on Article 9.1.3o.

Standardised gender-proofed Irish text Ní cead aon bhreitheamh a bheith ina chomhalta nó ina comhalta de cheachtar de Thithe an Oireachtais, ná a bheith in aon oifig ná post sochair eile.

Direct gender-proofed translation Ní bheidh aon bhreitheamh i dteideal1 bheith ina chomhalta nó ina comhalta de cheachtar Teach den Oireachtas ná2 i dteideal aon3 oifig nó post sochair4 eile a bheith aige nó aici5.

Variants 1 2 3 4 5

‘i dteideal ar’ ‘nó’ ‘ná ar aon’, ‘ná aon’ ‘díolaíochta’ ‘bheith i seilbh aon oifige nó poist sochair eile’, ‘aon oifig nó post sochair eile a shealbhú’

ARTICLE 35.4.1O

AIRTEAGAL 35.4.1O

TÉACS GAEILGE

Ní cead breitheamh den Chúirt Uachtarach ná den Ard-Chúirt a chur as oifig ach amháin de dheasca mí-iompair nó míthreorach a luafar, ná an uair sin féin

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4

‘Disability’, as in previous Articles, is expressed in the Irish text by ‘míthreoir’, a term which would today be interpreted more as ‘(mental) disabillity/incapacity’ though ‘disability’ is the primary sense of the term in Dinneen. ‘Be removed from office’ and ‘calling for his removal’ are expressed respectively as ‘a chur as oifig’ (‘be put out of office’) and ‘á éileamh é a chur as oifig’ (‘demanding he be put out of office’) in the Irish text, as we have already seen in Article 33.5.1 o , which is substantially the same as the present Article. Again as in Article 33.5.1o, ‘and then only upon resolutions passed by Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann’ is expressed as ‘ná an uair sin féin mura rithid Dáil Éireann agus Seanad Éireann rúin’ (‘nor even at that time unless Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann pass resolutions’) in the Irish text. ‘Shall not’ is expressed as ‘Ní cead’ (‘It is not permitted’), as we have seen in the previous section and in some earlier Articles, with the following ‘or’ then being expressed as ‘ná’, ‘nor’, in the Irish text.

Note that Article 68 of the 1922 Constitution contains the following: The judges of the Supreme Court and of the High Court shall not be removed except for stated misbehaviour or incapacity, and then only by resolutions passed by both Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann. Ní cuirfear breithiúin na Cúirte Uachtaraighe ná na hArd-Chúirte as oifig ach mar gheall ar mhí-iompar no mhí-chumas a luadhfar, agus ansan féin le rúin a rithfear ag Dáil Éireann agus Seanad Éireann araon.

Commentary de dheasca … míthreorach Note that we find ‘de dheasca … míthreora’ in Article 33.5.1o (which is substantially the same as this Article); ‘treorach’ is given as the form of the genitive singular of ‘treoir’ in An Caighdeán Oifigiúil (chapter headed ‘An tAinmfhocal’, section on ‘An Cúigiú Díochlaonadh’), ‘mithreoir’ being listed in the Glossary appended to An Caighdeán Oifigiúil as being a noun of the fifth declension, the genitive of such nouns ending in a broad consonant (-ch, -d; (n)n or -r). Ó Dónaill also gives ‘míthreorach’ as the form of the genitive, Dinneen


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giving ‘treora’, ‘treoire’ and ‘treorach’ as forms of the genitive singular of ‘treoir’. DIL cites examples of both ‘tréora’ and ‘treorach’ as forms of the genitive of ‘treóir’, both forms being found in the Irish Lives of the Saints, for example (‘aingeal Dé ag deanamh tréora dhó’ and ‘innraic treorach do Caoimgin’ [‘excellent of guidance to Coemgen’]).

Bunreacht na hÉireann

Divergences between the official texts 1

Ní cead breitheamh Note that we find ‘Ní cead aon bhreitheamh’ in the previous section; Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú remarks that the more emphatic expression with ‘aon’ was possibly suggested by the English form ‘no judge’. See further the commentary on Article 33.5.1o for this subsection in general.

Standardised gender-proofed Irish text Ní cead breitheamh den Chúirt Uachtarach ná den Ard-Chúirt a chur as oifig ach amháin de dheasca mí-iompair nó míthreorach a luafar, ná an uair sin féin mura ritheann Dáil Éireann agus Seanad Éireann rúin á éileamh é nó í a chur as oifig.

Direct gender-proofed translation Ní chuirfear breitheamh den Chúirt Uachtarach nó den Ard-Chúirt as oifig ach amháin de dheasca mí-iompair nó éagumais shonraithe1, ná an uair sin2 féin ach tar éis do Dháil Éireann agus do Sheanad Éireann rúin a rith á iarraidh3 é nó í a chur as oifig.

2

This subsection is substantially the same as Article 33.5.2o. Note, however, that we do not find ‘as aforesaid’ in the English text here, as we did in Article 33.5.2o; that phrae was not specifically expressed in the Irish text, the initial clause of which corresponds directly to the initial clause of the Irish text of the present subsection. Whereas there is no comma in the English text of Article 33.5.2o corresponding to that before the final clause in the Irish text, the reverse situation occurs in the present Article 35.4.2o. ‘Each such resolution’ in the former Article appears as ‘every such resolution’ in the English text above; the Irish text’s ‘gach rún den tsamhail sin’ in the former Article appears as ‘gach rún díobh’ above. Apart from the above, the same divergences noted as regards Article 33.5.2o also apply in regard to the present Article.

Commentary See the commentary on Article 33.5.2o.

Standardised gender-proofed Irish text Rúin ar bith den sórt sin a rithfidh Dáil Éireann agus Seanad Éireann ní foláir don Taoiseach scéala a thabhairt don Uachtarán ina dtaobh go cuí agus cóip de gach rún díobh a sheoladh chuige nó chuici faoi theastas chathaoirleach an Tí den Oireachtas a rith é.

Direct gender-proofed translation Cuirfidh an Taoiseach an tUachtarán ar an eolas go cuí1 i dtaobh aon rún den sórt sin a rithfidh Dáil Éireann agus Seanad Éireann, agus seolfaidh sé nó sí cóip de gach rún den sórt sin chuige nó cuici arna dheimhniú ag Cathaoirleach an Tí den Oireachtas a mbeidh sé rite aige.

Variants 1 ‘mar gheall ar mhí-iompar nó éagumas sonraithe’ 2 ‘ansin’ 3 ‘ag éileamh’

Variants

ARTICLE 35.4.2

O

AIRTEAGAL 35.4.2

1 ‘Tabharfaidh an Taoiseach eolas cuí don Uachtarán’ O

TÉACS GAEILGE

Rúin ar bith den sórt sin a rithfid Dáil Éireann agus Seanad Éireann ní foláir don Taoiseach scéala a thabhairt don Uachtarán ina dtaobh go cuí agus cóip de gach rún díobh a sheoladh chuige faoi theastas Chathaoirleach an Tí den Oireachtas a rith é. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Any resolutions of that kind which Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann will pass the Taoiseach must duly give account of them to the President and send a copy of each of those resolutions to him under the certification of the Chairman of the House of the Oireachtas that passed it. ENGLISH TEXT

The Taoiseach shall duly notify the President of any such resolutions passed by Dáil Éireann and by Seanad Éireann, and shall send him a copy of every such resolution certified by the Chairman of the House of the Oireachtas by which it shall have been passed.

ARTICLE 35.4.3O

AIRTEAGAL 35.4.3O

TÉACS GAEILGE

Láithreach d’éis na scéala sin agus cóipeanna de na rúin sin a fháil don Uachtarán ní foláir dó, le hordú faoina láimh is faoina Shéala, an breitheamh lena mbainid a chur as oifig. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Immediately after the President receives that account and copies of those resolutions he must, by order under his hand and under his Seal, put the judge to whom they relate out of office. ENGLISH TEXT

Upon receipt of such notification and of copies of such resolutions, the President shall forthwith, by an order under his hand and Seal, remove from office the judge to whom they relate.


A study of the Irish text

Divergences between the official texts 1

The Irish text is substantially the same as that of Article 33.5.3o, with ‘an breitheamh lena mbainid’ replacing ‘an tArd-Reachtaire Cuntas agus Ciste’, and ‘remove from office the judge to whom they relate’ replacing ‘remove the Comptroller and Auditor General from office’ in the English text. Otherwise the same divergences as noted regarding Article 33.5.3o also apply to the present Article 35.4.3o.

Commentary lena mbainid The third person plural, synthetic form, of the present indicative of ‘bain’ – see the commentary on Article 14.5.1o as regards the synthetic and analytic forms in the Constitution.

Standardised gender-proofed Irish text Láithreach d’éis an scéala sin agus cóipeanna de na rúin sin a fháil don Uachtarán ní foláir dó nó di, le hordú faoina láimh is faoina Shéala nó faoina Séala, an breitheamh lena mbaineann siad a chur as oifig.

Direct gender-proofed translation Ar fhógra den sórt sin agus cóipeanna de rúin den sórt sin1 a fháil,2 déanfaidh an tUachtarán láithreach,3 le hordú faoina láimh agus faoina Shéala nó faoina Séala, an breitheamh lena mbaineann siad a chur as oifig.

Variants 1 ‘de na rúin sin’ 2 ‘Ar an eolas sin a fháil, i dteannta cóipeanna de na rúin sin,’ 3 ‘, láithreach,’

ARTICLE 35.5

AIRTEAGAL 35.5

Staidéar ar an téacs Gaeilge

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Note that Article 68 of the 1922 Constitution contains the following: Such remuneration may not be diminished during their continuance in office. Ní féadfar an luach saothair sin do luigheadú an fhaid a leanfaid in oifig.

Commentary an fad is bheidh in oifig The third person singular personal pronoun is understood, this allowing for ‘sé’ or ‘sí’ refering to the judge. Regarding ‘an fad is bheidh’, this phrase would generally be written today as ‘fad a bheidh’ or ‘fad is a bheidh’. Ó Dónaill gives ‘fad (is), a fhad (is)’, translating that phrase as ‘as long as’, citing ‘fad is a bhí mé ann, while I was there’. Dinneen cites ‘an fhaid is bheidh airgead agat, while you have money’, translating ‘fad’, as an adverb, as ‘while, as long as’, with ‘fad is (or an fad)’ having the same sense, Dinneen citing ‘fad do bhí sé ann, while (as long as) he was there’, giving ‘faid, an fhaid’ as variants. DIL cites ‘figlis fut baí’ (‘[he kept vigil] as long as he existed’) from Leabhar na hUidhre (written in Clonmacnois c. 1100) as an example of ‘fot’/ ‘fat’ as a relative adverb. ‘Whether during his continance in office or afterwards’ is translated as ‘cibé acu le linn dó bheith fós i seilbh oifige nó dá éis sin’ in s4(2) of the Courts (Supplemental Provisions) (Amendment) Act, 1991. ‘Every order … which … regulates the continuance in office of holders of any office’ is translated as ‘Gach ordú … le n-a rialáltar i dtaobh sealbhóirí aon oifige áirithe do leanúint in oifig’ in s14 of the Local Government Act, 1941. Note that ‘fanacht i seilbh oifige’ expresses ‘continue in office’ in Article 12.10.7o, with ‘lean dá oifig’ expressing ‘continue to hold office’ in Article 18.9. tuarastal See the commentary on Article 15.9.2o. Again Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú remarks that he sees no reason why ‘tuarastal’ should not be used when it is a set general figure (“suim sheasta choiteann”) which is involved.

Standardised Irish text TÉACS GAEILGE

Ní cead laghdú a dhéanamh ar thuarastal breithimh an fad is bheidh in oifig.

Ní cead laghdú a dhéanamh ar thuarastal breithimh an fad a bheidh in oifig.

Direct gender-proofed translation LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

It is not permitted to reduce the salary of a judge while (he) is in office. ENGLISH TEXT

The remuneration of a judge shall not be reduced during his continuance in office.

Divergences between the official texts 1

2

3

‘Remuneration’ is again expressed as ‘tuarastal’ (‘salary’) in the Irish text, ‘luach saothair’ translating ‘remuneration’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘During his continuance in office’ is expressed as ‘an fad is bheidh in oifig’ (‘while [he] is in office’) in the Irish text. ‘Shall not’ is again expressed as ‘Ní cead’, ‘it is not permitted’, in the Irish text.

Ní laghdófar luach saothair1 breithimh2 le linn dó nó di bheith3 fós i seilbh oifige4.

Variants 1 ‘tuarastal’ 2 ‘Ní dhéanfar luach saothair breithimh a laghdú’, ‘Ní dhéanfar laghdú ar luach saothair breithimh’ 3 ‘fad a bheidh sé nó sí’ 4 ‘in oifig’, ‘i mbun oifige’, ‘fad a leanfaidh sé nó sí in oifig’

ARTICLE 36

AIRTEAGAL 36

TÉACS GAEILGE

Faoi chuimsiú na bhforálacha sin romhainn den Bhunreacht seo a bhaineas leis na Cúirteanna is de réir dlí a rialófar na nithe seo a leanas .i.


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líon breithiúna na Cúirte Uachtaraí, agus na hArdChúirte, tuarastal, aois scortha agus pinsin na mbreithiúna sin, líon breithiúna gach Cúirte eile, agus na coinníollacha faoina gceaptar iad, agus comhdhéanamh agus comheagraíocht na gCúirteanna sin, roinnt na dlínse agus na hoibre ar na Cúirteanna sin agus ar na breithiúna sin, agus gach ní a bhaineas le nós imeachta.

LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Within the constraint/scope of the foregoing provisions of this Constitution which relate to the Courts it is in accordance with law(s) that the following matters will be regulated i.e. i the number of judges of the Supreme Court, and of the High Court, the salary, age of retirement and pensions of those judges, ii the number of judges of every other Court, and the conditions under which they are appointed, and iii the constitution and the co-ordination of those Courts, the division of jurisdiction and work among those Courts and among those judges, and everything that relates to procedure. ENGLISH TEXT

Subject to the foregoing provisions of this Constitution relating to the Courts, the following matters shall be regulated in accordance with law, that is to say:i the number of judges of the Supreme Court, and of the High Court, the remuneration, age of retirement and pensions of such judges, ii the number of the judges of all other Courts, and their terms of appointment, and iii the constitution and organization of the said Courts, the distribution of jurisdiction and business among the said Courts and judges, and all matters of procedure.

Divergences between the official texts 1 ‘Their terms of appointment’ is expressed as ‘na coinníollacha faoina gceaptar iad’ (‘the conditions under which they are appointed’) in the Irish text. 2 ‘Organization’ is expressed by the compound ‘comh’ + ‘eagraíocht’, the force of the prefix ‘comh-’ in a context such as this where a single entity is concerned being normally intensive, according to Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú, i.e. ‘fully, in every detail’; ‘comheagraíocht’ is the abstract noun, i.e. ‘the activity of organizing fully’ – the verbal noun ‘comheagrú’ is found in Article 28.12 in the expression of the English ‘organization’. 3 ‘Business’ is expressed by ‘obair’ in the Irish text, which term is translated as ‘work’ in Téarmaí Dlí, where ‘gnó’ translates ‘business’. 4 ‘All matters of procedure’ is expressed as ‘gach ní a bhaineas le nós imeachta’ (‘everything that relates to procedure’) in the Irish text. 5 ‘Of all other Courts’ is expressed as ‘gach Cúirte eile’ (‘of every other Court’) in the Irish text. 6 ‘Remuneration’ is again expressed as ‘tuarastal’, ‘salary’, in the Irish text.

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7 ‘That is to say’ is expressed by the native abbreviation for Latin ‘id est’ (‘that is’) in the Irish text, no comma preceding the abbreviation corresponding to the comma in the English text. 8 ‘Regulate’ is expressed by ‘rialaigh’, the term for ‘rule’/ ‘control’ in Téarmaí Dlí, as seen in many earlier Articles. 9 ‘Matters’ is expressed in the Irish text by ‘nithe’, ‘things’; ‘matter’ is translated as ‘ábhar’ rather than ‘ní’ in Téarmaí Dlí, however. 10 ‘Subject to’ is expressed as ‘Faoi chuimsiú’ (‘within the scope/constraint of’) in the Irish text, as we have seen in some earlier Articles, this phrase being translated as ‘faoi réir’ in Téarmaí Dlí. 11 A comma follows ‘Courts’ in the English text, no corresponding comma being found in the Irish text. J.M. Kelly, op. cit., p. 208, reports as follows on reference made to Article 36iii in the courts: In The State (Walshe) v Murphy ([1981] IR 275) Finlay P used the Irish equivalent “comhdhéanamh” in order to construe the English word “constitution” (of the courts), so as to make it include (via “comhdhéanaim” = “I make up”) the determination of qualifications for judicial appointment.

Note that Article 67 of the 1922 Constitution reads as follows: The number of judges, the constitution and organisation of, and distribution of business and jurisdiction among, the said Courts and judges, and all matters of procedure shall be as prescribed by the laws for the time being in force and the regulations made thereunder. De réir na ndlithe bheidh i bhfeidhm de thuras na huaire agus do réir na rialacha a déanfar fútha iseadh bheidh uimhir na mbreithiún, bunú agus có-ghléasa agus roinnt ghnótha agus údaráis imeasg na gCúirteanna agus na mbreithiún roimh-ráite, agus gach ní bhaineas le nós imeachta.

Article 68 contains the following: The age of retirement, the remuneration and the pension of such judges on retirement and the declarations to be taken by them on appointment shall be prescribed by law …. The terms of appointment of the judges of such other courts as may be created shall be prescribed by law. Socrófar le dlí aois oifige d’fhágaint, luach saothair agus pinsean a leithéidí de bhreithiúin ar oifig d’fhágaint dóibh agus an dearbtha a thabharfaid uatha le linn a gceaptha .... Socrófar le dlí téarmaí ceaptha breithiún aon chúirteanna eile a bunófar.

Commentary líon breithiúna na Cúirte … gach Cúirte According to the official standard one would expect ‘breithiúna’ to be lenited here, the nominative replacing the genitive, as ‘Cúirt’ is a definite noun – see the commentary on Article 1. Note, however, that Ó Dónaill cites ‘líon suíochán an halla, the seating capacity of the hall’, ‘suíochán’ being the genitive plural, ‘líon suíochán’ being taken as a unit. ‘Notwithstanding the increase made by this section in the number of the judges of the Supreme Court’ is translated as ‘D’ainneoin an mhéaduithe deintear leis an alt so ar líon breithiún na Cúirte Uachtaraighe’ in s4(3) of the Courts of Justice Act, 1936, with ‘So much of section 37 …


A study of the Irish text

as limits the number of the Judges of the Circuit Court’ being translated as ‘An méid d’alt 37 … a chuireann teora le líon Breithiún na Cúirte Cuarda’ in s9(1) of the Courts of Justice Act, 1928. ‘lt shall be necessary … that the number of the members of the planning authority voting in favour of the resolution exceeds one-third of the total number of the members of the planning authority’ is translated as ‘Is gá … gur mó ná trian de líon iomlán comhaltaí an údaráis phleanála a vótálfaidh i bhfabhar an rúin’ in s39(d) of the Local Government (Planning and Development) Act, 1976. Note that ‘The number of the directors of the Agency shall be eleven’ is translated as ‘Aon duine dhéag is líon do stiúrthóirí na gníomhaireachta’ in s7(1) of the Youth Employment Agency Act, 1981. See further the commentary on Articles 14.3 and 16.2.2o. aois scortha ‘Scortha’ is the past participle and adjectival form of the verb ‘scoir’; ‘scoir’ is the genitive or attributive form of the noun, or verbal noun, ‘scor’. Both forms may function interchangeably as attributes, e.g. ‘am scoir’ or ‘am scortha’, the second possibly giving slightly more emphasis to the action, according to Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú. Ó Dónaill gives the following examples of usage: ‘ordú scoir, retirement order’, ‘cead scoir, permission to leave off work’ and ‘am scoir, leaving off time’. Dinneen, in addition to ‘scoir’ (‘scuir’) and ‘scortha’, the latter being given a separate entry, lists ‘scora’ as a variant genitive/ attributive inflection of the noun ‘scor’, and gives the following examples of usage: ‘gan dáil scuir, for ever’ and ‘in am scora nó gabhála an iarainn, when removing or fixing the coulter’. ‘Scoirim as oifig’ is translated as ‘I retire from office’ in Téarmaí Dlí, where ‘scor as oifig de réir oird’ is translated as ‘retirement by rotation’. Ó Dónaill gives ‘release, dismiss’ as one of the senses of ‘scoir’, citing ‘duine a scor as a phost, to retire someone from his post’, with ‘scor éigeantach, compulsory retirement’ being cited s.v. ‘scor’. This specific sense of ‘retire’ is not found in Dinneen, who cites ‘tá siad ag scor indiu, they are removing their furniture, breaking up camp, etc., to-day’, the principal sense of ‘scoraim’ there being ‘I unyoke or unharness, unloose, unbind’. Dinneen gives ‘freed from duty’ as one of the senses of the participial adjective ‘scortha’, along with ‘separated, divorced’, citing ‘an bhlonagach mhná so ’bhfuilim scortha go fáilteach as a cúram, this obese woman from whose care I am, I am glad to say, set free’ – Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú remarks that ‘responsibility for whom’, rather than ‘from whose care’, is what is involved here. ‘Scor’ is translated principally as ‘act of unyoking, unharnessing (horses)’ in DIL, where ‘cosmulius tuib arataat ilsenman do suidiu … is sain fri cath sain fri scor’ (‘a similitude of a trumpet: for it hath many sounds … it is different for battle, different for unyoking’) is cited from the eighthcentury Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles. DIL cites ‘mo nert do scor ó nirt mná’ (‘to let loose my strength [that my strength should vanish(?)] on account of the strength of a woman’), from the version of the WastingSickness of Cú Chulainn contained in Leabhar na hUidhre (written in Clonmacnois c. 1100), as an example of the sense of ‘act of desisting from, ceasing, coming to an end’, with ‘nir scuir dind fhognam’ (‘she ceased not from the service’) being cited from a later text. Looking at early Acts, ‘The ordinary day of retirement of county councillors shall be the seventh day after the

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ordinary day of election of such councillors’ is translated as ‘Isé a bheidh mar ghnáth-lá do chomhairleoirí contae chun dul as oifig ná an seachtú lá tar éis an ghnáth-lae thoghacháin do chomhairleoirí den tsórt san’ in s7(1) of the Local Elections Act, 1927. ‘Continuance in office, retirement, and election of certain members of the Board’ is translated as ‘Baill áirithe den Bhord do leanúint in oifig, d’fhágáil oifige, agus a dtogha’ in the Margin Title of s6 of the Dublin Port and Docks Act, 1925, with ‘to a county registrar on retirement’ being translated as ‘do chlárathóir chontae … ar imeacht as oifig do’ in s35(5) of the Court Officers Act, 1926. The current term, ‘scur’, is found in s16(b) of the Gárda Síochána Act, 1924, where ‘the promotion, retirement, degradation, dismissal, and punishment of members of the Gárda Síochána’ is translated as ‘baill den Ghárda Síochána d’árdú, do scur, d’ísliú, do bhrise, agus do chur fé phionós’. ‘Eirighe as’ translates ‘retirement’ in Iris Oifigiúil, 1928, p. 575. ‘The age of retirement of a judge of the Circuit Court shall be seventy years’ is translated as ‘Seachtó bliain an aois scortha do bhreitheamh den Chúirt Chuarda’ in s18(1) of the Courts (Supplemental Provisions) Act, 1961. ‘But that age of retirement may … be extended by the Minister for Justice’ is translated as ‘ach féadfaidh an tAire Dlí agus Cirt … an aois scortha sin a fhadú’ in s9(7) of the Registration of Title Act, 1964. See further the commentary on Article 12.4.2o. nós imeachta See the commentary on Article 29.4.2o. ‘Regulations may provide for any matters of procedure in relation to appeals to the Minister’ is translated as ‘Féadfaidh foráil a bheith i rialacháin faoi aon ábhair a bhaineann le nós imeachta i ndáil le hachomhairc’ in s42(a) of the Local Government (Planning and Development) Act, 1976, for example. In s24(5) of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1992, ‘Regulations … may make provision in relation to matters of procedure and administration’ is translated as ‘Féadfar, le rialacháin …, foráil a dhéanamh i ndáil le nithe a bhaineann le nós imeachta agus riarachán’. ‘Regulating any matters of procedure’ is translated as ‘ag rialáil aon ábhar maidir le nós imeachta’ in s31(3)(b) of the Solicitors (Amendment) Act, 1960. Finally, ‘divers matters of procedure’ is translated as ‘cúrsaí áirithe nós imeachta’ in the Margin Title of s195 of the Defence Act, 1954. Commenting on a draft of the direct translation below containing the phrase ‘gach ábhar nóis imeachta’, Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú remarked that this type of arrangement (“comhghléas”), i.e. Noun1 + indefinite Noun2 + indefinite Noun3, was very unusual and on the border as regards grammar (“ar imeall na gramadúlachta”). Professor Ó Murchú states that, while Dinneen has ‘fear mine cáirde’ and Ó Dónaill has ‘arán mine cruithneachta’, usually one would find, even from the best speakers in Munster, ‘arán min choirce’ (cf. the form from 1954 above). Whatever about Noun2 being in the genitive, Máirtín Ó Murchú doubts whether the construction would be found except in old established phrases and remarks that, at any rate, Noun1 and Noun2 must be grammatical (“gramadúil”) in themselves, or in agreement with the whole sense. Professor Ó Murchú maintains that ‘ábhar nóis’ is not what is involved here but ‘ábhar a bhaineann le nós’, and recommends ‘na nithe uile a bhaineann le nós imeachta’ as a direct translation of the final clause.


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comheagraíocht See the commentary on Article 28.12 regarding ‘a chomheagrú’ expressing ‘organization’. This compound of ‘comh’ and ‘eagraíocht’ does not appear to be given as a headword either in Ó Dónaill or in Dinneen, the former having a headword ‘comheagar’, translated as ‘co-ordination’, citing ‘comheagar a chur ar rudaí, to co-ordinate things’, the latter translating ‘cóimheagar’ as ‘arrangement, order, array; ornament’, citing ‘cath cóimheagair, a squadron in array’, also giving the indeclinable adjective ‘cóimheagartha’ as a headword, translated as ‘arranged, set with (de)’. ‘Eagraíocht’ is translated as ‘organization’ in Ó Dónaill, ‘eagras’ being cited as a variant, and ‘eagrú’ being the verbal noun of ‘eagraigh’ (‘arrange, organize’), translated as ‘arrangement, organization’. ‘Eagraim’ is translated as ‘I set in order; digest, ordain, regulate, I edit (as a book, etc.); I set with (as jewels)’ in Dinneen, ‘eagairt’ and ‘eagar’ being given as forms of the verbal noun. The earlier form of ‘eagar’, ‘ecor’/‘ecar’, is the verbal noun of ‘in-cuirethar’ and is translated principally as ‘arranging, disposing, setting in order; arrangement, array (of persons, places, things)’ in DIL, where ‘a n-ecor 7 a corugud’ (‘their array’ [of the host of Heaven]) is cited from Leabhar na hUidhre (compiled in Clonmacnois c. 1100). comhdhéanamh This headword is translated as ‘constitution, structure, composition’ in Ó Dónaill, being the verbal noun of the compound verb ‘comhdhéan’, ‘make up, constitute’ – see the commentary on Article 15.1.1o. ‘The convening and constitution of Courts Martial’ is translated as ‘Có-ghairm agus córú Arm-Chúirteanna’ in s125(1)(b) of the Defence Forces (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923. ‘In regard to its constitution, membership, employers, organisation and activities’ is translated as ‘maidir le cóiriú, comhaltas, fostaithe, eagraíocht agus gníomhaíocht an chumainn’ in s38(1)(a) of the Adoption Act, 1952. ‘Constitution and Organisation of the Defence Forces’ is translated as ‘Comhdhéanamh agus Eagraíocht Óglaigh na hÉireann’ in the Heading of Part III of the Defence Act, 1954. roinnt … na hoibre ‘Obair’ is translated as ‘work’ in Téarmaí Dlí, while ‘business premises’ is translated as ‘áitreabh gnótha’ – ‘ráiteas gnóthaí’, however, is translated there as ‘statement of affairs’. ‘Opar’ (‘opair’) comes from Latin ‘opera’, the dative plural ‘oiprib’ being cited from the eighth-century Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles in DIL, where this headword is translated principally as ‘work, activity, employment, occupation’. See the commentary on Article 3 regarding ‘oibrigh’. na coinníollacha See the commentary on Article 16.1.2o, where ‘coinníoll’ expresses ‘provision’, and on Article 33.6 where ‘coinníoll’ expresses ‘term’, as in the present Article. ‘The remuneration, terms of appointment and conditions of service of the Chairman … may be fixed by contracts’, for example, is translated as ‘Féadfar luach saothair, téarmaí ceapacháin agus coinníollacha seirbhíse an Chathaoirligh … a shocrú trí chonarthaí’ in s24 of the Industrial Development Act, 1969, following s4(5) of the Industrial Development Authority Act, 1950. a bhaineas … a leanas The special form of the relative, present indicative, of ‘bain’ and ‘lean’ respectively, the

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latter form being always used in this phrase – see the commentary on Article 6.1 regarding the special form of the relative. roinnt … ar See the commentary on Article 28.12, where ‘gnó a roinnt orthu’ expresses ‘distribution of business amongst Departments of State’. na hArd-Chúirte Note that a semi-colon follows this phrase in the first paragraph in the original Irish text. de réir This phrase is translated as ‘in accordance with’ in Téarmaí Dlí – see the commentary on Article 1. Faoi chuimsiú See the commentary on Articles 12.5 and 18.7.2o. a rialófar See the commentary on Articles 10.3 and 12.5. .i. See the commentary on Article 7.

Standardised Irish text Faoi chuimsiú na bhforálacha sin romhainn den Bhunreacht seo a bhaineann leis na Cúirteanna is de réir dlí a rialófar na nithe seo a leanas, .i. i líon breithiúna na Cúirte Uachtaraí, agus na hArdChúirte, tuarastal, aois scortha agus pinsin na mbreithiúna sin, ii líon breithiúna gach Cúirte eile, agus na coinníollacha faoina gceaptar iad, agus iii comhdhéanamh agus comheagraíocht na gCúirteanna sin, roinnt na dlínse agus na hoibre ar na Cúirteanna sin agus ar na breithiúna sin, agus gach ní a bhaineann le nós imeachta.

Direct translation Faoi réir na bhforálacha sin romhainn den Bhunreacht seo a bhaineann leis na Cúirteanna, déanfar na hábhair seo a leanas a rialáil de réir dlí, is é sin le rá:i líon bhreithiúna1 na Cúirte Uachtaraí, agus na hArdChúirte, luach saothair2, aois scoir agus pinsin na mbreithiúna sin, ii líon bhreithiúna1 na gCúirteanna eile go léir, agus téarmaí a gceapacháin, agus iii comhdhéanamh agus eagrú na gCúirteanna sin, dáileadh dlínse agus gnó ar na Cúirteanna sin agus ar na breithiúna sin, agus gach ábhar3 a bhaineann le nós imeachta.

Variants 1 ‘breithiúna’ 2 ‘tuarastal’ 3 ‘na nithe uile’

ARTICLE 37.1

AIRTEAGAL 37.1

TÉACS GAEILGE

Aon duine nó aon dream a n-údaraítear go cuí dóibh le dlí feidhmeanna agus cumhachtaí teoranta breithiúnais a oibriú i gcúrsaí nach cúrsaí coireachta, má oibríd na


A study of the Irish text

feidhmeanna agus na cumhachtaí sin ní bheidh an t-oibriú sin gan bhail dlí de bhíthin aon ní sa Bhunreacht seo, siúd is nach breitheamh ná cúirt a ceapadh nó a bunaíodh mar bhreitheamh nó mar chúirt faoin mBunreacht seo an duine nó an dream sin. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Any person or any group who are duly authorized by law to operate limited functions and powers of judgement in matters that are not criminal matters, if they operate those functions and powers that operation will not be without legal validity by reason of anything in this Constitution, even though that person or group is not a judge or a court which was appointed or established as a judge or as a court under this Constitution. ENGLISH TEXT

Nothing in this Constitution shall operate to invalidate the exercise of limited functions and powers of a judicial nature, in matters other than criminal matters, by any person or body of persons duly authorised by law to exercise such functions and powers, notwithstanding that such person or such body of persons is not a judge or a court appointed or established as such under this Constitution.

Divergences between the official texts 1

2

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‘Nothing in this Constitution shall operate to invalidate the exercise of such functions and powers’ is expressed as ‘má oibríd na feidhmeanna agus na cumhachtaí sin ní bheidh an t-oibriú sin gan bhail dlí de bhíthin aon ní sa Bhunreacht seo’ (‘if they operate those functions and powers that operation will not be without legal validity by reason of anything in this Constitution’) in the Irish text, ‘exercise’ being expressed by ‘oibrigh’, which term is translated as ‘operate’ in Téarmaí Dlí, as we have seen in some earlier Articles. ‘Functions and powers of a judicial nature’ is expressed simply as ‘feidhmeanna agus … cumhachtaí … breithiúnais’ (‘judicial functions and powers’) in the Irish text. ‘In matters other than criminal matters’ is expressed in the Irish text as ‘i gcúrsaí nach cúrsaí coireachta’ (‘in matters that are not criminal matters’), with ‘coireacht’, the term expressing ‘criminal’, being the abstract noun generally translated as ‘wickedness, guiltiness’, ‘coiriúil’ translating ‘criminal’ in Téarmaí Dlí; this phrase is preceded by a comma in the English text alone. ‘Body of persons’ is expressed by ‘dream’, the same term that expresses ‘group’ in earlier Articles; Ó Dónaill translates ‘dream’ principally as ‘body of people’, however. ‘Notwithstanding that’ is expressed as ‘siúd is (nach)’, ‘even though’, in the Irish text, ‘notwithstanding that’ being translated as ‘d’ainneoin go’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘Appointed or established as such’ is expressed as ‘a ceapadh nó a bunaíodh mar bhreitheamh nó mar chúirt’ (‘appointed or established as a judge or as a court’) in the Irish text.

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Commentary siúd is nach ‘Siúd is go’ is translated as ‘even though’ in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘siúd is go raibh an ceart agat, granted that you were right’ and ‘siúd is nach bhfaca mé iad, even though I didn’t see them’. Dinneen translates ‘siúd is go (nach)’ as ‘granted that (not), although (not), even if (not)’, citing ‘siúd is ná beadh sé uaithe, even if she did not want it’, stating that ‘siúd = bíodh siúd’. DIL cites ‘sud 7 nach mbiadh sé air ar gcumas’ (‘what if it should not be in our power’) from Donlevy’s An Teagasc Críosduidhe (1742). ‘Notwithstanding that’ is translated as ‘d’ainneoin go’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘Notwithstanding the existence of the patent or registration’ is translated as ‘d’ainneoin an phaitinn no an clárú do bheith ann’ in s130(1) of the Industrial and Commercial Property (Protection) Act, 1927, for example. ‘To drive during the Congress period … any motor car of that class notwithstanding that such person is not the holder of a driving licence’ is translated as ‘gluaisteán ar bith den tsaghas san do thiomáint le linn tréimhse an Chomórtha, d’ainneoin gan ceadúnas tiomána do bheith ag an duine sin’ in s6(2) of the Eucharistic Congress (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1932. ‘Such certificate … may be given in respect of a person notwithstanding that such person … has retired’ is translated as ‘Féadfar an deimhniú san … do thabhairt alos duine d’ainneoin gur thárla … an duine sin d’éirghe as’ in s8(2) of the Superannuation Act, 1936. See further the commentary on Article 14.3 where ‘d’ainneoin’ expresses ‘notwithstanding’. dream See the commentary on Article 10.1, where this term expresses ‘body’, and on Article 19 where ‘dream’ expresses ‘group’. Note that Ó Dónaill translates ‘dream’ principally as ‘body of people’. ‘Comhlacht’ expresses ‘body’ in Article 13.8.2o. ‘The word “employer” includes any employer being a body of persons, corporate or unincorporate, as well as an employer who is an individual’ is translated as ‘foluíonn an focal “fostathóir” aon fhostathóir is cólucht daoine, ionchorpruithe no neamhionchorpruithe, chó maith le fostathóir is duine aonaránach’ in s47(2) of the Finance Act, 1925. ‘It shall be unlawful for any person or body of persons … to carry on business as the promoter of a trading stamp scheme’ is translated as ‘Ní dleathach d’aon duine ná d’aon chomhlacht daoine … gnó a sheoladh mar thionscnóir scéime stampaí trádála’ in s2(1) of the Trading Stamps Act, 1980. feidhmeanna … breithiúnais ‘Breithiúnais’ is the genitive singular of ‘breithiúnas’ used attributively. ‘Breithiúnas’ is translated as ‘judgment’ in Téarmaí Dlí (where ‘Cúirt Bhreithiúnais’ is translated as ‘Court of Justice’) and in Ó Dónaill. ‘Breitheamhas’ is translated as ‘a decision, a judgment; the office of a brehon’ in Dinneen, Old Irish ‘brithemnas’, based on ‘breithem’ (‘judge’), being translated as ‘adjudication, judgment; jurisdiction’ in DIL. The ninthcentury story ‘The Conversion of Loígure’ refers to ‘brithem fri brithemnas ar roscadaib 7 fasaigib’ (‘a judge for judgement based on roscads [legal verses] and fasachs [maxims]’ – see Fergus Kelly, op. cit., p. 196, n. 39). See the commentary on Article 29.2 regarding ‘judicial’, expressed in that Article by ‘breithiúnach; ‘breithimh’ expresses ‘judicial’ in Article 35.2.


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In s5(b) of the Prohibition of Incitement to Hatred Act, 1989, ‘proceedings publicly heard before a court, or a tribunal exercising functions or powers of a judicial nature’ is translated as ‘imeachtaí a éisteadh go poiblí os comhair cúirte nó binse a bheidh ag feidhmiú feidhmeanna nó cumhachtaí de chineál breithiúnach’. As regards other examples of ‘nature’ in this context, ‘other assets of a financial nature’, for example, is translated as ‘sócmhainní eile de chineál airgeadais’ in s4(2) of the Fifth Schedule to the Finance Act, 1990. ‘Five shall form a quorum for any business which, in the opinion of the Chairman of the Committee, may be considered of a special nature’ is translated as ‘cúigear is quorum i gcóir aon ghnótha is gnó speisialta dar le Cathaoirleach an Choiste’ in s6 of the ‘Mayo County Scheme’ in the Schedule to the Local Government (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923. The Long Title of the Treasonable Offences Act, 1925, ‘An Act to declare divers acts of a treasonable nature … to be offences’, is translated as ‘Acht chun a fhaisnéis gur ciontaí gníomhartha áirithe de shaghas tréasúnta’. cúrsaí coireachta ‘Matter, affair; circumstance’ is given by Ó Dónaill as a secondary sense of ‘cúrsa’ (primarily ‘course’), citing ‘cúrsaí dlí, creidimh, legal, religious matters’. Dinneen also gives ‘affair, matter, event’ as one of the senses of ‘cúrsaí’, translating ‘cúrsaí dlighidh’ as ‘legal proceedings (or matters)’ – see the commentary on Article 15.12. ‘Coireacht’ is translated as ‘wickedness, guiltiness’ in Ó Dónaill and simply as ‘guiltiness’ in Dinneen, ‘coireamhlacht’ being similarly translated, and Ó Dónaill translating ‘coiriúlacht’ as ‘criminality, guiltiness’. ‘Coireach’, on which ‘coireacht’ is based, is translated as ‘offender, transgressor’, as noun, and as ‘wicked, sinful; guilty’ as an adjective, in Ó Dónaill. ‘Coir’ is translated as ‘crime, offence; fault, transgression’ in Ó Dónaill – see the commentary on Article 30.3. See also the commentary on Article 34.3.1o where ‘criminal’ is expressed as ‘coiriúil’. The adjective ‘criminal’ is translated as ‘coiriúil’ in Téarmaí Dlí. In the Long Title of the Criminal Justice Bill, 1997, ‘… to amend the law relating to proceedings in criminal matters’, is translated as ‘… do leasú an dlí a bhaineann le himeachtaí in ábhair choiriúla’, with ‘mutual assistance in criminal matters’ being translated as ‘cúnamh frithpháirteach in ábhair choiriúla’ in s2 of Article 11 of the Air Navigation and Transport Act, 1975. In s4 of the Courts of Justice Act, 1926, ‘The Central Criminal Court shall have and may exercise every jurisdiction in criminal matters for the time being vested in the High Court’ is translated as ‘Beidh ag an bPríomh-Chúirt Choiriúil gach údarás a bheidh ag an Ard-Chúirt de thuras na huaire i gcúrsaí coiriúla’. a oibriú … má oibríd See the commentary on Article 3 regarding ‘oibrigh’ and on Article 14.5.1o regarding the synthetic (‘oibríd’) and analytic (‘oibríonn siad’) form of the verb. a n-údaraítear See the commentary on Article 37.2.

Standardised Irish text Aon duine nó aon dream a n-údaraítear go cuí dóibh le dlí feidhmeanna agus cumhachtaí teoranta breithiúnais a oibriú i gcúrsaí nach cúrsaí coireachta, má oibríonn siad na feidhmeanna agus na cumhachtaí sin ní bheidh an t-oibriú sin gan bail dlí de bhíthin aon ní sa Bhunreacht seo, siúd is nach breitheamh ná cúirt a ceapadh nó a bunaíodh mar bhreitheamh nó mar chúirt faoin mBunreacht seo an duine nó an dream sin.

Direct translation Ní oibreoidh aon ní sa Bhunreacht seo chun feidhmiú1 feidhmeanna agus cumhachtaí teoranta de chineál breithiúnach, in ábhair seachas ábhair choiriúla, ag aon duine nó ag aon chomhlacht daoine a bheidh údaraithe go cuí le dlí chun na feidhmeanna agus na cumhachtaí sin a fheidhmiú, a chur ó bhail, d’ainneoin nach breitheamh ná2 cúirt a bheidh ceaptha nó bunaithe mar sin3 faoin mBunreacht seo a bheidh sa duine nó sa chomhlacht daoine sin.

Variants 1 ‘oibriú’ 2 ‘nó’ 3 ‘nach breitheamh a bheidh ceaptha mar bhreitheamh nó cúirt a bheidh bunaithe mar chúirt’

ARTICLE 37.2

AIRTEAGAL 37.2

TÉACS GAEILGE

Ní raibh ná ní bheidh aon uchtáil ar dhuine a ghlac éifeacht nó a bhfuil sé sainráite gur ghlac sí éifeacht aon tráth tar éis don Bhunreacht seo a theacht i ngníomh faoi dhlíthe a d’achtaigh an tOireachtas agus is uchtáil de bhun ordú a rinne nó údarú a thug aon duine nó aon dream a bhí sonraithe leis na dlíthe sin chun na feidhmeanna agus na cumhachtaí sin a oibriú ó bhail dlí de bhíthin amháin nár bhreitheamh ná cúirt a ceapadh nó a bunaíodh mar bhreitheamh nó mar chúirt faoin mBunreacht seo an duine nó an dream sin. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

No adoption of a person which took effect or which is expressed to have taken effect at any time after the coming into operation of this Constitution under laws which the Oireachtas enacted and which is an adoption in pursuance of an order made by or an authorisation given by any person or any group which was specified by those laws to operate those functions and powers did not nor will not lack legal validity for the sole reason that that person or that group was not a judge or a court which was appointed or established as a judge or a court under this Constitution. ENGLISH TEXT

teoranta See the commentary on Article 31.1. o

gan bhail dlí See the commentary on Articles 15.4.2 and 34.3.2o. de bhíthin See the commentary on Article 23.2.1o.

Bunreacht na hÉireann

No adoption of a person taking effect or expressed to take effect at any time after the coming into operation of this Constitution under laws enacted by the Oireachtas and being an adoption pursuant to an order made or an authorisation given by any person or body of persons


A study of the Irish text

designated by those laws to exercise such functions and powers was or shall be invalid by reason only of the fact that such person or body of persons was not a judge or a court appointed or established as such under this Constitution.

Divergences between the official texts 1

2 3

4

5

6

7

‘Taking effect or expressed to take effect’ is rendered as ‘a ghlac éifeacht nó a bhfuil sé sainráite gur ghlac sí éifeacht’ (‘which took effect or which is expressed to have taken effect’) in the Irish text. ‘Body of persons’ is rendered as ‘dream’, ‘group’, as in the previous section. ‘Designated’ is rendered as ‘sonraithe’ (‘specified’) in the Irish text, ‘sonraím’ being translated as ‘I specify’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘Exercise’ is rendered in the Irish text by ‘oibrigh’, which term is translated as ‘operate’ in Téarmaí Dlí, as we have seen in some earlier Articles. ‘Invalid’ is rendered as ‘ó bhail dlí’ (‘lacking legal validity’); ‘invalid’ is translated as ‘neamhbhailí’ in Téarmaí Dlí; note that ‘invalidate’ is expressed as ‘gan bhail dlí’ in the previous section. ‘By reason only of the fact that’ is rendered simply as ‘de bhíthin amháin’ (‘for the sole reason that’) in the Irish text. ‘Appointed or established as such’ is rendered as ‘a ceapadh nó a bunaíodh mar bhreitheamh nó mar chúirt’ (‘appointed or established as a judge or as a court’) in the Irish text, as we saw in the previous section.

Note that this section was added to the text following the Sixth Amendment of the Constitution Act, 1979.

Commentary sainráite The past participle of a compound of ‘sain-’ (‘special, particular, specified, characteristic’) and ‘abair’ (‘say’), as a participial adjective, is translated as ‘express’ in Téarmaí Dlí and in Ó Dónaill, where ‘barántas sainráite, express warranty’ and ‘coinníoll sainráite, express condition’ are cited, for example. This compound does not appear to be given as a headword in Dinneen. The prefixed adjectival ‘sain-’ as an independent adjective is translated as ‘different, distinct, separate’ in DIL, where ‘sain dán cáich’ (‘different [is] every one’s gift’) is cited from the eighth-century Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles, with ‘ní nomsainmescca ó mac Dé’ (‘whatever sunders me from the Son of God’) being cited from a later source as an example of ‘sain’ compounded with a verb (‘mescaid’, also here with the preverb ‘no’ and infixed pronoun). ‘As from the said date from which the certificate is expressed to take effect’ is translated as ‘ón dáta san o n-a deirtar sa deimhniú go bhfuil an deimhniú le bheith in éifeacht’ in s62(2) of the Court Officers Act, 1926, this same English text (without ‘said’) being translated as ‘amhail ón dáta a mbeidh sainráite sa deimhniú éifeacht a bheith aige uaidh’ in s3(2)(b) of the Court Officers Act, 1951. ‘The expiration of a period of four months from the date on which the resolution is expressed to take effect’

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is translated as ‘tréimhse ceithre mhí a bheith caite ón dáta a déarfaidh an rún a bheidh sé le teacht in éifeacht’ in s85(1) of the Finance Act, 1974. See further the commentary on Article 24.1. ‘Luaigh’ consistently expresses ‘express’ in the original text of the Constitution: ‘a Bill expressed to be a Bill containing a proposal to amend the Constitution’ is expressed as ‘Bille a luaitear a bheith ina Bhille a bhfuil togra ann chun an Bunreacht a leasú’ in Articles 24.1, 25.1, 26 and 27, ‘má luaitear ann’ expressing ‘which is expressed to be’ in Article 28.3.3o, ‘a luaitear sa Bhunreacht a bheith’ expressing ‘as are by this Constitution expressed’ in Article 31.1, ‘a luaitear ina dtaobh sa Bhunreacht seo’ expressing ‘which are by this Constitution expressed’ in Article 32, ‘Every Bill shall be expressed to be’ being expressed as ‘Ní foláir a lua i ngach Bille’ in Article 46.3 and, finally, ‘Dlíthe … a mbeidh luaite iontu’ expressing ‘Laws … expressed to’ in Article 50.2. Note also how ‘democratically expressed’, in the new Article 3 contained in Article 29.7, is rendered as ‘á chur in iúl go daonlathach’. de bhun ordú … nó údarú The genitive would normally follow the prepositional phrase ‘de bhun’, but as ‘ordú’ and ‘údarú’ are both verbal nouns following directly after the compound preposition they are not inflected – see An Caighdeán Oifigiúil, chapter headed ‘Form of the Nominative in place of the Genitive’, s5(b), where ‘tá an lá ag dul chun síneadh’ is cited as example. Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú comments, regarding a draft of the direct translation below, that the genitive inflection is unnecessary. Looking at ‘authorisation’ in early Acts, ‘Where any person duly authorised by a sanitary authority has reasonable cause to suppose’ is translated as ‘Má bhíonn ag éinne dar thug údarás sláintíochta údarás cuibhe cúis réasúnta chun a cheapa’ in s20(3) of the Local Government Act, 1925. ‘Authorisation of contracts in reference to road motor services’ is translated as ‘Údarú connartha bhaineann le seirbhísí gluaisteáin ar bhóithre’ in the Margin Title of s7 of the Railways (Road Motor Service) Act, 1927. In s60(4) of the Pigs and Bacon Act, 1935, ‘The Minister may at any time revoke an authorisation given under this section’ is translated as ‘Féadfaidh an tAire, uair ar bith, údarú do tugadh fén alt so … do cheiliúradh’. Looking at modern Acts, in s3 of the Tea (Purchase and Importation) (Amendment) Act, 1966, ‘imports it under and in accordance with an authorisation given by the Minister’ is translated as ‘é a allmhairiú faoi réim agus de réir údaráis ón Aire’. Finally, in s6(7) of the Animals Act, 1985, ‘on foot of an authorisation given in a notice’ is translated as ‘de dhroim údarú a tugadh i bhfógra’. uchtáil This headword is translated as ‘adoption’ in Téarmaí Dlí, ‘uchtú’ being given as the standard form in Ó Dónaill. ‘Leanbh a uchtú, to adopt a child’ is cited by Ó Dónaill as an example of ‘uchtú’ as a verbal noun, ‘uchtú’ as a noun being translated as ‘adoption’. In a list of additional headwords appended to the Glossary in An Caighdeán Oifigiúil, however, we find ‘uchtáil’ as the verbal noun of ‘uchtaigh’. Dinneen does not give either verbal noun or verb as a separate headword, but s.v. ‘ucht-’, i.e. ‘breast-’, in compounds, he includes the following: ‘ucht-mhac, an adopted son’, ‘uchtcach, adoptive’, ‘uchtcacht (uchtcandacht), adoption’, ‘uchtcadh, adopting’ and ‘uchtcaim, I adopt as a son’. Dinneen refers to the glossary


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appended to the second edition of Bedell’s Irish Bible, 1690, as his source, where we find ‘athargadh, ochdmhacadh’ – this is cited in DIL s.v. ‘ucht’, ‘breast, bosom’, where the compound ‘uchtmacad’ is translated as ‘adoption’, with ‘uchtmhacadh, the adoption of a son’ being cited from the transcript of Peter O’Connell’s Irish-English Dictionary in the Royal Irish Academy. In early Irish law ‘mac fáesma’ expressed ‘adopted son’, one of the senses of ‘fáes(s)am’ in DIL being ‘taking into protection, adopting’. In his ‘Index of Irish Terms’ in A Guide to Early Irish Law, Fergus Kelly translates the earlier form ‘fóesam’, verbal noun of ‘fo-sisedar’ (‘stands under, acknowledges, protects’), as ‘legal protection, adoption into kin’ and states (ibid, p.105): Rights of inheritance may be acquired by a person adopted into a kin-group, either through payment of an adoption fee (lóg fóesma) or through invitation .... His adoption (fóesam lit. ‘taking into protection’) is a contract which must be bound by sureties, and ratified by the head of the kin .... a man may disinherit a son who fails to carry out his filial duties (goire) and adopt another person in his stead.

In s9 of the Status of Children Act, 1987, ‘any order made or decree granted outside the State, providing for the adoption of a person’ is translated as ‘aon ordú arna dhéanamh, nó foraithne arna deonú, lasmuigh den Stát, lena ndéantar socrú maidir le huchtáil duine’. In s1 of the Adoption Act, 1991, ‘“foreign adoption” means an adoption of a child who … was under the age of 21 years’ is translated as ‘ciallaíonn “uchtáil choigríche” uchtáil linbh a bhí … faoi bhun 21 bliain d’aois’. ó bhail dlí ‘Validity’ is given as one of the senses of ‘bail’, principally translated as ‘prosperity’ in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘ionas go mbeadh bail ar a fhaoistin, so that his confession might be valid’, translating ‘gan bhail’ as ‘invalid, void’. ‘Invalid’ is translated as ‘neamhbhailí’ in Téarmaí Dlí, where ‘bailí’ is translated as ‘valid’ and ‘I validate’ is translated as ‘déanaim bailí’. Dinneen translates ‘gan bhail’ as ‘void, ineffective (of a sacrament)’, giving Donlevy’s Irish Catechism (1742) as source; Dinneen does not appear to give ‘bailí’ as a headword. DIL cites ‘bídh buil ar an bpósadh gan fhios, gan fhiadhain’ (‘a clandestine marriage is valid’), from Parrthas an Anma (Gearnon, 1645), as an example of the sense ‘of the efficacy of a sacrament or judgement’ of ‘bal’, also citing ‘bídh a bpósadh ar bhail’ (‘valid’) from Ó Heoghusa’s An Teagasg Criosdaidhe (1611). See further the commentary on Article 40.4.3o. In Article 28.3.3o, ‘Nothing in this Constitution shall be invoked to invalidate any law enacted by the Oireachtas’ is expressed as ‘Ní cead aon ní dá bhfuil sa Bhunreacht seo a agairt chun aon dlí dá n-achtaíonn an tOireachtas a chur ó bhail’, with ‘No provision of this Constitution invalidates laws enacted’ being rendered as ‘Ní dhéanann aon fhoráileamh atá sa Bhunreacht seo aon dlíthe a d’achtaigh … a chur ó bhail dlí’ in Article 29.4.7o. ‘Gan bhail’ expresses ‘invalid’ in Articles 15.4.2o, ‘gan bhail dlí’ expressing ‘invalidate’ in Article 37.1. In Article 40.4.3o, however, following the Second Amendment of the Constitution Act, 1941, ‘but that such law is invalid’ is rendered as ‘ach an dlí sin a bheith neamhbhailí’. Turning to the Acts, ‘No such resolution shall be invalid or, in the case of any such resolution passed before the passing of this Act, ever have been invalid by reason only

Bunreacht na hÉireann

of the failure to give such notice’ is translated as ‘ní bheidh aon rún den tsórt san nea-mbailidhe no, i gcás aon rúin den tsórt san do ritheadh roimh an Acht so do rith, ní tuigfear é bheith nea-mbailidhe riamh de bhíthin gan an fógra san do thabhairt’ in s6 of the Town and Regional Planning (Amendment) Act, 1939. Finally, in s6(6) of the Schedule to the Pilotage Order Confirmation Act, 1927, ‘No act or proceeding of the Committee shall be invalid on account of any vacancy in their body’ is translated as ‘Ní bheidh aon ghníomh ná imeacht de chuid an Choiste nea-dhleathach de dheascaibh aon fholúntais ar a measc’. See further the commentary on Article 15.4.2o. de bhíthin amháin See the commentary on Article 29.4.3o where ‘de bhíthin’ renders ‘necessitated by’. ‘A notice of appeal … shall not be invalid by reason only of the fact that an appeal town … did not stand specified’ in translated as ‘Fógra achomhairc … ní bheidh sé neamhbhailí toisc amháin nach raibh baile achomhairc … sonraithe’ in s1(2)(b) of the Courts Act, 1986. In s6(1) of the Local Government (Planning and Development) Act, 1982, ‘A permission or approval granted on appeal … shall not be, and shall not be regarded as ever having been, invalid by reason only of the fact that the development concerned contravened, or would contravene, materially the development plan’ is translated as ‘Aon chead nó ceadú a bheidh tugtha ar achomharc … ní bheidh sé, agus ní mheasfar go raibh sé riamh, neamhbhailí de bhíthin amháin gur sháraigh, nó go sáródh an fhorbairt áirithe, ar mhodh ábhartha, an plean forbartha’.

Standardised Irish text Ní raibh ná ní bheidh aon uchtáil ar dhuine a ghlac éifeacht nó a bhfuil sé sainráite gur ghlac sí éifeacht aon tráth tar éis don Bhunreacht seo a theacht i ngníomh faoi dhlíthe a d’achtaigh an tOireachtas agus is uchtáil de bhun ordaithe a rinne nó údaraithe a thug aon duine nó aon dream a bhí sonraithe leis na dlíthe sin chun na feidhmeanna agus na cumhachtaí sin a oibriú ó bhail dlí de bhíthin amháin nár bhreitheamh ná cúirt a ceapadh nó a bunaíodh mar bhreitheamh nó mar chúirt faoin mBunreacht seo an duine nó an dream sin.

Direct translation Ní raibh ná ní bheidh aon uchtáil ar dhuine a ghlacfaidh éifeacht nó a bhfuil sé sainráite go nglacfaidh sí éifeacht tráth ar bith tar éis don Bhunreacht seo teacht i bhfeidhm faoi dhlíthe arna n-achtú ag an Oireachtas agus is uchtáil de bhun ordú1 a rinne nó údarú2 a thug aon duine nó comhlacht daoine a bheidh ceaptha ag na dlíthe sin chun na feidhmeanna agus na cumhachtaí sin a oibriú3 neamhbhailí toisc amháin gurbh amhlaidh nár bhreitheamh ná nár chúirt a bhí ceaptha nó bunaithe mar sin faoin mBunreacht seo an duine sin nó an comhlacht daoine sin.

Variants 1 ‘ordaithe’ 2 ‘údaraithe’ 3 As Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú remarks, some punctuation would be an addition to the easier reading of the above text, a comma here following ‘a oibriú’, for example.


A study of the Irish text

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TRIAL OF OFFENCES TRIAIL I gCIONTA ARTICLE 38.1

AIRTEAGAL 38.1 os comhair coiste é, he was tried before a jury’ as examples of the sense of ‘triail’, ‘try, test’, in Jurisprudence, ‘triail’ being the verbal noun of ‘triail’. DIL does not appear to cite any examples of either verb or verbal noun ‘triail’ which, being borrowed from English is, according to Dinneen, influenced by the Irish word ‘triall’ – ‘attempts, endeavours’ is one of the senses of the verb ‘tríallaid’ in DIL. Note that De Bhaldraithe, while translating ‘try’ as ‘triailim (cúis, príosúnach)’ cites ‘He was tried for theft, cuireadh cúirt as gadaíocht air’. The Margin Title of s231 of the Defence Forces (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923, ‘Trial of offences’, is translated as ‘Ciontaí do thriail’, ‘Triail chiontaí’ being found in the Margin Title of s73 of the Foyle Fisheries Act, 1952, and ‘Cionta a thriail’ in the Margin Title of s21 of the Fisheries (Statute Law Revision) Act, 1956, as in the Margin Title of s49 of the Fisheries Act, 1980.

TÉACS GAEILGE

TRIAIL I gCIONTA Ní cead aon duine a thriail in aon chúis choiriúil ach mar is cuí de réir dlí. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

TRIAL IN OFFENCES It is not permitted to try any person in any criminal case/ prosecution except as is proper according to law. ENGLISH TEXT

TRIAL OF OFFENCES No person shall be tried on any criminal charge save in due course of law.

Divergences between the official texts 1

2

3

4

The title ‘Trial of Offences’ is expressed as ‘Triail i gCionta’ (‘Trial in Offences’) in the Irish text, the same preposition ‘i’ following ‘triail’ expressing ‘on’ in the section itself (‘a thriail in aon chúis’, ‘tried on any … charge’); note that we find ‘cionta a thriail’ expressing ‘trial of offences’ in s3.1o of this Article. While the Irish term expressing ‘charge’, ‘cúis’, has this sense, this term also renders ‘case’ (‘lawsuit’), and is translated simply as ‘cause’ in Téarmaí Dlí, where ‘charge (i.e. criminal)’ is translated as ‘cúiseamh’ rather than ‘cúis’. ‘In due course of law’ is expressed as ‘mar is cuí de réir dlí’ (‘as is proper/due according to law’) in the Irish text. ‘No … shall’ is expressed as ‘Ní cead’ (‘It is not permitted to’) in the Irish text, as we have seen in many earlier Articles.

i gcionta ‘Cion’ is translated as ‘offence’ in Téarmaí Dlí – see the commentary on Article 30.3. Ó Dónaill cites ‘cion sa chion, as an eye for an eye’ and Dinneen cites ‘cion san chion, trepass for trepass (part of the lex talionis’). DIL cites ‘brithemnacht forsin cin-sa’ (‘judgment on this crime’) from the eighth-century Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles. ‘Do bhreitheamhnus for na huile chin doní gach cintach’ (‘On judgement on every crime which an offender commits’) is the late title of a fragmentary early Irish law-text which deals mainly with the liability of relatives for a person’s crimes – see Fergus Kelly, op. cit, p. 273. See further the commentary on Article 47.2.1o. aon chúis ‘Case, charge’ is a secondary sense of ‘cúis’, primarily ‘cause’, in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘cúis dlí, lawsuit’ along with ‘cúis a bheith agat ar dhuine, to have a case against someone’ and ‘cúis a chur in aghaidh duine, to lay a charge against someone’. ‘Cúis’ is translated simply as ‘cause’ in Téarmaí Dlí. Dinneen gives ‘case in the courts’ as a sense of ‘cúis’, also giving ‘charge, accusation; cause of quarrel’, citing ‘cúis dlighidh, lawsuit, legal process’ and ‘do glaodhadh an chúis, the case was called’. DIL gives ‘cause, case; debate, dispute, controversy’ as one of the senses of ‘cúis’ (which comes from Latin ‘causa’), citing ‘doracartmar cois caích’ (‘we have argued the cause of every one’) from the eighth-century Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles. ‘Dia fis cía is breitheamh i ngach cúis’ (‘To find out who is a judge for every case’) is the late title of an early Irish law-text on the duties of a judge – see Fergus Kelly, op. cit., p. 267. See the commentary on Article 12.10.2o.

Note that Article 70 of the 1922 Constitution commences as follows: No one shall be tried save in due course of law .... Ní trialfar éinne ach do réir chúrsaí cuibhe na dlí.

Article 72 commences as follows: No person shall be tried on any criminal charge without a jury .... Ní trialfar aon duine in aon chúis choiriúil gan choiste.

Commentary Triail … a thriail ‘Triail’ is translated as ‘trial’ and ‘trialaim’ as ‘I try (i.e., a case)’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘Triailim’ is translated as ‘I try juridically, test, put to ordeal, prove myself …’ in Dinneen, who translates ‘triail’ as ‘act of trying, judging, testing, venturing; a trial (juridical), a test or ordeal …’. Ó Dónaill cites ‘cás a thriail, to try a case’ and ‘triaileadh

de réir dlí See the commentary on Article 1 regarding ‘de réir’. ‘Or otherwise to allow to be paid out of his assets in due course of law (any money due from the

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bankrupt)’ is translated as ‘nó chun a cheadú ar dhóigh eile go n-íocfar é as a eastát i gcúrsa cuí an dlí’ in s211(a) of the Companies Act, 1963, with ‘until discharged or delivered over in due course of law’ being translated as ‘go dtí go scaoilfear nó go seachadfar anonn iad i gcúrsa cuí an dlí’ in s231(1) of the Defence Act, 1954. Finally, in s9(2) of the Finance Act, 1927, ‘that the whole or any part of the amount of such uncollected tax shall be deemed to have been discharged in due course of law’ is translated as ‘go dtuigfar méid iomlán no aon chuid de mhéid iomlán na cánach nea-bhailithe sin do bheith glanta go cuibhe do réir dlí’. aon chúis choiriúil The adjective ‘coiriúil’ is translated as ‘criminal’ in Téarmaí Dlí and in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘cúis choiriúil, criminal charge’. Dinneen translates ‘coireamhail’ as ‘guilty’. This adjective is based on ‘coir’, ‘crime’ – see the commentary on Article 34.3.1o. Ní cead See the commentary on Article 9.1.3o. cuí See the commentary on Article 43.2.1o.

Direct translation CIONTA A THRIAIL Ní dhéanfar aon duine a thriail ar aon chúiseamh coiriúil ach i gcúrsa cuí an dlí.

ARTICLE 38.2

AIRTEAGAL 38.2

TÉACS GAEILGE

Féadfar mionchionta a thriail ag cúirteanna dlínse achomaire. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Minor offences may be tried at courts of summary jurisdiction. ENGLISH TEXT

Minor offences may be tried by courts of summary jurisdiction.

Divergences between the official texts 1

There appears to be no divergences between these two texts, though ‘ag cúirteanna’ can also be read as ‘at courts’ rather than ‘by courts’.

Note that Article 72 of the 1922 Constitution commences as follows: No person shall be tried on any criminal charge without a jury save in the case of charges in respect of minor offences trialable by law before a Court of Summary Jurisdiction .... Ní trialfar aon duine in aon chúis choiriúil gan choiste ach i gcás cúiseanna timpeal mion-choirthe atá intrialta le dlí i láthair Chúirt Údaráis Achmair.

Commentary mionchionta ‘Mionchion’ is translated as ‘minor offence’ in Téarmaí Dlí and in Ó Dónaill, this being a compound

Bunreacht na hÉireann

of the prefix ‘mion’, translated as ‘small, minute; minor, petty; micro-’ in Ó Dónaill, and ‘cion’, translated as ‘offence’ in Tearmaí Dlí – see the commentary on the previous section. DIL translates ‘min’ as ‘small (of size and quantity), minute, fine; petty, trivial’, ‘minpeccad’ (‘a venial sin’) being given as an example of a compound with ‘min’, the accusative plural of which, ‘minpeccthu’, is cited from the eighth-century Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles. ‘If … the Justice shall be of opinion that the facts proved against the accused constitute a minor offence fit to be tried summarily’ is translated as ‘má sé barúil an Bhreithimh gur mion-chionta is intrialta ar an slí achmair an méid a cruthuíodh i gcoinnibh an duine chúisithe’ in s77B of the Courts of Justice Act, 1924. ‘If the Justice is of opinion that the facts proved or alleged against a defendant charged with such an offence constitute a minor offence fit to be tried summarily’ is translated as ‘más é tuairim an Bhreithimh gur mionchion is intriailte go hachomair na fíorais a cruthaíodh nó a líomhnaíodh i gcoinne chosantóir a bheidh cúisithe i gcion den sórt sin’ in s8(2)(a) of the Dumping at Sea Act, 1981. cúirteanna dlínse achomaire ‘Cúirt dlínse achomhaire’ is translated as ‘court of summary jurisdiction’ in Téarmaí Dlí, ‘dlínse achomair’ being translated as ‘summary jurisdiction’ and the adjective ‘achomair’ as ‘summary’ – see the commentary on Article 30.3. Ó Dónaill gives ‘summary’ as a secondary sense of ‘achomair’, translated principally as ‘concise, brief’, ‘athchomair’ being translated in Dinneen as ‘near, approximate; concise, compendious; quick, sudden’. Note that ‘achoimre’ rather than ‘achomaire’ is the form of the genitive singular in Ó Dónaill. ‘Athchummair’ is translated as ‘concise, brief’ in DIL; this headword is a compound of the prefix ‘ath-’, usually with the sense of ‘second, a further’ when combined with nouns, and ‘cummair’ (‘short, brief’), which is itself a compound of ‘com’ plus ‘berr’ (‘short’, ‘berraid’ being translated as ‘shears, clips; shaves’). In s4(5) of the Interpretation Act, 1923, ‘the expression “court of summary jurisdiction” shall mean a District Court’ is translated as ‘ciallóidh an focal “cúirt údaráis achmair” Cúirt Dúithche’. ‘All the penalties under this Act may be recovered and enforced in manner directed by the Summary Jurisdiction Acts before a Court of Summary Jurisdiction’ is translated as ‘Féadfar na pionóisí uile fén Acht so do bhaint amach agus d’fhoirfheidhmiú, sa tslí a horduítear leis na hAchtanna Dlighinse Achmair, os cóir Cúirte Dlighinse Achmair’ in s27 of the Cork Milling Company Railway Act, 1935, with ‘os cóir cúirte dlighinse achmaire’ translating ‘before a court of summary jurisdiction’ in s38(2) of the Defence Forces (Temporary Provisions) (No. 2) Act, 1940. ag The principal sense of this prepostion is ‘at’, Ó Dónaill citing ‘ag baile, at home’ and ‘ag Bealach an Doirín, at, when at, Ballaghadereen’, these being examples of this preposition not being followed by the definite article. ‘Ag’ is also used in the sense of ‘agent or instrument’, Ó Dónaill citing ‘tá sé briste agat, you have broken it’ and ‘caite ag an aois, worn out by age’. Dinneen states that this preposition ‘denotes the agent of actions going on or finished’, citing ‘tá sé scríobhtha agam, I have written it’ and ‘cad tá agat dá scríobhadh? what are you writing’. Dinneen adds the following:


A study of the Irish text

[Ag] is not used of agent generally except after past participle constructions or the verbal corresponding to the present participle in English. When the tense of the verb expressing the action is simply stated with a past participle or a verbal corresponding to the English present participle ag is not used. Thus we do not say ithtear agam é, it is being eaten by me.

DIL gives examples of ‘oc’, ‘almost in sense of agent’, stating: Strictly, oc idicates, not the agent, but the quarter, group of individuals, etc., in which the action takes place or has its origin. With passive often employed instead of do where that preposition is needed in another sense. (In Modern Irish ag is commonly used to denote the agent after a participle in periphrasis for perfect tense: atá an litir scríobhtha agam, I have written.)

From earlier literature, DIL cites ‘co torchair acu iarsin iar cur a n-áir’ (‘he fell at their hands after slaying many of them’) and ‘cia coa [recte oca?] ndernad in chet-long?’ (‘by whom was the first ship made?’) Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú cites ‘ní maith do gabhadh an creidiomh sin ag Tomás’ from Pairlement Chloinne Tomáis (Bergin, l. 40). ‘Such person may be tried by any class of court-martial’ is translated as ‘féadfaidh aon chineál armchúirte … an duine sin a thriail’ in s121(a) of the Defence Act, 1954, with ‘féadfar é a thriail ag ceachtar acu’ translating ‘(A person) may be tried by either of them’ in s243(4).

Direct translation

Staidéar ar an téacs Gaeilge

Divergences between the official texts 1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Féadfar mionchionta a thriail ag cúirteanna dlínse achomaire.1

Variants

525

‘Faoi leith’ in the Irish text is usually taken to mean ‘specific’, ‘separate’, ‘distinct’; ‘special’ is translated simply as ‘speisialta’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘Where it may be determined’ is expressed as ‘a gcinnfear ina dtaobh’ (‘regarding which it will be determined’) in the Irish text. ‘Are inadequate’ is expressed as ‘nach leor’ (‘are not adequate’) in the Irish text, ‘leor’ generally expressing ‘enough, sufficient’, whereas ‘inadequate’ is translated as ‘neamhleor’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘To secure the effective administration of justice’ is expressed as ‘chun riaradh cirt a chur i bhfeidhm le héifeacht’ (‘to enforce [the] administration of justice effectively’) in the Irish text, ‘secure’ being expressed by ‘cuir i bhfeidhm’ (‘enforce’), and ‘le héifeacht’ (‘effectively’) qualifying ‘a chur i bhfeidhm’ rather than ‘riaradh cirt’ (‘the administration of justice’), as in the English text. ‘Public’ qualifies both ‘peace’ and ‘order’ in the English text (though one might perhaps read the text as if only ‘peace’ was so qualified), but as ‘poiblí’ in the Irish syntax cannot be regarded as qualifying ‘síocháin’ (‘poiblí’ being unlenited), it necessarily qualifies ‘ord’ only, i.e. the Irish means ‘peace and public order’. ‘Justice’ is expressed by ‘ceart’, which term is translated simply as ‘right’ in Téarmaí Dlí, though it has the sense of ‘justice’ in general usage, while ‘justice’ is specifically translated as ‘ceartas’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘De réir an dlí sin’ (‘in accordance with such law’) is preceded and followed by a comma in the Irish text, no corresponding commas being found in the English text, which text alone has a comma following ‘justice’, before the final clause.

1 ‘Féadfaidh cúirteanna dlínse achomaire mionchionta a thriail.’

Commentary

ARTICLE 38.3.1

O

AIRTEAGAL 38.3.1

O

TÉACS GAEILGE

Féadfar cúirteanna faoi leith a bhunú le dlí chun cionta a thriail i gcásanna a gcinnfear ina dtaobh, de réir an dlí sin, nach leor na gnáthchúirteanna chun riaradh cirt a chur i bhfeidhm le héifeacht agus chun síocháin agus ord poiblí a chaomhnú. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Specific courts may be established by law to try offences in cases regarding which it will be determined, in accordance with that law, that the ordinary courts are not adequate to enforce effectively the administration of justice and to preserve public order and peace. ENGLISH TEXT

Special courts may be established by law for the trial of offences in cases where it may be determined in accordance with such law that the ordinary courts are inadequate to secure the effective administration of justice, and the preservation of public peace and order.

faoi leith See the commentary on Articles 12.3.3o and 15.9.1o regarding ‘ar leith’. Ó Dónaill translates ‘ar leith, faoi leith’ as ‘apart, separate; several, distinct; remarkable, special’, citing ‘cás ar leith, separate, exceptional, case’ and ‘aire ar leith, special care’. Dinneen translates ‘ar leith’ as ‘apart, separately, severally’, citing ‘do rónsad sluagh ar leith díobh féin, they formed themselves into a distinct host’. DIL cites ‘gnáe far leth’ from the ninth-century St Gall Glosses on Priscian (where this phrase glosses Latin ‘separatim’), as an example of the quasi-adjectival use of ‘leth’ with ‘for’ in the sense of ‘apart, separate, different, special’. Turning specifically to ‘special’, ‘special agent’ is translated as ‘gníomhaire speisialta’ in Téarmaí Dlí, where ‘the Special Criminal Court’ is styled ‘an Chúirt Choiriúil Speisialta’ and ‘special sitting’ is translated as ‘suí speisialta’. Looking at early Acts regarding ‘special’, ‘unless the Court on any special ground shall otherwise order’ is translated as ‘mara n-ordóidh an Chúirt a mhalairt mar gheall ar aon chúis fé leith’ in s18(1) of the Increase of Rent and Mortgage Interest (Restrictions) Act, 1923. In Schedule (B) of the Appropriation Act, 1923, however, ‘For the salaries and other expenses of Temporary Commissions, Committees and Special Inquiries’ is translated as ‘chun tuarastail agus costaisí eile Coimisiún Sealadach, Coistí agus Fiosrúchán Speisialta’. The title of Part III of the Public Safety Act,


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1927, ‘Proclamation Authorising Special Courts’ is translated as ‘Furógra Ag Údarú Cúirteanna Speisialta’. riaradh cirt ‘Riaradh’ is given as a variant of ‘riar’, verbal noun of the verb ‘riar’, in Ó Dónaill, citing ‘riar cirt, administration of justice’. ‘Riaraim’ is translated as ‘I administer (estate, justice, etc.)’ in Téarmaí Dlí. Dinneen gives both ‘riar’ and ‘riaradh’ as forms of the verbal noun of this headword, ‘act of administering’ being given as one of the senses of a separate headword ‘riaradh’. The earlier ‘ríarad’, verbal noun of ‘ríaraid’, is translated in DIL as (a) ‘serving’ and (b) ‘ministering to, attending on, supplying’, the verb being based on ‘ríar’, translated principally as ‘will, wish, often of expression of will, demand, request, decision’ in DIL, where ‘mad mo ríar-sa dognethe’ (‘if it were my will that ye did’) is cited from the eighthcentury Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles. ‘Uraicecht na Ríar’ (‘the Primer of the Stipulations’) is the title of an early Irish law-tract which deals with the qualifications of the various grades of poet – see the 1987 edition and translation by Liam Breatnach. See the commentary on Articles 34.1 and 43.2.1o regarding ‘ceart’ (genitive singular ‘cirt’), translated as ‘right’ in Téarmaí Dlí, where ‘ceartas’ translates ‘justice’. Following this subsection, however, ‘ar mhaithe le riaradh cirt ag Cúirt’ renders ‘in the interests of the administration of justice by a Court’ in Article 28.4.3o, which subsection was added to the text by the Seventeenth Amendment of the Constitution Act, 1997. ‘Proceedings before the High Court … shall be as informal as is practicable and consistent with the administration of justice’ is translated as ‘Beidh imeachtaí os comhair na hArd-Chúirte … chomh neamhfhoirmiúil agus is féidir agus i gcomhréir le riaradh ceartais’ in s29(4) of the Child Care Act, 1991. ‘Persons concerned with administration of justice’ is translated as ‘Daoine a bhfuil baint acu le riaradh ceartais’ in the heading in Schedule 1 of the Juries Act, 1976. In s48(a) of the Offences Against the State Act, 1939, ‘that the ordinary Courts are … inadequate to secure the effective administration of justice and the preservation of public peace and order’ is translated as ‘nach leor na gnáth-chúirteanna chun a chur in áirithe go riarfaí ceart go héifeachtúil agus go gcoimeádfaí an tsíocháin agus an t-ord puiblí’. The Long Title of the Courts of Justice Act, 1936, ‘An Act to make further and better provision in relation to the administration of justice’, is translated as ‘Acht chun socruithe bhreise agus fheabhsa do dhéanamh maidir le riaradh cirt’, with ‘for purposes relating to the better administration of justice’ being translated as ‘chun crícheanna a bhaineas le feabhsú riara cirt’ in the Long Title of the Courts of Justice Act, 1924. ‘Whenever the Executive Council is of opinion that it is necessary in order to secure the due administration of justice and the sure punishment of crime’ is translated as ‘Pé uair gurb é tuairim na hArd-Chomhairle, chun a chur in áirithe go riarfar ceart go cuibhe agus go bpionósfar coirthe go siúrálta’ in s20(1) of the Public Safety Act, 1927. Note finally that ‘justice’ is expressed as ‘cothrom’ in Article 29.1. a chur i bhfeidhm ‘I bhfeidhm’ is translated as ‘in force’ in Téarmaí Dlí, where ‘cuirim i bhfeidhm’ is translated as ‘I enforce’, this phrase being translated as ‘I carry out (as an order), use (as a tool), make operative (as an Act of Parliament)’ in Dinneen. ‘Rud a chur i bhfeidhm’ is trans-

Bunreacht na hÉireann

lated as ‘to put something into operation’ in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘caithfear an dlí a chur i bhfeidhm, the law must be enforced’. The primary meaning of ‘feidhm’ seems to be ‘load, stress, strain’, passing into the senses of ‘utmost effort, effort, exertion, burden, service, function’ according to DIL. See the commentary on Article 28.3.3o regarding ‘secure’ (expressed in that Article by ‘cuir in áirithe’) and note above s.v. ‘riaradh cirt’, how this is translated as ‘a chur in áirithe’ in the present context in s20(1) of the Public Safety Act, 1927. ‘To facilitate the proper administration of justice, secure the observance of police regulations’ is translated as ‘chun cuí-riaradh an cheartais a urasú, chun a áirithiú go gcomhallfar rialacháin phóilíneachta’ in s21 of the Third Schedule to the Diplomatic Relations and Immunities Act, 1967. Regarding the direct translation below, Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú comments that he would prefer ‘a dheimhniú’, or even ‘a chinntiú’, to ‘a áirithiú’. le héifeacht ‘Rud a dhéanamh le héifeacht’ is translated as ‘to do something competently, effectively’ in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘labhair sé le héifeacht, he spoke strongly, to good effect’. Dinneen translates ‘éifeacht’ as ‘force, point, substance; avail; sense, wisdom; maturity’, citing ‘cé file tú le héifeacht, though you are a poet composing with sense’, concluding his entry, s.v. ‘éifeacht’ with ‘cf, effect’. DIL translates ‘éifecht’ as ‘efficacy, vigour, substance, meaning, purport’, seventeenth-century texts being the source of most of DIL’s citations. Looking at early translations of ‘effective’, ‘A person shall not receive any part of a grant which may be made in pursuance of this Act for non-effective services’ is translated as ‘Ní bhfaghaidh neach aon chuid de dheontas a déanfar ar aon seirbhísí neamh-fheidhmiúla do réir an Achta so’ in s4 of the Appropriation Act, 1922. ‘Every act, matter and thing done … shall … be as valid and effective as if the same had been regularly done by a Magistrate’ is translated as ‘Gach gníomh, rud agus ní dineadh … beid chó stóinsithe agus chó héifeachtach is dá ndintí an céanna go rialta ag Máistreoir’ in s9(2) of the District Justices (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923. Turning to the modern Acts, ‘local facilities and services for the proper and effective administration of the assistance’ is translated as ‘saoráidí agus seirbhísí logánta chun an cúnamh a riar ar bhealach iomchuí agus éifeachtach’ in s(b) of Article 3 of the Second Schedule to the Radiological Protection Act, 1991, for example. ‘And generally for the effective administration of the Scheme’ is translated as ‘agus, i gcoitinne, chun an Scéim a riaradh go héifeachtúil’ in s5 of the Employment Premium Act, 1975. a chaomhnú See the commentary on Article 28.3.3o. Ó Dónaill cites ‘nós, teanga, a chaomhnú, to preserve a custom, a language’. The verb ‘cáemnaid’ is based on ‘cáemna’, translated primarily as ‘act of protecting, keeping’ in DIL, where ‘sírchóemna m’anmasa’ is cited from Leabhar na hUidhre, compiled in Clonmacnois c. 1100. See the commentary on Article 24.1 as regards ‘preservation’. Note that ‘that in the interests of the preservation of public peace and order it is expedient that the sale of intoxicating liquor in any town or village should immediately cease’ is translated as ‘go bhfuil sé oiriúnach, chun síocháin agus ordú puiblí do chimeád, stad do chur


A study of the Irish text

láithreach le deocha meisciúla do dhíol in aon bhaile no sráidbhaile’ in s2 of the Intoxicating Liquor Act, 1924. ‘Lawfully engaged on duties relating to the preservation of peace and order’ is translated as ‘bheidh ag gabháil go dleathach do dhualgaisí bhainfidh le síocháin agus ordú do choimeád’ in s3 of the Treason Act, 1939, with ‘a chólíonann, go dleathach, dualgaisí a bhaineann le síocháin agus ordú do chimeád’ translating the above in s2 of the Treasonable Offences Act, 1925. ‘That I will see and cause the peace to be kept and preserved’ is translated as ‘go bhféachfad chuige agus go gcuirfad fé ndeár go gcimeádfar agus go gcosnófar an tsíocháin’ in the ‘Form of Declaration’ in the Fourth Schedule to the Police Forces Amalgamation Act, 1925. Note finally that ‘cosain’ expresses ‘preserve’ in Article 24.1. ord poiblí ‘Ord’ is translated basically as ‘order’ in Ó Dónaill, who does not cite this phrase. Dinneen translates ‘órd’ as ‘order, arrangement, series; custom, law, practice, procedure; ordo, ritual, office, liturgy …’. Old Irish ‘ord(d)’ is a learned loanword from Latin ‘ordo’, translated as ‘order, sequence’ in DIL, where examples are cited from the eighth-century Glosses onwards – see the commentary on Article 40.6.1o. ‘Subject to public order and morality’ is translated as ‘gan dochar don rialtacht ná don mhoráltacht phuiblí’ in Article 8 of the 1922 Constitution. ‘The officer so appointed shall keep order at his station’ is translated as ‘déanfaidh an t-oifigeach a ceapfar amhlaidh órdathacht do chimeád ina stáisiún’ in s19 of the Fifth Schedule to the Electoral Act, 1923. ‘Any message or communication subversive of public order’ is translated as ‘aon teachtaireacht no conbharsáid a bheadh díobhálach don ordú phuiblí’ in s11(1)(b) of the Wireless Telegraphy Act, 1926. ‘The Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act, 1994’ is cited in Irish as ‘an tAcht um Cheartas Coiriúil (Ord Poiblí), 1994’. ‘In the interests of public order or security or safety’ is translated as ‘ar mhaithe le dea-ord poiblí nó slándáil nó sábháilteacht’ in s10(1) of the Air Navigation and Transport Act, 1988. ‘To aid the civil power in the preservation of public order’ is translated as ‘chun cabhrú leis an gcumhacht síbhialta chun an t-ord poiblí a choimeád’ in s273(9) of the Mental Treatment Act, 1945. See further the commentary on Article 40.6.1o. nach leor ‘Is leor sin’ is translated as ‘that is enough’ in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘Is leor a rá (go), suffice it to say (that)’. Dinneen cites ‘an leor sain? is that enough? is leor sain, enough’. DIL translate ‘lór’ as ‘enough, sufficient; also adequate, competent’, citing ‘am loor fri cach reit’ (I am ‘competent to deal with any eventuality’) from the eighth-century Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles. ‘Inadequate consideration’ is translated as ‘comaoin neamhleor’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘If it appears to the Minister for Justice that the provisions of this section are inadequate to prevent the negligent or fraudulent handling of money for a client’ is translated as ‘Más dealraitheach don Aire Dlí agus cirt nach leor forálacha an ailt seo chun cosc a chur le faillí agus calaois ag láimhsiú airgid do chliant’ in s5(9)(a) of the Auctioneers and House Agents Act, 1967. ‘If and wherever and so often as the Government is satisfied that the ordinary courts are inadequate to secure the effective administration of justice and the preservation of public

Staidéar ar an téacs Gaeilge

527

peace and order’ is translated as ‘Más deimhin agus pé uair agus chó minic agus is deimhin leis an Riaghaltas nach leor na gnáth-chúirteanna chun a chur in áirithe go riarfar ceart go héifeachtúil agus go gcoimeádfar an tsíocháin agus an t-ord puiblí’ in s35(2) of the Offences Against the State Act, 1939. a gcinnfear 12.11.2o.

See the commentary on Articles 1 and

Direct translation Féadfar cúirteanna speisialta a bhunú1 le dlí chun cionta a thriail i gcásanna ina gcinnfear de réir an dlí sin nach leor2 na gnáthchúirteanna chun riaradh3 éifeachtach ceartais a áirithiú4, agus síocháin phoiblí agus ord poiblí a chaomhnú.

Variants 1 2 3 4

‘a chur ar bun’ ‘gur neamhleor’ ‘riar’ ‘a dheimhniú’, ‘a chinntiú’

ARTICLE 38.3.2O

AIRTEAGAL 38.3.2O

TÉACS GAEILGE

Is le dlí a shocrófar comhdhéanamh, cumhachtaí, dlínse agus nós imeachta na gcúirteanna faoi leith sin. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

It is by law that the constitution, powers, jurisdiction and procedure of those specific courts will be arranged. ENGLISH TEXT

The constitution, powers, jurisdiction and procedure of such special courts shall be prescribed by law.

Divergences between the official texts 1 2

‘Prescribe’ is expressed by ‘socraigh’, which term is translated as ‘settle’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘Special’ is expressed by ‘faoi leith’, ‘specific’, as in the previous subsection, with ‘speisialta’ translating ‘special’ in Téarmaí Dlí, as we have seen.

Commentary a shocrófar See the commentary on Articles 27.2 and 34.4.3o, where ‘prescribe’ is expressed by ‘ordaigh’. Again Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú, commenting on the direct translation below, favours ‘ordaigh’ to the term generally used in the modern Acts, ‘forordaigh’, remarking that ‘for-’ adds nothing but affectation of expression (“forcamás friotail”) to that version. nós imeachta See the commentary on Articles 29.4.2o and 36iii. faoi leith See the commentary on the previous subsection. comhdhéanamh See the commentary on Article 36iii. dlínse See the commentary on Article 3.


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Direct translation Déanfar comhdhéanamh, cumhachtaí, dlínse agus nós imeachta na gcúirteanna speisialta sin a fhorordú1 le dlí.

Variant 1 ‘a ordú’

ARTICLE 38.4.1O

AIRTEAGAL 38.4.1O

TÉACS GAEILGE

Féadfar binsí míleata a bhunú chun daoine a thriail i gcionta in aghaidh dlí mhíleata a deirtear a rinneadar le linn a mbeith faoi dhlí mhíleata, agus fós chun broic le heisíth nó le ceannairc faoi arm. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Military benches may be established to try people in offences against military law which it is said they did while they were under military law, and moreover to cope with unrest or with armed rebellion. ENGLISH TEXT

Military tribunals may be established for the trial of offences against military law alleged to have been committed by persons while subject to military law and also to deal with a state of war or armed rebellion.

Divergences between the official texts 1

2

3

4 5

6

7

‘For the trial of offences … committed by persons’ is expressed as ‘chun daoine a thriail i gcionta … a rinneadar’ (‘to try people in offences … they committed/did’) in the Irish text, whereas ‘chun cionta a thriail’ expresses ‘for the trial of offences’ in s3.1o of this Article. ‘Offences … alleged to have been committed’ is expressed as ‘cionta … a deirtear a rinneadar’ (‘offences … said to have been committed [by them]’) in the Irish text; ‘I allege’ is translated as ‘líomhnaím’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘Subject to military law’ is expressed as ‘faoi dhlí mhíleata’ (‘under military law’) in the Irish text, ‘subject to’ being translated as ‘faoi réir’ in Téarmaí Dlí. The phrase expressing ‘military law’ in the Irish text, ‘dlí míleata’, can also be read as ‘martial law’. ‘To deal with’ is expressed in the Irish text by a phrase generally understood to be ‘to tolerate’, ‘broic le’, having the earlier sense of ‘to meddle with’. ‘State of war’ is expressed by ‘eisíth’, a term literally meaning ‘non-peace’ and, while it is translated by Dinneen as ‘state of war’, in Ó Dónaill it is translated as ‘lack of peace; dissension, strife, quarrel’. The final clause is preceded by a comma in the Irish text, no corresponding comma being found in the English text.

Note that Article 70 of the 1922 Constitution contains the following: … extra-ordinary military courts shall not be established, save only such Military Tribunals as may be

Bunreacht na hÉireann

authorised by law for dealing with Military offenders against military law. The jurisdiction of Military Tribunals shall not be extended to or exercised over the civil population save in time of war or armed rebellion …. ní bunófar cúirteanna nea-choitianta, ach amháin pé Binsi Airm a údarófar le dlí chun lucht airm a bhrisfidh dlí airm a thriail. Ní shroichfidh údarás na mBinsi Airm chun an phobail shíbhialta ná ní cuirfear i bhfeidhm ortha é ach in aimsir chogaidh no rebiliúntachta armtha agus mar gheall ar ghníomhartha a déanfar in aimsir chogaidh no rebiliúntachta armtha.

Commentary binsí ‘Binse’ is translated as ‘tribunal’ in Téarmaí Dlí, where ‘barántas binse’ is translated as ‘bench warrant’. Ó Dónaill gives the following senses of ‘binse’ in Jurisprudence: ‘An Binse, the Bench’, ‘binse breithimh, judge’s bench; tribunal’, citing ‘idir barra is binse, in open court’. ‘Bínse’ is translated as ‘a seat, a bench; bench in court’ in Dinneen and ‘bein(n)se’/‘béinse’ is translated as ‘bench, table; the Judicial Bench’ in DIL, this word being either a French or an English loanword. DIL cites ‘do Justis beinnsi an rígh’ (‘King’s bench’) from the Annals of the Four Masters. ‘Binse Airm’ translates ‘Military Tribunal’ in the 1922 Constitution and in the Long Title of the Indemnity Act, 1923, which commences as follows: An Act to restrict the taking of legal proceedings in respect of certain acts and matters done during the suppression of the state of armed rebellion created by the attempt to overthrow by force the lawfully established Government of Saorstát Éireann, and to validate sentences imposed by military tribunals established in the course of the suppression of the state of armed rebellion aforesaid …. Acht chun teora do chur le himeachta dlí do bhunú i dtaobh gníomhartha agus nithe áirithe a dineadh le linn cur-ar-ceal do bheith á dhéanamh ar an staid rebeliúntachta armtha a tháinig as an iarracht a tugadh fén Rialtas a bunuíodh go dleathach do Shaorstát Éireann do threascairt, agus chun dleathacht do thabhairt do bhreitheanna a thug bínsí airm a bunuíodh le linn an staid rebeliúntachta armtha san do bheith á chur ar ceal.

‘The Minister, if he so thinks fit, may direct in writing that the charge shall be dealt with by a military tribunal’ is translated as ‘féadfaidh an tAire, más oiriúnach leis é, a ordú i scríbhinn gur binse míleata a thriailfeas an cúiseamh’ in s7(1) of the Prisoners of War and Enemy Aliens Act, 1956. As regards ‘tribunal’ alone, the ‘Tribunals of Inquiry (Evidence) (Amendment) Act, 1979’ is cited in Irish as ‘an tAcht um Binsí Fiosrúcháin (Fianaise) (Leasú), 1979’, for example. faoi dhlí mhíleata On the lenition of the adjective in the dative case, following a masculine noun, see the commentary on Article 45. ‘Míleata’ is translated as ‘military; soldierly, martial’ in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘seirbhís mhíleata, military service’ and ‘iompar míleata, soldierly bearing’, citing ‘dlí míleata, martial law’ s.v. ‘dlí’. Dinneen translates ‘míleata’ as ‘knightly, valorous, military’. DIL translates ‘míleta’ as ‘pertaining to or befitting a warrior, martial’, . citing ‘co barrúachtar a dondfúathróci donddergi míleta’ (‘[reaching] to the top of his dark apron, dark-red,


A study of the Irish text

soldierly’) from the description of Cú Chulainn in the version of the Táin in Leabhar na hUidhre (compiled in Clonmacnois c. 1100). This adjective is based on ‘míl’ (‘a soldier’), which is an early loanword from Latin ‘miles’, the dative plural form, ‘do miledaib’, being cited in DIL from the eighth-century Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles. We find ‘mílid’ as the form of the nominative singular in Middle Irish, this being the form of the accusative singular in Old Irish. ‘Mílid Espáine’ (‘soldier of Spain’) was the name given to Golam son of Bile, ‘mythical ancestor of the Goídil’, i.e. the Gaels or the Milesian stock in Ireland and Scotland. Dr Dáithí Ó hÓgáin writes as follows in his encyclopaedia of the Irish folk tradition, Myth, Legend & Romance (1990, p. 296) s.v. ‘Míl’: Fictional ancestor of the Irish people. His full name is given as Míl Easpáine and is an invention of the - Hispaniae’ historians, patterned on the Latin term ‘miles (soldier of Spain). Though it is possible that there was a character called Míl in genuine Celtic mythology, the idea of such a Spanish ancestor developed from the fanciful derivation of the Latin word for Ireland, - or Hiberia. Hibernia, from Iberia

The expression ‘meic (clann, etc.) Míled’ (= ‘Gaels, Irishmen’) is common in poetry – see DIL s.v. ‘míl’. Looking at early official translations, we see above in ‘Bínse Airm’ translating ‘Military Tribunal’ that the genitive singular of ‘arm’ acted as an attributive adjective to translate ‘military’. We find other phrases similarly translated, such as ‘military districts’ (‘ceanntair airm’) and ‘military reward’ (‘duais airm’) in Acts of 1923. Note that ‘in occupation of the military’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as being translated as ‘i seilbh an airm’ in a ‘Cover’ of an Official Report of Dáil Debates, 17/1/24. Note, finally, that ‘martial court’ is translated as ‘armchúirt’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘Forms part of a force which is engaged in operations against the enemy or is engaged in military operations in a place wholly or partly occupied by the enemy’ is translated as ‘ina chuid d’fhórsa atá ag oibriú i gcoinnibh an namhad no atá ag déanamh oibre cogaidh in áit atá fé ghabháil go hiomlán no go leathrannach ag an namhaid’ in s16 of the Army Pensions Act, 1923. The form ‘mileata’ – a historically inaccurate form, as Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú remarks – is found in the 1923 Acts, with ‘the Irish Military College’ styled ‘An Coláiste Mileata’ in s23(2) of the Defence Forces (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923, and ‘Ceannas Mileata in aimsir cogaidh’ translating ‘Military Command in time of war’ in the Margin Title of s27, for example. As regards more modern Acts, ‘the Military Service Pensions (Increase) Act, 1962’ is cited in Irish as ‘Acht na bPinsean Seirbhíse Míleata (Méadú), 1962’, for example. broic le ‘Broic’ is the verbal noun of the verb ‘broic’ which, with the preposition ‘le’, is translated as ‘bear, tolerate’ in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘bheith ag broic le rud, to put up with something’. ‘Broicim (le)’ is translated as ‘I tolerate, endure’ in the ‘additional words’ added to the Glossary appended to An Caighdeán Oifigiúil. Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú remarks that ‘broic’ implies a sense of ‘struggle’, and has more explicitly that meaning in the poetry of Dáibhí Ó Bruadair (1625-1698): ‘sagart súgach mé gan Laidin / lé ní bhroicim’, where the editor (not very accurately, according to Máirtín Ó Murchú) translated ‘ní bhroicim’ as ‘I don’t bother with it’, and ‘broic re rámhain

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i n-aois úcaidh’, where the editor (equally inaccurately, according to Professor Ó Murchú) translated ‘broic’ as ‘meddling’ (‘meddling with a spade …’); as a consequence these meanings are given for ‘broic’ in Dinneen and DIL. ‘Déileáil’ generally translates ‘deal (with)’ today, and is found in s21(5) of the Electoral Act, 1923, where ‘in sending out, receiving and otherwise dealing with the ballot papers of postal voters’ is translated as ‘Ag cur amach agus ag fáil páipéirí ballóide post-vótáluithe dho, agus ag deighleáil leo ar shlite eile dho’. ‘To assist in the planning and implementation of measures to deal with radiological emergencies’ is translated as ‘cabhrú chun bearta le déileáil le héigeandálaí raideolaíocha a phleanáil agus a chur i gcrích’ in s7(1)(e) of the Radiological Protection Act, 1991, for example. Note, finally, as we saw above, that ‘The Minister, if he so thinks fit, may direct in writing that the charge shall be dealt with by a military tribunal’ is translated as ‘féadfaidh an tAire, más oiriúnach leis é, a ordú i scríbhinn gur binse míleata a thriailfeas an cúiseamh’ in s7(1) of the Prisoners of War and Enemy Aliens Act, 1956. a deirtear The passive, present indicative, of ‘abair’, ‘say’. Ó Dónaill gives the sense of ‘state, allege’ as one of the senses of ‘abair’, citing ‘deir sé go bhfuil ocras air, he says he is hungry’ and ‘sin é a deir na húdair, that is what the authorities state’. DIL translates ‘as-beir’ simply as ‘says, speaks’. See the commentary on Article 40.4.2o where ‘á rá’ expresses ‘alleging’. ‘I allege’ is translated as ‘líomhnaím’ in Téarmaí Dlí, ‘líomhnaim’ being translated by Dinneen as ‘I impute (a crime, etc., to ar), inculpate, ascribe to’, as well as ‘I woo, have carnal intercourse with (ar)’ – Keating’s seventeenthcentury History of Ireland being cited as source of the latter sense. Dinneen also cites ‘ní féidir coir im’ leith do líomhnadh, ní dheárnas goid ná broid ná bruighneas, no crime can be imputed to me, I have not robbed, plundered nor quarrelled’ from the eighteenth-century Clare poet, Andrew MacCurtin. Ó Dónaill translates ‘líomhain’ principally as ‘allege, impute’. The verb ‘líamnaid’ is translated as ‘charges, accuses’ in DIL, citing ‘file … do bhí ag Conchubhar … do liamhnadh ar Mhaghain bean Chonchubhair’ (‘… he was accused of carrying on an intrigue with …’). ‘Líamnaid’ is based on ‘líamain’, which is translated in DIL as (a) ‘reproach, fault’ and (b) ‘act of imputing, slandering’, frequently of accusation of sexual misdemeanour, according to DIL, citing ‘oc liamain a fir for mnai aile’ from the twelfth-century Book of Leinster. ‘Líamain’ itself is a late verbal noun of the verb ‘líid’, translated as ‘charges, accuses, imputes to’ in DIL, where ‘liimse forrusom díltud esséirge Crist’ (‘I accuse them of denying Christ’s resurrection’) is cited form the eighthcentury Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles. ‘Deir’ translates ‘allege’ in early Acts. In s1(3)(b) of the Indemnity Act, 1923, ‘any proceedings in respect of any alleged rights under, or breaches of, any contract’ is translated as ‘aon imeachta i dtaobh aon chearta adeirtar atá ann fé aon chonnra no i dtaobh aon bhriseanna ar aon chonnra’. ‘An alleged invention’ is translated as ‘rud go ndeirtear gur cumadóireacht é’ in s3 of the Industrial and Commercial Property (Protection) Act, 1927, with ‘satisfies him that such allegation is untrue’ being translated as ‘a chur ina luighe air nách fíor an rud san adubhradh’ in s6(1) of the Public Safety (Punishment of Offences) Temporary Act, 1924. ‘Whether the allegations made by


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the person making the claim are or are not true’ is translated as ‘ce’ca fíor no bréagach na ráitisí a dhin an té a bheas ag déanamh an éilimh’ in s6(2) of the Indemnity Act, 1924. In s9(1) of the Oil in Navigable Waters Act, 1926, ‘Where any offence under this Act is alleged to have been committed by the master of a vessel’ is translated as ‘Má deirtar aon chionta fén Acht so do bheith déanta ag máistir árthaigh’. Note that ‘Alleged personation’ is translated as ‘Pearsanú do chur i leith duine’ in the Margin Title of s25 of the Fifth Schedule to the Electoral Act, 1923. Finally, to give an example from modern Acts, ‘in relation to an offence alleged to have been committed by a person acting on behalf of a trade union’ is translated as ‘maidir le cion a líomhnaítear a rinne duine ag gníomhú dó thar ceann ceardchumainn’ in s9(6) of the Electricity (Special Provisions) Act, 1966. See further the commentary on Article 40.4.2o. le linn a mbeith This phrase would generally be replaced by ‘le linn dóibh bheith’ today. Dinneen cites ‘le linn iad do bheith ag dul thar brághaid, just as they were passing’. ‘Where imported goods … are supplied while warehoused’ is translated as ‘I gcás ina ndéanfar earraí allmharaithe … a sholáthar le linn dóibh bheith i stóras’ in s12(4) of the Value-Added Tax (Amendment) Act, 1978, for example, with ‘a fuair bás le linn dó a bheith ag fónamh sna fórsaí’ translating ‘died while serving in the forces’ in s11(1)(b) of the Army Pension Act, 1973. a rinneadar The synthetic form of the third person plural, perfect tense, of ‘déan’ – see the commentary on Article 14.5.1o regarding the synthetic and analytic (i.e., ‘a rinne siad’) forms of the verb. le heisíth See the commentary on Article 40.4.6o, ‘eisíth’ being translated as ‘lack of peace; dissension, strife, quarrel’ in Ó Dónaill and ‘eisíoth’ being translated as ‘state of war’ in Dinneen.

Bunreacht na hÉireann

ARTICLE 38.4.2O TÉACS GAEILGE

Duine de na Fórsaí Cosanta nach bhfuil ar fianas ní cead é a thriail i láthair aon armchúirte ná binse míleata eile i gcion is intriailte sna cúirteanna sibhialta, mura cion é atá faoi dhlínse aon armchúirte nó binse míleata eile faoi aon dlí chun smacht míleata a chur i bhfeidhm. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

A person of the Defence Forces who is not on (military) service it is not permitted to try him before any army court or other military bench in an offence that can be tried in the civil courts, unless it is a crime which is under the jurisdiction of any army court or other military bench under any law to enforce military discipline. ENGLISH TEXT

A member of the Defence Forces not on active service shall not be tried by any courtmartial or other military tribunal for an offence cognisable by the civil courts unless such offence is within the jurisdiction of any courtmartial or other military tribunal under any law for the enforcement of military discipline.

Divergences between the official texts 1 2

3

4

ceannairc faoi arm See the commentary on Articles 28.3.3o and 40.4.6o, ‘ceannairc faoi airm’ being translated as ‘armed rebellion’ in Téarmaí Dlí.

5

fós See the commentary on Articles 15.3.2o and 29.2. Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú favours ‘fós’ to ‘freisin’ in the direct translation below.

6

Standardised Irish text Féadfar binsí míleata a bhunú chun daoine a thriail i gcionta in aghaidh dlí mhíleata a deirtear a rinne siad le linn iad a bheith faoi dhlí míleata, agus fós chun broic le heisíth nó le ceannairc faoi arm.

7

8

Direct translation Féadfar binsí míleata a bhunú chun cionta in aghaidh dlí mhíleata a thriail ar cionta iad a líomhnaítear a rinne daoine le linn dóibh a bheith faoi réir dlí mhíleata agus fós1 chun déileáil le staid chogaidh nó ceannairc faoi airm.

Variant 1 ‘freisin’

AIRTEAGAL 38.4.2O

9

‘A member’ is expressed as ‘Duine’, ‘A person’ / ‘One’, in the Irish text. The Irish phrase expressing ‘on active service’, ‘ar fianas’, can be read as ‘on a military expedition’ or simply as ‘on service’; it is a term which carries echoes of early Irish history and society. ‘Tried by any court martial’ is expressed as ‘a thriail i láthair aon armchúirte’ (‘tried before any court martial’) in the Irish text. ‘The Defence Forces’ are styled ‘Óglaigh na hÉireann’ in the Acts, rather than the literal translation, ‘na Fórsaí Cosanta’, as here. ‘Tried … for an offence’ is expressed as ‘a thriail … i gcion’ (‘tried … in an offence’) in the Irish text, the phrase we find in the heading of this Article, for example. As in the Acts, ‘cognisable by the civil courts’ is expressed as ‘is intriailte sna cúirteanna sibhialta’ (‘that can be tried in the civil courts’) in the Irish text, this being followed by a comma in that text alone. ‘Any court martial or other military tribunal’ is expressed as ‘aon armchúirte ná binse míleata eile’ (‘any court martial nor other military tribunal’) in the Irish text. ‘Within the jurisdiction’ is expressed as ‘faoi dhlínse …’ (‘under the jurisdiction’) in the Irish text. ‘Shall not’ is expressed as ‘ní cead’ (‘it is not permitted to’) in the Irish text, as we have seen in many earlier Articles.

Note that Article 71 of the 1922 Constitution reads as follows: A member of the armed forces of the Irish Free State (Saorstát Éireann) not on active service shall not be tried by any Court Martial or other Military Tribunal


A study of the Irish text

for an offence cognisable by the Civil Courts, unless such offence shall have been brought expressly within the jurisdiction of Courts Martial or other Military Tribunal by any code of laws or regulations for the enforcement of military discipline which may be hereafter approved by the Oireachtas. Aon duine d’fhórsaí armtha Shaorstáit Éireann ná beidh ar seirbhís chogúil ní thrialfaidh aon Chúirt Airm ná aon Bhinse eile Airm é in aon choir intrialta ag sna Cúirteanna Síbhialta mara dtabharfar an choir sin go speisialta laistigh d’údarás Chúirteanna Airm, no aon Bhinse eile Airm, le haon chórus dlithe no rialacha chun smacht airm do chur i bhfeidhm a mholfaidh an t-Oireachtas ’na dhiaidh seo.

Commentary ar fianas ‘Fiannas’ is given as the standard form of ‘fianas’ in Ó Dónaill, who translates ‘ar fiannas’ as ‘on a military expedition’. The principal sense of ‘fiannas’ in Ó Dónaill is ‘the profession of a warrior, of a soldier’, being preceded by the abbreviation indicating that this use is found only in earlier literary sources. ‘Active service’ is given as the secondary sense of ‘fiannas’, preceded by the abbreviation for ‘Military’. Dinneen translates ‘ar fiannas’ as ‘with the Fiann, on service, on the warpath’. DIL translates ‘fíanas’ as ‘the profession of a roving hunter and warrior; military service in a “fían”; warfare as a calling (especially of roving, of irregular warfare)’, citing ‘doluid Creidne … for fiannas’ (‘Creidne entered upon fíannas’) from the twelfth-century manuscript Rawlinson B 502. This term is based on ‘fían’, explained in DIL as follows: A band of roving men whose principal occupations were hunting and war, also a troop of professional fighting-men under a leader. In later application especially the warrior-bands under Finn son of Cumall, who are described as constituting a military caste.

See also Dáithí Ó hÓgáin, op. cit., p. 203: The word ‘fianna’ was used in early times for young hunter-warriors. Such groups of young men were a social reality in many early societies, as it was part of a warrior’s training to live for a period in the wilderness in order to learn how to hunt and fight. The singular of ‘fianna’ was ‘fian’, a cognate of the Latin ‘venatio’ (‘hunting’) and of the word which appears in English as ‘win’. Originally, it had no connection with the name ‘Fionn’, but when the Leinsterman used Fionn as a symbol of their efforts in the 5th-6th centuries to regain the Boyne valley from their Uí Néill foes, it is apparent that a Leinster version of the hunter-warrior cult got especially connected with Fionn. Thus in narrative Fionn came to be regarded as a great ‘feinnidh’, or leader of a troop of fianna.

‘Comhaltaí ar fiannas’ translates ‘Members on active service’ in the Margin Title of s4 of the Defence (Amendment) Act, 1990, with ‘a member who is on active service’ being translated as ‘(do) chomhalta atá ar fiannas’ in that section. ‘Unless such offence was committed while such person was on active service’ is translated as ‘mura le linn don duine sin a bheith ar fianas a rinneadh an cion sin’ in s5(3) of the Genocide Act, 1973. ‘If he commits such offence not on active service and is an officer, dismissal with ignomy from the Defence Forces’ is translated as ‘murab ar fianas a dhéanfas sé an cion sin agus más oifigeach é, é a dhífhostú faoi aithis as Óglaigh na hÉireann’

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in s126(2)(ii) of the Defence Act, 1954, with ‘and if the offence was committed not on active service, dismissal with ignomy’ being translated as ‘agus ná raibh sé ar seirbhís chogúil agus é ag déanamh an chionta, féadfar é do chur as an arm fé aithis’ in s38(1) of the Defence Forces (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923. In the Sixth Schedule to the Defence Forces (Temporary Provisions) (No. 2) Act, 1940, we find the following: If committed on active service, death. If committed when not on active service, penal servitude. I gcás an cionta do dhéanamh le linn seirbhíse cogúla – an bás. I gcás an cionta do dhéanamh tráth ar bith eile – pian-tseirbhís.

‘Seirbhís chogaidh’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as translating ‘active service’ in translations for the Department of Defence. smacht ‘References to military discipline shall be construed as references to naval discipline’ is translated as ‘déanfar tagairtí do smacht míleata a léiriú mar thagairtí do smacht cabhlaigh’ in s8(1)(a)(v) of the Defence Forces (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1947. Looking at early Acts regarding ‘discipline’, ‘She shall exercise supervision over discipline in the Institution’ is translated as ‘Déanfa sí maoirseacht ar an smachtúchán sa bhFúndúireacht’ in the ‘Galway County Scheme’ in the Schedule to the Local Government (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923, with ‘and to maintain proper order and discipline in the sick wards in her charge’ being translated as ‘agus í do chimeád rialtachta agus disciplín mar is cóir sna haireagail a bheidh féna cúram’ in the same Schedule. i láthair aon armchúirte ‘Dul i láthair na cúirte’ is translated as ‘to appear before the court’ in Ó Dónaill, with ‘dul i láthair an bhreithimh (na cúirte), to appear before the judge (court)’ being cited by Dinneen. DIL s.v. ‘láthar’, translates ‘i láthair’ as ‘in(to) the presence of’ – see the commentary on Article 28.8. ‘Armchúirt’ is translated as ‘court martial’ in Téarmaí Dlí and in Ó Dónaill, with ‘cúirt airm, court-martial’ being cited in the latter s.v. ‘cúirt’. This compound of ‘arm’ and ‘cúirt’ does not appear to be given as a headword in Dinneen. ‘The Courts-Martial Appeals Act, 1983’ is cited in Irish as ‘an tAcht um Achomhairc Armchúirteanna, 1983’. ‘Proceedings before a court (including a courtmartial) exercising jurisdiction under the law of any legislature’ is translated as ‘imeachtaí os comhair cúirte (lena n-áirítear armchúirt) a mbeidh dlínse á hoibriú aici faoi dhlí aon reachtais’ in s4 of the Second Schedule to the Defamation Act, 1961. ‘He shall remand the accused for trial by General Courtmartial’ is translated as ‘déanfa sé an duine cúisithe do chur siar chun go dtrialfidh Arm-Chúirt Ghinerálta é’ in s5 of the Defence Forces (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1925. sibhialta See the commentary on Article 34.3.1o. ‘Civil proceedings’ is translated as ‘imeachtaí sibhialta’ in Téarmaí Dlí, with ‘ordinary civil process’ being translated as ‘gnáthphróis shibhialta’. ‘The expression “Civil Court” means with respect to any crime or offence, a Court of ordinary criminal jurisdiction’ is translated as ‘Cialluíonn an focal “Cúirt Shíbhialta”, maidir le haon choir no cionta, Cúirt ghnáth-udaráis choiriúla’ in s3(18) of the Defence Forces (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923. ‘Unless the


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existing laws of the Detaining Power expressly permit the civil courts to try a member of the armed forces’ is translated as ‘mura rud é go gceadaíonn dlíthe na Cumhachta Coinneála faoi láthair do na cúirteanna sibhialta duine d’fhórsaí armtha na Cumhachta Coinneála a thriail’ in Article 84 of the Third Schedule to the Geneva Conventions Act, 1962, for example. intriailte This compound of the separable prefix ‘in-’ with the genitive, ‘denoting fitness, aptitude, worthiness’, according to Dinneen, and the genitive of ‘triail’ (‘try’), is not given as a headword either in Téarmaí Dlí or in Ó Dónaill. In s9(2) of the Courts-Martial Appeals Act, 1983, ‘For the purpose of hearing and determining any particular appeal cognisable by the Court’ is translated as ‘Chun aon achomharc ar leith is intriailte ag an gCúirt a éisteacht agus a chinneadh’. ‘To sit on the hearing of any appeal to or other matter cognisable by the Supreme Court’ is translated as ‘suí le linn éisteacht aon achomhairc chun na Cúirte Uachtaraí nó aon ábhair eile is intriailte ag an gCúirt Uachtarach’ in s1(4) of the Courts (Establishment and Constitution) Act, 1961. ‘Any appeal to or other matter cognisable by the Supreme Court may be heard and determined by such number’ is translated as ‘féadfaidh líon … (de sna breithiúin) aon athchomharc chun na Cúirte Uachtaraighe no ní eile is intrialta ag an gCúirt Uachtaraigh d’éisteacht agus breith do thabhairt air’ in s4(3) of the Courts of Justice Act, 1936. In the Preamble to the Defence Forces (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923, ‘a member of the armed forces of Saorstát Éireann not on active service shall not be tried by any court-martial or military tribunal for an offence cognisable by the Civil Courts’, following Article 71 of the 1922 Constitution, is translated as ‘ná déanfidh aon arm-chúirt ná aon bhínse eile airm aon duine d’fhórsaí armtha Shaorstáit Éireann ná beidh ar seirbhís chogúil do thriail in aon choir intrialta ag na Cúirteanna Síbhialta’. Note that ‘except by Order of the Dáil or of a tribunal having cognizance of petitions complaining of undue returns or undue elections’ is translated as ‘ach le hOrdú ón Dáil no ó bhínse atá in aitheantas ar achuingíocha a ghearánann i dtaobh tortha nea-chuibhe no i dtaobh toghachána nea-chuibhe’ in s39 of the Fifth Schedule to the Electoral Act, 1923. ‘The expression “election tribunal” means a court lawfully having cognisance of petitions complaining of undue return or undue election at a Seanad election’ is translated as ‘cialluíonn an focal “binse toghacháin” cúirt ag á mbeidh údarás go dleathach deighleáil le hachuingheacha ag gearán mar gheall ar thuairisciú nea-chuibhe no ar thogha nea-chuibhe i dtoghchán Seanaid’ in s33 of the First Schedule to the Seanad Electoral Act, 1928. binse míleata eile In both cases of its usage here this phrase is in the genitive, following the prepositional phrases ‘i láthair’ and ‘faoi dhlínse’. In both the Glossary accompanying An Caighdeán Oifigiúil and in Ó Dónaill, ‘binse’ is given as a masculine noun, and the adjective qualifying it in the genitive singular would therefore be lenited. ‘Bínse’ is given as feminine in Dinneen, however. DIL gives the earlier ‘bein(n)se’/‘béinse’ as masculine – see the commentary on the previous subsection regarding this term.

Bunreacht na hÉireann

a chur i bhfeidhm ‘Cuir i bhfeidhm’ expresses ‘secure’ in Article 38.3.1o. Looking at ‘enforce’ in early Acts, ‘A contract … shall not be enforceable against a candidate at such election’ is translated as ‘ní féadfar é do chur i bhfeidhm i gcoinnibh iarrthóra sa toghachán sin’ in s32(2) of the Prevention of Electoral Abuses Act, 1923. ‘The Enforcement of Law (Occasional Powers), Act, 1923’ is cited in Irish as ‘an t-Acht um Fheidhmiú Dlí (Comhacht Ócáideach), 1923’,with ‘to provide for the better enforcement of law’ being translated as ‘chun soláthair do dhéanamh d’fheabhas-fheidhmiú an dlí’ in the Long Title. Note, finally, that ‘for enforcing the attendance of witnesses’ is translated as ‘chun a chur fhiachaint ar fhínnithe teacht i láthair’ in s5(1) of the Tariff Commission Act, 1926. Turning to the modern Acts, ‘Subject to the law relating to bankruptcy and to the enforcement of judgments and orders’ is translated as ‘faoi réir an dlí a bhaineann le féimheacht agus le breithiúnais agus orduithe a chur i bhfeidhm’ in s121(b) of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 1981. ‘Any reference in this part to the enforcement of an award’ is translated as ‘aon tagairt sa Chuid seo d’fhorghníomhú dámhachtana’ in s7(2) of the Arbitration Act, 1980. ‘An Act to make provision in relation to the reciprocal recognition and enforcement of maintenance orders as between the State and Northern Ireland …’ is translated as ‘Acht do dhéanamh socrú maidir le horduithe cothabhála a aithint agus a fheidhmiú go cómhalartach idir an Stát agus Tuaisceart Éireann’ in the Long Title of the Maintenance Order Act, 1974. na Fórsaí Cosanta See the commentary on Article 13.4.

Standardised gender-proofed Irish text Duine de na Fórsaí Cosanta nach bhfuil ar fiannas ní cead é nó í a thriail i láthair aon armchúirte ná binse mhíleata eile i gcion is intriailte sna cúirteanna sibhialta, mura cion é atá faoi dhlínse aon armchúirte nó binse mhíleata eile faoi aon dlí chun smacht míleata a chur i bhfeidhm.

Direct gender-proofed translation Ní dhéanfar comhalta d’Óglaigh na hÉireann nach bhfuil ar seirbhís ghníomhach1 a thriail ag aon armchúirt nó binse míleata eile i leith ciona atá intriailte ag na cúirteanna sibhialta mura bhfuil an cion sin laistigh de dhlínse aon armchúirte nó binse mhíleata eile faoi aon dlí chun smacht míleata a chur i bhfeidhm.

Variants 1 ‘ar fiannas’, ‘ar seirbhís chogaidh’

ARTICLE 38.5

AIRTEAGAL 38.5

TÉACS GAEILGE

Ní cead duine a thriail in aon chúis choiriúil ach i láthair choiste tiomanta, ach amháin i gcás cionta a thriail faoi alt 2, alt 3 nó alt 4 den Airteagal seo. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

It is not permitted to try a person in any criminal charge/ prosecution except in the presence of a sworn committee,


A study of the Irish text

except in the case of trial of offences under section 2, section 3 or section 4 of this Article. ENGLISH TEXT

Save in the case of the trial of offences under section 2, section 3 or section 4 of this Article no person shall be tried on any criminal charge without a jury.

Divergences between the official texts 1

2

3 4 5

‘Without a jury’ is expressed as ‘ach i láthair choiste tiomanta’ (‘except in the presence of a sworn committee’) in the Irish text; while ‘coiste’ has the sense of ‘jury’, the latter term is translated as ‘giúiré’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘Charge’ is expressed by ‘cúis’, which term, although it can have this sense in general usage, is translated simply as ‘cause’ in Téarmaí Dlí, ‘cúiseamh’ translating ‘charge’. As we have seen earlier, ‘tried on’ is expressed as ‘a thriail in’, ‘tried in’, in the Irish text. The order of the clauses is reversed in the two texts. ‘No … shall’ is expressed as ‘Ní cead’ (‘It is not permitted’) in the Irish text, as we have seen in many earlier Articles.

J.M. Kelly, op. cit., p. 208, reports as follows on reference made to this Article in the courts: In The People (Attorney General) v Conmey ([1975] IR 341) Walsh J emphasised that the result of a trial on indictment was not a conviction or acquittal “by” the jury, but by the court; the wording of Article 38.5 referred not to trial “by” jury but to trial “with” a jury; this interpretation, he said, was “borne out by reference to the Irish language text of the Constitution” (“i láthair choiste tiomanta”). In In re Haughey ([1971] IR 217) Ó Dálaigh CJ cited the Irish text of the section to reinforce the obviously mandatory meaning of the English text.

Note that Article 72 of the 1922 Constitution reads as follows: No person shall be tried on any criminal charge without a jury save in the case of charges in respect of minor offences triable by law before a Court of Summary Jurisdiction and in the case of charges for offences against military law triable by Court Martial or other Military Tribunal. Ní trialfar aon duine in aon chúis choiriúil gan choiste ach i gcás cúiseanna timpeal mion-choirthe atá intrialta le dlí i láthair Chúirt Údaráis Achmair agus i gcás cúiseanna timpeall coirthe i gcoinnibh dlí airm atá intrialta ag Cúirt Airm no Binse eile Airm.

Commentary i láthair choiste tiomanta According to the official standard, ‘coiste’ would not be lenited following the prepositional phrase ‘i láthair’, lenition following a compound preposition only in the case of a definite noun and a proper noun – see s5 of the chapter headed ‘Séimhiú agus Urú’ in An Caighdeán Oifigiúil. On the other hand, ‘tiomanta’, being a participial adjective qualifying the masculine noun ‘coiste’ in the genitive case, would be lenited, according to the official standard. Note, however,

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that while ‘coiste’ is given as being masculine in Ó Dónaill and in the Glossary accompanying An Caighdeán Oifigiúil, according to Dinneen, ‘coiste’ is sometimes feminine. ‘Coiste’ is given as masculine in DIL, this word coming from English ‘quest(e)’, according to Douglas Hyde, DIL translating this headword as ‘jury’, citing ‘do Philip féin / fá coisde’ (‘being tried by jury’) from the collection of bardic poems to the O’Reillys (edited by James Carney, 1950). Dinneen translates ‘coiste’ as ‘a deliberative body, especially a jury, a quest; a committee’, citing ‘coiste mór, grand jury’. ‘Coiste’ is translated primarily as ‘jury’ in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘coiste cróinéara, coroner’s jury; coroner’s inquest’ and ‘coiste dháréag, cúirte, common, court, jury’, also citing ‘coiste mór, grand jury’. ‘Committee’ is the secondary sense of ‘coiste’ given by Ó Dónaill, citing ‘coiste iniúchta, stiúrtha, inspection, steering-, committee’. This is the general sense today of ‘coiste’, and ‘coiste’ is translated solely as ‘committee’ in the Glossary appended to An Caighdeán Oifigiúil and in Téarmaí Dlí, where ‘coiste iniúchta, committee of inspection’ is cited, with ‘jury’ being translated as ‘giúiré’. ‘Tiomanta’ is the past participle of ‘tiomain’ and is translated as ‘sworn; set, determined’ in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘tá sé tiomanta é a dhéanamh, he is sworn, determined, to do it’ and the asseveration ‘diabhal thiomanta duine acu, devil a one of them’. ‘Tiomanta’ is translated as ‘bequeathed, assigned, consigned, dedicated, devoted (to, chum), sworn to or resolved on (ar); extreme’ in Dinneen, who cites ‘tiomanta chum oibre, devoted to work’ and ‘tiomanta chum óil, addicted to drink’. The earlier form of the verb ‘tiomain’ was ‘do-im(m)na’, which had ‘timna’ as verbal noun, one of the senses of which is ‘act of bequeathing; will, testament’, this being in general usage today particularly in ‘an Tiomna Nua’ (‘the New Testament’) and ‘an Sean-Tiomna’ (‘the Old Testament’). Looking at early Acts, ‘The Grand Jury (Ireland) Act, 1836’ is cited in Irish as ‘An t-Acht um Ard-Choistí (Éirinn), 1836’ in the Second Schedule to the Damage to Property (Compensation) Act, 1923. ‘Coiste dáréag’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as translating ‘jury’ in a Bill, 13/3/24. ‘Power to hold inquest without a jury in certain cases’ is translated as ‘Comhacht chun coiste do dhéanamh gan giúiré i gcásanna áirithe’ in the Margin Title of s3 of the Coroners (Amendment) Act, 1927, which Act is cited in Irish as ‘an tAcht Coróinéirí (Leasú), 1927’, with ‘the Juries Act, 1927’ being cited in Irish as ‘Acht na nGiúirithe, 1927’, and ‘sa ghiúiré-bhosca’ translating ‘in the jury box’ in s47(5). ‘And the trial is being or to be held without a jury’ is translated as ‘agus go mbeidh an triail á seoladh nó le seoladh gan giúiré’ in s1(1) of the Criminal Justice (Verdicts) Act, 1976. ‘Any action under that Act may … be heard … by a judge without a jury’ is translated as ‘féadfaidh breitheamh gan giúiré aon aicsean fén Acht san d’éisteacht’ in s83(1) of the Courts of Justice Act, 1936. Ní cead See the commentary on Article 9.1.3o. aon chúis choiriúil See the commentary on Article 38.1.

Standardised Irish text Ní cead duine a thriail in aon chúis choiriúil ach i láthair coiste thiomanta, ach amháin i gcás cionta a thriail faoi alt 2, alt 3 nó alt 4 den Airteagal seo.


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Direct translation Ach amháin i gcás cionta a thriail faoi alt 2, alt 3 nó alt 4 den Airteagal seo ní dhéanfar aon duine a thriail in aon chúiseamh coiriúil gan ghiúiré.

ARTICLE 38.6

AIRTEAGAL 38.6

TÉACS GAEILGE

Ní bhainfidh forálacha Airteagal 34 ná Airteagal 35 den Bhunreacht seo le haon chúirt ná le haon bhinse a bhunófar faoi alt 3 nó alt 4 den Airteagal seo. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

The provisions of Article 34 nor of Article 35 of this Constitution will not concern any court nor any bench which will be established under section 3 or section 4 of this Article.

Bunreacht na hÉireann

chur ar an Stát, nó iarracht a dhéanamh le harm nó ar mhodh fhoréigneach eile ar na horgain rialtais a bhunaítear leis an mBunreacht seo a threascairt, nó páirt nó baint a bheith ag neach lena leithéid sin d’iarracht, nó aon duine a shaighdeadh nó bheith i gcomhcheilg leis chun a déanta nó chun páirt nó baint a bheith aige léi. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

What treason is solely is to undertake war against the State, or to assist any state or person whatever, or to incite a person, or to be in conspiracy with a person, to undertake war against the State, or to make an attempt with arms or in another violent manner to overthrow the organs of government which are established by this Constitution, or someone to have a part (in) or connection with such an attempt, or to incite any person or to be in conspiracy with him in order to do it or in order that he have a part (in) or connection with it. ENGLISH TEXT

ENGLISH TEXT

The provisions of Articles 34 and 35 of this Constitution shall not apply to any court or tribunal set up under section 3 or section 4 of this Article.

Divergences between the official texts 1

2

‘Of Article 34 and 35’ is expressed as ‘Airteagal 34 ná Airteagal 35’, ‘(of) Article 34 nor (of) Article 35’, in the Irish text – with repetition of ‘Airteagal’ – and ‘to any court or tribunal’ is expressed as ‘le haon chúirt ná le haon bhinse’ (‘to any court nor to any tribunal’). ‘Shall not apply to’ is expressed as ‘Ní bhainfidh … le’ (‘will not concern’) in the Irish text, this phrase also translating ‘apply to’ in the Acts.

Treason shall consist only in levying war against the State, or assisting any State or person or inciting or conspiring with any person to levy war against the State, or attempting by force of arms or other violent means to overthrow the organs of government established by this Constitution, or taking part or being concerned in or inciting or conspiring with any person to make or to take part or be concerned in any such attempt.

Divergences between the official texts 1

Commentary ná le haon bhinse Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú recommends ‘ná’ here in the direct translation below in the case of two separate things being involved, that being the understanding of the drafters of the Irish text. Ní bhainfidh … le See the commentary on Article 3.

2

3

Direct translation

The Irish phrase involved in expressing ‘taking part or being concerned in … any such attempt’, ‘páirt nó baint a bheith ag x le y’, can be read simply as ‘x having something to do with y’, this complete English text being expressed as ‘páirt nó baint a bheith ag neach lena leithéid sin d’iarracht’ (‘a peson / one having a part [in] or connection with such an attempt’) in the Irish text, ‘páirt a ghlacadh i rud’ usually rendering ‘to take part in something’. Although ‘saighdeadh faoi’ and ‘a shaighdeadh’ have the sense of ‘inciting’, ‘I incite’ is translated as ‘gríosaím’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘Any person’, in the first part of the Article, is twice expressed as ‘a person’ (‘faoi dhuine’, ‘le duine’) in the Irish text. ‘By force of arms’ is expressed as ‘le harm’, ‘with arms’, in the Irish text. ‘State’ has a capital ‘S’ in ‘assisting any State’, a lower-case ‘s’ corresponding to this in the Irish text.

Ní bheidh feidhm ag forálacha Airteagail 34 agus 35 den Bhunreacht seo maidir1 le haon chúirt nó2 le haon bhinse a bhunófar faoi alt 3 nó alt 4 den Airteagal seo.

4

Variants

Note that s1(1) of the Treasonable Offences Act, 1925, reads as follows:

1 ‘Ní bhainfidh forálacha Airteagail 34 agus 35’ 2 ‘ná’

ARTICLE 39

AIRTEAGAL 39

TÉACS GAEILGE

Is é amháin is tréas ann cogadh a chur ar an Stát, nó cabhrú le stát nó le duine ar bith, nó saighdeadh faoi dhuine, nó bheith i gcomhcheilg le duine, chun cogadh a

5

Every person who commits in Saorstát Éireann any of the following acts, that is to say:(a) levies war against Saorstát Éireann, or (b) assists any state or person engaged in levying war against Saorstát Éireann, or (c) conspires with any person (other than his or her wife or husband) or incites any person to levy war against Saorstát Éireann, or (d) attempts or takes part or is concerned in an attempt to overthrow by force of arms or other violent means the Government of Saorstát Éireann


A study of the Irish text

as established by or under the Constitution, or (e) conspires with any person (other than his or her wife or husband) or incites any person to make or to take part or be concerned in any such attempt, shall be guilty of treason and shall be liable on conviction thereof to suffer death. Gach éinne a dhéanfidh i Saorstát Éireann aon ghníomh acu so a leanas, sé sin le rá:(a) coga do dhéanamh i gcoinnibh Shaorstáit Éireann, no (b) cabhrú le haon stát no duine a bheidh ag déanamh cogaidh i gcoinnibh Shaorstáit Éireann, no (c) cogar do dhéanamh le héinne (seachas a bhean no a fear) no éinne do ghríosú chun coga do dhéanamh i gcoinnibh Shaorstáit Éireann, no (d) iarracht do dhéanamh no páirt a thógaint in iarracht no baint a bheith aige le hiarracht chun Rialtas Shaorstáit Éireann, mar atá sé bunuithe leis an mBunreacht no fé, do bhrise le neart claidhimh no le fóiréigean eile, no (e) cogar do dhéanamh le héinne (seachas a bhean no a fear) no éinne do ghríosú chun aon iarracht den tsórt san do dhéanamh no chun páirt a thógaint inti no chun baint a bheith aige léi, beidh sé ciontach i dtréasún agus ar a chiontú ann féadfar é chur chun báis.

Commentary cogadh a chur ar This phrase is translated as ‘to make war on’ in Ó Dónaill, who gives ‘engage in, challenge to’ as one of the senses of ‘cuir ar’, citing ‘chuir sé troid orm, he challenged me to fight’. Dinneen translates ‘cuirim cogadh ar’ as ‘I declare war on, am aggressive towards’, citing ‘chuirfeadh sé cogadh ar an aonach, he would attack a whole crowd’. ‘Cocad’, which is a compound of ‘com’ (Modern Irish ‘comh’) and ‘cath’, glosses Latin ‘bellum’ in the ninth-century Milan Glosses on the Commentary on the Psalms. The verb ‘cuirid’ replaced earlier ‘fo-ceird’ and ‘do-cuirethar’; DIL cites examples of ‘fo-ceird’ with ‘cath’, etc., in the sense of ‘performs, executes, wages’, from Leabhar na hUidhre (compiled in Clonmacnois c. 1100) and the twelfth-century Book of Leinster onwards, including the following from the latter manuscript: ‘In cath il-Luchut rolá / … for Connnachta’ (‘The battle at Luchut he fought / … against Connacht’). De Bhaldraithe translates ‘to levy war on someone’ as ‘cogadh a chur ar dhuine’. ‘I levy’ is translated as ‘toibhím’ in Téarmaí Dlí, this being used in the sense of levying taxes, rent, etc. Note that ‘cogadh do dhéanamh i gcoinnibh Shaorstáit Éireann’ translates ‘levies war against Saorstát Éireann’ in s1(1) of the Treasonable Offences Act, 1925, above. Note, finally, that the clause ‘chun cogadh do chur ar an Stát’ is followed by a semi-colon in the original text. saighdeadh faoi dhuine … a shaighdeadh ‘Saighdeadh’ is the verbal noun of ‘saighid’, translated as ‘incite, provoke’ in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘duine a shaighdeadh (le rud a dhéanamh), to incite someone (to do something)’ and ‘saighdeadh faoi dhuine, to provoke, aggravate, someone’. Dinneen translates ‘saighdim’ as ‘I egg on, abet, incite, provoke, thrust, push, shoot, rout’. Ó Dónaill gives ‘incitation’ as a secondary sense of ‘saighead’, citing ‘chuir

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sé saighead den mhadra iontu, he set the dog at them’. The principal sense of ‘saighead’ is ‘arrow’, the earlier form ‘saiget’ coming from Latin ‘sagitta’, which term it glosses in the ninth-century Milan Glosses on the Commentary on the Psalms. ‘Saigteóir’, Modern Irish ‘saighdiúir’ (‘soldier’), is based on ‘saiget’ and originally had the sense of ‘archer, bowman’, the sense ‘soldier’ in general probably influenced by English ‘soldier’, according to DIL. ‘I incite’ is translated as ‘gríosaím’ in Téarmaí Dlí with ‘incitement’ translated as ‘gríosú’. Note that ‘gríosaigh’ is the verb found in s1(1)(c) of the Treasonable Offences Act, 1925, above. ‘Inciting to commit crime’ is translated as ‘Duine do ghríosa chun coir a dhéanamh’ in the Third Schedule to the Defence Forces (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923. ‘Inciting persons to engage in an attempt to overthrow by violence the established form of Government of Saorstát Éireann or organising or otherwise assisting or encouraging any such attempt’ is translated as ‘Daoine do ghríosú chun tabhairt fé fhuirm bhunuithe Rialtas Shaorstáit Éireann do bhrise le fóiréigean no aon iarracht den tsórt san d’ullamhú no, ar aon tslí eile, cabhair no misneach do thabhairt dá leithéid d’iarracht’ in s1 of the Schedule to the Public Safety (Powers of Arrest and Detention) Temporary Act, 1924. ‘Attempting, conspiring or inciting another person to commit an offence there specified’ is translated as ‘iarracht a thabhairt ar chion a shonraítear ansin a dhéanamh, nó comhcheilg a dhéanamh nó duine eile a ghríosú le cion a shonraítear ansin a dhéanamh’ in s3(1)(b) of the Criminal Law (Jurisdiction) Act, 1976. ‘Whether by inciting or encouraging them to do so’ is translated as ‘cibé acu trína ngríosadh nó trína spreagadh chun déanamh amhlaidh’ in s3(1)(a)(i) of the Video Recordings Act, 1989. tréas This headword is translated as ‘treason’ in Téarmaí Dlí and as ‘treason; disloyalty, rebellion’ in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘tréas a dhéanamh, to commit treason’ and ‘dul i dtréas ar Dhia, to rebel against God’. Dinneen translates ‘tréas’ as ‘treason, treachery, wrong-doing, a treacherous deed’, citing ‘an tréas, treason’ and ‘Ábsolom d’imthigh i dtréas, Absolom who became a traitor’. Dáibhí Ó Bruadair (1625-1698) is the source of DIL’s two citations of ‘traos’, translated simply as ‘treason’ – see the commentary on Article 15.13. ‘Tréasún isea gníomhartha áirithe feasta’ translates ‘Certain acts to be treason’ in the Margin Title of s1 of the Treasonable Offences Act, 1925, which Act is cited in Irish as ‘an tAcht um Chiontaí Tréasúnta, 1925’. ‘Except in case of treason’ is translated as ‘ach amháin i gcás tréasúin’ in Article 18 of the 1922 Constitution. ‘If he is convicted of treason’ is translated as ‘Má fachtar ciontach i dtréasan é’ in s69(1) of the Defence Forces (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923. ‘Save in the case of persons charged with … high treason, treason felony, or treasonable conspiracy’ is translated as ‘ach amháin i gcás daoine a cúiseofar … in árd-thréasún, i bhfeleontacht thréasúin, no i gcogar tréasúnta’ in s49 of the Courts of Justice Act, 1924. ‘In respect of sedition, treason or treason felony’ is translated as ‘mar gheall ar cheannairc, ar thréasan no ar fheoleontacht tréasain’ in s2(2)(b) of the Military Service Pensions Act, 1934. Following the 1937 Constitution, ‘the Treason Act, 1939’ is cited in Irish as ‘an tAcht Tréasa, 1939’. Finally, ‘evidence relating to the commission or intended commission of treason’ is translated as ‘fianaise a bhaineann


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le tréas a dhéanamh nó lena bheith beartaithe é a dhéanamh’ in s5 of the Criminal Law Act, 1976. i gcomhcheilg le duine ‘Comhcheilg’ is translated as ‘conspiracy’ in Téarmaí Dlí and in Ó Dónaill, ‘cóimhchealg’ being similarly translated in Dinneen. This is a compound of the prefix ‘comh-’ (‘mutual, joint, common, co-’) and ‘cealg’, translated in Ó Dónaill as ‘guile, deceit; treachery’, with Dinneen translating this headword as ‘a sting; a plot, deceit, treachery, guile’, citing ‘i gceilg, treacherously’, with ‘ceilg’ being the form of the dative singular. DIL translates ‘celg’ principally as ‘deceit, treachery, guile, stratagem’, citing ‘do denam sída célci fris dia tarrachtain’ (i.e. making ‘false peace’) from Leabhar na hUidhre, compiled in Clonmacnois c. 1100, and ‘mo chealg bháis chruaidh ghuirt’ (‘o bitter piercing sting of death to me’), from the poems of Aogán Ó Rathaile (1675-1728), as an example of the later sense of ‘sting’. We see above that ‘cogar do dhéanamh le héinne’ translates ‘conspires with any person’ in s1(1) of the Treasonable Offences Act, 1925. ‘Knowingly aiding, abetting, assisting in, or encouraging the commission of, or conspiring to commit, any of the offences mentioned in this schedule’ is translated as ‘cabhrú le héinne, é ghríosú, cuidiú leis no é mhisniú, no cogar do dhéanamh, chun aon chionta dá luaidhtear sa sceideal so do dhéanamh’ in s13 of the Schedule to the Public Safety (Powers of Arrest and Detention) Temporary Act, 1924. ‘Acting in the name of or on behalf of any combination or conspiracy for the overthrow of the late Provisional Government of Ireland’ is translated as ‘ag gníomhú in ainm no thar ceann aon chur-le-chéile no cogair chun Rialtas Sealadach na hÉireann do bhí ann le déanaí … do threascairt’ in s15(9)(d)(i) of the Damage to Property (Compensation) Act, 1923. Note, finally, that ‘uisce faoi thalamh’ is a colloquial expression for ‘conspiracy’ in Irish. Turning to modern Acts, ‘proceedings are instituted against another person charging him with the offence of aiding, abetting or assisting the principal offender or of conspiring with the principal offender to commit the principal offence’ is translated as ‘imeachta a thionscnamh i gcoinne duine eile á chúiseamh i gcion faoi gur chabhraigh, gur neartaigh, gur chuidigh nó gur chomhcheilg sé leis an bpríomh-chiontóir chun an príomh-chion a dhéanamh’ in s3(3)(b) of the Customs Act, 1956, the same English text (with ‘another person’ replacing ‘the principal offender’) being translated as ‘imeachta do bhunú i gcoinne duine eile á chúiseamh sa chionta san, cabhrú, neartú, nó cuidiú nó comhcheilg do dhéanamh le duine eile chun an príomh-chionta do dhéanamh’ in s3(9)(b) of the Customs (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1945. le harm See the commentary on Article 28.3.3o, in which Article we find ‘ceannairc faoi arm’, this phrase being given in Téarmaí Dlí as ‘ceannairc faoi airm’, i.e. the plural form of ‘arm’. Ó Dónaill cites ‘le tine is le harm, with fire and sword’ and ‘faoi arm, under arms’, the latter as an example of the collective sense of Irish ‘arm’, ‘arms’. Dinneen cites ‘gléasta i n-arm is i n-éide, under arms and in armour’. DIL cites ‘bat armatura dei bess lib nábat nacha arm aile’ (‘let armatura Dei be with you; let it not be any other arms’) from the eighth-century Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles. Note that ‘le neart claidhimh’ translates ‘by force of

Bunreacht na hÉireann

arms’ in s1(1) of the Treasonable Offences Act, 1925, cited above. ‘Every person who prevents or obstructs, or attempts or is concerned in an attempt to prevent or obstruct, by force of arms or other violent means … the carrying on of the government of the State’ is translated as ‘Gach duine chuirfidh cosc no bac no bhéarfaidh fé chosc no bac do chur no go mbeidh baint aige le tabhairt fé chosc no bac do chur, tré neart airm no tré fhoiréigin eile … le riaghaltas an Stáit … do choimeád ar siúl’ in s7(1) of the Offences Against the State Act, 1939. ar mhodh fhoréigneach See the commentary on Article 45 regarding the lenition of the adjective following a masculine noun in the dative singular. ‘Foréigneach’ is translated as ‘violent’ in Téarmaí Dlí, and as ‘violent, forcible’ in Ó Dónaill, ‘foréigean’ being translated as ‘violence’ in the former source and as ‘violence, force, compulsion’ in the latter. Dinneen translates ‘foiréigneach’ as ‘extremely violent, vehement, rapid’, translating ‘foiréigean’ as ‘great violence, oppression; extortion; great speed’. ‘Foréicneach’ is translated as ‘violent, forcible, oppressive’ in DIL, citing ‘bás foiréigneach’ (‘death by violence’) from Keating’s seventeenth-century History of Ireland. The noun ‘foréicen’ (‘violence, compulsion’) is composed of the prefix ‘for-’ (translated as ‘super-, over-, hyper-, great, extreme’ in Dinneen) and ‘éicen’, which word glosses Latin ‘violentia’ in the ninth-century St Gall Glosses on Priscian. Note that ‘(by) other violent means’ is translated as ‘le fóiréigean eile’ in s1(1) of the Treasonable Offences Act, 1925, above. ‘By force of arms or other violent means’ is translated as ‘tré neart airm no tré fhoiréigin eile’ in s7(1) of the Offences Against the State Act, 1939. páirt nó baint Ó Dónaill cites ‘ná bíodh baint ná páirt agat leo, have nothing to do with them’ and ‘níl baint ná páirt agam leo, I have no connection whatever with them’. Dinneen cites ‘ní’l aon bhaint agam leis, I have nothing to do with him’, ‘mo cheangal is mo pháirt leis do bhriseadh, to disrupt our mutual obligation and friendly relations’ and ‘tá páirt agam leat, I like you’. ‘Páirt’, which comes from Latin ‘pars, part-’, has the sense of ‘part’ as in ‘side, party … hence association, alliance, fellowship’, according to DIL, citing ‘aderit an pairt do bi acu aran saegul curab ecin dóib a beith acu thall’ (‘= that they must needs be united after death as in life’) from the Gaelic Maundeville. See the commentary on Article 3 regarding ‘bain le’. ‘And generally take part in the hearing of every application under the Criminal Injuries Act’ is translated as ‘agus bheith páirteach go generálta in éisteacht gach iarratais fé na hAchtanna um Dhíobháil Choiriúil’ in s5 of the Damage to Property (Compensation) Act, 1923. De Bhaldraithe translates ‘to be concerned in, with, something’ as ‘bheith i gcúram, i mbun, ruda; bheith ag plé le rud; bheith páirteach i (ngnó)’. Note that ‘takes part or is concerned in an attempt’ is translated as ‘páirt a thógaint in iarracht no baint a bheith aige le hiarracht’ in s1(1) of the Treasonable Offences Act, 1925, cited above, with ‘protects any person engaged or taking part or concerned in any such attempt as aforesaid’ being translated as ‘caomhaint do thabhairt d’éinne a bheidh ag déanamh aon iarrachta den tsórt san roimhráite no ag tógaint páirte inti no i mbaint léi’ in s3(1)(b).


A study of the Irish text

‘That he … has acted as director of, or taken part or been concerned in the management of a company’ is translated as ‘gur ghníomhaigh sé … mar stiúrthóir ar chuideachta, nó go raibh baint nó páirt aige lena bainistí’ in s183(2) of the Companies Act, 1963, with ‘(if any person) … directly or indirectly takes part in or is concerned in the promotion … of any company’ being translated as ‘má bhíonn baint nó páirt aige go díreach nó go neamhdhíreach le tionscnamh … aon chuideachta’ in s169 of the Companies Act, 1990. ‘Every collector or agent of such company who takes part or is concerned in such failure’ is translated as ‘gach bailitheoir no gníomhaire don chuideachtain sin go mbeidh baint aige leis an teip sin no bheidh páirteach ann’ in s61(3) of the Insurance Act, 1935. Finally, ‘every person who shall hold or take part in or be concerned in the holding of a public meeting’ is translated as ‘gach duine chomórfaidh cruinniú puiblí no bheidh páirteach i gcruinniú puiblí do chomóradh no ’na mbeidh baint aige le cruinniú puiblí do chomóradh’ in s24(3) of the Constitution (Amendment No. 17) Act, 1931. a threascairt The verbal noun of ‘treascair’, translated as ‘knock down; overthrow, vanquish; lay low, prostrate’ in Ó Dónaill, citing ‘tír a threascairt, to overthrow a country’. Dinneen translates ‘treascraim’ as ‘I overthrow, knock down, lay low, defeat’. This verb comes from the compound verb ‘do-scara’, translated as ‘overthrow, knocks down, lays low’ in DIL, citing ‘toscara Cú sessiur díb and’ (‘there Cú Chulainn overthrew six of them’) from the version of the Táin in Leabhar na hUidhre (compiled in Clonmacnois c. 1100). ‘For the overthrow of the … Provisional Government of Ireland’ is translated as ‘chun Rialtas Sealadach na hÉireann … do threascairt’ in s15(9)(d)(i) of the Damage to Property (Compensation) Act, 1923. ‘Inciting persons to engage in an attempt to overthrow by violence the established form of Government of Saorstát Éireann’ is translated as ‘Daoine do ghríosú chun tabhairt fé fhuirm bhunuithe Rialtas Shaorstáit Éireann do bhrise le fóiréigean’ in s1 of the Schedule to the Public Safety (Emergency Powers) Act, 1926.

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Note, finally, that ‘do threascairt’ is followed by a semicolon in the original text. na horgain See the commentary on Article 6.2, ‘orgán’ rather than ‘organ’ being given in Ó Dónaill, for example. Is é amháin is tréas ann Note that this clause is followed by a colon in the original text. neach See the commentary on Article 40.4.2o.

Standardised gender-proofed Irish text Is é amháin is tréas ann cogadh a chur ar an Stát, nó cabhrú le stát nó le duine ar bith, nó saighdeadh faoi dhuine, nó bheith i gcomhcheilg le duine, chun cogadh a chur ar an Stát, nó iarracht a dhéanamh le harm nó ar mhodh foréigneach eile ar na horgain rialtais a bhunaítear leis an mBunreacht seo a threascairt, nó páirt nó baint a bheith ag neach lena leithéid sin d’iarracht, nó aon duine a shaighdeadh nó bheith i gcomhcheilg leis nó léi chun a déanta nó chun páirt nó baint a bheith aige nó aici léi.

Direct translation Is é1 amháin is tréas ann cogadh a chur ar an Stát, nó cuidiú le haon Stát nó le haon duine nó aon duine a ghríosú nó bheith i gcomhcheilg le haon duine chun cogadh a chur ar an Stát, nó iarracht a dhéanamh le fórsa airm nó ar mhodh foréigneach eile ar na horgáin2 rialtais a bhunaítear leis an mBunreacht seo a threascairt, nó bheith páirteach in aon iarracht dá leithéid nó bainteach léi3 nó aon duine a ghríosú nó bheith i gcomhcheilg le haon duine in aon iarracht dá leithéid nó bheith páirteach inti nó bainteach léi4.

Variants 1 2 3 4

‘éard’ ‘orgain’ ‘nó páirt nó baint a bheith ag duine le haon iarracht dá leithéid’ ‘nó páirt nó baint a bheith ag duine léi’


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FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS BUNCHEARTA ARTICLE 40.1

AIRTEAGAL 40.1 In In re Walker, decd; O’B. v S ([1984] IR 316; [1985] ILRM 86) Walsh J referred to the Irish version of the proviso to Article 40.1 and said this made it clear that:

TÉACS GAEILGE

BUNCHEARTA Cearta Pearsanta

“the proviso refers to the difference of capacity, physical and moral, and of the social function of the citizens for whom, or in respect of whom, the State in its enactments has seen fit to have “due regard” to their differences under these headings.”

Áirítear gurb ionann ina bpearsain daonna na saoránaigh uile i láthair an dlí. Ach ní intuigthe as sin nach bhféachfaidh an Stát go cuí, ina chuid achtachán, don difríocht atá idir daoine ina mbuanna corpartha agus ina mbuanna morálta agus ina bhfeidhm chomhdhaonnach.

Commentary

LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

ina bpearsain daonna ‘Caomhnóir ar an bpearsa’ and ‘foghail ar an bpearsa’ are translated respectively as ‘guardian of the person’ and ‘trespass to the person’ in Téarmaí Dlí. Ó Dónaill translates ‘pearsa’ as ‘person’, citing ‘pearsa den daonnacht, human being’ and ‘a pearsa is a méin, her form and disposition’. Dinneen translates ‘pearsa’ as ‘a person or individual, … a body, figure, form, features …’, citing ‘táithte id’ phearsain, near akin to thee’ (from Dáibhí Ó Bruadair’s seventeenth-century poetry) and ‘is ait an phearsa bhíonn ar na caoirigh adharcacha, horned sheep have a curious appearance’. Old Irish ‘persa’, which comes from Latin ‘persona’, is translated as ‘a person, an individual’ in DIL, where ‘a (i) persain’, followed by the genitive, is translated as ‘in the person (character, quality) of’. We have examples of this dative singular of ‘persa’ both in the ninth-century Milan Glosses on the Commentary on the Psalms, where we find ‘labraid in spiurt noib tri giun Dauid inso. i. a persainn ríg inna rigsuidiu ocacaldaim amuntairae’ (‘the Holy Spirit speaks this through the mouth of David, namely, in the character of a king upon his throne addressing his [people]’) and in the St Gall . Glosses on Priscian, where we find ‘in tan labratar ind filid a persin inna ndea’ (‘when the poets speak in the person of the gods’). Going to Modern Irish, according to the official standard (An Caighdeán Oifigiúil), the form of the dative is identical to that of the nominative (except for the Second Declension, ‘pearsa’ being of the Fifth Declension according to An Caighdeán Oifigiúil); therefore, ‘i bpearsain’ today would be replaced by ‘i bpearsa’. The old dative form is also a variant plural form – see Dinneen who gives both ‘pearsain’ and the standard plural form today, ‘pearsana’. See further the commentary on Article 45.2ii where ‘pearsana’ expresses ‘individuals’. As regards ‘ina’ in this context, Ó Dónaill cites ‘chuaigh sé ina thoscaire ann, he went there as a delegate’ as an example of the use of the preposition ‘i’ with a possessive pronoun in the sense of ‘status, function, etc.’ Dinneen cites ‘chuaidh sé ’na thoscaire go dtí an tír sin, he went as an ambassador to that country’, ‘imtheochad im’ chuaichín ar fuaid an tsaoghail, I will go through the world a disappointed girl’ and ‘i n-a n-aon-mhnáibh, as women unescorted’. See DIL s.v. ‘i’ (4):

BASIC RIGHTS Personal Rights It is reckoned that all the citizens are equal as human persons in the presence of the law. But it is not be be understood from that that the State will not duly, in its enactments, have regard to the difference there is between people in their physical attributes and in their moral attributes and in their societal function. ENGLISH TEXT

FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS Personal Rights All citizens shall, as human persons, be held equal before the law. This shall not be held to mean that the State shall not in its enactments have due regard to differences of capacity, physical and moral, and of social function.

Divergences between the official texts 1

2

3

4 5

‘Differences of capacity’ is expressed in the Irish text as ‘(an) difríocht atá idir daoine ina mbuanna’ (‘the difference which there is between people in their gifts/ attributes/accomplishments’). ‘Ina bpearsain daonna’, expressing ‘as human persons’, might not so readily be understood today; as well as being a variant plural of ‘pearsa’ (the standard plural being ‘pearsana’), ‘pearsain’ is also the dative singular and following ‘ina’ might be read literally as ‘in their human person(ality)’. ‘Shall … be held equal’ is expressed as ‘Áirítear gurb ionann’ (‘it is reckoned that they are equal’) in the Irish text. ‘Before the law’ is expressed as ‘i láthair an dlí’ (‘in the presence of the law’) in the Irish text. ‘Held’ of the first paragraph is echoed in the second paragraph of the English text alone.

J.M. Kelly, op. cit., p. 208, reports as follows on reference made to this Article in the courts:

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A noun in apposition may be preceded by the preposition ‘i n-’ (governing dative) + possessive pronoun. This was a development of the older use of the dative without preposition.

Examples are cited in DIL from Leabhar na hUidhre (completed before 1106) onwards, including ‘dobudh nár dhúinn ionur thríar Ulltach’ (i.e. it was a shame ‘to us three Ultonians’) and ‘ní iomdha dhúnn i n-ar ndaoinibh’ (‘not many of us men’). Turning to ‘daonna’, ‘dlí daonna’ is translated as ‘positive law’ in Téarmaí Dlí, ‘daonna’ generally being translated as ‘human’, as in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘an cine daonna, the human race’ and ‘neach daonna, human being’, giving ‘humane, kind’ as a secondary sense. Dinneen translates ‘daonna’ as ‘human; mortal; liberal, civil, hospitable, charitable’. Old Irish ‘doínd(a)e’ is based on ‘doén’, which is a poetic term for ‘human being’, the general term being ‘duine’, on which ‘doén’ is based – see DIL s.v.v. ‘doén’ and ‘doénda’. Áirítear ‘Áirigh’ is translated as ‘count, reckon’ in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘duine a áireamh mar chara, to reckon someone as a friend’ and ‘áirím gur fíor é, I reckon that it is true’. Dinneen translates ‘áirmhim’ as ‘I count, reckon, consider, record; I speak of, mention, take into account’. DIL only cites one example of the verb ‘áirmigid’ (‘counts’): ‘áirmhighthear sruth Tanais ar aibhnibh na Scitia’ (i.e. the river T. ‘is reckoned among the rivers of S.’), from Keating’s seventeenth-century History of Ireland. This verb is based on ‘áirem’, itself the verbal noun of earlier ‘ad-rími’, translated as (a) ‘counts, numbers, computes’, (b) ‘records, recounts, mentions’, 1(c) ‘takes into account’ and (d) ‘counts as, regards; considers to be’, examples of which are cited from the Glosses of the eighth century onwards – see further the commentary on Article 18.7.1oiv. In s2(c) of the Radiological Protection Act, 1991, ‘(a requesting State shall) hold the assisting party … harmless in respect of legal proceedings and claims’ is translated as ‘glacfaidh sé leis go bhfuil an páirtí cúnta … neamhurchóideach maidir le himeachtaí dlí’. In Article 63 of the Treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel Community, ‘undertakings shall be held responsible for infringements of their obligations by their direct agents’ is translated simply as ‘(go) mbeidh na gnóthais freagrach as sárú aon oibleagáide faoina rachfar amhlaidh ag gníomhairí díreacha na ngnóthas’. ‘Every person who holds himself out or represents himself to be a bookmaker’ is translated as ‘gach éinne a thabharfidh le tuisgint no a chuirfidh in úil gur geall-ghlacadóir … é’ in s2(1) of the Betting Act, 1926. See further the commentary on Article 47.1, where ‘ní foláir a mheas’ expresses ‘shall be held’. intuigthe This headword is translated as ‘implied’ in Téarmaí Dlí, where ‘is intuigthe as’ is translated as ‘it implies’. Ó Dónaill translates ‘intuigthe’ as ‘understandable, intelligible; implied, implicit’, translating ‘is (é rud atá) intuigthe as sin (go)’ as ‘that implies, would lead one to understand (that)’. DIL cites two examples of ‘intuicthe’, ‘to be understood’, the first of which comes from Keating’s seventeenth-century Three Shafts of Death. Turning to the Acts, in s67 of the European Assembly Elections Act, 1977, ‘is cinneadh críochnaitheach cinneadh an cheann comhairimh, cibé acu sainráite dó nó intuigthe as a ghníomhartha’ translates ‘The decision of the returning

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officer, whether expressed or implied by his acts, … shall be final’. Regarding ‘hold to be’ in the Acts, ‘Waiver of immunity from jurisdiction in respect of civil or administrative proceedings shall not be held to imply waver of immunity in respect of the execution of the judgment’ is translated as ‘Ní ghlacfar go n-urchiallaíonn tarscaoileadh díolúine ó dhlínse i leith imeachtaí sibhialta nó imeachtaí riaracháin tarscaoileadh díolúine i leith an bhreithiúnas a fhorghníomhú’ in Article 32(4) of the First Schedule to the Diplomatic Relations and Immunities Act, 1967. ‘Document of any kind whatsoever containing expressions which might reasonably be held to imply that he carried on banking business’ is translated as ‘scríbhinn d’aon chineál ar bith, ina mbeidh abairtí go bhféadfaí go réasúnta a rá go dtugaid le tuiscint go mbíonn gnó bancaerachta á dhéanamh aige’ in s8 of the Moneylenders Act, 1933. Commenting on the direct translation below, Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú greatly favours ‘ní intuigthe as sin’ to ‘ní ghlacfar leis go gciallaíonn sé sin’, suggesting ‘níl le tuiscint as sin’ as an alternative. buanna Bua is translated as (1) ‘victory, triumph’, (2) ‘gift, talent’, (3) ‘virtue, merit’, (4) ‘special quality’ and (5) ‘lot, destiny’ in Ó Dónaill. As examples of sense (2) are cited ‘bua cainte, ceoil, gift of speech, music’ and of (3) ‘is mór an bua do dhuine an tsláinte, it is a great advantage to have one’s health’. Dinneen translates ‘buaidh’ as ‘victory; conquest; success; virtue, excellence, an attribute’ and as ‘occult mysterious property of a person or object as for heating, etc.’ DIL cites examples of ‘búaid’ in the sense of ‘special quality or attribute, gift, virtue’ from the Glosses of the eighth century onwards, including the following from the Táin: ‘itáat trí búada formsa .i. búaid roisc, 7 indtliuchta 7 airdmesa’ (i.e. I have three accomplishments, the accomplishment of sight, intellect and estimating). See further the commentary on Article 43.1.1o. In the Radio and Television Act, 1988, ‘Éireannaigh a bhfuil buanna acu sa cheol’ translates ‘Irish talent in music’. On the other hand, ‘testamentary capacity’ and ‘capacity to contract’ are translated respectively as ‘inniúlacht tiomnaithe’ and ‘inniúlacht chonraithe’ in Téarmaí Dlí, ‘cáil’ translating the headword ‘capacity’ and ‘in a fiduciary capacity’ being translated as ‘i gcáil mhuiníneach’. In s55(8) of the Succession Act, 1965, ‘If … there is no trustee of a settled share, and no person of full age and capacity entitled to the income thereof’ is translated as ‘Más rud é … nach bhfuil aon iontaobhaí ar scair shocraithe ann, agus nach bhfuil aon duine lánaoise agus inniúlachta i dteideal an ioncaim aisti’. In Article 5(b) of the Second Schedule to the Diplomatic Relations and Immunities Act, 1967, ‘the interests of minors and other persons lacking full capacity’ is translated as ‘leasanna mionaoiseach agus daoine eile ar easpa inniúlachta iomláine’. Looking at early translations of ‘capacity’, ‘cumas’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as translating ‘capacity’ in translations for various Departments. ‘Patients admitted to the District Hospitals shall be obliged to pay for maintenance and attendance according to capacity’ is translated as ‘Beidh ar othair a leigfar isteach sna hOspidéil Cheanntair beidh ortha íoc do réir a n-acfuinne as a gcimeád suas agus as freastal ortha’ in s22 of the ‘Mayo County Scheme’ in the Schedule to the Local Government (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923. ‘Employed by the Local Authority in a temporary capacity’ is translated


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as ‘ar fostú i bhfeadhmannas diombuan ag an Údarás Áitiúil’ in s11(6) of the same Act. Finally, ‘and shall be collectively responsible to the Minister for Defence for all matters entrusted to it in its collective capacity’ is translated as ‘agus beid freagarthach in éineacht don Aire Cosanta i ngach ní a cuirfar ina n-iocht mar chólucht aonair’ in s8(6) of the Ministers and Secretaries Act, 1924. ionann This headword is translated as ‘same, identical; alike, equal’ in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘is ionann iad, they are identical’. Dinneen translates ‘ionann’ as ‘the same, identical; equal, equivalent, similar, alike’. See the commentary on Article 15.11.2o. In s1(b) of Part 1 of the Finance Act, 1990, ‘and proves that it does not exceed a sum equal to twice the specified amount’ is translated as ‘go gcruthóidh sé nach mó é ná suim is ionann agus dhá oiread an mhéid shonraithe’. We generally find ‘comhionann’ in this context in the Acts. In s8 of the Value-Added Tax (Amendment) Act, 1978, for example, ‘if the consideration consisted entirely of an amount of money equal to the open market price’ is translated as ‘dá mba é a bhí go huile sa chomaoin suim airgid is comhionann leis an margadh-phraghas oscailte’ and in s25 of the Wealth Tax Act, 1975, ‘be deemed to be property to which the minor children of the marriage are beneficially entitled to possession in equal shares’ is translated as ‘measfar gur maoin í a bhfuil teideal tairbhiúil seilbhe chuici i scaireanna comhionanna ag leanaí mionaoiseacha an phósta’. In s2(b) of the Sugar Manufacture (Amendment) Act, 1973, ‘The reference to principal … shall be taken as refering to the equivalent in currency of the State of the actual principal’ is translated as ‘An tagairt do phríomhshuim … measfar gur tagairt í do mhéid is comhionann in airgead reatha an Stáit leis an bpríomhshuim iarbhír’. ‘Equal pay officers’ are styled ‘Oifigigh pá chomhionainn’ in the Anti-Discrimination (Pay) Act, 1974. In s66 of the Pensions Act, 1990, ‘the principle of equal treatment’ is termed ‘an prionsabal um dhéileáil chomhionann’. Note that in Article 18 of the First Schedule to the Diplomatic Relations and Immunities Act, 1967, ‘The procedure to be observed in each State for the reception of heads of mission shall be uniform in respect of each class’ is translated as ‘An nós imeachta a leanfar i ngach Stát chun cinn mhisiún a ghlacadh is nós imeachta comhionann a bheidh ann maidir le gach aicme’. ‘Comh-’ itself as a prefix has the sense of ‘equal’ – see Ó Dónaill, for example, and the following from the Programme for a Partnership Government, 1993-97 (p. 34): ‘people with a disability are equal citizens of Ireland’, ‘comhshaoránaigh de chuid na hÉireann is ea na daoine a bhfuil míchumas orthu’. nach bhféachfaidh … do Ó Dónaill translates ‘féach do’ as ‘have regard to’, citing ‘ní fhéachann an t-éag do neach, death is no respecter of persons’ and ‘ní fhéachaim do na gnóthaí sin, I pay no attention to those matters’. Dinneen translates ‘féachaim do’ as ‘I look to, differentiate in regard to, sympathise with’. Finally, DIL translates ‘fégaid do’ as ‘looks to, heeds, has regard to, takes into account’, citing ‘mana fechainn d’onoir dom athair’ (‘had I not regard for the honour due to my father’), from the Irish version of Fierabras. In Treaties establishing the European Communities (1973, p. 927), ‘The Commission shall, before 1 April 1973

Bunreacht na hÉireann

and with due regard for the provisions in force, … determine the methods’ is translated as ‘Socróidh an Coimisiún, roimh an 1 Aibreán 1973, ag féachaint go cuí do na forálacha atá i bhfeidhm, … na modhanna’. On p. 318, we find ‘with due regard for the provisions of this Treaty’ translated as ‘agus aird chuí aici ar fhorálacha an Chonartha seo’. Similarly, in the Programme for a Partnership Government, 1993-97 (p. 45), ‘with due regard to environmental considerations’ is translated as ‘ag féachaint go cuí do chúrsaí comhshaoil’ while in the Joint Declaration of 15 December 1993, ‘such an examination would of course have due regard to the desire to preserve those inherited values’ is translated as ‘thabharfaí aird chuí, ar ndóigh, sa scrúdú sin, ar an mian atá ann comhaontú a dhéanamh ar na luachanna sin a fuarthas le hoidhreacht’ (p. 4). ‘The Board and the companies shall have due regard to the Board’s social role’ is translated as ‘Tabharfaidh an Bord agus na cuideachtaí aird chuí ar ról sóisialta an Bhoird’ in s8(10) of the Transport (Re-organisation of Córas Iompair Éireann) Act, 1986, with ‘the Land Commission shall have due regard to the reasonable requirements of the owner’ being translated as ‘tabharfidh Coimisiún na Talmhan aire chuibhe do riachtanaisí réasúnta an únaera’ in s37 of the Land Act, 1923. corpartha This adjective is translated as ‘corporal; corporeal’ in Ó Dónaill, ‘corpardha’ being translated as ‘bodily, corporal; large, bulky; material as opposed to spiritual’ in Dinneen. ‘Corporda’ is translated as ‘corporeal, bodily, physical, actual’ in DIL, being based on Latin ‘corporeus’. See further the commentary on Article 42.5. ‘Physical’ is generally translated in the Acts by the genitive singular form of ‘corp’ as an attributive adjective – see, for example, s3(2)(b) of the Judicial Separation and Family Law Reform Act, 1989, where ‘“welfare” comprises the religious and moral, intellectual, physical and social welfare of the children’ is translated as ‘folaíonn “leas” leas creidimh agus morálta na leanaí, mar aon lena leas intleachta, lena leas coirp agus lena leas sóisialta’. In s43(3)(a) of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 1981, ‘having regard to his physical and mental condition’ is translated as ‘ag féachaint dá staid choirp agus mheabhrach’. Ó Dónaill gives ‘fisiceach’ as a headword, simply translated as ‘physical’, with the form ‘fisiciúil’ being given as a variant. i láthair an dli ‘I láthair Dé’ and ‘i láthair duine’ are translated respectively as ‘before God, as God is my witness’ and ‘in the presence of someone’ in Ó Dónaill, with ‘presence’ being a secondary sense of ‘láthair’, principally translated as ‘place, spot; site, location’. ‘Dul i láthair na cúirte’ is translated as ‘to appear before the court’ in Ó Dónaill. Dinneen cites ‘dul i láthair an bhreithimh (na cúirte), to appear before the judge (court)’. See further the commentary on Article 28.8. ‘Os comhair’ usually translates ‘before’ in the present sense in the modern Acts. In s28 of the Second Schedule to the Health Act, 1970, ‘all questions coming or arising before the board may be … decided by the majority of such members’ is translated as ‘féadfar gach ceist a thiocfaidh nó a éireoidh os comhair an bhoird a chinneadh … ag tromlach na gcomhaltaí sin den bhord’. In s24(b) of the same Act, ‘Any question arising before a committee’ is translated as ‘aon cheist a éireoidh os comhair coiste’.


A study of the Irish text

In s14(4)(a)(iii) of the Criminal Law (Jurisdiction) Act, 1976, ‘he shall be brought before a judge or justice of any court’ is translated as ‘tabharfar é os comhair breithimh aon chúirte’. ‘I láthair’ would generally translate ‘in the presence of’ – see, for example, s14(2) of the Criminal Procedure Act, 1967, where ‘The deposition shall be taken in the presence of a justice of the District Court and of the accused’ is translated as ‘Tógfar an teistíocht i láthair breitheamh den Chúirt Dúiche agus an chúisí’. Finally, ‘on conviction before a District Justice’ is translated as ‘ar a chiontú i láthair Breithimh Dhúithche’ in s80 of the Dundalk Harbour and Port Act, 1925. go cuí ‘Comaoin chuí’ is translated as ‘good consideration’ in Téarmaí Dlí, where ‘mionnscríbhinn fhorghníomhaithe chuí’ and ‘sealbhóir i gcúrsa cuí’ are translated respectively as ‘affidavit of due execution’ and ‘holder in due course’. ‘Cuí’ currently translates ‘appropriate’, ‘proper’ and ‘fit’ in the Acts. See further the commentary on the Preamble.

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6 ‘nach dtabharfaidh an Stát aird chuí ina chuid achtachán ar dhifríochtaí’ 7 ‘do dhifríochtaí inniúlachta’ 8 ‘agus feidhme’ 9 ‘sóisialaí’

ARTICLE 40.2.1O

AIRTEAGAL 40.2.1O

TÉACS GAEILGE

Ní cead don Stát gairm uaisleachta a bhronnadh ar aon duine. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

The State is not permitted to confer a title of nobility on any person. ENGLISH TEXT

Bunchearta See the commentary on Article 9.2 regarding the prefix ‘bun-’ expressing ‘fundamental’ in the Constitution. Note that ‘Bun-chirt’ is the form in the original text.

Titles of nobility shall not be conferred by the State.

chomhdhaonnach ‘Comhdhaonnach’ expresses ‘social’ in the Constitution – see the commentary on Article 15.3.1o.

2

idir daoine Note that lenition follows idir in the original text.

Divergences between the official texts 1

3

The Irish text contains the phrase ‘ar aon duine’, ‘on any person’, in addition to the English text. ‘Titles of nobility’ is expressed as ‘gairm uaisleachta’ (‘a title of nobility’) in the Irish text. Again, the term ‘Ní cead’, ‘Is not permitted’, differs in tone from ‘shall not’.

Note that Article 5 of the 1922 Constitution reads as follows:

Standardised Irish text BUNCHEARTA Cearta Pearsanta Áirítear gurb ionann ina bpearsa dhaonna na saoránaigh uile i láthair an dlí. Ach ní intuigthe as sin nach bhféachfaidh an Stát go cuí, ina chuid achtachán, don difríocht atá idir dhaoine ina mbuanna corpartha agus ina mbuanna morálta agus ina bhfeidhm chomhdhaonnach.

Direct translation CEARTA BUNÚSACHA Cearta Pearsanta Áireofar gur1 comhionann na saoránaigh uile2, mar dhaoine daonna, os comhair3 an dlí.4 Ach ní ghlacfar leis go gciallaíonn sé sin5 nach bhféachfaidh an Stát go cuí ina chuid achtachán do dhifríochtaí6 ó thaobh inniúlachta7 coirp agus morálta, agus ó thaobh feidhme8 sóisialta9.

Variants 1 2 3 4

‘Is’, ‘Tuigfear gur’, ‘Glacfar leis gur’ ‘go léir’ ‘i láthair’ ‘Glacfar leis go bhfuil na saoránaigh uile, mar dhaoine daonna, comhionann os comhair an dlí.’, ‘Is comhshaoránaigh / saoránaigh chomhionanna iad na saoránaigh go léir, mar dhaoine daonna, os comhair an dlí.’ 5 ‘níl le tuiscint as sin’, ‘ní intuigthe as sin’

No title of honour in respect of any services rendered in or in relation to the Irish Free State (Saorstát Éireann) may be conferred on any citizen of the Irish Free State (Saorstát Éireann) …. Ní bronnfar ar aon tsaoránach de Shaorstát Éireann aon teideal onóra i dtaobh aon tseirbhísí do thabhairt uaidh i Saorstát Éireann no ’na thaobh.

Commentary gairm uaisleachta See the commentary on Article 13.5.2o regarding ‘gairm’, there expressing ‘commission’. Ó Dónaill translates ‘gairm uaisleachta’ as ‘title of nobility’. Dinneen translates ‘gairm ríogh’ as ‘a king’s title’, citing ‘thugas mo rath ar mhnaoi is gairm ríogh agam le fagháil, I left good fortune and a crown for a woman’s sake’. DIL gives examples of ‘gairm ríg’ (‘title of king’), along with ‘gairm ollaimh’ (i.e. title of professor), from the earlier literature. Ó Dónaill s.v. ‘teideal’, cites ‘teideal uaisleachta, title of nobility’, translating ‘uaisleacht’ as ‘nobility, gentility’. Dinneen translates ‘uaisleacht’ as ‘nobility, gentility, generosity, refinement; finery’, citing ‘ná satail orm im’ uaisleacht, don’t walk on me, I am all dressed up’! ‘Úaislecht’ is translated as ‘nobility, honour, greatness’ in DIL, where examples are cited from the twelfth-century Book of Leinster onwards; it is based on ‘úaisle’, ‘nobility, dignity’ – DIL cites ‘cu ro pinnit fo uaisli in graidh’ (‘in proportion to the dignity of the grade’), from a commentary on an early Irish law-tract. This form is in turn based on ‘úasal’, ‘high, lofty’ and, metaphorically, ‘noble, honourable’ – DIL cites ‘Germán martir úasal’ and ‘athir Iohain uasail Babtaist’ from Féilire Oengusso Céli Dé and Saltair na Rann, respectively, this form being still in use today in


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formal address. See further the commentary on the Preamble where ‘uaisleacht’ translates ‘dignity’. ‘Title’ is translated as ‘teideal’ in Téarmaí Dlí, this being in relation to Property Law in particular. We find this term in a relatively similar context to that in the present Article in s38(2) of the Medical Practitioners Act, 1978, where ‘The council may, from time to time specify, in relation to each speciality recognised by it, the titles and designations of qualifications in specialised medicine granted in the State’ is translated as ‘Féadfaidh an Chomhairle a shonrú, ó am go ham, i ndáil le gach speisialtacht dá dtugann sí aitheantas, teidil agus ainmniúcháin na gcáilíochtaí sa sainleigheas a dheonaítear sa Stát’. ‘Gairm’, on the other hand, is sometimes used in the Acts to translate ‘profession’ – see, for example, s21 of the Finance Act, 1990, where ‘for the purposes of a trade or profession’ is translated as ‘chun críocha trádála nó gairme’. ‘Occupational Pension Schemes’ is translated as ‘scéimeanna pinsean gairme’ in the Finance Act, 1972, for example. Looking at early Acts, ‘in relation to the respective titles of the Chief Justice and of each of the other judges’ is translated as ‘bhaineann le teidil fé seach an Phrímh-Bhreithimh agus gach breithimh fé leith de sna breithiúin eile’ in s4(2) of the Courts of Justice Act, 1936, with ‘changes in the styles and titles of the Ministers and Departments of State affected by such redistribution’ being translated as ‘atharuithe do dhéanamh ar theidil na nAirí agus na Ranna Stáit le n-a mbainfidh an ath-roinnt sin’ in s4(2) of the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act, 1928. See the following subsection regarding ‘titles of honour’. a bhronnadh Ó Dónaill translates ‘bronn’ as ‘grant, bestow’, translating ‘rud a bhronnadh ar dhuine’ as ‘to bestow something on someone’ and citing ‘bronnadh céim air, a degree was conferred on him’. The original sense of ‘bronnaid’ seems to have been ‘spends, consumes’, and the sense ‘give, bestow’ is thought to have been an extended application of the secondary sense of ‘bronnaid’, ‘injures, damages’ – see the commentary on Article 13.11. As we have seen (see the commentary on Article 12.1), ‘confer’ is usually translated as ‘tabhair do’ in the Acts. One cannot include the preposition which usually accompanies both ‘bronn’ and ‘tabhair’ – ‘ar’ and ‘do’ respectively – without adding ‘aon duine’, as the drafters of the Irish version of Article 40.2.1o did. Either verb rests uneasy at the end of the subsection without an accompanying indirect object. Ní cead See the commentary on Article 9.1.3o.

Direct translation Ní dhéanfaidh an Stát teidil1 uaisleachta a thabhairt2.3

Variants 1 ‘gairmeacha’ 2 ‘a bhronnadh’ 3 ‘Ní dhéanfar teidil uaisleachta a thabhairt ag an Stát.’

ARTICLE 40.2.2O

AIRTEAGAL 40.2.2O

TÉACS GAEILGE

Ní cead d’aon saoránach gairm uaisleachta ná gairm onóra a ghlacadh ach le haontú roimh ré ón Rialtas.

Bunreacht na hÉireann

LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

No citizen is permitted to accept a title of nobility nor a title of honour except with the assent beforehand of the Government. ENGLISH TEXT

No title of nobility or of honour may be accepted by any citizen except with the prior approval of the Government.

Divergences between the official texts 1

2

3

‘Approval’ is expressed as ‘aontú’, which is translated as ‘assent’ in Téarmaí Dlí, though ‘aontú’ also has the sense of ‘approval’ in current Irish usage. ‘Accept’ is expressed as ‘a ghlacadh’, translated as ‘receive’ in Téarmaí Dlí, where ‘accept’ is translated as ‘glac le’; in general usage ‘glac’ renders both ‘receive’ and ‘accept’. ‘Ní cead’ differs in tone from ‘No … may’.

Note that Article 5 of the 1922 Constitution reads as follows: No title of honour in respect of any services rendered in or in relation to the Irish Free State (Saorstát Éireann) may be conferred on any citizen of the Irish Free State (Saorstát Éireann) except with the approval or upon the advice of the Executive Council of the State. Ní bronnfar ar aon tsaoránach de Shaorstát Éireann aon teideal onóra i dtaobh aon tseirbhísí do thabhairt uaidh i Saorstát Éireann no ina thaobh ach le cead no ar mhola Ard-Chomhairle an Stáit.

Commentary a ghlacadh ‘Glacaim’ is translated as ‘I admit (as evidence)’; ‘I receive’, in Téarmaí Dlí, where ‘glacaim maoin ghoidte’ is translated as ‘I receive stolen property’, with ‘glacaim le’ being translated as ‘I accept’. ‘Glac’ is translated as ‘take, accept’ in Ó Dónaill, where ‘bronntanas, síntiús, breab, a ghlacadh’ is translated as ‘to accept a present, a subscription, a bribe’. ‘Glacaim’ is translated as ‘I grasp, take, receive, accept, seize, take hold of, catch (disease, etc.), conceive, undertake’ in Dinneen. The verb ‘glacaid’, which is not widely attested before late Middle and early Modern Irish, is translated as (a) ‘seizes, lays hold of, takes, hires, touches’, (b) ‘receives, accepts, adopts’ and (c) ‘forms, conceives (a feeling)’ in DIL. It is based on ‘glac(c)’, ‘the fist half-opened; a hand’ (DIL). See the commentary on Article 8.2 regarding ‘glac le’. ‘May … draw accept and endorse Bills of Exchange or other negotiable instruments’ is translated as ‘féadfid Billí Malairte nó instruimidí ionmhalartuithe eile do tarang, do ghlaca agus do chur fé chúl-scríobh’ in s17 of the Sligo Lighting and Electric Power Act, 1924. In s4(1)(f) of the National Archives Act, 1986, ‘in relation to such purchase, donation, bequest or loan as may be accepted by the Director’ is translated as ‘a bhaineann le ceannach, bronntanas, tiomnacht nó iasacht den sórt sin lena nglacfaidh an Stiúrthóir’. gairm onóra ‘Onóir’ is translated as ‘honour’ in Ó Dónaill, and as ‘honour; pride, haughtiness; reverence, respect; thrift’ in Dinneen. It is an early Middle Irish loanword from Latin ‘honorem’ and is translated as ‘honour, respect,


A study of the Irish text

dignity’ in DIL. We have an example of its use as a term of address in Ó Cianáin’s Flight of the Earls: ‘adeir bhar n-onoir-si na briathra sin’. ‘Nothing in this Act shall affect the succession to any dignity or title of honour’ is translated as ‘Ní dhéanfaidh éinní san Acht so deifir don chomharbas in aon dighnit no teideal onóra’ in s10(1) of the Legitimacy Act, 1931. In s8(1) of the Broadcasting Act, 1990, ‘which constituted an attack on that person’s honour or reputation’ is translated as ‘ar ionsaí a bhí iontu ar onóir nó dea-chlú an duine sin’. le haontú ‘Aontú’ is translated as ‘assent’ in Téarmaí Dlí and as ‘assent, agreement’ in Ó Dónaill. ‘Aontughadh’ is translated as ‘act of assenting; consent, agreement’ in Dinneen. ‘Oentugad’ is translated as (a) ‘uniting (with), joining, adhering to’, (b) ‘conceding, granting’, (c) ‘consenting, agreeing’ in DIL – see the commentary on Article 28.3.1o where this noun expresses ‘assent’. Regarding ‘approval’, see the commentary on Article 13.1.2o where ‘le comhaontú … roimh ré’ expresses ‘with the previous approval’. Note that in Article 70 of the Treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel Community, ‘the application of special internal rates … shall require the prior agreement of the High Authority’ is translated as ‘Chun rátaí … inmheánacha speisialta a fheidhmiú … ní foláir aontú a fháil roimh ré ón Ard-Údarás. ‘Formheas’ is the term given in Téarmaí Dlí for ‘approval’, with ‘I approve’ being translated as ‘formheasaim’. See the commentary on Articles 13.1.2o and 13.7.3o (where ‘a bheith sásta roimh sé’ expresses ‘have received the approval’) and note how ‘ceadú’ regularly translates ‘approval’ in the Acts cited in that commentary. Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú remarks that ‘formheas’ would not have the appropriate sense in the direct translation below. ach ‘Except’ is sometimes translated as ‘ach amháin’ in the Acts – see, for example, s4(a) of the Schedule to the Holidays (Employees) Act, 1973, where ‘the 8th day of December, except when falling on a Sunday’ is translated as ‘an 8ú lá de Nollaig, ach amháin nuair is Domhnach é’.

Direct translation Ní fhéadfaidh aon saoránach glacadh le teideal1 uaisleachta nó onóra ach amháin le ceadú2 roimh ré ón Rialtas3.

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personal rights of any citizen, and it further guarantees to defend and assert those rights with its laws in so far as it is possible. ENGLISH TEXT

The State guarantees in its laws to respect, and, as far as practicable, by its laws to defend and vindicate the personal rights of the citizen.

Divergences between the official texts 1 2

3 4 5 6

‘To respect’ is expressed as ‘gan cur isteach ar’ (‘not to interfere with’) in the Irish text. ‘The State guarantees in its laws to respect …’ is expressed as ‘Ráthaíonn an Stát gan cur isteach lena dhlíthe ar’ (‘The State guarantees not to interfere by its laws, with …’) in the Irish text, the same preposition as required by Irish usage preceding ‘dlíthe’, ‘laws’, as that found expressing ‘by its laws’ further on in the subsection. ‘As far as practicable’ is expressed as ‘sa mhéid gur féidir é’ (‘in so far as it is possible’) in the Irish text. ‘The citizen’ is expressed as ‘aon saoránach’ (‘any citizen’) in the Irish text. ‘Vindicate’ is expressed as ‘suíomh’ (‘establish’) in the Irish text. The Irish text repeats the verb ‘ráthaíonn’, ‘guarantees’, having ‘rathaíonn fós na cearta sin’ (‘it guarantees further … those rights’) in addition to the English text.

J.M. Kelly, op. cit., p. 208, reports as follows on reference made to this Article in the courts: In McGee v Attorney General ([1974] IR 284) Griffin J pointed out that the Irish version: “Ráthaíonn an Stát gan cur isteach lena dhlithibh ar cheartaibh pearsanta aon tsaoránaigh” was a guarantee not to interfere with citizens’ personal rights (thus adding depth to the guarantee to “respect” them in the English version). In the same case Walsh J used the Irish “féidir” so as to treat the English “practicable” as amounting to “possible”. In Pine Valley Developments Ltd. v Minister for Environment ([1987] IR 23) Henchy J referred to the Irish version of Article 40.3.2 (“chomh fada lena chumas” = “as best it may”) in order to stress that the State’s duty to respect and vindicate the citizens’ constitutional rights was not an unqualified one.

Commentary

Variants 1 ‘gairm’ 2 ‘formheas’ 3 ‘le ceadú an Rialtais roimh ré’, ‘le réamhcheadú an Rialtais’

ARTICLE 40.3.1O

AIRTEAGAL 40.3.1O

TÉACS GAEILGE

Ráthaíonn an Stát gan cur isteach lena dhlíthe ar chearta pearsanta aon saoránaigh, agus ráthaíonn fós na cearta sin a chosaint is a shuíomh lena dhlíthe sa mhéid gur feidir é. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

The State guarantees not to interfere by its laws with the

cur isteach ‘Cuirim isteach ar’ is translated as ‘I molest’ in Téarmaí Dlí, ‘cur isteach ar dhuine’ being translated as ‘to interfere with, to inconvenience, someone; to interrupt someone’ in Ó Dónaill – see the commentary on Article 15.10. As regards ‘respect’, in the Joint Declaration of 15 December 1993, ‘and must respect the civil rights and religious liberties of both communities’ is translated as ‘agus go gcaithfear urraim a thabhairt ann do chearta sibhialta agus do shaoirsí creidimh an dá phobal’, with ‘to create structures which, while respecting the diversity of the people of Ireland, would enable them to work together’ being translated as ‘struchtúir a chruthú a dhéanfadh, agus urraim á tabhairt acu d’ilghnéitheacht mhuintir na hÉireann, iad a chumasú chun oibriú as lámha a chéile’. In s4.14 of the New Ireland Forum Report, ‘which fully respects both traditions’ is translated as ‘ina seastar leis an dá thraidisiún’.


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In the Programme for a Partnership Government, 1993-97 (p. 13), ‘and respects the individual preferences of employees’ is translated as ‘agus a thabharfaidh aird an rogha aonair fostaithe’. In Treaties establishing the European Communities (1973, p. 701), ‘When taking up their duties, they shall give a solemn undertaking that … they will respect the obligations arising therefrom’ is translated as ‘Nuair a rachaidh siad i mbun a ndualgas, tabharfaidh siad gealltanas sollúnta go n-urramóidh siad … na hoibleagáidí a bheidh orthu de bharr na hoifige sin’. We also find ‘each Member State undertakes to respect this principle’ translated as ‘gabhann gach Ballstát air féin urraim a thabhairt don phrionsabal seo’ (p. 755). In the Treaty on European Union (1992, p. 60), ‘respecting human rights’ is translated as ‘cearta an duine a urramú’, with ‘to respect this principle’ being translated as ‘an prionsabal sin a urramú’ (p. 31). See the commentary on Articles 42.1 and 44.1 for citations from the Acts. Commenting on the direct translation below, Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú questions whether the term ‘urraim’ is what is involved here. He remarks that ‘respect’ has as part of its range of meaning ‘avoid harming or interfering with’, citing ‘to respect the environment’, for example. This was the interpretation of the Irish drafters and Máirtín Ó Murchú agrees with that interpretation, noting that ‘urraim’ need not have any practical benefit. sa mhéid gur féidir é This phrase expresses ‘so far as practicable’ in Article 16.2.3o also. ‘Sa mhéid go’ is translated as ‘inasmuch, in so far, as’ in Ó Dónaill. DIL cites examples from the Glosses of the eighth century onwards of ‘méit’ as a relative adverb introducing a subordinate clause in the sense of ‘as much as, as far as, to the extent that’ – see, for example, ‘7 meit atan echtrainn’ (‘and as far as they are foreigners’), glossing Latin ‘quanto externi sunt’, in the ninth-century Milan Glosses on the Commentary on the Psalms, and ‘meit as sochmacht’ (‘as much as it well can’) from the ninth-century Carlsruhe Glosses on S. Augustine’s Soliloquia. ‘Is féidir (é)’ is translated as ‘it is possible’ in Ó Dónaill. DIL cites examples of ‘étir’/‘éter’ (‘able; possible, feasible’) from Leabhar na hUidhre (completed by 1106), but most examples are from a later period, with no citations from the Glosses, for example. ‘Séitir’, translated as ‘vigour, energy; competency (?)’ in DIL, and connected with ‘séitrech’ (‘strong, powerful’), has been taken to be the earlier form of ‘étir’ (later with prothetic f-). Turning to the Acts, in s46(a) of the Finance Act, 1990, ‘unless the company proves that it has, as far as possible, … advanced to borrowers relevant principal’ is translated as ‘mura gcruthóidh an chuideachta go ndearna sí, a mhéid ab fhéidir é, … príomhshuim iomchuí a airleacan, d’iasachtaithe’. In the Treaty on European Union (1992, p. 156), ‘The ECB shall respect as far as possible existing practices’ is translated as ‘Urramóidh BCE a mhéad is féidir cleachtais atá ann cheana’. ‘Oiread agus is féidir’ translates ‘as far as possible’ in Treaties establishing the European Communities. Turning specifically to ‘practicable’, ‘Tax deduction cards shall be prepared, with a view to securing that, so far as may be practicable …’, in s127(3)(a) of the Income Tax Act, 1967, is translated as ‘Ullmhófar cártaí asbhainte cánach chun a áirithiú, an oiread agus is inoibrithe sin …’. In the Programme for a Partnership Government,

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1993-97 (p. 25) ‘as far as practicable’ is translated as ‘a mhéid is indéanta’. In s8(2) of the Wireless Telegraphy Act, 1972, ‘as soon as practicable he shall cause notice of that fact to be published’ is translated as ‘cuirfidh sé faoi deara a luaithe is féidir fógra ina thaobh sin a fhoilsiú’. See further the commentary on Article 16.2.3o. a shuíomh In Articles 12.3.1o, 12.10.7o and 14.1 ‘go suífear’ expresses ‘is established’, and in Article 12.3.3o ‘arna suíomh’ expresses ‘established’. ‘Suím cúis’ is translated as ‘I show cause’ in Téarmaí Dlí. Ó Dónaill translates ‘cúis, ceart, a shuí’ as ‘to establish a case, a right’, ‘suíomh’ being given as a variant verbal noun of ‘suigh’ by Ó Dónaill. Dinneen translates ‘suidhighim’ as ‘I set, plant, arrange, dispose; prove, certify, establish, station (as guards)’. DIL cites examples of ‘suidigidir’, in the sense of ‘establishes, founds, sets up, institutes’, as well as ‘fixes, assesses, imposes (of laws, fines, etc.)’, from the eighth-century Glosses onwards. Following this Article, in the Proceedings of Dáil Éireann of 15 December, 1994, we find, in the terms of reference of a sub- Committee of the Select Committee on Legislation and Security, ‘to the extent that the sub-Committee is of the opinion that such cross-examination is necessary to defend and vindicate the Constitutional rights of such witnesses’ is translated as ‘a mhéid a bheidh an Fochoiste den tuairim gur gá croscheistiú den sórt sin chun cearta bunreachtúla finnéithe den sórt sin a chosaint agus a shuíomh’. Chambers English Dictionary (7th. ed., 1988) has the following entry s.v. ‘vindicate’: to justify; to clear from criticism, etc.; to defend with success; to make good a claim to; to lay claim to; to maintain; to avenge (obsolete); to free (obsolete).

According to the Oxford Shorter English Dictionary this verb comes from Latin ‘vindicat-, vindicare’, ‘to claim, set free, punish’, from ‘vim’, acc. sing. of ‘vis’, ‘force’ and ‘dic-, dicere’, ‘to say’. Daniel Foley’s English Irish Dictionary (1855) translates ‘vindicate’ as ‘ceartuigh, congbhaigh, saoradh’, translating ‘vindication’ as ‘cosnamh, ceartughadh, díolgasuigh’. T. O’Neill Lane’s English-Irish Dictionary (2nd. ed.) translates ‘vindicate’ as (1) ‘to defend with success, cosnaim, -namh’ and (2) ‘to clear of a charge, glanaim ó choir’, translating ‘vindication’ (‘the act of defending with success’) as ‘cosnamh’. ‘I vindicate’ is translated as ‘cosnaim, dearbhaím, seasaim ceart do’ in Téarmaí Oifigiúla, followed by the abbreviation for ‘Leabhráin Choiste na dTéarmaí’, the terms published by the Department of Education. In one such booklet of terms, the 1934 edition of Téarmaí Staire, we find ‘I vindicate’ translated as ‘cosnaim, dearbhuighim, seasaim ceart do’. L. Mc Cionnaith s.v. ‘vindicate’, refers the reader to ‘defend’, the literal translation of which is the first term given in Téarmaí Oifigiúla above. The second term, ‘dearbhaím’, is translated as ‘I declare’ in Téarmaí Dlí. As regards the third term, note that De Bhaldraithe translates ‘to vindicate one’s rights’ as ‘do chearta a sheasamh’ and also cites ‘seasaim ceart do (dhuine)’ s.v. ‘vindicate’. Ó Dónaill translates ‘an ceart a sheasamh do dhuine’ as ‘to see justice done to someone’ and ‘níor sheas tú ceart dom’ as ‘you did not stand up for me’, translating ‘do cheart a sheasamh’ as ‘to stand up for one’s rights’ s.v. ‘seas’. Dinneen translates ‘seasuighim mo cheart’ as ‘I


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maintain my right’ and ‘ní’l seasamh a chirt ann’ as ‘he cannot uphold his rights’. Note that we have ‘vindicate’ in the following subsection, here with more than ‘rights’ involved: ‘vindicate the life, person, good name, and property rights of every citizen’. Perhaps neither of the opposites ‘seas’ or ‘suí’ alone are suitable here; ‘seas do’, however, has the sense of ‘stand up for’ and this might be more appropriate – see Ó Dónaill who cites ‘sheas siad go dílis dá dtír, they stood loyally by their country’ and ‘sheas sé suas dom, he stood up for me’. Rathaíonn ‘Rathaím’ is translated as ‘I guarantee’ in Téarmaí Dlí, with ‘ráthaíocht’ translated as ‘guarantee’. Ó Dónaill translates ‘ráthaigh’ simply as ‘guarantee’, whereas Dinneen translates ‘ráthuighim’ as ‘I guarantee, assure’. See the commentary on Article 22.1.1o. Note that in the Treaty on European Union (1992, p. 9), ‘the Union shall respect fundamental rights as guaranteed by the European Convention’ is translated as ‘urramóidh an tAontas … na cearta bunúsacha mar atá siad áirithithe ag an gCoinbhinsiún Eorpach’. a chosaint ‘Cosnaím’ is translated as ‘I defend’ in Téarmaí Dlí, with the noun ‘cosaint’ translated as ‘defence’. Ó Dónaill translates ‘cosain’ as ‘defend, protect (ar, ó, against)’, citing ‘duine a chosaint ar rud, to defend someone against something’, ‘an tír a chosaint, to defend the country’ and ‘do chlú a chosaint, to defend one’s reputation’. Dinneen translates ‘cosnaim’ as ‘I defend, protect from (ar); champion, seek to gain or hold, maintain’. The simple verb ‘cosnaid’ is a later form of the compound ‘con-sní’, ‘contends; contests, strives for, wins, gains’, later also ‘defends, costs’ (DIL). See the commentary on Article 24.1 (where this verb expresses ‘preserve’) and 28.3.2o (where ‘cosain’ expesses ‘protect’). fós This headword is translated as ‘yet, still’ in Ó Dónaill, with the secondary sense of ‘again, in addition, moreover, furthermore’, citing ‘deir sé fós (go), he states further (that)’. Dinneen translates ‘fós’ as ‘also, too, moreover, yet, as yet, still, further, besides’. DIL gives examples of ‘fós’ in the sense of ‘still (more, longer), further, also, in addition; likewise’. See the commentary on Article 15.3.2o and 29.2.

Direct translation Ráthaíonn an Stát ina dhlíthe urraim a thabhairt do chearta pearsanta an tsaoránaigh1 agus iad a chosaint agus seasamh dóibh lena dhlíthe a mhéid is féidir2.

Variants 1 ‘cearta pearsanta an tsaoránaigh a urramú’, ‘gan cur isteach ar chearta pearsanta an tsaoránaigh ina dhlíthe’ 2 ‘agus, a mhéid is féidir, iad a chosaint agus a sheasamh lena dhlíthe’

ARTICLE 40.3.2O

AIRTEAGAL 40.3.2O

TÉACS GAEILGE

Déanfaidh an Stát, go sonrach, lena dhlíthe, beatha agus pearsa agus dea-chlú agus maoinchearta an uile

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shaoránaigh a chosaint ar ionsaí éagórach chomh fada lena chumas, agus iad a shuíomh i gcás éagóra. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

The State will, in particular, by its laws, protect the life and person and good reputation and property rights of every citizen from unjust attack to the extent of its power, and assert them in a case of injustice. ENGLISH TEXT

The State shall, in particular, by its laws protect as best it may from unjust attack and, in the case of injustice done, vindicate the life, person, good name, and property rights of every citizen.

Divergences between the official texts 1

2 3 4

The text corresponding to ‘and, in the case of injustice done, vindicate’, in the middle of the English subsection, is found at the end of the Irish subsection, where this text is expressed as ‘agus iad a shuíomh i gcás éagóra’ (‘and vindicate them in [a] case of injustice’), with ‘beatha agus pearsa agus dea-chlú agus maoinchearta an uile shaoránaigh’ (‘the life and person and good name and property rights of every citizen’) preceding this clause in the Irish text and being referred to as ‘iad’ (‘them’) in ‘agus iad a shuíomh’ (‘and vindicate them’). As in the previous subsection, ‘vindicate’ is expressed as ‘a shuíomh’ (‘assert’) in the Irish text. ‘As best it may’ is expressed as ‘chomh fada lena chumas’ (‘to the extent of its power’) in the Irish text. ‘In particular’ is expressed as ‘go sonrach’ (‘specifically’) in the Irish text, ‘in particular’ generally being rendered as ‘go háirithe’ in Irish.

Commentary éagórach … éagóra ‘Éagóir’ is translated as ‘wrong’, with ‘éagórach’ translated as ‘wrongful’, in Téarmaí Dlí, citing ‘wrongful dismissal, dífhostú éagórach’. Ó Dónaill translates ‘éagóir’ as ‘injustice, wrong; unfairness, inequity’, citing ‘éagóir a dhéanamh ar dhuine, to do an injustice to someone, to wrong someone’. ‘Éagórach’ is translated in Ó Dónaill as ‘unjust, inequitable; wrong’. Dinneen translates ‘éagcóir’ as ‘a crime; wrong, injustice, iniquity, unrighteousness, a foul (in athletics, etc.)’, translating ‘éagcórach’ as ‘unjust, wrong-doing, oppressive; strange, unusual, wrong, awry’. The adjective ‘éccóir’, the negative of ‘cóir’, is translated as ‘incongruous, wrong, inaccurate, improper, unjust, unfitting’ in DIL, while the noun ‘éccóir’ is translated as ‘wrong, impropriety, injustice’, examples of both adjective and noun being cited from the Old Irish Glosses onwards. Only two late examples of the adjective ‘éccórach’ are cited in DIL, one of which comes from Keating’s seventeenth-century Three Shafts of Death. Turning to the Acts, in s3(1) of the Civil Liability Act, 1941, ‘“wrong” means a tort, breach of contract or breach of trust’, is translated as ‘ciallaíonn “éagóir” tort, sárú cúnaint nó sárú iontaobhais’ and ‘“wrongdoer” means a person who commits or is otherwise responsible for a wrong’ is translated as ‘ciallaíonn “éagóiritheoir” duine a rinne éagóir nó atá freagrach ar shlí eile in éagóir’. In


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Article 11 of the First Schedule to the Air Navigation and Transport Act, 1973, ‘an act of interference, seizure, or other wrongful exercise of control of an aircraft in flight’ is translated as ‘gníomh toirmisc, urghabhála nó feidhmiú éagórach ar urlámhas aerárthaigh agus í ar eitilt’. ‘Éagóir’ is also used in translating ‘aggrieved’ – see for example, s7(2) of the Third Schedule to the Fisheries (Consolidation Act), 1959, where ‘Any person who is aggrieved by any disallowance’ is translated as ‘Aon duine arb éagóir leis aon dícheadú’. ‘Éagcóir’ translates ‘injustice’ in early Acts. ‘Unless it appears that injustice has been done to the person charged by reason of such contravention’ is translated as ‘maran rud é go ndeabhróidh sé gur dineadh éagcóir ar an duine cúisithe de dheascaibh na buniscionntachta san’ in s68 of the Defence Forces (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923, with ‘unless the required amendments cannot in the opinion of the court be made without injustice’ being translated as ‘maran rud é nách féidir, dar leis an gcúirt, na leasuithe riachtanacha do dhéanamh gan éagcóir do dhéanamh’ in s6(1) of the Criminal Justice (Administration) Act, 1924. We sometimes find ‘éagóir’ translating ‘injustice’ in modern Acts also – ‘provided such error or mistake may be rectified without injustice to any person’ is translated as ‘ar choinníoll go bhféadfar an earráid nó an dearmad sin a cheartú gan éagóir a dhéanamh ar aon duine’ in s18(5)(a) of the Derelict Sites Act, 1990, with ‘that the applicant is likely to suffer injustice if the direction is not given’ being translated as ‘gur dóigh go ndéanfar éagóir ar an iarratasóir mura dtabharfar an t-ordachán’ in s7(5)(b) of the Criminal Law (Rape) Act, 1981. We also find ‘éigeartas’ translating ‘injustice’. In s23(2) of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 1981, ‘for the purpose of preventing inequalities or preventing injustice’ is translated as ‘chun éagothromais a chosc nó chun éigeartas a chosc’. ‘Éigeartas’ is translated as ‘injustice’ in Ó Dónaill, preceded by the abbreviation for ‘Philosophy’. The adjective ‘éigeart’ is translated as ‘wrong, incorrect, unjust’ in Ó Dónaill, ‘éigceart’ being translated simply as ‘unjust’ in Dinneen. ‘Unjust’ is translated as ‘éigeart’ in Téarmaí Oifigiúla, citing Seathrún Céitinn. DIL gives two citations from the works of Keating s.v. ‘éccert’ (‘wrong, injust’), one from his History of Ireland (‘ré linn breitheamhnais éigceirt do dhéanamh’) and the other from his Three Shafts of Death: ‘don duine éigceart’ = ‘homini iniusto’. DIL gives one earlier and one later citation (the earlier from Togail na Tebe [The Thebaid of Statius]) and also cites ‘éccertach’ (‘unjust’) in the names ‘Egcertach mac Anchertaigh’ and ‘Maol Dúin Ua hEiccertaigh’. DIL translates the noun ‘éccert’ as ‘wrong, injustice’, giving a citation from an early Irish law-tract. Etymologically, ‘éigeart’ renders ‘wrong’ and ‘éagóir’ renders ‘unjust’, but as we have seen, ‘éagórach’ translates ‘wrongful’ in Téarmaí Dlí. L. Mc Cionnaith translates ‘unjust person, deed’ as ‘duine, gníomh, éagcórach’, cited in Connacht, Ulster and Munster, but also gives ‘duine, gníomh éigceart’, referring to Dinneen. ‘Unjust towards him, bringing an unjust charge against him’ is translated as ‘tá tú san éagcóir air’, again with reference to Munster (which also has ‘chuige’, as well as ‘air’, in the phrase just cited), Ulster and Connacht. L. Mc Cionnaith s.v ‘injustice’, translates ‘treated with injustice’ as ‘tá an tír fá aincheart’, cited from Munster, while ‘injustice’ is rendered as ‘aindhligheadh’ in Connacht

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and Ulster, ‘éagcóir do dhéanamh orthu’ being found in the three dialects, rendering ‘inflict injustice on’, with ‘éagcóir d’imirt ortha’ also being cited from Munster. De Bhaldraithe translates ‘unjust’ as ‘éagórach, aincheart, leatromach’ and ‘unjustly’ as ‘go héagórach’, translating ‘he was treated unjustly’ as ‘rinneadh éagóir air’. ‘Injustice’ is translated as ‘éigeart, leatrom, éagóir’ with ‘you do him an injustice’ translated as ‘tá tú san éagóir dó, ag déanamh éagóra air’. See further the commentary on Article 45.3.2o where ‘éagórach’ again expresses ‘unjust’. i gcás éagóra As regards ‘done’ not specifically being expressed in the Irish, see, for example, s1(4) of the Prohibition of Forcible Entry and Occupation Act, 1971, where ‘Nothing in this Act shall affect the law relating to acts done in contemplation or furtherance of a trade dispute’ is translated as ‘Ní dhéanfaidh aon ní san Acht seo difear don dlí a bhaineann le gníomhartha d’intinn nó de chabhair le díospóid trádála a chur ar aghaidh’. Note that in Téarmaí Dlí s.v. ‘done’, ‘work done and services rendered’ is translated as ‘obair agus seirbhísí a rinneadh’. In s54(17)(a) of the Fisheries Act, 1980, ‘Where … a person by trespass, fishing or otherwise interferes with anything done pursuant to an aquaculture licence’ is translated as ‘I gcás … a ndéanfaidh duine trí fhoghail, iascaireacht nó eile, cur isteach ar ní a bheidh déanta de bhun ceadúnais dobharshaothraithe’. In Article 53 of the First Schedule to the Diplomatic Relations and Immunities Act, 1967, ‘Done at Vienna, this eighteenth day of April one thousand nine hundred and sixty-one’, in relation to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, is translated as ‘Arna dhéanamh i Vín an t-ochtú lá déag seo d’Aibreán míle naoi gcéad seasca is a haon’. Finally, as regards ‘i gcás’, in s15 of the Finance Act, 1990, for example, ‘In the case of the death of a person who … would … have become chargeable to income tax’ is translated as ‘I gcás duine d’fháil bháis a thiocfadh … chun bheith inmhuirir i leith cánach ioncaim’. go sonrach ‘Go sonrach’ expresses ‘in particular’ in Articles 41.2.1o and 45.2 also. This phrase expresses ‘especially’ in Article 45.2.iii and ‘cosaint sonrach’ expresses ‘special care’ in Article 45.4.1o. On the other hand, in Article 27.3, ‘the particular ground or grounds’ is expressed as ‘(ar) an ábhar nó ar na hábhair áirithe’; in Article 28.4.3o ‘a particular matter’ is expressed as ‘ní áirithe’; in Article 40.4.4o, ‘any particular case’ is expressed as ‘aon chás áirithe’ and in Article 42.3.1o ‘any particular type of school’ is expressed as ‘aon chineál áirithe scoile’. ‘Bronntanas sonrach’ and ‘leagáid shonrach’ are translated respectively as ‘specific gift’ and ‘specific legacy’ in Téarmaí Dlí. Ó Dónaill translates ‘sonrach’ as ‘particular, specific’, translating ‘go sonrach’ as ‘particularly, notably’. Dinneen translates ‘sonnrach’ as ‘special, particular, etc.’, referring the reader to ‘sonnradhach’, translated as ‘special, specific, particular’, with ‘go sonnradhach’ translated as ‘to come to details, also chiefly, very’. DIL cites examples of ‘sainredach’, in the senses of ‘peculiar or belonging to (an individual), characteristic of; particular, special, set apart’, along with ‘specific, definite’, from the Old Irish Glosses onwards, citing an example of ‘co sundradach’ from a commentary on an early Irish law-tract, and translating a citation of ‘go sunradhach’ as ‘especially’. ‘Sainredach’ is based on ‘sainred’ (‘peculiar property or


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characteristic, distinghuishing an individual from others’), which in turn is based on ‘sain’ (‘different, distinct, separate’). See further the commentary on Article 42.5. Turning to the Acts, in s5(2) of the Industrial Development Authority Act, 1950, ‘which would involve the divulging of secret manufacturing processes or recipes or of methods peculiar to the particular undertaking of such witness’ is translated as ‘a bhéarfadh go scaoilfí eolas ar aon phróiseanna nó sain-oidis rúnda déantóireachta nó ar aon mhodhanna a bhaineas go sonrach le gnóthas áirithe an fhinné sin’. In general ‘go sonrach’ translates ‘specifically’ in the Acts – see, for example, ‘save or otherwise specifically provided for’, in s1(4) of the Health Act, 1970, which is translated as ‘Ach amháin mar a bhforáiltear go sonrach dá mhalairt’. ‘In particular’, on the other hand, is generally translated as ‘go háirithe’ – see, for example, s3(1) of the Sea Pollution Act, 1991, where ‘(fauna) includes in particular wild birds’ is translated as ‘folaíonn sé go háirithe éin fhiáine’ and s8(2)(a) of the Capital Gains Tax Act, 1975, where ‘this paragraph applies in particular to’ is translated as ‘baineann an mhír seo go háirithe (le)’. See the commentary on Article 42.5 for early translations. dea-chlú Ó Dónaill translates ‘dea-chlú’ as ‘good reputation; good name, honour’, citing ‘is mór ag duine a dhea-chlú, one’s good name is to be cherished’. Dinneen translates ‘deagh-chlú’ as ‘good repute’. DIL gives citations of ‘deg-clú’ (‘a good reputation, good fame’) from an early Irish law-tract. ‘Clú’ is translated as ‘reputation’ in Téarmaí Dlí. Following the text of the Constitution, in the Long Title of the Defamation Bill, 1995 (introduced in the Dáil on 14 February 1995), ‘to provide in accordance with the common good protection for the good name of persons’ is translated as ‘do thabhairt cosanta de réir na maitheasa poiblí do dhea-chlú daoine’. In s8(1) of the Broadcasting Act, 1990, ‘which constituted an attack on that person’s honour or reputation’ is translated as ‘ar ionsaí a bhí iontu ar onóir nó dea-chlú an duine sin’. Note that Ó Dónaill includes the headword ‘dea-ainm’, translated as ‘good name’, citing ‘dea-ainm an duine, a person’s good name’. Dinneen also has ‘deagh-ainm’ as a headword, which he translates as ‘a good name’. DIL gives one citation of ‘deg-ainm’, from the Book of Ballymote, written around 1400. a chosaint ar ‘Cosnaím’ is translated as ‘I defend’ in Téarmaí Dlí, with ‘cosaint’ translated as ‘defence’. ‘Protected transaction’ is translated therein as ‘idirbheart tearmainn’, with ‘protection from process’ translated as ‘tearmann ó phróis’. Ó Dónaill translates ‘cosain’ as ‘defend, protect (ar, ó, against)’, citing ‘duine a chosaint ar rud, to defend someone against something’ and ‘sinn a chosaint ó bhaol, ar olc, to protect us from harm, from evil’. Dinneen translates ‘cosnaim’ as ‘I defend, protect from (ar)’. See the commentary on the foregoing subsection. ‘Cosain’ translates ‘protects’ in the Acts also – in s9(5)(g) of the Consumer Information Act, 1978, for example, ‘legislation providing for the protection of consumers’ is translated as ‘(ar) fhorálacha aon reachtaíochta a dhéanann socrú le tomhaltóirí a chosaint’. See, for example of ‘cosain ó’, the following from the Dáil Order Paper of 24/3/1977: ‘Declaration on the Protection of all Persons from being Subjected to Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or

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Degrading Treatment or Punishment’, ‘Dearbhú maidir le Cosaint gach uile Dhuine óna Chéasadh agus ó Íde nó Pionós eile a fháil atá Cruálach, Mídhaonna nó Táirchéimeach’. See the commentary on Article 45.3.2o where ‘cosain ar’ expresses ‘protect against’. Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú remarks that there is the same difference between ‘cosain ó’ and ‘cosain ar’ as there is between English ‘defend from’ and ‘defend against’. maoinchearta ‘Maoin’ is translated as ‘property’ in Téarmaí Dlí, the compound ‘maoincheart’ (unlike, for example, the compound ‘móincheart’, which is translated as ‘right of turbary, turbary’) not being given. Neither Ó Dónaill nor Dinneen cite this headword (unlike, for example, ‘maoinchiste’, translated as ‘treasury-chest’ in Ó Dónaill and simply as ‘treasury’ in Dinneen). See the commentary on Article 10.1 regarding ‘maoin’. ‘Voting rights’, ‘human rights’, ‘conjugal rights’, ‘drawing rights’ and ‘fishing rights’ are translated respectively as ‘cearta vótála’, ‘cearta an duine’, ‘cearta an phósta’, ‘cearta tarraingthe’ and ‘cearta iascaireachta’ in the Acts. Regarding ‘property’ in the early Acts, we find ‘maoin’ translating ‘property’ in Article 8 of the 1922 Constitution, this now being the Irish legal term for ‘property’. While ‘(ar) an maoin eile is le A.G. Williamson anois’ translates ‘other property now owned by A.G. Williamson’ in s93 of the Dundalk Harbour and Port Act, 1925, in ss1, ‘and shall when erected vest in her and be her property’ (of a boundary wall) is translated as ‘agus ar bheith tógtha dho dílseoidh sé inti agus beidh sé dá cuid féin aici’. Note finally that ‘the property in such tree shall vest in the person by whom such notice was served’ is translated as ‘dílseoidh únaereacht an chrainn sin sa té a sheirbheáil an fógra san’ in s34(4)(e) of the Local Government Act, 1925. chomh fada lena chumas Ó Dónaill s.v., ‘cumas’ (‘capability; power’), translates ‘de réir a chumais’ as ‘as far as he is able; according to his means’ and s.v. ‘fada’, translates ‘chomh fada leis sin de’ and ‘chomh fada is nach ndéanfaidh sé aon dochar dó’ respectively as ‘as far as that is concerned’ and ‘provided he does not harm it’. Dinneen translates ‘chómh fada le’ as ‘as long as, as far as, to, as regards’, translating ‘cumas’ as ‘adjustment’ control, requisite capability or power; ability; effort; disposition’ and ‘do réir a chumais’ as ‘all things considered in regard to him’. As regards ‘cumas’, earlier ‘commus’ (‘power, ability, capacity’), see the commentary on Articles 14.2.2o and 31.2. DIL translates ‘do réir … chumais na háite’ as ‘according to the possibility of the place’ s.v. ‘commus’. In s69(3)(d) of the Building Societies Act, 1976, ‘in his opinion and to the best of his information’ is translated as ‘de réir a thuairime agus chomh fada agus is eol dó’. In s10(5)(a) of the First Schedule to the Corporation Tax Act of the same year, ‘to the best of his judgement’ is translated as ‘go feadh a bhreithiúnais’. In s19 of the Mines and Quarries Act, 1965, ‘to the best of his ability’ is translated as ‘go feadh a chumais’ while in s20(4)(b) of the Finance Act, 1983, ‘to the best of his knowledge, information and belief’ is translated as ‘de réir mar is fearr is eol agus is feasach dó agus mar a chreideann sé’. Turning to the Programme for a Partnership Government, 1993-97 (p. 43), ‘to the maximum possible extent consistent with


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the needs of the service they must provide’ is translated as ‘chomh fada agus is féidir gan dochar do riachtanais na seirbhíse a chaithfidh siad a chur ar fáil’, with ‘the elimination as far as possible of social disadvantage’ being translated as ‘deireadh a chur chomh fada agus is féidir le míbhuntáiste sóisialta’ (p. 2). ionsaí This headword is translated as ‘assault’ in Téarmaí Dlí and principally as ‘advance, approach, attack’ in Ó Dónaill. ‘Ionnsaighe’ is translated as ‘approach, assault, attack, invasion, enterprise’ in Dinneen. ‘Indsaigid’, verbal noun of ‘ind-saig’ (‘approaches, goes to; reaches, advances [upon], attacks’), is translated principally as ‘act of approaching, attacking; an attack’ in DIL. Turning to the Acts, following Téarmaí Dlí, we find ‘aggravated sexual assault’ translated as ‘tromionsaí gnéasach’ in the Schedule to the Bretton Woods Agreements Act, 1957. In s8(1) of the Broadcasting Act, 1990, ‘which constituted an attack on that person’s honour or good reputation’ is translated as ‘ar ionsaí a bhí iontu ar onóir nó dea-chlú an duine sin’. See further the commentary on Article 41.3.1o. De Bhaldraithe translates ‘attack’ as ‘ionsaí, fogha’, translating ‘to attack someone’s rights’ as ‘cur isteach ar cheart duine’. pearsa ‘Caomhnóir ar an bpearsa’ and ‘foghail ar an bpearsa’ are translated respectively as ‘guardian of the person’ and ‘trespass to the person’ in Téarmaí Dlí – see the commentary on Articles 40.1 and 45.2.ii. Turning to the Acts, in Article 29 of the First Schedule to the Diplomatic Relations and Immunities Act, 1967, for example, ‘The person of a diplomatic agent shall be inviolable’ is translated as ‘Beidh pearsa gníomhaire taidhleoireachta dosháraithe’.

Direct translation Déanfaidh an Stát, go háirithe, lena dhlíthe, beatha, pearsa, dea-ainm1, agus cearta maoine gach saoránaigh a chosaint chomh fada agus is féidir leis ar2 ionsaí éigeart3 agus seasfaidh sé dóibh i gcás éigeartais4.

Variants 1 2 3 4

‘dea-chlú’ ‘ó’ ‘éagórach’ ‘éagóra’, ‘i gcás éigeartas/éagóir a dhéanamh orthu’

ARTICLE 40.3.3O

AIRTEAGAL 40.3.3O

TÉACS GAEILGE

Admhaíonn an Stát ceart na mbeo gan breith chun a mbeatha agus, ag féachaint go cuí do chomhcheart na máthar chun a beatha, ráthaíonn sé gan cur isteach lena dhlíthe ar an gceart sin agus ráthaíonn fós an ceart sin a chosaint is a shuíomh lena dhlíthe sa mhéid gur féidir é. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

The State acknowledges the right of the unborn to their life and, having due regard to the equal right of the mother to her life, it guarantees not to interfere through its laws

Bunreacht na hÉireann

with that right and it guarantees further to protect and assert that right with its laws in so far as it is possible. ENGLISH TEXT

The State acknowledges the right to life of the unborn and, with due regard to the equal right to life of the mother, guarantees in its laws to respect, and, as far as practicable, by its laws to defend and vindicate that right.

Divergences between the official texts 1

This subsection was added to the Constitution by the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution Act, 1983; being an Amendment of the Constitution, while this text would have been translated literally, it would adhere to the terminology already in the Constitution as far as possible. Much of the wording of this section is identical with that of Article 40.3.1o; therefore, as in 40.3.1o: i) ‘the State … guarantees in its laws to respect’ is rendered as ‘ráthaíonn sé gan cur isteach lena dhlíthe’ (‘it guarantees not to interfere through its laws’), ii) ‘vindicate’ is rendered as ‘a shuíomh’ (‘assert’), and iii) ‘as far as practicable’ is rendered as ‘sa mhéid gur féidir é’ (‘in so far as it is possible’). The phrase ‘féach go cuí’ (‘have due regard’) is also found in Article 40.1.

Commentary Admhaíonn ‘Admhaím’ is translated as ‘I acknowledge, I confess’ in Téarmaí Dlí. Ó Dónaill translates ‘admhaigh’ as (1) ‘acknowledge’ and (2) ‘confess’, dividing the examples of the first sense into (a) ‘admit’, citing ‘d’admhaigh sé go raibh an ceart agam, he admitted that I was right’ and ‘admhaíonn an saol (go), everybody admits, agrees (that)’, (b) ‘own to be’, citing ‘bean nach n-admhódh a fear féin, a woman who would not acknowledge her own husband’ and (c) ‘acknowledge receipt of’, citing ‘níor admhaigh tú mo litir, you did not acknowledge my letter’. Dinneen translates ‘admhuighim’ as ‘I confess, admit, acknowledge; I say, state, proclaim’. See further the commentary on the Preamble. In the Joint Declaration of December 1993, ‘the Taoiseach also acknowledges the presence in the Constitution of the Republic of elements which are deeply resented by Northern Unionists’ is translated as ‘admhaíonn an Taoiseach freisin go bhfuil gnéithe de Bhunreacht na Poblachta a nglacann Aontachtaithe an Tuaiscirt olc domhain leo’ and ‘when the genuine feelings of all traditions in the North must be recognised and acknowledged’ is translated as ‘nuair nach mór braistintí macánta na dtraidisiún go léir sa Tuaisceart a aithint agus a admháil’. In the Treaty on European Union (1992, p. 238) ‘The Conference acknowledges that the outermost regions of the Community … suffer from major structural backwardness’ is translated as ‘Aithníonn an Chomhdháil go bhfuil cúlmhaireacht mhór struchtúrach ar na réigiúin is forimeallaí den Chomhphobal’. See the commentary on Article 42.1 for citations from the Acts.


A study of the Irish text

ceart na mbeo gan breith chun a mbeatha ‘Beo’ is translated principally as ‘living being’, with the secondary sense of ‘life’, in Ó Dónaill, who translates ‘an beo’ as ‘the living’, citing ‘ag guí ar son na mbeo agus na marbh, praying for the living and the dead’. Dinneen gives ‘na beodha’ as the plural form of ‘beo’, ‘a living person; the living …’, citing ‘ní nádúrtha an beo ’ná an marbh, life is not more natural than death’ and ‘guidhim ar bheodhaibh is ar mharbhaibh, I pray for the living and the dead’. We have an example of the genitive plural of ‘beo’ from the eighth-century Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles, ‘inna nóib in diththrub in beotho oc ascnam tíre tairngiri inna mbéo’ (‘[of] the saints in the desert of Life, journeying to the Land of Promise of the Living’). DIL also cites ‘ragaid do beo no do marb’ (‘you shall go dead or alive’), from the version of the Táin in the twelfth-century manuscript, the Book of Leinster. One would perhaps expect ‘gan bhreith’ here, as one finds in De Bhaldraithe s.v. ‘unborn’; Ó Dónaill cites ‘bheith gan chlann, to be without children, childless’, as well as examples with verbal nouns, such as ‘gan bhaint, unsown’ and ‘gan bhriseadh, unbroken’. ‘Gan’ does not lenite with a dependent clause or phrase – see, for example, ‘Tá mé gan phingin, I am without a penny, penniless’, but ‘gan pingin ina phóca, without a penny in his pocket’ (both cited in Ó Dónaill). Dinneen cites ‘gan breith ar a anáil aige, he not being able to draw his breath’. By leaving ‘breith’ unlenited, one anticipates a following phrase, instead of the finality of ‘gan bhreith’. We have an example of the phrase ‘buith cenchlaind’ (‘to be without children’) in the ninth-century Milan Glosses on the Commentary on the Psalms. ‘Bean … atá gan phósadh’ translates ‘a woman who is unmarried’ in s8(1) of the Social Welfare Act, 1973, for example, ‘unmarried mothers’ being translated as ‘máithreacha neamhphósta’ in the heading. ‘Beatha’ is translated as (1) ‘life’, (2) ‘living, livelihood’, and (3) ‘food, sustenance’ in Ó Dónaill and ‘life, existence; food; crops; harvest; means of livelihood; property, estate’ in Dinneen. ‘Ceilt bhreithe’ is translated as ‘concealment of birth’ in Téarmaí Dlí. comhcheart ‘Comhcheart iascaigh’ is translated as ‘common of fishery’ in Téarmaí Dlí, ‘ceart iascaigh’ translating ‘fishery (i.e. right of)’. This compound of ‘comh’ and ‘ceart’ does not appear to be given as a headword either in Ó Dónaill or in Dinneen, but is given in DIL, where we find a citation of the adjective ‘comchert’ from the twelfthcentury Book of Leinster, ‘in comainm comchert’, translated as ‘the appropriate name’ in Edward Gwynn’s Metrical Dindshenchas, iv, p. 339. As we have seen in the commentary on Articles 18.4.2o (where ‘líon comhionann’ expresses ‘equal number’) and 40.1 (where ‘ionann’ expresses ‘equal’), ‘comhionann’ is often used in the Acts to translate ‘equal’ – in s7(1) of the Anti-Discrimination (Pay) Act, 1974, for example, ‘equal pay clause’ is translated as ‘clásal pá chomhionainn’, with the heading of the section, ‘Investigation by equal pay officers’, translated as ‘Imscrúdú ag oifigigh pá chomhionainn’. ‘In equal shares’ is translated as ‘i scaireanna comhionanna’ in s5(2)(c) of the Wealth Tax Act, 1975. The heading of Part VII of the Pensions Act, 1990, ‘Equal Treatment for Men and Women’ is translated as ‘Déileáil go Comhionann le Fir agus Mná’. ‘Equal validity’ is translated as ‘seasamh comhionann’ in the New Ireland

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Forum Report (1984, 1.2). Finally, the ‘Equal Pay Commission’ is styled ‘An Coimisiún um Pá Comhionann’ in Irish. Commenting on the direct translation below, Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú remarks that he finds no fault with ‘comhcheart’ here. See the commentary on Article 40.3.1o regarding ‘cur isteach ar’, ‘suíomh’ and ‘sa mhéid gur féidir é’ and see the commentary on Article 40.1 regarding ‘féach do’.

Direct translation Admhaíonn an Stát ceart na mbeo gan bhreith chun a mbeatha agus, ag féachaint go cuí do1 cheart comhionann2 na máthar chun a beatha, ráthaíonn sé ina dhlíthe an ceart sin a urramú, agus, a mhéid is féidir, é a chosaint agus seasamh dó3 lena dhlíthe.

Variants 1 ‘le haird chuí ar’ 2 ‘do chomhcheart’ 3 ‘agus a shuíomh’

ARTICLE 40.3.3° (cont’d) AIRTEAGAL 40.3.3° (ar lean.) TÉACS GAEILGE

Ní theorannóidh an fo-alt seo saoirse chun taisteal idir an Stát agus stát eile. Ní theorannóidh an fo-alt seo saoirse chun faisnéis a fháil nó a chur ar fáil sa Stát maidir le seirbhísí atá ar fáil go dleathach i stát eile ach sin faoi chuimsiú cibé coinníollacha a fhéadfar a leagan síos le dlí. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

This susbsection will not limit freedom to travel between the State and another state. This subsection will not limit freedom to get information or to make information available in the State as regards services which are lawfully available in another state but that (is) within the scope/constraint of whatever conditions that may be laid down by law. ENGLISH TEXT

This subsection shall not limit freedom to travel between the State and another state. This subsection shall not limit freedom to obtain or make available, in the State, subject to such conditions as may be laid down by law, information relating to services lawfully available in another state.

Divergences between the official texts 1

The above text was added to the Constitution by the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendments of the Constitution, 1992, the Irish text being a very literal translation of the English text. However, ‘subject to’ is rendered as ‘ach sin faoi chuimsiú’, literally ‘but that within the constraint/scope of’, ‘subject to’ being


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expressed as ‘faoi chuimsiú’ generally in the Constitution, rather than as ‘faoi réir’, as this phrase is translated in Téarmaí Dlí.

Commentary ach sin faoi chuimsiú This phrase, having the literal sense of ‘but that within the constraint of’, renders ‘subject to’. ‘Ach sin’ here would have been based on both Articles 44.2.1o, where ‘subject to public order and morality’ is expressed as ‘ach gan san a dhul chun dochair don ord phoiblí ná don mhoráltacht phoiblí’, and 40.6.1o, where ‘The State guarantees liberty for the exercise of the following rights, subject to public order and morality’ is expressed as ‘Ráthaíonn an Stát saoirse chun na cearta seo a leanas a oibriú ach sin a bheith faoi réir oird is moráltachta poiblí’. While ‘subject to’ is expressed as ‘faoi réir’ in the latter example, this phrase is expressed as ‘faoi chuimsiú’ in Articles 11, 12.5, 12.10.2o, 13.10, 14.5.1o, 16.7, 18.7.2o, 18.10.1o, 22.2.1o, 28.2, 29.4.2o, 30.6, 33.6, 34.4.3o, 36 and 50.1 – see further the commentary on Article 12.5. We find ‘subject to such conditions’ in Article 24.4.2o also, where ‘the Government may to such extent and subject to such conditions, if any, as may be determined by law’ is expressed as ‘féadfaidh an Rialtas, sa mhéid go gcinnfear le dlí agus faoi chuimsiú cibé coinníollacha a chinnfear le dlí má chinntear’. In the Amendment contained in Article 40.4.3o, however, ‘on such bail and subject to such conditions’ is rendered as ‘faoi réir na mbannaí agus na gcoinníollacha sin’. ‘Subject to’ is translated as ‘faoi réir’ in Téarmaí Dlí and, as we saw above, in Article 40.6.1o, ‘subject to’ is so expressed. In the Amendment contained in Article 29.4.6o, ‘subject to the prior approval of both Houses of the Oireachtas’ is rendered as ‘faoi réir ceadú a fháil roimh ré ó dhá Theach an Oireachtais’. Note that in Article 10.1, ‘subject to all estates and interests therein for the time being lawfully vested in any person or body’ is expressed as ‘gan dochar do cibé eastáit agus leasanna is le haon duine nó le haon dream go dleathach in alt na huaire’. In Article 11, ‘subject to such exception as may be provided by law’ is expressed as ‘ach amháin an chuid sin de ar a ndéantar eisceacht le dlí’. Finally, ‘while subject to military law’ is expressed as ‘le linn a mbeith faoi dhlí mhíleata’ in Article 38.4.1o. Ní theorannóidh ‘Teorannaím’ is translated as ‘I limit’ in Téarmaí Dlí. Ó Dónaill translates ‘teorannaigh’ as (1) ‘delimit’ and (2) ‘limit, restrict’. While Dinneen gives ‘teora’ and nouns and adjectives based on this, he does not appear to give ‘teorannaigh’ as a headword. DIL just cites one example of ‘tórannaigid’, in the sense of ‘borders on, marches with’. ‘Tórann’, on which this verb is based, it itself the verbal noun of ‘do-foirndea’ (*to-fo-rind- [DIL cites one example of the verb ‘do-rinda’, ‘marks out’]), the usual sense of which in Old Irish is ‘expresses, signifies’, but the common meaning in Middle Irish was ‘traces, marks out, delimitates (a design, site, etc.)’ – examples of the former sense are cited in DIL from the Old Irish Glosses onwards, and we can observe the transition in sense in some of the examples from the Glosses. See the commentary on Article 2, where ‘(a) fharraigí teorann’ expresses ‘(the) territorial seas’ and the commentary on Article 34.1 where ‘teoranta’ expresses ‘limited’. Turning to the Acts, in s51 of the Redundancy Payments

Bunreacht na hÉireann

Act, 1967, ‘in so far as it purports to exclude or limit the operation of any provision of this Act’ is translated as ‘a mhéid a airbheartaíonn sí oibriú aon fhorála den Acht seo a eisiamh nó a theorainniú’. In s10 of the Liability for Defective Products Act, 1991, ‘The liability of a producer arising by virtue of this Act to an injured person shall not be limited or excluded by any term of contract’ is translated as ‘Ní dhéanfaidh aon téarma conartha … dliteanas táirgeora de bua an Achta seo i leith duine dhíobháilte a theorannú ná a eisiamh’. Note that in s5(2)(a) of the Companies Act, 1963, ‘a company having the liablity of its members limited by the memorandum to the amount …’ is translated as ‘cuideachta a mbeidh dliteanas a comhaltaí curtha, leis an meabhrán, faoi theorainn an mhéid …’. Note also that in Treaties establishing the European Communities (1973, p. 735), ‘Anxious to limit the number of institutions responsible for carrying out similar tasks’ is translated as ‘Ós é a miangas teorainn a chur le líon na n-institiúidí atá freagrach i gcúraimí comhchosúla a chur i gcrích’. Looking at ‘limit’ in early Acts, ‘notwithstanding any provision in any Act now in force in relation to the fixing, limiting, restricting, compounding, or commuting of any tolls’ is translated as ‘d’ainneoin aon fhorála in aon Acht atá i bhfeidhm anois i dtaobh aon chustuim … den tsórt san do cheapa, do theoranú, do shriana, do chó-réiteach no do luíodú’ in s7 of the State Harbours Act, 1924. ‘Whereas the Acts … are limited to expire as respects the Acts mentioned in the First Schedule to this Act on the 31st day of December 1922’ is translated as ‘De bhrí go bhfuil na hAchtanna … fuinte chun dul in eug an chuid aca atá luaidhte sa Chéad Sceideal a ghabhann leis an Acht so ar an 31adh lá de Mhí na Nodlag 1922’ in the Preamble to the Expiring Laws Continuance Act, 1922, with ‘go bhfuilid le dul in eug an 31adh lá de Mhí na Nodlag’ translating ‘are limited to expire on the 31st day of December’ in the Preamble to the Expiring Laws Act, 1926. ‘Notwithstanding anything in any enactment limiting the granting thereof to certain classes of persons’ is translated as ‘in ainneoin éinní in aon achtachán ná leigeann fóirithin do dheonú ach d’aicmí áirithe daoine’ in s10 of the Local Government (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923, with ‘The admission of cases to the District Hospitals shall be strictly limited to urgent surgical and urgent medical cases’ being translated as ‘Ní leigfear isteach in aon chor sna hOspidéil Cheanntair ach deabha-chásanna chun máin-liaghais agus deabha-chásanna chun leighis’ in s21 of the ‘Mayo County Scheme’ in the First Schedule to that Act. faisnéis This headword is translated as ‘information (sworn)’ in Téarmaí Dlí and generally translates ‘information’ in the modern Acts. Ó Dónaill translates ‘faisnéis’ as ‘information; intelligence, report’, citing ‘faisnéis a thabhairt faoi rud, to give information about something’ and ‘níl fios ná faisnéis agam orthu, I know nothing about them, have neither tale nor tidings of them’. Dinneen translated ‘faisnéis’ as ‘a narrative, statement, account, rehearsal, intelligence; act of publishing, relating, commemoration, narrating, making known; a clue; a hint; act of seeking a clue or hint’. The Old Irish form was ‘aisndís’, verbal noun of ‘as-indet’, which verb is translated as ‘declares, tells, relates’ in DIL, where examples are cited from the eighth-century Glosses onwards. In the early


A study of the Irish text

Irish laws, ‘aisnéis’ had the sense of ‘act of giving information, informing (against)’ – see Fergus Kelly, op. cit., p. 206, who cites the following example of ‘aisndís’ in the sense of ‘evidence’ from an early Irish law-tract: ‘faisneis fir omhna aidhus ég, ní fil ni na gella tar cenn anma’ (‘the evidence of a frightened man who fears death: there is nothing which he may not promise for the sake of his life’). ‘Eólas’ is translated as ‘knowledge, information, especially knowledge gained by experience or practice, acquaintance’ and especially ‘knowledge of the way (place), guidance’ in DIL, where examples are cited from the eighth-century Glosses onwards. In Téarmaí Dlí ‘notice requiring further information’ is translated as ‘fógra ag iarraidh tuilleadh eolais’. See the commentary on Article 28.5.2o where ‘eolas a thabhairt’ expresses ‘keep informed’. ‘Fis’ is translated in DIL as ‘the act of finding out or ascertaining; knowledge, information’ and ‘that which is known, knowledge’, where again examples are cited from the eighth century onwards. Turning to the Acts, in s75(4)(a) of the First Schedule to the European Assembly Elections Act, 1977, ‘attempts to obtain in a polling station information as to the candidate for whom any voter in the station is about to vote’ is translated as ‘go bhféachfaidh sé le faisnéis a fháil, i stáisiún vótaíochta i dtaobh an iarrthóra dá mbeidh vóta le tabhairt … ag aon vótálaí sa stáisiún’. We also find ‘eolas’, particularly in the earlier Acts – see, for example s2 of the Statistics (Amendment) Act, 1946, where ‘statistical information’ is translated as ‘eolas staidrimh’. In s22(8) of the Imposition of Duties (Dumping and Subsidies) Act, 1968, ‘… shall furnish to the Minister such information in his possession or procurement as the Minister may require for the purpose of ascertaining …the fair market price of the goods’ is translated as ‘tabharfaidh sé don Aire cibé eolas a bheidh ina sheilbh nó ar fáil aige agus a bheidh ag teastáil ón Aire d’fhonn praghas margaidh cothrom na n-earraí a fháil amach’, and in s71(1) of the Health Act, 1970, ‘The Minister may make arrangements for the dissemination of information and advice on matters relating to health and health services’ is translated as ‘Féadfaidh an tAire comhshocraíochtaí a dhéanamh chun eolas agus comhairle a leathadh i dtaobh ábhair a bhaineann le sláinte agus le seirbhísí sláinte’. ‘Eolas’ translates ‘knowledge’ in s244(1) of the Income Tax Act, 1967, where ‘any activities in the fields of natural or applied science for the extension of knowledge’ is translated as ‘aon ghníomhaíochtaí i réim na heolaíochta nádúrtha nó feidhmiúla d’fhonn eolas a mhéadú’. In the Preamble to the Institution of Civil Engineers of Ireland (Charter Amendment) Act, 1969, ‘promoting the acquisition of knowledge’ is translated as ‘foghlaim an eolais a chur chun cinn’. We also find ‘fios’ translating ‘knowledge’ in the Acts. In s5(1) of the Broadcasting (Offences) Act, 1968, ‘conditions as to knowledge or belief’ is translated as ‘coinníollacha maidir le fios agus creidiúint’, ‘knowledge’ here referring to, for example, ‘knowing, or having cause to believe, …that broadcasts are made’ in s5(3)(f), which is translated as ‘a fhios a bheith aige, nó cúis réasúnach a bheith aige chun a chreidiúint … go ndéantar craoladh aisti’. Finally, ‘guilty knowledge’ is translated as ‘fios ciontach’ in Téarmaí Dlí. See further the commentary on Article 28.5.2o regarding early official translations of ‘information’.

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a leagan síos Ó Dónaill does not seem to cite the phrase ‘leag síos’, although he gives both ‘leag anuas’, translated as ‘lay down’, citing ‘curach a leagan anuas, to carry a currach down to the sea’, and ‘leag suas’, citing ‘bheith leagtha suas, to be laid up’, as headwords. Dinneen translates ‘leagaim síos’ as ‘I prostrate’. In s8 of the Standing Orders of Dáil Éireann (1997), ‘apply the rules as laid down by this House in an impartial and fair manner’ is translated as ‘na rialacha mar atá siad leagtha síos ag an Teach seo a chur i bhfeidhm go cothrom neamhchlaonta’. ‘In accordance with the principles laid down in this Act’, in s99(3) of the First Schedule to the European Assembly Elections Act, 1977, is translated as ‘de réir na bprionsabal atá leagtha síos san Acht seo’. In Treaties establishing the European Communities (1973, p. 762), ‘The regulations shall lay down detailed rules for each institution’ is translated as ‘Leagfaidh na rialacháin síos rialacha mionchruinne do gach institiúid’. Note, however, the various alternative ways ‘lay down’ is translated in those Treaties. ‘Periods of grace based on considerations of distance shall be laid down in the rules of procedure’ is translated as ‘Cinnfear leis na rialacha nós imeachta tréimhsí breise a bhunófar ar an bhfad ó láthair’ (p. 692). While ‘under conditions laid down in rules drawn up by the Court’ is translated as ‘faoi choinníollacha a bheidh sonraithe i rialacha a leag an Chúirt síos’ (p. 689), on p. 887, ‘under the conditions laid down in those Treaties and in this Act’ is translated as ‘faoi na coinníollacha dá bhforáiltear sna Conarthaí sin agus san Ionstraim seo’. On p. 21, ‘laying down general objectives’ is translated as ‘aidhmeanna ginearálta a shainiú’. While ‘Notwithstanding the provisions of Article 15(1) … laying down general rules for the grant of export refunds for sugar’ is translated as ‘De mhaolú ar na forálacha atá leagtha síos in Airteagal 15(1) … ag bunú rialacha ginearálta i dtaobh aisíocaíochtaí ar onnmhairí siúcra’ (p. 1395), on p. 928, ‘The Commission shall … lay down the provisions applicable to trade’ is translated as ‘socróidh an Coimisiún … na forálacha is infheidhme ar an trádáil’. Finally, on p. 963, ‘the provisions relating to the test laid down for animals traded within the Community’ is translated as ‘na forálacha maidir leis an tástáil atá ceaptha d’ainmhithe is ábhar trádála idir na Comhphobail’. We see, therefore, the many ways ‘lay down’ can be rendered as against being literally translated as ‘leag síos’, as is done in this Amendment. a fhéadfar a leagan síos le dlí This is a very literal translation of ‘as may be laid down by law’. Going here through the text of the Constitution, we see from the following citations that ‘féad’ is not always used to express ‘may’, the simple future of the verb it qualifies sometimes expressing ‘may’ (see also the commentary on Article 12.4.4o); we also see how ‘provide’, ‘determine’ and ‘fix’, along with ‘as’, are expressed in various ways in different Articles – note in particular that while in Articles 10.3 and 19, ‘Provision may be made by law’ is expressed as ‘Féadfar socrú a dhéanamh le dlí’, in Article 18.4.2o, this phrase is expressed as ‘féadfar foráil a dhéanamh le dlí’. In Article 16.5, ‘a shorter period may be fixed by law’ is expressed as ‘féadfar ré is giorra ná sin a shocrú le dlí’. In Article 11, ‘subject to such exception as may be provided by law’ is expressed as ‘ach amháin an chuid sin de ar a ndéantar eisceacht le dlí’. In Article 12.11.2o, ‘The President shall receive such emoluments and


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allowances as may be determined by law’ is expressed as ‘Gheobhaidh an tUachtarán sochair agus liúntais faoi mar a chinnfear le dlí’. In Article 16.1.2oii (following the Ninth Amendment of the Constitution, 1984), ‘such other persons in the State as may be determined by law’ is rendered as ‘cibé daoine eile sa Stát a chinnfear le dlí’. In Article 17.1.2o, ‘Save in so far as may be provided by specific enactment in each case’ is expressed as ‘ach amháin sa mhéid go mbeidh a mhalairt socair i dtaobh gach cás ar leith in achtachán chuige sin’. In Article 18.4.2o, ‘so many members of Seanad Éireann as may be fixed by law’ is expressed as ‘an líon sin comhaltaí de Sheanad Éireann a shocrófar le dlí’. ‘In the manner provided by law’, in Article 18.7.1o, is expressed as ‘ar an gcuma a shocrófar le dlí’, with ‘as may be fixed by such law’ being expressed as ‘a chinnfear leis an dlí sin’ in Article 19. In Article 29.4.2o ‘the Government may to such extent and subject to such conditions, if any, as may be determined by law’ is expressed as ‘féadfaidh an Rialtas, sa mhéid go gcinnfear le dlí agus faoi chuimsiú cibé coinníollacha a chinnfear le dlí, má chinntear’. In Article 29.6, ‘save as may be determined by the Oireachtas’ is expressed as ‘ach mar a chinnfidh an tOireachtas’. In Article 29.7.5o (the Amendment following the Good Friday Agreement), ‘or such longer period as may be determined by law’ is rendered as ‘nó cibé tréimhse is faide ná sin a shocrófar le dlí’. In Article 31.2.iii, ‘Such other persons, if any, as may be appointed by the President’ is expressed as ‘Aon daoine eile a cheapfar ag an Uachtarán faoin Airteagal seo, má cheaptar aon duine’. In Article 34.1, ‘save in such special and limited cases as may be prescribed by law’ is expressed as ‘ach amháin sna cásanna speisialta teoranta sin a ordófar le dlí’. In Article 34.4.3o, ‘subject to such regulations as may be prescribed by law’ and ‘such decisions of other courts as may be prescribed by law’ are expressed respectively as ‘faoi chuimsiú cibé forálacha a ordófar le dlí’ and ‘na breitheanna sin ó chúirteanna eile a ordófar le dlí’. In Article 34.5.1o, ‘as the case may be’ is expressed as ‘de réir mar a oireas’. In Article 34.5.3o, ‘such later date as may be determined by the President’ is expressed as ‘dáta is déanaí ná sin mar a chinnfidh an tUachtarán’. In Article 38.3.1o, ‘Special courts may be established by law for the trial of offences in cases where it may be determined in accordance with such law that …’ is expressed as ‘Féadfar cúirteanna faoi leith a bhunú le dlí chun cionta a thriail i gcásanna a gcinnfear ina dtaobh, de réir an dlí sin …’. In Article 45.2.ii, ‘That the ownership … may be so distributed … as best to …’ is expressed as ‘go roinnfear dílse … sa chuma is fearr a …’ and, finally, in 45.2.v ‘That there may be established’ is expressed simply as ‘go mbunófar’. Similarly in the Acts, ‘as may be’ is sometimes rendered by the future of the following verb. ‘In such manner and subject to such conditions as may be laid down by regulations’ is translated as ‘i cibé slí agus faoi réir cibé coinníollacha a leagfar síos le rialacháin’ in s170(2) of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 1981, for example. ‘Such other conditions, as may be laid down by the Minister for Finance’ is translated as ‘cibé coinníollacha eile a bheidh leagtha síos ag an Aire Airgeadais’ in s9(a)(iii) of the Finance Act, 1989, with ‘on such terms and conditions, if any, as may be laid down by the court’ being translated as ‘ar cibé téarmaí agus coinníollacha, más ann, a bheidh leagtha síos ag an gcúirt’ in s177(2) of the Companies Act, 1990. In s10(3) of the Sea Pollution Act, 1991, ‘subject to

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such conditions and such exemptions as may be prescribed’ is translated as ‘faoi réir cibé coinníollacha agus cibé díolúintí a bheidh forordaithe’. In s15(b) of the Value-Added Tax (Amendment) Act, 1978, ‘and in such form and containing such other particulars as may be specified by regulations’ is translated as ‘i cibé foirm agus cibé sonraí eile ann a shonrófar le rialacháin’. Similarly, in the Treaty on European Union (1992, p. 160), ‘The capital may be increased by such amounts as may be decided by the Governing Council’ is translated as ‘Féadfar an caipiteal a mhéadú pé méid a chinnfidh an Chomhairle Rialaithe’. taisteal The verbal noun of ‘taistil’, ‘travel’. Ó Dónaill cites ‘bíonn siad ag taisteal ar an oileán go fóill, they still make journeys to the island’. Dinneen translates ‘taistealaim’ as ‘I travel, journey, traverse, reach, arrive, assemble (as a crowd), frequent (with i), descend from (with ó)’. ‘Taistlid’ is translated as ‘travels, traverses’ in DIL, where ‘mé ag siobhal … / sódh ar a dtaisdil mo throigh / ba mó n-aisdir dom anmoin’ (‘the soft path my foot travelled made my soul’s journey longer’) is cited from a miscellaneous collection of religious poetry, Dán Dé, and ‘má thaistil i liubhraibh Scuit’ (‘if he be versed in Scottic books’) is cited from Dáibhí Ó Bruadair’s seventeenth-century poetry. We find ‘taisteal’ also in Article 15.15, ‘saoráid chun taisteal in aisce’ expressing ‘free travelling’. Turning to the Acts, in s12(1) of the Courts of Justice Act, 1953, for example, ‘at any time before a judge begins to travel a High Court Circuit for the purpose of holding therein any half-yearly sittings of the High Court on Circuit’ is translated as ‘aon uair sara dtosnóidh breitheamh ag taisteal Cuarda Ard-Chúirte chun aon tsuíonna leathbhliantúla den Ard-Chúirt ar Cuaird a thionól ar an gcuaird sin’. maidir le In the Amendment contained in Article 29.4.8o, ‘the Agreement relating to Community Patents’ is rendered as ‘an Comhaontú maidir le Paitinní Comhphobail’. Note that in Article 16.1.2o, ‘the law relating to the election of members’ is expressed as ‘an dlí i dtaobh toghcháin comhaltaí’ with ‘in accordance with the law for the time being in force relating to the Referendum’ being expressed as ‘de réir an dlí a bheas i bhfeidhm i dtaobh an Reifrinn in alt na huaire’ in Article 46.2. In Article 36, on the other hand, ‘Subject to the foregoing provisions of this Constitution relating to the Courts’ is expressed as ‘Faoi chuimsiú na bhforálacha sin romhainn den Bhunreacht seo a bhaineas leis na Cúirteanna’. Turning to the Acts, we find ‘i dtaobh’ translating ‘relating to’ in the following example from s9(2) of the Merchant Shipping (Load Lines) Act, 1968: ‘there shall be endorsed on the certificate such information relating to – (a) periodical inspection of the ship’, ‘formhuineofar ar an deimhniú cibé eolas i dtaobh – (a) iniúchadh tréimhsiúil ar an long’. Generally, however, ‘relating to’ is translated as ‘a bhaineann le’ or ‘a bhainfidh le’ in the Acts – see, for example, s25(1) of the Dublin Cemeteries Committee Act, 1970, where ‘all rights, powers, and privileges relating to or connected with such property’ is translated as ‘na cearta, na cumhachtaí, agus na pribhléidí go léir a bhaineann nó a ghabhann le haon mhaoin den sórt sin’ and note that in s9 of the Finance Act, 1990, ‘provision relating to relief in respect of increase in stock values’ is translated as ‘foráil a bhaineann le faoiseamh maidir le méadú ar luachanna stoic’. See the commentary


A study of the Irish text

on Article 14.5.1o regarding ‘bain le’ expressing ‘relate to’. We find ‘maidir le’ translating ‘relating to’ in Treaties establishing the European Communities (1973, p. 302), where ‘in disputes relating to compensation for damage’ is translated as ‘i ndíospóidí maidir leis an gcúiteamh i ndamáiste’. ‘Maidir le’ is translated as ‘in the matter of’ in Téarmaí Dlí, but is used in a wide variety of contexts in the Acts, translating ‘to’ in ‘shall apply to’, for example, generally translating ‘as to’ and ‘as regards’ and sometimes translating ‘regarding’ and ‘in respect of’. See the commentary on Articles 15.15 (where this phrase expresses ‘in connection with’) and 29.4.1 o. Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú remarks that ‘maidir le’ is as exact a rendering of English ‘relating to’ as possible. go dleathach ‘Dleathach’ is translated as ‘lawful’ in Téarmaí Dlí, where ‘teasargaim as coimeád dleathach’ is translated as ‘I rescue from lawful custody’. Ó Dónaill translates ‘dleathach’ as ‘lawful, legal’, citing ‘seachadadh dleathach, legal tender’. ‘Legal’ is translated as ‘dlithiúil’ in Téarmaí Dlí, where ‘legal tender’ is translated as ‘dlíthairiscint’; Ó Dónaill translates ‘dlíthiúil’ as ‘legal, juridical, lawful’. Dinneen also gives ‘lawful’ and ‘legal’ as translations of ‘dleaghthach’, along with ‘permissible’. ‘Dligthech’ is used in the Old Irish Glosses in the sense of ‘accordant with reason or rule’, Latin ‘rationabilis’, according to DIL, where ‘dligthech’ is translated as (a) ‘regular, accordant with rule, right, lawful, law-abiding’ and (b) ‘rational, endowed with reason’. Fergus Kelly, op. cit, p. 309, translates ‘dligthech’ as ‘lawful, legally recognised’. Only two examples of ‘dligthemail’ (‘lawful, just’) are cited in DIL, from O’Molloy’s Lucerna Fidelium (1676) and Keating’s seventeenth-century Eochair-sgiath an Aifrinn. Both ‘dligthech’ and ‘dligthemail’ are based on ‘dliged’, Modern Irish ‘dlí’, ‘law’. See the commentary on Article 10.1. a chur ar fáil ‘Ar fáil’ is translated as ‘extant, available’ in Ó Dónaill, who translates ‘rud a chur ar fáil’ as ‘to provide something’. Dinneen translates ‘cuirim ar fagháil’ as ‘I make available’. ‘Fagbál’, verbal noun of ‘fo-gaib’, does not occur in the Old Irish Glosses; DIL translates ‘fagbál’ as ‘finding, getting, obtaining’, citing ‘d’fhail eoluis’. ‘I obtain by false pretences’ is translated as ‘faighim le dúmas bréige’ in Téarmaí Dlí. In s75(4)(a) of the First Schedule to the European Assembly Elections Act, 1977, ‘obtains or attempts to obtain information’ is translated as ‘go bhfaighidh sé faisnéis, nó go bhféachfaidh sé le faisnéis a fháil’. Finally, in s3(1) of the Fourth Schedule to the Capital Gains Tax Act, 1975, ‘the making of anything available for inspection’ is translated as ‘aon ní a chur ar fáil lena iniúchadh’. ar fáil In Article 34.5.2o, ‘the senior available judge of the Supreme Court’ is expressed as ‘an breitheamh den Chúirt Uachtarach is sinsearaí dá mbeidh ar fáil’, and in Article 40.4.4o, ‘or, if he is not available, the senior judge of that Court who is available’ is expressed as ‘nó, mura mbeidh seisean ar fáil, an breitheamh is sinsearaí den Chúirt sin dá mbeidh ar fáil’. ‘Available act of bankruptcy’ is translated as ‘gníomh féimheachta atá ar fáil’ in Téarmaí Dlí. In s42(1) of the Dangerous Substances Act, 1972, ‘if he is not readily available’ is translated as ‘mura bhfuil fáil go héasca (ar an gceadúnaí)’.

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Direct translation Ní theorannóidh an fo-alt seo saoirse chun taisteal idir an Stát agus stát eile. Ní theorannóidh an fo-alt seo saoirse chun faisnéis i dtaobh1 seirbhísí atá ar fáil go dleathach i stát eile a fháil nó a chur ar fáil, sa Stát, faoi réir cibé coinníollacha a leagfar síos le dlí.

Variants 1 ‘a bhainfidh le’, ‘maidir le’

ARTICLE 40.4.1O

AIRTEAGAL 40.4.1O

TÉACS GAEILGE

Ní cead a shaoirse phearsanta a bhaint d’aon saoránach ach amháin de réir dlí. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

It is not permitted to take his personal freedom from any citizen except in accordance with law. ENGLISH TEXT

No citizen shall be deprived of his personal liberty save in accordance with law.

Divergences between the official texts 1

As in some earlier Articles, ‘Ní cead’, literally, ‘it is not permitted’, expresses ‘no … shall’ in the Irish text.

Note that Article 6 of the 1922 Constitution commences as follows: The liberty of the person is inviolable, and no person shall be deprived of his liberty except in accordance with law. Is slán saoirse an duine, agus ní bainfear a shaoirse d’aon duine ach do réir na dlí.

Commentary a shaoirse ‘Saoirse’ is translated as ‘freedom’ in Ó Dónaill, who gives ‘liberty, independence’ as one set of senses, translating ‘saoirse an duine’ as ‘human freedom’. ‘Saoirse choitcheann’ is translated as ‘general immunity (as enjoyed by the estates of ollamhs)’ in Dinneen, who translates ‘saoirse a sinnsir’ as ‘their ancestral rights’ and cites ‘is do na bochtaibh ceapadh na flaithis mar shaoirse, heaven was designed to be the poor man’s inheritance’. DIL translates ‘saírse’ as (a) ‘freedom, liberty, the status of a freeman’ and (b) ‘exemption, immunity’. This word is similar in meaning to ‘saíre’, translated in DIL as I(a) ‘freedom, liberty’, (b) ‘nobility (of race, character, etc.)’, II(a) ‘legal, privileges, immunity, etc., enjoyed by members of the free classes, etc.’, (b) ‘exemption, period of exemption’, III ‘holy day, saint’s day, church festival, holiday’, examples of I(a) being cited from the Old Irish Glosses onwards, including ‘do chumtúth a sóere’ (‘to preserve (?) their freedom’), which glosses Latin ‘pro libertate’ in the ninthcentury St Gall Glosses on Priscian, and examples of senses II(a) and (b) being cited from early Irish law-tracts. Fergus


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Kelly, op. cit., p. 321, translates ‘soíre’ as ‘independent legal status, immunity from claim’. ‘Soíre’ is based on ‘saer’, in Old Irish usually glossing Latin ‘liber’, and translated as ‘free, freeman’ in DIL; in early Irish law-tracts this word has the sense of an enfranchised person possessing legal status and a corresponding honour-price – see Fergus Kelly, op. cit., p. 9: Three law-texts dealing with rank in early Irish society have survived …. In practice, the most important social distinctions seem to be 1) between those who are nemed “privileged”, and those who are not nemed, and 2) between those who are sóer “free” and those who are dóer “unfree”.

Turning to the Acts, in s8(2) of the Foyle Fisheries Act, 1952, ‘freed and discharged from all estates, titles, interests, incumbrances, rights, liberties and privileges whatsover by whomsoever held, used, exercised or enjoyed’ is translated as ‘saortha agus urscaoilte ó gach eastát, teideal, leas, eire, ceart, saoirse agus pribhléid d’aon tsórt, pé duine ag a bhfuil teachtadh, úsáid, feidhmiú nó sealúchas an chéanna’. ‘Civil and religious liberties’ is translated as ‘saoirsí sibhialta agus creidimh’ in the New Ireland Forum Report (1984, 4.13). Finally, note that ‘liberty (to apply, etc.)’ is translated as ‘cead’ in Téarmaí Dlí. See further the commentary on Article 15.10. a bhaint de Ó Dónaill translates ‘bain de’ principally as ‘take off, remove’, with ‘take away from’ and ‘deprive of’ among the secondary senses, citing as an example of the latter sense, ‘bhain tú Dia díom, you came between me and God’. DIL cites examples of ‘benaid de’ in the sense of ‘takes from’. In the Treaty on European Union (1992, p. 74), ‘A member of the Court of Auditors may not be deprived of his office or of his right to a pension or other benefits in its stead’ is translated as ‘Ní fhéadfar a oifig ná a cheart chun pinsin nó sochar eile ina ionad sin a bhaint de chomhalta den Chúirt Iniúchóirí’. We also find ‘bain de’ translating ‘deprive’ in Treaties establishing the European Communities (1973). Turning to the Acts, in s7 of the Old Age Pensions Act, 1932, ‘No person to whom payment was made before the commencement of this Act in respect of an old age pension shall be deprived of such pension’ is translated as ‘Aon duine le n-ar híocadh íocaíocht ar bith alos pinsin tsean-aoise roimh thosach feidhme an Achta seo ní bainfear an pinsean san de’ and ‘if he would not have been liable to suffer such deprivation’, further on in the same section, is translated as ‘más rud é ná beadh sé i mbaol an pinsean san do bhaint de’. In s4(4) of the National Health Insurance Act, 1942, however, ‘and may provide for the reduction, suspension or deprivation of the same additional benefits’ is translated as ‘agus féadfaidh a fhoráil go ndéanfar na sochair bhreise sin do laghdú no do chur ar fionnraighe no do chur ar neamh-ní’. In s6(4) of the Local Government (Roads and Motorways) Act, 1974, ‘In any case where the closing … of any means of access … results in the owner of any land being deprived of the only means of access from that land to any public road’ is translated as ‘In aon chás ina dtiocfadh d’aon bhealach rochtana a dhúnadh … úinéir aon talún a bheith fágtha gan aon bhealach rochtana ón talamh sin go dtí aon bhóthar poiblí’. In s146(1)(d) of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 1961, ‘all income … which he has

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directly or indirectly deprived himself in order to qualify himself for the receipt of unemployment assistance’ is translated as ‘an t-ioncam go léir … a cheil sé air féin go díreach nó go neamhdhíreach le cáiliú chun cúnamh dífhostaíochta a fháil’. ‘Wrongfully depriving the plaintiff of goods’ is translated as ‘earraí a choinneáil go héagórach ar an ngearánaí’ in Fasaigh Dlí-Théarmaí (based on forms relating to Rules of the High Court, with reference 72/1962 App B Pt. II). Looking at early Acts, note that s2 of the Griffith Settlement Act, 1923, reads as follows: The Trustees shall hold the Widow’s Share upon trust to pay the same as and when received by the Trustees to the said Mrs. Maud Griffith for her separate use and so that she shall not have power to deprive herself thereof by anticipation. Cimeádfaidh na hIontaobhuithe Cuid na Baintrí ar iontaoibh chun an céanna d’íoc fé mar a gheobhaidh agus nuair a gheobhaidh na hIontaobhuithe é le Maedhbh Uí Ghríobhtha roimh-ráite chun a húsáide féin ar leithligh agus i dtreo ná beidh de chomhacht aice í féin d’fhágaint ’na éaghmuis trí bhaint leis roimh-ré.

‘Deprivation of acting rank’ is translated as ‘A chéim ghníomhachta do chailliúint’ in s81(3) of the Defence Forces (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923. De Bhaldraithe translates ‘deprive’ as ‘bainim (rud) de (dhuine); téim i mbarr (ruda) ar (dhuine); coinním (rud) ó (dhuine)’. L. Mc Cionnaith s.v. ‘deprive’, cites ‘to deprive of his … a shaoirse 7 c. do bhaint de’. Ó Dónaill gives ‘deprive of’ as one of the senses of ‘bain ar’ from earlier literature, citing ‘baineadh a radharc air, he lost his sight’. ‘Baineadh clog air, a bell was rung against him’ has the sense of ‘he was excommunicated’. ‘Cuir as’ is translated as ‘put out of; deprive of’ by Ó Dónaill; ‘cuir ó’ is translated as ‘put from, prevent, deprive of’ and ‘fág gan’ is translated as ‘leave without, deprive of’, with ‘d’fhág siad gan mo chuid leabhar mé’ translated as ‘they deprived me of my books’. Along with the sense ‘to dispossess’, ‘deprive’ has the sense of ‘to keep out of enjoyment’, according to Chambers English Dictionary. This latter sense is perhaps better rendered in Irish by ‘ceil’ rather than ‘bain de’. de réir This phrase is translated as ‘in accordance with’ in Téarmaí Dlí. Ní cead See the commentary on Article 9.1.3o.

Gender-proofed Irish text Ní cead a shaoirse phearsanta nó a saoirse phearsanta a bhaint d’aon saoránach ach amháin de réir dlí.

Direct gender-proofed translation Ní bhainfear a shaoirse phearsanta nó a saoirse phearsanta d’aon saoránach1 ach amháin de réir dlí.

Variants 1 ‘Ní cheilfear a shaoirse phearsanta nó a saoirse phearsanta ar aon saoránach’, ‘Ní choinneofar a shaoirse phearsanta nó a saoirse phearsanta ó aon saoránach’


A study of the Irish text

ARTICLE 40.4.2O

AIRTEAGAL 40.4.2O

Staidéar ar an téacs Gaeilge

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TÉACS GAEILGE

Nuair a dhéanann duine ar bith gearán, nó a dhéantar gearán thar ceann duine ar bith, leis an Ard-Chúirt nó le breitheamh ar bith di á rá go bhfuil an duine sin á choinneáil ina bhrá go haindleathach, ní foláir don ArdChúirt agus d’aon bhreitheamh agus do gach breitheamh di chun a ndéanfar an gearán sin fiosrú a dhéanamh láithreach i dtaobh an ghearáin sin agus féadfaidh a ordú do neach coinnithe an duine sin ina bhrá an duine sin a thabhairt ina phearsain i láthair na hArd-Chúirte lá a ainmnítear agus a dheimhniú i scríbhinn cad is forais dá bhraighdeanas, agus ní foláir don Ard-Chúirt, nuair a bheirtear an duine sin ina phearsain i láthair na Cúirte sin agus tar éis caoi a thabhairt do neach a choinnithe ina bhrá ar a chruthú gur braighdeanas cóir an braighdeanas, a ordú an duine sin a scaoileadh as an mbraighdeanas sin mura deimhin leis an gCúirt sin gur de réir an dlí atáthar á choinneáil. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

When any person makes a complaint, or a complaint is made on behalf of any person, to the High-Court or to any judge of it stating that that person is being kept a prisoner unlawfully, the High Court and any judge and every judge of it to whom that complaint is made must inquire immediately concerning that complaint and may order the one keeping that person a prisoner to bring that person personally before the High Court (on a) day that is named and to certify in writing what the grounds for his imprisonment are, and the High Court must, when that person is brought personally before that Court and after giving an opportunity to the one keeping him a prisoner to prove that the imprisonment is a just imprisonment, order that that person be released from that imprisonment if that Court does not consider it certain that it is in accordance with the law that he is being held. ENGLISH TEXT

Upon complaint being made by or on behalf of any person to the High Court or any judge thereof alleging that such person is being unlawfully detained, the High Court and any and every judge thereof to whom such complaint is made shall forthwith enquire into the said complaint and may order the person in whose custody such person is detained to produce the body of such person before the High Court on a named day and to certify in writing the grounds of his detention, and the High Court shall, upon the body of such person being produced before that Court and after giving the person in whose custody he is detained an opportunity of justifying the detention, order the release of such person from such detention unless satisfied that he is being detained in accordance with the law.

Divergences between the official texts 1 2

‘Alleging’ is rendered as ‘á rá’, ‘stating’, in the Irish text. ‘Is being unlawfully detained’ is rendered as ‘á choinneáil ina bhrá go haindleathach’ (‘is being unlawfully kept a prisoner’) in the Irish text, ‘I detain’

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being translated simply as ‘coinním’ in Téarmaí Dlí. The Irish term rendering ‘unlawful’, ‘aindleathach’, is translated [not very accurately, according to Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú] as ‘illicit’ in Téarmaí Dlí, ‘unlawful’ being translated as ‘neamhdhleathach’ there. ‘The person in whose custody such person is detained’ is rendered as ‘neach coinnithe an duine sin ina bhrá’ (‘the one/person keeping that person a prisoner’) in the Irish text. ‘To produce the body of such person’ and ‘upon the body of such person being produced’ are rendered in the Irish text as ‘an duine sin a thabhairt ina phearsain’ (‘to bring that person personally’) and ‘nuair a bheirtear an duine sin ina phearsain’ (‘when that person is brought personally’) respectively. ‘The grounds of his detention’ is rendered as ‘forais dá bhraighdeanas’ (‘the grounds for his imprisonment’) in the Irish text. ‘Justifying the detention’ is rendered in the Irish text as ‘a chruthú gur braighdeanas cóir an braighdeanas’ (‘to prove that the imprisonment is a just imprisonment’). As in some other Articles, ‘shall’ is on two occasions rendered as ‘ní foláir’ (‘must’) in the Irish text.

Note that the original Article 40.4.2o was deleted by the Second Amendment of the Constitution Act, 1941, and four new subsections were added in its place. The original subsection 2 read as follows: Upon complaint being made by or on behalf of any person that he is being unlawfully detained, the High Court and any and every judge thereof shall forthwith enquire into the same and may make an order requiring the person in whose custody such person shall be detained to produce the body of the person so detained before such court or judge without delay and to certify in writing as to the cause of the detention, and such Court or judge shall thereupon order the release of such person unless satisfied that he is being detained in accordance with the law. Nuair dhéanann duine ar bith gearán, nó nuair déantar gearán thar ceann duine ar bith, go bhfuiltear dá choinneáil ina bhráighe go haindleaghthach, ní foláir don Árd-Chúirt agus d’aon bhreitheamh agus do gach uile bhreitheamh den chúirt sin fiosrú do dhéanamh láithreach i dtaobh an ghearáin sin, agus féadfaid ordú do dhéanamh dá cheangal ar an té ag a bhfuil an bráighe i láimh an bráighe sin do thabhairt ina phearsain i láthair na cúirte nó an bhreithimh sin gan mhoill, agus fáth a bhraighdeanais d’innsint le teastas scríobhtha: agus air sin ní foláir don Chúirt nó don bhreitheamh sin ordú a thabhairt chun an bráighe sin do scaoileadh muna deimhin leo gur do réir dlighidh atáthar dá choinneáil.

Note also that Article 6 of the 1922 Constitution contains the following: Upon complaint made by or on behalf of any person that he is being unlawfully detained, the High Court and any and every judge thereof shall forthwith enquire into the same and may make an order requiring the person in whose custody such person shall be detained to produce the body of the person so detained before such Court or judge without delay, and to certify in writing as to the cause of the detention and such Court or judge shall thereupon order the release of such person unless satisfied that he is being detained in


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accordance with the law …. Ar aon duine do dhéanamh ghearáin no ar ghearán do dhéanamh ar a shon go bhfuiltear á chimeád go nea-dhleathach, fiosróidh an Ard-Chúirt agus aon bhreitheamh agus gach breitheamh di an gearán san láithreach agus féadfaid órdú do dhéanamh á chur d’fhiachaibh ar an nduine atá ag cimeád an duine sin corp an duine atá i gcimeád do thabhairt i láthair na Cúirte no an bhreithimh gan mhoill agus deimhniú do dhéanamh i scríbhinn i dtaobh cúise a chimeádtha agus órdóidh an Chúirt no an breitheamh san an duine sin do sgaoile ansan mara mbeifar sásta go bhfuiltear á chimeád do réir na dlí.

Commentary gearán This headword is translated as ‘complaint’ in Téarmaí Dlí. Ó Dónaill translates ‘gearán a dhéanamh (le duine)’ as ‘to complain (to someone)’, citing ‘bhí sé ina shuí ansin ag déanamh a ghearáin leis féin, he sat there feeling sorry for himself’. Dinneen translates ‘gearán’ as ‘act of bewailing; a complaint; an accusation; a remonstrance; a grievance; supplication; a cry, a sob, a groan, a distemper, ailment’ and cites the proverb ‘an té nach truagh leis do chás ná déan do ghearán leis, do not make complaint to one not in sympathy with you’, i.e. don’t look for sympathy where there’s none. The earliest examples of ‘gerán’ (‘complaint, wailing, accusation’) cited in DIL seem only to go back as far as the twelfth-century Book of Leinster. Turning to the Acts, in s49 of the Fisheries Act, 1980, ‘an offence under any provision of the Fisheries Acts … may be heard … by a District Justice upon the complaint, verbal or otherwise, of a member of the Garda Síochána’ is translated as ‘féadfaidh Breitheamh Dúiche, ar chomhalta den Gharda Síochána … do dhéanamh gearáin de bhriathra béil nó ar shlí eile cion faoi aon fhoráil de na hAchtanna Iascaigh … a éisteacht’. In s10 of the Trade Union Act, 1975, the heading ‘Complaints to Registrar regarding resolutions’ is translated as ‘Gearáin chun an Chláraitheora maidir le rúin’ and ss1 begins as follows: ‘A member of a trade union … may complain to the Registrar on one or more than one of the following grounds’, ‘Aon chomhalta de cheardchumann … féadfaidh sé gearán a dhéanamh chun an Chláraitheora ar fhoras amháin nó níos mó díobh seo a leanas ’. ina bhrá ‘Brá’ is not given as a headword in Téarmaí Dlí. It is translated as ‘captive, hostage’ in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘tá sé ina bhrá acu, they have caught, arrested, him; they are holding him prisoner’. Dinneen translates ‘braighe’ as ‘a captive, prisoner, hostage, pledge’. DIL translates ‘brága’ as ‘captive, prisoner, hostage’, citing ‘ag so brágha dheit a Dhé’ (‘I surrender, God, to Thee’) from a miscellaneous collection of religious poetry, Dán Dé. As Fergus Kelly, op. cit., p. 174, states, the annals contain numerous references to hostages, ‘usually giall, but also aitire, and later brágae’, hostages usually being taken ‘to ensure the continued submission of a territory over which a king claimed sovereignty’. ‘Brága’ is a development of the earlier ‘brág(a)e’, ‘neck, throat, gullet’, an example of which is cited in DIL from the ninth-century St Gall Glosses on Priscian; the development in sense can be seen in the phrase ‘gaibid for (ar) brágait’, takes prisoner, or captive, literally, by the neck.

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Regarding ‘detain’ in early Acts, ‘Every person who is now detained in military custody or held as a military prisoner or captive … may be detained in custody’ is translated as ‘Gach duine atá i gcimeád mileata anois no atá á choinneáil mar phríosúnach no cime mileata … féadfar … é do choinneáil i gcoimeád’ in s3(1) of the Public Safety (Emergency Powers) Act, 1923. braighdeanas This term is not given as a headword in Téarmaí Dlí. Ó Dónaill translates ‘braighdeanas’ as ‘captivity, bondage’, translating ‘bheith i mbraighdeanas’ as ‘to be in captivity, in custody’ and ‘tír a thabhairt i mbraighdeanas’ as ‘to reduce a country to slavery’. Dinneen translates ‘braighdeanas’ as ‘captivity, imprisonment, slavery’. DIL cites five examples of ‘bráigdenas’ (‘hostageship, captivity’) from Irish literature, this word being based on ‘brága’, i.e. ‘brá’ in this Article. ‘Custody’ is translated as ‘coimeád’ in Téarmaí Dlí, where ‘I rescue from lawful custody’ is translated as ‘teasargaim as coimeád dleathach’ and ‘I take into custody’ is translated as ‘glacaim i gcoimeád’. ‘I detain’ is translated simply as ‘coinním’ in Téarmaí Dlí. In s247 of the Companies Act, 1963, ‘the court … may cause the contributory to be arrested, and his books … seized and him and them to be detained until such time as the court may order’ is translated as ‘Féadfaidh an chúirt … a chur faoi deara an ranníocóir a ghabháil, agus a leabhair … a urghabháil agus é féin agus iadsan a choinneáil go ceann cibé tréimhse a ordóidh an chúirt’. In s231(1)(e) of the Fisheries (Consolidation) Act, 1959, ‘to take, remove, and detain in his custody any sea-fish’ is translated as ‘aon iasc mara … a thógáil, a aistriú, agus a choinneáil faoina choimeád.’ fiosrú ‘Fiosraím’ is translated as ‘I inquire’ in Téarmaí Dlí and in Ó Dónaill, who translates ‘rud a fhiosrú’ as ‘to inquire about, into, something’. Dinneen translates ‘fiosruighim’ as ‘I ask, I inquire, I visit’. DIL translates ‘fisraigid’ as (a) ‘inquires’ and (b) ‘visits’, this last sense being rare, except in translations. The verbal noun ‘fisrugud’ is translated as (a) ‘inquiring; investigating’ and (b) ‘visiting’, with only three examples of ‘fisrugud’ in sense (a) being cited, the first being translated as ‘to test’, the second ‘to seek them’ and the third, ‘lucht fisraigthi’, ‘scouts’, none of them being of any great antiquity. ‘Fisraigid’ is based on ‘fis’, ‘the act of finding out or ascertaining; knowledge, information’ (DIL). ‘Fiosrúchán’ is translated as ‘inquiry’ in Téarmaí Dlí, where ‘fiosrúcháin i dtaobh eirí’ is translated as ‘inquiries as to incumbrances’. ‘Fiosrú’, the verbal noun of ‘fiosraigh’, is translated as ‘inquiry’ in Ó Dónaill, citing ‘coiste fiosraithe, committee of inquiry’, and as ‘visitation’. ‘Fiosrúchán’ is translated as ‘act of inquiring, inquisition’, with ‘fiosrúchán a chur, a dhéanamh, ar rud’ being translated as ‘to investigate, hold, an inquiry into something’, ‘cúirt fhiosrúcháin’ being translated as ‘court of inquiry’. Dinneen, who does not seem to cite ‘fiosrúchán’, translates ‘fiosrughadh’ as ‘act of inquiring, visiting; summons, visitation’. Turning to the Acts, the form of an oath to be administered to jurors is given as follows in s19(2) of the Juries Act, 1976: ‘“I will well and diligently inquire whether …., the prisoner at the bar, be insane or not’, ‘“go bhfiosróidh mé go maith agus go dícheallach cibé acu is gealt nó nach gealt …, an príosúnach ag an mbarra’. In the Dáil Order Paper of 1/3/79, ‘that it is expedient that a tribunal be


A study of the Irish text

established for inquiry into the following definite matters of urgent public importance’ is translated as ‘go bhfuil sé oiriúnach binse a bhunú chun na nithe áirithe seo a leanas a mbaineann deabhadh agus tábhacht phoiblí leo a fhiosrú’. We find the very same Irish text in the Proceedings of Dáil Éireann of 17/12/69. Note how it was felt that ‘fiosraigh’ was not strong enough and ‘scrúdaigh’ was used in the following (from the Dáil Order Paper of 11/12/75): ‘… the Report of the Tribunal appointed on the 4th July, 1975, to inquire into allegations made by two Members against the Minister for Local Government in the Dáil’, ‘an Tuarascáil ón mBinse a ceapadh an 4 Iúil, 1975, chun líomhaintí a rinne dhá Chomhalta in aghaidh an Aire Rialtais Áitiúil sa Dáil a scrúdú’. In Treaties establishing the European Communities (1973, p. 559), ‘The Commission shall inquire into any request made by a Member State’ is translated as ‘Beidh ar an gCoimisiún fiosrú a dhéanamh faoi aon iarratas a dhéanfaidh Ballstát’. go haindleathach ‘Driogadh aindleathach’ is translated as ‘illicit distillation’ in Téarmaí Dlí. Ó Dónaill translates ‘aindleathach’ as ‘illegal’ – which is translated as ‘neamhdhleathach’ in Téarmaí Dlí, this word in turn being translated as ‘unlawful, illegal’ in Ó Dónaill. Dinneen translates ‘aindleaghthach’ as ‘unlawful, illegal, unfair, irregular, base (as a coin)’. Ó Dónaill cites ‘aindlítheach’ as a variant of ‘aindleathach’, Dinneen giving ‘aindlightheach’ as a separate headword, which he translates as ‘unlawful, illegal, exlex’. DIL translates ‘aindligthech’ as ‘unlawful, unjust’, giving three examples of the adverbial usage, ‘go haindligtheach’, from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. ‘Unlawful assembly’ is translated as ‘tionól neamhdhleathach’ in Téarmaí Dlí, where ‘unlawful carnal knowledge’ is translated as ‘fios collaí neamhdhleathach’. In s3(1) of the Air Navigation and Transport Act, 1975, for example, ‘a person shall be guilty of an offence if anywhere he unlawfully and intentionally … commits on board an aircraft in flight any act of violence’ is translated as ‘beidh duine ciontach i gcion má dhéanann sé in áit ar bith go neamhdhleathach agus d’aonghnó … aon gníomh foréigin ar bord aerárthaigh agus í ar eitilt’. Finally, ‘fish unlawfully captured’ is translated as ‘iasc a gabhadh go neamhdhleathach’ in s53(a) of the Fisheries Act, 1980. neach This headword is translated as ‘being’ in Ó Dónaill, who gives ‘person, one’ as one subset of senses, citing ‘ní fhaca aon neach é, no one saw him’ and ‘má tá aon neach ann, if there is any one there’. Dinneen translates ‘neach’ as ‘a being, a person, one, oneself, anyone, whoever; a thing, whatever’. DIL cites examples of the indefinite pronoun ‘nech’ from the ninth-century Milan Glosses onwards; in Middle Irish it comes to be used as a noun in the sense of ‘a person’, ‘often equivalent to “duine”’, according to DIL. See the commentary on Article 40.3.2o regarding ‘pearsa’ expressing ‘person’. a scaoileadh as an mbraighdeanas In Téarmaí Dlí ‘I release’ is translated as ‘scaoilim’. As regards the Acts, see s483(2) of the Income Tax Act, 1967, where ‘the Special Commissioners shall issue their warrant to the governor of the prison in which any defaulter is detained under their warrant, directing the liberation of the defaulter, and, on receipt thereof, the governor shall forthwith release

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and discharge him out of custody, if he is under detention for no other cause than as set forth in the warrant of commitment’ is translated as ‘eiseoidh na Coimisinéirí Speisialta a mbarántas chun rialtóir an phríosúin ina mbeidh aon mhainnitheoir á choinneáil faoina mbarántas, á ordú an mainnitheoir a scaoileadh saor, agus, ar sin a fháil dó, déanfaidh an rialtóir láithreach é a scaoileadh saor ó choimeád, mura mbeidh sé faoi choinneáil ar aon chúis eile seachas í sin a bheidh sonraithe sa bharántas cimithe’. In s5(3) of the Criminal Justice Act, 1990, ‘to release temporarily a person serving a sentence of imprisonment’ is translated as ‘duine a mbeidh pianbhreith príosúnachta á cur isteach aige a scaoileadh saor go sealadach’. Note finally that the official Irish title of ‘The Release of Prisoners Commission’, established in 1998, is ‘An Coimisiún um Scaoileadh Saor Príosúnach’. deimhin This headword is translated as ‘sure, certain’ in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘is deimhin liom go bhfuil an ceart agat, I am quite sure you are right’. Dinneen translates ‘deimhin’ as ‘certain, sure, true’. DIL translates ‘is demin lim’ as ‘I am sure (of, that)’, citing the following from the ninth-century Milan Glosses: ‘is demniu liunn a n-adchiam … oldaas an rochluinemmar’ (‘we regard what we see with the eyes as more certain than what we hear with the ears’). See further the commentary on Article 40.4.2o where ‘i slí gur deimhin go’ expresses ‘as to ensure’. Turning to the Acts, in s65(1) of the First Schedule to the European Assembly Elections Act, 1977, ‘in any case in which he is not satisfied as to the accuracy of any count’ is translated as ‘in aon chás nach deimhin leis cruinneas aon chomhairimh’. In s103(1) of the same Schedule, ‘and in giving leave the court shall be satisfied that the notice … was reasonable’ is translated as ‘agus nuair a bheidh an cead sin á thabhairt ag an gcúirt déanfaidh sé deimhin de go raibh réasún leis an bhfógra’. In s28 of the Finance Act, 1990, ‘where they are satisfied that such permission should be given’ is translated as ‘i gcás ar deimhin leo gur chóir an cead sin a thabhairt’. In s1 of Article 6 of the Second Schedule to the Air Nagivation and Transport Act, 1973, ‘Upon being satisfied that the circumstances so warrant, any Contracting State … shall take him into custody’ is translated as ‘Ar a bheith deimhin d’aon Stát Conarthach, … tógfaidh sé an duine sin i gcoimeád’. We also find phrases with ‘sásta’ or forms of ‘sásta’ translating ‘satisfied’. ‘Unless the Court is satisfied’ is translated as ‘mura gcruthaítear chun sástachta na Cúirte’ in s43 of the Health Act, 1947, while ‘until the court is satisfied to the contrary’ is translated as ‘go dtí gur deimhin leis an gcúirt a mhalairt’ in s19(2) of the Misuse of Drugs Act, 1977. In s16(4) of the Finance Act, 1976, ‘subject to the Revenue Commissioners being satisfied that tax … has been paid’ is translated as ‘faoi réir na Coimisinéirí Ioncaim a bheith sásta gur íocadh cáin’. See further the commentary on Article 46.5 where ‘upon his being satisfied that’ is expressed as ‘ar mbeith sásta dó gur’. forais ‘Foras’ is translated as ‘ground (of application, etc.)’ in Téarmaí Dlí, this being given as a secondary sense of ‘foras’ (in Jurisprudence) in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘ar an bhforas go, on the ground that’. The original meaning of ‘forus’, examples of which are cited in DIL from the Glosses of the eighth century onwards, is thought to have been


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‘basis, foundation, bottom’, which senses are included with ‘that which is stable, stability’, along with ‘established or fundamental principles of knowledge or science, axioms’, ‘the principle or enactments of a law’ and ‘a station, resting-place, dwelling’ in DIL. Turning to the Acts, see, for example, s5 of the Local Elections (Petitions and Disqualifications) Act, 1974, headed ‘Grounds for petition’, ‘Forais achainí’, where ‘a local election may be questioned on the grounds of want of qualification’ is translated as ‘féadfar toghchán áitiúil a thabhairt faoi cheist ar fhoras díth cáilíochta’. See the commentary on Article 27.3, where ‘ábhar’ expresses ‘ground’. Note that ‘foras’ also expresses ‘institution’ – see the commentary on Article 18.4.2o. Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú questions the need for the unfamiliar (“deoranta”) use of ‘forais’ in the present Article and recommends expressing ‘the ground for his detention’ in the direct translation below as ‘na cúiseanna lena choinneáil’. caoi Ó Dónaill translates ‘caoi a thabhairt do dhuine (ar rud a dhéanamh)’ as ‘to give someone the means, an opportunity (to do something)’. Dinneen translates ‘ní’l aon chaoi agam air’ as ‘I have no means of doing it, of obtaining it’, including ‘opportunity, means’ among the senses of ‘caoi’. ‘Way, path’ may have been the original meaning of the earlier ‘cáe’, which was also the name of ‘a social institution according to which a member of the noble grades had the right to bring a party with him on a night’s coshering visit to each of his servile clients’ – see DIL s.v. ‘cáe’, and Fergus Kelly, op. cit., s.v. ‘cóe’, ‘winter hospitality to lord’. DIL also cites examples of ‘cáe’ in the sense of ‘way, manner, course, means’. This is the same word ‘caoi’ found in the Connacht greeting, ‘Cén chaoi a bhfuil tú? (How are you?)’. Turning to the Acts, see, for example, s111(2) of the Schedule to the European Assembly Elections Act, 1977, where ‘the court may, after giving the person or persons an opportunity of being heard to show cause …’ is translated as ‘féadfaidh an chúirt, tar éis caoi éisteachta a thabhairt don duine nó do na daoine sin chun cúis a shuíomh…’. In s10(4) of the Trade Union Act, 1975, referred to above s.v. ‘gearán’, ‘after giving the complainant and the trade union concerned an opportunity of being heard’ is translated as ‘tar éis deis éisteachta a thabhairt don ghearánach agus don cheardchumann lena mbainfidh’. In s20(2)(g) of the Judicial Separation and Family Law Reform Act, 1989, ‘by reason of having relinquished or foregone the opportunity of remunerative activity’ is translated as ‘de bhíthin an deis ar ghníomhaíocht le haghaidh luach saothair a thabhairt suas nó a ligean uaidh’. In s3(d) of the Higher Education Authority Act, 1971, ‘promoting the attainment of equality of opportunity in higher education’ is translated as ‘dlús a chur le comhdheiseanna a bheith ann ar ard-oideachas’. Both ‘caoi’ and ‘deis’ are found translating ‘opportunity’ in Treaties establishing the European Communities and in the Treaty on European Union also. ‘Deis’ sometimes translates ‘device’/‘contrivance’ in the Acts with ‘caoi’ translating ‘means’ in ‘means of escape from rooms’, ‘caoi éalaithe ó sheomraí’, in s97 of the Mines and Quarries Act, 1965, for example. á rá See the commentary on Article 38.4.1o where ‘cionta

Bunreacht na hÉireann

a deirtear a rinneadar’ expresses ‘offences alleged to have been committed (by persons)’. Ó Dónaill gives ‘state, allege’ as one of the senses of ‘abair’, citing ‘deir sé go bhfuil ocras air, he says he is hungry’ and ‘tú féin a dúirt é, it was you who said it’. In s3(3) of the Local Authorities (Traffic Wardens) Act, 1975, ‘he may affix to the vehicle a notice in the prescribed form stating … that the offence is alleged to have been committed’ is translated as ‘féadfaidh sé fógra san fhoirm fhorordaithe a ghreamú den fheithicil á rá … go líomhnaítear go ndearnadh an cion’. In s2(a) of Article XX in the Schedule to the Bretton Woods Agreements Act, 1957, ‘Each government … shall deposit with the Government of the United States of America an instrument setting forth that it has accepted this Agreement’ is translated as ‘Gach rialtas … taiscfidh sé le Rialtas Stát Aontaithe Mheiriceá ionstraim á rá go bhfuil glactha aige leis an gComhaontú seo…’. Finally, in s18(2)(a) of the Fisheries Act, 1980, ‘without giving the occupier thereof one month’s previous notice in writing of its intention so to do’ is translated as ‘gan fógra i scríbhinn a thabhairt don áititheoir mí roimh ré á rá go bhfuil ar intinn aige sin a dhéanamh’. ‘I allege’ is translated as ‘líomhnaím’ in Téarmaí Dlí, with ‘líomhain’ translating ‘allegation’. In s231(1)(e) of the Companies Act, 1963, for example, ‘to make any compromise or arrangement with creditors or persons claiming to be creditors, or having or alleging themselves to have any claim present or future’ is translated as ‘aon chomhréiteach nó comhshocraíocht a dhéanamh le creidiúnaithe nó le daoine a bheidh á éileamh gur creidiúnaithe iad, nó a bhfuil, nó a líomhnóidh go bhfuil, aon éileamh acu, láithreach nó todhchaí…’. In s166(5) of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 1981, ‘in a case where he alleges that he is entitled to receive a pension at a higher rate’ is translated as ‘i gcás ina líomhnóidh sé go bhfuil sé i dteideal pinsean de réir ráta is airde a fháil’. a thabhairt … i láthair Literally ‘to bring into place’. ‘That there are reasonable grounds for believing that a person specified in the information can produce the child named in the application’ is translated as ‘go mbeidh cúiseanna réasúnacha ann lena chreidiúint gur féidir le duine a bheidh sonraithe san fhaisnéis an leanbh a ainmnítear san iarratas a thabhairt i láthair’ in s46(3) of the Child Care Act, 1991, with ‘an leanbh do thabhairt i láthair na cúirte am áirithe agus in áit áirithe’ translating ‘to produce such child before the court at a specified time and place’ in s18(1) of the School Attendance Act, 1926. ‘Produce the body of the person’ is translated as ‘corp an duine a thabhairt i láthair’ in Téarmaí Oifigiúla (with no reference given). ‘I produce (documents, etc.)’ is translated as ‘tugaim ar aird’ in Téarmaí Dlí. In s39(17)(c) of the Redundancy Payments Act, 1967, ‘The Tribunal may … require such person … to produce any documents in his possession’ is translated as ‘Féadfaidh an Binse … a cheangal ar an duine sin … aon doiciméid a thabhairt ar aird a bheidh ina sheilbh …’. Note that ‘Whenever the registrar shall be required to produce for inspection in his office … any document’ is translated as ‘Aon uair a héileofar ar an gclárathóir aon scríbhinn … a thaisbeáint chun go n-iniúchfar í ina oifig’ in s11(1) of the Companies (Re-constitution of Records) Act, 1924. In s92 of the Schedule to the European Assembly Elec-


A study of the Irish text

tions Act, 1977, ‘and … such personation agent … fails to appear before the court’ is translated as ‘agus … go mainneoidh an gníomhaire pearsanaíochta sin … láithriú os comhair na cúirte’. Section 12 of the Diplomatic Relations and Immunities Act, 1967, is headed ‘General immunities of advocates appearing before Court’, ‘Díolúintí ginearálta d’aighní a láithreoidh os comhair na Cúirte’ and reads as follows: ‘Persons … engaged in appearing before the Court as representatives of a government’, ‘Na daoine … a bheidh fruilithe ag láithriú os comhair na Cúirte mar ionadaithe do Rialtas’. In Treaties establishing the European Communities (1973, p. 61), ‘to bring an action before the Court’ is translated as ‘caingean a thabhairt os comhair na Cúirte.’ a chruthú gur braighdeanas cóir an braighdeanas Regarding ‘justify’, see s5(3) of the Criminal Justice Act, 1990, where ‘such limited duration as is justified by those reasons’ is translated as ‘cibé fad teoranta a bheidh cóir ag féachaint do na cúiseanna sin’. In Treaties establishing the European Communities (1973, p. 252), ‘the Council, may … decide that aid which that State is granting … shall be considered to be compatible with the common market, … if such a decision is justified by exceptional circumstances’ is translated as ‘Féadfaidh an Chomhairle … a chinneadh go measfar cabhair atá á tabhairt … ag an Stát sin a bheith ag luí leis an gcómhargadh, … má fhágann imthosca eisceachtúla gur cinneadh cóir é sin’. In s10(5) of the Trade Union Act, 1975, ‘Where the Registrar finds a complaint under this section to be justified’ is translated as ‘I gcás ina gcinnfidh an Cláraitheoir ceart a bheith le gearán faoin alt seo’. We find forms based on ‘fí(o)r’ (‘true’) translating ‘justify’ in some sources. In s5(3)(b) of the Wealth Tax Act, 1975, ‘or for any other analogous reason which, in the opinion of the Commissioners, is sufficient to justify the benefits conferred by this subsection’ is translated as ‘nó ar aon chúis eile den tsamhail chéanna is leor, i dtuairim na gCoimisinéirí, chun na sochair a thugtar leis an bhfo-alt seo a fhíréanú’. The verb ‘fíréanaigh’ is based on ‘fíréan’, translated as ‘just, righteous, true, genuine’ in Ó Dónaill, who does not give that verb as a headword. Dinneen, however, has ‘fíréanuighim’, ‘I justify’, and ‘justifiable’ is translated as ‘infhíréanuithe’ in Téarmaí Oifigiúla. Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú remarks that ‘make righteous in the sight of God’ is one of the senses of ‘justify’ and that that is what is rendered by ‘fíréanaigh’. ‘Justification (i.e. of defamatory statement)’ is translated as ‘fírinniú’ in Téarmaí Dlí, while ‘justifiable homicide’ is translated as ‘dúnbhású dlíthiúil’. In the Treaty on European Union (1992, p. 19), ‘to take measures which are justified on grounds of public policy or public security’ is translated as ‘bearta a ghlacadh a dhlitear ar fhorais an bheartais phoiblí nó na slándála poiblí’. We also find ‘call’ translating ‘justify’. In Treaties establishing the European Communities (1973, p. 554), ‘it may be extended if the situation which justified its granting continues’ is translated as ‘féadfar é a fhadú má mhaireann na cúrsaí ba chall lena dheonú’. On p. 20, ‘with no protection against competing industries that is not justified by improper action on their part’ is translated as ‘faoi choinníollacha a choisceann aon chosaint in aghaidh tionscal iomaíoch mura bhfuil call lena leithéid mar gheall ar ghníomh mídhleathach ag na tionscail’. In s166(1)(b)

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of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 1981, ‘when a person has been at any time … in receipt of old age pension at a certain rate when his means exceeded the amount which justified the payment of a pension at that rate’ is translated as ‘an raibh duine, tráth ar bith …, ag fáil pinsin seanaoise de réir ráta áirithe nuair ba mhó a acmhainn ná an méid ar chall pinsean a íoc de réir an ráta sin’. Following that, one might translate ‘justifying the detention’ as ‘a léiriú go raibh call leis an gcoinneáil’. L. Mc Cionnaith s.v. ‘justify’, in the sense of ‘justify position, attitude, policy’, refers the reader to ‘defend’, and ‘cosain’ has been used in some documents to translate ‘justify’. ‘He said, in justification of his attitude’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as being translated as ‘dubhairt sé, á chosaint féin’ in a 1928 Report of the Public Accounts Committee, with ‘níor cheart airgead do chaitheamh air’ being cited as translating ‘the expenditure was not justified’ in a Report from the previous year, and ‘such as to justify expectation’ being translated as ‘de shaghas go mbeidh súil réasúnta le’ in Iris on Phuist, 29/2/28. Regarding ‘justify’ in the sense of ‘justified in doing’, L. Mc Cionnaith refers the reader to ‘right, proper’, and we have seen above how ‘ceart’ and ‘cóir’ has been used to render ‘justify’. Finally, note that De Bhaldraithe translates ‘justify’ as ‘tugaim údar maith le (gníomh)’. ina phearsain See the commentary on Article 40.1. Commenting on the direct translation below, and noting the examples of the use of ‘corp’ above, including in the 1922 Constitution, Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú remarks that ‘a dead body’ is what an Irish speaker would understand by ‘corp’ and this is probably why the drafters of the 1937 Constitution departed from ‘corp’, Professor Ó Murchú regarding ‘i bpearsain’ as being completely satisfactory and cites ‘do bhí breágha a bpearsoin, gur thaitnigh mar mhnaoi ris’ from Beatha Chríost, l. 124. i dtaobh This phrase is translated as ‘about, concerning’ in Ó Dónaill and as ‘regarding, in reference to, about’ in Dinneen. Note that a comma follows the phrase ‘i dtaobh an ghearáin sin’ in the original Amendment. a bheirtear According to the official standard, this would be rendered as ‘a thugtar’ – see the commentary on Article 12.1. a dheimhniú ‘Deimhním’ is translated as ‘I certify’ – see the commentary on Article 1. de réir an dlí Note ‘de réir dlí’ in the previous subsection. i láthair See the commentary on Article 40.1.

Standardised gender-proofed Irish text Nuair a dhéanann duine ar bith gearán, nó nuair a dhéantar gearán thar ceann duine ar bith, leis an Ard-Chúirt nó le breitheamh ar bith di á rá go bhfuil an duine sin á choinneáil ina bhrá nó á coinneáil ina brá go haindleathach, ní foláir don Ard-Chúirt agus d’aon bhreitheamh agus do gach breitheamh di chun a ndéanfar an gearán sin fiosrú a dhéanamh láithreach i dtaobh an ghearáin sin agus féadfaidh a ordú do neach coinnithe an duine sin ina bhrá nó ina brá an duine sin a thabhairt ina


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phearsa nó ina pearsa i láthair na hArd-Chúirte lá a ainmnítear agus a dheimhniú i scríbhinn cad is forais dá bhraighdeanas nó dá braighdeanas, agus ní foláir don Ard-Chúirt, nuair a thugtar an duine sin ina phearsa nó ina pearsa i láthair na Cúirte sin agus tar éis caoi a thabhairt do neach a choinnithe ina bhrá nó a coinnithe ina brá ar a chruthú gur braighdeanas cóir an braighdeanas, a ordú an duine sin a scaoileadh as an mbraighdeanas sin mura deimhin leis an gCúirt sin gur de réir an dlí atáthar á choinneáil nó á coinneáil.

Direct gender-proofed translation Ar aon duine a dhéanamh gearáin nó ar ghearán a dhéanamh thar ceann aon duine chun na hArd-Chúirte nó chun aon bhreithimh den Ard-Chúirt á líomhain go bhfuil an duine sin á choinneáil nó á coinneáil go neamhdhleathach, déanfaidh an Ard-Chúirt agus aon bhreitheamh agus gach breitheamh den Ard-Chúirt a ndéanfar an gearán sin chuige nó chuici an gearán sin a fhiosrú1 agus féadfaidh sé nó sí a ordú don duine a bhfuil an duine sin á choinneáil nó á coinneáil faoina choimeád nó faoina coimeád corp an duine sin a thabhairt i láthair2 na hArd-Chúirte lá a ainmneofar agus forais a choinneála nó a coinneála3 a dheimhniú i scríbhinn, agus déanfaidh an Ard-Chúirt, ar chorp an duine sin a thabhairt i láthair4 na Cúirte agus tar éis caoi5 a thabhairt don duine a bhfuil sé nó sí á choinneáil nó á coinneáil faoina choimeád nó faoina coimeád an choinneáil a chosaint, a ordú an duine sin a scaoileadh saor ón gcoinneáil sin mura deimhin léi6 go bhfuiltear á choinneáil nó á coinneáil de réir an dlí.

Bunreacht na hÉireann

LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

In a case of a person who is said to be being unlawfully kept a prisoner’s being brought in person before the High Court in pursuance of an order to that effect being made under this section and that the Court is certain that that person is being kept a prisoner in accordance with a particular law but that that law is invalid having regard to the provisions of this Constitution, the High Court must submit that question of whether that law is or is not valid to the Supreme Court for judgement in the form of a stated case and (it) can, while that question is being so submitted for judgement or at any time after that, allow that person to have his freedom, subject to those bonds and conditions that the High Court will appoint until the Supreme Court will give a judgement on the question which will be thus submitted for its judgement. ENGLISH TEXT

Where the body of a person alleged to be unlawfully detained is produced before the High Court in pursuance of an order in that behalf made under this section and that Court is satisfied that such person is being detained in accordance with a law but that such law is invalid having regard to the provisions of this Constitution, the High Court shall refer the question of the validity of such law to the Supreme Court by way of case stated and may, at the time of such reference or at any time thereafter, allow the said person to be at liberty on such bail and subject to such conditions as the High Court shall fix until the Supreme Court has determined the question so referred to it.

Divergences between the official texts

Variants 1 ‘fiosrú faoin ngearán sin’ 2 ‘i láthair os comhair’, ‘… faoina coimeád an duine sin a thabhairt i láthair i bpearsain’ 3 ‘na cúiseanna lena choinneáil nó lena coinneáil’, ‘forais na coinneála sin’ 4 ‘i láthair os comhair’, ‘ar an duine sin a thabhairt i láthair i bpearsain’ 5 ‘deis’ 6 ‘mura deimhin leis an gCúirt’

1

2

3

ARTICLE 40.4.3

O

AIRTEAGAL 40.4.3

O

TÉACS GAEILGE

I gcás duine a deirtear a bheith á choinneáil ina bhrá go haindleathach a thabhairt ina phearsain i láthair na hArdChúirte de bhun ordaithe chuige sin arna dhéanamh faoin alt seo agus gur deimhin leis an gCúirt sin an duine sin a bheith á choinneáil ina bhrá de réir dlí áirithe ach an dlí sin a bheith neamhbhailí ag féachaint d’fhorálacha an Bhunreachta seo, ní foláir don Ard-Chúirt an cheist sin bail a bheith nó gan a bheith ar an dlí sin a chur faoi bhreith na Cúirte Uachtaraí i bhfoirm cháis ríofa agus féadfaidh, le linn an cheist sin a chur faoi bhreith amhlaidh nó tráth ar bith ina dhiaidh sin, ligean don duine sin a shaoirse a bheith aige, faoi réir na mbannaí agus na gcoinníollacha sin a cheapfaidh an Ard-Chúirt go dtí go dtabharfaidh an Chúirt Uachtarach breith ar an gceist a chuirfear faoina breith amhlaidh.

4

5

6

7

As in the preceding section, ‘body of a person is … produced’ is rendered as ‘duine … a thabhairt ina phearsain’ (‘a person is brought in person’) in the Irish text, ‘alleged’ is rendered as ‘a deirtear’ (‘stated’) and ‘unlawfully detained’ is rendered as ‘á choinneáil ina bhrá go haindleathach’ (‘unlawfully kept a prisoner’). ‘Refer to the Supreme Court’ is rendered as ‘a chur faoi bhreith na Cúirte Uachtaraí’ (‘submit to the Supreme Court for determination’) in the Irish text. ‘Case stated’ is rendered as ‘cás ríofa’ in the Irish text, ‘cás sonraithe’ translating ‘case stated’ in Téarmaí Dlí; ‘by way of (case stated)’ is rendered as ‘i bhfoirm (cháis ríofa)’, ‘in the form of (case stated)’, in the Irish text. ‘Until the Supreme Court has determined the question’ is rendered as ‘go dtí go dtabharfaidh an Chúirt Uachtarach breith ar an gceist’ (‘until the Supreme Court will give a judgement on the question’) in the Irish text. ‘In accordance with a law’ is rendered as ‘de réir dlí áirithe’ (‘in accordance with a certain law’) in the Irish text. ‘On such bail and subject to such conditions’ is rendered as ‘faoi réir na mbannaí agus na gcoinníollacha sin’ (‘subject to such bail and conditions’) in the Irish text. ‘The question of the validity of such law’ is rendered as ‘an cheist sin bail a bheith nó gan a bheith ar an dlí sin’ (‘that question whether that law is valid or is not valid’) in the Irish text.


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8

Again ‘shall’ (in ‘shall refer’) is rendered as ‘ní foláir’ (‘must’) in the Irish text.

Note that this subsection was inserted by the Second Amendment of the Constitution Act, 1941 – see the commentary on Article 40.4.2o.

Commentary i bhfoirm cháis ríofa On two counts, according to the official standard, ‘cháis’ would remain unlenited here; firstly, after the prepositional phrase, an indefinite noun remains unlenited (see An Caighdeán Oifigiúil, p. 83, s5), and secondly, ‘ríofa’ functions adjectivally here and therefore ‘cás’ in the genitive following the noun ‘foirm’ would be treated like ‘gaoth’ and ‘cos’ in the examples ‘oíche gaoithe móire’ and ‘scian coise duibhe’ cited in An Caighdeán Oifigiúil (p. 84, s6(I)(c)). ‘Cuntas ríofa’ is translated as ‘account stated’ in Téarmaí Dlí, the verb ‘ríomhaim’ being translated as ‘I compute’. ‘Ríofa’ is the genitive singular of the verbal noun of the verb ‘ríomh’, which verb is translated as (1) ‘count, enumerate; reckon, calculate, compute’ and (2) ‘recount, narrate’ in Ó Dónaill. ‘Ríomhtha’ is translated as ‘reckoned, accounted, narrated’ in Dinneen, who cites ‘réime ríomhtha ríoghradh is réacsa, the developed lists of kings and monarchs’. DIL translates ‘rímid’ as (a) ‘counts, reckons, estimates’ and (b) ‘recounts, relates’, giving examples from the twelfth-century Book of Leinster and from later sources. In s10 of the Finance Act, 1944, ‘case stated’ is translated as ‘cás ríofa’. ‘Case stated’ is translated as ‘cás sonraithe’ in Téarmaí Dlí, however, following the Fourth Irish Legal Terms Order of 1949. In s9(v) of the Finance Act, 1983, ‘and any case stated by a judge pursuant to the said s428 shall set forth the facts, the determination of the Appeal Commissioners and the determination of the judge’ is translated as ‘agus in aon chás a shonróidh breitheamh de bhun an ailt sin 428 leagfar amach na fíorais, cinneadh na gCoimisinéirí Achomhairc agus cinneadh an bhreithimh’. ‘The case stated’ and ‘notice requiring a case stated’ are translated respectively as ‘an cás sonraithe’ and ‘fógra á iarraidh cás a shonrú’ in Fasaigh Dlí-Théarmaí (the references given being 431/47 F.A 10 and F.A 6 respectively). ‘Foras ríofa’ translates ‘basis of calculation’ in s10(1)(c) of the Decimal Currency Act, 1970. As regards ‘i bhfoirm’, ‘comhaontú i bhfoirm chomhréitigh’ is translated as ‘agreement by way of compromise’ in Téarmaí Dlí. Literally this phrase translates ‘in (the) form of’ – ‘probate in common form’, for example, is translated as ‘probháid i bhfoirm choiteann’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘Ar mhodh’ regularly translates ‘by way of’ in the Acts – see, for example, s109(a)(vii) of the Finance Act, 1983, where ‘where action by way of court proceedings has been taken’ is translated as ‘i gcás caingean ar mhodh imeachtaí cúirte a bheith tionscanta’. ‘By way of distraint’ is translated as ‘ar mhodh tochsail’ in s151(8)(c) of the Corporation Tax Act, 1976, and in s18 of the Criminal Law (Jurisdiction Act) of the same year ‘by way of sworn deposition’ is translated as ‘ar mhodh teistíochta faoi mhionn’. We also find ‘i modh’, ‘mar’ and ‘trí’. a chur faoi bhreith Ó Dónaill translates ‘cuir faoi’ literally as ‘put under’, giving ‘submit to’ as a secondary sense,

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citing ‘cuir faoi do choimirce iad, place them under your protection’ and ‘cuireadh faoi ghuí an phobail é, the prayers of the congregation were asked for him’. Ó Dónaill also cites ‘cuireadh an taibhse faoi chónaí, the ghost was laid’. Ó Dónaill s.v. ‘breith’, translates ‘cás a chur faoi bhreith duine’ as ‘to submit a case to someone for determination’. Dinneen translates ‘cuirim’ with ‘fá’ and noun as ‘I bind, restrain, etc.’ and cites ‘cuirim fá bhreitheamhnas aithrighe, I enjoin as a penance upon’. In Statutory Instrument 48/111, ‘submission by deed’ is translated as ‘cur faoi bhreith trí ghníomhas’. See the commentary on Articles 26 and 46.2. Turning to ‘refer’, see the commentary on Article 22.2.2o where ‘refer’ is expressed as ‘cuir faoi bhráid’. ‘I refer (a case to the County Registrar, etc.)’ is translated as ‘tarchuirim (cás chun an Chláraitheora Chontae, etc.)’ in Téarmaí Dlí. In s15 of the Electricity (Supply) (Amendment) Act, 1949, ‘which section relates to the reference of disputes to the Tribunal established pursuant to that Act’ is translated as ‘alt a bhaineas le díospóidí a tharchur chun an Bhinse a bunaíodh de bhun an Achta sin’. In s9(11)(B)(f) of the Finance Act, 1983, to refer his application to the Appeal Commissioners’ is translated as ‘a iarratas a tharchur chun na gCoimisinéirí Ioncaim’. In the Treaty on European Union (1992, p. 68), ‘The Court of First Instance shall not be competent to hear and determine questions referred for a preliminary ruling under Article 177’ is translated as ‘Ní bheidh an Chúirt Chéadchéime inniúil ceisteanna a tharchuirtear chun réamhrialú de bhun Airteagal 177 a éisteacht agus a chinneadh’. In Treaties establishing the European Communities (1973, p. 726), ‘the decision of the court or tribunal of a Member State which suspends its proceedings and refers a case to the Court’ is translated as ‘nuair a chinnfidh cúirt nó binse de chuid Ballstáit ar a himeachtaí a fhionraí agus cás a tharchur chun na Cúirte’. As regards ‘reference’ towards the end of the section, see, for example ‘reference order’ in Téarmaí Dlí, translated as ‘ordú tarchurtha’, ‘barántas tarchuir’ translating ‘transmit warrant’. an cheist sin See, for example, s12 of the Liability for Defective Products Act, 1991, where ‘Section 1 of the Courts Act, 1988, shall apply to … a question of fact or an issue arising in such an action’ is translated as ‘Beidh feidhm ag alt 1 d’Acht na gCúirteanna, 1988, maidir le … ceist fíorais nó saincheist a éireoidh i gcaingean den sórt sin’. In s10(c) of the Finance Act, 1990, ‘Provided that … the question of whether a trade is being carried on shall be determined without regard to this subsection’ is translated as ‘Ar choinníoll go ndéanfar … an cheist i dtaobh trádáil a bheith á seoladh a chinneadh gan féachaint don alt seo’. In Treaties establishing the European Communities (1973, p. 1476), ‘The question of exports of sugar from India to the Community … must be settled by the Community’ is translated as ‘Déanfaidh an Comhphobal an cheist i dtaobh onnmhairí siúcra ón India chun an Chomhphobail … a rialú …’. See further the commentary on Article 22.2.2o. a cheapfaidh ‘Ceapaim’ is translated as ‘I appoint’ in Téarmaí Dlí. Among the senses given in Ó Dónaill are ‘fashion, shape, invent’ and ‘appoint, assign’, with ‘cheap sé aimsir chuige’ translated as ‘he fixed a time for it’, while Dinneen includes ‘resolve, determine on’ s.v. ‘ceapaim’, citing ‘do cheapas lá don chruinniughadh, I fixed upon a


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day for the assembly’. See the commentary on Articles 6.1, 13.1.1o, 15.10 and 34.4.5o, where this verb expresses respectively ‘designate’, ‘appoint’, ‘attach’ and ‘direct’, and see the commentary on Article 16.2.2o where ‘fix’ is expressed as ‘socraigh’. In s23(2) of the Standing Orders of Dáil Éireann (1997), ‘Such motion shall fix the period of suspension’ is translated as ‘Ceapfar tréimhse na fionraíochta leis an tairiscint sin’. In s78, however, ‘such motion shall … fix the number of members to serve on it’ is translated as ‘sa tairiscint sin … socrófar an líon comhaltaí atá le fónamh air’ and the heading above s125, ‘Orders fixing date for next Stage of Bills’, is translated as ‘Orduithe ag socrú dáta don chéad chéim eile de Bhillí’. The standard phrase in the Acts, ‘This Act shall come into operation on such day or days as may be fixed therefore by any order or orders of the Minister’, in s2 of the Road Traffic Act, 1961, for example, is translated as ‘Tiocfaidh an tAcht seo i ngníomh cibé lá nó laethanta a shocrófar chuige sin le hordú nó le horduithe ón Aire’. Note that in Article 40.4.5o, ‘(in ionad) an lae a socraíodh i dtosach’ expresses ‘the day originally fixed’ and ‘ceapfaidh an Ard-Chúirt lá’ expresses ‘the High Court shall appoint a day’. Note, finally, that a comma follows the phrase ‘a cheapfaidh an Árd-Chúirt’ in the original Amendment. le linn (an) This phrase usually translates ‘in’ in the sense of ‘in the course of, while’ in the Acts – see, for example, s26(5) of the Capital Gains Tax Act, 1975, where ‘in the course of dissolving or winding up the company’ is translated as ‘le linn an chuideachta a bheith á díoscaoileadh nó á foirceannadh’. In the Treaty on European Union (1992, p. 37), ‘during the second stage’ is translated as ‘le linn an dara céim’ – on p. 210, however, ‘at the time of signature of these texts’ is translated as ‘tráth sínithe na dtéacsanna sin’. In s316 of the Fisheries (Consolidation) Act, 1959, ‘it shall not be necessary for the said Justice … to pronounce the fact of such forfeiture at the time of adjudication’ is translated as ‘ní gá don Bhreitheamh sin … an forghéilleadh sin a fhógairt tráth an bhreithnithe’. See the commentary on Articles 12.9 (where this phrase expresses ‘during’) and 15.5 (where ‘le linn’ expresses ‘at the date of’). ligean don duine sin a shaoirse a bheith aige Literally ‘to allow that person to have his liberty/freedom’. See the commentary on Article 45.2.iii regarding ‘lig do’. In s1(c) of the Public Safety (Emergency Powers) Act, 1923, ‘that he is satisfied that the public safety is endangered by such person being allowed to remain at liberty’ is translated as ‘gur deimhin leis an tsábháltacht phuiblí do bheith i gcontúirt de bharr leigint don duine sin a shaoirse do bheith aige’. ‘That the public safety would be endangered by such person being set at liberty’ is translated as ‘gur chontúirt don tsábháltacht phuiblí an duine sin do leigint chun siúil’ in s3(1)(b) of the Public Safety (Emergency Powers) Act, 1923. ‘To allow him to be at liberty on such bail’ is translated as ‘leigint dó bheith saor fé sna bannaí sin’ in s45(3) of the Offences Against the State Act, 1939. See De Bhaldraithe who translates ‘at liberty’ as ‘saor’ and ‘to set someone at liberty’ as ‘duine a scaoileadh saor; cead a chinn a thabhairt do dhuine’. See further the commentary on Article 40.6.1o.

Bunreacht na hÉireann

faoi réir na mbannaí ‘I admit to bail’ and ‘I go bail for’ are translated respectively as ‘ligim faoi bhannaí’ and ‘téim faoi bhannaí’ in Téarmaí Dlí, with ‘on bail’ translated as ‘faoi bhannaí’. In the Fisheries (Amendment) Act, 1978, ‘the release on bail’ is translated as ‘a scaoileadh amach ar bannaí’. go dtí go dtabharfaidh an Chúirt Uachtarach breith Literally, ‘until the High Court will give a judgement’. See the commentary on Article 15.11.1o where ‘determine’ is expressed as ‘breith a thabhairt’. ‘I determine (issue, etc.)’ is translated as ‘cinnim’ in Téarmaí Dlí. See, for example, s9(d) of the Fourth Schedule to the Capital Gains Tax Act, 1975, where ‘enabling any such person to have the matter determined by the tribunal having jurisdiction to determine that matter if arising on an appeal against an assessment’ is translated as ‘a chumasóidh d’aon duine den sórt sin an t-ábhar a chur á chinneadh ag an mbinse ag a mbeidh dlínse an t-ábhar sin a chinneadh má bhíonn an t-ábhar sin ann de bharr achomharc in aghaidh measúnachta’. See the commentary on Article 1 where ‘determine’ is expressed by ‘cinn’. bail ‘Maidir leis an gceist sin bail a bheith nó gan a bheith ar aon dlí áirithe’ expresses ‘the question of the validity of any law’ in Article 34.3.2o. ‘Validity’ is given as the final sense of ‘bail’ in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘ionas go mbeadh bail ar a fhaoistin, so that his confession might be valid’ – see the commentary on Articles 15.4.2o and 37.2. DIL gives the principal sense of ‘bal’ as ‘state (of affairs), condition, situation’, with the secondary sense of ‘prosperity, good luck, good effect’. ‘Validity’ is translated as ‘bailíocht’ in Téarmaí Dlí. In s10(1) of the European Assembly Elections Act, 1977, ‘The returning officer shall rule on the validity of each nomination paper within one hour after its delivery to him and may rule that it is invalid …’ is translated as ‘Tabharfaidh an ceann comhairimh rialú ar bhailíocht gach páipéar ainmniúcháin laistigh d’uair a chloig tar éis a sheachadta dó, agus féadfaidh sé a rialú go bhfuil sé neamhbhailí…’. ‘Bailíocht’ is cited as translating ‘validity’ in s14(2) of the National Health Insurance Act, 1942. In Treaties establishing the European Communities (1973, p. 40), ‘The Court shall have sole jurisdiction to give preliminary rulings on the validity of acts of the High Authority and of the Council where such validity is in issue in proceedings brought before a national court or tribunal’ is translated as ‘Is ag an gCúirt amháin a bheidh dlínse chun réamhrialú a thabhairt ar bhailíocht ghníomhartha an Ard-Údaráis agus na Comhairle i gcás an bhailíocht sin a bheith i saincheist in imeachtaí a thabharfar os comhair cúirte nó binse náisiúnta’. neamhbhailí This compound is translated as ‘invalid’ in Téarmaí Dlí and in Ó Dónaill. See the commentary on Articles 15.4.2o and 37.2 where ‘invalid’ is expressed respectively as ‘gan bhail’ and ‘ó bhail’. a deirtear See the commentary on the previous subsection and note that in s8(2) of the Larceny Act, 1990, ‘handling property alleged to have been stolen’ is translated as ‘láimhseáil maoine a líomhnaítear a bheith goidte’. go haindleathach See the commentary on the previous subsection.


A study of the Irish text

a thabhairt ina phearsain i láthair See the commentary on the previous subsection. á choinneáil ina bhrá previous subsection.

See the commentary on the

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nó, mura mbeidh seisean ar fáil, an breitheamh is sinsearaí den Chúirt sin dá mbeidh ar fáil a ordú, i dtaobh an cháis sin, an líon sin a bheith inti agus is breitheamh amháin is Ard-Chúirt i ngach cás eile den sórt sin. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Standardised gender-proofed Irish text I gcás duine a deirtear a bheith á choinneáil ina bhrá nó á coinneáil ina brá go haindleathach a thabhairt ina phearsa nó ina pearsa i láthair na hArd-Chúirte de bhun ordaithe chuige sin arna dhéanamh faoin alt seo agus gur deimhin leis an gCúirt sin an duine sin a bheith á choinneáil ina bhrá nó á coinneáil ina brá de réir dlí áirithe ach an dlí sin a bheith neamhbhailí ag féachaint d’fhorálacha an Bhunreachta seo, ní foláir don Ard-Chúirt an cheist sin bail a bheith nó gan a bheith ar an dlí sin a chur faoi bhreith na Cúirte Uachtaraí i bhfoirm cáis ríofa agus féadfaidh, le linn an cheist sin a chur faoi bhreith amhlaidh nó tráth ar bith ina dhiaidh sin, ligean don duine sin a shaoirse a bheith aige nó a saoirse a bheith aici, faoi réir na mbannaí agus na gcoinníollacha sin a cheapfaidh an Ard-Chúirt go dtí go dtabharfaidh an Chúirt Uachtarach breith ar an gceist a chuirfear faoina breith amhlaidh.

Three judges constitute a High Court in any particular case, in which a person who is said to be being kept a prisoner unlawfully is brought in person before the High Court in pursuance of an order to that effect made under this section, if the President of the High Court or, if he is not available, the most senior judge of that Court who is / will be available orders, as regards that case, that it have that complement and one judge constitutes a High Court in every other case of that kind. ENGLISH TEXT

The High Court before which the body of a person alleged to be unlawfully detained is to be produced in pursuance of an order in that behalf made under this section shall, if the President of the High Court or, if he is not available, the senior judge of that Court who is available so directs in respect of any particular case, consist of three judges and shall, in every other case, consist of one judge only.

Divergences between the official texts

Direct gender-proofed translation I gcás corp duine a líomhnaítear a bheith á choinneáil nó á coinneáil go neamhdhleathach a thabhairt i láthair1 na hArd-Chúirte de bhun ordaithe chuige sin arna dhéanamh faoin alt seo agus gur deimhin leis an gCúirt go bhfuil an duine sin á choinneáil nó á coinneáil de réir dlí ach go bhfuil an dlí sin neamhbhailí ag féachaint d’fhorálacha an Bhunreachta seo, déanfaidh an Ard-Chúirt an cheist i dtaobh bhailíocht an dlí sin a tharchur chun na Cúirte Uachtaraí ar mhodh cáis shonraithe agus féadfaidh an Ard-Chúirt, tráth an tarchurtha sin nó tráth ar bith ina dhiaidh sin, saoirse a thabhairt don duine sin2, ar cibé bannaí agus faoi réir cibé coinníollacha a shocróidh3 an Ard-Chúirt go dtí go ndéanfaidh an Chúirt Uachtarach cinneadh faoin gceist4 a tharchuirfear chuici amhlaidh5.

1

Variants

2

1 ‘i láthair os comhair’, ‘I gcás duine a líomhnaítear a bheith á choinneáil nó á coinneáil go neamhdhleathach a thabhairt i láthair i bpearsain’ 2 ‘ligean don duine sin a shaoirse a bheith aige, nó a saoirse a bheith aici’, ‘an duine sin a scaoileadh saor’, ‘ligean don duine sin a bheith saor’ 3 ‘a cheapfaidh’ 4 ‘go dtí go dtabharfaidh an Chúirt Uachtarach breith ar an gceist’, ‘go dtí go gcinnfidh an Chúirt Uachtarach an cheist’ 5 ‘go dtí go ndéanfaidh an Chúirt Uachtarach an cheist a tharchuirfear chuici amhlaidh a chinneadh’

ARTICLE 40.4.4O AIRTEAGAL 40.4.4O TÉACS GAEILGE

Is triúr breitheamh is Ard-Chúirt in aon chás áirithe, ina ndéantar duine a deirtear a bheith á choinneáil ina bhrá go haindleathach a thabhairt ina phearsain i láthair na hArd-Chúirte de bhun ordaithe chuige sin arna dhéanamh faoin alt seo, má dhéanann Uachtarán na hArd-Chúirte

3

‘The High Court … shall, if the President of the High Court … so directs in respect of any particular case, consist of three judges and shall, in every other case, consist of one judge only’ is rendered in the Irish text as ‘Is triúr breitheamh is Ard-Chúirt in aon chás áirithe … má dhéanann Uachtarán na hArd-Chúirte … a ordú, i dtaobh an cháis sin, an líon sin a bheith inti agus is breitheamh amháin is Ard-Chúirt i ngach cás eile den sórt sin’ (‘The High Court consists of three judges / Three judges constitute a High Court in any particular case if the President of the High Court directs/orders, as regards that case, that it have that complement and the High Court consists of one judge / one judge constitutes a High Court in every other case of that kind’). ‘The senior judge’ is rendered as ‘an breitheamh is sinsearaí’ (‘the most senior judge’) in the Irish text and ‘in every other case’ is rendered as ‘i ngach cás eile den sórt sin’, ‘in every other case of that kind’. As in the two previous subsections, ‘a deirtear’ (‘stated’) renders ‘alleged’ in the Irish text, ‘a bheith á choinneáil ina bhrá go haindleathach’ (‘unlawfully kept a prisoner’) renders ‘unlawfully detained’ and ‘a thabhairt ina phearsain’ (‘being brought in person’) renders ‘the body is to be produced’.

Note that this subsection was added to the text by the Second Amendment of the Constitution Act, 1941 – see the commentary on Article 40.4.2o.

Commentary a ordú ‘Ordaím’ is translated as ‘I order’ in Téarmaí Dlí and ‘órduighim’ is translated as ‘I order, ordain, appoint, decree, plan, dispose, direct, prescribe, arrange, wish, command …’ in Dinneen. ‘Ordaigh’ is translated as ‘order’


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in Ó Dónaill. The Old Irish deponent verb ‘ord(d)aigidir’ is based on the noun ‘ord’, a learned loanword from Latin ‘ordo’, and is translated as ‘orders, ordains, institutes’, ‘appoints (to an office)’ and ‘assigns, allots’ in DIL, where examples are cited from the eighth-century Glosses onwards. See the commentary on Article 25.4.2o. Moving on to today, in Fasaigh Dlí-Théarmaí, ‘It is hereby ordered and directed’ is translated as ‘ordaítear leis seo’ and ‘the payments directed to be made’ is translated as ‘na híocaíochtaí a ordaíodh’. See the commentary on Article 34.4.5o where ‘direct’ is rendered by ‘ceap’. In s328(2) of the Fisheries (Consolidation) Act, 1959, ‘All things which by this Act are directed to be done by … any person’ is translated as ‘Gach ní a ordaítear leis an Acht seo a dhéanamh ag aon duine’. ‘I direct (jury)’ is translated as ‘treoraím’ in Téarmaí Dlí with ‘direction (by judge)’ translated as ‘treorú’. In s79(1)(b) of the Pensions Act, 1990, ‘the Court may by order direct the person’ is translated as ‘féadfaidh an Chúirt le hordú a threorú don duine…’. In Form 4 in the Schedule of Forms to Statutory Instrument No. 96 of 1976 (District Court [Family Law (Maintenance of Spouses and Children) Act, 1976] Rules, 1976), ‘The Court Directs that the payments aforesaid be made to the District Court Clerk’ is translated as ‘Treoraíonn an Chúirt go n-íocfar na híocaíochtaí réamhráite leis an gCléireach Cúirte Dúiche’. Preceding this we find ‘The Court Hereby Orders …’ translated as ‘Ordaíonn an Chúirt leis seo’. an breitheamh is sinsearaí Literally, ‘the most senior judge’. ‘Senior counsel’ is translated as ‘abhcóide sinsir’ in Téarmaí Dlí – in s15(2) of the Courts of Justice Act, 1953, for example, ‘of whom one shall be of the Senior Bar’ is translated as ‘agus duine díobh sin ina Abhcóide Sinsir’. In Titles (in Irish and English) of Civil Service Posts (1938), however, ‘senior’ is consistently rendered as ‘sinsearach’, from ‘Senior Architectural Draughtsman’ (‘Línightheoir Sinnsearach Ailtireachta’) to ‘Senior Court Clerk’ (‘Cléireach Cúirte Sinnsearach’) to ‘Senior Legal Clerk’ (‘Cléireach Dlighidh Sinnsearach’) to ‘Senior Translator’ (‘Aistrightheoir Sinnsearach’). In the Third Schedule to the Defence Act, 1954, ‘Senior Chief Petty Officer’ is styled in Irish ‘Ard-Mhion-Oifigeach Sinsearach’. See the commentary on Article 34.5.2o where ‘i láthair … an bhreithimh den Chúirt Uachtarach is sinsearaí dá mbeidh ar fáil’ expresses ‘in the presence of … the senior available judge of the Supreme Court’. Is … is See the commentary on Article 2 regarding ‘consist’ in the Acts. Note for example that ‘Aon teagmhas ar diúscairt sócmhainne a bheadh ann ar leith ó mhír 2 …, is diúscairt den sórt sin í d’fhonn a chinneadh …’ translates ‘An event which, apart from paragraph 2 …, would constitute a disposal of an asset shall constitute such a disposal for the purpose of determining …’ in s64(5) of the Finance Act, 1990. Note also that a comma follows the phrase ‘is breitheamh amháin’ in the original text. Ard-Chúirt Unlike the previous subsection, there is no ‘síneadh fada’ on the ‘A’ in ‘Ard-Chúirt’, either in this or in the following subsection, in the text as published in the Second Amendment of the Constitution Act, 1941. a deirtear See the commentary on Article 40.4.2o.

Bunreacht na hÉireann

á choinneáil ina bhrá See the commentary on Article 40.4.2o. go haindleathach See the commentary on Article 40.4.2o. a thabhairt ina phearsain See the commentary on Article 40.4.2o.

Standardised gender-proofed Irish text Is triúr breitheamh is Ard-Chúirt in aon chás áirithe, ina ndéantar duine a deirtear a bheith á choinneáil ina bhrá nó á coinneáil ina brá go haindleathach a thabhairt ina phearsa nó ina pearsa i láthair na hArd-Chúirte de bhun ordaithe chuige sin arna dhéanamh faoin alt seo, má dhéanann Uachtarán na hArd-Chúirte nó, mura mbeidh seisean nó sise ar fáil, an breitheamh is sinsearaí den Chúirt sin dá mbeidh ar fáil a ordú, i dtaobh an cháis sin, an líon sin a bheith inti agus is breitheamh amháin is Ard-Chúirt i ngach cás eile den sórt sin.

Direct gender-proofed translation Triúr Breitheamh a bheidh san Ard-Chúirt a ndéanfar corp duine a líomhnaítear a bheith á choinneáil nó á coinneáil go neamhdhleathach a thabhairt ina láthair1 de bhun ordaithe chuige sin arna dhéanamh faoin alt seo, más rud é go dtreoróidh2 Uachtarán na hArd-Chúirte nó, mura mbeidh seisean nó sise ar fáil, an breitheamh is sinsearaí3 den Chúirt a bheidh ar fáil, amhlaidh i leith aon cháis ar leith agus ní bheidh ach breitheamh amháin inti i ngach cás eile.

Variants 1 ‘i láthair os a comhair’, ‘a ndéanfar duine a líomhnaítear a bheith á choinneáil nó á coinneáil go neamhdhleathach a thabhairt ina láthair i bpearsain / a thabhairt i bpearsain ina láthair’ 2 ‘go n-ordóidh’ 3 ‘cibé breitheamh sinsearach’

ARTICLE 40.4.5O

AIRTEAGAL 40.4.5O

TÉACS GAEILGE

I gcás an Ard-Chúirt nó breitheamh di do dhéanamh ordaithe faoin alt seo á ordú duine faoi bhreith bháis a thabhairt i láthair ina phearsain, ní foláir don Ard-Chúirt nó don bhreitheamh sin di a ordú freisin feidhmiú na breithe báis sin a mhoilliú go dtí go dtabharfar an duine sin ina phearsain i láthair na hArd-Chúirte agus go gcinnfear an dleathach an duine sin a choinneáil ina bhrá nó nach dleathach agus má chinntear, tar éis an fheidhmithe sin a mhoilliú, gur dleathach an duine sin a choinneáil ina bhrá, ceapfaidh an Ard-Chúirt lá chun an bhreith bháis sin a fheidhmiú agus beidh éifeacht ag an mbreith bháis sin faoi réir an lá a cheapfar amhlaidh a chur in ionad an lae a socraíodh i dtosach chun an bhreith bháis sin a fheidhmiú. LITERAL ENGISH TRANSLATION

In the case of the High Court or a judge of it making an order under this section ordering a person under sentence of death to be brought before (it) in person, the High Court or that judge of it must also order that the exercise


A study of the Irish text

of that death sentence be delayed until that person is brought in person before the High Court and it is determined whether it is lawful to keep that person a prisoner or it is not lawful and if it is determined, after delaying that implementation, that it is lawful to keep that person a prisoner, the High Court will appoint a day to implement that death sentence and that death sentence will have effect subject to the day so appointed being put in place of the day which was first arranged to implement that death sentence.

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11 ‘With the substitution’ is rendered as ‘faoi réir … a chur in ionad’ (‘subject to the substitution’) in the Irish text. 12 ‘Shall’ is rendered as ‘ní foláir’ (‘must’) in the Irish text, as we have seen in other Articles also. Note that this subsection was added to the text by the Second Amendment of the Constitution Act, 1941 – see the commentary on Article 40.4.2o.

Commentary ENGLISH TEXT

Where an order is made under this section by the High Court or a judge thereof for the production of the body of a person who is under sentence of death, the High Court or such judge thereof shall further order that the execution of the said sentence of death shall be deferred until after the body of such person has been produced before the High Court and the lawfulness of his detention has been determined and if, after such deferment, the detention of such person is determined to be lawful, the High Court shall appoint a day for the execution of the said sentence of death and that sentence shall have effect with the substitution of the day so appointed for the day originally fixed for the execution thereof.

Divergences between the official texts ‘Until after the body of such person has been produced’ is rendered in the Irish text as ‘go dtí go dtabharfar an duine sin ina phearsain i láthair’, ‘until the (body of) such person is produced’. 2 ‘Be deferred’ is rendered as ‘a mhoilliú’ (‘be delayed’) in the Irish text, and ‘after such deferment’ as ‘tar éis an fheidhmithe sin a mhoilliú’, ‘after that implementation has been delayed’. 3 ‘Execution of the … sentence’ is rendered as ‘an bhreith … a fheidhmiú’ (‘implementation of … the sentence’), the term translating ‘execution’ in Téarmaí Dlí being ‘forghníomhú’. 4 ‘That sentence’ is twice rendered as ‘an bhreith bháis sin’ (‘that death sentence’) in the Irish text. 5 ‘The lawfulness of his detention’ is rendered as ‘an dleathach an duine sin a choinneáil ina bhrá nó nach dleathach’ (‘whether it is lawful to keep that person a prisoner or not [lit. or it is not lawful]’) in the Irish text. 6 ‘Sentence of death’ is rendered in the Irish text more literally as ‘breith bháis’ (‘judgement of death’), ‘sentence’ being translated by the compound ‘pianbhreith’ rather than the component ‘breith’ in Téarmaí Dlí, although Ó Dónaill also cites ‘breith bháis’ (along with ‘breithiúnas báis’) as ‘death sentence’ and we find this phrase ‘breith bháis’ in some earlier Acts. 7 ‘The production of the body of a person’ is rendered as ‘duine a thabhairt i láthair ina phearsain’ (‘the production of a body in person’) in the Irish text, based on the previous subsection. 8 ‘Originally’ is rendered as ‘i dtosach’ (‘at first’) in the Irish text. 9 ‘Where an order is made … for …’ is rendered in the Irish text as ‘I gcás … do dhéanamh ordaithe … á ordú’ (‘Where an order is made … ordering’). 10 ‘Freisin’ (‘Also’) renders ‘further’ in the Irish text. 1

faoi bhreith bháis ‘Cion báis’ and ‘pionós báis’ are translated respectively as ‘capital offence’ and ‘capital punishment’ in Téarmaí Dlí, with ‘dearbhú i mbéal báis’ being translated as ‘dying declaration’ and ‘dleachtanna báis’ being translated as ‘death duties’. ‘Breith’ is translated simply as ‘decision’ in Téarmaí Dlí. Ó Dónaill translates ‘breith’ as ‘judgement, decision’ and translates both ‘breith bháis’ and ‘breithiúnas báis’ as ‘sentence of death’. Dinneen translates ‘breith’ as ‘judgment, decision, sentence; doom, fate’. DIL gives ‘act of judging, deciding; judgment, legal ruling, interpretation’ as one of the senses of ‘breth’ – another of which is ‘birth’, this being the verbal noun of ‘beirid’ – citing examples of this sense from the Glosses of the eighth century onwards. ‘Cur faoi bhreith trí ghníomhas’ translates ‘submission by deed’ in Statutory Instrument 48/111. In Téarmaí Dlí ‘I sentence’ is translated as ‘cuirim pianbhreith ar’, with ‘sentence’ translated as ‘pianbhreith’ and ‘the sentences to run concurrently (consecutively)’ as ‘na pianbhreitheanna le rith i gcomhthráth (as a chéile)’. In s3(1)(c) of the Criminal Law (Jurisdiction) Act, 1976, for example, ‘while serving a sentence imposed on his conviction for that offence’ is translated as ‘le linn dó a bheith ag cur isteach pianbhreithe a tugadh air ar é a chiontú sa chion sin’. In s14 of the Fisheries (Amendment) Act, 1978, ‘Where a person is sent forward for trial or for sentence by a District Justice to a court other than the District Court’ is translated as ‘I gcás Breitheamh Dúiche do chur duine ar aghaidh chun a thrialach nó le go dtabharfaí pianbhreith air chuig cúirt seachas an Chúirt Dúiche’. In s4(6) of the Second Schedule to the Restrictive Practices Act, 1972, ‘or is sentenced by a court of competent jurisdiction to suffer imprisonment or penal servitude’ is translated as ‘nó má chuireann cúirt dlínse inniúla pianbhreith príosúnachta nó pianseirbhíse air’. ‘Death sentence’ is translated as ‘breith bháis’ in the Margin Title of s103 of the Defence Forces (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923, which section reads as follows: Sentence of death shall not be awarded save with the concurrence of three-fourths, or more, of the members of the Court. Ní gearrfar breith bháis ach le toil trí cheathrú cuid, no breis, de bhaill na Cúirte.

In s53 of the Court Officers Act, 1926, the title ‘Execution of death sentences’ is translated as ‘Feidhmiú breitheanna báis’ and ‘It shall not henceforth be the duty of any under-sheriff to carry into effect sentences of death imposed by courts of justice’ is translated as ‘Ní bheidh sé de dhualgas feasta ar aon fho-shirriam breitheanna báis do thug cúirteanna breithiúnais do chur in éifeacht’. In s6(1) of the Courts of Justice Act, 1928, ‘In the case of a sentence of death or corporal punishment’ is translated


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as ‘I gcás breithe báis nó breithe pionóis chuirp’ and in s6(2) ‘in the case of a conviction involving sentence of death’ is translated as ‘i gcás ciontú as a leanfadh breith bháis.’ ‘Sentence of death’ in the heading for s227 of the Defence Act, 1954, is translated as ‘Pianbhreith bháis’ and subsection (1), ‘A sentence of death passed by a courtmartial and confirmed shall not be carried out unless and until the execution of the sentence has been approved by the Government’ is translated as ‘Ní cuirfear pianbhreith bháis a bhéarfas armchúirt, agus a daingneofar, i bhfeidhm mura gceadaí ná go dtí go gceadóidh an Rialtas an phianbhreith a chur i bhfeidhm’. Finally, ‘Postponement of execution of sentence of death’ is translated as ‘Forghníomhú pianbhreithe báis a iarchur’ in the Margin Title of s21 of the Courts-Martial Appeals Act, 1983, the section commencing as follows: In the case of a sentence of death passed by a court-martial …. I gcás pianbhreith bháis arna gearradh ag armchúirt.

i dtosach ‘Tosach’ is translated as ‘commencement’ in Téarmaí Dlí. In s54(5)(a) of the Fisheries Act, 1980, ‘he may make such an order in the form originally proposed’ is translated as ‘féadfaidh sé ordú den sórt sin a dhéanamh san fhoirm a beartaíodh i dtosach’ and in s41(1) of the Finance Act, 1990, ‘where such equipment or subassemblies were originally manufactured by that company’ is translated as ‘i gcás go mba í an chuideachta sin … a mhonaraigh an trealamh nó na fo-dhíolamaí sin i dtosach’. In s3(9)(c) of the Companies Act, 1963, however, ‘either as originally contained in that Section or as altered in pursuance of section 71 of that Act’ is translated as ‘mar a bhí i gcéaduair sa Sceideal sin nó mar a athraíodh é de bhun alt 71 den Acht sin’ and in s8(2) of the Income Tax Act, 1967, ‘as if it were a debt due from the person as against whom the deduction could originally have been made if the Act imposing tax for the year had been in force’ is translated as ‘ionann agus dá mba fhiach í a bhí dlite den duine ar ina choinne a fhéadfaí an asbhaint a dhéanamh i gcéaduair dá mbeadh an tAcht a d’fhorchuir an cháin don bhliain i bhfeidhm’. ‘I gcéaduair’ also translates ‘first’ in the Acts. Note, finally, that in s11 of the Unemployment Insurance Act, 1923, ‘under clause (a) of sub-section (1) of the said section 17 as originally enacted’ is translated as ‘fé chlás (a) d’fho-alt (1) den alt san 17 mar a achtuíodh ar dtúis é’. Commenting on the direct translation below, Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú remarks that, while ‘i gcéaduair’ is fine as a translation of ‘originally’, it often has the sense of ‘immediately’ (“láithreach”) – see Dinneen s.v. ‘céadóir’, Ó Dónaill, id. Neither gives evidence of the sense of ‘originally’. Professor Ó Murchú recommends ‘ar dtús’ as an alternative. a ordú freisin Literally ‘to order also’. Note how ‘further order’ is translated as ‘ordú eile’ in s18(4) of the Finance Act, 1983. While ‘thairis sin’ translates ‘otherwise’ in the Acts, it is translated as ‘moreover’ in Ó Dónaill and we find ‘but not further manufactured’, ‘but not further prepared’ and ‘but not further worked’ translated respectively as ‘gan monarú thairis sin air’, ‘ach gan ullmhú thairis sin air’ and ‘ach gan oibriú thairis sin orthu’ in Treaties establishing the European Communities (1973, pp. 1348, 1247 and 658), ‘thairis sin’ translating ‘furthermore’ on

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p. 955. See also De Bhaldraithe s.v. ‘further’ 1(d), where he translates this adverb as ‘fós, thairis sin’, translating ‘and further, I think it right that …’ as ‘agus thairis sin, is dóigh liom go mba cheart go …’. feidhmiú … an fheidhmithe According to the official standard, ‘feidhmiú’ would not become ‘an fheidhmithe sin’ when followed by the verbal noun, but would read as ‘tar éis an feidhmiú sin a mhoilliú’ – see s2.2 of the chapter headed ‘Form of the Nominative instead of the Genitive’ in An Caighdeán Oifigiúil (p. 94 [translated by the author]): ‘When a noun or a nominal phrase is joined by the preposition a (<do) to a following verbal noun the noun is left in the nominative following a word or form which takes the genitive’. ‘Cuirim i bhfeidhm’ is translated as ‘I enforce’ in Téarmaí Dlí and ‘i bhfeidhm’ as ‘in force’. ‘Feidhmiú’, verbal noun of ‘feidhmigh’, is translated as ‘act of functioning, execution, enforcement, operation, application’, with ‘feidhmiú dlí’ translated as ‘law enforcement’ and ‘feidhmiú cumhachta’ as ‘exercise of authority’, in Ó Dónaill. ‘Feidhmiughadh’ is translated as ‘act of accomplishing, putting into force, carry out’ in Dinneen. The verb ‘feidhmigh’ is based on ‘feidm’, the primary sense of which, according to DIL, seems to be ‘load, stress, strain’, passing into the senses of ‘utmost effort, effort, extension; burden, service, function’ – see the commentary on Article 45. In s6(2) of the Courts of Justice Act, 1928, ‘the Court shall fix a day for the execution of the sentence’ is translated as ‘ceapfidh an Chúirt lá chun an bhreith do chur i bhfeidhm’ and ‘the sentence pronounced at the trial shall have effect as if, for the day therein mentioned, the day fixed in pursuance of this sub-section were substituted’ is translated as ‘agus beidh éifeacht ag an mbreith a tugadh ag an triail fé is dá ndintí an lá a ceapfar do réir an fho-ailt seo do chur in ionad an lae do luadhadh sa bhreith sin’. In s53 of the Court Officers Act, 1926, ‘It shall not henceforth be the duty of any under-sherriff to carry into effect sentences of death imposed by courts of justice’ is translated as ‘Ní bheidh sé de dhualgas feasta ar aon fho-shirriam breitheanna báis do thug cúirteanna breithiúnas do chur in éifeacht’. Chapter VIII of the Defence Act, 1954, is entitled ‘Execution of Sentences’, translated as ‘Pianbhreitheanna a chur i bhfeidhm’ and s227(2) reads as follows: the confirming authority – (a) shall be responsible for the execution of the sentence, and (b) shall direct the manner in which it is to be carried out …. is é an t-údarás daingniúcháin – (a) a bheas freagrach sa phianbhreith a chur i bhfeidhm, agus (b) a threorós an modh ar a gcuirfear i bhfeidhm í.

‘A chur i bhfeidhm’ expresses ‘to secure’ in Article 38.3.1o and ‘enforcement’ in Article 38.4.2o. ‘A fheidhmiú’ renders ‘to exercise’ in the Amendment contained in Articles 29.4.6o and 29.7.2o along with the new Article 3 contained in Article 29.7, but expresses ‘the application of’ in Article 45. Looking at ‘execution’ in general in early Acts, ‘provided such act, matter or thing was done or in good faith purported to be done in execution of the duty of the person doing the same’ is translated as ‘má dineadh no gur tuigeadh go macánta gur dineadh an gníomh no an rud no an ní sin i bhfeidhmiú dualgais an té a dhin é’ in s1 of the Indemnity (British Military) Act, 1923, with ‘requiring that the wages to be paid … shall be such as are


A study of the Irish text

required in the execution of contracts with a State Department’ being translated as ‘éileamh gur fé mar is gá i bhfeidhmiú connracha le Roinn Stáit a bheidh an págh a íocfidh …’ in s12(1)(g) of the Local Authorities (Combined Purchasing) Act, 1925. ‘I execute (i.e. an order, deed, etc.)’ is translated as ‘forghníomhaím’ in Téarmaí Dlí, where ‘execution order’ is translated as ‘ordú forghníomhaithe’, with ‘affidavit of due execution’ being translated as ‘mionnscríbhinn fhorghníomhaithe chuí’. In ss(iii) of the Second Schedule to the Finance Act, 1976, ‘the carriage of goods in the State by or on behalf of a person in execution of a contract to transfer the goods to or from a place outside the State’ is translated as ‘iompar earraí sa Stát ag duine nó thar ceann duine i bhforghníomhú conartha chun na hearraí a aistriú go dtí áit nó ó áit lasmuigh den Stát’. In s81 of the Succession Act, 1965, ‘a person who attests the execution of a will’ is translated as ‘duine a fhianóidh forghníomhú uachta’. a mhoilliú Ó Dónaill translates ‘moilligh’ as ‘delay’ and Dinneen translates ‘moillighim’ as ‘I delay, procrastinate, retard’. DIL translates ‘mallaigid’ as ‘makes slow, retards’, this verb being based on ‘mall’, which translates Latin ‘tardus’ in the Glosses. Note incidentally that while ‘malla’ is a plural noun referring to animals used as beasts of burden (DIL), ‘mall’ itself can also be used of women or young persons, in complimentary sense, implying dignity, gentleness or modesty of demeanour – see DIL s.v. ‘mall’ (e). Turning to the Acts, in s3(d) of the Second Schedule to the Air Navigation and Transport Act, 1936, ‘deferred rights’ is translated as ‘cearta moillithe’. ‘Deferred telegraph’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as being translated as ‘telegraf moillithe’ in translations for Oifig an Phuist, with ‘telegram moille’ translating ‘deferred telegram’ in Iris an Phuist, 22/6/1927. Usually, however, ‘moill’ translates ‘delay’ in the Acts – see, for example, s2 of Article 10 of the Schedule to the Air Navigation and Transport Act, 1975, where ‘When … a flight has been delayed or interrupted’ is translated as ‘Nuair a tharlóidh moill nó briseadh d’eitilt’. ‘Deferred share’ is translated as ‘scair iarchurtha’ in Téarmaí Dlí. In s6(2) of the Grass Meal (Production) Act, 1953, ‘any preferential, deferred, qualified or special rights, privileges or conditions’ is translated as ‘aon chearta, pribhléidí nó coinnníollacha, tosaíochta nó iarchurtha nó cáilithe nó speisialta’. ‘Blianachtaí iarchurtha’ translates ‘deferred annuities’ in s20 of the Capital Gains Tax Act, 1975. In s2(5) of the Local Government (Financial Provisions) Act, 1978, ‘and which enables a temporary reduction or deferment of a revision of or an increase in a valuation to be made’ is translated as ‘agus faoinar féidir luacháil a laghdú go sealadach nó athscrúdú luachála a chur siar nó luacháil a mhéadú’. In s3 of the Turf Development Act, 1968, ‘Deferment of repayment of advances to Board’ is translated as ‘Aisíoc airleacan chun an Bhoird a chur siar’. ‘Do chur siar’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as translating ‘defer’ in early Standing Orders of Dáil Éireann. ‘A chur siar’ consistently translates ‘to defer’ in Treaties establishing the European Communities (1973) – see, for example, p. 982, where ‘for a period of five years after accession, defer the liberalization …’ is translated as

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‘léirscaoileadh a chur siar, ar feadh tréimhse chúig bliana tar éis an aontachais’. On p. 973, ‘The Council may … decide to defer the date laid down in paragraph 1’ is translated as ‘Féadfaidh an Chomhairle … cinneadh ar an dáta dá bhforáiltear i mír 1 a chur siar’. an dleathach … nó nach dleathach ‘Dleathach’ is translated as ‘lawful’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘Dleathacht’ is given in Téarmaí Oifigiúla as the translation of ‘lawfulness’ (without reference), this being given as a variant of ‘dleathaíocht’ in Ó Dónaill, that headword being translated as ‘legality; justice, propriety’. Ó Dónaill translates ‘dlíthiúlacht’ as ‘legality, lawfulness’, this merely translating ‘legality’ in Téarmaí Dlí. Note that ‘dleathacht’ translates ‘validity’ in s36(3) of the Local Government Act, 1925, this being translated as ‘bailíocht’ in Téarmaí Dlí. a thabhairt i láthair … go dtí go dtabharfar … See the commentary on Article 40.4.2o and note incidentally that Dinneen cites ‘tig i láthair, come up, approach’. Regarding ‘until after the body … has been produced’, see s21(7) of the Standing Orders of Dáil Éireann, where ‘the interruption shall not take place until after the decision has been declared from the Chair’ is translated as ‘ní dhéanfar an stopadh go dtí go mbeidh an cinneadh fógartha ón gCathaoir’, as against s85 where ‘such division … shall be postponed until after the conclusion of the division in the Dáil’ is translated as ‘go ndéanfar an vótáil sin … a chur siar go dtí tar éis chríochnú na vótála sa Dáil’. breitheamh di We see both ‘de’ alone and ‘de’ with repetition of the noun translating ‘thereof’ in the following from s56(1) of the Corporation Tax Act, 1976: “pigmeat product” means bacon and cuts thereof including ham, pork carcases and pork sides and cuts thereof …. ciallaíonn “táirge muiceola” bagún agus slisní bagúin lena n-áirítear liamhás, conablaigh mhuiceola agus taobhanna muiceola agus slisní díobh….

‘Den chéanna’ sometimes translates ‘thereof’ in the Acts – see, for example, s3(1) of the Sea Pollution Act, 1991, where ‘“garbage” means all kinds of victual, domestic and operational waste (excluding fresh fish and parts thereof)’ is translated as ‘ciallaíonn “truflais” dramhaíl bhia, dramhaíl tís agus dramhaíl oibríochta de gach cineál (gan iasc úr agus codanna den chéanna a áireamh)’. Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú, commenting on drafts of direct translations in this study, advises against the use of ‘den chéanna’. See further the commentary on Article 8.3. faoi réir This phrase is translated as ‘subject to’ in the Acts. ‘Ach’ is sometimes used to express ‘with’ in the present context in the Acts – see, for example, s50(11)(b) of the Finance Act, 1983, where ‘with the omission of the proviso’ is translated as ‘ach an coinníoll a fhágáil ar lár’. ‘Ach dhá thrian … do thoiliú leis’ expresses ‘with the assent of two-thirds’ in Article 15.8.2o. ‘Agus’ is also used to express ‘with’ – see, for example, s54 of the Finance Act, 1990, where ‘a return of … the profits of the company … specifying the income taken into account in computing those profits, with the amount from each source’ is translated as ‘tuairisceán … ar bhrabúis na cuideachta … ina sonrófar an t-ioncam a cuireadh i gcuntas le linn na


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mbrabús sin a bheith á ríomh agus an méid ó gach bunadh’. beidh éifeacht ag In the Treaty on European Union (1992, p. 192) ‘Articles 44 to 48 of the Statute shall have effect … subject to the following amendments’ is translated as ‘Beidh éifeacht ag … Airteagail 44 go 48 … faoi réir na leasuithe seo a leanas’. On p. 191, however, ‘Paragraphs 3 to 9 shall have effect if …’ is translated as ‘Beidh éifeacht le míreanna 3 go 9 má …’. ‘Éifeacht le’ is the phrase generally used in the Acts also – see, for example, s36 of the Finance Act, 1990, where ‘The First Schedule shall have effect for the purpose of supplementing subsection (1)’ is translated as ‘Beidh éifeacht leis an gCéad Sceideal chun fo-alt (1) a fhorlíonadh’. See the commentary on Article 3 regarding ‘éifeacht’. do dhéanamh ordaithe … á ordú In s3(1)(i) of the Family Law (Maintenance of Spouses and Children) Act, 1976, ‘an order for payment of alimony pending suit’ is translated as ‘ordú ag ordú ailiúntas a íoc go dtí go ndéanfar agra’. See also, however, s16(f) of the Judicial Separation and Family Law Reform Act, 1989, where ‘an order for partition of property’ is translated as ‘ordú chun maoin a pháirtiú’. See the commentary on Article 25.4.2o regarding ‘ordú’ (there expressing ‘direction’) and the commentary on Articles 27.2 and 40.4.4o regarding ‘ordaigh’, expressing respectively ‘prescribe’ and ‘direct’. I gcás … See, for example from the Acts, s7 of the Regulation of Banks (Remuneration and Conditions of Employment) (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1973, where ‘Where an offence under this Act is committed by a body corporate…’ is translated as ‘I gcás cion a dhéanamh faoin Acht seo ag comhlacht corpraithe’. See the commentary on Articles 12.4.5o and 24.2 respectively where ‘where’ is expressed as ‘nuair’ and ‘má tharlaíonn’. go gcinnfear … má chinntear ‘Cinnim’ is translated as ‘I determine (issue, etc.)’ and ‘I find (as a fact)’ in Téarmaí Dlí – see the commentary on Articles 1 and 12.11.2o.

Bunreacht na hÉireann

cheapfar amhlaidh a chur in ionad an lae a socraíodh i dtosach chun an bhreith bháis sin a fheidhmiú.

Direct gender-proofed translation I gcás ordú a dhéanamh faoin alt seo ag an Ard-Chúirt nó ag breitheamh di1 chun corp duine atá faoi phianbhreith bháis a thabhairt i láthair2, déanfaidh an Ard-Chúirt nó an breitheamh sin di a ordú thairis sin forghníomhú3 na pianbhreithe báis sin a chur siar go dtí tar éis corp an duine sin a thabhairt i láthair4 na hArd-Chúirte agus dleathacht a choinneála nó a coinneála a chinneadh agus más rud é, tar éis an iarchuir sin, go gcinnfear gur dleathach an duine sin a choinneáil, ceapfaidh an Ard-Chúirt lá chun an phianbhreith bháis sin a fhorghníomhú5 agus beidh éifeacht leis an bpianbhreith sin ach an lá a chinnfear amhlaidh a chur6 in ionad an lae a socraíodh i gcéaduair7 d’fhorghníomhú an chéanna8.

Variants 1 ‘den Ard-Chúirt’ 2 ‘chun duine atá faoi phianbhreith bháis a thabhairt i láthair i bpearsain’ 3 ‘cur i bhfeidhm’ 4 ‘i láthair os comhair’, ‘tar éis an duine sin a thabhairt i láthair i bpearsain’ 5 ‘a chur i bhfeidhm’ 6 ‘a bheith’ 7 ‘i dtosach’, ‘ar dtús’ 8 ‘don chéanna a chur i bhfeidhm’, ‘d’fhorghníomhú na pianbhreithe sin’

ARTICLE 40.4.6O

AIRTEAGAL 40.4.6O

TÉACS GAEILGE

Ach aon ghníomh de ghníomhartha na bhFórsaí Cosanta le linn eisíthe nó ceannairce faoi arm, ní cead aon ní dá bhfuil san alt seo a agairt chun an gníomh sin a thoirmeasc nó a rialú nó a bhac. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Ard-Chúirt Unlike Article 40.4.2o, there is no ‘síneadh fada’ on the initial capital ‘A’ in the original text of this Amendment in the first two citations of ‘Ard-Chúirt’ in this subsection.

But any one of the acts of the Defence Forces during unrest or armed rebellion, it is not permitted to plead anything that is in this section to prohibit or regulate or hinder that act.

ceapfaidh See the commentary on Article 40.3o.

ENGLISH TEXT

Standardised gender-proofed Irish text I gcás an Ard-Chúirt nó breitheamh di a dhéanamh ordaithe faoin alt seo á ordú duine faoi bhreith bháis a thabhairt i láthair ina phearsa nó ina pearsa, ní foláir don Ard-Chúirt nó don bhreitheamh sin di a ordú freisin feidhmiú na breithe báis sin a mhoilliú go dtí go dtabharfar an duine sin ina phearsa nó ina pearsa i láthair na hArd-Chúirte agus go gcinnfear an dleathach an duine sin a choinneáil ina bhrá nó ina brá nó nach dleathach agus má chinntear, tar éis an feidhmiú sin a mhoilliú, gur dleathach an duine sin a choinneáil ina bhrá nó ina brá, ceapfaidh an Ard-Chúirt lá chun an bhreith bháis sin a fheidhmiú agus beidh éifeacht ag an mbreith bháis sin faoi réir an lá a

Nothing in this section, however, shall be invoked to prohibit, control, or interfere with any act of the Defence Forces during the existence of a state of war or armed rebellion.

Divergences between the official texts 1

2

3

‘During the existence of a state of war’ is expressed in the Irish text as ‘le linn eisíthe’, ‘during unrest/nonpeace’ (note, however, that Dinneen translates ‘eisíoth’ as ‘state of war’). ‘Interfere with’ is expressed by ‘bac’, the Irish legal term for ‘stay’, a term generally understood as ‘hinder’/ ‘prevent’. ‘Óglaigh na hÉireann’ as against ‘na Fórsaí Cosanta’ is the official Irish title of ‘the Defence Forces’, in the


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4

5

6

7

Acts and in the Army’s own Téarmaí Míleata. ‘Any act’ is expressed in the Irish text as ‘aon ghníomh de ghníomhartha’ (‘any act of the acts’), a regular construction meaning ‘any one of the acts’, with ‘an gníomh sin’ (‘that act’) added further on. ‘Agair’, the term expressing ‘invoke’ in the Irish text, is the Irish legal term for ‘sue’, the sense ‘plead, entreat’ being found in the Acts also. As we have seen in other Articles, ‘ní cead’ (‘it is not permitted’) expresses ‘nothing … shall’ of the English text, and ‘Ach’ (‘But’) expresses ‘however’. ‘To prohibit, control, or interfere with’ is expressed in the Irish text as ‘a thoirmeasc nó a rialú nó a bhac’ (‘to prohibit or to control or to interfere with’).

Note that Article 6 of the 1922 Constitution concludes as follows: Provided, however, that nothing in this Article contained shall be invoked to prohibit, control or interfere with any act of the military forces of the Irish Free State (Saorstát Eireann) during the existence of a state of war or armed rebellion. Ar choiníoll, ámh le linn chogaidh no rebiliúntachta armtha ná gairmfear éinní dá bhfuil san Airtiogal so chun aon ghníomh dá ndéanfaidh fórsaí airm Shaorstáit Éireann do chosg, do smachtú ná do thoirmeasg.

Commentary a bhac ‘Bacaim’ is translated as ‘I stay (e.g. proceedings)’ in Téarmaí Dlí, where ‘bac ar fhorghníomhú’ translates ‘stay of execution’. Ó Dónaill translates ‘bac’ as ‘balk, hinder’, while Dinneen translates ‘bacaim’ as ‘I hack, I lame; I hinder, prevent, meddle with’. This verb is based on the noun ‘bac’, originally ‘angle, bend, corner’, frequently in the commentaries on the early Irish law-tracts in the phrase ‘bac n-achaid’, apparently ‘(an enclosed) corner or angle of a field (used as a shelter for horses or cattle)’ and hence later ‘hindrance, act of hindering’. We find an example of ‘bac’ in the ninth-century St Gall Glosses on Priscian where it refers to a sickle, ‘bac’ being applied to various hooked or angled tools or other articles, and translated as ‘mattock, grub-hoe, bill-hook’ in DIL. ‘Baccach’, ‘lame’, ‘lame person’, is also based on ‘bacc’. DIL translates the verb ‘baccaid’ as ‘hinders, prevents, impairs’, given one example of the sense ‘lames’. Turning to the Acts, in s1(7) of the Air Nagivation (Eurocontrol) Act, 1971, ‘A person who obstructs or interferes with an officer of the Organisation’ is translated as ‘aon duine a choiscfidh nó bhacfaidh oifigeach don Eagraíocht’. In s15(1) of the Consumer Information Act, 1978, ‘A person shall not … prevent another person from, or interfere with or obstruct another person’ is translated as ‘Ní dhéanfaidh duine … cosc, bac ná araoid a chur ar dhuine eile’. See further the commentary on Article 15.10 where ‘cur isteach a dhéanamh ar’ expresses ‘interfere with’. ‘Bac’ generally translates ‘impede’ and ‘hinder’ along with ‘stay’ in the Acts. See, for example, s3(1)(b) of the Criminal Law (Jurisdiction) Act, 1976, where ‘with intent to impede the apprehension or prosecution of a person’ is translated as ‘le hintinn gabháil nó ionchúiseamh duine a bhac’. In s46(1) of the Diplomatic Relations and Immunities Act, 1967, ‘A person who wilfully hinders, restricts or

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prevents the enjoyment or exercise of inviolability or an exemption, facility, immunity, privilege or right conferred by this Act’ is translated as ‘Aon duine a bhacfaidh, a shrianfaidh nó a choiscfidh go toiliúil dosháraitheacht, saoirseacht, saoráid, díolúine, pribhléid nó ceart a thugtar leis an Acht seo a theachtadh nó a fheidhmiú’. In s7(2) of the Maintenance Orders Act, 1974, ‘The Court may … stay the proceedings’ is translated as ‘Féadfaidh an Chúirt … na himeachtaí a bhac’. See the commentary on Article 15.10 regarding other translations of ‘interfere’ in the Acts. Looking at early Acts, ‘opens, or otherwise interferes with any ballot box’ is translated as ‘aon bhosca ballóide d’oscailt no baint leis in aon tslí eile’ in s46(2)(f) of the Prevention of Electoral Abuses Act, 1923. ‘Interfering with or preventing … the lawful occupation, use or enjoyment of any land or premises’ is translated as ‘Cuir-isteach no cosc a dhéanamh … ar aon talamh no áitreabh do shealbhú no d’úsáid go dleathach no ar tairfe do bhaint as go dleathach’ in s9 of the Schedule to the Public Safety (Emergency Powers) Act, 1923. Commenting on a draft of the direct translation below, Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú remarks that ‘a bhac’ is a perfect expression of ‘interfere with’ in the sense of ‘prevent (a process or activity) continuing or being carried out properly’; ‘a chur isteach air’ would not be as precise as ‘a bhac’ and ‘chun baint leis’ would be rather weak. Professor Ó Murchú also remarks that ‘ná’ is more appropriate than ‘nó’ here, as different types of ‘act’ are involved rather than different explanatory words for the one single act. le linn eisíthe ‘Eisíth’ expresses ‘state of war’ in Article 38.4.1o also – see the commentary on that Article. Ó Dónaill translates ‘eisíth’ as ‘lack of peace; dissension, strife, quarrel’, translating ‘bheith in eisíth le duine’ as ‘to be in conflict with someone’. Dinneen translates ‘eisíoth’ as ‘state of war’, translating ‘i n-eisíth le’ as ‘at war with’. DIL gives examples of ‘essíd’ from the Glosses of the eighth century onwards, translating that headword as ‘unpeace, strife, dissension; hostility; destruction’, also in concrete sense ‘a hostile act, outrage’, ‘essíd’ being composed of ‘síd’ (‘peace’) with a negative prefix. ‘State of war’ is translated as ‘staid chogaidh’ in Foclóir Oifigiúil, followed by the abbreviation for the ‘Department of Defence’. ‘State of rebellion’ is translated as ‘staid rebeliúntachta’ in the Preamble to the Public Safety (Emergency Powers) Act, 1923, with ‘arising out of the existence of a state of war or armed rebellion, whether local or general’, in s1(b), being translated as ‘de bharr staid cogaidh no rebeliúntachta armtha, áitiúil no generálta, a bheith ann’. This same English phrase is translated as ‘a tháinig as staid cogaidh no rebeliúntachta armtha, áitiúil nó generálta, do bheith ann’ in s3(1)(a) of the Schedule to the Public Safety (Emergency Powers) (No. 2) Act, 1923. ‘State of emergency/war’ is translated as ‘staid éigeandála/ chogaidh’ in Téarmaí Míleata. Finally, regarding lenition after ‘staid’, note that ‘physical and mental condition’ is translated as ‘staid choirp agus mheabhrach’ in s9(3)(c) of the Social Welfare (Occupational Injuries) Act, 1966. ceannairc faoi arm See the commentary on Article 28.3.3o. In s2 of Article 39 of the First Schedule to the Diplomatic Relations and Immunities Act, 1967, ‘even in


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case of armed conflict’ is translated as ‘fiú amháin i gcás coinbhleacht faoi airm’. ‘Armed conflict’ is translated as ‘coimhlint armtha’ in Téarmaí Míleata, however. ‘Foghna armtha’ and ‘éirí amach armtha’ translates ‘armed attacks’ and ‘armed revolt’ respectively in the Preamble and in s1 of Part 1 of the Schedule to the Public Safety (Emergency Powers) Act, 1923; in s1(b) of that Act, as we have seen, ‘arising out of the existence of a state of war or armed rebellion’ is translated as ‘de bharr staid cogaidh no rebeliúntachta armtha … a bheith ann’. Note, finally, that in Article 70 of the 1922 Constitution ‘save in time of war, or armed rebellion’ is translated as ‘ach in aimsir chogaidh no rebiliúntachta armtha’.

d’fhonn neamhfheidhmeacht an rialacháin sin a agairt os comhair na Cúirte Breithiúnais’. On p. 572, however, ‘The provisions of this Treaty shall not be invoked so as to prevent the implementation of agreements’ is translated as ‘Ní bhainfear leas as forálacha an Chonartha seo chun cosc a chur le comhaontuithe’. ‘Leas a bhaint as’ translates ‘avail’ in the Acts and in Treaties establishing the European Communities, where it also translates ‘(to have) recourse (to)’ and ‘employ’. In the Treaty on European Union (1992), ‘This Title shall not provide a basis for the introduction by the Community of any measure’ is translated as ‘Ní féidir leis an gComhphobal leas a bhaint as an Teideal seo chun aon bheart a thabhairt isteach’.

a agairt ‘Agraím’ is translated as ‘I sue’ in Téarmaí Dlí. Ó Dónaill translates ‘agair’ principally as ‘plead, entreat’, translating ‘cás a agairt le duine’ as ‘to plead a case with someone’. Dinneen translates ‘agraim’ as ‘I retribute, revenge, dispute, challenge, … I pray, beg, beseech’ and ‘I claim; I sue’ – see the commentary on Article 18.4.3o. DIL translates the earlier compound ‘ad-gair’ as ‘sues, prosecutes, impleads, accuses’, citing the following example in the sense of ‘forbids, prevents’ from the eighth-century Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles: ‘rafetarsa as peccad comaccobor hore adrograd’ (‘I know that concupiscence is sin because it has been forbidden’) – this glosses ‘nam concupiscentiam nesciebam nisi lex diceret: non concupisces’ (Rom., vii. 7). We see ‘agair’ in the sense of ‘sue’ in the Acts in s36 of the Companies Act, 1963, where ‘every person who is a member of the company … and may be severally sued therefor’ is translated as ‘beidh gach duine is comhalta den chuideachta … agus féadfar é a agairt go leithleach ina leith’. In s5 of Article VII of the Schedule to the Bretton Woods Agreements Act, 1957, ‘Members agree not to invoke the obligations of any engagements entered into with other members prior to this Agreement in such a manner as will prevent the operation of the provisions of this Article’ is translated as ‘comhaontaíonn na comhaltaí nach ndéanfaid oblagáidí aon tsocruithe a rinneadh le comhaltaí eile roimh an gComhaontú seo d’agairt ar shlí a choiscfear oibriú forál an Airteagail seo’. In s3 of Article 45 of the Second Schedule to the Diplomatic Relations and Immunities Act, 1967, ‘shall preclude him from invoking immunity from jurisdiction in respect of any counter claim directly connected with the principal claim’ is translated as ‘dúnfaidh sin amach é ó dhíolúine a agairt ó dhlínse i leith aon fhrithéileamh a bhaineann go díreach leis an bpríomh-éileamh’. Note, however, that ‘agair’ was not invoked in translating Article V of the Schedule to the Air Navigation and Transport Act, 1965, where ‘unless it is proved that he acted in a manner which, under the Warsaw Convention, prevents the limits of liability from being invoked’ is translated as ‘mura gcruthófar gur ghníomhaigh sé ar dhóigh a fhágann, faoi Choinbhinsiún Warsaw, nach féidir feidhm a bhaint as na teorainneacha dliteanais’. We find both ‘a agairt’ and ‘leas a bhaint as’ translating ‘invoke’ in Treaties establishing the European Communities (1973) – see, p. 304, for example, where, ‘any party may, in proceedings … plead the ground specified … in order to invoke before the Court of Justice the inapplicability of that regulation’ is translated as ‘féadfaidh páirtí ar bith, i gcás imeachtaí … na forais a phléadáil a shonraítear …

gníomh This headword is translated as ‘act’ in Téarmaí Dlí, where ‘gníomh Stáit’, for example, is translated as ‘act of State’, while ‘cúlpháirtí i ndiaidh an ghnímh’ is translated as ‘accessory after the fact’. Ó Dónaill gives ‘action’ and ‘act, deed’ as senses of ‘gníomh’. Dinneen includes ‘an act, action or deed’, along with ‘an act of prayer’ and ‘an act of unlawful indulgence’ among the senses of ‘gníomh’. ‘Gním’ is the verbal noun of ‘gníid’ and has the senses of ‘doing, performing, executing’, along with ‘acting, action, activity, work’, glossing Latin ‘actio’, for example, in the ninth-century Milan Glosses on the Commentary on the Psalms. See further the commentary on Article 15.5. Turning to the Acts, in s11(1)(b) of the Air Navigation and Transport Act, 1973, for example, ‘attempts to perform any such act or aids or abets a person who performs or attempts to perform any such act or counsels or procures the performance of any such act’ is translated as ‘a thabharfaidh faoi ghníomh den sórt sin a dhéanamh nó a chabhróidh nó a neartóidh le duine a bheidh ag déanamh aon ghnímh den sórt sin nó ag tabhairt faoina dhéanamh, nó a chomhairleoidh nó a thabharfaidh chun críche go ndéanfar aon ghníomh den sórt sin’. Note, however, s118(3) of the First Schedule to the European Assembly Elections Act, 1977, where ‘No returning officer … shall be required … to do any act (whether of commission or omission) which is contrary to this Act’ is translated as ‘Ní bheidh de cheangal ar aon cheann comhairimh … aon ní a dhéanamh (trí ghníomh ná trí neamhghníomh) atá contrártha don Acht seo’. a thoirmeasc ‘Toirmiscim’ is translated as ‘I prohibit’ in Téarmaí Dlí, where ‘toirmeasc’ is translated as ‘inhibition’. The verb ‘toirmisc’ is translated as ‘prohibit; prevent, hinder’ in Ó Dónaill, where ‘toradh toirmiscthe, forbidden fruit’ is cited. Dinneen translates ‘toirmeascaim’ as ‘I hinder, prevent, prohibit, interrupt’. The compound verb ‘doairmesca’ is translated as ‘hinders, obstructs, restrains, checks, forbids’ in DIL, citing ‘cur toirmiscc Medb in gním siu do dénum’ (i.e. so that Meadhbh prohibited that deed’s being done). Turning to the Acts, in s11(1) of the Merchandise Marks Act, 1970, ‘in the case of any goods the importation of which is prohibited by or under this Act’ is translated as ‘i gcás earraí a bhfuil a n-allmhairiú toirmiscthe leis an Acht seo nó faoi’. See the commentary on Article 18.4.3o where ‘toirmeasc a chur’ expresses ‘to prohibit’. aon ní dá bhfuil san alt seo Literally ‘nothing of what is in this section’. See the commentary on Article 13.3.2o regarding ‘dá’. See, for an example of non-use of ‘dá’,


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s35(4) of the Extradition Act, 1965, where ‘Nothing in this section shall prejudice …’ is translated as ‘Ní dhéanfaidh aon ní san alt seo dochar (do) …’, a phrase found in many of the Acts.

slán do gach saoránach a árus comhnuithe agus ní raghfar isteach ann le fóirneart ach do réir dlí.

a rialú ‘Rialaím’ is translated as ‘I control; I rule’ in Téarmaí Dlí – see the commentary on Article 10.3. See, for example from the Acts, the heading of Part II of the Disease and Animals Act, 1966, where ‘Control and Eradication of Disease’ is translated as ‘Galar a Rialú agus a Scriosadh’.

slán do Ó Dónaill translates ‘slán’ as ‘sound, healthy, safe’, citing ‘faoina bheith slán dom, if I am spared’ as an example of this principal sense, with ‘whole, complete; intact, perfect’ being a secondary sense. Dinneen cites ‘tá bliadhain is slán dóibh ann, they have spent a full year there’ and ‘go mbadh codladh slán dúinn, may our sleep be wholesome’. DIL translates ‘slán’ as (a) ‘whole, sound, unimpaired, healthy, safe’, giving examples from the eighth-century . Glosses onwards, including ‘ná rab slán . d’feasóig an fir’ (‘bad health to the fellow’s beard’) from the sixteenth-century poet Tadhg Dall Ó Huiginn. In early Irish law-tracts, ‘slán’ had the sense of ‘exempt, non-liable, safe’; DIL cites ‘is iat daine is slan don eclais do leagan as’ (‘the persons whom it is safe for the church to let escape’) and ‘is slan doib uile’ (‘they are all exempt’) from two early Irish law-tracts, and Fergus Kelly, op. cit., p. 156, n. 244, cites ‘slán cách mairnes mígním’ (‘anyone who betrays an evil deed is free from liability’). In his ‘Index of Irish Terms’ Professor Kelly translates ‘slán’ as ‘whole, safe, free from liability’. Turning to the Acts, in s8 of the Consular Conventions Act, 1954, ‘The archives kept at a consulate … shall be inviolable’ is translated as ‘Beidh slánadh ag na cairteacha a bheas ar coimeád i gconsalacht’. ‘Dosháraithe’, however, seems to have been the preferred term in the Acts. In s5 of Article IX of the Schedule to the Bretton Woods Agreements Act, 1957, ‘The archives of the Fund shall be inviolable’ is translated as ‘Beidh cartlanna an Chiste dosháraithe’. In Article 24 of the First Schedule to the Diplomatic Relations and Immunities Act, 1967, ‘The archives and documents of the mission shall be inviolable at any time and wherever they may be’ is translated as ‘Beidh cartlann agus doiciméid an mhisiúin dosháraithe aon tráth agus cibé áit ina mbeidh siad’. In Article 29 of the same Schedule, ‘The person of a diplomatic agent shall be inviolable’ is translated as ‘Beidh pearsa gníomhaire taidhleoireachta dosháraithe’. In Treaties establishing the European Communities (1973, p. 777) ‘The premises and buildings of the Communities shall be inviolable’ is translated as ‘Beidh áitribh agus foirgnimh na gComhphobal dosháraithe’. De Bhaldraithe also translates ‘inviolable’ as ‘dosháraithe’, the adverb being translated as ‘go dosháraithe’ and ‘gan sárú’.

na Fórsaí Cosanta See the commentary on Article 13.4.

Direct translation Ní dhéanfar aon ní san alt seo a agairt,1 áfach, chun aon ghníomh a dhéanfaidh Óglaigh na hÉireann le linn staid chogaidh nó ceannairce faoi airm a thoirmeasc, a rialú, ná a bhac2.

Variants 1 ‘Ní bhainfear leas as aon ní san alt seo,’ 2 ‘ná cur isteach air’

ARTICLE 40.5

AIRTEAGAL 40.5

TÉACS GAEILGE

Is slán do gach saoránach a ionad cónaithe, agus ní cead dul isteach ann go foréigneach ach de réir dlí. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

His place of residence is secure for every citizen, and it is not permitted to go into it forcibly except in accordance with law. ENGLISH TEXT

The dwelling of every citizen is inviolable and shall not be forcibly entered save in accordance with law.

Divergences between the official texts 1 2

3

‘Dwelling’ is expressed as ‘ionad cónaithe’, ‘dwellingplace / place of residence’, in the Irish text. ‘Inviolable’ is expressed in the Irish text as ‘slán do’, ‘safe to (him)’, with ‘The dwelling of every citizen is inviolable’ being expressed as ‘is slán do gach saoránach a ionad cónaithe’ (‘his dwelling is secure for every citizen’); this term ‘slán’ in early Irish law meant ‘free from liability’ as well as ‘whole, safe’ – in Modern Irish its range of meanings includes ‘sound, secure, intact, inviolate’. ‘Forcibly’ is expressed as ‘go foréigneach’ (‘violently’) in the Irish text, ‘foréigneach’ being the Irish legal term for ‘violent’, while ‘go forneartach’ is the Irish legal term for ‘forcibly’.

Note that Article 7 of the 1922 Constitution reads as follows: The dwelling of each citizen is inviolable and shall not be forcibly entered except in accordance with law. Is

Commentary

go foréigneach ‘Foréigneach’ is translated as ‘violent’ in Téarmaí Dlí, with ‘foréigean’ translated as ‘violence’ and ‘le foréigean’ as ‘violently’. Ó Dónaill translates ‘foréigneach’ as ‘violent, forcible’, translating ‘le foréigean’ as ‘by force; violently’. Dinneen translates ‘foiréigneach’ as ‘extremely violent, vehement, rapid’, translating ‘ar foiréigean’ as ‘at full speed’. DIL translates ‘foréicnech’ as ‘violent, forcible, oppressive’, based on ‘foréicen’, which itself is based on ‘éicen’, which glosses Latin ‘violentia’ in the ninth-century St Gall Glosses on Priscian. Turning to the Acts, in s241(2) of the Fisheries (Consolidation) Act, 1959, ‘If any person resists or forcibly obstructs any other person exercising any right conferred by subsection (1)’ is translated as ‘Má chuireann duine ar bith in aghaidh aon duine eile nó má choisceann go


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foréigneach é agus é ag feidhmiú aon chirt dá dtugtar le fo-alt (1)’. ‘Forcibly’ is translated as ‘go forneartach’ in Téarmaí Dlí, with ‘forcible’ translated as ‘forneartach’. ‘The Prohibition of Forcible Entry and Occupation Act, 1971’ is cited in Irish as ‘an tAcht chun Iontráil agus Áitiú le Forneart a Thoirmeasc, 1971’. In s2, ‘A person who forcibly enters land or a vehicle shall be guilty of an offence’ is translated as ‘Aon duine a iontrálfaidh nó a áiteoidh talamh nó feithicil le forneart beidh sé ciontach i gcion’. ionad cónaithe ‘Teach cónaithe’ is translated as ‘dwellinghouse’ in Téarmaí Dlí, where ‘duine gan áit chónaithe sheasta’ is translated as ‘person of no fixed abode’. ‘Ionad’ is translated as ‘place’ in Ó Dónaill, who translates ‘cónaí’ as ‘dwelling, residence’, translating ‘áit chónaithe’ as ‘place of residence’. Dinneen translates ‘áit chómhnaidhthe’ as ‘place of abode, domicile’, followed by ‘ionad cómhnaidhthe, id.’ DIL translates ‘comnaide’ (which according to Thurneysen’s Grammar of Old Irish, s846, comes from the prefix ‘com-’, with the preposition ‘ni’ [‘down’] and ‘suide’ [Modern Irish ‘suí’, ‘sit’]), as ‘act of abiding, remaining, staying; living in, inhabiting; dwelling, habitation’, citing ‘as a corpionadh … comnaidhe’ – ‘ionad’ (in a compound with ‘corp’) followed by the genitive singular ‘comnaidhe’ – from a version of the Táin, as well as ‘a áit chomhnuidhe’ (‘his habitation’) from a later source. ‘Teach cónaithe’ translates ‘dwelling’ in s1(6) of the Local Government (Financial Provisions) Act, 1978, where ‘In case any building … belonging to and usually enjoyed with a dwelling is a hereditament’ is translated as ‘I gcás ar oidhreachtán aon fhoirgneamh … a bhaineann le teach cónaithe agus a theachtar de ghnáth in éineacht leis an teach cónaithe’. In the ‘Definitions’ contained in s3 of the Landlord and Tenant (Ground Rents) (No. 2) Act of the same year, we find separate entries for ‘dwelling’ and ‘dwelling house’ (‘teach cónaithe’), with ‘“dwelling” does not include a separate and self-contained flat in premises divided into two or more flats’ translated as ‘ní fholaíonn “teaghais” árasán leithleach lánscartha in áitreabh atá roinnte in dhá árasán nó níos mó den sórt sin’. In s21 of the Finance Act, 1990, ‘on the construction of farm buildings (excluding a building or part of a building used as a dwelling)’ is translated as ‘ag déanamh foirgneamh feirme (seachas foirgneamh nó cuid d’fhoirgneamh a úsáidtear mar theaghais)’. In s13(2) of the Housing Act, 1970, ‘If, in a case in which there is no tenancy in a dwelling provided by a housing authority under this Act, a person makes an entry into the dwelling’ is translated as ‘Má tharlaíonn, i gcás nach mbeidh tionóntacht i dteaghais a sholáthraigh údarás áitiúil faoin Acht seo, go ndéanfaidh duine iontráil isteach sa teaghais’, with ‘a person who … was ordinarily resident in the dwelling’ being translated as ‘duine a raibh … gnáthchónaí air sa teaghais’. In s11(1) of the Housing (Amendment) Act, 1948, ‘a person shall not permit premises to be used as a multiple dwelling’ is translated as ‘ní cheadóidh duine ar bith áitreabh d’úsáid mar ilteaghas’. In the Long Title of that Act, however, ‘the Small Dwellings Acquisition Acts, 1899 to 1931’ is translated as ‘(do leasú) … na nAcht um Thithe Beaga Cónaithe d’Fháil, 1899 go 1931’, with ‘the Small Dwellings Acquisition Act, 1957’ cited in Irish accordingly as ‘an tAcht um Thithe Beaga Cónaithe d’Fháil, 1957’. dul isteach ann In s4(3)(a) of the Merchandise Marks Act, 1970, ‘at all reasonable times enter premises’ is

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translated as ‘dul isteach gach tráth réasúnach in áitreabh’. In s18(7)(a) of the Fisheries Act, 1980, ‘Nothing in this section shall be construed as conferring on any person a power to enter a dwellinghouse’ is translated as ‘Ní fhorléireofar aon ní san alt seo mar ní a thugann cumhacht d’aon duine dul isteach i dteach cónaithe’. Note, finally, that ‘No action to lie against Under-Sheriff for entering or breaking premises’ is translated as ‘Ní féadfar aon aicsean do thabhairt i gcoinnibh an Fho-Shirriaimh i dtaobh dul isteach in áitreabh ná i dtaobh é do bhriseadh’ in the Margin Title of s10 of the Enforcement of Law (Occasional Powers) Act, 1923. In Téarmaí Dlí, ‘I break and enter’ is translated as ‘brisim agus iontrálaim’. As we have seen above s.v. ‘go foréigneach’, in s2 of the Prohibition of Forcible Entry and Occupation Act, 1971 (‘An tAcht chun Iontráil agus Áitiú le Forneart a Thoirmeasc, 1971’), ‘A person who forcibly enters land or a vehicle’ is translated as ‘Aon duine a iontrálfaidh nó a áiteoidh talamh nó feithicil le forneart’. In s13(2) of the Housing Act, 1970, ‘If … a person makes an entry into the dwelling’ is translated as ‘Má tharlaíonn … go ndéanfaidh duine iontráil isteach sa teaghais’. In s27(1) of the Landlord and Tenant (Ground Rents) (No. 2) Act, 1978, ‘a covenant giving the lessor a right to re-enter and take possession of the premises’ is translated as ‘cúnant a thugann ceart don léasóir athiontráil isteach san áitreabh agus seilbh a ghlacadh air’. ach ‘Save’ is generally translated as ‘ach amháin’ in the Acts, as we find in Article 12.10.4o. See, for example, s2(1) of the Smelting Act, 1968, where ‘The smelting of ore … is hereby prohibited save under and in accordance with a smelting licence’ is translated as ‘Toirmeasctar leis seo amh-mhianraí … a bhruithniú … ach amháin faoi réim agus de réir ceadúnais bhruithniúcháin’.

Gender-proofed Irish text Is slán do gach saoránach a ionad nó a hionad cónaithe, agus ní cead dul isteach ann go foréigneach ach de réir dlí.

Direct translation Tá teaghais gach saoránaigh dosháraithe agus ní iontrálfar é1 le forneart2 ach amháin de réir dlí.

Variants 1 ‘ní rachfar isteach ann’ 2 ‘go forneartach’

ARTICLE 40.6.1O

AIRTEAGAL 40.6.1o

TÉACS GAEILGE

Ráthaíonn an Stát saoirse chun na cearta seo a leanas a oibriú ach sin a bheith faoi réir oird is moráltachta poiblí:LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

The State guarantees freedom to operate the following rights but that being subject to public morality and order:-


A study of the Irish text

ENGLISH TEXT

The State guarantees liberty for the exercise of the following rights, subject to public order and morality:-

Divergences between the official texts 1

2

3

Technically ‘poiblí’ (‘public’) only refers to ‘moráltacht’ (‘morality’); to be linked directly with ‘oird’ (‘order’) ‘poiblí’ would have to be repeated, the lenited form being used with ‘oird’. ‘Subject to’ is expressed in the Irish text as ‘ach sin a bheith faoi réir’ (‘but that being subject to’), having no comma preceding it corresponding to that of the English text. ‘Exercise’ is expressed as ‘oibriú’ (‘operate’) in the Irish text, as we have seen in some earlier Articles.

Commentary faoi réir oird ‘Scor as oifig de réir oird’ is translated as ‘retirement by rotation’ in Téarmaí Dlí. Ó Dónaill translates ‘ord’ as ‘order’, including ‘ordered manner, rule’ among the senses of this word in the earlier literature, citing ‘ord ár mbeatha, the ordering of our lives’ and ‘ba hord san am sin (go), it was the rule at that time that’. Ó Dónaill gives ‘ordú’ as the standard form of ‘ord’ in some usages – as in the sense of ‘normal state, proper condition’, citing ‘rudaí a chur in ordú, to put things in order, in a proper state’. Among the senses of ‘órd’ given by Dinneen are ‘order, arrangement, series; custom, law, practice, procedure’, citing ‘órd ar mbeathadh, the ordering of our lives’, ‘do réir úird, according to order or rank, in sequence’ and ‘iar n-órd dlightheach, in proper or legal order’. DIL gives examples of the senses (a) ‘order, sequence’, (b) ‘order, arrangement, state, way, course, procedure’ and (c) ‘order, degree, rank’ from the Glosses of the eighth century onwards. In Treaties establishing the European Communities (1973, p. 330), ‘in the event of serious internal disturbances affecting the maintenance of law and order’ is translated as ‘i gcás suaitheadh tromchúiseach inmheánach a dhul i gcion ar an ord poiblí’. Similarly, in the Treaty on European Union (1992, p. 23), ‘with regard to the maintenance of law and order’ is translated as ‘maidir leis an ord poiblí a chaomhnú’. ‘Law and order’ is translated as ‘dlí agus riail’ in the New Ireland Forum Report (1984, 44), ‘law and order functions’, however, being translated as ‘feidhmeanna dlí agus ordúlachta’ (in 7.4), with ‘subject only to public order’ being translated as ‘faoi réir riar agus reacht phoiblí’ (in 4.13). In the Programme for a Partnership Government, 1993-97, ‘where particular law and order problems are being experienced’ is translated as ‘mar a bhfuil fadhbanna sonracha dlí agus oird ann faoi láthair’ (p. 39). ‘An invention the publication or exploitation of which would be contrary to public order or morality’ is translated as ‘(i leith) aireagáin a mbeadh a fhoilsiú nó a shaothrú contrártha don ord poiblí nó don mhoráltacht phoiblí’ in s10(a) of the Patents Act, 1992, following on s15(1)(b) of the Patents Act, 1964. In s9(1)(a) of the Fisheries (Consolidation) Act, 1959, ‘the regulation of the fisheries of the State and the preservation of good order amongst the

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persons engaged therein’ is translated as ‘iascaigh an Stáit a rialú agus dea-ordúlacht a choimeád i measc na ndaoine a bhíonn ag gabháil dóibh’. In s1(b) of Article 6 of the First Schedule to the Air Navigation and Transport Act, 1973, ‘to maintain good order and discipline on board’ is translated as ‘chun dea-ord agus araíonacht a choimeád ar bord’. See further the commentary on Article 38.3.1o. Note that T. O’Neill Lane translates ‘order’ in the sense of ‘conformity with the law of decorum’ as ‘órdughadh’, citing ‘déantar na huile neithe go deaghmhaiseach agus do réir órduighthe’ (‘let all things be done decently and in order’) from 1 Cor. xiv, 40. ‘Public order’ is translated as ‘an t-ord poiblí’ in Téarmaí Oifigiúla. poiblí ‘An mhaitheas phoiblí’ is translated as ‘the common good’ in Téarmaí Dlí, where ‘dualgas poiblí’ and ‘núis phoiblí’, for example, are translated respectively as ‘public duty’ and ‘public nuisance’. Ó Dónaill translates ‘poiblí’ simply as ‘public’ and Dinneen translates ‘poiblidhe’ as ‘public, common, well-known’, citing ‘droch-theist phoiblidhe, public disrepute’. Ó Cianáin’s Flight of the Earls provides the first example of the word ‘puiplidhe’ cited in DIL, this headword being translated as ‘pertaining to the people, public’. Note, as we saw above, that ‘subject to public order and morality’ is translated as ‘ach gan dochar don rialtacht ná don mhoráltacht phuiblí’ in Article 8 of the 1922 Constitution. See further the commentary on Article 40.6.1o. saoirse See the commentary on Article 40.4.3o. Note also that ‘liberty (to apply, etc.)’ is translated as ‘cead’ in Téarmaí Dlí. In s32(2)(b) of the Industrial Training Act, 1967, ‘require the employer to afford to the person time and liberty to attend … the whole of the course’ is translated as ‘a cheangal ar an bhfostóir am agus saorchead a thabhairt don duine freastal ar an gcúrsa go léir’. moráltachta See the commentary on Article 29.1. Ó Dónaill translates ‘moráltacht’ as ‘morality; morals’. In Treaties establishing the European Communities (1973, p. 204), ‘justified on grounds of public morality’ is translated as ‘más gá a leithéid ar mhaithe leis an moráltacht phoiblí’. ach sin a bheith faoi réir Literally ‘but that being subject to’. See the commentary on Article 40.3.3o. ‘Faoi réir’ is translated as ‘subject to’ in Téarmaí Dlí. a oibriú Literally ‘to operate’, but generally expresses ‘exercise’ in the Constitution – see the commentary on Articles 3, 13.5.1o, 13.9 and 14.5.1o.

Direct translation Ráthaíonn an Stát saoirse chun na cearta seo a leanas a fheidhmiú,1 faoi réir an oird phoiblí agus na moráltachta poiblí:-

Variant 1 ‘saoirse maidir le feidhmiú na gceart seo a leanas,’


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ARTICLE 40.6.1Oi

AIRTEAGAL 40.6.1Oi

TÉACS GAEILGE

Ceart na saoránach chun a ndeimhní is a dtuairimí a nochtadh gan bac. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

The right of the citizens to reveal their certitudes and their opinions without hindrance. ENGLISH TEXT

The right of the citizens to express freely their convictions and opinions.

Divergences between the official texts 1 2

‘To express freely’ is expressed as ‘a nochtadh gan bac’ (‘to reveal without hindrance’) in the Irish text. ‘Convictions’ is expressed as ‘deimhní’, a plural form not cited in standard dictionaries, the singular form of which would generally be read as ‘certainty’.

Note that Article 9 of the 1922 Constitution commences as follows: The right of free expression of opinion … is guaranteed …. Is slán ceart oipineon do chur in úil gan chosg.

Commentary a ndeimhní ‘Deimhin’ is translated as ‘certainty, assurance, proof’ in Ó Dónaill and ‘deimhne’ as ‘sureness, certainty’, with no plural form given for either of the nouns, ‘deimhne’ being the plural of the adjective ‘deimhin’, ‘sure, certain’. Dinneen translates ‘deimhne’ as Ó Dónaill translates ‘deimhin’ above, ‘a reality’ being found in place of Ó Dónaill’s ‘proof’ in his translation of ‘deimhin’. DIL gives examples of the Old Irish adjective ‘demin’ from the Glosses onwards. ‘Their religious convictions and practices’ is translated as ‘(dá) ndeimhní agus dá gcleachtais reiligiúin’ in Article 27 of the Fourth Schedule to the Geneva Conventions Act, 1962. ‘Religious convictions’ is translated as ‘creideamh’ in Téarmaí Oifigiúla, where ‘deimhin-tuairimí’ is also given, without reference, as a translation of ‘convictions’. ‘Conviction’ in the sense of ‘verdict of guilty’ is translated as ‘ciontú’ in Téarmaí Dlí. De Bhaldraithe translates ‘conviction’ in the sense of ‘belief’ as ‘creideamh, áitiús’, translating ‘it is my conviction that …’ as ‘is é mo thuairim láidir go …, is é mo chreideamh go …’. ‘Conviction’ is translated as ‘áitiús’ in Foclóir Fealsaimh also – Ó Dónaill translates ‘áitiús’ (pl. ‘áitiúis’) as ‘conviction’, preceded by the abbreviation for ‘Philosophy’. In the Treaty on European Union (1992, p. 203), ‘(The High Contracting Parties) … reaffirm their conviction that the structural funds should continue to play an important part in …’ is translated as ‘athdhaingníonn siad a n-áitiús gur chóir go leanfadh na cistí struchtúracha de pháirt thábhachtach a imirt i …’. Commenting on ‘áitiús’ in the direct translation below, Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú queries whether one should be so careful regarding the exact sense of ‘convictions’ in this context and suggests ‘barúil’ as an alternative.

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gan bac The preposition ‘gan’, in general reference, lenites ‘b’, ‘c’, ‘g’, ‘m’ and ‘p’, according to Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘gan bhaint’, ‘gan chlann’, ‘gan gharda’, ‘gan mhaith’ and ‘gan phingin’ as examples. De Bhaldraithe translates ‘unhindered’ as ‘gan bhac’ and in Treaties establishing the European Communities (1973, p. 612) ‘The Commission may freely make use of any amounts …’ is translated as ‘Féadfaidh an Coimisiún aon suimeanna … a úsáid gan bhac’. See the commentary on Article 40.4.6o regarding ‘bac’. De Bhaldraithe translates ‘freely’ as (1) ‘go saor, etc., gan bhac’ and (2) ‘(labhraím) go hoscailte, go neamhbhalbh, gan eagla’. In the New Ireland Forum Report (1984, 5.2(3)), ‘freely negotiated’ is translated as ‘a chaibidil go hoscailte’ and ‘all cultural, political and religious belief can be freely expressed and practised’ is translated as ‘a mbarrshamhla saíochta, polaitíochta agus creidimh a chur os ard agus a chleachtadh’. Along with ‘gan bhac’ we also find ‘go héasca’ and ‘faoi shaoirse’ translating ‘freely’ in Treaties establishing the European Communities, with ‘the right … to move freely within the territory of Member States’ being translated as ‘an ceart … chun gluaiseacht faoi shaoirse laistigh de chríoch na mBallstát’ (p. 221). In the Treaty on European Union (1992, p. 15), ‘Every citizen of the Union shall have the right to move and reside freely within the territory of the Member States’ is translated as ‘Beidh an ceart ag gach saoránach den Aontas gluaiseacht agus cónaí faoi shaoirse ar chríoch na mBallstát’. ‘Any other freely available and effectively usable currency’ is translated as ‘aon airgeadra eile atá ar fáil go héasca agus inúsáidte go héifeachtach’ in Article 3(e) of the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency Act, 1988. ‘Only be kept in a cage which is of sufficient dimensions to enable it to move and exercise freely’ is translated as ‘ní choimeádfar é ach i gcaighean a bheidh fairsing go leor chun go bhféadfaidh sé gluaiseacht agus aclaíocht a dhéanamh go héasca’ in s35(5)(b) of the Wildlife Act, 1976. ‘To exercise freely their ministry among prisoners of war of the same religion’ is translated as ‘a ministreacht a chleachtadh gan bhac i measc príosúnach cogaidh dá gcomhchreideamh’ in Article 35 of the Third Schedule to the Geneva Conventions Act, 1962. Finally, ‘discourage such witnesses from giving their evidence freely’ is translated as ‘mí-mhisneach do chur ar na fínnithe sin a bhfianaise do thabhairt uatha gan chosc’ in s7(5) of the Juries (Protection) Act, 1929. Looking at earlier translations of ‘freely’, in the oath to be taken by soldiers contained in s9 of the Defence Forces (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923 (Continuance and Amendment) Act, 1924, ‘that I have this day freely and voluntarily enlisted as a soldier in Óglaigh na hÉireann’ is translated as ‘gur liostálas iniu, dem’ dheoin agus dem’ shaor-thoil féin, mar shaighdiúir in Óglaigh na hÉireann’. ‘Go saoráideach’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as translating ‘freely’ in translations for the Department of Lands and Agriculture. Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú remarks that perhaps ‘gan bhac’ better expresses what is involved here than the direct translation below, ‘go saor’. a dtuairimí ‘Tuairim’ is translated as ‘opinion’ in Téarmaí Dlí, that being the primary sense of this headword in both Ó Dónaill and Dinneen, the latter citing ‘bíonn na daoine ag imtheacht do réir amhrais agus tuairime acht


A study of the Irish text

tagann an scéal bun ós cionn i gcómhnaidhe, people are ever suspecting and guessing, but the true facts always assert themselves’. ‘Opinion’ does not feature in the senses of ‘túaraim’ in DIL, where this headword is translated as (a) ‘likelihood, promise, appearance, resemblance’, (b) ‘(with numerals) about, approximately’, (c) in phrase ‘fá thúairim, towards, in the direction of’. No examples of ‘túaraim’ are cited from the earlier sources, the first citation being from the collection of Classical poetry, Dioghluim Dána. DIL refers to ‘réim’ (‘course’) as a possible basis of ‘túaraim’. In s11(2) of the Extradition Act, 1965, ‘on account of his race, religion, nationality or political opinion’ is translated as ‘mar gheall ar a chine, a chreideamh, a náisiúntacht nó a thuairimí polaitíochta’. Looking at earlier translations, ‘rún opineoin’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as translating ‘expression of opinion (in Dáil, etc.)’ in early Standing Orders of Dáil Éireann, ‘tuairim’ being also cited for ‘opinion (of the Dáil) etc.’ from the 1926 Standing Orders. See further the commentary on Articles 22.2.1o, 24.1 and 30.1. Note that ‘aigne an phobail’ expresses ‘public opinion’ further on in this paragraph – see the next commentary. nochtadh ‘Nochtaim’ is translated as ‘I disclose’ in Téarmaí Dlí, where ‘nochtadh mígheanasach’ is translated as ‘indecent exposure’ – note that ‘nocht’ expresses ‘disclose’ in Article 26.2.2o. ‘Make known, reveal, disclose’ is given as one of the senses of ‘nocht’ in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘rún a nochtadh, to reveal a secret’ and ‘níor nocht sé a intinn ar an scéal, he didn’t disclose his mind on the matter’ – followed, incidentally, by ‘rón a nochtadh, to skin a seal’, cited as an example of ‘nochtadh’ in the sense of ‘skin’. Dinneen translates ‘nochtaim’ as ‘I make bare, strip, uncover, unsheath, declare, tell, make manifest, explain, disclose, show, reveal …’. DIL cites ‘do nochtais t’aigne’ (‘you revealed your mind’) from the seventeenthcentury ‘Contention of the Bards’ as an example of this figurative use of ‘nochtaid’ found in late literature generally. ‘Nochta(e)’, ‘nakedness (want of clothing)’, is found in the eighth-century Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles. Turning to the Acts, based upon the present Article, in s18(3)(b) of the Radio and Television Act, 1988, ‘uphold the democratic values enshrined in the Constitution, especially those relating to rightful liberty of expression’ is translated as ‘tacóidh siad leis an bhfiúchas daonlathach atá cumhdaithe sa Bhunreacht, go háirithe mar a bhaineann leis an tsaoirse chun tuairimí a nochtadh’. The adjective ‘express’ is translated as ‘sainráite’ in Téarmaí Dlí, where ‘express condition’, for example, is translated as ‘coinníoll sainráite’ and ‘expressly’ is translated as ‘go sainráite’. In s67 of the First Schedule to the European Assembly Elections Act, 1977, ‘The decision of the returning officer, whether expressed or implied by his acts, on any question … shall be final’ is translated as ‘Is cinneadh críochnaitheach cinneadh an cheann comhairimh, cibé acu sainráite dó nó intuighe as a ghníomhartha, ar aon cheist’. In the New Ireland Forum Report (1984, 4.13), as we saw above, ‘all cultural, political and religious belief can be freely expressed and practised’ is translated as ‘saorchead a bheith acu a mbarrshamhla saíochta, polaitíochta agus creidimh a chur os ard agus a chleachtadh’. In 4.10, ‘demand for political expression of their nationalist identity’

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is translated as ‘an t-éileamh atá ag náisiúnaithe ar ghníomhaíocht pholaitíochta lena bhféiniúlacht náisiúnaíoch a chur in iúl’ and in 4.3 ‘expressing its aspirations’ is translated as ‘a dtoilmhianta a chur in iúl’. In s34(3) of the Finance Act, 1978, ‘unless the Revenue Commissioners have been required to express their opinion thereon’ is translated as ‘mura mbeidh iarrtha ar na Coimisinéirí Ioncaim a dtuairim ina leith a chur in iúl’. Note that the phrase ‘cuir in iúl’ sometimes also translates ‘notify’, ‘indicate’ and ‘denote’ in the Acts, though these English terms are not exclusively translated by ‘cuir in iúl’. Looking at early translations, ‘express or manifest political opinions’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as being translated as ‘tuairimí polaitíochta do luadhadh no do nochta’ in translations for the Department of Justice, and ‘have already expressed dissatisfaction at …’ is cited as being translated as ‘tá … tar éis a chur in úil cheana ná fuilid sásta le …’ in a Report by the Public Accounts Committee, 1929. Finally, note that ‘the word “statistics” includes information not expressible numerically’ is translated as ‘foluíonn an focal “staitistíocht” eolas nách féidir a shloinne in uimhreacha’ in s1 of the Statistics Act, 1926. See further the commentary on Article 24.1 where ‘luaigh’ expresses ‘express’, along with the next commentary. Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú suggests, in particular in the context of translating ‘convictions’ as ‘barúlacha’ in the direct translation below, translating ‘express’ as ‘a thabhairt’ or ‘friotal a chur ar’.

Standardised Irish text Ceart na saoránach chun a ndeimhní is a dtuairimí a nochtadh gan bhac.

Direct translation Ceart na saoránach chun a n-áitiúis1 agus a dtuairimí a chur in iúl2 go saor3.

Variants 1 ‘a mbarúlacha’ 2 ‘a nochtadh’, ‘a chur os ard’, ‘a thabhairt’ 3 ‘faoi shaoirse’, ‘gan bhac’, ‘chun friotal a chur go saor ar a n-áitiúis agus a dtuairimí’

ARTICLE 40.6.1oi (cont’d) AIRTEAGAL 40.6.1oi (ar lean.) TÉACS GAEILGE

Ach toisc oiliúint aigne an phobail a bheith chomh tábhachtach sin do leas an phobail, féachfaidh an Stát lena chur in áirithe nach ndéanfar orgain aigne an phobail, mar shampla, an raidió is an preas is an cineama, a úsáid chun an t-ord nó an mhoráltacht phoiblí nó údarás an Stáit a bhonn-bhriseadh. San am chéanna coimeádfaidh na horgain sin an tsaoirse is dleacht dóibh chun tuairimí a nochtadh agus orthu sin tuairimí léirmheasa ar bheartas an Rialtais.


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LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

But because the training of the mind of the people is of such importance to the welfare of the people, the State will endeavour to ensure that the organs of the public mind, for example, the radio and the press and the cinema, will not be used to break the basis of the public morality or order or the authority of the State. At the same time those organs will keep the freedom which is their right to declare opinions and including opinions evaluative of Government policy. ENGLISH TEXT

The education of public opinion being, however, a matter of such grave import to the common good, the State shall endeavour to ensure that organs of public opinion, such as the radio, the press, the cinema, while preserving their rightful liberty of expression, including criticism of Government policy, shall not be used to undermine public order or morality or the authority of the State.

Divergences between the official texts 1

The Irish text has two separate sentences here corresponding to but one in the English text, adding ‘San am chéanna … na horgain sin’ (‘At the same time … those organs’) to the contents of the English text, which has this sentence as a sub-clause introduced by ‘while’, preceded by a comma. 2 ‘Rightful liberty of expression’ is expressed as ‘an tsaoirse is dleacht dóibh chun tuairimí a nochtadh’ (‘the freedom which is their right to reveal/express opinions’) in the Irish text, with ‘criticism of’ expressed as ‘tuairimí léirmheasa’ (‘evaluative opinions of’), the term ‘léirmheas’ being more familiar today in the context of book-reviews than of ‘criticism’ in general. 3 ‘Undermine’ is expressed by an unfamiliar compound of ‘bonn’ (‘basis’) and ‘bris’ (‘break’). 4 ‘Education’ is expressed in the Irish text as ‘oiliúint’, a term more associated with ‘training’, and ‘public opinion’ is expressed as ‘aigne an phobail’ (‘the mind of the people’). 5 ‘To ensure’ is expressed by the phrase usually used to render ‘to reserve’, ‘cuir in áirithe’, as in some other Articles. 6 ‘The common good’ is translated as ‘an mhaitheas phoiblí’ rather than ‘leas an phobail’, as in Téarmaí Dlí. 7 ‘Of such grave import’ is expressed as ‘chomh tábhachtach sin’ (‘of such importance’) in the Irish text. 8 ‘However’ is again expressed by ‘Ach’ (‘But’) in the Irish text. 9 ‘Such as’ is expressed as ‘mar shampla’ (‘for example’) in the Irish text. 10 ‘The radio, the press, the cinema’ is expressed as ‘an raidió is an preas is an cineama’ (‘the radio and the press and the cinema’) in the Irish text.

Commentary oiliúint Ó Dónaill gives ‘training, coaching’ as one of the senses of ‘oiliúint’, citing ‘oiliúint choirp agus intinne, physical and mental training’. Dinneen includes ‘education, especially home-education, upbringing, fosterage, culture’

Bunreacht na hÉireann

among the senses of ‘oileamhain(t)’, and cites ‘is fearr an oileamhain(t) ’ná an t-oideachas, upbringing counts for more than education’ and ‘is treise dúthchas ’ná oileamhain(t), instinct overcomes upbringing’. ‘Ailemain’ is translated as ‘act of rearing, fostering; fosterage, education’ in DIL, citing examples from the twelfth century or so onwards of this late verbal noun of ‘ailid’, the earlier verbal noun being ‘altram’. ‘Oiliúint’ generally translates ‘training’ in the Acts – see, for example, s8(1)(e)(i) of the Fisheries Act, 1980, where ‘facilities for training or otherwise instructing persons in any matter’ is translated as ‘saoráidí chun daoine a oiliúint nó a theagasc ar shlí eile … in aon ábhar’. While ‘oideachas’ translates ‘education’ generally, ‘oiliúint’ is perhaps called on in this context as it is a verbal noun (of the verb ‘oil’, translated as ‘nourish, rear, foster, train, educate’ in Ó Dónaill). In s2(3) of the Army Pensions Act, 1923, for example, ‘may … be … applied for the maintenance, education or benefit of his child’ is translated as ‘féadfar é … do chur chun cimeád suas no oiliúint no tairfe a dhuine cloinne’. ‘Being educated’ is translated as ‘ag fáil oideachais’ in Article 14 of the 1922 Constitution and ‘the expenses of the Department of National Education’ is translated ‘costaisí na Roinne um Oideachas Náisiúnta’ in the Schedule to the Appropriation Act, 1922. T. O’Neill Lane translates ‘educate’ as (1) ‘múinim’, (2) ‘oilim’, giving ‘foghlaim’, ‘múineadh’, ‘oileamhain’, ‘tabhairt suas’ and ‘oideas’, before ‘oideachas’, in his entry s.v. ‘education’. De Bhaldraithe translates ‘educate’ as 1(a) ‘oilim, tugaim oideachas do (dhuine)’, (b)(i) ‘múinim (páiste)’, (ii) ‘cuirim (páiste) ar scoil’, 2. ‘múnlaím (aigne duine)’ – the verbal noun of the latter verb being used in the Constitution to express ‘formation’, ‘aigne’ being used in the present paragraph of the Constitution to express ‘opinion’. On the Dáil Order Paper of 8/3/82, ‘The Advisory Committee on the Education of Physically Handicapped Children’ is translated as ‘An Coiste Comhairleach um Oideachas Leanaí Corpéislinneacha’ and on the 22/10/75 ‘European Agreement on the Instruction and Education of Nurses’ is cited as ‘Comhaontú Eorpach ar Theagasc agus Oideachas Altraí’. ‘Oideachasú’ is cited s.v. ‘educate’, in Téarmaí Oifigiúla (without reference), this allowing ‘oideachas’ to function as a verbal noun. Commenting on a draft of the direct translation below, Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú doubted whether the word ‘oideachasú’ could be used with ‘tuairimí’ and recommended retaining ‘oiliúint aigne an phobail’. a bhonn-bhriseadh ‘An bonn a bhaint ó rud’ is translated as ‘to undermine something’ in Ó Dónaill who does not give this compound of ‘bonn’ (translated as (1) ‘sole’, (2) ‘footing, foothold’ and (3) ‘base, foundation’) and ‘bris’ (‘break’) as a headword. Ó Dónaill cites ‘thug mé ó bhonn dó é, I beat, scolded, him thoroughly’ and ‘bhris sé bonn, he broke ground, fled’. Dinneen does not have ‘bonnbhris(eadh)’ as a headword either, but cites ‘cuirim (bainim) dá bhonnaibh é, I upset or undermine him’ s.v. ‘bonn’. ‘Brisim agus iontrálaim’ is translated as ‘I break and enter’ in Téarmaí Dlí. The verb ‘bris(s)id’ may be based on ‘bres’ (‘fight, blow, effort’), according to DIL, ‘bonn’ being translated as ‘sole of the foot, foot’. L. Mc Cionnaith gives the following entry s.v. ‘undermine’:


A study of the Irish text

tá an bonn bainte ón tigh ag an uisce (Munster); he undermined me, deprived me of influence, with the landlord, bhain sé an bonn uaim leis an tighearna talmhan (An t-Ath. Seóirse Mac Clúin, Réiltíní Óir [1922]).

De Bhaldraithe translates ‘to undermine someone’s faith’ as ‘bonn a bhaint ó chreideamh duine’. In the New Ireland Forum Report (1984), ‘for fear of undermining the Unionist system’ and ‘undermining constitutional politics’ are translated respectively as ‘ar eagla go mbainfí bonn ó chóras na n-aontachtaithe’ and ‘tá bonn á bhaint ó pholaitíocht bhunreachtúil’ (3.10 and 4.3 respectively). We also find ‘lagaigh’ translating ‘undermine’ in the same document (see 4.11: ‘undermine all efforts’, ‘lagú ar na hiarrachtaí go léir’), as it does in the Treaty on European Union (1992, p. 223: ‘that changes in Community legislation cannot undermine the derogations granted to Spain’, ‘nach féidir le hathruithe i reachtaíocht an Chomhphobail na méaduithe a lagú arna ndeonú don Spáinn’) and in the Schedule to the Air Navigation and Transport Act, 1975 (‘undermine the confidence of the peoples of the world in the safety of civil aviation’, ‘muinín phobail an domhain i sábháilteacht na heitlíochta sibhialta a lagú’). In s9(1)(d) of the Radio and Television Act, 1988, however, ‘that anything which may reasonably be regarded as … tending to undermine the authority of the State, is not broadcast by him’ is translated as ‘nach gcraolfaidh sé aon ní a bhféadfaí a mheas le réasún gur … de ghné é a dhéanfaidh dochar d’údarás an Stáit’. féachfaidh an Stát le ‘Féach le’ is translated as ‘try to; try, attempt’ in Ó Dónaill, with Dinneen translating ‘féachaim le’ as ‘I strive to, look after’. According to DIL s.v. ‘fégaid’, there may have been an Old Irish verb ‘fégaid’, ‘scrutinizes’, which became confused with ‘do-écci’ (‘looks at’); most of DIL’s examples of ‘fégaid’ come from the post twelfth-century period. Turning to the Acts, in s1(a) of Article XXIV of the Schedule to the Bretton Woods Agreements (Amendment) Act, 1969, ‘the Fund shall seek to meet the long-term global need’ is translated as ‘féachfaidh an Ciste le freastal don riachtanas domhanda a bheidh ann’. In Treaties establishing the European Communities (1973, p. 937), ‘The United Kingdom shall … endeavour to abolish these subsidies’ is translated as ‘Féachfaidh an Ríocht Aontaithe … leis na fóirdheontais a dhíothú’. In the Treaty on European Union (1992, p. 37), ‘Member States shall endeavour to avoid excessive government deficits’ is translated as ‘féachfaidh Ballstáit le heasnaimh rialtais iomarcacha a sheachaint’. See further the commentary on Article 42.4 where ‘endeavour’ is expressed as ‘iarracht a dhéanamh’. coimeádfaidh ‘Coimeád’ is the literal translation of ‘keep’ – ‘coimeádaim deisithe’, for example, is translated as ‘I keep in repair’ in Téarmaí Dlí. Ó Dónaill gives ‘retain’ as one of the senses of ‘coimeád’, citing ‘do ghreim a choimeád, to keep one’s grip’. Dinneen translates ‘coimhéadaim’/‘coimeádaim’ as ‘I hold, keep, guard, watch, detain, delay, I keep (the Law, the Sabbath, etc.)’. The verb ‘coimétaid’ is based on ‘coimét’, which is the verbal noun of ‘con-eim’, which is translated as ‘protects, preserves, guards, keeps’ in DIL, where examples are cited from the Old Irish Glosses onwards. Turning to the Acts, we see, for example, how in s7(3)

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of the Credit Union Act, 1966, ‘Every record required to be kept under this section shall be preserved by the credit union for a period of six years’ is translated as ‘Gach taifead is gá a choimeád faoin alt seo déanfaidh an comhar creidmheasa é a shlánchoimeád go ceann tréimhse sé bliana’. In s122(2) of the Mines and Quarries Act, 1965, ‘Every entry made in any such book … shall be preserved for three years, … shall be kept at the office at the mine’ is translated as ‘Déanfar gach taifead a chuirfear in aon leabhar den sórt sin … a choimeád slán go ceann trí bliana … agus déanfar … é a choimeád san oifig ag an mianach’. ‘The preservation of continuing contracts’ is translated as ‘conarthaí leanúnacha a bhuanchoimeád’ in s5(2)(b) of the Local Government Services (Corporate Bodies) Act, 1971, and as ‘conarthaí leanúnacha … a choimeád ar marthain’ in s42(2)(b) of the Health Act, 1970. ‘Caomhnaigh’, however, is becoming more general as a direct translation of ‘preserve’ – see, for example, s26(8)(h) of the Agricultural Credit Act, 1978, where ‘the general preservation of the secrecy of the registers’ is translated as ‘rúndacht na gclár a chaomhnú i gcoitinne’ as against s24(8)(h) of the Agricultural Credit Act, 1947, where ‘the general preservation of the secrecy of such registers’ is translated as ‘lánas na gclár sin go ginearálta a choimeád ina rún’. In s3(1)(b) of the First Schedule to the Capital Gains Tax Act, 1975, ‘in establishing, preserving or defending his title to … the asset’ is translated as ‘ag bunú, ag caomhnú nó ag cosaint a theidil chun na sócmhainne’. ‘To preserve peace’, for example, is translated as ‘an tsíocháin a chaomhnú’ in the Treaty on European Union (1992, p. 123). See further the commentary on Articles 24.1 and 28.3.3o, where ‘cosain’ and ‘caomhnaigh’ respectively express ‘preserve’. an cineama Ó Dónaill gives ‘cineama’ as a headword, simply translating it as ‘cinema’, also giving ‘cineamascóp’, ‘cineamatagraf’ and ‘cinecheamara’ as headwords, translated respectively as ‘cinema-scope’, ‘cinematograph’ and ‘cine-camera’. Dinneen does not appear to give ‘cineama’ as a headword. De Bhaldraithe gives ‘cineama; scannánaíocht’ as Irish terms for ‘cinema’ (familiar), with ‘cinema’ in the sense of the building being translated as ‘pictiúrlann, cineama, teach pictiúr’. Ó Dónaill translates ‘pictiúrlann’ as ‘picture-house, cinema’, also citing ‘teach pictiúr, picture-house, cinema’ and translates ‘scannánaíocht’ as (1) ‘(the) cinema’, (2) ‘(act of) filming’. ‘Pictiúrlann’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as translating ‘cinema’ in Iris an Phuist, 28/7/’26. ‘Taispeántas cineama’ is cited as translating ‘cinema exhibition’ in the Health Act, 1947 (p. 147, ref. in Téarmaí Oifigiúla, where ‘cinema projector’ is translated as ‘teilgeoir scannán’). L. Mc Cionnaith gives ‘Terms from Staff of Dáil, Foclóir Oifigeamhail’, as the source of his translation of ‘cinema’ as ‘cineama’. In s41(1) of the Finance Act, 1990, ‘a film which is produced … wholly or principally for exhibition to the public in cinema’ is translated as ‘scannán a thairgtear … go hiomlán nó go príomha lena thaispeáint don phobal i bpictiúrlanna’. ‘Cineama’ is cited as translating ‘cinema’ in Statutory Instrument No. 249 of 1985 and in Treaties establishing the European Communities (1973, p. 1106), while the ‘International Catholic Cinema Office’ is cited in Irish as ‘Oifig Chaitliceach Idirnáisiúnta an Chineama’. is dleacht dóibh ‘Dleacht’ is translated as ‘duty’ in Téarmaí


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Dlí, ‘dleachtanna báis’ translating ‘death duties’, for example. Ó Dónaill translates ‘dleacht’ as (1) ‘due’, (a) ‘lawful right’, citing ‘is é mo dhleacht é, it is my lawful right, it is due to me’ and (3) ‘(Used as adjective with copula) Is dom is dleacht é, it is my due, it is my lawful duty; it is proper for me, An onóir is dleacht dó, the honour to which he is lawfully entitled’. Dinneen translates ‘dleacht’ as ‘law or right, customs, due, toll, property; as adjective, lawful, due’. DIL translates ‘dlecht’ as ‘lawful, due, rightful, permitted’, translating ‘dlecht do’ as ‘due to, right for’, citing examples of this phrase from about 1400 onwards. ‘Dlecht’, in origin, is related to ‘dliged’, ‘law’. Note that, in s18(3)(b) of the Radio and Television Act, 1988 (as in s13 of the Broadcasting (Amendment) Act, 1976), ‘is dleacht dóibh’ was emended following ‘their rightful’ of the text of the Constitution being replaced in those Acts by ‘rightful’, reading as follows: uphold the democratic values enshrined in the Constitution, especially those relating to rightful liberty of expression …. tacóidh sí leis an bhfiúchas daonlathach atá cumhdaithe sa Bhunreacht, go háirithe mar a bhaineann leis an tsaoirse cheart tuairimí a nochtadh.

In s262(2) of the Social Welfare (Consolidated) Act, 1981, ‘that he is the rightful holder of a particular supplementary unemployment book’ is translated as ‘gurb é is sealbhóir dlisteanach ar leabhar dífhostaíochta forlíontach áirithe’, this same text being translated as ‘gurb é sealbhóir dleathach leabhair áirithe díomhaointis fhoirlíontaigh’ in s43(2) of the Insurance (Intermittent Unemployment) Act, 1942. ‘Dleathach’, however, is translated as ‘lawful’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘The District Justice may order such goods or money to be delivered to the rightful owner thereof’ is translated as ‘féadfidh an Giúistís Dúithche a ordú go dtíolacfar na hearraí no an t-airgead san don té gur leis iad le ceart’. De Bhaldraithe translates ‘rightful heir’ as ‘oighre dlisteanach’ and gives ‘dlisteanach, cóir’ as translations of ‘rightful’ in the sense of ‘rightful claim’ – ‘dlisteanach’, however, is translated as ‘legitimate’ and ‘cóir’ (in ‘cóir-chíos’) as ‘fair’ in Téarmaí Dlí. De Bhaldraithe gives ‘ceart’ as a translation of ‘rightful’ in the sense of ‘rightful conduct’. L. Mc Cionnaith refers the reader to ‘lawful’, ‘legitimate’ s.v. ‘rightful’, while T. O’Neill Lane translates ‘rightful’, in the sense of ‘upright, just’, as (1) ‘dlisteanach’, (2) ‘dlightheach’ and (3) ‘dleaghthach’. tuairimí léirmheasa ‘Tuairim’ is translated as ‘opinion’ in Téarmaí Dlí – see the foregoing commentary. Ó Dónaill translates ‘léirmheas’ as (1) ‘critical consideration, complete assessment’ and (2) ‘criticism, critique, review’, this latter sense being the sense most commonly encountered today. Dinneen translates ‘léir-mheas’ as ‘high esteem; a balancing consideration, estimate, judgment, decision; critical estimate, criticism’, the latter word followed by the abbreviation for ‘recent’. DIL gives two examples of the compound ‘léirmes’, s.v. ‘léir’ (translated as (a) ‘assiduous, earnest, careful, zealous’, (c) ‘visible, perceptible’, with ‘mes(s)’ being translated as ‘the act of judging’), both of which come from Keating’s seventeenth-century Three Shafts of Death, in the glossary to which ‘léir-mes’ is translated as ‘act of closely considering, estimating’, with DIL translating the compound as ‘criticizing, calculating’. Turning to current Parliamentary usage, the fourth report of the National Economic and Social Council,

Bunreacht na hÉireann

‘Regional Policy in Ireland: A Review’, is styled ‘Beartas Réigiúnach in Éirinn: Léirmheas’ in Irish, while on the Dáil Order Paper, 5/7/77, ‘Economic Review and Outlook’ is cited as ‘Léirmheas agus Ionchas an Gheilleagair’. In Treaties establishing the European Communities (1973, p. 260), ‘to keep under review the monetary and financial situations of the Member States’ is translated as ‘staid airgeadaíochta agus staid airgeadais na mBallstát … a choimeád faoi léirmheas’ while, in the Treaty on European Union (1992, p. 70), ‘The Court of Justice shall review the legality of facts adopted jointly by the European Parliament and the Council’ is translated as ‘Déanfaidh an Chúirt Bhreithiúnais léirmheas ar dhlíthiúlacht ghníomhartha Pharlaimint na hEorpa agus na Comhairle arna nglacadh go comhpháirteach’, with ‘Judicial Control’ being translated as ‘Léirmheas breithiúnach’ (p. 181). Regarding ‘criticism’, ‘it has been the subject of much expert criticism’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as being translated as ‘do scrúduigh lucht eolais go maith é’ in a Report of a Committee of the Houses of the Oireachtas. ‘Criticism’, in the sense of ‘review’, is cited as being translated as ‘léirmheas’ in the Industrial and Commercial Property (Protection) Act, 1927 (p. 181). ‘Criticise’ is translated both as ‘inchreachadh’ in Téarmaí Oifigiúla (MIS xii being given as source) and as ‘léirmheasaim’ (no source being cited), while ‘destructive criticism’ is translated both as ‘inchreachadh’ and ‘liobairt’, with the booklets of terms issued by the Department of Education cited as source – Ó Dónaill translates ‘inchreach’ as ‘reprove, rebuke, object to, criticize’, followed by the abbreviation indicating that this word is cited only in earlier Irish literature. L. Mc Cionnaith translates ‘criticise’, in the sense of ‘find fault’, as ‘bhí sé ag fagháil locht orm, ar an leabhar 7c, bhí sé gham lochtú’, indicating these phrases being current in Munster Irish. In the Proceedings of Dáil Éireann, 9/12/69, ‘Privilege (Criticism of Ceann Comhairle)’ is translated as ‘Pribhléid (Lochtú ar an gCeann Comhairle)’, while in the Proceedings of 12/3/70, ‘Report of the Committee of Procedure and Privileges on a Magazine Item containing criticism of the Ceann Comhairle’ is translated as ‘tuarascáil ón gCoiste um Nós Imeachta agus Pribhléidí ar Mhír in Irisleabhar inar Cáineadh an Ceann Comhairle’. Commenting on ‘cáineadh’ (literally ‘censure’) translating ‘criticism’ in a draft of the direct translation below, Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú remarks that ‘criticism’ has a fairly broad range of senses, including ‘censure’, but as we do not know exactly what ‘criticism’ in the context of the English text of the Constitution means and, as the drafters of the Irish text understood it to mean ‘review’ rather than ‘censure’, Professor Ó Murchú recommends translating ‘criticism of’ as ‘a léirmheas’. chomh tábhachtach sin Literally ‘so important’. ‘Matter of great import’ is translated as ‘cúrsa an-tábhachtach’ in De Bhaldraithe. ‘Matter’ in this context is regularly translated as ‘ábhar’ in the Acts – see, for example, the Schedule to the Air Navigation and Transport Act, 1975, where ‘Considering that the occurrence of such acts is a matter of grave concern’ is translated as ‘Á Bhreithniú Dóibh gurb ábhar mór inmí é gníomhartha den sórt sin tarlú’. In the Treaty on European Union (1992, p. 44), ‘each Member State shall treat its exchange-rate policy as a matter of common interest’ is translated as ‘déanfaidh gach Ballstát … a bheartas rátaí malairte a bhreithniú mar


A study of the Irish text

ábhar leasa choitinn’ and, on p. 248, ‘the Member States agree to examine as a matter of priority the drafts submitted to them’ is translated as ‘comhaontaíonn na Ballstáit na dréachtaí a chuirfear faoina mbráid a scrúdú mar ábhar tosaíochta’. ‘Grave’ is also translated as ‘tromaí’ and ‘tromchúiseach’ in the Acts. In s13(1) of the Criminal Procedure Act, 1967, for example, ‘piracy or a grave breach such as is referred to in section 3(1)(i) of the Geneva Conventions Act, 1962’ is translated as ‘píoráideacht nó sárú tromchúiseach den sórt dá dtagraítear in alt 3(1)(i) den Acht um Choinbhinsiúin na Ginéive, 1962’. In s5(3) of the Criminal Justice Act, 1990, ‘for grave reasons of a humanitarian nature’ is translated as ‘ar chúiseanna tromaí de chineál daonchairdiúil’. Commenting on the direct translation below, Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú remarks that ‘a matter of such’ has no substantial sense and need not be followed closely in the translation. Professor Ó Murchú recommends translating the initial clause as ‘Toisc a thábhachtaí thromchúisí don mhaitheas phoiblí atá …’. a nochtadh See the foregoing commentary. T. O’Neill Lane translates ‘expression’ in the sense of ‘the act of declaring, signifying or uttering’, as (a) ‘labhairt’, (b) ‘rádh’. De Bhaldraithe translates ‘expression’ as ‘cur (smaoineamh) i bhfocal’, translating ‘to give expression to his gratitude’ as ‘a bhuíochas a chur in iúl’. Note that ‘expression’ in the present context in the Constitution may refer not just to ‘opinion’ in ‘organs of public opinion’ but to ‘convictions’ in the opening sentence: ‘The right of the citizens to express freely their convictions and opinions’. Colmán Ó Huallacháin, in his Dictionary of Philosophy (Foclóir Fealsaimh, 1958) translates ‘expression’ as ‘léiriú’, his entry s.v. ‘léiriú’, being as follows: Fáltas a thabhairt i láthair a chuirfeadh eolas in iúl i dtaobh réaltachta ceilte (m. sh. cuma ar an aghaidh a thaispeánfadh staid chomhfheasa).

‘Nationalist self-expression’ is translated as ‘féinléiriú náisiúnaíoch’ in the New Ireland Forum Report (1984, 4.8). In the Programme for a Partnership Government (1993-97, p. 20), ‘that both must have equally satisfactory, secure and durable, political, administrative and symbolic expression and protection’ is translated as ‘nach foláir go mbeadh siad araon in ann iad féin a léiriú agus cosaint a fháil i gcúrsaí polaitíochta agus riaracháin agus ar mhodh siombalach, ar bhealach chomh sásúil, chomh seasta agus chomh buan céanna’. In the Joint Declaration, December 1993, ‘the right of freedom and expression of religion’ is translated as ‘an ceart ar shaoirse agus ar léiriú creidimh’. Commenting on the direct translation below, Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú remarks that ‘léiriú’ is now generally understood as presenting something (“ábhar a chur i láthair”), that is, the manner it is made available rather than the substance. Professor Ó Murchú recommends translating this clause as ‘a gcaomhnófaí dóibh i gcónaí an tsaoirse faisnéise is dleacht dóibh’. aigne an phobail L. Mc Cionnaith’s entry s.v. ‘opinion’, commences as follows: ‘of opinion, view, bhíos ar an aigne sin, bhíos-sa ar an aigne chéadna, táim ar aon aigne leat san méid sin; tá sé ar lánaigne leat’ – all of which phrases are cited from Munster and Connacht Irish. Further on he returns to ‘opinion’ in the sense of ‘view’

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and cites the following: ‘is é mo thuairim go …’, ‘is é tuairim na ndaoine go …’, the latter expression being cited from the three main dialects, with ‘is é tuairimidheacht na ndaoine go …’ being cited from the Rev. Seóirse Mac Clúin’s Réilthíní Óir (1922). We find (on p. 244 of the second part of that work), s.v. ‘tuairimíocht’: ‘Sé tuairimíocht na ndaoine anso go leanfaidh an tsíocháin = tuairimí a bhíonn ag imeacht is á ndéanamh is á gcaitheamh’. Dinneen translates ‘tuairimidheacht’ as ‘opinion, act of guessing, expressing an opinion about’ while Ó Dónaill translates ‘tuairimíocht’ simply as ‘(act of) guessing, guess-work, speculation’. De Bhaldraithe, perhaps following the Constitution, translates ‘public opinion’ as ‘aigne an phobail’. ‘Opinion’ is translated as ‘tuairim’ in Téarmaí Dlí. T. O’Neill Lane (2nd ed.) translates ‘it is the general opinion’ as ‘do réir gach tuairime’, translating ‘I am of the same opinion as yourself’ as (i) ‘táim ar an aigne chéadna leat féin’ and (ii) ‘táim ar aon intinn leat-sa’. Ó Dónaill translates ‘aigne an duine’ as ‘man’s mind, way of thinking’. Dinneen translates ‘aigne’ as ‘the heart, the mind; intention, desire, spirit, courage, resolution’. ‘Aicned’, in the sense of ‘inherent quality, essence, nature’, is cited in DIL from the eighth-century Würzburg Glosses onwards, the secondary senses of ‘mind, spirit, feeling’ and ‘mind, attention, thought’ are later in date. ‘Aigne’ translates ‘mind’ in the Acts – ‘infirmity of mind or body’, in s5(3)(a) of the Electricity (Supply) (Amendment) Act, 1970, for example, being translated as ‘éiglíocht aigne nó choirp’. In s112 of the Mines and Quarries Act, 1965, ‘physically or mentally unfit for such employment’ is translated as ‘mí-oiriúnach ó thaobh coirp nó aigne don fhostaíocht sin’. Turning to ‘opinion’ in the Acts, in s11(2) of the Extradition Act, 1965, ‘an account of his race, religion, nationality or political opinion’ is translated as ‘mar gheall ar a chine, a chreideamh, a náisiúntacht nó a thuairimí polaitíochta’. In the New Ireland Forum Report (1984, 1.7), ‘a wide range of opinion’ is translated as ‘éagsúlacht mhór ag baint lena dtuairimí’. See the foregoing commentary regarding early citations of ‘tuairim’, ‘oipineon’ and ‘barúil’. toisc This headword is translated as ‘because, on account of’ in Ó Dónaill – see the commentary on Article 42.3.2o. In the Proceedings of Dáil Éireann, 2/12/70, ‘A quorum not being present after an interval of not less than three minutes, the Dáil resumed’ is translated as ‘Ós rud é go rabhthas fós gan chóram i gceann seal nár lú ná trí nóiméad d’athchrom an Dáil ar a gnó’. lena chur in áirithe See the commentary on Article 15.10; ‘in áirithe’ usually translates ‘engaged, reserved’, ‘áirithím’ being translated as ‘I retain (council)’ in Téarmaí Dlí. Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú recommends ‘deimhniú’ rather than ‘áirithiú’ in the direct translation below. San am chéanna According to the official standard, the ‘c’ would not be lenited here, being an adjective qualifying a masculine noun in the dative singular – see the commentary on Article 45. orgain See the commentary on Article 6.2. Note that ‘human organs’ is translated as ‘baill bheatha dhaonna’ in s24(x) of the Value Added Tax (Amendment) Act, 1978.


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an t-ord See the commentary on Article 40.6.1o. leas an phobail See the commentary on Article 12.8.

Bunreacht na hÉireann

ENGLISH TEXT

The publication or utterance of blasphemous, seditious, or indecent matter is an offence which shall be punishable in accordance with law.

Standardised Irish text Ach toisc oiliúint aigne an phobail a bheith chomh tábhachtach sin do leas an phobail, féachfaidh an Stát lena chur in áirithe nach ndéanfar orgain aigne an phobail, mar shampla, an raidió is an preas is an cineama, a úsáid chun an t-ord nó an mhoráltacht phoiblí nó údarás an Stáit a bhonnbhriseadh. San am céanna coimeádfaidh na horgain sin an tsaoirse is dleacht dóibh chun tuairimí a nochtadh agus orthu sin tuairimí léirmheasa ar bheartas an Rialtais.

Direct translation Toisc gurb ábhar lena mbaineann an oiread sin tábhachta tromaí1 don mhaitheas phoiblí é2 múnlú3 thuairimí4 an phobail,5 áfach, féachfaidh an Stát lena áirithiú6 nach n-úsáidfear orgáin thuairimí an phobail, ar nós an raidió, an phreasa, an chineama, le linn dóibh a gceartsaoirse7 léirithe8 a chaomhnú, lena n-áirítear beartas an Rialtais a léirmheas9, chun an bonn a bhaint ón ord poiblí ná ón moráltacht phoiblí ná ó údarás an Stáit10.11

Variants 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

11

‘an oiread sin mórthábhachta’ ‘Toisc a thábhachtaí thromchúisí don mhaitheas phoiblí atá’ ‘oiliúint’, ‘oideachasú’ ‘aigne’, ‘thuairimíocht’ ‘Toisc múnlú thuairimí an phobail a bheith ina ábhar atá chomh tábhachtach sin don mhaitheas phoiblí,’ ‘lena dheimhniú’ ‘a saoirse cheart’ ‘a gceartsaoirse chun tuairimí a chur in iúl’ ‘a cháineadh’ ‘chun an t-ord poiblí nó an mhoráltacht phoiblí nó údarás an Stáit a lagú’, ‘chun dochar a dhéanamh don ord poiblí nó don mhoráltacht phoiblí nó d’údarás an Stáit’ The following is the complete translation recommended by Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú: ‘Toisc a thábhachtaí thromchúisí don mhaitheas phoiblí atá oiliúint aigne an phobail, féachfaidh an Stát lena dheimhniú nach mbainfear leas/úsáid as orgáin na tuairimíochta poiblí, mar atá an raidió, an preas agus an cineama, a gcaomhnófar dóibh i gcónaí an tsaoirse faisnéise is dleacht dóibh, ar a n-áireofar beartas an Rialtais a léirmheas, chun an bonn a bhaint ón ord poiblí, ná ón moráltacht phoiblí, ná ó údarás an Stáit.’

ARTICLE 40.6.1Oi (contd.) AIRTEAGAL 40.6.1Oi (ar lean.) TÉACS GAEILGE

Aon ní diamhaslach nó ceannairceach nó graosta a fhoilsiú nó a aithris is cion inphionóis é de réir dlí. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

The publication or recitation of anything blasphemous or rebellious or obscene is a punishable crime in accordance with law.

Divergences between the official texts 1

2

3

4 5

‘Utterance’ is expressed in the Irish text by ‘aithris’, which verb generally has the sense of ‘recite (publicly declaim)’; qualified by the preposition ‘ar’ it means ‘imitate’. ‘Indecent’ is expressed in the Irish text by the Irish legal term for ‘obscene’ (‘graosta’), ‘indecent’ being translated as ‘mígheanasach’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘Seditious’ is expressed as ‘ceannairceach’, the adjectival form of the term expressing ‘rebellion’ in Article 40.4.6o, this however being in accord with Téarmaí Dlí in both cases. ‘Matter’ is expressed as ‘aon ní’ (‘anything’) in the Irish text. ‘Blasphemous, seditious, or indecent’ is expressed in the Irish text as ‘diamhaslach nó ceannairceach nó graosta’, ‘blasphemous or seditious or indecent’.

Commentary a aithris In Article 15.12, ‘and utterances made in either House’ is expressed as ‘maille le caint ar bith dá ndéantar in aon Teach díobh’, while in the following section, ‘and shall not, in respect of any utterance in either House, be amenable to any court’ is expressed as ‘agus cibé caint a dhéanfaidh comhalta in aon Teach díobh ní inchúisithe é mar gheall uirthi in aon chúirt’. The verb ‘aithris’ is translated as (1) ‘narrate, recite’, (2) ‘imitate’ and (3) ‘mimic’ in Ó Dónaill. ‘Aithrisim’ is translated as ‘I tell, narrate, report, repeat, recite, imitate, copy, mimic, ridicule’ in Dinneen. DIL translates ‘aithrisid’ as (a) ‘repeats, tells’ and (b) ‘imitates’, this verb being based on ‘aithris’, translated as (a) ‘act of telling, relating, relation, account’ and (b) ‘act of imitating, copying; imitation; example’. No examples of ‘aithris’ are cited from the early sources, this word being perhaps, according to DIL, a compound of ‘aith-’ (‘re-’) and ‘airis’ (‘[fore-] knowledge’) or ‘oires’ (‘history, knowledge or record of events’). Turning to the Acts, ‘úsáid a bhaint as aon uirlis nó fearas …, leictreach nó eile, chun glaonna éan nó glaonna mamach fiáin, a ligean nó a aithris’ translates ‘use an electrical or other instrument or appliance … emitting or imitating bird-calls or the calls of wild mammals’ in s35(1)(d) of the Wildlife Act, 1976, while ‘Déanfar in ordú a bhaineann le comhaontú um eiseachadadh … téarmaí an chomhaontaithe … a aithris nó a chorprú’ translates ‘An order relating to an extradition agreement … shall recite or embody the terms of the agreement’ in s8(3) of the Extradition Act, 1965. ‘Aithris … ar fhógrán sonraithe’ translates ‘repetitions of a specified advertisement’ in s42(2)(c) of the Building Societies Act, 1989, while ‘aithris dhealraitheach’ translates ‘colourable imitation’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘I utter (a forgery)’ is translated as ‘rithim (brionnú)’ in Tearmaí Dlí – see, for example, s39 of the Office Premises Act, 1958, where ‘If any person … knowingly utters or makes use of any such certificate so forged … as aforesaid’ is translated as ‘Duine ar bith … a rithfeas nó a úsáidfeas


A study of the Irish text

go feasach aon deimhniú den tsaghas sin a bheas brionnaithe … mar adúradh’, with ‘if any person … willingly connives at any such forging, … uttering … as aforesaid’ being translated as ‘Duine ar bith a chúlcheadós go toiliúil aon bhrionnú, … rith … mar adúradh’. In Article 18 of the 1922 Constitution, ‘in respect of any utterance in either House’ is translated as ‘i dtaobh éinní dá ndéarfa sé in aon Tigh den dá Thigh’. Commenting on the direct translation below, Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú questions whether ‘a rá’ can be used with ‘ábhar’ (i.e. literally ‘to say material’) – note above how we have ‘éinní dá ndéarfa sé’ in the 1922 Constitution, however. Professor Ó Murchú finds no fault with ‘aithris’, remarking that it is only with the preposition ‘ar’ that it has the sense of ‘imitate’. Máirtín Ó Murchú also suggests using ‘a aitheasc’. inphionóis This term is translated as ‘punishable’ in Téarmaí Dlí. In s3(1) of the Genocide Act, 1973, ‘No offence which, if committed in the State, would be punishable as genocide … shall be regarded as a political offence’ is translated as ‘Ní mheasfar gur cion polaitiúil … aon chion ab inphionóis, dá mba sa Stát a rinneadh é, mar chinedhíothú’. In s120(4) of the Succession Act, 1965, ‘A person who has been found guilty of an offence against the deceased … punishable by imprisonment for a maximum period of at least two years’ is translated as ‘Duine a fuarthas ciontach i gcion in aghaidh an éagaigh … is inphionóis le príosúnacht ar feadh uastréimhse dhá bhliain ar a laghad’. In s10(1) of the Extradition Act, 1965, ‘extradition shall be granted only in respect of an offence which is punishable under the laws of the requesting country … by imprisonment’ is translated as ‘ní dheonófar eiseachadadh ach amháin i leith ciona atá inphionóis faoi dhlíthe na tíre iarrthaí … le príosúnacht’, while in s20(1) of the Misuse of Drugs Act, 1977, ‘Any person who aids, abets, counsels or induces the commission in a place outside the State of an offence punishable under a corresponding law in force in that place’ is translated as ‘Aon duine a chabhróidh nó a neartóidh le duine, nó a chomhairleoidh dó nó a thabharfaidh air, cion a dhéanamh, in áit lasmuigh den Stát, atá inphionósaithe faoi dhlí comhréire a bheidh i bhfeidhim san áit sin’. diamhaslach This headword is translated as ‘blasphemous’ in Téarmaí Dlí and in Ó Dónaill, ‘diamhasla’, literally ‘god-insulting’, being translated as ‘blasphemy’ in both sources. Dinneen translates ‘dia-mhaslach’ as ‘blasphemous, impious’. ‘Maslach’ is translated as ‘abusive, insolent’ in DIL, with only one example being cited, ‘masla’/‘maslad’ (‘insult, opprobrium, disgrace’), on which it is based, not being cited in any of the early sources. In s3(2) of the Censorship of Films (Amendment) Act, 1925, ‘by reason of its being indecent, obscene, or blasphemous, or because the display thereof in public would convey suggestions contrary to public morality or would be otherwise subversive of public morality’ is translated as ‘toisc é bheith nea-náireach, draosta, no naomhaithiseach no toisc go gcuirfí smaointe in úil a bheadh contrárdha don mhoráltacht phuiblí no go millfí an mhoráltacht phuiblí ar aon chuma eile dá nochtfí go puiblí é’. ‘Naomh-aithiseach’ is translated as ‘blasphemous, profane’ in Dinneen, ‘naomhaithiseach’ being similarly translated in Ó Dónaill.

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ceannairceach This headword is translated as ‘seditious’ in Téarmaí Dlí, with ‘ceannairc’ translating ‘sedition’ and ‘ceannairc faoi airm’ translating ‘armed rebellion’. See the commentary on Article 40.4.6o regarding ‘ceannairc’, on which this adjective is based. Ó Dónaill translates ‘ceannairceach’ as ‘mutinous, rebellious’. While Dinneen gives ‘ceannairc’ as a headword, translated as ‘strife, division; a meeting; rebellion, conspiracy’, he does not appear to give ‘ceannairceach’ as a headword. DIL translates ‘cennaircech’ as ‘contentious, quarrelsome’, giving examples from the fifteenth century (this headword being translated as ‘cantankerous’ by the editor of Caithréim Thoirdhealbhaigh) onwards. Turning to the Acts, in s15(9)(d)(ii) of the Damage to Property (Compensation) Act, 1923, ‘(persons) belonging to … any unlawful or seditious association’ is translated as ‘(daoine) do bhain le haon chumann nea-dhleathach no ceannairceach’ and ‘treasonable or seditious documents’ is translated as ‘scríbhinní tréasúnta no ceannairceacha’ in s2(1) of the Public Safety Act, 1927. graosta This adjective is translated as ‘obscene’ in Téarmaí Dlí. Ó Dónaill translates ‘graosta’ as ‘lewd, obscene, filthy’, translating ‘caint ghraosta’, ‘scéal graosta’ and ‘amhrán graosta’ respectively as ‘bawdy talk’, ‘smutty story’ and ‘ribald song’. Dinneen gives Ó Dónaill’s translation of ‘graosta’ in reverse order. DIL translates ‘graosda’ as ‘obsence, lewd, licentious’, giving but one example, from Ó Heoghusa’s An Teagasg Criosdaidhe (1611) (with ‘comhrádh’, ‘conversation’), referring to two citations in Donlevy’s An Teagasg Críosduidhe (1742). DIL also gives two examples of the headword ‘gróesda’ (translated as ‘gross, obscene’), both with the plural of ‘briathar’ (‘word’), from Aodh Mac Aingil’s Scáthán Shacramuinte na hAithridhe (1618) and Flaithrí Ó Maolchonaire’s Desiderius, nó Scáthán an Chrábhaidh (1616). Note that ‘draosta’ is the form of this headword in the original text. Ó Dónaill refers to ‘graosta’ as the standard form under that headword, Dinneen giving a separate entry, translating ‘draosta’ as ‘obscene, smutty’. ‘Indecent’ is translated as ‘mígheanasach’ in Téarmaí Dlí, where ‘indecent assault’ and ‘indecent exposure’ are translated respectively as ‘ionsaí mígheanasach’ and ‘nochtadh mígheanasach’. ‘Indecent’ is translated as ‘mígheanasach; míchuibheasach’ in De Bhaldraithe. Note that in s9(1)(d) of the Radio and Television Act, 1988, ‘(that) anything which may reasonably be regarded as offending against good taste or decency’ is translated as (‘nach gcraolfaidh sé) aon ní a bhféadfaí a mheas le réasún gur ní é a ghoileann ar chaoinbhéasa nó ar chuibheas’. In s2 of the Censorship of Publications Act, 1929, we find the following ‘Definition’: The word ‘indecent’ shall be construed as including suggestive of, or inciting to sexual immorality or unnatural vice or likely in any similar way to corrupt or deprave. Léireofar an focal ‘nea-náireach’ mar fhocal a fholuíonn rud a mheabhródh mí-mhóráltacht inscine no dubháilceas mí-nádúrtha do dhuine no a ghríosfadh chuige é no is dócha a dhéanfadh in aon tslí eile den tsórt san duine do thruailliú no do chorba.

The same English text (commencing with ‘the word “indecent” includes’ and ‘other’ inserted before ‘similar’) is translated as follows in s1 of the Censorship of Publications Act, 1946:


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folaíonn rud a bheith ‘mígheanasach’ é bheith ina rud a mheabhródh mí-mhoráltacht chollaí nó duáilceas mí-nádúrtha do dhuine nó a chorródh chuige sin é nó is dócha a dhéanfadh in aon tslí eile den tsórt sin duine a thruailliú nó a chorbadh.

‘That a book is indecent or obscene’ is translated as ‘go bhfuil leabhar mígheanasach nó draosta’ in s2(1) of the Censorship of Publications Act, 1967. Returning to the early Acts, ‘Indecent Assault on Males or Females’ is translated as ‘Ionnsuidhe Mí-mhorálta ar Fhireannaigh no ar Bhaineannacha’ in the Third Schedule to the Defence Forces (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923 (where, incidentally, ‘Blasphemy’ is translated as ‘Diamhasla’), while in the Wireless Telegraphy Act, 1926, ‘any message or communication of an indecent, obscene, or offensive character’ is translated as ‘aon teachtaireacht no conbharsáid de shaghas náireach no draosta no maslathach’.

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Provision may be made in accordance with law to prevent or regulate assemblies from which it is determined in accordance with law that there is a danger that breach of peace will come or that they are a danger or an annoyance to the people in general, and moreover assemblies near either of the Houses of the Oireachtas. ENGLISH TEXT

The right of the citizens to assemble peaceably and without arms. Provision may be made by law to prevent or control meetings which are determined in accordance with law to be calculated to cause a breach of the peace or to be a danger or nuisance to the general public and to prevent or control meetings in the vicinity of either House of the Oireachtas.

Divergences between the official texts aon ní Literally ‘any thing’. In s11(2) of the Minimum Notice and Terms of Employment Act, 1973, ‘The decision of the Tribunal on any matter referred to it under this section shall be final and conclusive’ is translated as ‘Is cinneadh críochnaitheach dochloíte a bheidh i gcinneadh an Bhinse ar aon ní a tharchuirfear chuige faoin alt seo’. Usually, however, ‘aon ní’ translates ‘anything’ and, in the negative, ‘nothing’, in the Acts – see s3(1) of the Fourth Schedule to the Capital Gains Tax Act, 1975, for example, where ‘the making of anything available for inspection’ is translated as ‘aon ní a chur ar fáil lena iniúchadh’. See also the commentary on Article 13.7.1o. ‘Matter’ is translated as ‘ábhar’ in Téarmaí Dlí and is generally translated accordingly in the Acts – see s48(h) of the above-mentioned Capital Gains Tax Act, 1975, for example, where ‘licences to use any copyright material’ is translated as ‘ceadúnais aon ábhar cóipchirt … a úsáid’.

1

Direct translation

6

2 3

4

5

Is cion inphionóis 1 de réir dlí ábhar diamhaslach, ceannairceach, nó mígheanasach a fhoilsiú nó a rá2. 7

Variants 1 ‘Is cion inphionóis é’, ‘a bheidh inphionósaithe’, ‘a bheidh inphionóis’ 2 ‘a aithris’, ‘a aitheasc’

ARTICLE 40.6.1Oii

AIRTEAGAL 40.6.1Oii

TÉACS GAEILGE

Ceart na saoránach chun teacht ar tionól go sítheoilte gan arm. Féadfar socrú a dhéanamh de réir dlí chun cosc a chur nó rialú a dhéanamh ar thionóil a gcinnfear de réir dlí gur baol briseadh síochána a theacht díobh nó gur contúirt nó cránas don phobal i gcoitinne iad, agus fós ar thionóil i gcóngar do cheachtar de Thithe an Oireachtais. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

The right of the citizens to come on assembly peacefully unarmed.

‘Meetings which are determined … to be calculated to cause a breach of the peace’ is expressed as ‘tionóil a gcinnfear … gur baol briseadh síochána a theacht díobh’ (‘meetings which are determined that there is a danger that a breach of peace will come from them’) in the Irish text. ‘To assemble’ is expressed as ‘teacht ar tionól’ (‘to come on assembly’) in the Irish text. ‘Peaceably and without arms’ is expressed as ‘go sítheoilte gan arm’ (‘peacefully unarmed’) in the Irish text. The Irish term used to express ‘assemble’ (‘tionól’) is also used to express ‘meeting’, the latter term being translated as ‘cruinniú’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘By law’ and ‘in accordance with law’ are both expressed as ‘de réir dlí’ in the Irish text, ‘de réir’ being translated as ‘in accordance with’ in Téarmaí Dlí – where, however, ‘scor as oifig de réir oird’ is translated as ‘retirement by rotation’. ‘Nuisance’ is expressed as ‘cránas’ (‘annoyance’) in the Irish text, ‘núis’ translating ‘nuisance’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘To prevent or control’ is repeated in the English text, the latter citation being expressed simply by ‘fós’ (‘moreover’) in the Irish text.

Note that Article 9 of the 1922 Constitution reads as follows: The right of free expression of opinion as well as the right to assemble peaceably and without arms, and to form associations or unions is guaranteed for purposes not opposed to public morality. Laws regulating the manner in which the right of forming associations and the right of free assembly may be exercised shall contain no political, religious or class distinction. Is slán ceart oipineon do chur in úil gan chosg agus ceart teacht le chéile go síochánta gan airm, agus ceart cumainn no aontaisí do bhunú ar aon toisg ná fuil i gcoinne mhoráltacht phuiblí. Na dlithe a rialóidh an tslí ’na bhféadfar ceart cumainn do bhunú agus ceart saor-theacht le chéile do chur i bhfeidhm, ní dhéanfaid aon leithreachas i dtaobh polaitíochta ná creidimh ná aicme.

This Article was amended as follows in s24(1) of the Constitution (Amendment No. 17) Act, 1931:


A study of the Irish text

Whenever it appears to the Executive Council that the holding of public meetings in or in the vicinity of any particular building or any particular road or street is likely to lead to a breach of the peace or to be prejudicial to the maintenance of law and order.…Pé uair do chífear don Ard-Chomhairle gur deallrathach gurb é thiocfadh as cruinnithe puiblí do chomóradh in aon fhoirgint áirithe no ar aon bhóthar no shráid áirithe no in aice leo ná go mbrisfí an tsíocháin no go ndéanfaí dochar do dhlí agus d’ordú do choimeád.

Commentary teacht ar tionól … ar thionóil ‘After the re-assembly of Dáil Éireann’ is expressed as ‘ar Dháil Éireann d’ationól’ in Article 18.3, with ‘after a dissolution and re-assembly of Dáil Éireann’ being expressed as ‘I ndiaidh lánscor agus ationól do Dáil Éireann’ in Article 27.5.ii and ‘on the reassembly of Dáil Éireann’ being expressed as ‘ar ationól do Dháil Éireann’ in Article 28.10. ‘The right of free assembly’ is expressed as ‘(modh oibrithe) … an chirt chun teacht le chéile ar saorthionól’ in Article 40.6.2o. ‘Tionól neamhdhleathach’ is translated as ‘unlawful assembly’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘Tionól’ is translated as ‘gathering, assembly’ in Ó Dónaill – see the commentary on Articles 15.11.3o and 18.8. DIL translates ‘tinól’ as (a) ‘act of collecting, gathering’ and (b) ‘an (armed) assembly; band, company’, citing examples of sense (a) from the Glosses of the eighth century onwards. In the early Irish law-tracts, ‘tinól’ also had the sense of ‘that part of the marriage contribution which consisted of cattle’ – see DIL s.v. ‘tinól’ (c). ‘Tionól na Dála tar éis Olltoghcháin’ translates ‘meeting of Dáil subsequent to General Election’ in the very first heading in the Standing Orders of Dáil Éireann, with s19 reading as follows: Fiche comhalta an córam is gá chun tionól den Dáil a bheith ann. The quorum necessary to constitute a meeting of the Dáil shall be twenty members.

‘The Assembly of the European Communities’ is styled ‘Tionól na gComhphobal Eorpach’ in s1 of the European Assembly Elections Act, 1977 (‘An tAcht um Thoghcháin do Thionól na hEorpa, 1977’). Turning to ‘assemble’, in the Proceedings of Dáil Éireann, 2/7/69, ‘The Dáil assembled at 3 p.m.’ is translated as ‘Tháinig an Dáil le chéile ar 3 p.m.’ In the text of the Final Act in Treaties establishing the European Communities (1973, p. 1461), ‘The Plenipotentiaries of … assembled at Brussels on the twenty-second day of January one thousand nine hundred and seventy-two’ is translated as ‘Tá na Lánchumhachtaigh … Ar theacht le chéile dóibh sa Bhruiséil, an dóú lá is fiche d’Eanáir míle naoi gcéad seachtó a dó’. ‘Teacht le chéile’ translates ‘assemble’ in Article 9 of the 1922 Constitution and in s7(3) of the Treasonable Offences Act, 1925, ‘If any person is present at … an assembly of persons who … have assembled or met together’ is translated as ‘Má bhíonn éinne láithreach … i dtionól daoine … a dhin … teacht no cruinniú le chéile’. ‘Meeting’ is translated as ‘cruinniú’ in Téarmaí Dlí where ‘annual general meeting’ is translated as ‘cruinniú ginearálta bliantúil’. go sítheoilte ‘Picéadú sítheoilte’ is translated as ‘peaceful picketing’ in Téarmaí Dlí. According to Ó Dónaill,

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‘síothóilte’ is the standard form of this adjective, translated as ‘settled, peaceful’. Dinneen translates ‘sítheoilte’ as ‘peaceful, polite, affable, refined’ and s.v. ‘sítheoilteacht’, quotes the following from Pádraig Feirritéir of New York, formerly of the Ballyferriter district of Kerry: ‘ar chumha ná ar chleas ní ghlacfaid sítheoilteacht’ (‘on no consideration will they be satisfied with mild measures’). DIL cites examples of the adverbial usage s.v. ‘síthóilte’ (‘sítháilte’), mainly from the seventeenth century, the first example being ‘an mbíthear sunn go síotháilte’ (‘are men at peace [with me] here?’), from a miscellaneous collection of religious poetry, Dán Dé. ‘Síthóilte’/‘sítháilte’ has been translated as ‘peaceful joy’, that is, as a compound of ‘síd’ and ‘fáilte’, but according to DIL it is a participle of the verb ‘síthlaid’ (‘strains, filters, sifts’), meaning ‘purified, clear’ and hence ‘settled, tranquil (?)’. ‘Síthlaid’ is based on ‘síthal’, ‘a vessel for drawing water, a bucket’, which comes from the Latin ‘situla’. Turning to ‘peaceable’ in the Acts, in s2(b) of the Prohibition of Forcible Entry and Occupation Act, 1971, ‘(unless) he does so with all reasonable speed and in a peaceable manner’ is translated as ‘mura ndéanfaidh sé sin a luaithe ariamh is réasúnach agus go síochánta’. In s10 of the Enforcement of Law (Occasional Powers) Act, 1923, ‘Provided always that before breaking into any dwelling house … the Under-Sheriff shall have made reasonable efforts to enter peaceably and without violence’ is translated as ‘Más rud é gur dhin an Fo-Shirriamh sarar bhris sé isteach in aon tigh comhnuithe … iarrachtaí réasúnta ar dhul isteach go síochánta agus gan foiréigean’. baol This headword is translated as ‘danger’ in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘is baol liom, I fear’ and ‘ní baol duit titim, you are in no danger of falling, you need not fear that you will fall’. Dinneen translates ‘baoghal’ as ‘danger; a point open to attack; apprehension’, citing ‘baol báis, danger of death’, for example. DIL translates ‘báegul’ as ‘unguarded condition, danger, hazard, vulnerability; chance, opportunity (of taking by surprise, inflicting an injury)’, giving examples from the eighth-century Glosses onwards. In early Irish law-tracts, ‘báegul’ had the sense of ‘making a mistake (in judgement), etc.’ (DIL). Fergus Kelly, op. cit., p. 304, translates ‘báegul’ as ‘legal error, procedural mistake’, citing the often repeated maxim in the law-tracts, ‘cach brithemoin a báegul’ (‘to every judge his error’, i.e. ‘every judge must bear the responsibility for any mistakes he makes’, ibid, p. 54). Turning to the Acts, ‘go mba dhóigh baol báis do bhaint le haon mhoill ag fáil an bharántais’ translates ‘that the delay in obtaining a warrant would be likely to endanger life’ in s40(1)(c) of the Dangerous Substances Act, 1972, with ‘gur léir an long a bheith neamhoiriúnach le dul chun farraige gan bheith ina baol báis do dhaoine’ translating ‘that the ship is manifestly unfit to proceed to sea without danger to human life’ in s18(4) of the Merchant Shipping (Load Lines) Act, 1968, and ‘chun go n-íoslaghdófaí an baol’ translating ‘to minimise the risk’ in s3(2)7(c) of the Local Government (Multi-Storey Buildings) Act, 1988. Turning to ‘to be calculated to’ in the Acts, in s11(3) of the Building Societies Act, 1976, ‘that the name of the proposed society … so resembles the name of another society … as to be calculated to deceive’ is translated as ‘gur ainm é atá chomh cosúil sin le hainm cumainn eile


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… gur dóigh dó meabhlú’ and in s140(1) of the Mines and Quarries Act, 1965, ‘a document so closely resembling any such certificate as to be calculated to deceive’ is translated as ‘doiciméad a bheidh chomh cosúil le haon deimhniú den sórt sin gur dóigh dó daoine a mheabhlú’. In s6(1)(a) of the Firearms (Proofing) Act, 1968, ‘a mark so nearly resembling such a mark as to be calculated to deceive’ is translated as ‘marc chomh gar i gcosúlacht le marc den sórt sin gur chúis mheabhlaithe é’, while in s14(2) of the Road Traffic Act, 1968, ‘or a mark so nearly resembling it as to be calculated to deceive’ is translated as ‘Nó marc chomh garchosúil leis go rachadh sé chun meabhlaireacht a dhéanamh ar dhuine’. In s55(1) of the Central Bank Act, 1942, ‘or so nearly resembling as to be calculated to deceive’ is translated as ‘no bheidh chó cosúil sin le ceachtar aca san gur deallrathach go meallfaí duine léi’. In s15(1) of the Capital Acquisitions Tax Act, 1976, ‘subject to such conditions as might reasonably be calculated to obtain for him the best price for the property’ is translated as ‘faoi réir cibé coinníollacha ba dhóigh, le réasún, a tharraingeodh an praghas ab fhearr ar an maoin don díoltóir’. We find ‘dóigh’ again in s5(2)(c) of the Tourist Traffic Act, 1952, where ‘which appear to the Board to be calculated to improve tourist traffic’ is translated as ‘is dóigh leis an mBord d’fheabhsódh an trácht cuartaíochta’. In s31(2)(a) of the Electricity (Supply) (Amendment) Act, 1945, on the other hand, ‘and in such other manner as shall appear to the Minister to be calculated to bring his said attention to the knowledge of persons concerned’ is translated as ‘agus i pé slí eile chífear don Aire a bhéarfas le fios do dhaoine lena mbainfidh an scéal go bhfuil sé ar an intinn sin’. Finally, in s2 of the Agricultural Products (Regulation of Export) (Amendment) Act, 1935, ‘as appears to him to be calculated to secure …’ is translated as ‘chífear do is deallrathach a chuirfidh in áirithe’. ‘He calculated she would come’ is cited in Foclóir Oifigiúil as being translated as ‘bhí sé ag leagan amach go dtiocfadh sí’ in L. Mc Cionnaith. De Bhaldraithe translates ‘news calculated to astonish him’ as ‘scéal a chuirfeadh iontas air’ and ‘words calculated to reassure us’ as ‘caint ar dhóigh di misneach a thabhairt dúinn’. cránas Ó Dónaill translates ‘cránas’ as ‘affliction; vexation, annoyance’, citing ‘cránas a thabhairt do dhuine, to cause affliction to someone, to annoy someone’ and ‘cránas a thabhairt do do cholainn, to mortify one’s body’. Dinneen translates ‘crádhnas’ as ‘annoyance, mortification, torture’. DIL cites only one example of ‘craidenus’ – ‘(frie) huatbas 7 craidenus’ (‘horror and affliction’) – this word being based on ‘crád’, ‘torment, anguish, misery; act of tormenting, persecuting, etc.’ ‘Nuisance’ is translated as ‘núis’ in Téarmaí Dlí, where ‘private nuisance’ and ‘public nuisance’ are translated respectively as ‘núis phríobháideach’ and ‘núis phoiblí’. In s125 of the Road Traffic Act, 1961, ‘Nothing in this Act shall authorise any person to use in a public place a vehicle so constructed or used as to cause a public or private nuisance’ is translated as ‘Ní údaróidh aon ní san Acht seo d’aon duine feithicil a úsáid in áit phoiblí a bheidh deartha nó a úsáidfear i slí a dhéanfaidh núis phoiblí nó phríobháideach’. In s24(2) of the Air Pollution Act, 1987, ‘The occupier of any premises shall not cause or permit an emission from such premises in such a quantity, or in

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such a manner, as to be a nuisance’ is translated as ‘Ní chuirfidh áititheoir aon áitribh faoi deara ná ní cheadóidh sé astaíocht a theacht as an áitreabh sin i gcainníocht a d’fhágfadh nó ar shlí a d’fhágfadh gur núis í’ and in s32(1) of the Local Government (Sanitary Services) Act, 1948, ‘If a temporary dwelling is in such a state as to be a nuisance’ is translated as ‘Má bhíonn teaghas sealadach sa riocht sin gur núis é’. In s39(4)(b) of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1931, however, we find ‘or is likely to become in such a state as to be a nuisance’ translated as ‘no is dócha thiocfaidh chun bheith sa riocht san go bhfuil no go mbeidh sé ina chráiteas’. Similarly, in s20(1) of the Local Government Act, 1925, ‘which is in such a state as to be a nuisance’ is translated as ‘agus é ar a leithéid sin de staid gur cráiteas é’. Finally, ‘guilty of conduct which is an nuisance or annoyance to adjoining occupiers’ is translated as ‘ciontach in iompar is cráiteas no is ciapa ar shealbhóirí teoranta’ in s4(1)(b) of the Increase of Rent and Mortgage Interest (Restrictions) Act, 1923. Note that L. Mc Cionnaith cites ‘ba mhór an crádh é’ from Connacht and Munster s.v. ‘nuisance’, in the sense of ‘worrying thing, person’, with ‘is mór an núis na páistí do bheith ag déanamh torainn’ (‘it is a nuisance that the children are so noisy’) from Connacht. cosc a chun …. ar ‘Cosc’ is translated as ‘obstruction’ in Téarmaí Dlí, where ‘I obstruct’ is translated as ‘coiscim’. ‘Cosc’ is translated as ‘check, restraint, prevention, prohibition’ in Ó Dónaill, where ‘cosc a chur ar dhuine’ is translated as ‘to check, restrain, someone’ and ‘cosc a chur le rud’ is translated as ‘to put a stop to something’. Dinneen translates ‘cosc’ as ‘act of restraining, restraint; preventing, hindering, intercepting; reprimanding; correcting; a cessation; a brake; a giving up; impediment, hindrance, restriction, prohibition, stop’, with ‘cuirim cosc le (or ar)’ translated as ‘I prevent, hinder, stop’. DIL gives examples of the phrase ‘do-beir (cuirid) cosc for’ from the ninth-century Milan Glosses on the Commentary on the Psalms – ‘nírbuchosc coir dorratsat forru són’ (‘it was not a proper correction that they had inflicted upon them’) glossing Latin ‘correptionis’ – and from later sources. ‘Cosc’, verbal noun of ‘con-secha’, is translated as (a) ‘act of reproving, admonishing; correcting, reproof, correction’ and (b) ‘act of hindering, preventing; staunching (of wounds)’ in DIL. In the Programme for a Partnership Government, 1993-97 (p. 28), ‘chun cosc a chur ar iarratas ó chéile an céile eile a chur isteach dá (h)ainneoin’ translates ‘to prohibit applications for involuntary admissions made by a spouse’. ‘Prevents, or attempts to prevent, any person from appearing before or being questioned by an inspector’ is translated as ‘chuirfidh cosc, nó a fhéachfaidh le cosc a chur, le haon duine ó láithriú os comhair nó óna cheistiú ag cigire’ in s11(4)(d) of the Holidays (Employment) Act, 1973. In s26 of the Sea Pollution Act, 1991, ‘Powers of Minister to prevent, mitigate or eliminate pollution’ is translated as ‘Cumhachtaí an Aire chun truailliú a chosc, a mhaolú nó a chealú’. ‘Cosc a chur ar’ translates ‘obstruct’ in s147 of the Electoral Act, 1922. rialú a dhéanamh ar ‘Rialú’ is translated as ‘ruling’ in Téarmaí Dlí, where the verb ‘rialaím’ is translated as ‘I control, I rule’. ‘Rialú’ is translated as ‘rule, regulation; control, government’ in Ó Dónaill. ‘Riaghlughadh’ is


A study of the Irish text

translated as ‘the act of ruling, government, discipline, management’ in Dinneen, where the following proverb is cited: ‘is dual riaghlughadh do réir oideachais’ (‘the ruler is according to the upbringing he has received’). Old Irish ‘ríagol’, on which ‘ríaglaid’ is based, comes from Latin ‘regula’. DIL gives examples of both ‘ríaglad’ (‘regulating, ruling, controlling’), verbal noun of ‘ríaglaid’ (‘regulates, orders, arranges’) and ‘ríaghlughadh’ (verbal noun of the later verb ‘ríaglaigid’, ‘= ríaglaid’). In s3 of the Article VI of the Schedule to the Bretton Woods Agreements Act, 1957, entitled ‘Control of capital transfers’ (‘Aistrithe caipitil a rialú’), ‘Members may exercise such controls as are necessary to regulate international capital movements’ is translated as ‘Féadfaidh na comhaltaí pé rialú a dhéanamh is gá chun gluaiseachtaí idirnáisiúnta caipitil a rialáil’ and in the Programme for a Partnership Government, 1993-97, ‘we will continue to press for the development of a Community industrial policy that can control State aids’ is translated as ‘leanfaimid de bheith ag iarraidh beartas tionscail Comhphobail a fhorbairt faoinar féidir rialú a dhéanamh ar chúnamh Stát’. See the commentary on Articles 10.3 and 45.2.ii, where ‘rialaigh’ and ‘urlámhas’ respectively express ‘control’. Note the we find ‘smachtaigh’ translating ‘control’ in the following contexts: in s12(1) of the Local Government (Water Pollution) Act, 1977, ‘where it appears to a local authority that it is necessary to do so in order to prevent or control pollution of waters’ is translated as ‘I gcás ar dealraitheach d’údarás áitiúil gur gá beart a dhéanamh chun truailliú uiscí a chosc nó a shrianadh’ and in s13 of the Fifth Schedule to the Local Government (Planning and Development) Act, 1963, ‘and the provision of such arrangements for heating and cooking as are calculated to prevent or control so far as practicable the emission of smoke or nauseous gases’ is translated as ‘agus cibé socruithe a chur ar fáil chun téimh agus cócaireachta a mheasfar a choiscfidh nó a shrianfaidh an oiread agus is féidir, deatach nó gásanna díobhálacha ó a bheith ag sceitheadh amach’. gan arm ‘Le harm’ expresses ‘by force of arms’ in Article 39 and ‘ceannairc faoi arm’ expresses ‘armed rebellion’ in Article 28.3.3o, for example, with ‘coinbhleacht faoi arm’ expressing ‘armed conflict’. ‘Armed rebellion’ is translated as ‘ceannairc faoi airm’ in Téarmaí Dlí, however. Ó Dónaill gives ‘arms (collective)’ as a secondary sense of the Irish ‘arm’, citing ‘faoi arm, under arms’, the principal sense being (a) ‘weapon’ and (b) ‘implement, tool’. Dinneen translates ‘arm teineadh’ as ‘fire-arms’. ‘Arm’ comes from Latin ‘arma’ – see DIL s.v. ‘arm’, where the plural is cited (in the sense of ‘weapon’) after ‘cen’ (Modern Irish ‘gan’) in ‘cen armu, cen fáebru’ (i.e. without weapons, without sharp-edged weapons – see DIL s.v. ‘fáebar’) from the tale Mesca Ulad, in the twelfth-century Book of Leinster. Note that we find ‘gan airm’ expressing ‘without arms’ in Article 9 of the 1922 Constitution and finally that ‘by an unarmed person’ is translated as ‘ag duine neamharmtha’ in s2(1) of the Wildlife Act, 1976. Regarding not having ‘agus’ expressing ‘and’ before ‘arms’, note that Irish regularly drops the conjunction between two adjectives. a theacht díobh Literally ‘to come from them’. ‘Cause’ is translated as ‘cúis’ in Téarmaí Dlí where ‘cause of action’ and ‘reasonable cause’ are translated respectively as ‘cúis

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chaingne’ and ‘cúis réasúnach’. In s18 of the Imposition of Duties (Dumping and Subsidies) Act, 1968, ‘the importation is such as to cause or threaten to cause material injury to an industry’ is translated as ‘gurb allmhairiú é de shórt ba chúis nó ba bhaol a bheith ina chúis le díobháil ábhartha a dhéanamh do thionscal’. In s3(1) of the Criminal Law (Rape) (Amendment) Act, 1990, ‘such as to cause injury, humiliation or degradation’ is translated as ‘atá ina chúis le gortú, le huirísliú nó le táireadh’. See the commentary on Articles 12.10.5o and 25.5.1o where ‘cuir á’ and ‘tabhair’ respectively express ‘cause’. Regarding ‘a chur faoi deara’ translating ‘cause’ in a draft of the direct translation below, Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú remarked that this Connacht phrase is not generally used without an indirect object – e.g. ‘é a chur faoi deara duit’. Professor Ó Murchú recommends either ‘a tharraingt’ or ‘gur dóigh go mba thrúig leis an tsíocháin a bhriseadh iad’, or retaining the phrase of the original text. contúirt ‘Contúirt’ is translated as ‘danger’ in Téarmaí Dlí, with ‘contúirt neamhfhollas’ translating ‘hidden danger’. In s13(2) of the Sale of Goods and Supply of Services Act, 1980, for example, ‘free from any defect which would render it a danger to the public’ is translated as ‘saor ó aon locht a thabharfadh gur chontúirt í don phobal’ and in s20(10)(b) of the Road Traffic Act, 1961, ‘there was not a defect affecting the vehicle which was such that the vehicle was, when in use, a danger to the public’ is translated as ‘nach raibh … locht ar an bhfeithicil a d’fhág gur chontúirt don phobal an fheithicil nuair a bheadh sí á húsáid’. ‘To the extent to which such substance … is … a danger to the life or health of a person coming into contact therewith’ is translated as ‘don mhéid … is contúirt an tsubstaint … sin do bheo nó do shláinte duine a theagmhaíonn leis’ in s6 of the Nuclear Energy (An Bord Fuinnimh Núicléigh) Act, 1971. i gcóngar do See the commentary on Article 12.11.1o where ‘ar a cóngar’ expresses ‘near (it)’. Ó Dónaill cites ‘bheith i gcóngar áite, to the near, close to, a place’ along with ‘bhí an bás i gcóngar dó, death was drawing near him’. Dinneen translates ‘i gcómhgar’ as ‘near at hand’, citing ‘ní’l sé i n-aon chómhgar dó, it is not all near it, there is no comparison’. ‘Comgar’, based on ‘gar’ (‘short [of time or space]’, ‘near’), is translated as ‘(equally) near, ready’ in DIL, citing ‘i gcomhghar dhuibh’, from a miscellaneous collection of Classical Irish poetry, as an example of ‘comgar’ in prepositional phrases with the preposition ‘do’, or genitive, in the sense of ‘near (to)’. Turning to the Acts, ‘which may be the area in the vicinity of the court’ is translated as ‘a bhféadfaidh gurb é an limistéar i gcomharsanacht na cúirte é’ in s14(2) of the Juries Act, 1976. In s14(1)(c)(ii) of the Intoxicating Liquor Act, 1960, ‘that they are located, either, partly on that site or in the immediate vicinity’ is translated as ‘gur ar an láithreán sin atá cuid de nó gur ina gharchomharsanacht atá sé’. Note that in s24(1) of the Constitution (Amendment No. 17) Act, 1931, we find ‘the holding of public meetings in or in vicinity of any particular building …’ translated as ‘cruinnithe puiblí do chomóradh in aon fhoirgint áirithe … no in aice leo’. Commenting on ‘i gcomharsanacht’ in a draft of the direct translation below, Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú


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remarks that the sense of this word might be too broad for this context, i.e. outside of the gates. He therefore recommends retaining the phrase of the original text. briseadh síochána This phrase is translated as ‘breach of the peace’ in Téarmaí Dlí. In s17(1)(a) of the Offences Against the State Act, 1939, ‘to commit or to plan, contrive, promote, assist or conceal the commission of any crime or any breach of the peace’ is translated as ‘aon choir no aon bhriseadh síochána dhéanamh no san do bheartú, do thabhairt chun críche, no do chur ar aghaidh no cabhrú leis nó é cheilt’. See the commentary on Article 15.13.

Bunreacht na hÉireann

Divergences between the official texts 1

2 3 4 5

Standardised Irish text Ceart na saoránach chun teacht ar tionól go síothóilte gan arm. Féadfar socrú a dhéanamh de réir dlí chun cosc a chur nó rialú a dhéanamh ar thionóil a gcinnfear de réir dlí gur baol briseadh síochána a theacht díobh nó gur contúirt nó cránas don phobal i gcoitinne iad, agus fós ar thionóil i gcóngar do cheachtar de Thithe an Oireachtais.

6 7

‘Unions’ is expressed as ‘cumainn’ in the Irish text, which is the plural form of the term translated as ‘society’ in Téarmaí Dlí, although ‘trade union’ is translated there as ‘ceardchumann’, the general Irish term for ‘trade union’. ‘To form’ is expressed as ‘a bhunú’ (‘to establish’) in the Irish text. ‘Exercise’ is again expressed by ‘oibriú’, which is the Irish legal term for ‘operate’. ‘Regulation’ is expressed as ‘rialú’, the verbal noun of the verb translated as ‘control’/‘rule’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘The foregoing’ is expressed as ‘réamhráite’ (‘aforesaid’/ ‘aforementioned’) in the Irish text. ‘However’ is again expressed as ‘Ach’ (‘But’) in the Irish text. ‘Is cead’ (‘it is permitted’) again expresses ‘may’ in the Irish text.

Note that ‘The right … to form associations and unions’ is translated as ‘ceart cumainn nó aontaisí do bhunú’ in Article 9 of the 1922 Constitution.

Commentary Direct translation Ceart na saoránach chun tionól go síochánta agus gan airm. Féadfar socrú a dhéanamh le dlí chun cruinnithe a chosc nó a rialú a gcinnfear de réir dlí gur dóigh dóibh briseadh síochána a tharraingt1 nó bheith ina gcontúirt nó ina núis don phobal i gcoitinne agus chun cruinnithe i gcóngar2 ceachtar Tí den Oireachtas a chosc nó a rialú.

Variants 1 ‘a chur faoi deara’ 2 ‘i gcomharsanacht’

ARTICLE 40.6.1Oiii

AIRTEAGAL 40.6.1oiii

TÉACS GAEILGE

Ceart na saoránach chun comhlachais agus cumainn a bhunú. Ach is cead dlíthe a achtú chun oibriú an chirt réamhráite a rialú agus a stiúradh ar mhaithe leis an bpobal. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

The right of the citizens to establish associations and societies. But it is permitted to enact laws to regulate and direct the operation of the aforesaid right for the good of the people. ENGLISH TEXT

The right of the citizens to form associations and unions. Laws, however, may be enacted for the regulation and control in the public interest of the exercise of the foregoing right.

cumainn ‘Cumann’ is translated as ‘society’ in Téarmaí Dlí, where ‘cara-chumann’ is translated as ‘friendly society’ and ‘comharchumann’ as ‘co-operative society’, with ‘trade union’ being translated as ‘ceardchumann’. ‘Association; club, society’ is one of the senses of ‘cumann’ (‘of organised body’) given in Ó Dónaill, who refers to ‘Cumann Lúthchleas Gael’ (‘the Gaelic Athletic Association’), as well as ‘cumann liteartha’ (‘literary society’), ‘cumann polaitíochta’ (‘political club’) and ‘cumann lucht tráchtála’ (‘chamber of commerce’). ‘Society, club’ are among the senses of ‘cumann’ given by Dinneen, who cites ‘cumann na naomh’ (the ‘Communion of Saints’) from Donlevy’s Irish Catechism, 1742. ‘Cumann’ comes from Latin ‘commentum’, and examples of this word from the Old Irish Glosses of the eighth century onwards are given in DIL, including the following from the ninth-century Milan Glosses on a Latin commentary on the Psalms: ‘robói commant n-etarru du denam uilc frimmaccu Israhel’ (‘there was a covenant between them to do evil to the Children of Israel’), which glosses Latin ‘ex professo’. DIL translates ‘commann’ as ‘alliance, pact, union, friendship; company, band; later love, affection’. As an example of the sense of ‘union’ above, the following is cited in DIL from a poem edited under the title ‘Address to David O’Keeffe’: ‘aigneadh dúnta ’gun rígh ruind / ó da s(h)ín cúpla ar ccomuind’ (‘seeing that the king’s heart has been barred against me since he strained the couplings of our union’). Turning to the modern Acts, in s30(4)(a) of the Fisheries Act, 1980, ‘following consultation with any recognised staff associations or trade unions concerned’ is translated as ‘tar éis comhairle a ghlacadh le haon chomhlachais foirne nó ceardchumainn aitheanta lena mbaineann’ and in s33(3) of the Capital Gains Tax Act, 1975, ‘members of an association of persons for whose benefit the gift was made’ is translated as ‘comhaltaí de chomhlachas daoine ar chun tairbhe dóibh a tugadh an bronntanas’. We see above that ‘cumann’ translates ‘association’ in the 1922 Constitution. We sometimes find ‘cumann’ instead of the usual ‘comhlachas’ in titles of organisations –


A study of the Irish text

‘Cumann Dochtúirí na hÉireann’ (‘Irish Medical Association’), as against ‘Comhlachas Ban Tí na hÉireann’ (‘Irish Housewives Association’), for example. ‘Cumann’ generally translates ‘society’ in the Acts – ‘ciallaíonn “baincéir” duine a sheolann gnó baincéireachta sa Stát agus folaíonn sé cara-chumann, cumann tionscail agus soláthair, cumann foirgníochta …’ translates ‘“banker” means a person who carries on banking business in the State and includes a friendly society, an industrial and provident society, a building society’ in s61(1) of the Finance Act, 1973, for example. ‘Cumann’ also translates ‘union’, particularly in relation to a trade union – in s1(1) of the Trade Union Act, 1975 (‘An tAcht Ceardchumann, 1975’), for example, ‘ciallaíonn “na cumainn chónascacháin” agus “an cumann cónasctha”, faoi seach, maidir le cónascadh atá beartaithe, na ceardchumainn a bheartaíonn cónascadh agus an ceardchumann a leanfaidh as an gcónascadh atá beartaithe’ translates ‘“the amalgamating union” and “the amalgamated union”, in relation to a proposed amalgamation, mean respectively the trade unions proposing to amalgamate and the trade union which is to result from the proposed amalgamation’. In s2(1) of the Postal and Telecommunications Services Act, 1983, ‘“recognised unions and associations” means unions and associations recognised by the postal company’ is translated as ‘ciallaíonn “cumainn agus comhlachais aitheanta” cumainn agus comhlachais atá aitheanta ag an gcuideachta poist’, this being defined separately from ‘recognised trade unions and staff associations’ (‘ceardchumainn agus comhlachais foirne aitheanta’). ‘Aontas’ also translates ‘union’, ‘Treaty on European Union’, for example, being styled ‘Conradh ar an Aontas Eorpach’ in Irish, with ‘The Teachers Union of Ireland’ being styled ‘Aontas Múinteoirí na hÉireann’, and ‘Allied Irish Bank’ being styled ‘Banc-Aontas Éireann’. ‘Aontas’ translates ‘union’ in early Acts. In s84 of the ‘Tirconaill County Scheme’ in the Schedule to the Local Government (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923, ‘Where a Union formerly comprised portions of two or more Counties’ is translated as ‘i gcás cuideanna de dhá Chontae no breis do bheith in aontas go dtí so’ and in s2(1) of the Local Government (Rates on Agricultural Land) Act, 1924, ‘for county-at-large, union, or district charges’ is translated as ‘i gcóir muirearacha contae iomláine, aontais no ceanntair’. ‘The Board of Guardians of the Dublin Union’ is translated as ‘Bord Caomhnóirí Aontais Bhaile Átha Cliath’ in s2(1) of the Local Government (Dublin) (Amendment) Act, 1931. réamhráite This headword is translated as ‘aforesaid, aforementioned’ in Ó Dónaill. ‘Réamh-ráidhte’ is translated as ‘aforesaid, forecited, foretold’ in Dinneen. DIL translates ‘remráite’ as ‘aforesaid, above-mentioned’, giving among other citations one from the twelfth-century Book of Leinster. Note incidentally that ‘réamhráiteas’ is translated as ‘premises (i.e. part of deed preceding habendum)’ in Téarmaí Dlí. De Bhaldraithe translates ‘foregoing’ as ‘deireanach, réamhráite, thuasluaite, roimhe seo’, and ‘the foregoing’ as ‘a bhfuil roimhe seo’. We find ‘parts of the foregoing vehicles’ translated as ‘páirteanna de na feithiclí réamhráite’ in Treaties establishing the European Communities (1973, p. 1215). Generally, however, in that source, this term translates ‘aforementioned’, with ‘aforementioned benefits’ being translated as ‘liúntais réamhráite’ (p. 1259), for

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example. ‘Déanta chun na críche réamhráite’ translates ‘constructed for the purpose aforesaid’ in s10(3) of the Value-Added Tax (Amendment) Act, 1978. ‘Sin roimhe seo’ generally translates ‘foregoing’ in the Acts – see, for example, s49(d) of the Finance Act, 1990, where ‘in the foregoing provisions of this section’ is translated as ‘sna forálacha sin roimhe seo den alt seo’. Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú, commenting on a draft of the direct translation below, remarks that ‘roimhe seo’ would not be understood in this context and recommends retaining ‘réamhráite’. See further the commentary on Article 14.4 where ‘the foregoing provisions’ is expressed as ‘na forálacha sin romhainn’. comhlachais ‘Airteagail chomhlachais’ and ‘meabhrán comhlachais’ are translated respectively as ‘articles of association’ and ‘memorandum of association’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘Comhlachas’ is translated as ‘association’ in Ó Dónaill. Dinneen does not appear to give this headword. Following the Constitution, s18 of the Offences Against the State Act, 1939, reads as follows: In order to regulate and control in the public interest the exercise of the constitutional right of citizens to form associations …. Chun stiúradh agus rialú do dhéanamh ar mhaithe leis an bpuiblíocht ar fheidhmiú an chirt atá ag saoránaigh fén mbunreacht chun comhlachaisí do bhunú.

In s65(1)(b) of the Railways Act, 1924, ‘any chamber of commerce or association representative of shipping’ is translated as ‘aon chomhlachas tráchtála no comhlachas atá ionadathach do loingseoireacht’ and in s2(1) of the Public Safety Act, 1927, ‘the word “association” includes any combination of persons’ is translated as ‘foluíonn an focal “comhlachas” aon chomhluadar daoine’. See the commentary on ‘cumainn’ above regarding ‘aontas’ translating ‘union’ in the Acts. Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú remarks, however, that ‘aontas’ is associated in Irish with large organisations, such as ‘Aontas na hEorpa’ (‘the European Union’) and ‘Aontas na Sóibhéide’ (‘the Soviet Union’). Professor Ó Murchú therefore recommends ‘cumann’ in the direct translation below. a bhunú ‘Bunaigh’ is translated as ‘found, establish’ in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘teaghlach, comhlacht, a bhunú, to found a family, a company’ – note that ‘bunaigh’ expresses ‘establish’ in Article 3, for example. ‘Bunuighim’ is translated as ‘I fix, rest, dwell; I found, begin, establish …’ in Dinneen. This verb does not appear to be given as a headword in DIL, where examples are given of ‘bunad’, ‘origin, base, source’, from the Old Irish Glosses onwards, and ‘bun’, on which this is based, is translated as ‘the thick end of anything, base, butt, foot’. Turning to the Acts, ‘Every person who shall … form, organise, promote, or maintain any secret society’ is translated as ‘Gach éinne … a bhunóidh, a chó-ghléasfidh, a chuirfidh ar aghaidh, no a choinneoidh suas aon chumann sicréideach’ in s8(1) of the Treasonable Offences Act, 1925. In s2(1)(b)(i) of the Credit Union Act, 1966, ‘other than for the purpose of forming or conducting a credit union’ is translated as ‘seachas chun comhar creidmheasa a bhunú nó a stiúradh’. On the other hand, in s12(2) of the Finance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1968, ‘a company or body of persons … formed or estab-


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lished in the State’ is translated as ‘cuideachta nó comhlacht daoine … a foirmíodh nó a bunaíodh sa Stát’ and in s29(6) of the Finance Act, 1990, ‘as if … references to a partnership agreement were references to the contract forming or providing for the formation of a grouping’ is translated as ‘ionann is dá mba thagairtí don chonradh ag foirmiú grúpála, nó ag foráil dá foirmiú, tagairtí do chomhaontú comhpháirtíochta’. ‘To form a body corporate’ is translated as ‘comhlacht corpraithe a fhoirmiú’ in s8(6)(a) of the Údarás na Gaeltachta Act, 1979. Note that in s36(7)(c) of the Safety in Industry Act, 1980, ‘the number of members of the safety committee attending such a meeting shall be at least such as is required to form a quorum’ is translated as ‘is é an líon de chomhaltaí an choiste sábháilteachta a fhreastalóidh ar chruinniú den sórt sin a oiread ar a laghad is gá chun córam a dhéanamh’. In s2(1)(c) of the Second Schedule to the Health Act, 1970, ‘the number of councillors necessary to form a group for the purposes of this rule’ is translated as ‘an líon comhairleoirí is gá chun bheith ina ngrúpa chun críocha na rialach seo’, this being translated as ‘an líon comhairleoirí is gá chun grúpa a dhéanamh chun críocha na rialach seo’ in s2(1)(d) of the First Schedule to the Health Authorities Act, 1960. Commenting on the direct translation below, Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú remarks that he much prefers ‘a bhunú’ to ‘a fhoirmiú’ there. See further the commentary on Articles 11 and 18.7.1o where ‘form’ is expressed respectively by ‘cuir i’ and ‘cóirigh’. a stiúradh ‘For the control of’ is expressed as ‘chun … a rialú’ in Articles 10.3 and 10.4, with ‘to control’ being expressed as ‘a rialú’ in Articles 33.1 and 40.4.6o, and ‘rialú a dhéanamh ar’ expressing ‘to control’ in Article 40.6.1oii. ‘Stiúradh’ is the verbal noun of ‘stiúir’. ‘Stiúraim’ is translated as ‘I conduct (case, etc.)’ in Téarmaí Dlí, where ‘foirceannadh faoi stiúradh’ is translated as ‘winding up under supervision’, with ‘stiúrthóir’ being translated as ‘director’. The verb ‘stiúir’ is translated as (1) ‘steer’ and (2) ‘guide, direct, control’ in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘fir oibre a stiúradh, to direct workmen’ and ‘gnó a stiúradh, to conduct a business’. Dinneen translates ‘stiúruighim’ as ‘I direct, guide, steer, chastise; introduce, initiate, cause’. DIL translates ‘stiúraid’ as ‘steers, guides, directs’, this verb being based on ‘stiúir’, translated as (a) ‘rudder, helm’; (b) ‘guidance, control, government’ and (c) ‘guide, controller’ in DIL, ‘stiúir’ coming from Old Norse, ‘styri’ – one of many Irish nautical terms which come from Old Norse. ‘Stiúir’ generally translates ‘conduct’ and ‘direct’ in the Acts, ‘seol’ also translating ‘conduct’. In s4(1) of the Criminal Justice (Legal Aid) Act, 1962, for example, ‘beidh an duine sin i dteideal cúnamh dlíthiúil in aisce a fháil chun achomharc a ullmhú agus a stiúradh’ translates ‘the person shall be entitled to free legal aid in the preparation and conduct of an appeal’. ‘Agus a stiúrann bainistíocht na cuideachta sin’ translates ‘and directs … the management of (any public utility) company’ in s79(3)(c) of the Corporation Tax Act, 1976, for example. We find ‘stiúir’, however, translating the verb ‘control’ in the earlier Acts. In s9 of the Civil Service Regulation Act, 1923, for example, ‘The Minister for Finance may from time to time make regulations for controlling the Civil Service of the Government of Saorstát Éireann’ is translated as ‘Féadfaidh an tAire Airgid rialacháin do dhéanamh o am go ham

Bunreacht na hÉireann

chun Seirbhís Shíbhialta Rialtais Shaorstáit Éireann do stiúra’ and ‘Control of Forces’ is translated as ‘Stiúra na bhFórsaí’ in the Margin Title of s5 of the Defence Forces (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923. In Article 6 of the 1922 Constitution, ‘to prohibit control or interfere with any act of the military forces of the Irish Free State’ is translated as ‘aon ghníomh dá ndéanfaidh fórsaí airm Shaorstáit Éireann do chosg, do smachtú ná do thoirmeasg’. ‘Control of staff’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as being translated as ‘rialú’ in a Report of the Public Accounts Committee, 1928. ‘I control’ is translated as ‘rialaím’ in Téarmaí Dlí and is generally so translated in the modern Acts. In s10 of the Road Traffic (Amendment) Act, 1978, for example, ‘while he is under the influence of an intoxicant to such an extent as to be incapable of having proper control of the vehicle’ is translated as ‘agus é an oiread sin faoi bhrí meiscigh nach féidir leis an fheithicil a rialú i gceart’. See further the commentary on Articles 10.3 and 45.2.ii, where ‘rialaigh’ and ‘urlámhas’ respectively express ‘control’. In the present Article, however, ‘rialaigh’ expresses ‘regulate’, as it does in general in the Constitution. Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú, commenting on the direct translation below, recommends substituting ‘a stiúradh’ for ‘a rialáil’ to avoid ‘a rialáil agus a rialú’, particularly for stylistic reasons. ar mhaithe leis an bpobal ‘Gur chuí scrúduithe den sórt sin a dhéanamh ar mhaithe leis an bpobal’ translates ‘that, in the public interest, such examinations are proper’ in s9(6)(b) of the Consumer Information Act, 1978. ‘Ar mhaithe le’ generally translates ‘in the interests of’ in the Acts – in s14(1) of the Criminal Procedure Act, 1967, for example, ‘ar mhaithe leis an gceartas’ translates ‘in the interests of justice’. Note that in s37(5) of the Fisheries Act, 1980, ‘that … it is in the public interest that the fishery should be so acquired’ is translated as ‘gur le leas an phobail é an t-iascach a fháil amhlaidh’. a rialú ‘Rialaím’ is translated as ‘I control’ and ‘I rule’ in Téarmaí Dlí – see the commentary on Article 10.3. oibriú ‘Oibrím’ is translated as ‘I operate’ in Téarmaí Dlí – see the commentary on Articles 3 and 13.5.1o.

Direct translation Ceart na saoránach chun comhlachais agus aontais1 a fhoirmiú2. Féadfar, áfach, dlíthe a achtú chun feidhmiú an chirt réamhráite3 a rialáil agus a rialú4 ar mhaithe leis an bpobal.

Variants 1 2 3 4

‘cumainn’ ‘a bhunú’, ‘chun bheith ina gcomhlachais agus ina n-aontais’ ‘sin romhainn’, ‘sin roimhe seo’ ‘a stiúradh’

ARTICLE 40.6.2O

AIRTEAGAL 40.6.2O

TÉACS GAEILGE

Ní cead aon idirdhealú, maidir le polaitíocht nó creideamh nó aicmí, a bheith i ndlíthe a rialaíos modh oibrithe an


A study of the Irish text

chirt chun comhlachais agus cumainn a bhunú agus an chirt chun teacht le chéile ar saorthionól. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

No distinction, with regard to politics or religion or class, is permitted in laws which will regulate the method of operating the right to establish associations and societies and the right to come together in free-assembly. ENGLISH TEXT

Laws regulating the manner in which the right of forming associations and unions and the right of free assembly may be exercised shall contain no political, religious or class discrimination.

Divergences between the official texts 1

2

3

4 5

The emphasis in the English text is on the laws not containing discrimination, the Irish text focusing on discrimination, with no discrimination being allowed in such laws; again we find the phrase ‘Ní cead’ (‘It is not permitted’) in the Irish text expressing ‘no … shall’, with ‘Laws … shall contain … no discrimination’ being expressed as ‘Ní cead aon idirdhealú … a bheith i ndlíthe’ (‘It is not permitted to have any discrimination … in laws’). ‘Political, religious or class discrimination’ is expressed as ‘idirdhealú, maidir le polaitíocht nó creideamh nó aicmí’ (‘discrimination, as regards politics or religion or classes’) in the Irish text. As in many earlier Articles, ‘regulating’ is expressed in the Irish text by ‘rialú’, which term is translated as ‘ruling’/‘controlling’ in Téarmaí Dlí, and ‘exercise’ is expressed by ‘oibriú’, which term is translated as ‘operate’ in Téarmaí Dlí – ‘laws regulating the manner in which the right … may be exercised’ is expressed as ‘dlíthe a rialaíos modh oibrithe an chirt’ (‘laws regulating the manner of operating the right’) in the Irish text. ‘Class’ is expressed as ‘aicmí’ (lit. ‘classes’), a plural in Irish sometimes rendering a singular in English. As earlier, ‘union’ is expressed by ‘cumann’, which term is translated as ‘society’ in Téarmaí Dlí, and ‘free assembly’ is expressed as ‘teacht le chéile ar saorthionól’ (‘come together in free assembly’), in the Irish text.

Note that Article 9 of the 1922 Constitution concludes as follows: Laws regulating the manner in which the right of forming associations and the right of free assembly may be exercised shall contain no political, religious or class distinction. Na dlithe a rialóidh an tslí ’na bhféadfar ceart cumainn do bhunú agus ceart saor-theacht le chéile do chur i bhfeidhm, ní dhéanfaid aon leithreachas i dtaobh polaitíochta ná creidimh ná aicme.

Commentary idirdhealú This headword is translated as ‘differentiation, discrimination, distinction’ in Ó Dónaill, where ‘idirdhealú a dhéanamh (ar)’ is translated as ‘to differentiate, make a

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distinction (between)’. Dinneen translates ‘idirdhealughadh’ as ‘act of separating or breaking apart, discriminating; distinction, separation, difference, analysis, divorce’. DIL includes ‘ga itirdeliugud no itirdethbireagad do nach du gradaib feni … acht du na gradaib flatha’ (‘making the distinction that is not for the Féne grades …’), from a commentary on an early Irish law-tract, among the examples cited of ‘eterdeligud’ in the sense of ‘distinction, distinguishing, differentiating, dividing between’, this being the verbal noun of ‘eterdeligid’, a compound of ‘eter’ (‘between’) and ‘deligid’ (‘separates’). ‘Idirdhealú’ translates ‘discrimination’ in particular in the Acts, with ‘nach ndéanfar aon idirdhealú ar bhonn gnéis’ translating ‘there shall be no discrimination on the basis of sex’ in s67(1) of the Pensions Act, 1990, for example. We also find ‘idirdhealú’ translating ‘distinction’ – in s12(2) of the Capital Gains Tax Act, 1975, for example, ‘na forálacha go léir den Acht seo a dhéanann idirdhealú idir gnóchain inmhuirearaithe agus gnóchain nach inmhuirearaithe’ translates ‘all the provisions of this Act which distinguish gains which are chargeable gains from those which are not’. In Article 8 of the 1922 Constitution, ‘make any discrimination as respects State aid’ is translated as ‘aon deifríocht do dhéanamh i dtaobh cabhrach Stáit’. ‘Eadardhealuíocht’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as translating ‘discrimination’ in the Proceedings of Dáil Éireann, 27/6/39. L. Mc Cionnaith refers the reader to ‘distinguish, difference’, s.v. ‘discriminate’, and cites the following s.v. ‘distinction (between)’: ‘an bhfuil idirdheal[bh]ú eatortha (Munster [M], Connacht [C]), ní féidir leat idirdheal[bh]ú do dhéanamh eatortha (M,C), no distinction between them, treated as equals, ní raibh idirdheal[bh]ú eatortha (C,M), distinction, déanfad idirdheal[bh]ú idir mo dhaoine agus do dhaoine-sa (C,M)’. Note, finally, that a comma follows ‘idirdhealú’ in the original text and in a recent popular edition, no such comma being found in the 1997 popular edition. aicmí The plural form of ‘aicme’, which headword is translated as (1) ‘genus; class’, (2) ‘family, tribe’, (3) ‘set, clique’ in Ó Dónaill and as ‘a sort or kind, a class, a family, race, a tribe’ in Dinneen. DIL translates ‘aicme’ as ‘race, family, tribe; genus, class’, citing ‘aicme insin di filistinib’ (‘that [is] a tribe of the Philistines’) from the ninth-century Milan Glosses on the Psalms. Turning to the Acts, ‘a thoghadh ag aicmí nó ag cibé aicmí toghthóirí a shonrófar amhlaidh’ translates ‘(shall) be elected by a class or by such classes of electorate as may be so specified’ in s10(4)(a)(i) of the Fisheries Act, 1980, for example, and in s5(3)(b) of Part II of the Second Schedule to that Act, ‘ag vótaíocht toghlachta d’aicme áirithe’ translates ‘at a poll of an electorate of a particular class’. In s19 of the ‘Clare County Scheme’ in the Schedule to the Local Government (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923, we find the following regarding ‘Admission to Public Health Institutions’: The persons whose signatures to the declaration will be ‘recognised’ are Clergymen, Medical Practitioners, Brehons, County Councillors, and Rural and Urban Councillors, the three signatures being of different classes. Siad daoine ’na dtabharfar ‘aithint’ dá sighnithe ar an bhfaisnéis ná an Chléir, Dochtúirí, Breithimh, Comhairleoirí Contae, Comhairleoirí


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Bunreacht na hÉireann

Tuath-cheanntair agus Comhairleoirí Bailecheanntair, agus ní foláir na sighnitheoirí do bheith ina dtriúr de thrí haicmí fé leith.

ARTICLE 41.1.1O

See further the commentary on Articles 44.2.4o and 45.4.1o.

THE FAMILY

modh oibrithe ‘Oibriú’ is translated as ‘operation’ in Téarmaí Dlí, being the verbal noun of ‘oibrigh’, the first person singular of which, ‘oibrím’, is translated as ‘I operate’. ‘Modh oibrithe’ is directly descended from Latin ‘modus operandi’ in that the earlier form of ‘obair’ (‘work’), on which the verb ‘oibrigh’ is based, i.e. ‘opar’ (‘opair’), comes from Latin ‘opera’ and ‘modh’, earlier ‘mod’, comes from Latin ‘modus’ and translates ‘modus’ in the Glosses of the eighth century onwards. Regarding ‘modh’ in the Acts, in s11(2) of the Health Act, 1970, for example, ‘Féadfaidh ordú faoin alt seo socrú a bheith ann i dtaobh an mhodha a n-íocfar na caiteachais’ translates ‘An order under this section may provide for the manner in which expenses … are to be met’. ‘Modh’ expresses ‘manner’ in Articles 18.6 and 34.1. See the commentary on Article 12.2.3o where ‘ar mhodh’ expresses ‘by means of’ and see further the commentary on Articles 13.5.1o, 18.6 and 34.1 regarding ‘modh’. saorthionól This compound does not appear to be cited as a headword in Ó Dónaill nor in Dinneen. See the commentary on Article 40.6.1oiii, where ‘The right of the citizens to assemble peaceably’ is expressed as ‘Ceart na saoránach chun teacht ar tionól go sítheoilte’. ‘Tionól’ is the standard form of the verbal noun of ‘tionóil’. a bheith Regarding ‘contain’ in the Acts, see s99(3) of the First Schedule to European Assembly Elections Act, 1977, where ‘by reason of a non-compliance with any provision contained in this Act’ is translated simply as ‘mar gheall ar neamhchomhíonadh aon fhorála san Acht seo’. In s24 of the Finance Act, 1990, ‘tax contained in an assessment for any year of assessment’ is translated as ‘aon cháin a bheidh ar áireamh i measúnacht d’aon bhliain mheasúnachta’. See further the commentary on Article 46.4. a rialaíos For the special form of the relative, see the commentary on Article 6.1. ‘Rialaím’ is translated as ‘I control, I rule’ in Téarmaí Dlí – see the commentary on Article 12.5.

Standardised Irish text Ní cead aon idirdhealú, maidir le polaitíocht nó creideamh nó aicmí, a bheith i ndlíthe a rialaíonn modh oibrithe an chirt chun comhlachais agus cumainn a bhunú agus an chirt chun teacht le chéile ar saorthionól.

Direct translation Ní bheidh aon idirdhealú polaitiúil, creidimh ná aicme i ndlíthe a rialálfaidh an modh a bhfeidhmeofar an ceart chun comhlachais agus aontais1 a fhoirmiú2 agus an ceart chun saorthionóil3.

Variants 1 ‘cumainn’ 2 ‘a bhunú’ 3 ‘saorthionól’

AIRTEAGAL 41.1.1O AN TEAGHLACH

TÉACS GAEILGE

Admhaíonn an Stát gurb é an Teaghlach is buíon-aonad príomha bunaidh don chomhdhaonnacht de réir nádúir, agus gur foras morálta é ag a bhfuil cearta doshannta dochloíte is ársa agus is airde ná aon reacht daonna. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

The State acknowledges that the Family is the basic primary group-unit of/for society according to nature, and that it is a moral institution which has inalienable invincible rights which are more ancient and higher than any human statute. ENGLISH TEXT

The State recognises the Family as the natural primary and fundamental unit group of Society, and as a moral institution possessing inalienable and imprescriptible rights, antecedent and superior to all positive law.

Divergences between the official texts 1 ‘The State recognises the Family as …’ is expressed as ‘Admhaíonn an Stát gurb é an Teaghlach is’ (‘The State recognises that it is the Family which is …’) in the Irish text. 2 ‘Society’ is expressed by a term now infrequently used, ‘comhdhaonnacht’, only the adjectival form of which is cited in the main Modern Irish dictionary, this term being found in other Articles of the Constitution; ‘sochaí’ is the term in current usage rendering ‘society’. Note that ‘society’ in the English text has an initial capital as against the lower case ‘c’ of ‘comhdhaonnacht’. 3 ‘Unit group’ is expressed by an ad hoc compound, ‘buíon-aonad’, literally ‘group unit’; following the usual order of Irish compounds ‘unit group’ would be ‘aonadbhuíon’. 4 ‘Fundamental’ is expressed by the genitive singular of ‘bunadh’ as attributive, this term translating ‘original’ in Téarmaí Dlí, the sense ‘fundamental’ also being recorded in dictionaries. 5 ‘All positive law’ is expressed as ‘aon reacht daonna’ (‘any human statute/law’) in the Irish text – note, however, that ‘daonna’ is used in Téarmaí Dlí to express ‘positive’, ‘dlí’ replacing ‘reacht’ in the translation of ‘positive law’ in Téarmaí Dlí (i.e. ‘dlí daonna’). 6 ‘Dochloíte’ expresses ‘indefeasible’ in Article 1, this term being translated as ‘conclusive’ in Téarmaí Dlí, where ‘imprescriptible rights’ is translated as ‘cearta dochealaithe’. 7 ‘Inalienable’ is expressed as ‘doshannta’ in the Irish text, a term which is based on ‘sann’, ‘assign’ (‘sannaim’, ‘I assign’, in Téarmaí Dlí) rather than ‘alienate’ (‘coimhthím’, ‘I alienate’, in Téarmaí Dlí); Ó Dónaill lists ‘inalienable’ among the meanings of ‘doshannta’, however. 8 ‘Natural’ is expressed as ‘de réir nádúir’ (‘according to nature’) in the Irish text.


A study of the Irish text

9 ‘Antecedent’ is expressed as ‘is ársa’ (‘more ancient’) in the Irish text. 10 ‘Superior’ is expressed as ‘is airde’ (‘higher’) in the Irish text. Writing on ‘Conflicts which have not yet surfaced’ between the texts of the Constitution, J.M. Kelly, op. cit., p. 210f., remarks: There may be another instance [i.e. of conflict] in Article 41.1, in which the rights of the family are called in English “imprescriptible”, defined by Kenny J in Ryan v Attorney General ([1965] IR 294) as “that which cannot be lost by the passage of time or abandoned by non-exercise”. The corresponding Irish expression, “dochloíte”, does not have this meaning, and conveys only something like “irrepressible”, “indomitable” (in Article 1 it is used as the equivalent of “indefeasible”, and in Articles 25.4.5, 25.5.3 and 63 as the equivalent of “conclusive” in the context of evidence).

Commentary Teaghlach ‘Comhshocraíocht teaghlaigh’ is translated as ‘family arrangement’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘Teaghlach’ is translated as ‘household, family’ in Ó Dónaill, and as ‘a family or household, familia or monastic family, an ethnic family or group, followers, escort; a house’ in Dinneen, who cites the following from a traditional song: ‘is deimhin go dtógfainn teaghlach nódh duit is chuirfinn cóir air ’dir shlinn is chloich’ (‘sure I would build you a new house and build it right of stone and slate’). ‘Teglach’ is translated as ‘inmates of a house, household, family, following’ in DIL, where ‘óis teglig’ (‘folk of [His] family’) is cited from the eighth-century Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles. ‘Teglach’ also had the sense of ‘household troops, following, supporters, army’ – see the version of the Táin in Leabhar na hUidhre (completed before 1106), for example – ‘teglach’ being an ancient compound of ‘teg’ (‘house’) and ‘slóg’ (‘troop’) according to Rudolf Thurneysen (A Grammar of Old Irish, s130.1(a)). Looking at early translations of ‘family’, ‘When the proprietor sub-divides his holding for a limited period by way of family arrangement’ is translated as ‘Sa chás ina ndéanfidh an t-únaer a gabháltas d’fho-roinnt ar feadh tréimhse teoranta mar oiriúnaíocht dá theaghlach’ in s65(3) of the Land Act, 1923. ‘To inquire into the circumstances of the persons and families in receipt of outdoor relief’ is translated as ‘Féachaint cad is cás do sna daoine agus do sna muiríneacha atá ag fáil fóirithinte allamuich’ in s4 of the ‘Kerry County Scheme’ in the Schedule to the Local Government (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923. ‘The necessary wearing apparel and bedding of a person against whom an execution shall be levied, and the necessary wearing apparel and bedding of his family … shall be exempt from liability to seizure’ is translated as ‘maidir le cuid éadaigh agus cóir leapan riachtanach an té go ndéanfar feidhmiúchán ina choinnibh agus cuid éadaigh agus cóir leapan riachtanach a chúraim… ní féadfar gabháil do dhéanamh ortha’ in s5 of the Enforcement of Law (Occasional Powers) Act, 1924. ‘Without employing others except members of their own family’ is translated as ‘gan daoine eile ar fostú acu ach daoine dá líntighe féin’ in s110(11) of the Dundalk Harbour and Port Act, 1925. Finally, ‘family vault’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as being translated as ‘boghtaine clainne’

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in translations for the Department of Local Government and Public Health. buíon-aonad ‘Buíon’ is translated as ‘band, company’ in Ó Dónaill. Dinneen translates ‘buidhean-tsluagh’ as ‘a company’ and ‘d’aon bhuidhin’ as ‘of one accord, of the same opinion’. DIL translates ‘buiden’ as ‘band, group, collection of persons …’ – see the commentary on Article 29.4.2o, where ‘buíon’ expresses ‘group’. ‘Aonad’ is translated as ‘unit’ in Ó Dónaill. It does not appear to be given as a headword in Dinneen. ‘The company or unit trust scheme was a non-qualifying offshore fund’ is translated as ‘go mba chiste eischósta neamhcháilitheach an chuideachta nó an scéim iontaobhais aonad’ in s63(1)(b) of the Finance Act, 1990, with ‘iontaobhas aonad’ translating ‘unit trusts’ in the Margin Title of s37 of the Finance Act, 1979. ‘To accommodate women internees who are not members of a family unit in the same place of internment as men’ is translated as ‘ban-imtheorannaithe nach mbaineann le teaghlach áirithe a lonnú san áit imtheorannaithe chéanna le fir’ in Article 85 of the Fourth Schedule to the Geneva Conventions Act, 1962. ‘Any military unit (being a staff, unit or other element organised under section 22)’ is translated as ‘aon chomhlucht míleata (is foireann, aonad nó feadhan eile a bheas eagraithe faoi alt 22)’ in s23 of the Defence Act, 1954. ‘For a registration unit in a constituency’ is translated as ‘le haghaidh aonaid chláraitheachta i ndáilcheantar’ in s6(1) of the Electoral (Amendment) Act, 1947. ‘Aontán’ translates ‘unit’ in the very early Acts, with ‘each ward shall be treated as a separate registration unit’ being translated as ‘glacfar gach bárd díobh in’ aontán clárathachta fé leith’ in s1(a) of the First Schedule to the Electoral Act, 1923, for example. ‘The expression “unit” shall mean the energy contained in a current of one thousand amperes flowing under an electro motive force of one volt during one hour’ is translated as ‘ciallóidh an focal “aontán” an neart atá i sruth míle ampéir ag rith fé fhórsa leictre-thiomána volta in uair a’ chluig’ in the Fourth Schedule to the Sligo Lighting and Electric Power Act, 1924. Finally, ‘unit of horse power’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as being translated as ‘aontán an each-nirt’ in translations for the Department of Local Government and Public Health. príomha ‘Fianaise phríomha’ and ‘ordú príomha’ are translated respectively as ‘primary evidence’ and ‘primary order’ in Téarmaí Dlí. Ó Dónaill translates ‘príomha’ as ‘prime, primary’. Dinneen translates ‘príomhdha’ as ‘primitive, chief, primary’. ‘Prímda(e)’ is translated as ‘foremost, principal, pre-eminent’ in DIL. The Irish adjective ‘prím-’, later ‘príomh-’, is a borrowing of the Latin ‘primus’; like ‘dea-’, ‘droch-’, ‘sean-’, as Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú remarks, its normal use is in prefixed position; used predicatively, it had the form ‘prímdae’, later ‘príomhdha’, and is now ‘príomha’. ‘The “primary fund”’ is translated as ‘an “ciste príomha”’ in s6(1)(a) of the Fifth Schedule to the Finance Act, 1990. ‘By the substitution of “primary” for “sole”’ is translated as ‘trí “príomh” a chur in ionad “aon”’ in s3 of the Insurance Act, 1981, with ‘being the primary obligation of the person under the contract’ being translated as ‘arb é … príomhoibleagáid an duine faoin gconradh’. ‘Or the primary liability of the County Council’ is translated as ‘ná do


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The Constitution of Ireland

phríomh-fhiachas na Comhairle Contae’ in s9(c) of the Pier and Harbour Provisional Order Confirmation Act, 1929. See further the commentary on Article 42.1. reacht This headword is translated as ‘statute’ in Téarmaí Dlí, where ‘Reacht na dTréimhsí’ translates ‘Statute of Limitations’. ‘Reacht’ is principally translated as ‘law’ in Ó Dónaill, citing ‘reacht Dé, the law of God’ and ‘riail agus reacht, law and order’, secondly as ‘statute’ and thirdly as ‘accepted rule’, citing ‘tá sé ag éirí ina reacht, it is becoming the recognised rule’. ‘Reacht’ is translated as ‘a law, decree, statute or ordinance; power, authority; régime or dispensation; a right, a principle’ in Dinneen, citing ‘an reacht ársata, the Old Law, the ancient order of things’, ‘bunreacht, constitution’. DIL cites examples of ‘recht’ from the Old Irish Glosses onwards, including the following from the eighth-century Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles: ‘rom-soír-sa rect spirto di rect pectho’ (‘the law of the spirit has delivered me from the law of sin’), glossing Latin ‘lex spiritus … a lege peccati’. ‘Recht’ is translated as ‘law, in wide sense of a collective system of prescripts, whether traditional or codified or inherent’; in the Glosses it renders Latin ‘lex’, later superseded by ‘dliged’, according to DIL. Fergus Kelly, op. cit., p. 319, translates ‘recht’ as ‘law, rule; law-abiding person, person of legal status’. Latin ‘rectum’ (‘right’), ‘rego’ (‘rule’) and English ‘right’ come from the same root (‘reg’) as ‘recht’ – see Alexander Macbain, op. cit., s.v. ‘reachd’. See the commentary on Article 43.1.1o regarding ‘is ársa … ná aon reacht daonna’. ‘Ársa’ is translated as (1) ‘ancient, antique’ and (2) ‘aged, veteran’ in Ó Dónaill and as ‘old, aged, ancient, antique, venerable, stable’ in Dinneen. DIL cites examples of ‘arsaid’, ‘old, ancient, aged’, from the Glosses onwards, including the following from the eighth-century Würzburg Glosses Latin on the Pauline Epistles: ‘ni sin chomairbirt arsid’ (‘not in the old way of life’). bunaidh ‘Fundamental political duties’ is expressed as ‘bundualgas polaitiúil’ in Article 9.2, ‘Bunchearta’ expressing ‘Fundamental Rights’ is the heading for Articles 40-44. ‘Bunaidh’ is the genitive singular of ‘bunadh’ as attributive. ‘Dlínse bhunaidh’ and ‘(doiciméad, etc.) bunaidh’ are translated respectively as ‘original jurisdiction’ and ‘original (document, etc.)’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘Bunaidh’ is translated as ‘original, fundamental; basic, basal’ in Ó Dónaill and as ‘original, primitive, own’ in Dinneen, who translates ‘béarla bunaidh’ and ‘bíodhbha bunaidh’ respectively as ‘native speech’ and ‘an inveterate enemy’. DIL quotes ‘amal ind claínn bunid’ (‘like the original clan’), from the eighth-century Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles, as an example of the genitive singular of ‘bunad’ as attributive adjective, which has the senses of ‘original, fundamental; native, hereditary; inherent, own, proper; basic, established, certain, veritable, real’, according to DIL. ‘Bunad’ is based on ‘bun’. L. Mc Cionnaith translates ‘fundamental mistake, matters, &c.’ as ‘dearmhad, &c. neithe 7c., bunaidh (Connacht, Munster)’, translating ‘fundamental tenets of F.’ as ‘bunailt an chreidimh (Connacht)’ and ‘fundamental custom &c.’ as ‘nós, 7c. bunadhasach (Connacht)’ – the standard form of the latter being ‘bunúsach’. ‘Fundamental discord’ is translated as ‘dí-chuibhdheas bunaidh’ in Téarmaí Ceoil (1933).

Bunreacht na hÉireann

Turning to the Acts, ‘bunaidh’, following Téarmaí Dlí, usually translates ‘original’, with ‘aon athrú nó athfhoirgniú ar na foirgnimh a bhainfeadh a sainghnéithe bunaidh díobh’ translating ‘any alteration or reconstruction of the buildings so that they lose their original identity’ in s9(2) of the Landlord and Tenant (Ground Rents) (No. 2) Act, 1978, for example. ‘The Community Charter of the Fundamental Social Rights of Workers’ is, however, cited in Rannóg an Aistrúcháin as being translated as ‘Cairt Chomhphobail um Chearta Sóisialta Bunaidh le haghaidh Oibrithe’ (1992). Turning to ‘fundamental’ in the Acts, this is usually translated as ‘bunúsach’. ‘There has been a serious departure from a fundamental rule of procedure’ is translated as ‘gur tréigeadh, ar mhodh tromchúiseach, riail bhunúsach nós imeachta’ in Article 52(1)(d) of the Second Schedule to the Arbitration Act, 1980, for example. In s20(a) of the Finance Act, 1973, ‘the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms’ is translated as ‘an Coinbhinsiún Eorpach chun Cearta an Duine agus Saoirsí Bunúsacha a Chosaint’. ‘For everyone’s rights and fundamental freedom’ is translated as ‘le haghaidh ceart agus saoirsí bunúsacha do chách’ in the Preamble to the Schedule to the Data Protection Act, 1988, with ‘the fundamental values of the respect for privacy’ being translated as ‘na luachanna bunúsacha a bhaineann le hurraim don phríobháideacht’. ‘Involving changes in the fundamental structure of the economic organization of members’ is translated as ‘a bhaineas le hathruithe bunúsacha ar eagraíocht gheilleagar chomhlachtaí’ in s8 of Article XII of the Schedule to the Bretton Woods Agreements Act, 1957. Note, finally, that ‘accepted as fundamental’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as being translated as ‘glactar mar bhun-riail’ in a 1927 Report from the Public Accounts Committee. is airde ná As regards ‘superior to’ in the Acts, ‘any person entitled to an interest in the land held by the lessee or tenant superior to the interest of the person from whom the lessee or tenant hold the land’ is translated as ‘aon duine ag a bhfuil teideal chun leasa sa talamh a theachtann an léasaí nó an tionónta níos uasta ná léas an duine óna dteachtann an léasaí nó an tionónta an talamh’ in s2 of the Landlord and Tenant (Gound Rates) Act, 1967. ‘Any estate or interest therein superior to the leasehold interest therein’ is translated as ‘aon eastát no leas ann is uachtaraighe ná an leas léas-seilbhe ann’ in s10 of the Creameries (Acquisition) Act, 1943. In s39 of the Land Act, 1923, ‘and all interests superior to them’ is translated as ‘ar gach leas is aoirde ná iad’, with ‘whenever such bullion is of a fineness superior or inferior to the standard fineness’ being translated as ‘pé uair a bheidh fíneáltacht an bhuilleoin sin níos aoirde nó níos ísle ná an riail-fhíneáltacht’ in s5(2) of the Currency Act, 1927. Finally, note that ‘uachtarach’ generally translates ‘superior’ in the earlier Acts, with ‘the owner or any superior landlord of the land’ being translated as ‘únaer an tailimh no aon tiarna uachtarach ar an talamh’ in s34(4)(a) of the Local Government Act, 1925, for example. Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú, commenting on ‘níos uasta’ in a draft of the direct translation below, remarks that as ‘highest, maximum’ is the sense of the relatively unfamiliar adjective ‘uasta’ it does not agree very well with qualifying ‘níos’. He finds no fault with ‘airde’.


A study of the Irish text

de réir nádúir Regarding ‘natural’ in the Acts, ‘the natural or legal person’ is translated as ‘an duine nádúrtha nó dlítheanach’ in Article 2(d) of the First Schedule to the Data Protection Act, 1988. ‘“Fallen wool” means wool which has been removed from sheep who have died from natural causes’ is translated as ‘ciallaíonn “olann tite” olann a baineadh de chaora a fuair bás nádúrtha’ in s1(1) of the Wool Marketing Act, 1968. ‘The applicant … is the mother, natural father or a relative of the child’ is translated as ‘gurb í máthair nó gurb é athair nádúrtha an linbh, nó gur gaol don leanbh an t-iarratasóir’ in s3(1)(b) of the Adoption Act, 1964. In s27(2) of the Intoxicating Liquor (General) Act, 1924, ‘any cave or underground place, whether natural or artificial’ is translated as ‘aon uaimh no áit eile fé thalamh, nádúrtha no déanta’. Finally, ‘any substance natural or artificial’ is translated as ‘aon tsubstaint, saordha no aiceanta’ in s3 of the Industrial and Commercial Property (Protection) Act, 1927 – see the commentary on Article 10.1 regarding ‘aiceanta’. foras This headword is translated as ‘ground (of application, etc.)’ in Téarmaí Dlí. Ó Dónaill gives this sense as the fourth set of senses under that headword and Dinneen translates ‘foras’ as ‘basis, foundation, substance, depth; a principle; an institution …’. DIL translates ‘forus’ as I(a) ‘that which is stable; stability; basis, foundation, bottom’, this being the original sense according to one scholar; (b) ‘established or fundamental principles of knowledge or science …’ and II ‘a station, resting-place, dwelling’. See the commentary on Articles 18.4.2o and 40.4.2o. don chomhdhaonnacht Ó Dónaill translates ‘comhdhaonnach’ as ‘social, companionable’, which adjective is found earlier in the Constitution, expressing ‘social’ – see the commentary on Article 15.3.1o. Ó Dónaill does not, however, give ‘comhdhaonnacht’ as a headword. L. Mc Cionnaith translates ‘social history’ as ‘stair chomhdhaonnachta’ giving Téarmaí Staire as source. Note, incidentally, that ‘society’, in the sense of ‘building society’, ‘co-operative society’, is translated as ‘cumann’ with ‘cumann foirgníochta’ and ‘comharchumann’ respectively translating ‘building society’ and ‘co-operative society’, in Téarmaí Dlí. ag a bhfuil ‘Or any other person possessing appropriate qualifications or experience’ is translated as ‘nó aon duine eile ag a bhfuil na cáilíochtaí cuí nó an taithí chuí’ in s41(1) of the Building Societies Act, 1989. In s4(3) of the Civil Service Regulation Act, 1923, ‘only persons possessing such special qualifications shall be admitted thereto’ is translated as ‘ní leigfar d’éinne dul fé ach daoine ’na bhfuil na cáilíochta san fé leith acu’.

Staidéar ar an téacs Gaeilge

Standardised Irish text Admhaíonn an Stát gurb é an Teaghlach is buíonaonad príomha bunaidh don chomhdhaonnacht de réir nádúir, agus gur foras morálta é ag a bhfuil cearta doshannta dochloíte is ársa agus is airde ná aon reacht daonna.

Direct translation Aithníonn an Stát an Teaghlach mar aonadghrúpa nádúrtha príomha bunúsach na Sochaí, agus mar fhoras morálta a bhfuil cearta dochoimhthithe dochealaithe aige1, is túisce agus is uasta2 ná gach reacht daonna3.

Variants 1 ‘ag a bhfuil cearta dochoimhthithe dochealaithe’ 2 ‘airde’, ‘uachtaraí’ 3 ‘a ghabhann roimh gach dlí daonna agus atá níos uasta ná gach dlí daonna’

ARTICLE 41.1.2O

is ársa ná See the commentary on Article 43.1.1o. doshannta See the commentary on Articles 1 and 42.1.

AIRTEAGAL 41.1.2O

TÉACS GAEILGE

Ós é an Teaghlach is fotha riachtanach don ord chomhdhaonnach agus ós éigeantach é do leas an Náisiúin agus an Stáit, ráthaíonn an Stát comhshuíomh agus údarás an Teaghlaigh a chaomhnú. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Since it is the Family which is the necessary foundation for the societal order and since it is imperative for the welfare of the Nation and of the State, the State guarantees to preserve the composition and authority of the Family. ENGLISH TEXT

The State, therefore, guarantees to protect the Family in its constitution and authority, as the necessary basis of social order and as indispensable to the welfare of the Nation and the State.

Divergences between the official texts 1

2

Admhaíonn See the commentary on Article 40.3.3o, ‘acknowledges’ rather than ‘recognises’, as here, being expressed in that Article by ‘admhaíonn’. dochloíte See the commentary on Article 42.5. Note that ‘imprescriptible rights’ is translated as ‘cearta dochealaithe’ in Téarmaí Dlí.

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3 4

Subsection 2 of the English text follows directly from ss1, with ss2 commencing with ‘The State, therefore, guarantees …’; in the Irish text, however, there is no syntactic link with the previous section, and the Irish text commences with ‘Ós é an Teaghlach’ (‘Since it is the Family …’). ‘… the Family … as the necessary basis of social order and as indispensable to the welfare …’ is expressed as ‘Ós é an Teaghlach is fotha riachtanach don ord chomhdhaonnach agus ós éigeantach é do leas’, ‘Since it is the Family that is the necessary basis for social order and since it is indispensable for the welfare …’, in the Irish text. ‘Indispensable’ is expressed in the Irish text as ‘éigeantach’, usually translated as ‘compulsory’. ‘To protect the Family in its constitution and authority’ is expressed as ‘comhshuíomh agus údarás an Teaghlaigh a chaomhnú’ (‘to protect the constitution and authority of the Family’) in the Irish text.


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The Constitution of Ireland

‘To protect’ is expressed as ‘a chaomhnú’, ‘to cherish’ / ‘to preserve’, in the Irish text. ‘Constitution’ is expressed as ‘comhshuíomh’ (‘composition’) in the Irish text.

Commentary fotha This headword is translated as ‘base, foundation; origins, source; cause, reason’ in Ó Dónaill, being followed by the abbreviation indicating that these senses are cited from the earlier literature only. Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú remarks that this is not entirely correct, ‘foth’ /fu/ being found in Kerry in the sense of ‘base’, ‘basic structure’, and cites ‘níl ann ach an foth’ (i.e. nothing remains except the base). ‘Fotha’ is translated as ‘foundation, vestige, basis, cause’ in Dinneen, who cites ‘fotha sealbh, basis of possession’ from the Ancient Laws of Ireland, ‘fothaí na haibhéise, the foundations of the abyss’ and ‘dar fotha (foth) Dia, zounds! by heavens!’ According to Rudolf Thurneysen, this word comes from *fo-suide (‘subsidium’) and hence has the sense of ‘foundation, basis, bottom’, examples of which are cited in DIL from the Glosses of the eighth century onwards, along with examples generally from later sources of the figurative senses of (1) ‘foundation, origin, source’ and (2) ‘cause, ground, reason’. As an example of this first figurative sense, followed by the preposition ‘di’, we get the following from the Leabhar Breac, compiled in 1411 or earlier: ‘is iat sin [viz. firta Crist] is fotha 7 is bunad di cech soscela’ (i.e. Christ’s miracles are the foundation and basis of every Gospel). ‘Bása’ translates ‘basis’ in the very early Acts, with ‘and should pass a resolution granting to such officials a superannuation … on the basis laid down by this Article’ being translated as ‘agus ba chóir dóibh rún do rith chun aois-liúntas … do dheona do gach oifigeach den tsórt san ar an mbása atá leagtha amach leis an Airtiogal so’ in s9 of the ‘Cavan County Scheme’ in the First Schedule to the Local Government (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923, for example. ‘Déanamh seasmhach’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as translating ‘to place on a permanent basis’ in Iris an Phuist, 14/3/28. Turning to modern Acts, ‘where the price paid or payable by the purchaser is taken as the basis for valuation’ is translated as ‘i gcás gurb é an praghas a d’íoc an ceannaitheoir nó is iníoctha aige, an praghas lena nglactar mar bhonn luachála’ in s10(4)(i) of the Free Ports Act, 1986. ‘If that rent had been adopted as the basis of the assessment’ is translated as ‘dá nglacfaí leis an gcíos sin mar fhoras na measúnachta’ in s13(1) of the Income Tax Act, 1967. éigeantach ‘Ceannach éigeantach’ is translated as ‘compulsory purchase’ in Téarmaí Dlí. Ó Dónaill translates ‘éigeantach’ as (1) ‘enforced, compulsory’ and (2) ‘needy, distressed’, Dinneen translating this headword as ‘necessary; hard; distressful; mournful; compulsory’. This term is generally known in this century in association with ‘Gaeilge’ (i.e. ‘compulsory Irish’ in school). DIL translates ‘éicentach’ as ‘compulsory, necessary, involuntary’, citing examples mainly from the works of the seventeenthcentury author Geoffrey Keating (Seathrún Céitinn). ‘Éicentach’ is based on ‘éicen’ (‘necessity, compulsion’). ‘Impose on the undertakings concerned terms which are not indispensable to the attainment of those objectives’ is translated as ‘(nach) bhforchuireann ar na gnóthais atá

Bunreacht na hÉireann

i gceist téarmaí nach bhfuil fíor-riachtanach chun na haidhmeanna sin a ghnóthú’ in s4(2)(i) of the Competition Act, 1991. In s1(d) of Article 3 of the First Schedule to the Geneva Conventions Act, 1962, ‘all the judicial guarantees which are recognised as indispensable by civilised peoples’ is translated as ‘gach ráthaíocht bhreithiúnach a n-aithníonn pobail shibhialta gur den riachtanas í’, with ‘Personnel whose retention is not indispensable’ being translated as ‘An pearsanra nach mbeidh fíor-riachtanas lena gcoimeád’ in Article 30. Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú, commenting on ‘fíorriachtanach’ and ‘riachtanach’ together in the direct translation below, recommends translating the final clause as ‘agus nach beite do leas an Náisiúin agus an Stáit bheith dá uireasa’. comhshuíomh This compound is translated as ‘composition’ in Ó Dónaill, where ‘dlí an chomhshuímh’ is translated as ‘law of constant composition’ and ‘i gcomhshuíomh’ is translated as (i) ‘properly arranged’ and (ii) (typography) ‘in register’. Dinneen simply translates . ‘cómhshuidhiughadh’ as ‘composition’. ‘Comsuidigud’, verbal noun of ‘con-suidigther’ (‘con-suidi’ literally meaning ‘places together’), is translated as ‘act of compounding, mixing, placing (together); composition’ in DIL, where examples are cited from the Old Irish Glosses in particular, some of the later examples having less precise usages. See the commentary on Article 15.1.1o for ‘constitution’ in the Acts, generally translated as ‘comhdhéanamh’, as in that Article. ‘Subsection (1) shall not apply to any company having provisions in its constitution that would entitle it to rank as a private company if it had been registered in the State’ is translated as ‘Ní bhainfidh fo-alt (1) le haon chuideachta a mbeidh forálacha ina comhdhéanamh a thabharfadh teideal di í a áireamh mar chuideachta phríobháideach dá mba sa Stát a cláraíodh í’ in s354(4) of the Companies Act, 1963. In s56(4) of the Companies (Amendment) Act, 1983, however, the same text (with ‘which has’ replacing ‘having’ and ‘public limited’ replacing ‘private’) is translated as ‘Ní bheidh feidhm ag fo-alt (1) maidir le haon chuideachta a bhfuil forálacha ina bunreacht a thabharfadh teideal di bheith ina cuideachta phoiblí theoranta dá mba sa Stát a cláraíodh í’. a chaomhnú See the commentary on Article 28.3.3o. ‘Cairde a chaomhnú’ is translated as ‘to cherish friends’ and ‘nós, teanga, a chaomhnú’ is translated as ‘to preserve a custom, a language’ in Ó Dónaill. Among the earlier examples in DIL of the verb ‘cáemaid’ (‘treats kindly, is gracious towards, cherishes’) is the following from an Old Irish verse in the St Gall Priscian, the infixed pronoun and alliteration contributing to its beautiful brevity: ‘nomchoimmdiu cóima’ (‘may the Lord be kind to me’). ‘Cáem’, on which this verb is based, is translated principally as ‘dear, precious, beloved; belonging to the family’ in DIL. See the commentary on Article 28.3.2o regarding ‘protects’ (expressed as ‘cosain’ in that Article) and note how ‘caomhaint do thabhairt d’éinne’ translates ‘protects any person’ in s3(1)(b) of the Treasonable Offences Act, 1925, with the usual term today, ‘cosain’, cited in Article 20 of the 1922 Constitution, ‘to protect … the private papers of its members’ being translated as ‘páipéirí príobháideacha a bhall do chosaint’.


A study of the Irish text

riachtanach ‘Riachtanach’ is translated as ‘necessary’ in Ó Dónaill, who translates ‘tá sé riachtanach don tsláinte’ as ‘it is essential to health’. Dinneen translates ‘riachtanach’ as ‘necessary, needful; needy, necessitous; compulsory, incumbent (on, ag)’, citing ‘Gaedhealg riachtanach, compulsory Irish’. ‘Slí riachtanais’ and ‘riachtanais’ are translated respectively as ‘way of necessity’ and ‘necessaries’ in Téarmaí Dlí. Seventeenth-century translations of Psalms lxxxii. 4 and Proverbs xxxi. 9 provide the only two examples of ‘ríachtanach’ cited in DIL, which headword is translated as ‘necessitous, needy’ and followed by ‘late’ in brackets. This adjective seems to have been based on ‘ríachtanas’, which according to DIL is an abstract from ‘ríachtain’, used in the expression ‘ríachtain a les(s)’, a petrified abstract from the phrase ‘ro-icc les(s)’, ‘needs (it)’, meaning ‘need, necessity’ (‘less’ = Modern Irish ‘leas’, ‘welfare’). ‘Ríachtain’ itself is a Middle Irish variant form of ‘ríchtu’, verbal noun of ‘ro-icc’ (‘comes’). See further the commentary on Articles 45.2.i (where ‘riachtanais’ expresses ‘needs’) and 12.4.5o (where ‘gá’ expresses ‘necessary’). Ós é … As regards ‘therefore’ in the Acts, ‘Be it therefore enacted by the Oireachtas of Saorstát Éireann as follows’ is translated as ‘Achtuigheadh Oireachtas Shaortsáit Éireann ar an ábhar san mar leanas’ in the Preamble to the Adaptation of Enactments Act, 1922, with ‘Be it therefore enacted by the Oireachtas as follows’ being translated as ‘Achtaítear ar an ábhar sin ag an Oireachtas mar a leanas’ in the Preamble to the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (Charter and Letters Patent Amendment) Act, 1979. ‘And shall therefore not be bound to apply the minimum penalty prescribed’ is translated as ‘agus mar sin ní bheidh de cheangal orthu an bun-phionós a ordaítear a chur i bhfeidhm’ in Article 87 of the Third Schedule to the Geneva Conventions Act, 1962. Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú, commenting on the direct translation below of ‘as’ as ‘mar’, remarks that the drafters of the Irish text understood ‘as’ to mean ‘since it is’ (‘ós é …’) and recommends translating that phrase as ‘ós é is bonn riachtanach don ord sóisialach’. don ord chomhdhaonnach See the commentary on Articles 38.3.1o and 40.6.1o regarding ‘ord’, on Article 15.3.1o regarding ‘comhdhaonnach’ and on Article 45 regarding lenition of the adjective in the dative singular qualifying a masculine noun.

Standardised Irish text Ós é an Teaghlach is fotha riachtanach don ord comhdhaonnach agus ós éigeantach é do leas an Náisiúin agus an Stáit, ráthaíonn an Stát comhshuíomh agus údarás an Teaghlaigh a chaomhnú.

Direct translation Ráthaíonn an Stát, ar an ábhar sin, an Teaghlach a chosaint ina chomhdhéanamh agus ina údarás, mar bhonn riachtanach an oird shóisialaigh1 agus mar fhíor-riachtanas do leas an Náisiúin agus an Stáit2.

Variants 1 ‘mar bhonn riachtanach don ord sóisialach’, ‘ós é is bonn riachtanach don ord sóisialach’ 2 ‘agus nach beite do leas an Náisiúin agus an Stáit bheith dá uireasa’

Staidéar ar an téacs Gaeilge

ARTICLE 41.2.1O

595

AIRTEAGAL 41.2.1O

TÉACS GAEILGE

Go sonrach, admhaíonn an Stát go dtugann an bhean don Stát, trína saol sa teaghlach, cúnamh nach bhféadfaí leas an phobail a ghnóthú dá éagmais.

LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Specifically, the State acknowledges that the woman gives the State, through her life in the family household, assistance/support without which the welfare of the people could not be achieved. ENGLISH TEXT

In particular, the State recognises that by her life within the home, woman gives to the State a support without which the common good cannot be achieved.

Divergences between the official texts 1

2

3

4

5 6

‘Teaghlach’ expresses ‘home’ (‘family household’) in this subsection, expressing ‘family’ in the previous section and in the heading for this Article. ‘A support’ is expressed in the Irish text as ‘cúnamh’, normally translated as ‘assistance’, but with the nuance of ‘contributive action’ according to Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú; ‘support’ is translated as ‘tacaíocht’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘Recognises’ is expressed as ‘admhaíonn’ in the Irish text, this being the same term as expresses ‘acknowledges’ in Article 40.3.3o, for example. As in other Articles, ‘the common good’ is expressed in the Irish text as ‘leas an phobail’, this phrase being also found in the Acts; ‘an mhaitheas phoiblí’ is the translation given in Téarmaí Dlí, however. ‘In particular’ is expressed as ‘go sonrach’ (‘specifically’) in the Irish text. ‘Cannot be achieved’ is expressed as ‘nach bhféadfaí a ghnóthú’ (‘could not be achieved’) in the Irish text.

Commentary saol ‘Árachas saoil’ and ‘léas saoil (saolta)’ are translated respectively as ‘life assurance’ and ‘lease for life (lives)’ in Téarmaí Dlí. Ó Dónaill translates ‘saol’ as ‘life, time, world’, giving ‘way or sphere of life’ as one of its senses, citing ‘saol na cathrach, na tuaithe, city, country, life’ and ‘saol mná tí, housewife’s life’, along with ‘tá saol an mhadra bháin aige, he has a cosy life’. Dinneen translates ‘saoghal’ as ‘an age, life, length or circumstances of life …; a world, the world, circumstances, “things”; living, subsistence, material wealth; everything, everybody’. Old Irish ‘saegul’, which comes from Latin ‘saeculum’, is translated as (a) ‘period of life, a human lifetime’, (b) ‘end of life’, (c) ‘an age, period of time, duration’, (d) ‘the world’ and (e) ‘worldly goods, pelf’ in DIL, where examples are cited from the Glosses of the eighth century onwards, including ‘is garait ar saigul’ (‘our life is short’) from the ninth-century Milan Glosses on the Psalms. See the commentary on Article 16.2.4o (where ‘ré’ expresses ‘life’) for early terms for ‘life’ in the Acts.


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cúnamh This headword is translated as ‘help’ in Ó Dónaill, where ‘cúnamh dífhostaíochta, teaghlaigh’ is translated as ‘unemployment, home, assistance’, citing ‘tá a chúnamh imithe uaidh, his family have left him’. ‘Congnamh’ is translated as ‘help, succour; act of helping, co-operating with (le)’ in Dinneen. ‘Congnam’ is the verbal noun of ‘con-gní’ (*com-gní-, literally ‘do together’), and is translated as ‘act of helping, aiding, assisting; help, aid’ in DIL. ‘Support’ today is generally translated as ‘tacaíocht’, ‘right of support’ being translated as ‘ceart tacaíochta’ in Téarmaí Dlí. See the commentary on Articles 12.10.4o and 28.10 regarding ‘support’ (expressed as ‘tacaíocht’ in both those Articles) and note that ‘tacaíocht’ is found in Article 53 of the 1922 Constitution. ‘Cabhrú’ translates ‘support’ in early Standing Orders of Dáil Éireann, according to the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms. a ghnóthú ‘Gnóthaím’ is translated as ‘I recover (damages)’ in Téarmaí Dlí. Ó Dónaill translates ‘gnóthaigh’ as (1) ‘work, labour’, (2) ‘win, gain; earn, achieve’, citing ‘duais, geall a ghnóthú, to win a prize, a wager’ and ‘is beag a ghnóthaigh mé air, I gained little by it; it availed me little’. Dinneen translates ‘gnóthuighim’ as ‘I get, win, obtain, attain, profit; I win (a game); I make prosperous; I appoint, ordain’, citing the following curse: ‘nár ghnídh tú do leas; agus nár ghnóthaidh sibhse! evil attend you; and may ye not succeed!’ ‘That the purposes for which an order may be made … could not be achieved’ is translated as ‘nach bhféadfaí na críocha chun ar féidir ordú a dhéanamh … a ghnóthú’ in s43(1)(b) of the Patents Act, 1964. ‘Where another transaction would not have been undertaken or arranged to achieve the results … achieved’ is translated as ‘i gcás nach ndéanfaí idirbheart eile a ghabháil de láimh nó a shocrú chun na torthaí … a bhaint amach a baineadh amach’ in s86(1) of the Finance Act, 1989. an bhean Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú remarks that ‘woman’ without indefinite article in English has the sense of ‘type’ (“cinéal”) and therefore is appropriately expressed in the Irish text as ‘an bhean’ (lit. ‘the woman’). sa teaghlach See the commentary on the preceding section regarding ‘teaghlach’ and the commentary on Article 42.2 regarding ‘home’. admhaíonn See the commentary on Article 40.3.3o and 41.1.1o.

Direct translation Admhaíonn an Stát go háirithe go dtugann an bhean1, trína saol sa bhaile, tacaíocht nach féidir an mhaitheas phoiblí a ghnóthú2 dá héagmais.

Variants 1 ‘mná’ 2 ‘a bhaint amach’

Bunreacht na hÉireann

ARTICLE 41.2.2O

AIRTEAGAL 41.2.2O

TÉACS GAEILGE

Uime sin, féachfaidh an Stát lena chur in áirithe nach mbeidh ar mháithreacha clainne, de dheasca uireasa, dul le saothar agus faillí a thabhairt dá chionn sin ina ndualgais sa teaghlach. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

For that reason, the State will endeavour to ensure that mothers of a family, because of want, will not have to engage in work and neglect their duties in the household because of that. ENGLISH TEXT

The State shall, therefore, endeavour to ensure that mothers shall not be obliged by economic necessity to engage in labour to the neglect of their duties in the home.

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‘By economic necessity’ is expressed as ‘de dheasca uireasa’, ‘because of want’, which phrase is preceded and followed by a comma, in the Irish text. ‘Mothers’ is expressed as ‘máithreacha clainne’ (‘mothers of a family’) in the Irish text. As in the previous subsection, ‘home’ is expressed as ‘teaghlach’ in the Irish text, the same term which expresses ‘family’ in this Article in general. ‘To the neglect of’ is expressed as ‘agus faillí a thabhairt dá chionn sin’ (‘and for that reason to neglect’) in the Irish text. Again, as in some earlier Articles, ‘to ensure’ is expressed as ‘a chur in áirithe’ in the Irish text, this phrase being generally used today in relation to ‘reserve’.

Commentary dul le Ó Dónaill gives ‘take to, engage in’ as one of the senses of ‘téigh le’, citing ‘dul le polaitíocht, to engage in politics’ and ‘ní rachadh an mac le feirmeoireacht dó, the son wouldn’t take up farming for him’. Dinneen translates ‘téighim le’ as ‘I go with, bring, side with, consort with, cultivate or follow (as an art) …’. DIL translates ‘téit le’ as ‘devotes oneself to, adopts, takes a certain course’, citing ‘docotar iterum fri tola in betho’ (‘they have given themselves over again to worldly desires’) from the eighthcentury Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles. Regarding ‘engage in’ in early Acts, ‘such of the officers engaged in the administration of those services’ is translated as ‘an méid sin de sna hoifigigh ag obair i riara na seirbhísí sin’ in Article 79 of the 1922 Constitution. ‘Any person engaged in the business of carrying goods for reward’ is translated as ‘éinne i mbun gnó earraí d’iompar ar luach saothair’ in s4(1)(c) of the Agricultural Produce (Eggs) Act, 1924. ‘A county medical officer of health shall not engage in private practice’ is translated as ‘Ní bheidh aon chleachta príobháideach ar siúl ag dochtúir oifigiúil sláinte’ in s21(7) of the Local Government Act, 1925. ‘By reason of his having been engaged in light agricultural work for his parent on his parent’s land’ is translated as ‘de dheascaibh é bheith ag gabháil d’obair éadtrom


A study of the Irish text

thalmhaíochta dá thuismitheoir ar thalamh a thuismitheora’ in s4(3) of the School Attendance Act, 1926. Finally, from the modern Acts, ‘to engage in research in such fields as the Governing Body may deem appropriate’ is translated as ‘gabháil do thaighde i cibé réimsí a mheasfaidh an Comhlacht Ceannais a bheith cuí’ in s4(1)(b) of the National Institute for Higher Education, Limerick, Act, 1980. ar mháithreacha clainne ‘Máthair clainne, teaghlaigh’ is translated as ‘the mother of a family’ in Ó Dónaill. Dinneen translates ‘máthair’ as ‘a mother, a dam, a producer; matter, beginning, origin, source, cause’. DIL gives examples of ‘máthair’ from the eighth-century Glosses onwards. ‘Services for Mothers and Children’ is translated as ‘Seirbhísí do Mháithreacha agus Leanaí’ in the heading for Chapter IV of the Health Act, 1970, for example. ‘Affords asylum to expectant mothers or to mothers of children under the age of five years’ is translated as ‘tearmann do thabhairt do mhná ag iompar cloinne no do mháithreacha leanbhaí atá fé bhun cúig mblian d’aois’ in s1(a)(iv) of the Hospitals Act, 1939. saothar ‘Luach saothair’ is translated as ‘remuneration’ in Téarmaí Dlí, ‘saothar’ being translated as ‘work, labour; toil, exertion; stress, effort’ in Ó Dónaill. ‘Saothar’ is translated as ‘labour, toil, work, effort, exertion, trouble taken in doing a thing, stress, agony, panting or heavy breathing (from hard work or illness); care; an office or task’ in Dinneen. DIL cites ‘saithar ho lámaib’ (‘labour with hands’) from the eighth-century Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles, where it glosses Latin ‘operantes manibus nostrís’, translating ‘saethar’ principally as ‘work, labour, toil’, ‘saeth’ being translated as ‘trouble, hardship, distress, tribulation, disease, illness’, this word also being cited from the Würzburg Glosses. See the commentary on Article 18.7.1oiii regarding ‘labour’ (expressed there as ‘oibreachas’). faillí This headword is translated as ‘negligence’ in Téarmaí Dlí, where ‘mórfhaillí’ is translated as ‘gross negligence’. Ó Dónaill translates ‘faillí a dhéanamh, a thabhairt, i rud’ as ‘to neglect something’, with Dinneen also translating ‘faillighe do thabhairt (nó do dhéanamh) i or ar’ as ‘to neglect’. DIL’s earliest example of ‘faillige’ (‘negligence, remissness’), ‘ó obair 7 ó faillighe’ (‘commission and omission’, in relation to sin), is from Keating’s seventeenth-century Eochair-sgiath an Aifrinn. Only one example of ‘faillíth’ (‘neglect’) is cited in DIL, from another work by Keating, but the headword ‘faill’ (‘neglect, negligence’) is cited from earlier literature. See the commentary on Article 34.5.4o regarding the verb ‘neglect’, expressed by ‘failligh’. ‘And such decrease was occasioned by the neglect of the participant’ is translated as ‘agus gur de bharr faillí an rannpháirtí a tharla an laghdú sin’ in s4(2)(a) of the Pyramid Selling Act, 1980, for example. uireasa This headword is translated as ‘lack, want, absence, deficiency’ in Ó Dónaill, where ‘níl easpa ná uireasa orainn’ is translated as ‘we want for nothing’. ‘Uireasbhaidh’ (‘uireasbha’ being the form in the original text) is translated as ‘deficiency, need, want, poverty’ in Dinneen, where ‘uireasbhaidh do-ghní cumha’ is translated as ‘indigence begets melancholy’. DIL translates ‘airesbaid’ as ‘lack,

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deficiency’, citing examples mainly from the period after the twelfth century. The prepositional prefix ‘air-’, with intensive force, is combined in this word with ‘esbaid’, ‘lack, loss, deficiency, defect’; ‘esbaid’ itself is made up of ‘ess’ + ‘both, buith’, the verbal noun of the substantive verb, according to DIL. See further the commentary on Article 45.4.2o, where we again find the phrase ‘de dheasca uireasa’. See the commentary on Article 1 regarding ‘economic’. ‘For the purpose of meeting a public requirement of a temporary nature or an immediate necessity’ is translated as ‘i gcóir riachtanais phuiblí shealadaigh no i gcóir riachtanais láithrigh’ in s3(a) of the Dublin United Tramways (Omnibus Services) Act, 1925. ‘Attention of … is directed to the necessity for compliance with the rules’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as being translated as ‘cuirtear in úil do … a ghátaraí [atá] sé na rialacha do chó-líona’ in Iris an Phuist, 11/8/26. ‘Where, however, such change of residence is made suddenly by necessity arising from an unforeseen emergency’ is translated as ‘Má tharlaíonn, áfach, go n-athrófar áit chónaithe mar sin go hobann de riachtanas mar gheall ar éigeandáil gan choinne’ in s2(5)(b) of the Children (Amendment) Act, 1957. ‘Not justified by military necessity’ is translated as ‘nuair nach bhfuil riachtanas míleata leis’ in Article 50 of the First Schedule to the Geneva Conventions Act, 1962. uime sin Ó Dónaill gives ‘about, concerning, in regard to, on account of’ as one of the senses of ‘um’, this sense being cited from earlier Irish literature, with ‘is uime thug Dia chugainn é’ translated as ‘that is why God brought him to us’. Dinneen translates ‘uime sin’ as ‘for that reason’. DIL gives examples of ‘imm’ in the abstract sense, translated as ‘concerning, as regards, in the matter of, on account of, for the sake of’, from the Glosses of the eighth century onwards. Note how the English text simply repeats ‘therefore’, as in ss2 of Article 41.1, here. See the commentary on that subsection regarding ‘therefore’. See further the commentary on Article 43.1.2o where ‘uime sin’ expresses ‘accordingly’. de dheasca This prepositional phrase is translated as ‘in consequence of’ in Ó Dónaill. See Dinneen s.v. ‘deascadh’ for the contrast between this phrase and ‘de bharr’: de dheascadh, as a result, but generally in plural, de dheascaibh, especially of a bad result, cf. de bharr, of a good result.

DIL translates ‘descad’ as (a) ‘dregs, lees, sediment’, referring to Modern Irish ‘de dheasgaibh, on account of’, and (b) ‘ferment, leaven, barm, yeast’, examples of which senses being given from the Old Irish Glosses onwards. dá chionn sin ‘De chionn go’ is translated as ‘because’ in Ó Dónaill, while Dinneen translates ‘do chionn’ as ‘by reason of’, translating ‘de chionn’ as ‘with a view to, for the purpose of’. DIL translates ‘de chiunn’ / ‘do chiunn’ as ‘in return for, for the sake of, instead of, on condition of, because of, for’. Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú refers to ‘mar gheall air sin’ and ‘dá thoradh sin’ as possible alternatives in the direct translation below. féachfaidh … le See the commentary on Article 40.6.1oi. in áirithe See the commentary on Articles 15.10 and 28.3.3o.


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Direct translation Féachfaidh an Stát, ar an ábhar sin, lena áirithiú nach gceanglófar ar mháithreacha, de dheasca riachtanais eacnamaíochta, dul i mbun saothair agus mar gheall air sin1 faillí a dhéanamh ina ndualgais sa bhaile.

Variants 1 ‘dá chionn sin’, ‘dá thoradh sin’

ARTICLE 41.3.1O

AIRTEAGAL 41.3.1O

Ós ar an bPósadh atá an Teaghlach bunaithe gabhann an Stát air féin coimirce faoi leith a dhéanamh ar ord an phósta agus é a chosaint ar ionsaí. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Since it is on Marriage that the Family is founded the State takes it upon itself to give special protection to the order of marriage and to defend it from attack. ENGLISH TEXT

The State pledges itself to guard with special care the institution of Marriage, on which the Family is founded, and to protect it against attack.

Divergences between the official texts

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‘wardship’. Dinneen translates ‘coimirce’ as ‘protection, patronage, safeguard’, translating ‘coimirce Dé orm’ as ‘may God protect me!’ and ‘coimirce Dé chughainn!’ as ‘God be merciful to us!’ DIL translates ‘commairge’ as ‘protection, security, refuge; sanctuary; act of protecting, etc.’ See Fergus Kelly, op. cit., p.140f., regarding ‘protection’ in early Irish law: An important principle of Irish law is the right of a freeman to provide legal protection (snádud, also turtugud) for a certain period of time to another person of equal or lower rank …. The idea of protection is also prominent in the sagas, where it is usually called commairce or fóesam.

Professor Kelly gives the following note on the term ‘commairce’ (ibid, p. 141):

TÉACS GAEILGE

1

Bunreacht na hÉireann

‘The institution of Marriage’ is expressed as ‘ord an phósta’ (‘the order of marriage’) in the Irish text – technically this could be read as the marriage service, although we have an early example of the sense of ‘the institution of marriage’. ‘The State pledges’ is expressed as ‘gabhann an Stát air féin’ (‘the State takes upon itself / undertakes’) in the Irish text. As one sometimes finds in translations, the Irish text opens with the qualifying clause, ‘Ós ar an bPósadh atá an Teaghlach bunaithe’ (‘Since it is on Marriage that the Family is founded’), whereas the English text states directly ‘The State pledges itself …’, with ‘on which the Family is founded’ simply qualifying ‘the institution of Marriage’. ‘To guard with special care’ is expressed as ‘coimirce faoi leith a dhéanamh ar’ (‘to give special protection to’) in the Irish text. ‘Pósadh’ in the first clause has a capital ‘P’ corresponding to the capital ‘M’ in ‘Marriage’ in the English text, but has no capital in ‘ord an phósta’ (‘the order of marriage’); the English text has only one reference to ‘marriage’ in this section.

Commentary coimirce ‘Coimirce’ is translated as ‘protection, guardianship; patronage’ in Ó Dónaill, where ‘coimirce a thabhairt do dhuine’ is translated as ‘to grant protection to someone’ and ‘faoi choimirce an stáit’ is translated as ‘under the aegis, auspices, of the state’. ‘Coimircí’ is translated as ‘ward’ in Téarmaí Dlí, with ‘coimircíocht’ translated as

This term (angl. comrick) is used with the meaning ‘legal protection’ in official English documents. The provision of protection was clearly regarded as one of the central features of the Irish way of life, and many attempts were made to suppress it. For example, in an agreement of 28 August 1583 with the Lord Deputy, Sir John O’Reilly of Breifne undertook ‘not to use any iraghtes (= Ir. airecht) or parleys upon hills to the intent to do any unlawful act to any of her majesty’s subjects, not to make any distresses upon amenable persons other than for rent or duties without the special permission of the state, not to keep Irish brehons or suffer Brehon Law, not to take ericks (= Ir. éraic) but proceed by indictment for murder, and not to give comrick (= Ir. commairce) to any lords or their children or brethren that shall be offenders, but bring them to punishment’. Another group of terms … are slánad, slánachus, sláinte (angl. slantie), slánaigecht (angl. slanyacht), sláint(ig)echt (angl. slantyeght), which are commonly used in the Mid. and Early Mod. Ir. period for ‘legal protection, guarantee, security’. The last term is used in a treaty in the English language made on 18 August 1560 between O’Rourke and O’Reilly which places both under the protection of the Earl of Kildare. They agree that if either of them break the Earl’s slantyeght by killing, robbing or burning in the other’s territory, he will pay 1,000 cattle to the Earl.

‘To take all reasonable measures to guard against the outbreak of fire on such premises’ is translated as ‘gach beart réasúnach a dhéanamh le bheith san airdeall ar dhóiteán tarlú san áitreabh sin’ in s18(2) of the Fire Services Act, 1981. ‘Who negligently or wilfully allows to escape any person … whom it is his duty to guard or keep in custody’ is translated as ‘a ligfear go faillitheach nó go toiliúil d’aon duine éaló … nuair a bheidh sé de dhualgas air é a ghardáil nó é a bheith faoi choimeád aige’ in s145(b) of the Defence Act, 1954, with ‘any person whom it is his duty to keep or guard’ being translated as ‘Éinne ’na bhfuil sé de dhualgas air é do chimeád no do ghárdáil’ in s50 of the Defence Forces (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923. ‘Providing for the efficient management, sanitation, control and guarding of such places other than prisons’ is translated as ‘chun na háiteanna san nách príosúin do bhainistí, do chimeád sláintiúil, do stiúra agus do ghárdáil go héifeachtúil’ in s8(b) of the Public Safety (Emergency Powers) Act, 1926. pósadh ‘Scaoilim pósadh’ is translated as ‘I dissolve a marriage’ in Téarmaí Dlí, where ‘dlínse maidir le pósadh’ and ‘aiseag chearta an phósta’ are translated respectively


A study of the Irish text

as ‘matrimonial jurisdiction’ and ‘restitution of conjugal rights’. ‘Pósadh’ is translated as ‘(state, ceremony, of) marriage’ in Ó Dónaill and as ‘act of marrying, joining in marriage; marriage, married life or state; a wedding feast’ in Dinneen. ‘Pósad’ is translated as ‘the act of marrying or espousing, marriage’ in DIL; it is the verbal noun of ‘pósaid’, a Romance loanword which comes from Latin ‘spons-are’; examples cited in DIL date from the later Middle Irish period onwards, ‘ord an phósta’ being cited from the Passions and Homilies from the Leabhar Breac, a manuscript compiled in 1411 or earlier. The sense of ‘marriage’ is cited in the eighth-century Würzburg Glosses and in later sources for the term ‘lánamnas’, translated as ‘partnership, social and/or legal relationship between two parties’. See Fergus Kelly op. cit., p. 70, regarding marriage in early Irish law: Most legal references to women relate to marriage, and this is the subject of a special text Cáin Lánamna. Nine forms of sexual union (lánamnas) are distinguished. At the top of the list the author places the ‘union of joint property’ (lánamnas comthinchuir) into which both partners contribute movable goods (tinchor). The woman in such a union is called a ‘wife of joint authority’ (bé cuitchernsa). Next come the ‘union of a woman on man-property’ (lánamnas mná for ferthinchur) into which the woman contributes little or nothing, and the ‘union of a man on womanproperty’ (lánamnas fir for bantinchur) into which the man contributes little or nothing. The fourth category is the ‘union of a man visiting’ (lánamnas fir thathigtheo) – a less formal union in which the man visits the woman at her home with her kin’s consent. In the fifth union, the woman goes away openly with the man, but is not given by her kin. In the sixth union she allows herself to be abducted (lánamnas foxail) and in the seventh she is secretly visited (lánamnas táidi) – in both cases without her kin’s consent. The eighth and ninth unions can in no sense be described as marriage, as they are union by rape and the union of two insane persons.

The word ‘bainis’ (‘wedding; wedding-feast’, Ó Dónaill), earlier form ‘banais’, comes from ‘ben’ + ‘feis’ and glosses Latin ‘nuptias’ in the Glosses in the ninth- or tenth-century manuscript Parker 279 in Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. ‘Because of her marriage’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as being translated as ‘mar gheall ar gur pósadh í’ in translations for the Department of Local Government and Public Health, ‘liúntas pósa’ translating ‘marriage allowance’ in Iris an Phoist and ‘réiteach cleamhnais’ translating ‘marriage settlement’ in a Report from the Department of Industry and Commerce. ‘There is a child of the marriage’ is translated as ‘(go) mbeidh leanbh ann de bharr an phósta’ in s28(a) of the Widows and Orphans’ Pensions Act, 1935. ‘A marriage portion’ is translated as ‘coibhche’ in s63(b) of the Succession Act, 1965, where ‘advancement by way of portion or settlement’ is translated as ‘réamhshocrú i modh clannchoda nó socraíochta’. ‘The Marriages Act, 1972’ is cited in Irish as ‘Acht na bPóstaí, 1972’. ord ‘Ord an phósta’ is translated as ‘the order of marriage’ in Ó Dónaill, this being cited as an example of ‘ord’ in the ecclesiastical sense of ‘prescribed form of service’. Dinneen translates ‘órd an phósta’ as ‘the order of marriage, marriage

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ceremony’. DIL, however, cites ‘is e ord in phósta ord Dé’ from the Passions and Homilies from the Leabhar Breac, compiled in 1411 or earlier, as an example of ‘ord’ in the sense ‘rule, regulation, ordinance, institution’. See the commentary on Articles 38.3.1o and 40.6.1o regarding ‘ord poiblí’ (‘public order’). ‘The British and Irish Governments will seek to create institutions and structures which would enable them to work together’ is translated as ‘féachfaidh Rialtais na Breataine agus na hÉireann le hinstitiúidí agus struchtúir a chruthú a dhéanfaidh iad a chumasú chun oibriú as lámha a chéile’ in the December 1993 Joint Declaration (p. 6), with ‘needs of our National Cultural Institutions’ being translated as ‘riachtanas ár bhForas Cúlturtha Náisiúnta’ in the Programme for a Partnership Government, 1993-97 (p. 56). See further the commentary on Article 18.4.2o where ‘institution’ is expressed as ‘foras’. gabhann an Stát air féin ‘Assume, undertake’ are given as secondary senses of the phrase ‘gabh ar’ in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘ghabh sé air féin an obair a dhéanamh, he undertook to do the work’. Dinneen translates ‘gabhaim orm’ as ‘I take on myself, take up a challenge’. DIL cites examples of ‘gaibid for’, with reflexive pronoun, in the sense of ‘takes (a burden, responsibility, on one’s self, undertakes)’, from the Táin and from later sources, including ‘gabhuid sin ortha féin’ (‘they undertook to do that’) from a collection of the Lives of the Irish Saints. ‘Pledge’ is translated as ‘gealltán’ in Téarmaí Dlí, where ‘I pledge credit’ is translated as ‘cuirim creidmheas i ngeall’. De Bhaldraithe translates ‘pledge’ as (i) ‘cuirim (rud) i ngeall’ and (2) ‘tugaim (m’fhocal, gealltanas)’, translating ‘to be pledged to do something’ as ‘bheith faoi ghealltanas rud a dhéanamh’. See the commentary on Article 45.4.1o regarding ‘pledge’ in the Acts. a chosaint ar ‘Cosnaím’ is translated as ‘I defend’ in Téarmaí Dlí; Dinneen translates ‘cosnaim’ as ‘I defend, protect from (ar); champion, seek to gain or hold, maintain’. Ó Dónaill translates ‘cosain’ as ‘defend, protect (ar, ó against)’, citing ‘duine a chosaint ar rud, to defend someone against something’, ‘sinn a chosaint ó bhaol, ar olc, to protect us from harm, from evil’. DIL translates ‘con-sní ‘as ‘contends; contests, strives for, wins, gains; later also defends; costs’, citing ‘cumhacht … lé ccoisenadh é féin ar bhás’ (power that he ‘might protect himself from death’) from Ó Heoghusa’s An Teagasg Criosdaidhe, 1611. See the commentary on Article 28.3.2o. ‘And the order shall operate to protect against execution save as provided by this section’ is translated as ‘agus oibreoidh an t-ordú chun cosaint a thabhairt ar fhorghníomhú ach amháin mar a fhoráiltear leis an alt seo’ in s89(1) of the Bankruptcy Act, 1988. ‘By reason of the applicant’s failure to take reasonable care to protect against the disease in question the animals … which are the subject of the application’ is translated as ‘i ngeall ar gur mhainnigh an t-iarratasóir cúram réasúnach a ghlacadh chun na hainmhithe … is ábhar don iarratas a chosaint ar an ngalar a bheidh i gceist’ in s58(6) of the Diseases of Animals Act, 1966. See further the commentary on Articles 15.10 and 41.1.2o where ‘protect’ is expressed respectively by ‘dídean’ and ‘caomhnaigh’. faoi leith See the commentary on Article 38.3.1o. As


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regards ‘special care’ in the Acts, ‘where an establishment or institution is confined … to persons of one sex requiring special care, supervision or treatment’ is translated as ‘i gcás ar daoine de ghnéas amháin … atá i mbunachas nó in institiúid is daoine ar gá aire, maoirseacht nó cóireáil an leith lena n-aghaidh’ in s17(2)(c) of the Employment Equality Act, 1977, with ‘not to require special care and treatment in a fully equipped mental hospital’ being translated as ‘nach gá dóibh aireachas agus cóireáil speisialta in óspidéal meabhair-ghalar lánfheistithe’ in s22(1) of the Mental Treatment Act, 1945. ‘D’aireachasú’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as translating the verb ‘care’ in Iris an Phuist, 5/9/28, ‘care (in perfomance of duties)’ being translated as ‘aireachas’ in Iris an Phuist, 28/9/27. See the commentary on Article 38.3.1o as regard ‘special’ in the Acts. ionsaí This headword is translated as ‘assault’ in Téarmaí Dlí, where ‘mionionsaí’ and ‘tromionsaí’ are translated respectively as ‘common assault’ and ‘aggravated assault’. Ó Dónaill translates ‘ionsaí’ as ‘advance, approach, attack’, citing ‘ionsaí a dhéanamh ar áit, to advance upon, attack, a place’ – see the commentary on Article 40.3.2o. Looking at early translations, ‘With the object of protecting pictures in the National Gallery of Ireland from injury by attack from the air’ is translated as ‘D’fhonn pictiúirí i nGaileirí Náisiúnta na hÉireann do chosaint ar dhíobháil tré ionnsaighe ón aer’ in s65 of the Air-Raid Precautions Act, 1939. ‘Have created a state of rebellion which has been carried on by means of armed attack on the Military Forces of Saorstát Éireann’ is translated as ‘gur chruthuíodar staid rebeliúntachta a cimeádadh ar siúl tré fhoghna armtha do thabhairt fé Fhórsaí Mileata Shaorstáit Éireann’ in the Preamble to the Public Safety (Emergency Powers) Act, 1923, with ‘fogha’ being cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as translating ‘attack’ in a 1927 Report of the Public Accounts Committee. bunaithe ‘Such intention is founded on the existence of sufficient evidence’ is translated as ‘go bhfuil an rún sin bunaithe ar fhianaise leordhóthanach a bheidh ann’ in s2(1)(a) of the Extradition (Amendment) Act, 1987. ‘The claim is founded on any fraud or fraudulent breach of trust’ is translated as ‘(ina) mbeidh an t-éileamh bunaithe ar aon chalaois nó sárú calaoiseach iontaobhais’ in s44(a) of the Statute of Limitations, 1957, with ‘under the judgement, order, or decree on which his claim is founded’ being translated as ‘fén mbreith, fén ordú no fén aithne ar a mbeidh a éileamh bunuithe’ in s6(2) of the Indemnity Act, 1924.

Direct translation Tugann an Stát gealltanas institiúid an Phósta, ar a bhfuil an Teaghlach bunaithe, a ghardáil le haireachas1 ar leith, agus é a chosaint ar ionsaí.

Variant 1 ‘le haire’

Bunreacht na hÉireann

ARTICLE 41.3.2O (before amendment) AIRTEAGAL 41.3.2O (roimh leasú) TÉACS GAEILGE

Ní cead dlí ar bith a achtú a bhéarfadh cumhacht chun pósadh a scaoileadh. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

It is not permitted to enact any law which would give power to dissolve a marriage. ENGLISH TEXT

No law shall be enacted providing for the grant of a dissolution of marriage. A new subsection was substituted for this subsection by the Fifteenth Amendment of the Constitution, 1995, which text is given and commented on following this below.

Divergences between the official texts 1

2

‘Providing for the grant of a dissolution of marriage’ is expressed as ‘a bhéarfadh cumhacht chun pósadh a scaoileadh’ (‘which would give power to dissolve a marriage’) in the Irish text. Again, as in some earlier Articles, ‘Ní cead’ (‘It is not permitted’) expresses ‘No … shall’ of the English text.

Commentary a scaoileadh ‘Scaoilim pósadh’ is translated as ‘I dissolve a marriage’ in Téarmaí Dlí, where ‘dissolution (i.e. of marriage)’ is translated as ‘scaoileadh’. ‘Scaoil’ is translated as ‘loose(n), release, discharge’ in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘páirtíocht, pósadh, a scaoileadh, to dissolve a partnership, a marriage’. Dinneen also gives ‘I dissolve’ as one of the senses of ‘scaoilim’. ‘Bursts, scatters, spreads’ is the principal sense of ‘scaílid’ given in DIL. Note that in the amended ss2, ‘A Court … may grant a dissolution of marriage’ is rendered as ‘Féadfaidh cúirt … scaoileadh ar phósadh a thabhairt’ – see the commentary on the amended subsection below. In s2(2) of the Army Pensions Act, 1923, ‘on the death of his wife or the lawful annulment or dissolution of his marriage’ is translated as ‘ar fháil bháis dá mhnaoi no ar a phósa do chur ar neamh-ní no do bhrise go dleathach’. ‘An pósa do scur go dleathach’ translates ‘the lawful dissolution of the marriage’ in s22(1) of the Army Pensions Act, 1927. ‘In consideration or in consequence of the dissolution or annulment of a marriage’ is translated as ‘i gcomaoin nó de dhroim scaoileadh nó neamhniú pósta’ in s3(1)(a)(i) of the Finance Act, 1983. cumhacht Literally ‘power’. ‘I grant’ is translated as ‘deonaím’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘Such justice may, as he thinks proper, grant or refuse to grant such annulment’ is translated as ‘féadfaidh an Breitheamh san an t-ordú diúltuithe sin do chur ar nea-mbrí no diúltú d’é chur ar nea-mbrí, fé mar a mheasfaidh is ceart’ in s35(3) of the Trade Union Act, 1941. ‘An Act to grant and appropriate certain sums’ is translated as ‘Acht chun suimeanna áirithe


A study of the Irish text

Staidéar ar an téacs Gaeilge

do dheonú agus do chur i leithreas’ in the Long Title of the Appropriation Act, 1922, with ‘a permit granted under this section’ being translated as ‘cead a deonfar fén alt so’ in s37(6) of the Electricity (Supply) Act, 1927. Commenting on the direct translation below, Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú suggests ‘a lamháil’, ‘a cheadú’ or ‘a aontú’ as possible alternatives to ‘a dheonú’. See the commentary on Article 8.3 regarding ‘provide’ in the Acts. Note, for example, that ‘to be a law providing for the control or regulation in that country of the manufacture … of dangerous or otherwise harmful drugs’ is translated as ‘gur dlí é a fhorálann rialú sa tír sin ar mhonarú … drugaí atá contúirteach nó atá díobhálach ar dhóigh eile’ in s20(2) of Misuse of Drugs Act, 1977, with ‘to be a law providing for the control and regulation in that country of the manufacture … of drugs’ being translated as ‘is dlí dheineann socrú chun déanamh … druganna do stiúradh agus do rialáil sa tír sin’ in s3(1) of the Dangerous Drugs Act, 1934.

LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

a bhéarfadh This would be replaced by ‘a thabharfadh’ in the official standard – see the commentary on Article 12.1.

ENGLISH TEXT

Ní cead See the commentary on Article 9.1.3o.

i

A Court which will be specified by law may give a dissolution of marriage in the case, but only in the case, that it has ascertained – i

ii iii

iv

that, on the date of the initiation of the proceedings, the spouses had spent a period of at least four years, or periods of at least four years in total, living apart from each other during the previous five years, that no reasonable expectation exists that there will be a compromise between the spouses, that such an arrangement exists, or that such an arrangement will be made, that the Court thinks proper having regard to the circumstances, for the spouses, for any children of either of them or of both of them and for any other person prescribed by law, and that any further conditions prescribed by law are fulfilled.

A Court designated by law may grant a dissolution of marriage where, but only where, it is satisfied that –

Standardised Irish text Ní cead dlí ar bith a achtú a thabharfadh cumhacht chun pósadh a scaoileadh.

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ii iii

Direct translation

at the date of the institution of the proceedings, the spouses have lived apart from one another for a period of, or periods amounting to, at least four years during the previous five years, there is no reasonable prospect of a reconciliation between the spouses, such provision as the Court considers proper having regard to the circumstances exists or will be made for the spouses, any children of either or both of them and any other person prescribed by law, and any further conditions prescribed by law are complied with.

Ní achtófar aon dlí lena ndéanfar socrú chun scaoileadh ar phósadh a dheonú1.

iv

Variants

This text was substituted for the original subsection following the Fifteenth Amendment of the Constitution, 1995.

1 ‘a thabhairt’, ‘a lamháil’

ARTICLE 41.3.2O (as amended) AIRTEAGAL 41.3.2O (arna leasú) TÉACS GAEILGE

Féadfaidh Cúirt a bheidh ainmnithe le dlí scaoileadh ar phósadh a thabhairt sa chás, ach sa chás amháin, gur deimhin léi – i go raibh, ar dháta thionscnamh na n-imeachtaí, tréimhse ceithre bliana ar a laghad, nó tréimhsí ceithre bliana ar a laghad san iomlán, caite ag na céilí ina gcónaí ar leithligh óna chéile le linn na gcúig bliana roimhe sin, ii nach bhfuil ionchas réasúnach ar bith ann go mbeidh comhréiteach idir na céilí, iii go bhfuil cibé socrú ann, nó go ndéanfar cibé socrú, is dóigh leis an gCúirt a bheith cuí ag féachaint do na himthosca, le haghaidh na gcéilí, le haghaidh aon leanaí le ceachtar acu nó leis an mbeirt acu agus le haghaidh aon duine eile a bheidh forordaithe le dlí, agus iv go gcomhlíontar aon choinníollacha breise a bheidh forordaithe le dlí.

Divergences between the official texts 1

2 3

4

‘Reconciliation’ is rendered as ‘comhréiteach’ in the Irish text, which term is translated as ‘compromise’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘Designated’ is rendered as ‘ainmnithe’ (‘named’/ ‘specified’) in the Irish text. In the original subsection 2, ‘providing for the grant of a dissolution of marriage’ is expressed as ‘a bhéarfadh cumhacht chun pósadh a scaoileadh’ while in this subsection ‘A Court … may grant a dissolution of marriage’ is rendered as ‘Féadfaidh Cúirt … scaoileadh ar phósadh a thabhairt’. ‘For a period of, or periods amounting to, at least four years’ is rendered as ‘tréimhse ceithre bliana ar a laghad, nó tréimhsí ceithre bliana ar a laghad san iomlán’ (‘a period of at least four years, or periods of at least four years in all’), with ‘the spouses having lived apart … for a period …’ rendered as ‘go raibh … tréimhse … caite ag na céilí ina gcónaí ar leithligh’ (‘that the spouses had spent a period … living apart’), in the Irish text.


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Commentary comhréiteach This compound is translated as ‘compromise’ in Téarmaí Dlí, following four of the ten Irish Legal Terms Orders, with ‘comhréitím’ translated as ‘I compromise (i.e. an action or claim)’. ‘Comhréiteach’, verbal noun of ‘comhréitigh’ (‘compromise, settle; agree’ in Ó Dónaill), is translated as ‘compromise, settlement; agreement, harmonization’ in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘comhréiteach aighnis, settlement of dispute’. This compound of ‘comh’ (‘mutual, joint, common’) with ‘réiteach’ does not appear to be given as a headword in Dinneen nor in DIL. ‘Réiteach’ has the sense of ‘solution, settlement; adjustment, agreement’, Ó Dónaill citing ‘réiteach a dhéanamh idir dhaoine, to settle matters between people’, ‘teacht chun réitigh le duine, to come to an agreement with someone’ and ‘chuaigh an chúis ó réiteach orainn, we failed to decide the issue, to come to terms’, along with ‘bord réitigh, conciliation board’ and ‘ráiteas réitigh, reconciliation statement’. Dinneen gives ‘a reconciliation, peace, concord, settlement’ as one of the senses of ‘réidhteach’, translating ‘dúdóg réidhtigh’ as ‘a friendly pipe, a pipe of peace’. DIL gives ‘settling, adjusting (a dispute, transaction); making terms (with)’ as a secondary sense of ‘réidtech’, citing ‘[nir] fed in t-imper reiteach eturra’ (i.e. the emperor was unable to ‘make peace between them’). ‘Réidtech’ is the verbal noun of ‘réidid’, translated as ‘levels, smooths, makes easy, clears (land etc.)’ in DIL. The verb ‘réidigid’ is also given as a headword in DIL, this being a deponent verb in Old Irish – DIL cites ‘ní redigedar’ (‘it does not make plain’) from the early ninth-century Milan Glosses on a Latin Commentary on the Psalms, and gives ‘settles, adjusts (a quarrel, transaction)’ as a later sense of this verb, citing ‘má dho réidhigheadh eadruinn 7 Día’ (‘if we have been reconciled to God’) from the seventeenth-century translation of Romans v. 10. Both these verbs are based on ‘réidh’, primarily ‘level, smooth’, but with sense (e) in DIL of ‘at peace, reconciled’, ‘nach beinn-si reidh 7 Fionn’, from Duanaire Finn, being translated as ‘reconciled to Fionn’. In s8(2) of the Judicial Separation and Family Law Reform Act, 1989, ‘and such order of rescission shall be made by the court upon it being satisfied that a reconciliation has taken place between the applicant and the respondent’ is translated as ‘agus déanfaidh an chúirt an t-ordú cealaithe sin ar í a bheith deimhin de go bhfuil an t-iarratasóir agus an freagróir tar éis teacht ar chomhréiteach’, with ‘to facilitate reconciliation between estranged spouses’ being translated as ‘d’éascú comhréitigh idir céilí coimhthithe’ in the Long Title of that Act. In Article 43.2.2o, ‘with a view to reconciling their exercise with the exigencies of the common good’ is expressed as ‘d’fhonn an t-oibriú sin agus leas an phobail a thabhairt le chéile’. ‘To reconcile difference of calculation’ and ‘reconciliation of balances’ are cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as being translated respectively as ‘deifríocht do thabhairt dá chéile’ and ‘réiteach iarmhéideanna’ in early official translations. De Bhaldraithe gives ‘réiteach’ and ‘athmhuintearas’ as translations of ‘reconciliation’, the latter term being given as a headword in Ó Dónaill and simply translated as ‘reconciliation’. ainmnithe ‘Nominate’ and ‘specify’ are two of the secondary senses of ‘ainmnigh’ (principally ‘name’) given

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by Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘duine a ainmniú do phost, ina iarrthóir, to nominate someone to a post, as a candidate’ and ‘lá, ionad, coinníollacha, a ainmniú, to specify a day, a place, conditions’. Dinneen includes ‘I name, assign; I nominate, mention, specify’ among the senses of ‘ainmnighim’. DIL gives examples of ‘ainmnigidir’ from the Glosses of the eighth century onwards, this verb being based on ‘ainmm’. Incidentally, it is thought that ‘anm’, found in Ogam inscriptions, which date from the fourth century onwards, may mean ‘inscription’ or ‘mortal remains’ – see DIL s.v. ‘ainmm’. See the commentary on Articles 6.1 and 13.8.2o regarding ‘designate’, expressed respectively by ‘ceap’ and ‘ainmnigh’. ar dháta thionscnamh na n-imeachtaí ‘Tionscnamh imeachtaí’ is translated as ‘institution of proceedings’ in Téarmaí Dlí, where ‘toghairm thionscnaimh’ is translated as ‘originating summons’ and ‘tionscnaím imeachtaí’ is translated as ‘I bring proceedings’. Unlike some other verbal nouns, ‘tionscnaimh’ alone is given as the genitive singular of ‘tionscnamh’ in Ó Dónaill (translating ‘tionscnamh’ as ‘beginning, origin; introduction, initiation; institution, establishment’); one might perhaps have expected the form ‘tionscanta’ as genitive singular of the verbal noun with ‘tionscnaimh’ as the genitive singular of the noun – see, ‘filleadh’, for example, in Ó Dónaill, with ‘fillidh’ and ‘fillte’ being cited as the two forms of the genitive singular – and subsequently one would have ‘ar dháta tionscanta na n-imeachtaí’, like the form ‘Bord Soláthair an Leictreachais’, for example. DIL cites examples of the genitive form ‘tindscanta’ from the Yellow Book of Lecan (‘cuis tindscanta na raed n-anaithnich’) onwards. ‘Tinnscna(m)’ is the Middle Irish verbal noun of ‘doinscanna’, ‘begins’ (‘tinnscetal’ being the earlier verbal noun), examples of this verb being cited in DIL from the Glosses of the eighth century onwards, the following final example being cited from Keating’s seventeenth-century Three Shafts of Death: ‘tionnsgnaidh an chríoch’ (= ‘finis incipit’). See further the commentary on Article 45.3.1o where ‘tionscnamh’ expresses ‘initiative’. Commenting on the direct translation below, with ‘tionscanta’ given as a variant, Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú remarks that a Munsterman would say ‘ar dháta na n-imeachtaí a thionscnamh’ in that sense, which is not the same as ‘dáta tionscanta na n-imeachtaí’, but that one would prefer ‘an dáta ar tionscnaíodh na himeachtaí’ in that second sense. céilí ‘Céile’ is translated as ‘companion, spouse’ in Ó Dónaill and as ‘a fellow, companion, mate’ in Dinneen, who cites ‘céile na Beithínighe, the spouse of Beithineach river, i.e. he who owned the land on the river’. ‘Husband’ is given as one of the meanings of ‘céile’ in DIL, where examples are cited from the Old Irish Glosses, with the sense ‘wife’ being rarely cited, and apparently not attested in the Glosses. The main senses of ‘céile’ as a noun, according to DIL, are ‘servant’ and ‘fellow’, the term always implying a relationship. Examples of the sense ‘fellow, companion, “opposite number”, other one, neighbour (in New Testament sense)’ are cited in DIL from the Glosses of the eighth century onwards. Fergus Kelly, op. cit., p. 306, translates ‘céile’ as ‘client’, this word being cognate with Welsh ‘cilydd’ (‘fellow, companion’). In early Irish law the rights and duties of a lord (‘flaith’) related mainly


A study of the Irish text

to his clients, according to Professor Kelly (op. cit, pp. 26-7), as it was the possession of clients which made him a lord, the lowest grade of lord having five free clients and five base clients according the the early Irish law-tract Críth Gablach. In another such tract, the relationship between a lord and his base client is classified as being similar to that between a husband and his wife, a teacher and his pupil, or the Church and its monks, while in a certain Old Irish poem, God is compared to a lord whose clients are the Jewish people (ibid, p. 27). In Modern Irish, the regular terms for ‘husband’ and ‘wife’ are ‘fear céile’ and ‘bean chéile’. ionchas This headword is translated as ‘expectation, prospect’ in Ó Dónaill, who translates ‘ionchas saoil’ as ‘life expectancy’ and ‘ionchais na bliana’ as ‘the prospects for the year’. Dinneen translates ‘ionchas’ as ‘likelihood, expectation, prospect’, translating ‘le hionchas go’ as ‘in the hope that’. imthosca ‘Imthoisc’ is translated as ‘circumstance’ in Téarmaí Dlí, where ‘imthosca ionchoiritheacha’ and ‘imthosca maolaitheacha’ are translated respectively as ‘incriminating circumstances’ and ‘extenuating circumstances’. Ó Dónaill gives the form ‘imthosca’ (translated as ‘circumstances’) as the headword, followed by the abbreviations for ‘substantive plural’ and ‘Jurisprudence’. See the commentary on Article 45.2.v as regards ‘circumstances’ in the Acts. forordaithe ‘Forordaigh’ is translated as ‘pre-ordain, predestine’ in Ó Dónaill, with ‘forordú’ translated as ‘fore-ordering, predestination’. Dinneen translates ‘forórduighim’ as ‘I predestine, order beforehand’, translating ‘forórdughadh’ as ‘predestination, act of predestining; a previous order’. ‘Prescription’ is translated as ‘rúradh’ in Téarmaí Dlí, ‘rúrach’ translation ‘prescriptive’. The glossators of the early Irish laws took ‘rudrad’ to be from ‘ro’ (‘great, excessive’) plus ‘dúrad’ (‘duration’), this being the correct derivation of the word according to Fergus Kelly, op. cit., p. 109. See the commentary on Articles 15.9.1o and 27.2 where ‘prescribe’ is expressed respectively by ‘leag amach’ and ‘ordaigh’. san iomlán This phrase is translated as ‘in all, all told’ in Ó Dónaill. Looking at ‘amount’ in early Acts, ‘and so much thereof as consisted of rent exceeds the sum to which compounded arrears of rent would have otherwise amounted’ is translated as ‘agus gur mó an méid ba chíos de ná an tsuim a dhéanfadh riaráiste cíosa socruithe mara mbeadh san’ in s19(5)(a) of the Land Act, 1923. ‘All sums granted out of the Central Fund towards making good the supply granted, amounting … in the aggregate to the sum of thirty-two million, two hundred and twelve thousand, eight hundred and ninety-three pounds’ is translated as ‘Na suimeanna uile a deontar as an bPrímh-Chiste sin … chun an soláthar a deonadh do dhéanamh iomlán agus ’na ndineann a n-iomlán … suim dhá mhilleon déag ar fhichid, dhá chéad is dhá mhíle dhéag, ocht gcéad nócha a trí de phúint’ in s3 of the Appropriation Act, 1924.

Staidéar ar an téacs Gaeilge

603

‘scaoilim pósadh’. We have seen in the original subsection 2 how ‘providing for the dissolution of a marriage’ was expressed as ‘a bhéarfadh cumhacht chun pósadh a scaoileadh’ and in subsection 3 ‘(No) person whose marriage has been dissolved’ is expressed as ‘I gcás pósadh duine ar bith a scaoileadh’. Ó Dónaill cites ‘scaoileadh ó choinníoll, ó oibleagáid, release from condition, from obligation’. ar leithligh This phrase as translated as ‘apart, aside, by oneself, in particular’ in Ó Dónaill and as ‘separate, by oneself, by itself’ in Dinneen. ‘Oc leithlig’ and ‘do leithlig’ were earlier forms of this phrase, translated as ‘apart, aside’ in DIL.

Standardised Irish text ‘Tionscnamh’, as a verbal noun, rather than be lenited, might perhaps be put in the genitive singular, ‘tionscnaimh’.

Direct translation Féadfaidh Cúirt a bheidh ainmnithe le dlí scaoileadh ar phósadh a dheonú1 sa chás, agus sa chás sin amháin, gur deimhin léi – i

ii iii

iv

go raibh, ar dháta tionscnaimh2 na n-imeachtaí, tréimhse ceithre bliana ar a laghad, nó tréimhsí ceithre bliana ar a laghad san iomlán, caite ag na céilí ina gcónaí ar leithligh óna chéile le linn na gcúig bliana roimhe sin, nach bhfuil aon ionchas réasúnach ann go mbeidh athmhuintearas idir na céilí, go bhfuil cibé socrú ann is cuí leis an gCúirt ag féachaint do na himthosca nó go ndéanfar socrú den sórt sin le haghaidh na gcéilí, le haghaidh aon leanaí le ceachtar acu nó leis an mbeirt acu agus le haghaidh aon duine eile a bheidh forordaithe le dlí, agus go gcomhlíonfar aon choinníollacha breise a bheidh forordaithe le dlí.

Variants 1 ‘a thabhairt’ 2 ‘tionscanta’, ‘thionscnamh’

ARTICLE 41.3.3O

AIRTEAGAL 41.3.3O

TÉACS GAEILGE

I gcás pósadh duine ar bith a scaoileadh faoi dhlí shibhialta aon Stáit eile agus an pósadh sin, agus bail dlí air, a bheith ann fós faoin dlí a bheas i bhfeidhm in alt na huaire taobh istigh de dhlínse an Rialtais agus na Parlaiminte a bhunaítear leis an mBunreacht seo, ní fhéadfaidh an duine sin pósadh ar a mbeadh bail dlí a dhéanamh taobh istigh den dlínse sin an fad is beo don duine eile a bhí sa chuing phósta a scaoileadh amhlaidh. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

scaoileadh ar phósadh Note that Téarmaí Dlí simply has ‘scaoileadh, dissolution (i.e. of marriage); release’, without preposition, and translates ‘I dissolve a marriage’ as

In the case of the marriage of anybody dissolved under the civil law of any other State and that marriage, being legally valid, (and) still existing under the law which will


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be in force at the time within the jurisdiction of the Government and the Parliament which is established under this Constitution, that person cannot enter a marriage which would have legal validity within that jurisdiction while the other person who was in the bond of marriage that was thus dissolved is alive. ENGLISH TEXT

No person whose marriage has been dissolved under the civil law of any other State but is a subsisting valid marriage under the law for the time being in force within the jurisdiction of the Government and Parliament established by this Constitution shall be capable of contracting a valid marriage within that jurisdiction during the lifetime of the other party to the marriage so dissolved.

Divergences between the official texts 1

2 3

4

‘But is a subsisting valid marriage’ is expressed in the Irish text as ‘agus an pósadh sin, agus bail dlí air, a bheith ann fós’, ‘and that marriage, and it legally valid, and still existing’. ‘Shall not be capabable of’ is expressed as ‘ní fhéadfaidh’ (‘will not be able’) in the Irish text. ‘Contracting a valid marriage’ is expressed in the Irish text as ‘pósadh ar a mbeadh bail dlí a dhéanamh’, ‘entering (making) a marriage which would have legal validity’. ‘During the lifetime of the other party to the marriage’ is expressed as ‘an fad is beo don duine eile a bhí sa chuing phósta’ (‘while the other person who was in the marriage bond is alive’) in the Irish text.

Commentary a bheith ann fós Literally ‘still existing’. Looking at early Acts, ‘The Minister may … alter the boundaries of any fishery district or electoral division subsisting at the date of the order’ is translated as ‘Féadfidh an tAire … teoranta aon cheanntair no togh-roinne iascaigh a bheidh ann ar dháta an ordaithe d’atharú’ in s27(1) of the Finance Act, 1925. ‘Comprised in a subsisting licence granted under this Act’ is translated as ‘(ná) fuil i gceadúnas atá i bhfeidhm agus a deonadh fén Acht so’ in s43(2) of the Dairy Produce Act, 1924. ‘Subsisting’ is translated as ‘ar marthain’ in Téarmaí Dlí, which phrase is cited in the Acts from 1927: ‘And had no reasonable ground for suspecting that copyright subsisted in the work’ is translated as ‘agus gan aon chúis réasúnta aige chun bheith amhrusach go raibh cóipcheart ar marthain san obair’ in s161 of the Industrial and Commercial Property (Protection) Act, 1927. ‘“Subsisting marriage” shall be construed as including a voidable marriage’ is translated as ‘déanfar “pósadh atá ar marthain” a fhorléiriú mar abairt a fholaíonn pósadh in-neamhnithe’ in s46(4) of the Status of Children Act, 1987, with ‘a person whose parents are or have been married to each other but between whom there has been no subsisting marriage at any time during the period of ten months before the person’s birth’ being translated as ‘(do) dhuine a bhfuil nó a raibh a thuismitheoirí pósta ar a chéile ach nach raibh aon phósadh ar marthain eatarthu tráth ar bith le linn na tréimhse deich mí sular rugadh an duine’ in s4(a).

Bunreacht na hÉireann

In s75(1) of the Landlord and Tenant (Amendment) Act, 1980, ‘and there is a subsisting undertaking … that the house would not be sold’ is translated as ‘agus a bhfuil geallúint ar marthain … nach ndíolfaí an teach’. Finally note that ‘An alteration of the memorandum or rules shall not affect any subsisting right or obligation of a society’ is translated as ‘Ní dhéanfaidh athrú ar mheabhrán ná ar rialacha difear d’aon cheart marthanach nó oibleagáid mharthanach de chuid cumainn’ in s14(6) of the Building Societies Act, 1989. bail dlí air ‘Validity’ is given as one of the senses of ‘bail’ in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘ionas go mbeadh bail ar a fhaoistin, so that his confession might be valid’ and ‘gan bhail, invalid, void’. Dinneen translates ‘bail’ as ‘success, prosperity; form, effect, issue, condition’. DIL s.v. ‘bal’, in the sense of the efficacy of a sacrament or judgement, cites ‘bídh buil ar an bpósadh gan fhios, gan fhiadhain’ (‘a clandestine marriage is valid’) from Parrthas an Anma (Gearnon, 1645) and also cites ‘bídh a bpósadh ar bhail’ (‘valid’), from Ó Heoghusa’s An Teagasg Criosdaidhe, 1611 – see the commentary on Articles 15.4.2o and 28.3.3o. Looking at ‘valid’ in the early Acts, ‘or any valid private interest therein’ is translated as ‘no d’aon cheart dlisteanach príobháideach ’na leith’ in Article 11 of the 1922 Constitution. ‘Íocaíochta éifeachtacha íocaíochta an Cheathrú Sceidil’ translates ‘Payments in Fourth Schedule declared valid’ in the Margin Title of s19 of the Local Government (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923, with ‘Any County Court Judge may deem any document to which this section applies to have been validly served’ being translated as ‘féadfidh aon Bhreitheamh Cúirte Contae a thógaint gur seirbheáladh go dleathach aon scríbhinn le n-a mbaineann an t-alt so’ in s2(1) of the County Courts (Amendment) Act, 1923. Turning to modern Acts, with ‘valid’ being translated as ‘bailí’ in Téarmaí Dlí, ‘Where a marriage would not be regarded as valid in law’ is translated as ‘I gcás nach measfaí pósadh a bheith ina phósadh bailí faoin dlí’ in s1(7) of the Marriages Act, 1972. ‘That the father reasonably believed that the ceremony of marriage … resulted in a valid marriage’ is translated as ‘gur chreid an t-athair le réasún go raibh pósadh bailí de thoradh an tsearmanais phósta’ in s9 of the Status of Children Act, 1987. pósadh a dhéanamh This phrase is translated as ‘to marry; to officiate at a marriage ceremony’ in Ó Dónaill. DIL cites ‘co rinne [Dia] pósad er tús iter Adam 7 Eua’ (i.e. God made marriage first between Adam and Eve) from the Passions and Homilies from the Leabhar Breac, a manuscript compiled in or before 1411. ‘Such children are the children of a marriage contracted before his discharge from the forces’ is translated as ‘gur clann iad do rugadh do lanmhain a pósadh roimh an duine sin do scur as na fórsaí’ in s25(2) of the Army Pensions Act, 1932, with ‘being the child of a marriage contracted before his discharge from the forces’ being translated as ‘leanbh de phósadh a rinneadh sular urscaoileadh é as na fórsaí’ in s4(1)(e)(ii) of the Army Pensions Act, 1959. Note that ‘I contract’ is translated as ‘conraím’ in Téarmaí Dlí; ‘until the purchase monies hereinbefore contracted to be paid … shall have been paid to the Vendors’ is translated as ‘go dtí go mbeidh an t-airgead ceannuigh do connruíodh anso roimhe seo d’íoc … leis na Díoltóirí’ in s7 of the Second Schedule to the Creamery Act, 1928.


A study of the Irish text

faoi dhlí shibhialta According to the official standard there would be no lenition of the adjective here following a masculine noun in the dative singular – see the commentary on Article 45. The Margin Title of s195 of the Defence Forces (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923, ‘Adjustment of military and civil law’, is translated as ‘Ceartú idir dhlí airm agus dlí shíbhiata’. ‘That the plaintiff is in breach of the civil or criminal law’ is translated as ‘go bhfuil sárú ar an dlí sibhialta nó ar an dlí coiriúil déanta ag an ngearánaí’ in s57(1) of the Civil Liability Act, 1961. See the commentary on Article 43.2.1o regarding ‘sibhialta’. sa chuing phósta Ó Dónaill translates ‘cuing an phósta’ as ‘the marrriage yoke, wedlock’, translating ‘faoi chuing rúin’ as ‘under a bond of secrecy’ and ‘tá sé faoi chuing na cleithe acu’ as ‘he is completely in their power’, ‘cuing’ being translated as ‘yoke’. Dinneen translates ‘cuing phósta’ as ‘marriage bond’, translating ‘cuing’ as ‘a yoke; a bond, duty or obligation; entreaty; a condition …’. DIL cites ‘cuing phósda’ from the late seventeenth-century Párlaiment na mBan, citing ‘fa chuing creidimh’ from a miscellaneous collection of poetry as an example of the phrase ‘cuing chrábaid (chreitim, etc.)’, ‘religious life, observance’. Ní fhéadfaidh Regarding ‘capable of’ in the Acts, ‘no person shall be capable of being appointed as auditor of the Company without the approval of such appointment by the Minister’ is translated as ‘nach mbeidh aon duine incheaptha mar iniúchóir ar an gCuideachta gan ceadú an Aire leis an gceapachán sin’ in s10(e) of the Industrial Alcohol (Amendment) Act, 1980, with ‘every chattel mortgage shall be capable of being registered within one month …’ being translated as ‘beidh gach airnéismhorgáiste inchláraithe laistigh de mhí’ in s26(2) of the Agricultural Credit Act, 1978. ‘Provided, however, that a register kept in non-legible form shall be capable of being reproduced in legible form’ is translated as ‘ar choinníoll, áfach, gur féidir clár a choimeádfar i bhfoirm neamhinléite a atáirgeadh i bhfoirm inléite’ in s4(2) of the Companies (Amendment) Act, 1977. ‘No person appointed to be an officer … shall be capable of holding that office … until he shall have made and subscribed … a declaration’ is translated as ‘Éinne a ceapfar … chun bheith ina oifigeach … ní fhéadfa sé bheith i seilbh na hoifige sin … go dtí go ndéanfidh agus go sighneoidh sé … dearbhú’ in s11(2) of the Police Forces Amalgamation Act, 1925. ‘Capable of being applied’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as being translated as ‘is féidir do chur i mbaint’ in Iris Oifigiúil, 1925, p. 573. a scaoileadh See the commentary on the foregoing subsection. ‘If the pensioner’s wife dies or the marriage is lawfully annulled or dissolved’ is translated as ‘má gheibheann bean chéile an phinsinéara bás nó má déantar an pósadh a chur ar neamhbhrí nó a scaoileadh go dleathach’ in the First Schedule to the Army Pensions Act, 1946. ‘Being a marriage which has not been dissolved or annulled’ is translated as ‘is pósadh nach mbeidh scaoilte ná neamhnithe’ in s4(1) of the Finance Act, 1983. fad is beo ‘And may specify the period during the lifetime of the person applying for the order’ is translated as ‘agus féadfar an tréimhse, le linn beo don duine a d’iarr an

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t-ordú, a shonrú ann’ in the Table to s17(b) of the Status of Children Act, 1987. ‘For such period during the lifetime of the applicant spouse’ is translated as ‘go ceann cibé tréimhse le linn don chéile iarrthach a bheith beo’ in s5(1)(a) of the Family Law (Maintenance of Spouses and Children) Act, 1976. ‘If the valuation date occurs during the lifetime of the surviving party to the marriage’ is translated as ‘más dáta i rith saol an pháirtí mharthanaigh sa phósadh an dáta luachála’ in s5(2)(b) of the Wealth Tax Act, 1975. Finally, ‘shall be granted by way of weekly pension during the lifetime of the employee’ is translated as ‘is i bhfuirm pinsin sheachtainiúil le saol an fhostaí a deonfar é’ in s5 of the Limerick Corporation Gas Undertaking (Pensions) Act, 1929. in alt na huaire See the commentary on Articles 10.1, 12.4.2o and 46.2. ‘Under the law for the time being in force in Northern Ireland’ is translated as ‘faoin dlí a bheidh i bhfeidhm de thuras na huaire i dTuaisceart Éireann’ in s2(1) of the Foyle Fisheries (Amendment) Act, 1976. ‘By or under the law for the time being in force in relation to elections of members of councils of county boroughs’ is translated as ‘do réir no fé réim an dlí bheidh i bhfeidhm de thuras na huaire maidir le toghacháin bhall comhairlí contae-bhuirgí’ in s5(5) of the Waterford City Management Act, 1939, with ‘do réir na dlí nó fén dlí bheidh i bhfeidhm de thuras na huaire maidir le toghacháin bhall de chomhairlí contae-bhuirgí’ being found in s7(5) of the Limerick City Management Act, 1934, and ‘maidir le toghcháin do bhaill de chomhairle contae-bhuirgí’ replacing the final clause in s32(5) of the Local Government (Dublin) Act, 1930. Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú again recommends ‘in am’, ‘in alt’ or ‘le linn’ rather than ‘de thuras’ (found generally in the Acts) in the direct translation below.

Standardised Irish text I gcás pósadh duine ar bith a scaoileadh faoi dhlí sibhialta aon Stáit eile agus an pósadh sin, agus bail dlí air, a bheith ann fós faoin dlí a bheidh i bhfeidhm in alt na huaire taobh istigh de dhlínse an Rialtais agus na Parlaiminte a bhunaítear leis an mBunreacht seo, ní fhéadfaidh an duine sin pósadh ar a mbeadh bail dlí a dhéanamh taobh istigh den dlínse sin an fad is beo don duine eile a bhí sa chuing phósta a scaoileadh amhlaidh.

Direct gender-proofed translation Aon duine ar scaoileadh a phósadh nó a pósadh faoi dhlí sibhialta aon Stáit eile ach ar pósadh bailí ar marthain é faoin dlí atá i bhfeidhm de thuras1 na huaire laistigh de dhlínse an Rialtais agus na Parlaiminte a bhunaítear2 leis an mBunreacht seo ní fhéadfaidh sé nó sí pósadh bailí a dhéanamh3 laistigh den dlínse sin le linn don pháirtí eile sa phósadh a scaoileadh amhlaidh a bheith beo4.

Variants 1 2 3 4

‘in am’, ‘in alt’, ‘le linn’ ‘atá á bhunú’ ‘a chonrú’ ‘le linn beo don pháirtí eile sa phósadh a scaoileadh amhlaidh’


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ARTICLE 42.1 EDUCATION

AIRTEAGAL 42.1 OIDEACHAS

TÉACS GAEILGE

Admhaíonn an Stát gurb é an Teaghlach is múinteoir príomha dúchasach don leanbh, agus ráthaíonn gan cur isteach ar cheart doshannta ná ar dhualgas doshannta tuistí chun oideachas de réir a n-acmhainne a chur ar fáil dá gclainn i gcúrsaí creidimh, moráltachta, intleachta, coirp agus comhdhaonnachta. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

The State acknowledges that the Family is the primary connate teacher for the child, and (it) guarantees not to interfere with the inalienable right nor with the inalienable obligation of parents to provide education according to their means for their family in matters of religion, morality, intellect, body and sociality. ENGLISH TEXT

The State acknowledges that the primary and natural educator of the child is the Family and guarantees to respect the inalienable right and duty of parents to provide, according to their means, for the religious and moral, intellectual, physical and social education of their children.

Divergences between the official texts 1

2

3

4 5 6

7

‘To provide … for the religious … education of their children’ is expressed as ‘chun oideachas … a chur ar fáil dá gclainn i gcúrsaí creidimh’ (‘to provide education for their children in religious affairs’) in the Irish text. While ‘leanbh’ expresses ‘child’ in the Irish text, which term translates ‘child’ in Téarmaí Dlí, ‘children’ is expressed not by the plural ‘leanaí’ but as ‘clann’, i.e. ‘children’ seen as a collective family unit. ‘To respect’ is expressed as ‘gan cur isteach ar’ (‘not to interfere with’) in the Irish text, as in Article 40.3.1o, ‘cur isteach ar’ being translated as ‘to molest’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘Natural’ is expressed as ‘dúchasach’ (‘connate’/‘native’/ ‘hereditary’) in the Irish text. ‘Educator’ is expressed as ‘múinteoir’ (‘teacher’) in the Irish text. ‘Social’ is expressed by the genitive singular of the now infrequently used term ‘comhdhaonnacht’ in the Irish text, ‘sóisialach’ being the general legal term and ‘sóisialta’ being the general modern term in ordinary usage rendering ‘social’. There is a comma in the Irish text before the clause beginning ‘agus ráthaíonn’ (‘and guarantees’), no corresponding comma being found in the English text, and a comma in the English text alone before and after the phrase ‘according to their means’.

Commentary oideachas Dinneen’s entry under this headword is as follows: ‘advice, instruction, teaching, education (recent in this sense)’. Ó Dónaill cites ‘oideachas bunscoile,

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ollscoile, primary school, university education’ and ‘córas oideachais, educational system’. DIL translates ‘oidecht’ and ‘oides’ respectively as ‘teaching, training’ and ‘teaching, instruction’, both being based on ‘oide’, the later form of ‘aite’, translated as (a) ‘foster-father’ and (b) ‘tutor, teacher’, in DIL, this secondary sense being cited from the ninthcentury Milan Glosses on the Commentary on the Psalms, where we find ‘ar danimmart á aite’ (‘for the authority of his tutors restrained him’). ‘For the payment of a periodical sum exceeding £30 per week for the maintenance and education of a child’ is translated as ‘chun suim thréimhsiúil is mó ná £30 sa tseachtain a íoc le cothabháil agus oideachas linbh’ in s14(b) of the Courts Act, 1981, with ‘for the payment of a weekly sum exceeding £15 for the maintenance and education of a child’ being translated as ‘chun suim sheachtainiúil is mó ná £15 a íoc le haghaidh cothabháil agus oideachas linbh’ in s28(3) of the Family Law (Maintenance of Spouses and Children) Act, 1976. ‘Payments made for the education of a child to a standard higher than that provided by the deceased for any other or others of his children’ is translated as ‘íocaíochtaí a rinneadh chun oideachas a thabhairt do leanbh de chaighdeán is airde ná mar a sholáthraigh an t-éagach d’aon leanbh nó leanaí eile leis’ in s63(6) of the Succession Act, 1965. ‘Whether or not the premises are also used to provide education at any level other than secondary school level’ is translated as ‘cibé acu a úsáidtear nó nach n-úsáidtear an t-áitreabh freisin chun oideachas a chur ar fáil ar aon leibhéal seachas ar leibhéal meánscoile’ in s1 of the Local Government (Financial Provisions) Act, 1978. ‘The principles on which such committee is required by or under this Act to provide continuation education and technical education’ is translated as ‘na prinsiobail gur dá réir is gá don choiste sin, do réir an Achta so no fé, oideachas leanúna agus ceárd-oideachas do sholáthar’ in s29(3) of the Vocational Education Act, 1930. Note finally that ‘the proper working of all institutions devoted to the care and education of children’ is translated as ‘ceart-oibriú gach institiúide atá ag gabháil d’aireachasú agus teagasc leanaí’ in Article 50 of the Fourth Schedule to the Geneva Conventions Act, 1962. admhaíonn See the commentary on Article 40.3.3o and on the Preamble. ‘I acknowledge’ is translated as ‘admhaím’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘The Taoiseach … and the Prime Minister … acknowledge that the most urgent and important issue facing the people of Ireland’ is translated as ‘Admhaíonn an Taoiseach … agus an Príomh-Aire gurb í an tsaincheist is práinní agus is tábhachtaí atá os comhair mhuintir na hÉireann’ in the December 1993 Joint Declaration (p. 1). ‘In the event of its failing to acknowledge receipt of remittance’ is translated as ‘más rud é ná faghfar admháil ón gcoiste ar airgead an ticéid’ in s7(4) of the Public Charitable Hospitals (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1930. ‘When a person receives a report under this section he shall as soon as may be acknowledge the receipt thereof’ is translated as ‘I gcás ina bhfaighidh duine tuarascáil faoin alt seo tabharfaidh sé admháil, a luaithe is féidir, go bhfuair sé í’ in s254(3) of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 1981. ‘Where … the person in possession of the land acknowledges the title of the person to whom the right of action has accrued’ is translated as ‘I gcás … go n-admhóidh an duine i seilbh na talún teideal an duine chun a mbeidh


A study of the Irish text

an ceart caingin tar éis faibhriú’ in s51(1) of the Statute of Limitations, 1957. Looking at early Acts, in the Preamble to the Constitution of the Irish Free State (Saorstát Éireann) Act, 1922, ‘Dáil Éireann sitting as a Constituent Assembly in this Provisional Parliament, acknowledging that all lawful authority comes from God to the people’ is translated as ‘Dáil Éireann ’na suidhe mar Dháil Bhunaidh sa Pháirlimint Shealadach so, á admháil gur ó Dhia a thagann gach údarás dleathach chun na ndaoine’, with ‘and acknowledging it to be the duty of Saorstát Éireann to make suitable provision for his widow Mrs Maud Griffith’ being translated as ‘agus fós á admháil dóibh go bhfuil sé de dhualgas ar Shaorstát Éireann soláthar oiriúnach do dhéanamh dá bhaintrigh Meadhbh Uí Ghríobhtha’ in the Preamble to the Griffith Settlement Act, 1923. príomha See the commentary on Article 41.1.1o. ‘The primary fund’s share of that interest shall be treated as an additional asset of the primary fund’ is translated as ‘déanfar sciar an chiste phríomha den leas sin a áireamh mar shócmhainn bhreise de chuid an chiste phríomha’ in s7 of the Finance Act, 1990. ‘The primary allowance’ is translated as ‘an lamháltas príomha’ in s4(1) of the Rates on Agricultural Land (Relief) Act, 1967, and as ‘(den) liúntas phríomhdha’ in s14(1) of the Rates on Agricultural Land (Relief) (No. 2) Act, 1935. ‘For the Expenses of Primary Education’ is translated as ‘Chun Costaisí Bun-Oideachais’ in the Schedule to the Appropriation Act, 1925, with ‘a secondary, vocational or other post-primary school’ being translated as ‘meánscoil, gairmscoil nó scoil eile iarbhunoideachais’ in s29(5) of the First Schedule to the European Assembly Elections Act, 1977. a chur ar fáil This phrase expresses ‘to provide’, rather than ‘to provide for’, in the next section. ‘Regulations under this section shall provide for payment … of such amount as may be determined by the Minister’ is translated as ‘Forálfar le rialacháin faoin alt seo go dtabharfar íocaíocht … a mbeidh cibé méid inti a chinnfidh an tAire’ in s61(2) of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 1981, with ‘Beidh foráil i rialacháin faoin alt seo chun íocaíocht a thabhairt … a mbeidh cibé méid inti a chinnfidh an tAire’ being found in s31(2) of the Social Welfare (Occupational Injuries) Act, 1966. ‘In so far as they provide for payment of an amount’ is translated as ‘a mhéid a fhorálann siad go n-íocfaí méid’ in the Table to s52 of the Finance Act, 1980. Finally, ‘to provide for payment to the Vendors of the instalment falling due in that year’ is translated as ‘chun soláthar do dhéanamh chun an tráthchuid a bheidh dlite an bhliain sin d’íoc leis na Díoltóirí’ in s7 of the First Schedule to the Creamery Act, 1928. See the commentary on Article 42.4 regarding ‘The State shall provide for free primary education’ being expressed as ‘Ní foláir don Stát socrú a dhéanamh chun bunoideachas a bheith ar fáil in aisce’ and the reference to this in the courts. dúchasach This adjective is translated as ‘hereditary, ancestral; inherited, inherent; innate, instinctive; native, indigenous’ in Ó Dónaill, with ‘inheritable’ also given, following the abbreviation for ‘Jurisprudence’. Dinneen translates ‘dúthchasach’ as ‘of or belonging to one’s country; inherent, inherited’. DIL only gives one example of ‘dúthchasach’ as an adjective, from O’Donovan’s Tribes

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and Customs of Hy-Many, translating the noun ‘dúthchasach’ principally as ‘hereditary proprietor’. ‘Dúthchas’ is translated principally as ‘hereditary right, claim by descent, birthright’, being based on ‘dúthaig’, as an adjective translated as ‘belonging to by virtue of descent or hereditary’ and, as a noun, ‘hereditary land, patrimony’, in DIL – see the commentary on Article 1. Note how ‘natural rights of the child’, in Article 42.5, is expressed as ‘(do) chearta nádúrtha … an linbh’. Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú wonders if a difference of meaning was understood and accepted here, commenting on ‘nádúrtha’ in the direct translation below, and favours maintaining ‘dúchasach’ on that ground. ‘Natural child’ and ‘natural father’ are translated respectively as ‘leanbh nádúrtha’ and ‘athair nádúrtha’ in Téarmaí Dlí, while ‘natural justice’ and ‘natural law’ are respectively translated as ‘ceartas aiceanta’ and ‘dlí aiceanta’ and ‘natural watercourse’ as ‘sruthchúrsa aiceanta’, with ‘natural love and affection’ translated as ‘grá agus gean nádúrtha’. ‘Nádúrtha’ has the secondary sense of ‘good-natured, kindly’ according to Ó Dónaill, who translates ‘duine nádúrtha’ as ‘good-natured, kindly, person; easy-mannered person’. DIL cites the following example of ‘nádúrda’ in the sense of ‘native, indigenous’: ‘Míchel O Cleirigh … do bhraithribh nadúrtha Conuente Dhúin na nGall’. ‘Nádúir’ is a Romance loanword, according to DIL – see the commentary on Article 10.1, however. Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú remarks that this word was available too early to be a Romance loanword and that it would probably have the form ‘natúr’ if it was from Anglo-Norman. Both Irish ‘nádúr’ and Welsh ‘natur’ come from Latin ‘natura’, according to Alexander Macbain’s Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language. ‘“National of another Contracting State” means … any natural person who had the nationality of a Contracting State’ is translated as ‘Ciallaíonn “náisiúnach de chuid Stáit Chonarthaigh eile” … aon duine nádúrtha ag a raibh náisiúnacht de chuid Stáit Chonarthaigh’ in s2 of Article 25 of the Second Schedule to the Arbitration Act, 1980. ‘Its outstanding natural beauty’ is translated as ‘a sháráilleacht nádúrtha’ in s40(a) of the Local Government (Planning and Development) Act, 1976. Note, finally, that ‘whether he is or is not a natural-born British subject’ is translated as ‘pe’ca géilliúnach Briotáineach do réir dhúthchais é … no nách eadh’ in s2(1) of the Legitimacy Act, 1931. cur isteach ar ‘Cuirim isteach air’ is translated as ‘I molest’ in Téarmaí Dlí – see the commentary on Article 15.10. Turning to the verb ‘respect’ in the Acts, ‘all beneficiaries enjoying such privileges and immunities under this Article have a duty to respect the laws and regulations of the requesting State’ is translated as ‘beidh de dhualgas ar gach tairbhí a theachtfaidh na pribhléidí agus na díolúintí sin faoin Airteagal seo dlíthe agus rialacháin an Stáit iarrthaigh a urramú’ in s7 of Article 8 of the Second Schedule to the Radiological Protection Act, 1991. ‘It is the duty of all persons enjoying such privileges and immunities to respect the laws and regulations of the receiving State’ is translated as ‘is é dualgas na ndaoine go léir a theachtann pribhléidí agus díolúintí den sórt sin dlithe agus rialacháin an Stáit ghlacaidh a urramú’ in s1 of Article 41 of the First Schedule to the Diplomatic Relations and Immunities Act, 1967. Note finally that ‘while respecting the individual preferences of every prisoner’ is


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translated as ‘ach tabharfar aird ar rogha phearsanta gach aon phríosúnaigh’ in Article 38 of the Third Schedule to the Geneva Conventions Act, 1962. See further the commentary on Articles 40.3.1o and 44.1. Again Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú, commenting on the direct translation below, remarks that the English text has the sense of ‘not to interfere with’ and prefers ‘gan cur isteach ar’ to ‘a urramú’. He also remarks that ‘a urramú’ is too far away from the object, ‘ceart … dualgas’, and that there is a danger of reading the text as ‘le haghaidh oideachas … a urramú’.

Dinneen, who states that ‘clann’ comes from Latin ‘planta’, which word in a later borrowing produced ‘plannda’, ‘plant, scion, offspring’. DIL translates ‘clann’ as (a) ‘plant, planting; off-shoot, produce’, (b) ‘Figuratively of the growth of the hair; springing locks, tresses’ and (c) ‘children, family, offspring; a single child; descendants, race, clan’, citing examples from the Old Irish Glosses onwards of the latter sense, including ‘tuistiu claindde’ (‘the bearing of children’) from the eighth-century Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles. Note, finally, that ‘clannchuid’ is translated as ‘portion (in equity)’ in Téarmaí Dlí.

tuistí ‘Tuismitheoir’, ‘parent’, is given as a headword in the Glossary appended to An Caighdeán Oifigiúil. Ó Dónaill gives ‘tuiste’ as a variant of ‘tuismitheoir’ (‘parent’). Dinneen gives both ‘tuismightheoir’ and ‘tuistidhe’ as headwords and translates them respectively as ‘a generator, a parent’ and ‘a parent, a parent case’. DIL gives examples of ‘tuistid’ (‘parent’) from the Old Irish Glosses onwards, including ‘fo chumachte a tuistide’ (‘under their parents’ power’) from the eighth-century Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles. ‘Tuistid’ is based on ‘tuiste’, the participle of ‘do-fuissim’, translated as (a) ‘begets, generates’, (b) ‘conceives’ and (c) ‘bears, brings forth (offspring)’ in DIL, as well as ‘creates, fashions’, ‘founds, establishes’ and ‘produces, engenders (fig.), causes’. Examples of these senses are cited in DIL from the Glosses of the eighth century as well as examples of the verbal noun ‘tuistiu’, with ‘tuismed’ being the Middle and Modern Irish form of the verbal noun. The verb ‘tuismigid’ is based on ‘do-fuissim’ and on ‘tuismed’, and it is on this later form of the verb that ‘tuismightheóir’ is based, with the examples cited in DIL generally coming from seventeenth-century sources.

múinteoir This headword is translated as ‘teacher’ in Ó Dónaill and in Dinneen. The form ‘múintid’ is found in the eighth-century Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles, glossing Latin ‘eruditorem’ – this is the only example of this headword cited in DIL, where it is translated as ‘a teacher, instructor’. DIL also cites examples of the verb ‘múinid’, ‘teaches, gives instruction (in)’, from the same collection of Glosses. ‘Oideachasóir’ is translated as ‘educationalist’ in Ó Dónaill. Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú, commenting on that term translating ‘educator’ in a draft of the direct translation below, recommends the term ‘oide’, which one finds in De Bhaldraithe translating ‘educator’.

de réir a n-acmhainne ‘Ráiteas acmhainne’ is translated as ‘statement of means’ in Téarmaí Dlí. Ó Dónaill gives ‘means, resources’ as the secondary sense of ‘acmhainn’ (the primary sense being ‘capacity, endurance’), and translates ‘de réir a acmhainne’ as ‘according to his means’, Dinneen similarly translating ‘do réir a acfuinne’. DIL cites ‘do réir acmuinne in othuir’ (‘= secundum divitias patientis’), from Rosa Anglica, as an example of ‘accmaing’ in the sense of ‘abundance, wealth’, ‘accmaing’ being the verbal noun of ‘ad-cumaing’ (*ad-com-icc), ‘reaches, extends to, attains to’. In s11 of the ‘Details’ in the ‘Leitrim County Scheme’ in the Schedule to the Local Government (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923, ‘All patients must contribute towards their maintenance according to their means’ is translated as ‘Caithfidh gach othar cabhrú do réir a acfuinne chun a chimeádta suas’, with ‘or according to his means’ being translated as ‘no do reir a acfuinne’ in s21(b) of the ‘Clare County Scheme’. See the commentary on Articles 42.5 and 45.2.i where ‘means’ is expressed by ‘beart’ and ‘caoi’ respectively. dá gclainn The special dative singular form of ‘clann’, this form being cited in An Caighdeán Oifigiúil (p. 10, 8th ed., 1995) as optional, the form identical to that of the nominative singular being allowed also in the dative singular and now being in general usage rather than the special dative form. ‘Clann’ is translated principally as ‘children, offspring’ in Ó Dónaill and as ‘race, children’ in

i gcúrsaí coirp ‘To … school-related physical education activities’ is translated as ‘chuig gníomhaíochtaí corpoideachais a bhaineann leis an scoil’ in s33(2)(g) of the Finance Act, 1985. ‘Facilities for taking part in sporting and physical education activities’ is translated as ‘saoráidí le páirt a ghlacadh i ngníomhaíochtaí spóirt agus corp-oiliúna’ in s24 of the Value-Added Tax (Amendment) Act, 1978, with ‘tréineáil chuirp’ translating ‘physical training’ in s4(1) of the Vocational Education Act, 1930. ‘Éiglíocht mheabhrach nó choirp’ translates ‘mental or physical infirmity’ in s5(1)(a) of the Finance Act, 1990. ‘Physical protection of nuclear material’ is translated as ‘cosaint fhisiceach ábhair núicléach’ in s8(a) of the Radiological Protection Act, 1991, with ‘the act of erecting a physical obstacle to an entry to or means of exit from land or a vehicle’ being translated as ‘constaic nithiúil a thógáil i mbealach isteach chun talún nó isteach i bhfeithicil nó i mbealach amach ó thalamh nó as feithicil’ in s3(2)(b) of the Prohibition of Forcible Entry and Occupation Act, 1971. i gcúrsaí intleachta ‘The Detaining Power shall encourage the practice of intellectual, educational, and recreational pursuits, sports and games amongst prisoners’ is translated as ‘Spreagfaidh an Chumhacht Choinneála na príosúnaigh chun cúrsaí intleachtúla agus oideachasúla, caitheamh aimsire, spóirt agus cluichí, a ghabháil chucu’ in Article 38 of the Third Schedule to the Geneva Conventions Act, 1962. ‘Or other industrial or intellectual property rights’ is translated as ‘nó cearta maoine intleachta nó tionscail eile’ in s10(3)(g) of the National Development Corporation Act, 1986. i gcúsaí moráltachta See the commentary on Articles 29.1 and 40.6.1o. ‘The religious and moral, intellectual, physical and social welfare of the infant’ is translated as ‘leas creidimh, leas morálta, leas intleachta, leas coirp agus leas sóisialta an naín’ in s9 of the Status of Children Act,


A study of the Irish text

1987, as in s2 of the Guardianship of Infants Act, 1964 (apart from ‘sóisialta’ replacing ‘sóisialach’ of the earlier Act). i gcúrsaí creidimh ‘Power of court as to infant’s religious education’ is translated as ‘Cumhacht na cúirte maidir le hoideachas creidimh naín’ in the Margin Title of s17 of the Guardianship of Infants Act, 1964, for example. See the commentary on Article 44.2.3o. an Teaghlach See the commentary on Article 41.1.1o. Commenting on ‘Teaghlach’ in the direct translation below, Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú feels it is too ‘unfriendly’ as a word (“ró-neamh-mhuinteartha d’fhocal”) and recommends the term ‘muintir’. ráthaíonn The pronoun ‘sé’, referring to ‘Stát’, in accord with common literary usage, is not expressed. We see this feature in other Articles also. leanbh ‘Leanbh nádúrtha’ is translated as ‘natural child’ in Téarmaí Dlí, with ‘the Children’s Court’ translated as ‘an Chúirt Leanaí’. doshannta See the commentary on Article 1. comhdhaonnachta See the commentary on Article 41.1.1o.

Standardised Irish text Admhaíonn an Stát gurb é an Teaghlach is múinteoir príomha dúchasach don leanbh, agus ráthaíonn gan cur isteach ar cheart doshannta ná ar dhualgas doshannta tuismitheoirí chun oideachas de réir a n-acmhainne a chur ar fáil dá gclann i gcúrsaí creidimh, moráltachta, intleachta, coirp agus comhdhaonnachta.

Direct translation Admhaíonn an Stát gurb é an Teaghlach1 oide príomha nádúrtha an linbh2 agus ráthaíonn sé ceart dochoimhthithe agus dualgas dochoimhthithe3 na dtuismitheoirí chun socrú4 a dhéanamh, de réir a n-acmhainne, le haghaidh oideachas creidimh agus moráltachta, intleachta, coirp agus sóisialach a leanaí, a urramú.5

Variants 1 2 3 4 5

‘gurb iad an Mhuintir’ ‘is oide príomha dúchasach don leanbh’ ‘ceart agus dualgas dochoimhthithe’ ‘soláthar’ The following is Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú’s recommended translation: ‘Admhaíonn an Stát gur iad an Mhuintir / gurb é an Teaghlach is oide príomha dúchasach don leanbh agus ráthaíonn gan cur isteach ar cheart dochoimhthithe agus dualgas dochoimhthithe na dtuismitheoirí chun, de réir a n-acmhainne, oideachas creidimh agus moráltachta, intleachta, coirp agus sóisialach a chur ar fáil dá gclann.’

ARTICLE 42.2

AIRTEAGAL 42.2

TÉACS GAEILGE

Tig le tuistí an t-oideachas sin a chur ar fáil dá gclainn ag baile nó i scoileanna príobháideacha nó i scoileanna a admhaítear nó a bhunaítear ag an Stát.

Staidéar ar an téacs Gaeilge

609

LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Parents can provide that education for their family at home or in private schools or in schools which are acknowledged or which are established by the State. ENGLISH TEXT

Parents shall be free to provide this education in their homes or in private schools or in schools recognised or established by the State.

Divergences between the official texts 1 2

3 4

‘Parents shall be free to’ is expressed as ‘tig le tuistí’ (‘parents can/may’) in the Irish text. ‘To provide this education’ is expressed in the Irish text as ‘an t-oideachas sin a chur ar fáil dá gclainn’ (‘to provide this education for their family’). ‘In their homes’ is expressed as ‘ag baile’ (‘at home’) in the Irish text. ‘Recognised’ is expressed in the Irish text by the same term as expresses ‘acknowledges’ in the previous section, ‘admhaigh’.

Commentary ag baile Ó Dónaill translates ‘sa bhaile, ag baile’ as ‘at home’, also citing ‘faoi bhaile, at home, around’ and translating ‘tá sé sa bhaile’ (of deceased) as ‘he is gone to his last abode’. Dinneen translates ‘ag baile, ’san mbaile’ as ‘at home’. ‘Baile’ is translated principally as ‘place; piece of land (belonging to one family, group or individual), homestead, farmstead’ in DIL. Ó Dónaill gives ‘home’ as the principal meaning of ‘baile’, citing ‘a bhaile féin a bheith ag duine, to have one’s own home’, and gives ‘place, township’ as the secondary meaning, translating ‘an baile seo againne’ as ‘our town(land)’. Looking at ‘home’ in early Acts, ‘imported rum may … be delivered for home consumption if it has been warehoused for a period of at least three years’ is translated as ‘féadfar rum iomportálta do sheachada chun é chaitheamh sa bhaile má bhí sé i stóras ar feadh tréimhse trí mblian ar a laighead’ in s2(1) of the Immature Spirits (Restriction) Act, 1926, with ‘upon delivery for home consumption’ being translated as ‘ar a sheachada chun a ólta i Saorstát Éireann’ in s10(3) of the Finance Act, 1926. ‘They should … be given an idea of the advantages of home life as compared with life in an institution’ is translated as ‘ba cheart tuisgint do thabhairt dóibh … sna búntáistí a bhaineann le saol an teinteáin teolaí seachas mar a bhaineann le saol na fúndúireachta’ in s8 of the ‘Details’ in the ‘Leitrim County Scheme’ in the Schedule to the Local Government (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923. ‘Home Assistance’ is translated as ‘Cabhair Theinteáin’ in s2(e) of the ‘Clare County Scheme’, with ‘the County Cavan Home’ being translated as ‘Teaghlach Chontae an Chabháin’ in s1 of the ‘Cavan County Scheme’, and ‘such Home to provide accommodation for the aged and infirm homeless poor’ being translated as ‘slí do thabhairt sa Teaghlach san do sheandaoine bochta laga gan tigh gan áitreabh’ in s2 of the ‘Kerry County Scheme’. ‘The requiring of adult persons to remain in their homes or the parents of children to keep the children in their homes’ is translated as ‘Ceangal a chur ar dhaoine éatacha


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fanúint sa bhaile nó ar thuistí leanaí na leanaí a choimeád sa bhaile’ in s4 of the Second Schedule to the Health Act, 1947. In s11 of the ‘Laoighis County Scheme’ in the Schedule to the Local Government (Temporary Provision) Act, 1923, ‘Help to be given to the needy or medical attention to the sick in their homes in all possible cases’ is translated as ‘Tabharfar cúnamh do dhaoine gátaracha no aire leighis do bhreoiteacháin ina dtithe féin i ngach cás in ar féidir é’, with ‘In all possible cases help to be given to people in their homes’ being translated as ‘I ngach cás in ar féidir é, is ina n-áruis féin a thabharfar cabhair do dhaoine’ in s7 of the ‘Offaly County Scheme’.

Bunreacht na hÉireann

ina mbaile2 féin nó i scoileanna príobháideacha nó i scoileanna atá aitheanta nó bunaithe ag an Stát.

Variants 1 ‘a chur ar fáil’ 2 ‘ina mbailte’

ARTICLE 42.3.1O

AIRTEAGAL 42.3.1O

TÉACS GAEILGE

Tig le One of the phrases which expresses ‘may’ in the Constitution – see the commentary on Article 12.4.4o. As regards ‘free to’ in the Acts, ‘Carriers shall be free to agree among themselves on provisions’ is translated as ‘Beidh cead ag iompróirí aontú eatarthu féin maidir le forálacha’ in Article 40 of the Schedule to the International Carriage of Goods by Road Act, 1990. ‘The Fund shall be free to dispose of commodity stocks forfeited to it’ is translated as ‘Beidh saorchead ag an gCiste diúscairt a dhéanamh ar stoic tráchtearraí atá arna bhforghéilleadh chuige’ in s15 of Article 17 of the Schedule to the International Common Fund for Commodities Act, 1982. ‘Consular officers shall be free to communicate with nationals of the sending State’ is translated as ‘beidh saoirse ag oifigigh chonsalachta chun cumarsáid a dhéanamh le náisiúnaigh an Stáit shallchuir’ in s1(a) of Article 36 of the Second Schedule to the Diplomatic Relations and Immunities Act, 1967. Finally, ‘They shall be free to correspond, subject to censorship, on matters concerning their religious duties’ is translated as ‘Beidh cead acu comhfhreagras a dhéanamh, faoi réir cinsireachta, ar chúrsaí a bhaineann lena ndualgais reiligiúin’ in Article 35 of the Third Schedule to the Geneva Conventions Act, 1962. a admhaítear Note that ‘admhaítear’ expresses ‘acknowledges’ in the previous section – see the commentary on Article 8.2 regarding ‘glac le’ expressing ‘recognize’. ‘Persons employed as teachers in secondary schools recognised by the Minister for Education’ is translated as ‘daoine ar fostú mar mhúinteoirí i meánscoileanna atá aitheanta ag an Aire Oideachais’ in s7(1)(f) of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 1981, as in s3(1) of the Social Welfare (No. 3) Act, 1974, and s12(1)(d) of the Social Welfare Act, 1952 (with ‘meán-scoileanna’ rather than ‘meánscoileanna’). tuistí See the commentary on the previous subsection. dá gclainn See the commentary on the previous subsection. a chur ar fáil Note how this phrase expresses ‘provide for’ in the previous subsection.

Standardised Irish text Tig le tuismitheoirí an t-oideachas sin a chur ar fáil dá gclann ag baile nó i scoileanna príobháideacha nó i scoileanna a admhaítear nó a bhunaítear ag an Stát.

Direct translation Beidh cead ag tuismitheoirí an t-oideachas sin a sholáthar1

Ní cead don Stát a chur d’fhiacha ar thuistí, in aghaidh a gcoinsiasa nó a rogha dleathaí, a gclann a chur ar scoileanna a bhunaítear ag an Stát nó ar aon chineál áirithe scoile a ainmnítear ag an Stát. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

The State is not permitted to compel parents, against their conscience or their lawful choice, to send their family to schools (which are) established by the State or to any particular type of school (which is) named by the State. ENGLISH TEXT

The State shall not oblige parents in violation of their conscience and lawful preference to send their children to schools established by the State, or to any particular type of school designated by the State.

Divergences between the official texts 1

2 3

4

‘In violation of their conscience and lawful preference’ is expressed as ‘in aghaidh a gcoinsiasa nó a rogha dleathaí’ (‘against their conscience or their lawful choice’) in the Irish text. ‘Designate’ is again expressed by ‘ainmnigh’ (‘name’) in the Irish text, as it sometimes is in the Acts. ‘Shall not’ is expressed as ‘Ní cead’ (‘It is not permitted’) in the Irish text, as we have seen in many earlier Articles. A comma follows ‘established by the State’ in the English text, with no corresponding comma in the Irish text, which however puts the clause ‘in aghaidh a gcoinsiasa nó a rogha dleathaí’ (‘in violation of their conscience and lawful preference’) between commas.

Commentary a chur d’fhiacha ar ‘Fiach’ is translated as ‘debt’ in Téarmaí Dlí. Ó Dónaill gives ‘debt’ as the primary meaning of ‘fiach’, but gives ‘obligation’ as one of its secondary meanings, translating ‘chuir sé d’fhiacha orm é a dhéanamh’ as ‘he forced me to do it’. Dinneen translates ‘cuirim d’fhiachaibh ar’ as ‘I oblige, compel, insist on’. DIL cites ‘dlegtir féich dúib’ (‘debts are owed by you’) from the eighth-century Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles, s.v. ‘fíach’, translated as (a) ‘an obligation, a payment due, debt, also legal due, fine, penalty’ and (b) ‘a duty, obligation (especially in plural)’. DIL translates . the expression ‘cuirim d’fiachaib ar …’, which preserves the older meaning of ‘fiach’ as ‘obligation’, as ‘I compel … to’, citing examples of this phrase from the poetry of


A study of the Irish text

Tadhg Dall Ó hUiginn (1550-1591) onwards. Looking at ‘oblige’ in the Acts, ‘and oblige the transport undertaker to make … charges for the carriage of merchandise of the applicant’ is translated as ‘agus ceanglóidh air éilithe … d’éileamh … ar iompar marsantais de chuid an iarratasóra’ in s102(4) of the Transport Act, 1944. In s58(7) of the Defence Forces (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923, ‘The offence of using or offering any menace to or compulsion or any person tending to oblige him to receive, without his consent, any person or horse not duly billeted upon him’ is translated as ‘Aon bhagairt no fórsáil do dhéanamh ar aon duine a raghadh chun a chur fhiachaint ar an duine sin aon duine no capall do ghlaca dá ainneoin agus gur duine no capall é nár cuireadh ar billéad air go cuibhe’. in aghaidh a gcoinsiasa As regards ‘violation’ in the Acts, ‘concerning any alleged violation of the Convention’ is translated as ‘faoi aon sárú a líomhnófar a rinneadh ar an gCoinbhinsiún’ in Article 52 of the First Schedule to the Geneva Conventions Act, 1962. ‘Or otherwise in violation of the common law’ is translated as ‘nó ar shlí eile ina shárú ar an dlí coiteann’ in s98 of the Fisheries (Consolidation) Act, 1959. ‘Contrártha d’fhorála an orduithe sin’ translates ‘in violation of the provisions of such order’ in s44(3) of the Local Government (Sanitary Services) Act, 1948, with ‘má dintar aon chrann den tsórt san do ghearra anuas no do statha contrárdha don choiníoll so’ translating ‘if any such tree is cut down or uprooted in violation of this condition’ in s3(3) of the Land Act, 1927. In s6(8) of the Dublin Reconstruction (Emergency Provisions) Act, 1924, ‘with respect to any of the easements or rights, or any actual or anticipated infringement or violation of the same’ is translated as ‘i dtaobh aon cheann de sna faoisimh no na cirt, no aon bhrise isteach no sárú a dineadh no a meastar a déanfar ar an gcéanna’. Finally, in Treaties establishing the Europen Communities (1973, p. 555), ‘Pricing practices designed to secure a privileged position for certain users in violation of the principle of equal access’ is translated as ‘cleachtais phraghsála a bhfuil d’aidhm acu pribhléid a ghnóthú d’úsáidirí áirithe de shárú ar an bprionsabal comhrochtana’. a rogha dleathaí ‘Dleathach’ is translated as ‘lawful’ in Téarmaí Dlí and as ‘lawful, legal’ in Ó Dónaill – see the commentary on Articles 10.1 and 40.3.3o. ‘Rogha’ is translated as ‘option’ in Téarmaí Dlí, with ‘rogha bhreithiúnach’, ‘déanaim rogha’ and ‘faoi rogha’ translated respectively as ‘judicial discretion’, ‘I exercise discretion’ and ‘at the discretion of’. ‘Preference’, on the other hand, is translated as ‘tosaíocht’ in Téarmaí Dlí, in accordance with the eighth Irish Legal Terms Order (S.I. No. 290 of 1950, ‘Terms relating to the Law of Bankruptcy’), with ‘fraudulent preference’ translated as ‘tosaíocht chalaoiseach’ and ‘preference share’ translated as ‘scair thosaíochta’. ‘Shall not give any undue or unreasonable preference or advantage to any person’ is translated as ‘ní thabharfaidh sé aon tosaíocht ná buntáiste neamhchuí nó neamhréasúnach do dhuine ar bith’ in s100(3) of the Harbours Act, 1946. In s73 of the ‘Tirconaill County Scheme’ in the First Schedule to the Local Government (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923, ‘When boarding out children the Central Home Committee shall give preference to foster parents residing in country districts’ is translated as ‘Ag cur leanbhaí

Staidéar ar an téacs Gaeilge

611

ar altranas dóibh, déanfidh Coiste an Teaghlaigh Mheánsuidhte rogha de lucht altroma a chomhnuíonn i gceanntair thuatha’. ‘According to the next available preferences recorded thereon’ is translated as ‘do réir na gcéad roghna infheadhma eile a breacadh orra’ in s6(1) of the Third Schedule to the Electoral Act, 1923, with ‘the constituency in which he received the greatest number of first preferences’ being translated as ‘an dáilcheanntar ina bhfuair sé an uimhir is mó de chéad-roghanna’ in s55(1) of that Act. ‘Give any preference’ is translated as ‘aon bhontáiste do thabhairt’ in Article 8 of the 1922 Constitution. We find ‘tosaíocht’ in s38(5) of the Railways Act, 1924, where ‘For the purposes of determining any question of an alleged undue or unreasonable preference or advantage’ is translated as ‘Chun aon cheist do shocrú i dtaobh tosaíochta no buntáiste nea-chuibhe no mí-réasúnta adubhradh a tugadh’. Commenting on a draft of the direct translation below, where ‘in violation of their … lawful preference’ was translated as ‘in aghaidh a dtosaíochta dleathaí’, Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú remarked that ‘preference’ has two principal senses, i.e. ‘greater liking for one alternative over another’ and ‘a prior right or precedence, especially in connection with the payment of debts’. ‘Tosaíocht’ translates the second sense but it is the first sense that is involved here. Professor Ó Murchú regards ‘rogha’ as the best Irish translation of ‘preference’ in that sense. a ainmnítear ‘“Designated securities” means securities which have been designated by the Minister’ is translated as ‘ciallaíonn “urrúis ainmnithe” urrúis a bheidh ainmnithe ag an Aire’ in s139(2)(a) of the Central Bank Act, 1989. ‘All such stock shall be designated by the Board as “Dublin Bridge Stock”’ is translated as ‘“Droichead-Stoc Bhaile Átha Cliath” a bheidh mar ainm ag an mBord ar gach stoc den tsórt san’ in s18(5) of the Dublin Port and Docks (Bridges) Act, 1928. See also the commentary on Articles 6.1 and 13.8.2o where ‘designate’ is expressed respectively by ‘ceap’ and ‘ainmnigh’.

Standardised Irish text Ní cead don Stát a chur d’fhiacha ar thuismitheoirí, in aghaidh a gcoinsiasa nó a rogha dleathaí, a gclann a chur ar scoileanna a bhunaítear ag an Stát nó ar aon chineál áirithe scoile a ainmnítear ag an Stát.

Direct translation Ní cheanglóidh an Stát ar thuismitheoirí, in aghaidh a gcoinsiasa agus a rogha dleathaí, a leanaí a chur ar scoileanna a bhunaítear ag an Stát, nó ar aon chineál áirithe scoile a ainmnítear ag an Stát.

ARTICLE 42.3.2O

AIRTEAGAL 42.3.2O

TÉACS GAEILGE

Ach ós é an Stát caomhnóir leasa an phobail ní foláir dó, toisc cor an lae, é a dhéanamh éigeantach minimum áirithe oideachais a thabhairt do na leanaí i gcúrsaí moráltachta, intleachta agus comhdhaonnachta.


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LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

But since the State is the guardian of the welfare of the people it must, because of the circumstances of the day, make it compulsory to give a certain minimum education to the children in moral, intellectual and societal affairs. ENGLISH TEXT

The State shall, however, as guardian of the common good, require in view of actual conditions that the children receive a certain minimum education, moral, intellectual and social.

Divergences between the official texts 1

2

3

4

5

6

The Irish text commences with a qualifying clause, expressing ‘however’ as ‘Ach’, ‘But’, as we have seen in other Articles, and ‘as guardian of the common good’ as ‘ós é an Stát caomhnóir leasa an phobail’, ‘since the State is guardian of the common good’. ‘The State shall … require’ is expressed in the Irish text as ‘ní foláir dó … é a dhéanamh éigeantach’, ‘it (the State) must make it compulsory’. ‘That the children receive a certain minimum education’ is expressed as ‘minimum áirithe oideachais a thabhairt do na leanaí’ (‘that a certain minimum education be given to the children’) in the Irish text. ‘A certain minimum education, moral, intellectual and social’ is expressed as ‘minimum áirithe oideachais … i gcúrsaí moráltachta, intleachta agus comhdhaonnachta’ (‘a certain minimum education in moral, intellectual and social matters’) in the Irish text. ‘In view of actual circumstances’ is expressed as ‘toisc cor an lae’ (‘because of the circumstances of the day’) in the Irish text. As we have seen in other Articles, ‘the common good’ is expressed as ‘leas an phobail’ in the Irish text, ‘the common good’ being translated as ‘an mhaitheas phoiblí’ in Téarmaí Dlí; ‘social’ is expressed by the now infrequent term ‘comhdhaonnach’, ‘sóisialach’ and ‘sóisialta’ being much more familiar today, and ‘shall’ is expressed as ‘ní foláir’ (‘must’).

Commentary caomhnóir This headword is translated as ‘guardian’ in Téarmaí Dlí, where ‘caomhnóir ar an bpearsa’ and ‘caomhnóir ar an eastát’ are translated respectively as ‘guardian of the person’ and ‘guardian of the estate’. Ó Dónaill translates ‘caomhnóir’ as ‘guardian, protector; patron’ and Dinneen translates ‘caomhnuightheoir’ as ‘a protector, a patron, a cherisher’. This form does not appear to be given as a headword in DIL, but goes back to the verb ‘cáemnaid’, which itself is based on ‘cáemna’, translated principally as ‘act of protecting, keeping’ in DIL – see the commentary on Article 28.3.3 o regarding the verb ‘caomhnaigh’, ‘preserve’. Note that ‘caomhnaidhe’ is the form in the original text, ‘caomhnóir’ being given as the standard form of the secondary sense of ‘caomhnaí’ in Ó Dónaill, ‘companion’ being given as the primary sense. Dinneen translates ‘caomhnaidhe’ as ‘a companion, an attendant, a friend, a protector’. In the original Article 44.1.2 o, prior to the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution Act, 1972, ‘The State

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recognises the special position of the Holy Catholic Apostolic and Roman Church as the guardian of the Faith possessed by the great majority of the citizens’ is expressed as ‘Admhuigheann an Stát an chéim fá leith atá ag an Naomh-Eaglais Chatoiliceach Aspalda Rómhánach ós í is caomhnaidhe don Chreideamh atá ag árd-urmhór na saoránach’. ‘The State, as guardian of the common good, should supply the place of the parents’ is translated as ‘gur cóir don Stát, ós é caomhnóir leas an phobail é, ionad na dtuismitheoirí a líonadh’ in s3(1)(D) of the Adoption Act, 1988, which section relates to Article 42.5 of the Constitution. ‘A parent or guardian of that person’ is translated as ‘tuismitheoir nó caomhnóir an duine sin’ in s15(2)(a) of the Health (Mental Services) Act, 1981. Looking at early Acts, in s4(1) of the Griffith Settlement Act, 1923, ‘the guardian of the said Ita Griffith’ is translated as ‘caomhnóir Ide Ní Ghríobhtha roimh-ráite’. ‘A County Scheme may provide for the abolition of any Board of Guardians’ is translated as ‘Féadfaidh Scéim Chontae a fhoráil go gcuirfear deire le haon Bhórd um Chaomhna na mBocht’ in s7(1) of the Local Government (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923, with ‘When the Board of Guardians of any Union is abolished by any County Scheme’ being translated as ‘Nuair a dhéanfidh aon Scéim Chontae deire do chur le Bórd Caomhnóirí aon Aontais’ in s9. caomhnóir leasa an phobail According to the official standard, ‘leas’ would remain in the nominative case here, followed as it is by a noun preceded by the article, i.e. ‘caomhnóir leas an phobail’ – see the commentary on Article 1. As regards ‘leas an phobail’ expressing ‘the common good’, see the commentary on Article 6.1. ‘Where the Bank considers it necessary for the common good’ is translated as ‘i gcás inar dóigh leis an mBanc gur gá é ar mhaithe le leas an phobail’ in s44(2)(d) of the Building Societies Act, 1989. ‘That … the common good requires that the working of any particular deposit of minerals should be controlled by the State’ is translated as ‘gur gá, mar mhaithe leis an bpobal, oibriú an fhoslaigh áirithe mianraí do bheith fé urláimh an Stáit’ in s18(a) of the Minerals Exploration and Development Company Act, 1941. See further the commentary on Article 45.2.ii. Commenting on a draft of the direct translation below, where ‘as guardian of the common good’ was translated as ‘mar chaomhnóir na maitheasa poiblí’, Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú remarked that he felt this contravened some specific rule where the construction 1Noun + Article + 2 Noun (in the genetive) cannot be joined to ‘mar’, as an indefinite noun or categorical noun should follow ‘mar’ in that sense and 1Noun is a specific noun above. As regards the emended direct translation below, see the citations from Téarmaí Dlí above where ‘ar’ follows ‘caomhnóir’. toisc cor an lae The genitive case follows ‘toisc’, it being a noun; however, according to the official standard, while ‘cor’, being followed by a noun preceeded by the article, would remain in the nominative case, it would be lenited – see the commentary on Article 1. The form here can be read as the genitive plural (see ‘leasa’ above in ‘caomhnóir leasa an phobail’, as genitive singular, and ‘conditions’ in the English text) rather than nominative singular. ‘Toisc, de thoisc’ is translated as ‘because, on account of’ in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘toisc na cainte go léir, because


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of all the talk’. In earlier Irish literature ‘toisc’ had the sense of ‘expedition, journey; quest, errand; business, purpose’, according to Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘d’imigh gach neach díobh lena thoisc féin, each of them went about his own business’ and ‘toisc lae go n-oíche, a journey of a day and a night’. Ó Dónaill also gives the secondary sense of ‘state, circumstance’, citing ‘tosca an cháis, the circumstances of the case’, this also being one of the secondary senses of ‘cor’ – Ó Dónaill s.v. ‘cor’, cites ‘is ionann cor dúinn, our circumstances are alike’ and ‘cora (crua) an tsaoil, the vicissitudes of life’, for example. The principal sense of ‘cor’ in Ó Dónaill is ‘turn’ – we see the link between this sense and the secondary sense above very graphically in phrases such as ‘is iomaí cor a chuir an saol de ó shin, time have changed very much since then’ and ‘tháinig sé de chor sa saol go …, it came to pass that …’. Dinneen translates ‘cor’ as ‘a throw, a cast; … a plait, a twist or coil (as of a rope); … a turn, a move, a stir, a start, a leap; … a tune, bar of a tune; vicissitude, circumstance, plight’. ‘Toisc’ is translated by Dinneen as ‘report or tidings, intention, object or purpose, will or desire; amount done at a time, what can be carried at a time; a proceeding, circumstance or affair, work, business; a journey or expedition’, translating ‘de thoisc’ / ‘toisc’ as ‘on account or on the score of’, and citing ‘is ait é toisc an tsaoghail, the world’s way is strange’. Three of the examples of ‘do thoisc’ (‘on account of’) cited in DIL come from works of the seventeenth-century writer, Geoffrey Keating (Seathrún Céitinn). DIL translates ‘toisc’ as follows: (a) ‘need, necessity’ (citing the following from the eighthcentury Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles: ‘co nderna cech ball anas toisc dialoiliu’ [‘so that every member may do what the other desires’]), (b) ‘wish, desire’, (c) ‘(in phrase) óin-toisc, d’óen-toisc ‘purposely’, (d) ‘quest, errand, business’, (e) ‘military expedition’, (f) ‘journey’, (g) ‘occurrence, occasion’, (h) ‘condition, state’. ‘Cor’ is the verbal noun of ‘fo-ceird’, this verb being translated principally as ‘sets, puts, places’ in DIL, citing ‘fuchertat a laim íarna cúl’ (‘who put their hand behind their back’) from the ninth-century Milan Glosses on the Commentary on the Psalms. ‘Cur’ is also a later form of ‘cor’, which is translated principally as ‘act of putting, placing; setting up’ in DIL, with ‘act of throwing, casting’, ‘twist’, ‘tune, melody’ and ‘contract’ included among its many senses, as well as ‘state, condition, plight’, citing ‘dia do chor’ (‘awful calamity’) from the fifteenth-century poet, Pilib Bocht Ó hUiginn, as the first of only a few late examples of this sense. Note incidentally that, according to DIL, the adverbial phrase ‘car(a) in cháemlaí(-laithi)’, ‘all day long, the livelong day’, was very frequent in the later language, the form ‘cor’ itself seldom being used in this phrase. Turning to ‘in view of’ in the Acts, ‘in view of current economic conditions’ is translated as ‘ag féachaint do na dálaí eacnamaíochta faoi láthair’ in the Preamble to the Schedule to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (Financial Support Fund) (Agreement) Act, 1976. ‘In view of the wants and circumstances of the persons’ is translated as ‘mar gheall ar ghátar agus ar staid na ndaoine’ in s42(1) of the Land Act, 1927. Note that ‘toisc go bhfuiltear chun atharuithe do dhéanamh’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as translating ‘in view of the forthcoming changes’ in Iris an Phuist, 25/1/28. Regarding ‘condition’ in early Acts, ‘a report as to the

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state of repair and general condition of the drainage works’ is translated as ‘tuarasgabháil ar staid deisiúcháin agus ar chor ghenerálta na n-oibreacha dréineála’ in s26 of the Arterial Drainage Act, 1925, with ‘any matter affecting the general economic and other activities and conditions in Saorstát Éireann’ being translated as ‘éinní a bhaineann le gníomhaíochtaí agus cor an tsaoil go generálta i gcúrsaí economaíochta agus eile i Saorstát Éireann’ in s2 of the Statistics Act, 1926. ‘The cost, efficiency, conditions of labour, and rates of wages in Saorstát Éireann in the industry’ is translated as ‘An costas, an éifeachtúlacht, staid an lucht oibre agus na rátaí páigh i Saorstát Éireann sa cheárdas’ in s2 of the Schedule to the Tariff Commission Act, 1926. ‘The price of the premises in the condition in which they were immediately before the injury or destruction’ is translated as ‘(ar) an bpraghas do bheadh ar an árus agus é sa riocht ina raibh sé díreach sarar dineadh an díobháil no an mille’ in s10(4) of the Damage to Property (Compensation) Act, 1923, with ‘In every case in which a full re-instatement condition is attached to the decree’ being translated as ‘I ngach cás ina gcuirfar coiníoll lán-ath-shuidhimh leis an aithne’ in the opening clause of that subsection. ‘Condition’ is translated as ‘coinníoll’ in Téarmaí Dlí, where ‘bond with special conditions’ and ‘express condition’ are translated respectively as ‘banna faoi choinníollacha speisialta’ and ‘coinníoll sainráite’; ‘affidavit of plight and condition’, however, is translated as ‘mionnscríbhinn staide agus riochta’. Regarding ‘actual’, ‘actual delivery’ is translated as ‘seachadadh iarbhír’ in Téarmaí Dli, with ‘actual bodily harm’ translated simply as ‘díobháil choirp’. Ó Dónaill gives ‘iarbhír’, ‘genitive singular as attributative adjective’, as a headword, translated as ‘actual’, followed by the abbreviation for Jurisprudence, and citing ‘mailís, caillteanas, iarbhír, actual malice, loss’. See the commentary on Articles 16.6 and 28.3.2o. minimum ‘Íosta’ is translated as ‘minimum’ in the Glossary accompanying An Caighdeán Oifigiúil, that adjective being translated as ‘minimum, minimal’ in Ó Dónaill. This word does not appear to be given as a headword either in Dinneen or in DIL. Looking at ‘minimum’ in the early Acts, ‘the amount or the maximum or minimum limit of such grant’ is translated as ‘méid no teora méide no luighid an deontais’ in s9 of the Adaptation of Enactments Act, 1922. ‘Rátaí is lú’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as translating ‘minimum rates’ in Iris Oifigiúil, 1922/23, with ‘táille le beith fé’ translating ‘minimum fee of’. ‘If after the commencement of the trial the President dies … and the Court is not reduced below the legal minimum’ is translated as ‘Más rud é, tar éis tosach na trialach go bhfaighidh an tUachtarán bás … agus ná beidh líon na Cúirte fé bhun an mhinimum dhleathaigh’ in s105(2) of the Defence Forces (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923. ‘Prohibition of export of carcasses within certain minimum limits of weight’ is translated as ‘Toirmeasc ar chonablaigh d’easportáil laistigh de theoranta áirithe minimum meáchainte’ in the Margin Title of s41 of the Agricultural Produce (Fresh Meat) Act, 1930. ‘If a court-martial after the commencement of the trial is, by death or otherwise, reduced below the legal minimum, it shall be dissolved’ is translated as ‘Má tharlaíonn, tar éis tosnú na triala, go dtitfidh líon comhaltaí armchúirte, de dheasca báis nó eile, faoi bhun an íoslín


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dlíthiúil, díscaoilfear an armchúirt’ in s193(1) of the Defence Act, 1954. ‘The Council shall ensure that the requirement relating to education and training in specialised medicine in the State shall satisfy the minimum standards specified in the Directive’ is translated as ‘Cinnteoidh an Chomhairle go mbeidh na ceanglais i ndáil le hoideachas agus oiliúint sa sainleigheas sa Stát de réir na gcaighdeán íosta a bheidh sonraithe in aon Treoir’ in s36(2) of the Medical Practitioners Act, 1978.

Bunreacht na hÉireann

to private and corporate educational initiative, and, when the public good requires it, provide other educational facilities or institutions with due regard, however, for the rights of parents, especially in the matter of religious and moral formation.

Divergences between the official texts 1

o

éigeantach See the commentary on Article 41.1.2 where this adjective expresses ‘indispensable’. See the commentary on Articles 13.3.1o and 13.5.2o regarding ‘require’.

2

comhdhaonnachta See the commentary on Article 41.1.1o.

Standardised Irish text Ach ós é an Stát caomhnóir leas an phobail ní foláir dó, toisc chor1 an lae, é a dhéanamh éigeantach minimum áirithe oideachais a thabhairt do na leanaí i gcúrsaí moráltachta, intleachta agus comhdhaonnachta.

3 4

5

Variant

6

1 ‘chora’

Direct translation Déanfaidh an Stát, áfach, mar chaomhnóir ar an maitheas phoiblí1, ag féachaint do choinníollacha iarbhír, a cheangal go bhfaighidh na leanaí oideachas íosta áirithe morálta, intleachtach agus sóisialach2. 7

Variants 1 ‘ós é caomhnóir na maitheasa poiblí é’ 2 ‘sóisialta’, ‘oideachas morálta, intleachtach agus sóisialach íosta áirithe’

8

ARTICLE 42.4

AIRTEAGAL 42.4

TÉACS GAEILGE

Ní foláir don Stát socrú a dhéanamh chun bunoideachas a bheith ar fáil in aisce, agus iarracht a dhéanamh chun cabhrú go réasúnta agus chun cur le tionscnamh oideachais idir phríobháideach agus chumannta agus, nuair is riachtanas chun leasa an phobail é, áiseanna nó fundúireachtaí eile oideachais a chur ar fáil, ag féachaint go cuí, áfach, do chearta tuistí, go mór mór maidir le múnlú na haigne i gcúrsaí creidimh is moráltachta. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

The State must make provision for primary education to be available free, and make an effort to help reasonably and to augment (any) educational initiative both private and communal and, when it is a requirement for the welfare of the people, to provide other educational facilities or foundations, having due regard, however, for the rights of parents, especially as regards the formation of the mind in religious and moral affairs. ENGLISH TEXT

The State shall provide for free primary education and shall endeavour to supplement and give reasonable aid

‘Corporate’ is expressed in the Irish text by ‘cumannta’, ‘communal’. ‘In the matter of religious and moral formation’ is expressed as ‘maidir le múnlú na haigne i gcúrsaí creidimh is moráltachta’ (‘as regards the formation of the mind in religious and moral affairs’) in the Irish text. ‘Endeavour’ is expressed in the Irish text as ‘iarracht a dhéanamh’, ‘make an effort’. ‘To supplement and give reasonable aid to’ is expressed as ‘cabhrú go réasúnta agus … cur le’ (‘to help reasonably and to add to / augment’) in the Irish text. ‘Institutions’ is expressed as ‘fundúireachtaí’, ‘foundations’, in the Irish text. ‘Provide for free primary education’ is expressed as ‘socrú a dhéanamh chun bunoideachas a bheith ar fáil in aisce’ (‘to make provision for primary education to be available free’) in the Irish text, followed by a comma which has no corresponding comma in the English text; the English text has a comma after ‘initiative’, further on, with no corresponding comma in the Irish text. ‘When the public good requires it’ is expressed as ‘nuair is riachtanas chun leasa an phobail é’ (‘when it is a necessity for the welfare of the people’), ‘the public good’ being translated as ‘an mhaitheas phoiblí’ in Téarmaí Dlí. Again ‘Ní foláir’ (‘must’) expresses ‘shall’ in the English text.

J.M. Kelly, op. cit., p. 208f., reports as follows on reference made to this Article in the courts: In Crowley v Ireland ([1980] IR 102) Kenny J, speaking for the Supreme Court majority, pointed out that the Irish version “ní foláir don Stát socrú do dhéanamh chun bunoideachas do bheith ar fáil in aisce” brought out more clearly than the English the distinction between the duty to “provide for” free primary education, and a duty (alleged by the plaintiffs) actually to “provide” it.

Note that Article 10 of the 1922 Constitution commences as follows: All citizens of the Irish Free State (Saorstát Éireann) have the right to free elementary education. Tá de cheart ag gach saoránach de Shaorstát Éireann bun-oideachas d’fháil in aisce.

Commentary chumannta ‘Cumann’ is translated as ‘society’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘Cumannta’ is not given as a headword in Ó Dónaill, where ‘cumannaí’ is translated as ‘communist’ (with the variant form ‘cumannach’ also cited) and ‘cumannaíoch’ is translated as ‘communistic’. ‘Cumannta’ is translated as


A study of the Irish text

‘common’ in Dinneen, followed by the abbreviation for Rathlin Island, off the coast of Antrim. ‘Cumann’ comes from Latin ‘commentum’ and is translated as ‘alliance, pact, union, friendship; company, band; later love, affection’ in DIL. Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú remarks that the wordformation here was probably devised ad hoc by the Irish drafters to express a meaning ‘syndical’, ‘corporate’. Professor Ó Murchú recommends ‘corpráideach’ rather than ‘corpraithe’ in the direct translation below, in that what seems to have been in mind here at the time was a group, the orders, etc. ‘Corporate body’ is translated as ‘comhlacht corpraithe’ in Téarmaí Dlí, ‘cuideachta chorpraithe’, however, being translated as ‘incorporated company’. ‘Cuntasóir corpraithe’ is translated as ‘incorporated accountant’, as it is in Ó Dónaill, who gives ‘corparáideach’, translated as (‘corparate’), as a headword. ‘Relief for Investment in Corporate Trades’ is translated as ‘Faoiseamh i leith Infheistíocht i dTrádálacha Corpraithe’ in the Margin Title of s10 of the Finance Act, 1990, with ‘in respect of certain transactions between bodies corporate’ being translated as ‘i gcás idirbhearta áirithe idir chomhlachtaí corpraithe’ in the Margin Title of s116. In s1(2) of the Interpretation Act, 1923, ‘the word “person” shall, unless the contrary intention appears, include a body corporate’ is translated as ‘folóidh an focal “duine”, cólucht corpruithe mara mbeidh a mhalairt i dtuisgint’. cur le Ó Dónaill gives ‘add to’ and ‘support’ as secondary senses of ‘cuir le’, citing respectively ‘cur le ciste, le scéal, le clú duine, to add to a fund, to a story, to someone’s reputation’ and ‘cur le chéile, to give mutual support’. Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú adds ‘augment’ to Ó Dónaill ’s translations. Dinneen includes ‘I add to, … prop up, cooperate with’ among the senses of ‘cuirim le’. DIL cites ‘ós liom chuirfeas’ (‘since he will take my part’), from the works of the seventeenth-century poet, Dáibhí Ó Bruadair, as an example of ‘cuirid’ with the proposition ‘la’. ‘Cur le’ translated ‘supplement’ in translations for the Department of Local Government and Public Health, 1925, with ‘fóirlíona’ being cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as translating ‘supplement’ in ‘Dáil Div. 24/215’ – see the commentary on Article 45.3.1o. ‘Supplemental’ is translated as ‘forlíontach’ in Téarmaí Dlí, where ‘supplemental deed’ is translated as ‘gníomhas forlíontach’. Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú recommends ‘neartú ar’ rather than ‘a fhorlíonadh’ in the direct translation below. tionscnamh ‘Tionscnamh imeachtaí’ and ‘toghairm thionscnaimh’ are translated respectively as ‘institution of proceedings’ and ‘originating summons’ in Téarmaí Dlí, where ‘ar thionscnamh’ is translated as ‘at the instance of’. ‘Tionscnamh’ is translated as ‘beginning, origin; introduction, initiation; institution, establishment’ in Ó Dónaill and ‘tionnscnamh’ is translated as ‘act of beginning, initiation, planning; inception, a design or project, an arrangement or device, a preface’ in Dinneen, who cites ‘thug i dtionnscnamh mná é, who left it to a woman’s devices’. ‘Tinnscna(m)’ is the Middle Irish verbal noun of ‘do-innscanna’, and is translated as (a) ‘act of beginning’ and (b) ‘act of devising; design, project’ in DIL, where the earlier verbal noun, ‘tinnscetal’, is translated as (a) ‘act of beginning’ and (b) ‘undertaking, task, attempt’. See the

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commentary on Article 45.3.1o for citations from the Acts. Note that ‘tionscnamh’ expresses ‘institution’ in Article 41.3.2o. Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú remarks that as ‘initiative’ in ‘to supplement educational initiative’ is not qualified by any kind of article, the syntax of the English clearly shows that ‘initiative’ here has an abstract meaning, i.e. ‘the power or opportunity to act or take charge before others do’. Irish ‘tionscnamh’ does not translate this. Commenting on a draft translation of ‘to supplement … private and corporate educational initiative’ as ‘tionscnamh oideachais príobháideach agus corpraithe a fhorlíonadh’, Professor Ó Murchú remarks that in this context, according to the Irish syntax, ‘tionscnamh’ would mean ‘some single initiative’ (“tionscnamh amháin éigin”). Máirtín Ó Murchú comments that it is unlikely that the State wanted to promise support in the case of every initiative, and promising support to some single initiative would make no sense. Professor Ó Murchú therefore recommends an abstract noun such as ‘tionscantacht’ (which is unattested in dictionaries). áiseanna ‘Áis sealadach’ is translated as ‘temporary convenience’ in Téarmaí Dlí, where ‘ligean mar áis sealadach’ is translated as ‘letting for temporary convenience’. ‘Áis’ is translated as (1) ‘convenience’ and (2)(a) ‘device’ in Ó Dónaill, with ‘áiseanna amhairc’ (‘visual aids’) and ‘áiseanna cócaireachta’ (‘cooking facilities’) being cited as examples of the third sense. Dinneen gives two headwords ‘áis’, the first being translated as ‘will, consent; ease’, citing ‘ar t-áis, at your ease’, and the second being translated as ‘dependence, reliance’, citing ‘is air atá m’áis, it is on him I rely’. ‘Áis’ is translated as ‘free-will, consent’ in DIL – this giving Modern Irish ‘ais’ – with ‘ceni thaisid ar ois daregaid ar ecin’ (‘unless ye go thus willingly, ye shall come perforce’) being cited from the ninth-century Milan Glosses on the Commentary on the Psalms. See further the commentary on Article 44.2.6o, where ‘áis’ expresses ‘utility’. See the commentary on Article 15.15 regarding ‘facility’, expressed as ‘saoráid’ in that Article. ‘The Society may … provide educational facilities’ is translated as ‘Féadfaidh an Cumann … saoráidí oideachais a sholáthar’ in s40(1) of the Solicitors Act, 1954, with ‘the provision or improvement of cultural or educational facilities’ being translated as ‘saoráidí saíochta nó oideachais a chur ar fáil nó d’fheabhsú’ in s8(3)(a)(ii) of the Seanad Electoral (Panel Members) Act, 1947. ‘“Relevant facilities”, in relation to an undertaking, means … the marketing in the State of the units of the undertaking’ is translated as ‘ciallaíonn “saoráidí iomchuí”, i ndáil le gnóthas … aonaid an ghnóthais a mhargú sa Stát’ in s109(1) of the Finance Act, 1990. Looking at early translations, in Article 23 of the 1922 Constitution, ‘provide them with free travelling facilities’ is translated as ‘saor-thaisteal do sholáthar dóibh’, with the Margin Title of s46 of the Land Act, 1923, ‘Facilities for exchange of holdings’, being translated as ‘Saoráidí chun gabháltaisí do mhalairtiú’. ‘Shall be given facilities by the Home Committee to apply for National Benefit’ is translated as ‘tabharfidh Coiste an Teaghlaigh caoi dhóibh ar Thairbhe Náisiúnta d’iarraidh’ in s31 of the ‘Tirconaill County Scheme’ in the Schedule to the Local Government (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923, with ‘in such a manner


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as to give to all electors in the county … such reasonable facilities for voting as are practicable in the circumstances’ being translated as ‘ar chuma a thabharfaidh do gach toghthóir sa chontae … pé cothrom réasúnta chun vótála is féidir a thabhairt sa chás’ in s42(1) of the Electoral Act, 1923. ‘Socúlacht’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as translating ‘facility’ in Iris an Phuist, 1923, p. 246. Note, finally, that ‘The making by Radio Telefís Éireann by means of its own facilities of a cinematograph film’ is translated as ‘Radio Telefís Éireann do dhéanamh scannáin chineamatagrafaigh lena áiseanna féin’ in s3(3) of the Performers’ Protection Act, 1968. fundúireachtaí Note that ‘fondúireachta’ is the form in the original text. ‘Fondúireacht’ is translated as ‘(of institution) foundation’ in Ó Dónaill, ‘fondúir’ being given as a headword which is translated as ‘founder (of community, of insitution)’, the variant ‘fondaire’ being cited. Dinneen translates ‘fonduire’ as ‘a freeholder’, giving Coney’s Irish-English Dictionary (1849) as the source, but follows this by ‘cf. perhaps founder’. ‘Fundúir’ comes from Old-French ‘fondeor’, according to DIL, where examples are cited from the later Annals in particular. ‘Fondúire’ is given as a separate headword in DIL, where it is translated as ‘an orignal owner, a freeholder’. See further the commentary on Article 44.2.5o and see the commentary on Article 18.4.2o regarding ‘institution’, expressed as ‘foras’ there, with ‘ord’ expressing ‘institution’ (of marriage) in Article 41.3.1o. go mór mór This phrase is translated as ‘especially’ in Ó Dónaill and as ‘especially, much more’ in Dinneen. DIL cites the following example of the comparative form of this adverb from the Passions and Homilies from the Leabhar Breac (a manuscript compiled in 1411 or earlier): ‘cid mor dliges cech sollamain a herdach … is in mormo dliges in sollamain-si’ (‘though all feasts fully deserve their celebration, much more does this festival’). múnlú na haigne Ó Dónaill translates ‘múnlú aigne’ as ‘formation of mind’, translating ‘múnlú’ in general as ‘moulding, casting, shaping’. Dinneen translates ‘múnláil’ as ‘act of moulding, as a candle, etc.’, citing ‘as an múnla, well-formed (of a person or thing)’ s.v. ‘múnla’ (‘a mould’). ‘Formation, registration and incorporation’ is translated as ‘Foirmiú, clárú agus corprú’ in the Margin Title of s10 of the Building Societies Act, 1989. ‘Have regard to the need for the formation of public awareness and understanding of the values and traditions of countries other than the State’ is translated as ‘beidh aird aige ar a riachtanaí atá sé an pobal a dhéanamh eolach tuisceanach ar fhiúchais agus ar thraidisiún tíortha seachas an Stát’ in s13 of the Broadcasting Authority (Amendment) Act, 1976. iarracht a dhéanamh ‘Iarracht ar ghinmhilleadh a thabhairt chun críche’ is translated as ‘attempt to procure an abortion’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘Iarracht a dhéanamh’ is translated as ‘to make an effort’ in Ó Dónaill. ‘An attempt or effort’ is given as one of the senses of ‘iarracht’ in Dinneen. The earliest examples of ‘íarracht’ (translated as ‘an attempt, an attempt to reach’) cited in DIL come from Keating’s seventeenth-century poetry. We have seen earlier how ‘iarracht do thabhairt’ translates ‘endeavour’ in early

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translations for the Department of Justice. Note, incidentally, that ‘the offence of not using his utmost endeavours to prevent any mutiny’ is translated as ‘gan a chruadhícheall do dhéanamh chun aon chúlmhutaireacht … do chosc’ in s36(b) of the Defence Forces (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923. ‘The Controller shall endeavour to secure that the relevant plant variety is maintained in quality’ is translated as ‘féachfaidh an Rialaitheoir lena áirithiú go ndéanfar an cineál planda iomchuí a chothabháil ó thaobh cáilíochta’ in s8(4) of the Plant Varieties (Proprietary Rights) Act, 1980, with ‘agus féachfaidh sí le cabhrú leis na haidhmeanna sin a chur i gcrích’ translating ‘and shall endeavour to promote the attainment of those aims’ in s3(4) of the National Council for Educational Awards Act, 1979. In s27(1) of the Apprenticeship Act, 1931, ‘and shall endeavour to effect a settlement of any dispute so investigated’ is translated as ‘agus féachfaidh le haon aighneas go ndéanfar fiosrúchán ina thaobh amhlaidh do shocrú’, with ‘féachfaidh an Chúirt leis an díospóid a shocrú trí oifigeach caidrimh thionscail’ translating ‘it [the Court] shall endeavour to settle the dispute through an industrial relations officer of the Court’ in s19(2) of the Employment Equality Act, 1977. See further the commentary on Article 40.6.1oi where ‘endeavour’ is expressed by ‘féach le’. bunoideachas This headword is translated simply as ‘primary education’ in Ó Dónaill. This compound is not found as a headword in Dinneen, ‘oideachas’ in the sense of ‘education’ itself being cited as ‘recent’ there. ‘Primary education’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as being translated as ‘bun-oideachas’ on the Dáil Order Paper, 1926, p. 104, with ‘bunscoil’ translating ‘primary school’ in translations for the Department of Education. socrú a dhéanamh See the commentary on Articles 8.3 and 15.2.2o. ‘The rules of a building society shall provide for the following’ is translated as ‘Déanfar foráil i rialacha cumainn foirgníochta maidir leis na nithe seo a leanas’ in s5 of the Second Schedule to the Building Societies Act, 1989. In s61(2) of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 1981, ‘Regulations under this section shall provide for payment to any person attending for medical examination … of such amount as may be determined by the Minister’ is translated as ‘Forálfar le rialacháin faoin alt seo go dtabharfar íocaíocht d’aon duine a thiocfaidh i láthair le haghaidh scrúdú dochtúra … a mbeidh cibé méid inti a chinnfidh an tAire’, with ‘Beidh foráil i rialacháin faoin alt seo chun íocaíocht a thabhairt d’aon duine a thiocfaidh i láthair le haghaidh scrúdú …’ being found in s31(2) of the Social Welfare (Occupational Injuries) Act, 1966. Finally, in s1(3) of the Land Act, 1923, ‘such regulations shall provide for the immediate redemption of Bonds’ is translated as ‘socrófar leis na rialacháin sin i dtaobh fuascailt do dhéanamh láithreach ar Bhannaí’. maidir le See the commentary on Articles 15.15, 29.4.1o and 40.3.3o regarding ‘maidir le’, expressing ‘in connection with’ and ‘relating to’ in the initial and final Article respectively. As regards ‘in the matter of’ in the Acts, ‘Representatives and their substitutes shall, in the matter of customs and exchange control, be accorded …’ is translated as ‘Tabharfar d’ionadaithe agus dá n-ionadaigh,


A study of the Irish text

maidir le rialú custam agus iomlaoide’ in Article 13 of the Fifth Schedule to the Diplomatic Relations and Immunities Act, 1967. ‘And for prescribing the liability of the owner or consignor or consignee of any such animals … in the matter of the expenses connected with the seizure, detention or disposal thereof’ is translated as ‘agus chun dliteanas úinéir, coinsíneoir nó coinsíní aon ainmhithe … den sórt sin a fhorordú i ndáil leis na caiteachais a bhainfidh lena gceapadh, lena gcoinneáil nó lena ndiúscairt’ in s7 of the Second Schedule to the Diseases of Animals Act, 1966. ‘I dtaobh’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as translating ‘in the matter of’ in translations for the Department of Justice. ag féachaint go cuí In Article 26 of the 1922 Constitution, ‘with due regard to changes in distribution of the population’ is translated as ‘gan sóinseáil in áireamh áitiúil an lín tíre do dhearmad’. ‘With due regard to the provisions of this Chapter’ is translated as ‘ag féachaint go cuí d’fhorálacha na Caibidle seo’ in s154(1) of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 1981.

Staidéar ar an téacs Gaeilge

ARTICLE 42.5

617

AIRTEAGAL 42.5

TÉACS GAEILGE

I gcásanna neamhchoiteanna nuair a tharlaíonn, ar chúiseanna corpartha nó ar chúiseanna morálta, nach ndéanaid na tuistí a ndualgais dá gclainn, ní foláir don Stát, ós é an Stát caomhnóir leasa an phobail, iarracht a dhéanamh le beart oiriúnach chun ionad na dtuistí a ghlacadh, ag féachaint go cuí i gcónaí, áfach, do chearta nádúrtha dochloíte an linbh. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

In uncommon cases when it happens, for corporal reasons or for moral reasons, that the parents do not do their duties to their children, the State must, since the State is the guardian of the welfare of the people, make an effort through appropriate action to take the place of the parents, always having due regard, however, for the natural invincible rights of the child. ENGLISH TEXT

moráltachta See the commentary on Articles 29.1 and 40.6.1o. Commenting on ‘morálta’ in a draft of the direct translation below, Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú remarked that ‘moráltachta’ suited better as regards having the syntax on equal footing (i.e. ‘creidimh agus moráltachta’).

In exceptional cases, where the parents for physical or moral reasons fail in their duty towards their children, the State as guardian of the common good, by appropriate means shall endeavour to supply the place of the parents, but always with due regard for the natural and imprescriptible rights of the child.

chun leasa an phobail See the commentary on the foregoing subsection regarding ‘the common good requires’.

Divergences between the official texts 1

Standardised Irish text

2

Ní foláir don Stát socrú a dhéanamh chun bunoideachas a bheith ar fáil in aisce, agus iarracht a dhéanamh chun cabhrú go réasúnta agus chun cur le tionscnamh oideachais idir phríobháideach agus chumannta agus, nuair is riachtanas chun leas an phobail é, áiseanna nó fondúireachtaí eile oideachais a chur ar fáil, ag féachaint go cuí, áfach, do chearta tuismitheoirí, go mór mór maidir le múnlú na haigne i gcúrsaí creidimh is moráltachta.

3

4 5

Direct translation Déanfaidh an Stát socrú le haghaidh saor-bhunoideachais agus féachfaidh sé le1 tionscantacht phríobháideach agus chorpráideach2 san oideachas a fhorlíonadh3 agus le4 cúnamh réasúnta a thabhairt di, agus, nuair is gá ar mhaithe leis an maitheas phoiblí, áiseanna nó forais eile oideachais a sholáthar, ag féachaint go cuí, áfach, do chearta tuismitheoirí, go speisialta maidir le foirmiú creidimh agus morálachta5.

6

7

Variants 1 ‘féachfaidh le’ 2 ‘chorpraithe’ 3 ‘féachfaidh sé le neartú ar thionscantacht phríobháideach agus chorpráideach san oideachas’ 4 ‘maille le’ 5 ‘morálta’

‘To supply the place of the parents’ is expressed in the Irish text as ‘chun ionad na dtuistí a ghlacadh’, ‘to take the place of the parents’. ‘In exceptional cases’ is expressed as ‘I gcásanna neamhchoiteanna’ (‘in uncommon cases’) in the Irish text. ‘Where the parents … fail in their duty’ is expressed as ‘nuair a tharlaíonn … nach ndéanaid na tuistí a ndualgais’ (‘where it happens that the parents do not do their duties’) in the Irish text. ‘By appropriate means’ is expressed as ‘le beart oiriúnach’ (‘by suitable action’) in the Irish text. ‘Imprescriptible rights’ is expressed as ‘cearta dochloíte’ (‘invincible/indefatigable rights’) in the Irish text, ‘imprescriptible rights’ being translated as ‘cearta dochealaithe’ in Téarmaí Dlí. As in s1 of this Article, ‘the State as guardian of the common good’ is expressed as ‘ós é an Stát caomhnóir leasa an phobail’ (‘since the State is the guardian of the welfare of the people’) in the Irish text and, as in s4, ‘endeavour’ is expressed as ‘iarracht a dhéanamh’ (‘make an effort’), with ‘shall’ again being expressed as ‘ní foláir’ (‘must’), as we have seen in many other Articles. We note here the direct opposite of what we have seen in some earlier Articles, i.e. ‘but’ being expressed as ‘áfach’, ‘however’, in the Irish text.

Note that the Long Title of the Adoption Act, 1988, reads as follows: An Act to provide, in exceptional cases, where the parents for physical or moral reasons have failed in their duty towards their children, for the supplying, by the adoption of the children, of the place of the parents


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…. Acht do dhéanamh socrú, i ndálaí eisceachtúla, i gcás na tuismitheoirí a bheith, ar chúiseanna fisiciúla nó morálta, tar éis mainneachtain ina ndualgas i leith a leanaí, chun ionad na dtuismitheoirí a líonadh trí na leanaí a uchtáil.

‘The parents of the child …, for physical or moral reasons, have failed in their duty towards the child’ is translated as ‘go bhfuil … tuismitheoirí an linbh … tar éis mainneachtain ina ndualgas i leith an linbh ar chúiseanna fisiciúla nó morálta’ in s3(1)(I)(A) of that Act, with ‘the State, as guardian of the common good, should supply the place of the parents’ being translated as ‘gur cóir don Stát, ós é caomhnóir leas an phobail é, ionad na dtuismitheoirí a ghlacadh’ in s3(1)(I)(D).

Commentary neamhchoiteanna ‘Neamhchoiteann’ is given as a variant form of ‘neamhchoitianta’ in Ó Dónaill, this headword being translated as ‘uncommon, unusual’. ‘Neamhchoitianta’ is translated simply as ‘uncommon’ in the Glossary appended to An Caighdeán Oifigiúil. ‘Neamhchoitcheann’ is translated as ‘uncommon, distinguished’ in Dinneen, who cites ‘fear breágh neamh-choitcheann, a fine distingué man’, with reference made to ‘neamhchoitcheanta’ as being similar in meaning to ‘neamhchoitcheann’. DIL cites examples of ‘coitchenn’, in the sense of ‘common, general; usual, ordinary’, from the Glosses of the ninth century onwards, including ‘de phurt choitchent’ (‘from a common part’) from the Glosses on Psalm cxviii in S. Caimín’s Psalter, Franciscan Monastery, Dublin, formerly in the Irish College at Rome. ‘In exceptional cases’ is translated as ‘i ndálaí eisceachtúla’ in the Long Title of the Adoption Act, 1988, above. We find ‘i gcásanna eisceachtúla’ in the Preamble in the Schedule to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (Financial Support Fund) (Agreement) Act, 1976, ‘i gcásanna neamhghnáthacha’ in s24 of the Schedule to the Great Southern Railways Company (Superannuation Scheme) Act, 1947, and ‘i gcásanna nea-ghnáthacha’ in s34(5) of the Industrial and Commercial Property (Protection) Act, 1927. ‘Gátar neachoitianta’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as translating ‘exceptional distress’ in translations for the Department of Local Government and Public Health, with ‘costas nea-choitianta’ translating ‘exceptional expense’ in translations for the Department of Justice. ‘Cásanna ar leithligh’ translates ‘exceptional cases’ in Iris an Phuist, 1923, p. 273, with ‘i gcásanna fé leith’ translating ‘exceptionally’ in Iris an Phuist, 23/6/26. Note regarding the direct translation below that the opening phrase is followed by ‘i gcás na tuismitheoirí …’, ‘i ndálaí’ being chosen therefore for stylistic reasons. corpartha This headword is translated as ‘corporal; corporeal’ in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘pionós corpartha, corporal punishment’ and ‘pian chorpartha, bodily pain’. ‘Corporda’ is equal in meaning to ‘corpthae’, translated as ‘corporeal, bodily, physical, actual’ in DIL, where examples are cited from the ninth-century Milan Glosses on the Commentary on the Psalms onwards. See further the commentary on Article 40.1. ‘For physical or moral reasons’ is translated as ‘ar chúiseanna fisiciúla nó morálta’ in s3(b)(I)(A) of the

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Adoption Act, 1988, as in the Long Title of that Act above. As regards ‘physical’ in early translations, ‘any article … intended to be worn because of … any physical ailment or defect’ is translated as ‘aon earra … atá ceaptha chun é chaitheamh mar gheall ar aon bhreoiteacht no easba chorpardha’ in s16(2)(d) of the Finance Act, 1925, with ‘the treatment of physical and mental defects’ being translated as ‘cóir leighis d’ainmhe cuirp agus aigne’ in s18(b) of the Local Government Act, 1925. Finally, ‘eoluíocht fhisiceach’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as translating ‘physical science’ in translations for the Department of Education. Note that ‘fisiceach’ rather than ‘fisiciúil’ is given as the standard form of this headword. See the commentary on Article 42.1 where ‘physical’ is expressed by ‘corp’. nach ndéanaid The synthetic form of the third person plural, present indicative, of ‘déan’ – see the commentary on Article 14.5.1o regarding synthetic and analytic forms of the verb. As regards ‘fail’ with ‘duty’ in the Acts, ‘that the person to whom it was granted has, by any overt act, shown himself to have failed in his duty of fidelity to the nation’ is translated as ‘go ndearna an duine dar deonadh é aon ghníomh follas a chruthaigh gur loic sé ina dhualgas bheith dílis don náisiún’ in s19(1)(b) of the Irish Nationality and Citzenship Act, 1956. ‘That the testator has failed in his moral duty to make proper provision for the child in accordance with his means’ is translated as ‘gur loic an tiomnóir ina dhualgas morálta soláthar cuí a dhéanamh don leanbh de réir a acmhainne’ in s117(1) of the Succession Act, 1965. See the commentary on Article 14.1 (‘teip’ expressing ‘fail’ therein) for other citations of ‘fail’ in modern Acts, plus the Long Title of the Adoption Act, 1988, above. As regards the verb in the negative rendering ‘fail’, see s25(1) of the Finance Act, 1926, for example, where ‘Every person who contravenes or fails to comply with a regulation made under this section’ is translated as ‘Gach éinne a sháróidh no ná comhlíonfidh rialachán a bheidh déanta fén alt so’. a ndualgais ‘Dualgas’ is translated as ‘duty’ (of office, etc.)’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘Duty’ is given as the secondary sense of ‘dualgas’ in Ó Dónaill, the primary sense being ‘natural right; due; customary fee or reward’, Ó Dónaill citing ‘do dhualgas a dhéanamh, a chomhlíonadh, to do, fulfil, one’s duty’ and ‘do dhualgas do Dhia, one’s duty to God’. ‘Dúalgas’ is translated principally as ‘traditional right’, with secondary sense of ‘custom, tribute’, in DIL, where ‘dualgas do thuamadh óm aithribh’ (‘it is my ancestral duty to celebrate thy tomb’) is cited from the works of the seventeenth-century poet, Dáibhí Ó Bruadair, this being one of the examples of the various meanings of ‘dúalgas’ in Modern Irish cited in DIL. ‘Dúal’, from which this word originates, is translated principally as ‘native, hereditary’ in DIL. See the commentary on Articles 12.8 and 15.3.2o. le beart oiriúnach ‘Oiriúnach’ is translated as ‘suitable, fitting’ in Ó Dónaill, ‘oireamhnach’ being translated as ‘fitting, suitable, neat, proper, expedient, harmonious, proportionate, accommodated’ in Dinneen, who cites ‘beartughadh oireamhnach, an appropriate movement’. DIL translates ‘oiremnach’ as ‘agreeing (with), adapted (to), suitable, convenient’, with most examples cited coming from seventeenth-century sources.


A study of the Irish text

‘Beart’ is translated as (1) ‘cast, move (in a game)’, (2) ‘shift, plan’ (‘beart cliste’ being translated as ‘clever manoeuvre’) and (3) ‘proceeding, action, transaction’ in Ó Dónaill, who translates ‘beart a dhéanamh de réir do bhriathair’ as ‘to fit your actions to your words’. Dinneen translates ‘beart’ as ‘an act, a deed; behaviour; a game or trick (at cards), a move in a game; a task, an appointment, a situation; a prank; plan; a matter; a fact’. ‘Burden, load; bundle’ seems to have been the earlier of the three major senses of ‘bert’ cited in DIL, this word being related to ‘beirid’ (‘carries’); ‘clothing, covering, clothes, attire, apparel; accoutrement’ is also given as one of the senses of ‘bert’ as is ‘deed, exploit; feat, trick; effort, task; action, behaviour’, with the examples of this sense coming from later sources. Note that ‘bearta’ expresses ‘measures’ in Article 29.4.3o. ‘The Contracting States … shall, by appropriate means, designate for each aircraft the State among them which shall exercise the jurisdiction’ is translated as ‘Na Stáit Chonarthacha … ainmneoidh siad, ar mhodh cuí, i ndáil le gach aerárthach, an Stát díobh a fheidhmeoidh dlínse’ in Article 9 of the Schedule to the Air Nagivation and Transport Act, 1975, with ‘ar mhodh cuí’ again translating ‘by appropriate means’ in Article 5 of the Second Schedule to the Air Nagivation and Transport Act, 1973. See the commentary on Article 45.2.i where ‘caoi’ expresses ‘means’. Looking at early translations of ‘appropriate’, ‘the receipt of the appropriate officer of the Post Office’ is translated as ‘admháil ón oifigeach ceart in Oifig an Phuist’ in s6(1)(b) of the Local Government (Collection of Rates) Act, 1924. ‘From the beginning of the appropriate triennial anniversary of that day’ is translated as ‘o thosach lá cóir cinn trí mblian an lae sin’ in s1 of the Constitution (Amendment No. 1) Act, 1925, with ‘by means of appropriate maps’ being tanslated as ‘le mapaí … oiriúnacha’ in s6(2) of the Arterial Drainage Act, 1925. ‘Táille chuibhe’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as translating ‘appropriate fee’ in translations for the Department of Finance and ‘suim chothromach’ translates ‘appropriate amount’ in Iris an Phuist, 14/9/27. ag féachaint go cuí ‘The Court may, if it so thinks fit and is satisfied, having had due regard for the rights … of the persons concerned (including the natural and imprescriptible rights of the child)’ is translated as ‘féadfaidh an Chúirt, más cuí léi agus más deimhin léi, ag féachaint go cuí do chearta na ndaoine lena mbaineann … (lena n-áirítear cearta nádúrtha dochloíte an linbh)’ in s3(1) of the Adoption Act, 1988. See the commentary on the foregoing section. ionad na dtuistí a ghlacadh ‘Áit duine a ghlacadh’ is translated as ‘to take someone’s place’ in Ó Dónaill who, however, cites ‘ionad duine, ruda, a dhéanamh, to take the place of someone, something’, this agreeing with ‘do-ní éanmhac ionad cloinne’ (‘takes the place of’), cited in DIL from the miscellaneous collection of Classical Irish poetry, Aithdioghlaim Dána. nádúrtha Note how ‘the primary and natural educator of the child’ is expressed as ‘múinteoir príomha dúchasach don leanbh’ in Article 42.1.

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do chearta … dochloíte Note that ‘imprescriptible rights’ is translated as ‘cearta dochealaithe’ in Téarmaí Dlí. dá gclainn See the commentary on Article 42.1 regarding this special form of the dative singular. caomhnóir leasa an phobail See the commentary on Article 42.3.2o.

Standardised Irish text I gcásanna neamhchoiteanna nuair a tharlaíonn, ar chúiseanna corpartha nó ar chúiseanna morálta, nach ndéanann na tuismitheoirí a ndualgais dá gclann, ní foláir don Stát, ós é an Stát caomhnóir leas an phobail, iarracht a dhéanamh le beart oiriúnach chun ionad na dtuismitheoirí a ghlacadh, ag féachaint go cuí i gcónaí, áfach, do chearta nádúrtha dochloíte an linbh.

Direct translation I ndálaí1 eisceachtúla, i gcás na tuismitheoirí2 a bheith, ar chúiseanna fisiceacha nó morálta, tar éis mainneachtain ina ndualgas i leith a leanaí, féachfaidh an Stát, mar chaomhnóir ar an maitheas phoiblí3, ar mhodh4 cuí, le hionad na dtuismitheoirí a líonadh, ach i gcónaí le haird chuí ar chearta nádúrtha dochealaithe an linbh.

Variants 1 ‘I gcásanna’ 2 ‘na dtuismitheoirí’ – Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú remarks that the initial mutation would not be denied here in the case of a verbal noun phrase such as this in Munster. 3 ‘ós é caomhnóir na maitheasa poiblí é’ 4 ‘le modhanna’

ARTICLE 43.1.1O

AIRTEAGAL 43.1.1O

PRIVATE PROPERTY MAOIN PHRÍOBHÁIDEACH TÉACS GAEILGE

Maoin Phríobháideach Admhaíonn an Stát, toisc bua an réasúin a bheith ag an duine, go bhfuil sé de cheart nádúrtha aige maoin shaolta a bheith aige dá chuid féin go príobháideach, ceart is ársa ná reacht daonna. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Private Property/Assets The State acknowledges, because man has the gift of reason, that he has a natural right to have worldly assets of his own privately, a right which is more ancient than human statute. ENGLISH TEXT

Private Property The State acknowledges that man, in virtue of his rational being, has the natural right, antecedent to positive law, to the private ownership of external goods.


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Divergences between the official texts 1

2

3

4

‘The private ownership of external goods’ is expressed in the Irish text as ‘maoin shaolta a bheith aige dá chuid féin go príobháideach’, ‘to have worldly goods of his own privately’, with the term expressing ‘goods’ being the term which expresses ‘property’ in the heading of this Article, i.e. ‘maoin’, ‘goods’ being translated as ‘earraí’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘Man, in virtue of his rational being’ is expressed as ‘toisc bua an réasúin a bheith ag an duine’ (‘because man has the gift of reason’) in the Irish text. ‘Positive law’ is expressed as ‘reacht daonna’ (‘human statute’) in the Irish text – note, however, that ‘daonna’ is also found in the translation of ‘positive law’ in Téarmaí Dlí, ‘dlí daonna’. ‘Antecedent to’ is expressed in the Irish text as ‘ceart is ársa ná’, ‘a right which is more ancient than’.

J.M. Kelly, op. cit., p. 209, reports as follows on reference made to this Article in the courts: In Central Dublin Development Association Ltd. v Attorney General ([1975] 109 ILTR 69) Kenny J said, in regard to both Article 43.1.1 and Article 43.2.2, that “while there may not be a conflict” between the Irish and English versions, the English version seemed to him “to be a most unhappy attempt to reproduce the meaning of that in Irish”: ‘The phrase “de cheart nádúrtha aige maoin shaolta a bheith aige dá chuid féin go príobháideach” … means, I think, “a natural right to his own private share of worldly wealth” and not “the natural right to the private ownership of external goods”… Another source of confusion in the English text is the use in Article 43.2.2 of the word “delimit”. The Irish phrase is “teorainn a chur” which would, I think, be more accurately translated as “restrict”. In Professor de Bhaldraithe’s standard English-Irish dictionary, the Irish equivalent of “restrict” is given as “cuirim teorainn le”.’

J.M. Kelly remarks on the reference above to the English version being an attempt to reproduce the Irish that ‘in view of the history of the Irish version, this phrase of Kenny J seems to be a mere judicial politeness’.

Commentary is ársa ná Literally ‘more ancient than’. We find this phrase earlier in Article 41.1.1o. Regarding ‘antecedent’ in the Acts, in s67(2)(b)(iv) of the Fisheries Act, 1939, ‘any circumstances antecedent to the transition period which may have affected the earning power of the fishery’ is translated as ‘aon chúrsaí bhí ann roimh an idir-thréimhse agus dob fhéidir do rinne deifir do chumas tuillimh an iascaigh’. The heading above s293 of the Companies Act, 1963, ‘Offences antecedent to or in the course of Winding Up’, is translated simply as ‘Cionta roimh an bhFoirceannadh nó i gcúrsa an Fhoirceanta’. ‘Antecedent order’ is translated as ‘réamh-ordú’ in s3(1) of the Family Law (Maintenance of Spouses and Children) Act, 1976. ‘Liability of persons conducting negotiations antecedent to hirepurchase agreements’ is translated as ‘Dliteanas daoine a sheolann caibidlí roimh chomhaontuithe fruilcheannaigh’ in the Margin Title of s32 of the Sale of Goods and Supply

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of Services Act, 1980. ‘That the provisions of this Act relating to matters antecedent to such application have been complied with’ is translated as ‘go bhfuiltear … tar éis déanamh do réir na bhforálacha den Acht so bhaineann le cúrsaí ba thúisce ná an t-iarratas san’ in s7 of the Public Assistance (Acquisition of Land) Act, 1934. ‘Any circumstances antecedent to the transition period’ is translated as ‘(maidir le) haon toscaí roimh an idirthréimhse’ in s194(2)(b)(iv) of the Fisheries (Consolidation) Act, 1959, and as ‘aon chúrsaí bhí ann roimh an idir-thréimhse’ in s67(2)(b)(iv) of the Fisheries Act, 1939. De Bhaldraithe translates ‘matters antecedent to …’ as ‘nithe ba thúisce ná …’. bua Ó Dónaill gives ‘gift, talent’ and ‘virtue, merit’ as two of the secondary senses of ‘bua’ (the primary sense being ‘victory, triumph’), citing respectively ‘bua cainte, ceoil, gift of speech, music’ and ‘is mór an bua do dhuine an tsláinte, it is a great advantage to have one’s health’. Dinneen includes ‘virtue, excellence, an attribute’ among the senses of ‘buaidh’. DIL cites ‘búaid precepte’ (‘the gift of preaching’) from the eighth-century Würzburg Glosses as an example of this secondary sense of ‘búaid’ (‘special quality or attribute, gift, virtue, pre-eminence, excellence; prerogative’), the primary sense of ‘victory, triumph’ also being cited from the same Glosses (in the archaic form ‘boid’). See further the commentary on Article 40.1. The Shorter Oxford Dictionary has the following entry s.v. ‘virtue’: II As a quality of things. 1. In the prepositional phrases in or by (also through or with) virute of, by the power or efficacy of; hence, in later use, by the authority of, in reliance upon, in consequence of, because of.

The phrase ‘by virtue of’ is translated as ‘de bhua’ in Téarmaí Dlí and is so translated in the Acts, the phrase ‘by virtue of this Act’, ‘de bhua an Achta seo’, being of regular occurrence in the Acts. ‘All … functions for the time being vested in him in virtue of his office’ is translated as ‘na feidhmeanna uile a bheidh dílsithe don PhríomhBhreitheamh de thuras na huaire de bhua a oifige’ in s10(2) of the Courts (Supplemental Provisions) Act, 1961, with ‘de bhua a oifige’ translating ‘in virtue of his office’ in s2 of the Courts of Justice Act, 1928. Note, incidentally, that ‘in full force and virtue’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as being translated as ‘i lán-fheidhm agus i lán-bhrí’ in translations for the Department of Local Government and Public Health. bua an réasúin The principal meaning of ‘réasún’ in Ó Dónaill is ‘reason, reasoning faculty; reasonableness, sense’, citing ‘bíodh réasún ionat, be reasonable’, ‘duine gan réasún, unreasoning, unreasonable person’ and ‘ní féidir réasún a chur ann, he won’t listen to reason’. Note incidentally that Ó Dónaill gives a second headword ‘réasún’, translated as ‘winkers’, Dinneen including ‘the winkers of a horse’, along with ‘a reason or argument, meaning, reasonableness, moderation in conduct, sobriety; a reasonable price’ among the senses of ‘réasún’. ‘Résún’ (‘reason’) is a Romance loanword, according to DIL, citing ‘da mbeth resun agat’ (said to a lifeless object) as an example of the sense of ‘the reasoning faculty’. ‘Reasonable cause’ is translated as ‘cúis réasúnach’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘Conservation of fish stocks and rational


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exploitation of fisheries’ is translated as ‘Stoic éisc a chaomhnú agus leas réasúnach a bhaint as iascaigh’ in the Margin Title of the Fisheries (Amendment) Act, 1962, for example. ‘Réasúnach’ is translated as ‘rational’ in Colmán Ó Huallacháin, Foclóir Fealsaimh (1958), ‘reasonable’ being translated as ‘réasúnta’ in the same Dictionary of Philosophy. ‘Beith’, the verbal noun of the substantive verb, translates ‘being’ in that work. ‘Beith’ is translated as ‘being, entity’, followed by the abbreviation for Philosophy, in Ó Dónaill, who also cites the headword ‘eiseach’, ‘existing thing, being’. Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú, commenting on ‘de bhua bheith réasúnach an duine’ in a draft of the direct translation below, remarks that this would not be understood, particularly as ‘beith’ is lenited. Professor Ó Murchú recommends translating this phrase as ‘de bhua an duine a bheith réasúnach’. maoin shaolta ‘Maoin’ is translated as ‘property’ in Téarmaí Dlí, where ‘maoin phearsanta’ is translated as ‘personal property’. Ó Dónaill translates ‘maoin’ as ‘property, wealth’, translating ‘maoin shaolta’ as ‘worldly goods’. Dinneen also translates ‘maoin an tsaoghail’ / ‘maoin tsaoghalta’ as ‘worldly goods’, translating ‘maoin’ itself as ‘wealth, riches, property, means, substance; benefit, gift; love, a term of endearment’. The primary sense of Old Irish ‘maín’ is ‘a benefit’, according to DIL, citing the following example (with the prefix ‘dag’) from the eighthcentury Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles: ‘is eícrichnichthe don-indnig-som a dagmoíni’ (‘without limit he bestows his benefits’), the sense of ‘gift’ being frequently implied in Middle Irish. The secondary sense of ‘maín’, according to DIL, was ‘a valuable article or possession, a treasure; in plural treasures, possessions, wealth’ and in the early Irish law-tracts ‘maín’ is sometimes used of cattle, stock – cattle being the most common form of currency in the period of those tracts – see Fergus Kelly, p. 113 ff. DIL cites ‘do shomhaoine saoghalta’ (‘somaín’ = ‘so’ + ‘maín’, ‘profit, benefit’), from the Annals of the Four Masters, s.v. ‘saegulta’ (‘belonging to this world, mundane, secular’). ‘Maoin’ translates ‘property’ in the Acts – see, for example, s2 of the Malicious Injuries Act, 1981, where ‘“property” includes wild animals in captivity and incorporeal hereditaments’ is translated as ‘folaíonn “maoin” ainmhithe fiaine i mbraighdeanas agus oidhreachtáin neamhchorpracha’ and s2 of the Capital Acquisitions Tax Act, 1976, where ‘“personal property” means any property other than real property’, ‘“property” includes rights and interests of any description’ and ‘“real property” means real and chattel real property’ are translated respectively as ‘ciallaíonn “maoin phearsanta” aon mhaoin seachas maoin réadach’, ‘folaíonn “maoin” cearta agus leasanna d’aon chineál’ and ‘ciallaíonn “maoin réadach” maoin réadach agus maoin airnéise réadaí’. ‘The real and personal property … shall be regarded as private property’ is translated as ‘Áireofar mar mhaoin phríobháideach an mhaoin’ in Article 34 of the First Schedule to the Geneva Conventions Act, 1962. In s7 of the Private Bill Costs Act, 1924, ‘or which interferes with the private property of any person’ is translated as ‘no le n-a gcuirtear isteach ar mhaoin phríobháideach éinne’. ‘Maitheasa saolta’ is cited in Foclóir Oifigiúil s.v. ‘goods’ (with reference to Tobar Fíorghlan Gaeilge, 97). T. O’Neill

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Lane gives ‘maoin’ as his secondary translation of ‘goods’, citing ‘that he did not put his hand to his neighbour’s goods, nár chuir seisean a láimh i maoin chomharsan’ (Ex. xxii. 11). His principal translation, however, ‘earradh, -aidh’, is that found in Téarmaí Dlí, where ‘goods’ is translated as ‘earraí’, with ‘I pass off goods as those of another’ translated as ‘tairgim earraí i leith is gur earraí duine eile iad’ and ‘property in the goods’, ‘slander of goods’ and ‘trespass to goods’ are translated respectively as ‘dílseánacht sna hearraí’, ‘clúmhilleadh earraí’ and ‘foghail ar earraí’. Note, however, that ‘in the goods of’ is translated in Téarmaí Dlí as ‘maidir le maoin’. ‘Earraí’ generally translates ‘goods’ in the Acts – see, for example s39 of the Finance Act, 1980, where ‘In this Chapter “goods” means goods manufactured within the State’ is translated as ‘Sa Chaibidil seo ciallaíonn “earraí” earraí a mhonaraigh an chuideachta sa Stát’. ‘Gustail shaolta’ expresses ‘material resources’ in Article 45.2.ii – see the commentary thereon regarding ‘saolta’. ‘Saolta’ translates ‘temporal’ in the European Assembly Elections Act, 1977, for example, in s74 of which ‘any temporal or spiritual injury or loss’ is translated as ‘aon díobháil nó dochar, saolta nó spioradálta’. ‘External’ is translated as ‘eachtrach’ and ‘seachtrach’ in the Acts – ‘external tax’ is translated as ‘cáin eachtrach’ in s35(1) of the Finance Act, 1968, for example, but as ‘cáin sheachtrach’ in s163(c) of the Corporation Tax Act, 1976. ‘External income tax’ is translated as ‘cáin ioncaim eachtrach’ in s365(1)(b) of the Income Tax Act, 1967. ‘Seachtrach’ is cited as translating ‘outer’, ‘outside’ and ‘exterior’ in the Acts, also. ‘Eachtrach’ also translates ‘foreign’, the most conspicuous example, perhaps, being ‘An Roinn Gnóthaí Eachtracha’, ‘The Department of Foreign Affairs’. In s1(xi) of the Ministers and Secretaries Act, 1924, ‘the Department of External Affairs’ is cited as ‘An Roinn Gnóthaí Coigríche’. This was changed to ‘An Roinn Gnóthaí Eachtracha’ by the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act, 1939, s6(1) of which reads as follows: It shall be lawful for the Government … to alter in such way as they think proper the name (whether in the Irish language or the English language or in both those languages) of any Department of State.

Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú questions the meaning of ‘external’ in this Article and remarks that it seems to be the philosophical sense of ‘derived from a source outside the subject affected, outside the conscious subject’. If that is the sense here, then Professor Ó Murchú recommends ‘seachtrach’ rather than ‘eachtrach’. a bheith aige Literally ‘to have’. ‘A bheith dá gcuid féin acu’ expresses ‘to own’ in Article 44.2.5o. ‘Ownership’ is translated as ‘úinéireacht’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘Or have before importation been in private ownership for a substantial period’ is translated as ‘no bhí ar únaeracht phríobháideach ar feadh tamaill mhaith sarar hiomportáladh iad’ in s15(b) of the First Schedule to the Finance Act, 1932. In Treaties establishing the European Communities (1973, p. 518), for example, ‘exercise the right of ownership conferred upon it with respect to special fissile materials’ is translated as ‘an ceart úinéireachta a fheidhmiú a thugtar dó i ndáil le hábhair inscoilte speisialta’. In s33(1) of the Finance Act, 1990, ‘the risks and benefits associated with ownership


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of the qualifying premises’ is translated as ‘na fiontair agus na tairbhí a bhaineann le húinéireacht an áitribh cháilithigh’. In s27 of the Corporation Tax Act, 1976, the heading ‘Change in ownership of company’ is translated as ‘athrú ar úinéireacht cuideachta’, which also translates ‘a change in the ownership of a company’ within the section. ‘The owner of the group’ is translated as ‘úinéir an chnuasaigh’ in s16(1) of the Capital Acquisitions Tax Act of the same year, while in s3(2) of the Local Government (Financial Provisions) Act, 1978, ‘the authority are the owner of a dwelling’ is translated as ‘(gurb) é an t-údarás is úinéir ar theach cónaithe’. See further the commentary on Article 44.2.5o, particularly for citations from early Acts. Note that ‘dílse’ expresses ‘ownership’ in Article 45.2.ii – see the commentary thereon for further translations of ‘own’/‘ownership’. Regarding the direct translation below, we have noted already (see the commentary on Article 12.2.2o) how ‘an ceart ar’ is sometimes used instead of ‘an ceart chun’ – in the Joint Declaration of December, 1993, for example, ‘the right of free political thought, the right of freedom and expression of religion’ is translated as ‘an ceart ar shaorsmaoineamh polaitiúil, an ceart ar shaoirse agus ar léiriú creidimh’ – this allows one avoid the genitive case which follows ‘chun’. Commenting on the direct translation below of ‘to the private ownership of external goods’ as ‘ar úinéireacht phríobháideach earraí seachtracha’, Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú remarks that ‘úinéireacht’ cannot have a qualifying genitive of this type – note the examples from the Acts above, however. Professor Ó Murchú recommends translating this phrase as ‘ar sheilbh phríobháideach in earraí seachtracha’. reacht daonna See the commentary on Article 41.1.1o. ‘Reacht’ is translated as ‘statute’ in Téarmaí Dlí, where ‘positive law’ is translated as ‘dlí daonna’. Note how the definite article precedes ‘dlí idirnáisiúnta’ (translated as ‘international law’ in Téarmaí Dlí) in ‘chun críche a cheadaíonn an dlí idirnáisiúnta’, translating ‘(for) a purpose recognised by international law’ in s5 of the Fisheries (Amendment) Act, 1978. As regards ‘positive’, note that in s7(1) of the Companies (Re-Constitution of Records) Act, 1924, ‘but of whose dissolution he is unable to adduce positive evidence’ is translated as ‘ach nách féidir do fianaise dheimhnitheach do thabhairt ar a scur’.

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2 ‘ag an duine’ 3 ‘a bhí ann roimh’ 4 ‘chun úinéireachta príobháidí earraí seachtracha/eachtracha’, ‘ar sheilbh phríobháideach in earraí seachtracha’, ‘bheith ina úinéir príobháideach nó ina húinéir príobháideach ar earraí seachtracha/ eachtracha’

ARTICLE 43.1.2O TÉACS GAEILGE

Uime sin, ráthaíonn an Stát gan aon dlí a achtú d’iarraidh an ceart sin, ná gnáthcheart an duine chun maoin a shannadh agus a thiomnú agus a ghlacadh ina hoidhreacht, a chur ar ceal. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

For that reason, the State guarantees not to enact any law attempting to set aside that right, nor the ordinary right of man to assign and to bequeath and to receive assets/ property as an inheritance. ENGLISH TEXT

The State accordingly guarantees to pass no law attempting to abolish the right of private ownership or the general right to transfer, bequeath, and inherit property.

Divergences between the official texts 1

2 3

4

5 6

Gender-proofed Irish text Maoin Phríobháideach Admhaíonn an Stát, toisc bua an réasúin a bheith ag an duine, go bhfuil sé de cheart nádúrtha aige nó aici maoin shaolta a bheith aige dá chuid féin, nó aici dá cuid féin, go príobháideach, ceart is ársa ná reacht daonna.

Direct gender-proofed translation Maoin Phríobháideach Aithníonn an Stát, de bhua an réasún a bheith sa duine1, go bhfuil aige nó aici2 an ceart nádúrtha, is túisce ná3 an dlí daonna, ar úinéireacht phríobháideach earraí seachtracha4.

Variants 1 ‘de bhua an duine a bheith réasúnach’, ‘de bhua bheith réasúnach an duine’, ‘de bhua an duine a bheith ina bheith nó ina beith réasúnach’

AIRTEAGAL 43.1.2O

7

‘The right of private ownership’ is expressed as ‘an ceart sin’, ‘that right’, in the Irish text, referring back to the previous subsection. The Irish term ‘cur ar ceal’, expressing ‘abolish’, is translated as ‘set aside’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘The general right’ is expressed as ‘gnáthcheart an duine’ (‘the ordinary/usual right of man’) in the Irish text, with ‘ginearálta’ rather than ‘gnáth’ translating ‘general’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘To transfer’ is expressed in the Irish text by ‘sann’, which term is translated as ‘assign’ in Téarmaí Dlí, ‘I transfer’ being translated as ‘aistrím’. ‘To inherit’ is expressed as ‘a ghlacadh ina hoidhreacht’ (‘to receive as an inheritance’) in the Irish text. ‘To transfer, bequeath, and inherit’ is expressed as ‘a shannadh agus a thiomnú agus a ghlacadh ina hoidhreacht’, ‘to transfer and to bequeath and to inherit’, in the Irish text. ‘Accordingly’ is expressed as ‘Uime sin’, ‘for that reason’, in the Irish text.

Commentary a chur ar ceal ‘Cuirim ar ceal’ is translated as ‘I set aside’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘Rud a chur ar ceal’ is translated as ‘to abolish something’ in Ó Dónaill, who translates ‘cuireadh an rún, an reacht, ar ceal’ as ‘the motion, enactment, was set aside, rescinded’. Dinneen translates ‘cuir ar ceal’ as ‘put off, lay aside’. DIL translates ‘cel’ as ‘concealment (?), dissolution, extinction, death’, citing ‘an tí chuireas ar ceal toradh’ (= ‘qui … distulit’) from Keating’s seventeenthcentury Three Shafts of Death. ‘Custum do chur ar ceal’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as translating ‘to abolish


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Customs duties’ in translations for the Department of Finance. In the ‘Waterford County Scheme’ in the Schedule to the Local Government (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923, the Heading ‘Abolish outdoor Relief’ is translated as ‘Deire le Fóirithin Allamuich’, with ‘Oifigí ar lár fén Scéim Seo’ translating the heading ‘Offices Abolished under this Scheme’ in the ‘Galway County Scheme’. ‘Every abolition order shall operate to abolish the licence the subject of the order’ is translated as ‘Oibreoidh gach ordú scriosa chun deire do chur leis an gceadúnas is abhar don ordú’ in s41(3) of the Intoxicating Liquor Act, 1927. Finally, the Long Title of the Family Law Act, 1981, ‘An Act to abolish actions for criminal conversation, enticement and harbouring of a spouse’ is translated as ‘Acht do chur deireadh le caingne maidir le caidreamh collaí, mealladh agus tearmannú céile’. d’iarraidh an ceart sin In ‘d’iarraidh’ we have the preposition ‘do’ with vowel elided, before the verbal noun ‘iarraidh’, corresponding to the now standard ‘ag’. See Seán Ua Súilleabháin, op. cit., p. 525, regarding ‘ag’/‘do’ before ‘iarraidh’ in South Munster (I translate): In Desmond id is heard where ig or d’ would be expected before iaraig, ‘iarraidh’, e.g. id iara(ig) uisce (H. Wagner, Linguistic Atlas and Survey of Irish Dialects II [Munster] [1964], 44). This is a combined form with the vowel of ig and the consonant of do. (I nDeasmhumhain cloistear id mar a mbeifí ag súil le ig nó d’ roimh iaraig … ‘iarraidh’, m.sh. id iara(ig) uisce (LASID, II, 44). Foirm chumaiscthe é seo le guta ig agus consan do).

In Article 20 of the 1922 Constitution, ‘persons interfering with, molesting or attempting to corrupt its members in the exercise of their duties’ is translated as ‘daoine a bhainfidh le n-a bhaill no a chuirfidh isteach ortha no a thabharfaidh fé iad do bhreaba le linn dóibh a ndualgaisí do chó-líona’. Note that ‘Inciting people to engage in an attempt to overthrow by violence the established form of Government of Saorstát Éireann’ is translated as ‘Daoine do ghríosú chun tabhairt fé fhuirm bhunuithe Rialtas Shaorstáit Éireann do bhrise le fóiréigean’ in s1 of the Schedule to the Public Safety (Powers of Arrest and Detention) Temporary Act, 1924. ‘In respect of a prisoner attempting to escape’ is translated as ‘maidir le príosúnach do bheadh ad’ iarraidh éaluithe’ in s10(2)(f) of the Constitution (Amendment No. 17) Act, 1931. Finally, ‘within three hours after so driving or attempting to drive’ is translated as ‘laistigh de thrí huaire a chloig tar éis dó tiomáint, nó iarracht a thabhairt ar thiomáint’ in s10 of the Road Traffic (Amendment) Act, 1978. gnáthcheart ‘Gnáth’ in compounds is translated as ‘common’, ‘ordinary’, ‘plain’ and ‘fair’ in Téarmaí Dlí, where ‘gnáthbhanna airgid’, ‘Gnáthbhille Sibhialta’, ‘gnáthchaitheamh agus gnáthchumailt’ agus ‘gnáthchóip’ are translated respectively as ‘common money bond’, ‘Ordinary Civil Bill’, ‘fair wear and tear’ and ‘plain copy’, with ‘gnáthstoc’ being translated as ‘common (ordinary) stock’. ‘Gnáth-’ is translated as (1) ‘usual, customary, ordinary; vulgar, common; standard’ and (2) ‘constant, unremittant’ in Ó Dónaill and as ‘usual, general, average, continual; standing, characteristic’ in Dinneen. DIL cites examples of the adjective ‘gnáth’, ‘customary, usual, familiar, well-known’, from the ninth-century Milan Glosses

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onwards. See further the commentary on ‘gnáthadmhaithe’, ‘generally recognised’, in Article 29.3. ‘General agent’ and ‘general power of appointment’, for example, are translated respectively as ‘gníomhaire ginearálta’ and ‘cumhacht cheapacháin ghinearálta’ in Téarmaí Dlí. The Margin Title of s5 of the Sligo Lighting and Electric Power Act, 1924, ‘Extension of general purposes and power of Company’, is translated as ‘Leathanú ar chrícheanna agus ar chomhachta generálta na Cuideachtan’. Note that ‘general conversation’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms, as being translated as ‘gnáth-chomhrá’ in translations for the Department of Education, with ‘general domestic servant’ being translated as ‘gnáth-sheirbhíseach tighe’ in translations for the Department of Industry and Commerce. ina hoidhreacht ‘Oidhreacht’ is translated as ‘inheritance’ in Téarmaí Dlí, where ‘tagaim in oidhreacht (mhaoine)’ is translated as ‘I inherit (property)’, ‘oidhre’ being translated as ‘heir’. ‘Oidhreacht’ is translated as ‘inheritance, heredity; heritage, patrimony’ in Ó Dónaill, who translates ‘rud a fháil le hoidhreacht, teacht in oidhreacht ruda’ as ‘to inherit something’, ‘oidhreacht ár sinsear’ being translated as ‘our ancestral heritage, patrimony’. Dinneen translates ‘oidhreacht’ as ‘an inheritance, heirloom, birthright, patrimony’, citing ‘thánag i n-oidhreacht an airgid do bhí ag m’athair, I inherited my father’s money’. ‘Eigrecht’/‘oigrecht’ is based on ‘eigre’, the earliest recorded dateable example of which is in a thirteenth-century poem – see DIL s.v. ‘eigre’. DIL translates ‘eigrecht’ as ‘inheritance, heritage, patrimony, (inherited) possession’, citing ‘do glac sé oighrecht a shenathar cuigi .i. iarlacht o Berbuic’. ‘Where a person to whom real estate is devised for an estate tail or an estate in quasi entail dies in the lifetime of the testator leaving issue who could inherit under the entail’ is translated as ‘I gcás duine dá réadtiomnófar eastát réadach le haghaidh eastáit shainoidhrithe nó eastáit i samhail-sainoidhreacht d’fháil bháis le linn bheo an tiomnóra agus an duine sin d’fhágáil sleachta a d’fhéadfadh teacht in oidhreacht faoin sianordú’ in s97 of the Succession Act, 1965. a shannadh ‘Sannaim’ is translated as ‘I assign’ in Téarmaí Dlí. Ó Dónaill also translates ‘sann’ as ‘assign’, citing ‘maoin a shannadh, to assign property’. DIL translates ‘sannaid’ as ‘(Legal) separates, alienates (land)’, citing ‘naid inrean, naide sanna’ (‘he is not to sell it, or alienate it’, i.e. land belonging to the family) from an early Irish law-tract. See further the commentary on Article 10.3 where ‘sannadh’ expresses ‘alienation’. ‘I transfer’ is translated as ‘aistrím’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘The right to transfer property to or withdraw it from the fund’ is translated as ‘an ceart chun maoin a aistriú isteach sa chiste nó a thógáil amach as’ in s46(4)(b) of the Charities Act, 1961. The Heading of Part III of the Ninth Schedule to the Finance Act, 1990, ‘Conveyance or Transfer on Sale of other Property’ is translated as ‘Tíolacadh nó Aistriú ar Dhíol Maoine eile’. Finally, in s10(1) of the Schedule to the Public Safety (Emergency Powers) (No. 2) Act, 1923, ‘order the transfer of such property, in so far as it consists of land, to the Irish Land Commission’ is translated as ‘ordóidh sé an mhaoin sin d’aistriú an méid is talamh de chun Coimisiún Talmhan na hÉireann’.


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a thiomnú ‘Tiomnaím’ is translated as ‘I bequeath’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘May … by deed or will convey, devise or bequeath such national monument’ is translated as ‘an séadchomhartha náisiúnta san do leithliú no do thiomna le dintiúir no le huacht’ in s10 of the National Monuments Act, 1930. ‘In relation to any property devised or bequeathed by the testator’ is translated as ‘i ndáil le haon mhaoin a réadthiomnaigh nó a thiomnaigh an tiomnóir’ in s33(2)(a) of the Capital Acquisitions Tax Act, 1976. In the Preamble to the Methodist Church in Ireland Act, 1928, ‘real … property which has been or may be … subscribed or bequeathed’ is translated as ‘maidir le maoin réalta a dineadh … a shanna no a fhágaint le huadhacht’. Uime sin Ó Dónaill gives ‘about, concerning, in regard to, on account of’ as one of the senses of ‘um’ from earlier Irish literature, citing ‘mhaígh a ghean gáire air uime, he broke into a laugh over it’ – see the commentary on Article 41.2.2o. ‘Accordingly’ is generally translated as ‘dá réir sin’ in the Acts – see s25(2) of the National Health Insurance Act, 1923, for example, where ‘and cognate works shall be construed accordingly’ is translated as ‘agus léireofar focail den chineál chéanna dá réir sin’. See further the commentary on Article 23.2.1o where we find ‘dá bhíthin sin’ expressing ‘accordingly’. a ghlacadh ‘Glacaim’ is translated as ‘I admit (as evidence); I receive’ in Téarmaí Dlí. See the commentary on Articles 8.2, 12.10.4o, 13.1.3o and 27.5.1o where this verb is used respectively in expressing ‘recognise’, ‘adopt’, ‘accept’ and ‘approve’.

Standardised Irish text Uime sin, ráthaíonn an Stát gan aon dlí a achtú a iarraidh an ceart sin, ná gnáthcheart an duine chun maoin a shannadh agus a thiomnú agus a ghlacadh ina hoidhreacht, a chur ar ceal.

Direct translation Ráthaíonn an Stát dá réir sin gan dlí ar bith a achtú lena ndéanfar iarracht ar dheireadh a chur leis an gceart ar úinéireacht1 phríobháideach nó leis an gceart ginearálta ar mhaoin a aistriú agus a thíolacadh, agus ar theacht in oidhreacht mhaoine2.

Variants 1 ‘ar sheilbh’ 2 ‘ar mhaoin a aistriú, a thíolacadh, agus teacht ina hoidhreacht’

ARTICLE 43.2.1O

AIRTEAGAL 43.2.1O

TÉACS GAEILGE

Ach admhaíonn an Stát gur cuí, sa chomhdhaonnacht shibhialta, oibriú na gceart atá luaite sna forálacha sin romhainn den Airteagal seo a rialú de réir bunrialacha an chirt chomhdhaonnaigh. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

But the State acknowledges that it is fitting, in civil society, to regulate the operation of the rights which are mentioned

Bunreacht na hÉireann

in the foregoing provisions of this Article in accordance with the basic rules of the societal justice. ENGLISH TEXT

The State recognises, however, that the exercise of the rights mentioned in the foregoing provisions of this Article ought, in civil society, to be regulated by the principles of social justice.

Divergences between the official texts 1

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6

‘By the principles of social justice’ is expressed as ‘de réir bunrialacha an chirt chomhdhaonnaigh’ (‘in accordance with the basic rules of societal justice’) in the Irish text; the term expressing ‘social’, ‘comhdhaonnach’, is now less commonly used, and ordinarily ‘social’ is expressed in Irish by ‘sóisialta’/ ‘sóisialach’, as we have already seen. ‘Ought’ is expressed in the Irish text as ‘gur cuí, ‘it is fitting’. ‘Regulate’ is again expressed by ‘rialaigh’, which term is translated as ‘rule’ and ‘control’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘Exercise’ is again expressed by the verbal noun of the term translating ‘operate’ in Téarmaí Dlí, ‘oibrigh’. ‘Recognises’ is again expressed in the Irish text by the same term which expresses ‘acknowledges’ in the previous section. ‘However’ is again expressed as ‘Ach’, ‘But’, in the Irish text.

Commentary de réir bunrialacha an chirt chomhdhaonnaigh According to the official standard, ‘bunrialacha’ would be lenited, the form of the nominative being in place of the genitive (after the prepositional phrase ‘de réir’) before the definite noun ‘ceart’ (preceded by the article) – see the commentary on Article 1. As regards ‘chomhdhaonnaigh’ see the commentary on ‘chomhdhaonnacht’ below. ‘Bunriail’ is translated as ‘fundamental rule’ in Ó Dónaill, being a compound of ‘bun’ and ‘riail’, the prefix ‘bun-’ being translated primarily as ‘basic, primary, elementary’ in Ó Dónaill and ‘riail’ as ‘rule’.Ó Dónaill ’s entry s.v. ‘riail’, reads as follows: Rule. 1. Regulation, principle … De réir na rialacha, in accordance with the rules.

‘Bun-’ is translated as ‘principal, basal, foot-; middling, fairly’ in Dinneen, who translates ‘riaghail’ as ‘a rule, law or regulation; rule, government, direction or jurisdiction; a religious rule, discipline, a religion; a system or dispensation’, citing ‘ba riaghail ag flaithibh bheith, 7c., it was the custom of nobles to be, etc.’ Old Irish ‘ríagal’ is translated as ‘a rule (whether prescription, law, tradition or cutsom)’ in DIL, ‘ríagal’ being used in a less definite and legal sense than ‘dliged’ (Modern Irish ‘dlí’) – see further the commentary on Article 6.1. ‘Bunriail’ expressing ‘principle’ echoes ‘bunreacht’ (‘constitution’), literally ‘basic statute’. Turning to ‘principle’, ‘bunphrionsabal’ is translated as ‘first principle’ in Ó Dónaill, whose entry s.v. ‘prionsabal’, is as follows: Principle. 1. Fundamental truth, general law … 2. Moral principles.


A study of the Irish text

While Dinneen cites the adjective ‘prionnsapálta’ (‘principal’) from Donlevy’s Irish Catechism, 1742, he does not appear to have the headword ‘prionsabal’. ‘Prinsipail’ is an English loanword, according to DIL, where it is translated as (a) ‘principal, capital sum (of money)’ and (b) ‘principle, rule of conduct’ citing ‘as d’ar gceudphrinsiopaluibh, nach eidir …’ from Molloy’s Lucerna Fidelium, 1676. Note that ‘Directive Principles’ is expressed as ‘Buntreoracha’ in the heading for Article 45 – see the commentary on that Article regarding translations of ‘principle’. ‘Ceart’ is translated as ‘right’ in Téarmaí Dlí, where ‘ceartas aiceanta’ and ‘iomrall ceartais’ are translated respectively as ‘natural justice’ and ‘miscarriage of justice’. Ó Dónaill’s entry s.v. ‘ceart’, is as follows: Right. 1(a) What is morally just. Ceart agus éigeart, right and wrong … Má tá ceart le fáil, if there is justice in the world; if one might expect justice. I láthair an chirt, where justice is meted out; in a court of justice.

‘Ceartas’ is translated in Ó Dónaill as ‘justice’, following the abbreviation for ‘Philosophy’. ‘Ceart’ is translated as ‘right, justice, equity; claim; correct manner, the proper thing; a charge or duty; due or usual amount of anything’ in Dinneen, who cites ‘deinim ceart dó, I see that justice is done to’. ‘Ceartas’ is translated as ‘equity, justice, law; what is right, what is justly due’, in Dinneen, who cites ‘dár cheartas ríoghacht Mumhan, to whom the throne of Munster justly belonged’, from the poetry of Aodhagán Ua Rathaille (1670-1726). The earliest example of ‘certus’ cited in DIL comes from the Martyrology of Úa Gormáin, composed within the period 1166-1174, this headword being translated as ‘justice, propriety; exactitude, accuracy’ in DIL. It is based on ‘cert’, which itself comes from Latin ‘certus’, examples of the adjective in the sense of ‘correct, right, proper, fitting’ being cited in DIL from the Milan Glosses of the ninth century onwards. DIL translates ‘cert’, as a noun, as ‘the right, what is proper, correctness’, but also gives examples of the quasi-legal sense of ‘right, claim, entitlement’ (‘Lebor na Cert’ being the title of a Middle Irish tract on rights and privileges of kings), along with examples of the sense of ‘justice, fair dealing’. Fergus Kelly, op. cit., p. 306, translates ‘cert’ as ‘justice, right, entitlement’, citing ‘ar dofet a cert certaib’ (‘for) the rights [of the insane] take precedence over other rights’) from an early Irish law-tract. ‘Di Astud Chirt 7 Dligid’ (‘On the Confirmation of Right and Law’) is the late title of a long early Irish legal text containing a wide variety of legal matter. Note that ‘the Department of Justice’ is styled ‘an Roinn Dlí agus Cirt’ in Irish. See the commentary on Articles 29.1 (where ‘justice’ is expressed as ‘cothrom’) and 38.3.1o regarding ‘justice’. Regarding ‘social justice’ in the Acts, ‘and for regulating in accordance with the principles of social justice the exercise of private rights in respect of minerals’ is translated as ‘agus chun feidhmiú ceart príobháideach i ndáil le mianraí a rialáil de réir prionsabal ceartais sóisialaigh’ in the Long Title of the Minerals Development Act, 1979. In s(k) of the Third Schedule to the Restrictive Practices Act, 1972, ‘in any other respect operate against the common good or are not in accordance with the principles of social justice’ is translated as ‘atá in aon slí eile in aghaidh leasa an phobail nó ar neamhréir le prionsabail an cheartais shóisialaigh’, this same English text being translated as ‘atá, in aon tslí eile, in aghaidh leasa an phobail nó ar

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neamhréir le buntreora an cheartais chomhdhaonnaigh’ in s(k) of the Second Schedule to the Restrictive Trade Practices Act, 1953. sa chomhdhaonnacht shibhialta See the commentary on Article 41.1.1 o regarding ‘comhdhaonnacht’ in the Constitution, ‘comhdhaonnach’ being translated as ‘social, companionable’ in Ó Dónaill, who does not appear to give ‘comhdhaonnacht’, Dinneen citing neither adjective nor noun – see further the commentary on Article 15.3.1o. The definite article is regularly used with abstract nouns in Irish where no such article exists in English – e.g., ‘in politics’, ‘sa pholaitíocht’. ‘Sibhialta’ is translated as ‘civil’ in Téarmaí Dlí and in Ó Dónaill; DIL gives two citations of ‘síbíalta’ from O’Molloy’s Lucerna Fidelium, 1676 – see the commentary on Articles 34.3.1o and 38.4.2o. Note incidentally that ‘sibhialta’ translates both ‘civil’ and ‘civilized’. ‘And condemned by the civilized world’ is translated as ‘agus go bhfuil sé daortha ag an saol sibhialta’ in the Preamble to the Genocide Act, 1973, with ‘affording all the judicial guarantees which are recognised as indispensable by civilised peoples’ being translated as ‘maille le gach ráthaíocht bhreithiúnach a n-aithníonn pobail shibhialta gur den riachtanas í’ in s1(d) of Article 3 of the First Schedule to the Geneva Conventions Act, 1963. gur cuí ‘Mionnscríbhinn fhorghníomhaithe chuí’ agus ‘sealbhóir i gcúrsa cuí’ are translated respectively as ‘affidavit of due execution’ and ‘holder in due course’ in Téarmaí Dlí, where ‘comaoin chuí’ is translated as ‘good consideration’. Ó Dónaill translates ‘cuí’ as ‘fitting, proper’, citing ‘is cuí agus is cóir sin, it is right and proper’. Dinneen translates ‘cuibhe’ as ‘proper, becoming, fit, seemly’, citing ‘mar is cuibhe, as is becoming’. DIL cites ‘cobaid’ from the early ninth-century Milan Glosses on the Commentary on the Psalms s.v. ‘cubaid’, which headword is translated as (a) ‘harmonious, in accord, agreeing’ and (b) ‘fitting, meet, becoming; proper, right’, citing ‘ro bud cubuidh …’ (‘would be meet’) from an early Irish law-tract. According to Rudolf Thurneysen, Grammar of Old Irish (pp. 81, 219 and 503), ‘cubaid’ (‘rhyming, harmonious’) is a compound of ‘com’ (‘with’) + ‘fid’ (‘letter [of the alphabet]’). See further the commentary on the Preamble and see the commentary on Articles 42.4 and 42.5 for examples of ‘cuí’ expressing ‘due’. oibriú See the commentary on Article 3; ‘oibrím’ is translated as ‘I operate’ in Téarmaí Dlí, but usually expresses ‘exercise’ in the Constitution, that verb being translated as ‘feidhmigh’ in Téarmaí Dlí. a rialú See the commentary on Articles 10.3 and 12.5; ‘rialaím’ is translated as ‘I control, I rule’ in Téarmaí Dlí but regularly expresses ‘regulate’ in the Constitution, that verb being generally translated as ‘rialáil’ in the Acts.

Standardised Irish text Ach admhaíonn an Stát gur cuí, sa chomhdhaonnacht shibhialta, oibriú na gceart atá luaite sna forálacha sin romhainn den Airteagal seo a rialú de réir bhunrialacha an chirt chomhdhaonnaigh.


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Direct translation Aithníonn an Stát, áfach, gur chóir, sa tsochaí shibhialta, feidhmiú1 na gceart atá luaite sna forálacha sin roimhe seo den Airteagal seo a rialáil le prionsabail2 an cheartais shóisialaigh.

Variants 1 ‘go ndéanfaí feidhmiú’ 2 ‘de réir phrionsabail’

ARTICLE 43.2.2O

AIRTEAGAL 43.2.2O

Bunreacht na hÉireann

a bheith aige dá chuid féin go príobháideach” … means, I think, “a natural right to his own private share of worldly wealth” and not “the natural right to the private ownership of external goods”… Another source of confusion in the English text is the use in Article 43.2.2 of the word “delimit”. The Irish phrase is “teorainn a chur” which would, I think, be more accurately translated as “restrict”. In Professor de Bhaldraithe’s standard English-Irish dictionary, the Irish equivalent of “restrict” is given as “cuirim teorainn le”.’

As we saw, J.M. Kelly remarks on the reference above to the English version being an attempt to reproduce the Irish that ‘in view of the history of the Irish version, this phrase of Kenny J seems to be a mere judicial politeness’.

TÉACS GAEILGE

Uime sin, tig leis an Stát, de réir mar a bheas riachtanach, teorainn a chur le hoibriú na gceart réamhráite d’fhonn an t-oibriú sin agus leas an phobail a thabhairt dá chéile. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

For that reason, the State may, as will be necessary, put a limit to the operation of the aforementioned rights in order to bring together that operation and the welfare of the people. ENGLISH TEXT

The State, accordingly, may as occasion requires delimit by law the exercise of the said rights with a view to reconciling their exercise with the exigencies of the common good.

Divergences between the official texts 1

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‘By law’, in ‘delimit by law’, is not specifically expressed in the Irish text, where ‘delimit by law’ is expressed simply as ‘teorainn a chur le’ (‘put a limit to’). ‘The exigencies of the common good’ is expressed as ‘leas an phobail’ (‘the welfare of the people’) in the Irish text, the phrase ‘leas an phobail’ consistently expressing ‘the common good’ in the Constitution, which phrase is translated as ‘an mhaitheas phoiblí’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘Of the said rights’ is expressed as ‘na gceart réamhráite’ (‘of the aforementioned rights’) in the Irish text. ‘Their exercise’ is expressed as ‘an t-oibriú sin’, ‘that exercise’, in the Irish text. ‘May’ is expressed as ‘tig le’ (‘can’) in the Irish text, as we have seen in some other Articles. ‘Accordingly’ is expressed in the Irish text as ‘Uime sin’, ‘For that reason’, as in the foregoing section.

As we saw in the commentary on Article 43.1.1o, J.M. Kelly, op. cit., p. 209, reports as follows on reference made to this Article in the courts: In Central Dublin Development Association Ltd. v Attorney General ([1975] 109 ILTR 69) Kenny J said, in regard to both Article 43.1.1 and Article 43.2.2, that “while there may not be a conflict” between the Irish and English versions, the English version seemed to him “to be a most unhappy attempt to reproduce the meaning of that in Irish”: ‘The phrase “de cheart nádúrtha aige maoin shaolta

Commentary teorainn This headword is translated as ‘limit’ in Téarmaí Dlí, where the verb ‘teorainním’, ‘I limit’, is also given as a headword. Ó Dónaill translates ‘teorainn a chur le’ as ‘to demarcate (tailte, lands); to limit, restrict (rud, something)’ and Dinneen translates ‘cuirim teorainn le’ as ‘I bound, limit, restrict’. DIL cites examples of ‘tórann’, verbal noun of ‘do-foirndea’ (*to-fo-rind-), from the Milan Glosses of the ninth century onwards, translating that headword as 1(a) ‘act of marking out, delimiting’, (b) ‘share, division’, (c) ‘boundary, limit’, (d) ‘confines, territory’, II (a) ‘act of representing, denoting, signifying’, (b) ‘sign, figure’ – see the commentary on Article 2 where ‘farraigí teorann’ expresses ‘territorial seas’. ‘When prescribing the persons or classes of persons by whom returns are to be made … the Minister may define or delimit such persons or classes of persons’ is translated as ‘Nuair a bheidh an tAire á ordú cadiad na daoine no na haicmí daoine a thabharfidh cuntaisí no eolas uathu fén Acht so, féadfa sé na daoine no na haicmí daoine sin do luadh no do dheighilt amach’ in s16(2) of the Statistics Act, 1926. In s47(2) of the Court Officers Act, 1926, ‘the District Court shall be held for the purpose of transacting for such district court area the business for the transaction of which such area was delimited’ is translated as ‘(ar a) ndéanfar an Chúirt Dúithche do chomóra chun an gnó dar teorannuíodh an líomatáitse cúirte dúithche sin do dhéanamh don líomatáiste sin’. ‘Define the functions of such joint committee and, where appropriate, delimit the respective functions of such joint committee’ is translated as ‘míneofar feidhmeanna an chó-choiste sin agus, i ngach cás ina mbeidh san oiriúnach, leagfar amach feidhmeanna fé seach an chó-choiste sin’ in s12(2)(b) of the Public Assistance Act, 1939, the same English text (with ‘the’ replacing ‘such’) being translated as ‘míneo sé feadhma an chomhúdaráis agus, más cuibhe, leagfaidh amach feadhma an chomhúdaráis’ in s98(2)(b) of the Mental Treatment Act, 1945. ‘Situate in such area as the Board thinks proper and specifies or delimits in or by such rules’ is translated as ‘agus a bheidh sa líomatáiste sin is dóich leis an mBord is ceart agus a luadhfaid no go luadhfaid a theoranta sna rialacha san’ in s46(2)(b)(ii) of the Shops (Conditions of Employment) Act, 1938. In s41(2) of the Companies (Amendment) Act, 1986, ‘“market” means a market delimited in a geographical manner’ is translated as ‘ciallaíonn “margadh” margadh a bhfuil a theorainneacha socraithe ar mhodh geografach’.


A study of the Irish text

a thabhairt dá chéile Ó Dónaill cites ‘Níl an tuairisc sin ag teacht le chéile, that report is not consistent’ s.v. ‘tar’, and ‘Ní théann an dá rud le chéile go rómhaith, the two things don’t agree very well’ s.v. ‘téigh’, with Dinneen, s.v. ‘céile’, translating ‘bheirim dá rud dá chéile’ as ‘I reconcile two things’. We have seen in the commentary on the amended Article 41.3.2o (where ‘comhréiteach’ renders ‘reconciliation’) how ‘deifríocht a thabhairt dá chéile’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as translating ‘to reconcile difference of calculation’ in translations for Oifig an Phuist. ‘For regulating in accordance with the principles of social justice the exercise of private rights in respect of minerals with a view to reconciling their exercise with the exigencies of the common good’ is translated as ‘chun feidhmiú ceart príobháideach i ndáil le mianraí a rialáil de réir prionsabal ceartais sóisialaigh d’fhonn a bhfeidhmiú a chur ar comhréir le riachtanais an leasa choitinn’ in the Long Title of the Minerals Development Act, 1979. ‘Recognising that it is necessary to reconcile the fundamental values of the respect for privacy and the free flow of information between peoples’ is translated as ‘Á aithint dóibh gur gá comhréiteach a dhéanamh idir na luachanna bunúsacha a bhaineann le hurraim don phríobháideacht agus an saorshreabhadh faisnéise idir daoine’ in the Preamble to the First Schedule to the Data Protection Act, 1988. Commenting on ‘a chur ar comhréir le chéile’ in the direct translation below, Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú recommends ‘a thabhairt i gcomhréir le chéile’. a bheas riachtanach ‘Bheas’ is the special form of the relative of the substantive verb, future tense – see the commentary on Article 6.1 regarding the special form of the relative in ‘-s’. See the commentary on Article 41.1.2o regarding ‘riachtanach’. As regards ‘as occasion requires’, ‘The Official Censor may, as occasion requires, amend or delete an entry in the register’ is translated as ‘Féadfaidh an Scrúdóir Oifigiúil, de réir riachtanais na hócáide, iontráil sa chlár a leasú nó a scriosadh’ in s14(2) of the Video Recordings Act, 1989, with ‘de réir riachtanas na hócáide’ translating ‘as occasion requires’ in s14(4) of the Transport (Re-organisation of Córas Iompair Éireann) Act, 1986. Finally, in s12(1) of the Interpretation Act, 1923, ‘and the duty shall be performed from time to time as occasion requires’ is translated as ‘agus déanfar an dualgas o am go ham fé mar is gá’. leas an phobail See the commentary on Article 6.1. ‘And is satisfied that the exigencies of the common good so warrant’ is translated as ‘agus gur deimhin léi gur gá sin ar mhaithe le leas an phobail’ in s24(5) of the Data Protection Act, 1988. ‘That the Government are of opinion that the exigencies of the common good necessitate the control by the Minister on behalf of the State of the supply and distribution of fuels’ is translated as ‘gur dóigh leis an Rialtas gur gá, ar mhaithe le leas an phobail, go rialóidh an tAire thar ceann na Stáit soláthar agus imdháil breoslaí’ in s2(4)(a) of the Fuels (Control of Supplies) Act, 1971. In s92(4)(a) of the Defence Forces (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923, ‘having due regard to the military exigencies and the public service’ is translated as ‘má tugtar aire chuibhe do riachtanaisí mileata agus don tseirbhís phuiblí’, with ‘riachtanaisí an cháis’ translating ‘exigencies of the

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case’ in the Seanad Order Paper of 1925, p. 101. Finally, ‘gá’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as translating ‘exigencies’ in a 1928 Report of the Public Accounts Committee. tig leis Literally ‘can’, one of the ways ‘may’ of the English text is expressed in the Irish text – see the commentary on Article 12.4.4o. le hoibriú … an t-oibriú foregoing subsection.

See the commentary on the

Standardised Irish text Uime sin, tig leis an Stát, de réir mar a bheidh riachtanach, teorainn a chur le hoibriú na gceart réamhráite d’fhonn an t-oibriú sin agus leas an phobail a thabhairt dá chéile.

Direct translation Féadfaidh an Stát, dá réir sin, de réir riachtanais na hócáide, feidhmiú na gceart a dúradh a theorannú le dlí d’fhonn a bhfeidhmiú agus riachtanais na maitheasa poiblí1 a chur ar comhréir le chéile2.

Variants 1 ‘leas an phobail’ 2 ‘a thabhairt i gcomhréir le chéile’, ‘d’fhonn comhréiteach a dhéanamh idir a bhfeidhmiú agus riachtanais na maitheasa poiblí’

ARTICLE 44.1 RELIGION

AIRTEAGAL 44.1 CREIDEAMH

TÉACS GAEILGE

Creideamh Admhaíonn an Stát go bhfuil ag dul do Dhia na nUilechumhacht é a adhradh le hómós go poiblí. Beidh urraim ag an Stát dá ainm, agus bhéarfaidh oirmhidin agus onóir do Chreideamh. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Faith/Religion The State acknowledges that to be publicly adored with homage is due to God the Almighty. The State will have veneration for his name, and will give reverence and honour to Religion. ENGLISH TEXT

Religion The State acknowledges that the homage of public worship is due to Almighty God. It shall hold His Name in reverence, and shall respect and honour religion.

Divergences between the official texts 1

2

‘It shall hold His Name in reverence’ is expressed as ‘Beidh urraim ag an Stát dá ainm’ (‘The State will have reverence for his name’) in the Irish text. ‘Shall respect and honour religion’ is expressed as


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‘bhéarfaidh oirmhidin agus onóir do Chreideamh’ (‘will give reverence and honour to Religion’) in the Irish text. While the Irish text – following orthographic convention, according to Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú – does not have initial capitals corresponding to ‘His Name’ of the English text, ‘Creideamh’ (‘religion’) is given an initial capital in the Irish text only in the section itself. ‘The homage of public worship’ is expressed in the Irish text as ‘é a adhradh le hómós go poiblí’, ‘he be worshipped with homage publicly’.

Note that subsections 2o and 3o of Article 44.1 of the Constitution were deleted by the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution Act, 1972, Article 41.1 originally being Article 41.1.1o. These subsections read as follows: 2o The State recognises the special position of the Holy Catholic Apostolic and Roman Church as the guardian of the Faith professed by the great majority of the citizens. Admhuigheann an Stát an chéim fá leith atá ag an Naomh-Eaglais Chatoiliceach Aspalda Rómhánach ós í is caomhnaidhe don Chreideamh atá ag árd-urmhór na saoránach. 3o The State also recognises the Church of Ireland, the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, the Methodist Church in Ireland, the Religious Society of Friends in Ireland, as well as the Jewish Congregations and the other religious denominations existing in Ireland at the date of the coming into operation of this Constitution. Admhuigheann an Stát, fairis sin, Eaglais na hÉireann, an Eaglais Phresbitéarach i nÉirinn, an Eaglais Mhetoidisteach i nÉirinn, Creideamh-Chumann na gCarad i nÉirinn, mar aon leis na Pobail Iúdacha agus na haicmí eile creidimh atá i nÉirinn lá an Bunreacht so do theacht i ngníomh.

Commentary do Chreideamh ‘Creideamh’ is translated as ‘belief, faith; religion, creed’ in Ó Dónaill, citing ‘duine a thabhairt chun creidimh, to bring someone to the faith; to bring someone round to one’s point of view’ and ‘saoirse chreidimh, religious freedom’. Dinneen translates ‘creideamh’ as ‘faith, belief, religion, creed; act of believing’. Old Irish ‘creitem’ is the verbal noun of ‘creitid’, which verb is translated as ‘believes, trusts; gives allegiance, homage’, and absolutely as ‘accepts the faith, is converted’, in DIL. ‘Inchretem’ glosses Latin ‘fides’ in the ninth-century Milan Glosses on the Commentary on the Psalms. DIL translates ‘creitem’ as (a) ‘act of believing, act of coming to believe; being converted’ and (b) ‘belief, faith (Christian) religion’. Note that Old Irish ‘credo’/‘crédo’(?), ‘creed’, comes from Latin ‘credo’ – see DIL s.v. ‘créda’ – with both Irish ‘creitid’ and Latin ‘credo’ coming from the same Indo-European root, meaning originally ‘of the heart’. We also find ‘reiligiún’ in the Acts, particularly if ‘faith’ and ‘religion’ occur together. ‘According to the rights of the religion to which they belonged’ is translated as ‘de réir deasghnátha a reiligiúin’ in Article 17 of the First Schedule to the Geneva Conventions Act, 1962, with ‘the religion of the deceased’ being translated as ‘reiligiún an mhairbh’. In s1 of Article 3 of the Third Schedule, ‘without any adverse distinction founded on race, colour, religion

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or faith’ is translated as ‘gan aon idirdhealú leatromach mar gheall ar chine, dath, reiligiún nó creideamh’. Finally, in s23(5)(b) of the Street and House to House Collections Act, 1962, ‘held in accordance with the laws, canons and ordinances of the religion concerned’ is translated as ‘a sheolfar de réir dlíthe, canónacha agus deasghnátha an chóras creidimh lena mbaineann’. Commenting on ‘don Chreideamh’ in a draft of the direct translation below, Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú remarks that ‘an creideamh’ means a particular type of religion, e.g. ‘an creideamh Caitliceach’, etc., with ‘níor chaill sé riamh an creideamh’ referring to a particular religion. Professor Ó Murchú does admit, however, that ‘do Chreideamh’ is somewhat unnatural. ag dul do Ó Dónaill gives ‘be due to, deserve’ as a secondary sense of ‘téigh do’, citing ‘an tsuim atá ag dul dom, the sum that is due to me’ and ‘tá an méid sin ar a laghad ag dul duit, you are entitled to that much at least’. DIL cites ‘is d’ollamhain … téid a ghuala’ (‘an ollam [chief poet / professor] has the right to sit by the king’s side’), from a miscellaneous collection of Classical Irish poetry, as an example of the phrase ‘téit do’ in the sense of ‘is given to’. ‘Without payment of any sum which is due to the Minister’ is translated as ‘gan aon suim a íoc a bheidh dlite don Aire’ in s174(4) of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 1981, with ‘annual leave is due to him in respect of the current leave year’ being translated as ‘saoire bhliantúil a bheidh dlite dó i leith na bliana saoire reatha’ in s5(1)(b) of the Holidays (Employees) Act, 1973. In s19(1)(a) of the Enforcement of Law (Occasional Powers) Act, 1924, ‘that any debt is due to the creditor under a judgement of a competent court’ is translated as ‘ar aon fhiacha bheith dlite don bhfiach-éilitheoir fé bhreithiúntas a thug cúirt inniúil’. na nUilechumhacht The standard Irish form of the plural of ‘cumhacht’ is ‘cumhachtaí’. Ó Dónaill translates ‘uilechumhacht’ as ‘omnipotence’, giving no plural form of this noun, citing ‘Dia Uilechumhachtach, God Almighty’ s.v. ‘dia’ – see the commentary on Article 12.8. DIL cites ‘oen Dia uli-chumachtach’ and ‘uli-cumachtaig in talmhan’ from the Passions and Homilies from the Leabhar Breac (a manuscript compiled in 1411 or earlier), as examples of ‘uile-chumactach’ (‘omnipotent’) as both adjective and noun. ‘I swear by Almighty God’ is translated as ‘Bheirim Dia Uilechumhachtach’ in s39(2) of the First Schedule to the European Assembly Elections Act, 1977, for example, with ‘Bheirim-se Dia na nUile-chomhacht’ being found in s21(2) of the Referendum Act, 1942, and ‘Bheirim-se Dia Uile-chomhachtach’ being found in s29(2) of the Electoral Act, 1923. a adhradh ‘Adhradh’ is the verbal noun of ‘adhair’, translated as ‘adore, worship’ in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘Dia a adhradh, to adore God’ and ‘d’adhair siad íola, they worshipped idols’. Dinneen translates ‘adhraim’ as ‘I adore, venerate, reverence’. ‘Adraid’ comes from Latin ‘adorare’ and in Old Irish is generally treated as a compound verb, ‘ad-or’ (with short o), but sometimes as a simple verb, according to DIL, translating that headword as ‘adores, worships’ and citing ‘adrat Dia’ (‘let them worship God’),


A study of the Irish text

from the eighth-century Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles, along with the following lines from Fíacc’s Hymn in honour of St Patrick, written c. AD 800: ‘túatha adortais síde / ní creitset in fírdeacht’ (‘the peoples used to worship síde: / they believed not the true Godhead’). ‘In so far as it requires the church not to be used as a place of public worship’ is translated as ‘a mhéid a cheanglaíonn sé nach n-úsáidfear an eaglais mar áit adhartha poiblí’ in s3 of the Holycross Abbey (County Tipperary) Act, 1969. In s9(c) of the Finance Act, 1923, ‘any building used solely for the purpose of divine worship’ is translated as ‘(ar) fhoirgneamh ná húsáidtear ach chun Dia d’adhra ann’, with ‘that the premises are in close proximity to a place of worship’ being translated as ‘go bhfuil an t-áitreabh ana-chomhgarach d’áit adhartha Dé’ in s8(c) of the Betting Act, 1926. urraim This headword is translated as ‘respect, esteem; deferential regard’ in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘urraim a bheith agat duit féin, to have respect for oneself’ and ‘tá urraim mhór dó, he is held in high esteem’. Dinneen translates ‘urraim’ as ‘honour, respect, homage, veneration, regard, indulgence’, citing ‘tabhair urraim do’n aois, honour old age’ and ‘le h-urraim do, through veneration for’. ‘Airraim’ is a compound of ‘air’ + ‘réim’, according to DIL, where this headword is translated as ‘deference, respect’. De Bhaldraithe translates ‘to hold someone in reverence’ as ‘modh agus urraim a thabhairt do dhuine’, this Irish phrase being translated as ‘to honour and respect someone’ in Ó Dónaill, ‘modh’ itself being translated as ‘honour, respect’. Note that ‘respect’ occurs in the following clause in the present Article and is expressed as ‘oirmhidin’, which headword is generally translated as ‘reverence’, as well as ‘respect’ – see below. De Bhaldraithe, for example, translates ‘he is held in great honour’ as ‘tá urraim mhór dó’, using the same noun ‘urraim’ as he does in translating ‘held in reverence’. ‘Carefully search for and remove with all due reverence … all human Remains found in the Peter Street Huguenot Cemetary’ is translated as ‘Cuardach cúramach a dhéanamh do na Taisí daonna go léir a gheofar i Reilig na nÚgóineach i Sráid Pheadair agus iad a aistriú leis an urraim uile is cuí’ in s4(b) of the Schedule to the Huguenot Cemetery Dublin (Peter Street) Act, 1966. oirmhidin This headword is translated as ‘honour, respect, reverence’ in Ó Dónaill, following the abbreviation for senses found in earlier Irish literature, with ‘oirmhidin Dé’ translated as ‘the reverence due to God’. ‘Oirmhinneach’ is used as an ecclesiastical title or form of address, and translates English ‘Reverend’. ‘Oirmhidin’ is translated as ‘dignity, respectability, honour, veneration, reverence’ in Dinneen, who cites ‘dlighidh eagna oirmhidin, wisdom demands respect’. DIL cites ‘ní tartisset airmitin Dé’ (‘they have not shown the reverence due to God’) from the eighth-century Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles, along with ‘co n-onóir. co n-airmitin’ from a text probably composed in the eleventh century, ‘Scéal Lái Brátha’ (‘Tidings of Doomsday’), which is found in the manuscript Leabhar na hUidhre, written in Clonmacnois c. 1100 and now in the Royal Irish Academy, Dublin. See the commentary on Articles 40.3.1o and 42.1 regarding ‘respect’. ‘Each member of the Agency shall respect the international character of this duty’ is translated as ‘Tabharfaidh gach ball den Ghníomhaireacht d’aitheantas

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gur dualgas idirnáisiúnta an dualgas sin’ in Article 33(c) of the Schedule to the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency Act, 1988. In s3(b) of Article IV of the Schedule to the Bretton Woods Agreements (Amendment) Act, 1977, ‘These principles shall respect the domestic, social and political policies of members’ is translated as ‘Tabharfaidh na prionsabail sin aird ar bheartais shóisialta agus pholaitiúla baile comhaltaí’. ‘The civilian population shall respect the wounded and sick’ is translated as ‘Tabharfaidh an pobal sibhialta urraim dá lucht créachtaithe agus breoite sin’ in Article 18 of the First Schedule to the Geneva Conventions Act, 1962. onóir This headword is translated as ‘honour’ in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘onóir a thabhairt do dhuine, to honour, do honour to, someone’, citing ‘duine a onórú, to honour someone’ and ‘na féilte a onórú, to honour, observe, the festivals’, s.v. ‘onóraigh’. Dinneen translates ‘onóir’ as ‘honour, pride, haughtiness; reverence, respect; thrift’, translating ‘onóirim’ as ‘I honour, worship, respect, revere, reverence’. ‘Onóir’ is an early Middle Irish loanword from Latin ‘honorem’, translated as ‘honour, respect (generally of the outward manifestations thereof ), dignity’ in DIL, where ‘dobertsat onóir 7 airmhidin dó’ is cited from the Annals of the Four Masters. ‘To pay, do, honour to someone’ is translated as ‘onóir a thabhairt do dhuine’ in De Bhaldraithe, who translates the verb ‘honour’ as ‘onóraim, tugaim onóir do’. Note that in Article 30 of the 1922 Constitution, ‘on the grounds that they have done honour to the Nation’ is translated as ‘as ucht onóir do bheith déanta acu don Náisiún’. le hómós ‘Ómós’ is translated as ‘homage; reverence, respect’ in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘ómós a thabhairt do dhuine, to do homage to someone; to pay respect to someone’. ‘Ómós’ is translated as ‘homage, respect, obedience’ in Dinneen, who cites ‘réir agus ómós ríogh aige dá fhagháil, enjoying the service and homage due to a monarch’. ‘Fomós’ was an earlier form of this noun, which comes from Middle-English ‘omage’, all the examples of which headword cited in DIL coming from the writings of the seventeenth-century Geoffrey Keating (Séathrún Céitinn). DIL translates ‘fomós’ as ‘homage, obedience’. bhéarfaidh According to the official standard, this would be written as ‘tabharfaidh’ – see the commentary on Article 12.1. The personal pronoun would generally accompany the verb here in the Acts today, i.e. ‘tabharfaidh sé’ (i.e. ‘an Stát’).

Standardised gender-proofed Irish text Creideamh Admhaíonn an Stát go bhfuil adhradh le hómós go poiblí ag dul do Dhia na hUilechumhachta. Beidh urraim ag an Stát d’Ainm Dé, agus tabharfaidh oirmhidin agus onóir do Chreideamh.

Direct gender-proofed translation Greideamh Admhaíonn an Stát go bhfuil ómós an adhartha phoiblí dlite do Dhia Uilechumhachtach. Beidh oirmhidin1 ag an


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Stát d’Ainm Dé, agus tabharfaidh sé urraim agus onóir do chreideamh2.

Variants 1 ‘modh agus urraim’ 2 ‘don chreideamh’, ‘déanfaidh sé creideamh a urramú agus a onórú’

ARTICLE 44.2.1O

AIRTEAGAL 44.2.1O

TÉACS GAEILGE

Ráthaítear do gach saoránach saoirse choinsiasa is saorchead admhála is cleachta creidimh, ach gan san a dhul chun dochair don ord phoiblí ná don mhoráltacht phoiblí. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Freedom of conscience and free licence/liberty to profess and practise religion is guaranteed to every citizen, provided that not be to the detriment of public order nor to public morality. ENGLISH TEXT

Freedom of conscience and the free profession and practice of religion are, subject to public order and morality, guaranteed to every citizen.

Divergences between the official texts 1

2

‘Free profession and practice of religion’ is expressed as ‘saorchead admhála is cleachta creidimh’ (‘free licence to profess and to practise religion’) in the Irish text. ‘Subject to public order and morality’ is expressed as ‘ach gan san a dhul chun dochair don ord phoiblí ná don mhoráltacht phoiblí’ (‘provided that not be to the detriment of public order nor to public morality’) in the Irish text.

Note that Article 8 of the 1922 Constitution reads as follows: Freedom of conscience and the free profession and practice of religion are, subject to public order and morality, guaranteed to every citizen …. Is slán do gach saoránach saoirse choinsiais agus saor-chleachta agus admháil phuiblí chreidimh, ach gan dochar don rialtacht ná don mhoráltacht phuiblí.

Commentary saorchead This compound is translated as ‘full permission’ in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘saorchead a bheith agat le rud a dhéanamh, to be quite at liberty to do something’ and ‘saorchead isteach, free admission’. Dinneen also translates ‘saor-chead’ as ‘full permission’. ‘Any inspector shall be entitled at all reasonable times to enter upon and have free access to the interior of … any premises’ is translated as ‘Beidh teideal ag aon chigire ar gach tráth réasúnta chun dul isteach agus chun saorchead a bheith aige istigh … in aon áitreabh’ in s4(1) of the Agricultural Produce (Eggs) Act, 1924, with ‘and

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shall at all times have free access either collectively or individually to every part of such prison’ being translated as ‘agus beidh saor-chead acu chun dul isteach gach am i ngach páirt den phríosún san le chéile no go haonarach’ in s3(2) of the Prisons (Visiting Committees) Act, 1925. Note that ‘and the works and operations of the Commissioners shall be so constructed as to permit of full and free access to and from the yards’ is translated as ‘agus déanfar oibreacha agus obráidí na gCoimisinéirí i slí is go mbeidh slí iomlán shaor aon uair ina dhiaidh seo chun clósanna’ in s94(2) of the Dundalk Harbour and Port Act, 1925. Note also that ‘free speech’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as being translated as ‘saoirse cainte’ in a Report by the Dáil, ‘saor-chleachta’ translating ‘free exercise’ (reference appears to be inaccurate). a dhul chun dochair Ó Dónaill cites ‘rachaidh sé chun dochair don tír, it will bring harm on the country’. Dinneen translates ‘dochar’ as ‘misfortune, hardship, damage, harm, hurt, loss, mischief; debit’. DIL cites ‘do mharbhus duine óg chum mo dhochair féin’ (‘I have slain a young man to my hurt’) from a seventeenth-century translation of Genesis iv. 23, translating ‘dochar’ as ‘disadvantage, hurt, loss, injury, misery’, ‘dochar’ being a compound of the prefix ‘do-’ + ‘cor’. ‘Dochar’ had the sense of ‘unfair or disadvantagous contract’ in early Irish laws – see Fergus Kelly, op. cit., p. 307. ‘Gan dochar’ is translated as ‘without prejudice’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘Subject to’ is translated as ‘faoi réir’ in Téarmaí Dlí – see the commentary on Article 12.5, where ‘faoi chuimsiú’ expresses ‘subject to’, as it does in the Constitution in general. Note that ‘all royalties … , subject to any trusts … then existing in respect thereof’ is translated as ‘gach rí-chíos … gan dochar d’aon mhuinighneachas … do bhí an uair sin ann’ in Article 11 of the 1922 Constitution, with ‘subject as hereinafter provided’ being translated as ‘gan dochar dá bhforáltar ’na dhiaidh seo’ in s1(2) of the Summer Time Act, 1924. Regarding ‘public morality’ in the Acts, ‘would be for the benefit of an object which is unlawful or contrary to public morality’ is translated as ‘ag dul chun tairbhe do chuspóir atá neamhdhleathach nó atá contrártha don mhoráltacht phoiblí’ in s9(b) of the Street and House to House Collection Act, 1962. In s7(3) of the Censorship of Films Act, 1923, ‘to prevent the exhibition of the picture in public being subversive of public morality’ is translated as ‘chun taisbeáint an phictiúra don phuiblíocht do chosc ar an moráltacht phuiblí do mhille’. saoirse choinsiasa ‘Saoirse coinsiasa’ is translated as ‘liberty of conscience’ in Ó Dónaill, who also cites ‘saoirse cainte, freedom of speech’. See the commentary on Articles 15.10 and 40.4.1o regarding ‘saoirse’. ‘Coinsias’ is an English loanword, the earliest example of which is found in Desiderius (Flaithrí Ó Maolchonaire’s version of the Spanish book El Desseoso), published in Louvain in 1616. Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú remarks that, on the evidence of the pronunciation of this word in Munster, it existed in Irish long before the seventeenth century. In s97(2) of the Defence Forces (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923, ‘that the oath has no binding effect upon the conscience of such person’ is translated as ‘ná cuirfeadh an mionn aon cheangal ar choinsias an duine sin’. ‘Was vested in or capable of being exercised by the Court of


A study of the Irish text

Conscience’ is translated as ‘a bhí dílsithe no infheidhmithe … sa Chúirt Choinsiais no aici’ in s78 of the Courts of Justice Act, 1924. ‘As they result from the usages established among civilised peoples, from the laws of humanity and the dictates of the public conscience’ is translated as ‘mar a leanann siad as an ngnáthamh atá bunaithe i measc pobal sibhialta agus as dlíthe na daonnachta agus mar is dual de réir choinsias an phobail’ in Article 158 of the Fourth Schedule to the Geneva Conventions Act, 1962, with ‘in acccordance with their religious conscience’ being translated as ‘de réir a gcoinsiasa creidimh’ in Article 35 of the Third Schedule. admhála ‘Admháil’ is translated as ‘acknowledgement’, ‘confession’ and ‘receipt (i.e. for money, etc.)’ in Téarmaí Dlí, where ‘fógra ag iarraidh fíorais (doiciméid, etc.) a admháil’ is translated as ‘notice to admit facts (documents, etc.)’ and ‘admhaím’ is translated as ‘I acknowledge; I confess’. ‘Admháil’ is translated as ‘acknowledgement, admission’ in Ó Donaill, who translates ‘admháil creidimh’ as ‘profession of faith’, citing ‘admhaím mo chreideamh, I confess, profess, my faith’ s.v. ‘admhaigh’. ‘Admháil’ is translated as ‘act of confessing, admitting; acknowledgment, confession; receipt for payment’ in Dinneen, who translates ‘admhuighim’ as ‘I confess, admit, acknowledge’. DIL translates ‘atmáil’, late verbal noun of ‘ad-daim’, as ‘act of confessing, admitting, acknowledging; confession, admission’. DIL gives examples of ‘ad-daim’ (‘acknowledges, admits, concedes, confesses’) from the ninth-century St Gall Glosses on Priscian onwards, citing ‘gach duine … admhuigheas … teagasg … Íosa Críosd’ from Donlevy’s An Teagasg Críosduidhe, 1742, where we find ‘admhaigh’ in the sense of ‘profess’. See further the commentary on the Preamble. De Bhaldraithe translates ‘profess’ as ‘admhaím (mo chreideamh, etc.), dearbhaím’, translating ‘profession of faith’ as ‘admháil chreidimh’. ‘A person who does not profess the creed of the religious denomination to which such child belongs’ is translated as ‘duine ná géileann do chreideamh na haicme creidimh dar díobh an leanbh san’ in s51(1)(a) of the Public Assistance Act, 1939. ‘Members of regular armed forces who profess allegiance to a Government’ is translated as ‘Comhaltaí d’fhórsaí armtha rialta a dhearbhaíonn go bhfuil siad faoi ghéillsine ag Rialtas’ in s3 of Article 13 of the First Schedule to the Geneva Conventions Act, 1962. Note, finally, that ‘has amongst its professed objects, or advocates or encourages, or professes to encourage the overthrow by force of the Government of Saorstát Éireann’ is translated as ‘go bhfuil ar a chuspóirí admhuithe no go molann sé no go misníonn sé no go ndeir sé go misníonn sé Rialtas Shaorstáit Éireann do threascairt le láimh láidir’ in s4(1) of the Public Safety Act, 1927. don ord phoiblí Regarding the lenition of the adjective following a masculine noun in the dative singular, see the commentary on Article 45. ‘If he is satisfied that it is in the interests of public order or security or safety to do so’ is translated as ‘más deimhin leis an Aire gur chóir déanamh amhlaidh ar mhaithe le dea-ord poiblí nó slándáil nó sábháilteacht’ in s10(1) of the Air Navigation and Transport Act, 1988. See further the commentary on Article 38.3.1o.

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Standardised Irish text Ráthaítear do gach saoránach saoirse coinsiasa is saorchead admhála is cleachta creidimh, ach gan sin a dhul chun dochair don ord poiblí ná don mhoráltacht phoiblí.

Direct translation Déantar, faoi réir an oird phoiblí agus na moráltachta poiblí, saoirse coinsiasa agus saoradmháil agus saorchleachtadh creidimh1 a ráthú do gach saoránach.

Variants 1 ‘saoirse admhála agus cleachta creidimh’

ARTICLE 44.2.2O

AIRTEAGAL 44.2.2O

TÉACS GAEILGE

Ráthaíonn an Stát gan aon chóras creidimh a mhaoiniú. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

The State guarantees not to endow any system of faith/ religion. ENGLISH TEXT

The State guarantees not to endow any religion.

Divergences between the official texts 1

‘Any religion’ is expressed as ‘aon chóras creidimh’ (‘any system of faith/religion’) in the Irish text.

Note the following in Article 8 of the 1922 Constitution: … and no law may be made either directly or indirectly to endow any religion …. agus ní déanfar aon dlí go díreach ná go mí-dhíreach chun maoin do bhronna ar aon chreideamh.

Commentary aon chóras creidimh ‘Córas’ is translated as ‘system’ in Ó Dónaill, where ‘córas craolacháin’ and ‘córas oideachais’ are translated respectively as ‘broadcasting system’ and ‘educational system’. Dinneen translates ‘córas’ as ‘legal or customary system; policy; organisation’, citing ‘córas béascna, social system’ and ‘córas eaglasta, ecclesiastical system’. ‘Córus’ is based on ‘cóir’ and literally means ‘justness, rightness, proper arrangement, propriety’, according to DIL, with the sense of ‘prescribed arrangement, regulation(s), rightness, law, due’ in legal contexts. Fergus Kelly translates ‘córus’ as ‘regulation’ in his Guide to Early Irish Law, translating the title of an early Irish law-tract dealing mainly with the mutual obligations of clergy and laity, ‘Córus Béscnai’, as ‘the regulation of proper behaviour’ (p. 267) and translates ‘Córus Aithni’, the title of a short Old Irish text on deposits, as ‘regulation of deposit’ (p. 278). DIL cites ‘cin fis corusa creitme’ (‘… religious rite, system’) from a commentary on an early Irish law-tract, along with ‘inda lemm, romba sí córus na


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creitme’ (‘[I thought] that that was an integral part of the faith’), said by Oengus to St Patrick when injured by the saint’s crozier during his baptism, from the Tripartite Life of Patrick, composed at the end of the ninth or beginning of the tenth century.

LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

a mhaoiniú ‘Maoinigh’ is translated as ‘finance, endow’ in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘ospidéal a mhaoiniú, to endow a hospital’. Dinneen translates ‘maoinighim’ as ‘I make rich, improve, finance, give gifts to’. The meaning of the earlier ‘maínigid’ is uncertain, according to DIL, where it is translated as ‘perhaps treats as a “maín”, treasures, hence keeps, conserves, takes care of, maintains?’ Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú refers to a note on this term by Damian McManus in Ériu xxxvi (1985). ‘Endowment policy’ is translated as ‘polasaí dearlaice’ in Téarmaí Dlí. De Bhaldraithe translates ‘endow’ as ‘bronnaim (someone with something, rud ar dhuine), dearlacaim’, translating ‘he was endowed with great talents’ as ‘bhronn Dia buanna móra air’. The verb ‘dearlaic’ is translated as ‘grant, bestow’ in Ó Dónaill, the noun ‘dearlaic’ being translated as ‘endowment’. ‘Establish and endow … chairs and lectureships in any university’ is translated as ‘cathaoireacha agus léachtóireachtaí a bhunú agus a dhearlacadh in aon ollscoil’ in s8(a) of the Turf Development Act, 1990, with ‘cathaoireacha agus léachtóireachtaí a bhunú agus a mhaoiniú’ being found in s1 of the Turf Development Act, 1958. Note that ‘endowed schools’ is translated as ‘scoileanna fé bhronntanas’ in s1(v) of the Ministers and Secretaries Act, 1924, with ‘the Office of the Commissioners for managing certain School Endowments in Ireland’ being translated as ‘Oifig na gCoimisinéirí chun Brontanaisí áirithe Scoile in Éirinn do bhainistí’ in Schedule B (No. 54) to the Appropriation Act, 1923. Commenting on ‘a dhearlacadh’ translating ‘to endow’ in a draft of the direct translation below, Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú remarks that ‘dearlaic’ is not a very common word but on the evidence it means ‘grant, bestow’, as we see in Ó Dónaill above. Professor Ó Murchú refers to ‘dearlaig dod shearbhfoghantaibh an tsíothcháin’ from Parrthas an Anma (l. 4170), printed in 1645. ‘Aon chreideamh a dhearlacadh’ would have the same sense as ‘aon chreideamh a bhronnadh’, according to Professor Ó Murchú, who recommends maintaining ‘a mhaoiniú’ in the direct translation below.

ENGLISH TEXT

Direct translation Ráthaíonn an Stát gan aon chreideamh a mhaoiniú1.

Variant

The State is not permitted to put a person under any disability nor to make any distinction because of faith/ religion or profession of faith or standing in matters of faith.

The State shall not impose any disabilities or make any discrimination on the ground of religious profession, belief or status.

Divergences between the official texts 1

2

3

‘Religious profession, belief or status’ is expressed as ‘creideamh nó admháil chreidimh nó céim i gcúrsaí creidimh’ (‘religion/faith or profession of faith or standing in matters of faith’) in the Irish text, ‘creideamh’ expressing both ‘belief’ and, in the genitive singular, ‘religious’. ‘Impose any disabilities’ is expressed in the Irish text as ‘neach a chur faoi mhíchumas’, ‘put a person under disability’. ‘Shall not’ is expressed as ‘Ní cead’ (‘It is not permitted’) in the Irish text, as in some other Articles.

J.M. Kelly, op. cit., p. 209, reports as follows on reference made to this Article in the courts: In Quinn’s Supermarket Ltd. v Attorney General ([1972] IR 1) Walsh J said it was quite clear from the Irish text (“ní cead don Stát neach a chur faoi mhí-chumas ar bith…”) that this provision was “aimed at preventing the imposition of a personal, or perhaps even a corporate, disability”. It was argued in this case that the discrimination forbidden by the sub-section should be construed as if it read “discrimination against”, but Walsh J rejected this submission, pointing to the general formulation of the Irish version “ná aon idirdhealú a dhéanamh” in confirmation of his view. In the High Court McLoughlin J had cited the Irish text for the same purpose. In M. v An Bord Uchtála ([1975] IR 81; (1975) 109 ILTR 62) Pringle J cited from Walsh J in the Quinn’s Supermarket case the passages just referred to. In Mulloy v Minister for Education ([1975] IR 88), where the plaintiff objected to a regulation which excluded him from an increment benefit because the service concerned had been given while he was not a layman (but a priest), Butler J considered the word “céim” in order to elucidate the word “status”, and, in concluding that “status” was “something other than a question of religious profession or religious belief”, observed that this difference is even more clearly stressed in the Irish text where the disjunctive “nó” is repeated, viz. “… ná aon idirdhealú do dhéanamh mar gheall ar chreideamh nó admháil chreidimh nó céim i gcúrsaibh creidimh”.

1 ‘a dhearlacadh’

Note that Article 8 of the 1922 Constitution contains the following:

ARTICLE 44.2.3

O

AIRTEAGAL 44.2.3

O

… or impose any disability on account of religious belief or religious status …. ná aon mhí-ábaltacht do chur air mar gheall ar a thuairim ná a chéim a gcúrsaí creidimh.

TÉACS GAEILGE

Ní cead don Stát neach a chur faoi mhíchumas ar bith ná aon idirdhealú a dhéanamh mar gheall ar chreideamh nó admháil chreidimh nó céim i gcúrsaí creidimh.

Commentary faoi mhíchumas ‘Míchumas’ is translated as ‘disability’ and ‘disablement’ in Téarmaí Dlí, with the verb ‘mí-


A study of the Irish text

chumasaím’ translated as ‘I disable’. Ó Dónaill gives ‘disability’ as the secondary sense of ‘míchumas’, preceded by the abbreviation for ‘Jurisprudence’, the primary sense being ‘inability, incapacity; disablement’. Dinneen translates ‘mí-chumas’ as ‘incapacity, inability’. It is a compound of ‘cumas’ and the perjorative particle ‘mí-’, this particle possibly originally a comparative ‘mis’ (‘less’), akin to the second syllable of Latin ‘nimis’ – see DIL s.v. ‘mí-’. See the commentary on Articles 16.1.1o and 16.1.3o where ‘míchumas’ expresses ‘disability’, as in the current Article. We see above that ‘mí-ábaltacht’ translates ‘disability’ in the 1922 Constitution, with ‘Grád na míábaltachta do mheas’ translating ‘Assessment of degree of disability’ in the Margin Title of s8 of the Army Pensions Act, 1927. ‘The said Governing Body shall in respect of the executive of such authorised race-course take such disciplinary action and impose such disabilities and penalties as they consider proper’ is translated as ‘déanfaidh an Comhlucht Rialúcháin sin maidir le feadhmannach an rás-chúrsa údaraithe sin pé gníomh smachta do chur i bhfeidhm agus pé éagumais agus pionóis d’fhorchur is dóigh leo is ceart’ in s40(4) of the Racing Board and Racecourses Act, 1945. ‘The Executive Committee of the Club may take or authorise the taking of disciplinary action, including the imposition of disabilities in relation to participating in greyhound breeding’ is translated as ‘Féadfaidh Coiste Feidhmiúcháin an Chlub gníomh araíonachta a dhéanamh, nó a údarú go ndéanfar gníomh araíonachta, ar a n-áirítear míchumais a fhorchur, maidir le bheith páirteach i síolrú’ in s15 of the Schedule to the Greyhound Industry Act, 1958. Finally, ‘and the cemetery shall be held by the Company freed and discharged from all ecclesiastical, charitable and other Trusts, uses, purposes, obligations, disabilities, and restrictions whatsoever’ is translated as ‘agus teachtfaidh an Chuideachta an reilig saor agus urscaoilte ó gach Iontaobhas, úsáid, críoch, oibleagáid, míchumas, agus srian ar bith, eaglasta, carthanúil agus eile’ in s4 of the Huguenot Cemetery Dublin (Peter Street) Act, 1966. Commenting on the direct translation below of ‘The State shall not impose any disabilities’ as ‘Ní dhéanfaidh an Stát aon mhíchumais a fhorchur’, Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú remarks that ‘forchur’ is not sufficiently rooted (Ó Dónaill does not have it as a headword, for example) that it can be so readily used. Professor Ó Murchú recommends returning to ‘aon mhíchumas a chur ar neach’ or ‘míchumas a chur ar aon duine’. mar gheall ar chreideamh See the commentary on Articles 27.3 and 40.4.2o where ‘ábhar’ and ‘foras’ respectively express ‘ground’. ‘On ground of hardship’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as being translated as ‘mar gheall ar cruatan’ in translations for the Department of Justice, with ‘de dheascaibh droch-shláinte’ translating ‘on the grounds of ill-health’ in Iris Oifigiúil, 1924, p. 918. ‘And to which the parent of the child does not object on religious grounds to send the child’ is translated as ‘agus ná fuil tuismitheoir an leinbh, ar chúiseanna creidimh, i gcoinnibh an leanbh do chur chúichi’ in s4(2)(c) of the School Attendance Act, 1926. Finally, as regards ‘religious’ in early Acts, ‘any solemn declaration which under this Act may be made by any person who states he has no religious belief’ is translated

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as ‘aon fhaisnéis sholamanta a fhéadfidh éinne adeir ná fuil aon chreideamh aige a dhéanamh fén Acht so’ in s3(28) of the Defence Forces (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923. ‘On ground of’ is translated as ‘ar fhoras’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘On the ground that he has no religious belief or that the taking of an oath is contrary to his religious belief’ is translated as ‘ar an bhforas nach bhfuil aon chreideamh aige nó go bhfuil sé in aghaidh a chreidimh mionn a ghlacadh’ in s39(2) of the First Schedule to the European Assembly Elections Act, 1977. Looking specifically at ‘religious’, ‘would be contrary to his religious beliefs or principles’ is translated as ‘dá mbeadh sé contrártha do chreideamh nó do phrionsabail creidimh an duine sin’ in s2(4) of the Meath (Homes for Incapacitated Persons) Act, 1964. ‘A juror who states that he has a religious belief but that he is neither a Christian or a Jew’ is translated as ‘coisteoir adeir go bhfuil creideamh aige ach nách Críostaí ná Giúdach é’ in s53(4) of the Juries Act, 1927. Finally, ‘Protection of the religious creed of children’ is translated as ‘Creideamh leanbhaí do chaomhnadh’ in the Margin Title of s51 of the Public Assistance Act, 1939. Commenting on ‘ar fhoras admhála creidimh’ in a draft of the direct translation below, Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú remarks that, like ‘forchuir’ above, this use of ‘foras’ in the sense of ‘cúis’ is not sufficiently known to enable one to readily make sense of this phrase; Ó Dónaill only recognises it in the structure ‘ar an bhforas go’. Again Máirtín Ó Murchú recommends returning to ‘mar gheall ar’ or using ‘ar bhonn’ as an alternative. Professor Ó Murchú recommends ‘ar bhonn creidimh, nó creideamh a admháil, nó ar bhonn stádais creidimh’ as a translation of the final clause. céim i gcúrsaí creidimh ‘Degree’ and ‘rank’ are two of the secondary senses of ‘céim’ in Ó Dónaill, the principal one being ‘step’. In the sense of ‘rank’, Ó Dónaill cites ‘do chéim sa saol, one’s station in life’. Dinneen includes ‘grade; degree (in education, physics, navigation, etc.); … position, dignity, fame, rank’ among the senses of ‘céim’. ‘Céim’, verbal noun of ‘cingid’, is cited by DIL in the sense of ‘dignity, rank, degree’ in the ninth-century Milan Glosses on the Commentary on the Psalms, where ‘hí céim’ glosses Latin ‘in gradum dignitatis’. We see above how ‘céim’ translates ‘status’ in this context in the 1922 Constitution, with ‘céim’ translating ‘status’ in Iris an Phuist, 2/11/27, also. In s48 of the Local Government Act, 1925, ‘shall not be deemed … to deprive him of the status of a pensionable officer’ is translated as ‘Ní tuigfear … status oifigigh inphinsin do bheith bainte d’oifigeach’, with ‘professional status or qualification’ being translated as ‘status no cáilíocht ghairme do bheith aige’. ‘Where a person is treated, by reference to his marital or family status, less favourably than a person of the other sex with the same status’ is translated as ‘má dhéileáiltear le duine faoi threoir a stádais phósta nó teaghlaigh, le níos lú fabhair ná mar a dhéileáltar le duine den ghnéas eile a bhfuil an stádas céanna aige’ in s67(3)(b) of the Pensions Act, 1990, for example. ‘Any body of persons having consultative status with the United Nations Organisation’ is translated as ‘(maidir le) haon chomhlacht daoine ag a bhfuil stádas comhairleach le hEagraíocht na Náisiún Aontaithe’ in s20 of the Finance Act, 1973. The ‘International Health Bodies (Corporate Status) Act, 1971’ is cited in Irish as ‘an tAcht um Chomhlachtaí Idirnáisiúnta


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Sláinte (Stádas Corpraithe), 1971’, with ‘the Married Women’s Status Act, 1957’ being cited in Irish as ‘an tAcht um Stádas Ban Pósta, 1957’. Finally, ‘to imperil the neutral status of the State’ is translated as ‘is trúig baoil do neodracht an Stáit’ in the Sixth Schedule to the Defence Forces (Temporary Provisions) (No. 2) Act, 1940. Note finally that ‘stádas sibhialta’ is cited in Ó Dónaill, where it is translated as ‘civil status’. creidimh Regarding ‘belief’ in the Acts, ‘That no minister … shall preach maintain propagate or teach therein any doctrine or practice contrary to the statement of belief contained in the constitution for the time being’ is translated as ‘ná déanfidh aon mhinistéir … aon teagasc ná cleachta do sheanmóin, do chraobhscaoile, do theagasc ná seasamh leis a bheidh contrárdha don ráiteas creidimh a bheidh sa chórú de thurus na huaire’ in the Preamble to the Methodist Church in Ireland Act, 1928. See the commentary on Articles 42.1 and 44.1 regarding ‘creideamh’. ní cead One of the ways ‘shall not’ is expressed in the Constitution – see the commentary on Article 9.1.3o. neach See the commentary on Article 40.4.2o. o

idirdhealú See the commentary on Article 40.6.2 .

Direct translation Ní dhéanfaidh an Stát aon mhíchumais1 a fhorchur2 ná ní dhéanfaidh sé aon idirdhealú ar fhoras creidimh, admhála creidimh nó stádais creidimh3.

Variants 1 ‘aon mhíchumas’ 2 ‘Ní fhorchuirfidh an Stát aon mhíchumais’, ‘Ní dhéanfaidh an Stát aon mhíchumais a chur ar neach / ar aon duine’ 3 ‘ar bhonn creidimh, nó creideamh a admháil, nó ar bhonn stádais creidimh’, ‘ar fhoras admhála creidimh, creidimh nó stádais creidimh’

ARTICLE 44.2.4O

AIRTEAGAL 44.2.4O

TÉACS GAEILGE

Reachtaíocht lena gcuirtear cúnamh Stáit ar fáil do scoileanna ní cead idirdhealú a dhéanamh inti idir scoileanna atá faoi bhainistí aicmí creidimh seachas a chéile ná í do dhéanamh dochair do cheart aon linbh chun scoil a gheibheann airgead poiblí a fhreastal gan teagasc creidimh sa scoil sin a fhreastal. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Legislation by which State aid is provided for schools it is not permitted to discriminate in it between schools which are under the management of some religious classes rather than others / one or other religious group or for it to do harm to the right of any child to attend a school which gets public money and not attend religious instruction in that school. ENGLISH TEXT

Legislation providing State aid for schools shall not discriminate between schools under the management of

Bunreacht na hÉireann

different religious denominations, nor be such as to affect prejudicially the right of any child to attend a school receiving public money without attending religious instruction at that school.

Divergences between the official texts 1

2

3

‘Different religious denominations’ is expressed as ‘aicmí creidimh seachas a chéile’ (‘some religious classes rather than others’) in the Irish text. ‘Legislation .. shall not discriminate’ is expressed in the Irish text as ‘ní cead idirdhealú a dhéanamh inti’, ‘it is not permitted to discriminate in it (legislation)’, with ‘shall not’ being expressed as ‘ní cead’ (‘it is not permitted’), as in the previous subsection. ‘(Legislation … shall not) … be such as to affect prejudicially’ is expressed as ‘í do dhéanamh dochair do’, ‘(Legislation … shall not) … do harm to’, in the Irish text.

Note that Article 8 of the 1922 Constitution contains the following: … or affect prejudicially the right of any child to attend a school receiving public money without attending the religious instruction at the school, or make any discrimination as respects State aid between schools under the management of different religious demoninations …. ná baint go díobhálach ó cheart aon leinbh dul chun scoile atá ag fáil airgid phuiblí i dtaobh gan é bheith láithreach ag an dteagasc chreidimh sa scoil sin, ná chun aon deifríocht do dhéanamh i dtaobh cabhrach Stáit idir scoileanna fé bhainisteoireacht lucht chreidimh dheifriúla.

Commentary aicmí creidimh ‘Aicme’ is translated as ‘genus, class’, ‘family, tribe’ and ‘set, clique’ in Ó Dónaill, as ‘a sort or kind, a class, a family, a race, a tribe; in a deprecating sense, a gang; a battalion’ in Dinneen and as ‘race, family, tribe; genus, class’ in DIL – see the commentary on Article 40.6.2o. ‘Denominaton’, on the other hand, is translated as ‘ainmniúchán’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘Roinn (creidimh)’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as translating ‘(religious) denomination’ in translations for the Department of Industry and Commerce. ‘A person in Holy Orders or a regular minister of any religious denomination or community’ is translated as ‘(do) dhuine in Ord Beannaithe nó do mhinister rialta de chuid aon sainaicme nó cuallacht crábhaidh’ in s19 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1979. ‘A person who does not profess the creed of the religious denomination to which such child belongs’ is translated as ‘duine ná géilleann do chreideamh na haicme creidimh dar díobh an leanbh san’ in s51(1)(a) of the Public Assistance Act, 1939, with ‘duine ar bith d’aon aicme Phrotastúnach’ translating ‘no person of any Protestant denomination’ in s4 of the Erasmus Smith Schools Act, 1938. We find ‘an aicme creidimh’ translating ‘the religious denomination’ in s6 of the Marriages Act, 1972, for example. ‘Sainaicme creidimh’ would appear to have been introduced by the Local Elections (Petitions and Disqualifications) Act, 1974, in s24(a) of which ‘a minister of any religious denomination’ is translated as ‘ministir d’aon sainaicme creidimh’.


A study of the Irish text

seachas a chéile Ó Dónaill cites ‘ní mholaim aon cheann acu seachas a chéile, I don’t recommend any one of them more than another’ and Dinneen cites ‘is deacair ceann do thoghadh seachas a chéile, it is hard to choose between them’. Looking at ‘different’ in early Acts, ‘Separate orders may be made at different times under this section for the postponement of the statutory elections to different classes of councils or other local bodies and different dates may be prescribed for the holding of such postponed elections’ is translated as ‘Féadfar orduithe ar leithligh do dhéanamh ar uairibh éagsúla fén alt so chun na toghacháin reachtúla chun saghasanna éagsúla comhairlí no cóluchtaí áitiúla eile do chur ar ath-ló agus féadfar dátaí éagsúla do cheapa chun comóra na dtoghachán san a cuirfear ar ath-ló’ in s2(2) of the Local Elections (Postponement) Act, 1922. ‘Separate ballot papers of different and distinctive colours’ is translated as ‘páipéirí ballóide fé leith agus dath so-aitheanta fé leith ortha’ in s5 of the Seventh Schedule to the Electoral Act, 1923, with ‘Voting in different districts’ being translated as ‘Vótáil i gceanntair dheifriúla’ in the Margin Title of s23 of the First Schedule. cúnamh Stáit ‘Cúnamh’ is translated as ‘help’ in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘cúnamh airgid, financial help’ and ‘cúnamh dífhostaíochta, unemployment assistance’. ‘Congnamh airgid’ is translated as ‘subsidy’ in Dinneen, who translates ‘congnamh dlighidh’ as ‘legal assistance’. ‘Congnam’ is the verbal noun of ‘con-gní’, and is translated as ‘act of helping, aiding, assisting; help, aid’ in DIL, where ‘cunum béil 7 láimhe’ (‘help in word and deed’) is cited. Examples of the verb ‘con-gní’ (‘helps, assists’) are cited in DIL from the eighth-century Würzburg Glosses onwards. ‘Cabhair agus cognamh’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as translating ‘aid and assistance’ in translations for the Revenue Commissioners, with ‘Every person who shall … aid or assist in making any signal’ being translated as ‘Gach éinne … a chuideoidh no a chabharóidh chun go dtabharfar aon chomhartha’ in s33 of the Fisheries Act, 1925. ‘The basic legislative framework to ensure that state aid and trade policy is fair and equitable’ is translated as ‘gréasán bunaidh, reachtaíochta, a áiritheoidh go mbeidh beartas chúnamh stáit agus trádála cóir, cothrom ar fáil’ in the Programme for a Partnership Government, 1993-97, p. 7. faoi bhainistí See the commentary on Article 10.3 regarding ‘bainistí’. ‘In the case of a harbour under the management of Iarnród Éireann-Irish Rail’ is translated as ‘i gcás cuain faoi bhainisteoireacht Iarnród Éireann-Irish Rail’ in s3(1)(e) of the Oil Pollution of the Sea (Civil Liability and Compensation) Act, 1988. ‘The Office of the Registrar to the Chief Justice shall be under the management of the Registrar to the Chief Justice’ is translated as ‘Beidh Oifig an Chlárathóra don Phrímh-Bhreitheamh fé bhainistí an Chlárathóra don Phrímh-Bhreitheamh’ in s19 of the Court Officers Act, 1926. do dhéanamh dochair See the commentary on Article 44.2.1o regarding ‘dochar’. Ó Dónaill translates ‘dochar a dhéanamh do dhuine, do rud’ as ‘to harm someone, something’. DIL cites ‘bean do ní mo dhochor’ (‘woman who causes my misery’) s.v. ‘dochar’. ‘A dhineann dochar do …’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official

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635

Terms as translating ‘affecting injuriously’ in translations for the Department of Local Government and Public Health. See the commentary on Article 28.3.3o regarding ‘affect’, expressed in that Article by the phrase ‘difear a dhéanamh do’. ‘No action, prosecution … shall abate or be discontinued, annulled or prejudicially affected by the repeal of the Act of 1855’ is translated as ‘Ní dhéanfidh athghairm Acht 1855 maolú, scur, nea-mbríochaint, ná oibriú docharach ar aon aicsean, cúiseamh …’ in s24 of the Dundalk Harbour and Port Act, 1925. In s3(b) of the Foreshore (Amendment) Act, 1992, ‘has affected or is likely to affect prejudicially any flora or fauna of such area’ is translated as ‘go ndearna nó gur dócha go ndéanfaidh … dochar d’aon flora nó fauna de chuid an limistéir nó na limistéar sin’. ‘An appropriation shall not be made under this section so as to affect prejudicially any specific devise or bequest’ is translated as ‘ní dhéanfar leithreasú faoin alt seo ar dhóigh ba dhochar d’aon réadtiomnú nó tiomnú sonrach’ in s55(2) of the Succession Act, 1965. ‘Has affected or is likely to affect prejudicially any public rights’ is translated as ‘go ndearna san no gur dócha go ndéanfaidh dochar do chearta puiblí ar bith’ in s6(2) of the Foreshore Act, 1933. Commenting on a draft of the direct translation below, where ‘affect prejudicially’ was translated as ‘a dhéanfaidh difear dochrach do’, Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú recommended the more straightforward phrase ‘a rachaidh chun dochair do’. a fhreastal ‘Freastalaím’ is translated as ‘I attend’ in Téarmaí Dlí, where ‘freastal’ is translated as ‘attendance’. Ó Dónaill cites ‘an scoil a fhreastal, to attend school’ and ‘freastal ar léachtaí, to attend lectures’ as examples of ‘freastail’, ‘attend’, in the sense of ‘be present at’. Dinneen gives ‘I attend, as at a class, etc.’ as one of the senses of ‘freastalaim’. This sense does not appear to be cited in DIL s.v. ‘frestlaid’, translated as (a) ‘attends on, ministers to; entertains’ and (b) ‘transferred of receiving or encountering an attack, enemy’. ‘Frestal’, upon which this verb is based, is cited in DIL from the eighth-century Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles in the sense of ‘receiving (as a guest), greeting, welcoming’. teagasc creidimh ‘Teagasc’ is translated as ‘instructions’ in Téarmaí Dlí, where ‘faoi theagasc’ is translated as ‘instructed by’ and ‘teagascaim’ is translated as ‘I instruct (counsel, etc.)’. ‘Teagasc’ is translated as ‘teaching, instruction’ by Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘teagasc ábhair, teaching of a subject’, and as ‘body of teaching; doctrine, precept’, citing ‘teagasc na hEaglaise, the teaching of the Church’ and ‘An Teagasc Críostaí, Christian doctrine; catechism’. Dinneen also cites ‘An Teagasc Críostaidhe, the Christian Doctrine, the Catechism’, translating ‘teagasc’ as ‘act of teaching or instructing, directing; teaching, doctrine, moral teaching, counsel, direction …’. DIL refers to Ó Heoghusa’s An Teagasg Criosdaidhe (‘The Christian Doctrine, Catechism’), published in 1611, s.v. ‘tecosc’, a verbal noun formation from ‘to-in-com-sech’. ‘Teagasc’ translates ‘instruction’ in Iris an Phoist, 1923, p. 263. ‘Teagasc chreidimh’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as translating ‘religious instruction’ in translations for the Department of Education. ‘Provided also that in each of the said Schools reasonable opportunities shall be afforded during the time allocated to religious instruction to enable every pupil to receive


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such religious instruction as may be provided by the Church to which he belongs’ is translated as ‘Ar choinníoll fós go dtabharfar caoi réasúnta i ngach Scoil fé leith acu san i rith an ama bheidh ceaptha i gcóir teagaisc chreidimh chun a chur ar chumas gach mic léighinn an teagasc creidimh san d’fháil a bheidh curtha ar fáil ag an Eaglais le n-a mbaineann sé’ in s4 of the Erasmus Smith Schools Act, 1938, with ‘including instructing in Protestant doctrine’ being translated as ‘le n-a n-áirmhítear múineadh teagaisc Phrotastúnaigh’. a gheibheann This is a variant form of the third person singular, present tense, of ‘faigheann’, the official standard form being ‘a fhaigheann’.

Bunreacht na hÉireann

property, movable and immovable, and maintain institutions for religious or charitable purposes.

Divergences between the official texts 1

2

3 4

o

idirdhealú See the commentary on Article 40.6.2 . 5

Standardised Irish text Reachtaíocht lena gcuirtear cúnamh Stáit ar fáil do scoileanna ní cead idirdhealú a dhéanamh inti idir scoileanna atá faoi bhainistí aicmí creidimh seachas a chéile ná í a dhéanamh dochair do cheart aon linbh chun scoil a flaigheann airgead poiblí a fhreastal gan teagasc creidimh sa scoil sin a fhreastal.

Direct translation Ní dhéanfaidh reachtaíocht lena gcuirfear cúnamh Stáit ar fáil do scoileanna idirdhealú idir scoileanna faoi bhainisteoireacht sainaicmí éagsúla creidimh,1 ná ní reachtaíocht í de chineál2 a rachaidh chun dochair3 do cheart aon linbh scoil a mbeidh airgead poiblí á fháil aici a fhreastal gan freastal ar theagasc creidimh sa scoil sin.

Variants 1 ‘Ní dhéanfar idirdhealú idir scoileanna faoi bhainisteoireacht sainaicmí creidimh éagsúla le reachtaíocht lena gcuirfear cúnamh ar fáil do scoileanna,’ 2 ‘ní hí an cineál í’, ‘den chineál’, ‘ní bheidh sí ina reachtaíocht de chineál’, ‘ní reachtaíocht a bheidh inti de chineál’ 3 ‘a dhéanfaidh dochar’, ‘a dhéanfaidh difear dochrach’

ARTICLE 44.2.5O

AIRTEAGAL 44.2.5O

TÉACS GAEILGE

Tá sé de cheart ag gach aicme chreidimh a ngnóthaí féin a bhainistí, agus maoin, idir sho-aistrithe agus do-aistrithe, a bheith dá gcuid féin acu, agus í a fháil agus a riaradh, agus fundúireachtaí chun críocha creidimh is carthanachta a chothabháil. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Every religious grouping has the right to manage its own affairs, and to have property, both movable and immovable, of its own, and to get it and administer it, and to maintain foundations for religious and charitable purposes. ENGLISH TEXT

Every religious denomination shall have the right to manage its own affairs, own, acquire and administer

6 7

‘For religious or charitable purposes’ is expressed in the Irish text as ‘chun críocha creidimh is carthanachta’, ‘for religious and charitable purposes’. ‘To own property’ is expressed as ‘maoin … a bheith dá gcuid féin acu’ (‘to have property of their own’) in the Irish text. ‘Shall have’ is expressed as ‘Tá …’, ‘Has’, in the Irish text. ‘Its own affairs’ is expressed as ‘a ngnóthaí féin’ (‘their own affairs’) in the Irish text, following general Irish usage of the plural in referring to a group noun. ‘Property, movable and immovable’ is expressed as ‘maoin, idir sho-aistrithe agus do-aistrithe’ (‘property, both movable and immovable’). ‘Institutions’ is expressed as ‘fundúireachtaí’ (‘foundations’) in the Irish text, as we saw earlier. As in the foregoing subsection, ‘religious denomination’ is expressed as ‘aicme chreidimh’ (‘religious grouping’) in the Irish text.

Commentary a bheith dá gcuid féin acu ‘A bheith aige dá chuid féin’ expresses ‘the private ownership of’ in Article 43.1.1o. Looking at ‘own’ in early translations, ‘Along the quays at present owned or occupied by the Commissioners’ is translated as ‘fan na gcéibheanna atá dá gcuid féin no ar seilbh ag na Coimisinéirí fé láthair’ in s93(2) of the Dundalk Harbour and Port Act, 1925, with ‘other property now owned by A.G. Williamson’ being translated as ‘(ar) an maoin eile is le A.G. Williamson anois’ in s93. ‘Cur ar a gcumas … do bheith dá gcuid féin acu’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as translating ‘entitling them to own’ in the Proceedings of Dáil Éireann, 1927, p. 162. ‘And in exercise of the powers by the said Acts … conferred has constructed owns maintains and works tramways’ is translated as ‘agus, i bhfeidhmiú na gcomhacht a bronntar leis na hAchtanna … sin, gur dhin sí, go bhfuil dá cuid féin aice, go gcimeádann sí i dtreo agus go n-oibríonn sí trambhealaí’ in the Preamble to the Dublin United Tramways (Lucan Electric Railways) Act, 1927. In s46 of the Schedule to the Coporation Tax Act, 1976, ‘if the seller had continued to own the property’ is translated as ‘dá leanadh an díoltóir de bheith ina úinéir ar an maoin’. See further the commentary on Article 43.1.1o and on 45.2.ii where ‘dílse’ expresses ‘ownership’. a ngnóthaí féin ‘Áitreabh gnó’ and ‘ráiteas gnóthaí’ are translated respectively as ‘business premises’ and ‘statement of affairs’ in Téarmaí Dlí. Ó Dónaill translates ‘do ghnó(thaí) a dhéanamh’ as ‘to attend to one’s business, to one’s affairs’, also citing ‘déan do ghnó(thaí) duit féin, mind your own business’ – see the commentary on Articles 8.3 and 18.7.1o where this headword expresses respectively ‘purpose’ and ‘interest’. Looking at early translations, ‘the liquidation of his affairs by arrangement’ is translated as ‘glana-suas a


A study of the Irish text

ghnótha tré shocrú’ in s7(5) of the Intoxicating Liquor (General) Act, 1924. ‘Cúrsaí’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as translating ‘affairs’ in a Cover of an Official Report of a Dáil Debate. ‘Where a solicitor becomes of unsound mind or incapable of managing his own affairs’ is translated as ‘I gcás aturnae d’éirí mí-mheabhrach nó neamhinniúil ar a ghnó féin a bhainistí’ in s61(2) of the Solicitors Act, 1954. Note that ‘Statement of company’s affairs to be filed in court’ is translated as ‘Ráiteas ar chúrsaí na cuideachta a bheith le comhdú sa chúirt’ in the Margin Title of s224 of the Companies Act, 1963. idir sho-aistrithe agus do-aistrithe ‘Idir bheag is mhór’ is cited in An Caighdeán Oifigiúil as an illustration of lenition of nouns after ‘idir’ when ‘counting’ is involved (see s4(c) of the chapter headed ‘Séimhiú and Urú’ [‘Lenition and Eclipsis’]). ‘So-aistrithe’ is translated as ‘easy to move; easy to transfer, to translate’ in Ó Dónaill, who translates ‘do-aistrithe’ as ‘immovable, untransferable; untranslatable; inalienable’. ‘Do-aistrighthe’ is translated as ‘immovable’ in Dinneen. ‘Or any other property of any nature or kind, moveable or immovable, public or private, including standing trees and crops’ is translated as ‘no d’aon mhaoin d’aon tsórt no saghas so-aistrithe no do-aistrithe, puiblí no príobháideach, maraon le crainn agus barraí ag fás’ in s9 of the Schedule to the Public Safety (Powers of Arrest and Detention) Temporary Act, 1924. ‘To sell on a wheeled and movable stall, barrow, cart’ is translated as ‘do dhíol, ar stalla, ar bharra, ar chart, no ar fheithicil eile, atá ar rothaí agus inaistir’ in s4(2)(a) of the Street-Trading Act, 1926, with ‘the fixed and moveable machinery, plant, equipment, furniture and other chattels of the said premises’ being translated as ‘an mheaisínteacht, an gléasra, na córacha, an troscán agus an áirnéis eile, do-ghluaiste agus so-ghluaiste’ in s2 of the Schedule to the Creamery Act, 1928. Finally, ‘The same applies if movable and immovable property are covered by the same insurance policy’ is translated as ‘Is é an dála céanna é má chumhdaítear maoin shochorraithe agus maoin dhochorraithe leis an bpolasaí céanna árachais’ in Article 9 of the First Schedule to the Jurisdiction of Courts and Enforcement of Judgements (European Communities) Act, 1988. a chothabháil ‘Ordú cothabhála’ is translated as ‘maintenance order’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘Cothabháil’ is translated as ‘sustenance, maintenance’ in Ó Dónaill, who refers the reader to ‘cothú’, verbal noun of ‘cothaigh’, for the standard form of the secondary sense of ‘cothabháil’. ‘Cothaigh’ has the sense of ‘maintain; hold fast, stay’, along with the primary sense of ‘feed; nourish, sustain’, according to Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘an cath a chothú go hoíche, to keep up the battle until nightfall’. ‘Cothabháil’ is translated as ‘act of supplying, feeding, maintaining’ in Dinneen. ‘Cothaigid’ is based on ‘coth’, ‘food, sustenance’, according to DIL, where this verb is translated as (a) ‘supports, sustains, maintains, preserves’ and (b) ‘feeds, nourishes’. ‘Authorising the Board to construct, maintain and operate, for the purposes of the performance by the Board of any of its functions … the transport works’ is translated as ‘á údarú don Bhord na hoibreacha iompair a luafar

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ann do dhéanamh, do chothabháil agus d’oibriú chun an Bord do chomhlíonadh aon choda dá fheadhmanna’ in s31(1)(a) of the Electricity (Supply) (Amendment) Act, 1945. ‘A mental hospital authority shall provide and maintain such other institutions and accommodations …’ is translated as ‘cuirfidh údarás óspidéil mheabhair-ghalair ar fáil agus cothabhálfaid pé forais agus cóiríocht’ in s26 of the Mental Treatment Act, 1945. See further the commentary on Article 12.8 where ‘bheith i mo thaca agus i mo dhídin’ expresses ‘maintain’. Commenting on the direct translation below, Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú remarks that ‘a chothú’ is more recognisable, particularly in the sense here. a riaradh ‘Riaradh’ is given as a variant form of ‘riar’, verbal noun of the verb ‘riar’, ‘to administer, manage’, according to Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘gnó a riar, to manage a business’. ‘Riaraim’ is translated as ‘I administer (estate, justice, etc.)’ in Téarmaí Dlí and as ‘I serve, entertain, distribute, allot, divide (amongst, ar), allocate, administer, manage, rule, dispose, reduce to submission, please or comply with (do); submit to, obey’ in Dinneen. ‘Ríaraid’ is translated as (a) ‘does the will of, serves’ and (b) ‘ministers to, entertains, supplies’ in DIL, this latter sense being the general sense in late literature. See the commentary on Article 28.4.2o. chun críocha carthanachta ‘If the gain is applicable and applied for charitable purposes’ is translated as ‘más chun críocha carthanúla is inchaite agus a chaitear é’ in s67(5)(a) of the Finance Act, 1990, with ‘chun crícheanna déirciúla amháin’ translating ‘to charitable purposes only’ in s9(b) of the Finance Act, 1923. fundúireachtaí See the commentary on Article 42.4. Note that ‘in close proximity to a place of worship, a religious institution, a school’ is translated as ‘ana-chomhgarach d’áit adhartha Dé, d’fhundúireacht chreidimh, do scoil’ in s8(c) of the Betting Act, 1926.

Standardised Irish text Tá sé de cheart ag gach aicme chreidimh a ngnóthaí féin a bhainistí, agus maoin, idir sho-aistrithe agus dho-aistrithe, a bheith dá gcuid féin acu, agus í a fháil agus a riar, agus fondúireachtaí chun críocha creidimh is carthanachta a chothabháil.

Direct translation Beidh sé de cheart ag gach sainaicme creidimh a ngnóthaí1 féin a bhainistiú, maoin sho-aistrithe agus maoin dhoaistrithe2 a bheith ar úinéireacht acu3, a fháil agus a riar, agus forais chun críocha creidimh agus carthanachta a chothabháil4.

Variants 1 2 3 4

‘a gnóthaí’ ‘maoin shochorraithe agus dhochorraithe’ ‘aici’ ‘a chothú’


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ARTICLE 44.2.6O

AIRTEAGAL 44.2.6O

TÉACS GAEILGE

Ní cead maoin aon aicme creidimh ná aon fhundúireachtaí oideachais a bhaint díobh ach amháin le haghaidh oibreacha riachtanacha chun áise poiblí, agus sin tar éis cúiteamh a íoc leo.

Bunreacht na hÉireann

drainage works or other works of public utility, and on payment of compensation …. ná chun aon chuid dá maoin do thógaint ó aon lucht creidimh ná ó aon fhundúireacht oideachais ach amháin chun bóithre, bóithre iarainn, oibreacha soluis, uisce no draeneála, no chun oibreacha eile d’úsáid phuiblí, agus ar chúiteamh do dhíol.

Commentary LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

It is not permitted to take the property of any religious grouping or any educational foundations from them except for necessary works for public utility, and that after paying them compensation. ENGLISH TEXT

The property of any religious denomination or any educational institution shall not be diverted save for necessary works of public utility and on payment of compensation.

Divergences between the official texts 1

2

3

4

‘The property … shall not be diverted’ is expressed in the Irish text as ‘Ní cead maoin … a bhaint díobh’, ‘The property shall not be taken from them’. ‘And on payment of compensation’ is expressed as ‘agus sin tar éis cúiteamh a íoc leo’ (‘and that after paying them compensation’) in the Irish text, which clause is preceded by a comma in that text alone. ‘Institution’ is expressed as ‘fundúireachtaí’ (‘foundations’) and, as in previous subsections, ‘denomination’ is expressed as ‘aicme’ (‘class’/‘grouping’), in the Irish text. The Irish text again expresses ‘shall not’ by ‘ní cead’ (‘it is not permitted’).

The Attorney General’s Committee on the Constitution (1968) commented as follows on this subsection (see the Report of the Constitution Review Group, May 1996, p. 376): The word ‘diverted’ is a euphemism, and is neither a suitable word nor a good translation of the Irish ‘a bhaint díobh’, which is accurate and straightforward. ‘Diversion’ appears wider than ‘taking from’. The two texts are not seriously inconsistent, however, and conflict could arise only if the property was clearly ‘diverted for a necessary work of public utility’, but not ‘taken from’ the institutions concerned. It is difficult to visualise any practical example of this conflict arising.

The Review Group agreed with the view expressed above to the effect that the word ‘diverted’ in the English language version did not correspond with the words ‘a bhaint díobh’ in the Irish language version, adding that ‘in any event, the use of the word “diverted” in this context is euphemistic and unsuitable’. The Review Group accordingly recommended that ‘diverted’ be replaced by ‘compulsorily acquired’, stating that there was ‘no need for a change in the Irish language version’. Note that Article 8 of the 1922 Constitution concludes as follows: … or divert from any religious denomination or any educational institution any of its property except for the purpose of roads, railways, lighting, water or

a bhaint díobh ‘Take away from’ and ‘deprive of’ are two of the secondary senses of ‘bain de’ given in Ó Dónaill (the primary sense being ‘take off, remove’), citing respectively ‘bain an scian den leanbh, take the knife from the child’ and ‘an tine, an solas, an ghrian, a bhaint de dhuine, to get between someone and the fire, the light, the sun’. Dinneen translates ‘bainim de’ as ‘I remove, take away from’ and DIL translates ‘benaid de’ as ‘takes from’, citing ‘bensat a chroicend de’ (‘stripped his skin from him’) from the Passions and Homilies from the Leabhar Breac, a manuscript compiled in 1411 or earlier. ‘Make certain, by appropriate supervision, that nuclear materials are not diverted to purposes other than those for which they are intended’ is translated as ‘a dheimhniú, trí mhaoirseacht iomchuí, nach gcuirfear ábhair núicléacha chun críocha seachas na críocha atá ceaptha dóibh’ in Treaties establishing the European Communities (1973, p. 517), with ‘either not effected or diverted from their proper use’ being translated as ‘agus nach ndearnadh amhlaidh ina thaobh nó nár cuireadh chun úsáide mar ba chuí’ (p. 57), and ‘special fissile materials are not diverted from their intended uses’ being translated as ‘(nach ndéanfar) … ábhair inscoilte speisialta a chlaonadh ó na húsáidí a ceapadh dóibh’ (p. 559). ‘Dig, break or otherwise temporarily close, cross, extend, divert or otherwise interfere with or alter any navigable waterway’ is translated as ‘aon uiscebhealach inseolta … a thochailt, a bhriseadh nó a dhúnadh go sealadach ar aon slí eile, a thrasnú, a shíneadh, a chlaonadh nó baint leo nó iad a athrú ar aon slí eile’ in s18(1)(e) of the Fisheries Act, 1980. In s11(d) of the Arterial Drainage Act, 1925, ‘and to divert, remove or otherwise interfere with any roads or bridges’ is translated as ‘agus chun bóithre no droichid do chasa no d’aistriú, no cur isteach ortha ar aon tslí eile’. Finally, ‘Roads, sewers, watercourses, etc., may be stopped up, diverted or extended, etc.’ is translated as ‘Féadfar bóithre, camraí, cúrsaí uisce, etc., do stopa, do chlaona no do mhéadú, etc.’ in the Margin Title of s38 of the Dundalk Harbour and Port Act, 1925. Commenting on ‘a chlaonadh’ translating ‘divert’ in the direct translation below, Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú remarks that ‘divert’ here means ‘reallocate (especially money or resources)’ and he doubts that would be understood from ‘claonadh’. Professor Ó Murchú recommends ‘a ghabháil uathu’ or ‘a shealbhú’ as alternatives to ‘a bhaint díobh’, which would also suffice here. chun áise poiblí ‘Áis sealadach’ is translated as ‘temporary convenience’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘Áis’ is translated principally as ‘convenience’ in Ó Dónaill also, with ‘device’ being given as a secondary sense. Dinneen translates ‘áis’ as ‘the middle prominent wicker-layer of a basket; what is convenient or can be held by the hand; a convenience, a useful article; in particular a trap’, citing ‘is mór an áis an bosca soin, that box is a very convenient article of furniture’


A study of the Irish text

and ‘áis mo chéille, the use of my senses’. See further the commentary on Article 42.4 where ‘áis’ expresses ‘facility’. ‘An Act to make provision for the execution by Local Authorities of works of public utility’ is translated as ‘Acht chun socruithe do dhéanamh chun údaráis áitiúla do dhéanamh oibreacha fóntais phuiblí’ in the Long Title of the Unemployment (Relief Works) Act, 1940. ‘Powers of executing public utility have been conferred … on certain Local Authorities’ is translated as ‘gur bronnadh comhachtanna ar Údaráis Áitiúla áirithe … chun oibreacha úsáide puiblí do dhéanamh’ in the Preamble to the Local Authorities (Extension of Time) Act, 1923. ‘Not being a building society and not being a public utility society in existence at the commencement of this section’ is translated as ‘nach cumann foirgníochta agus nach cumann fóntais phoiblí a bheidh ar marthain ar thosach feidhme an ailt seo’ in s13(2) of the Building Societies Act, 1989. ‘Public utility society’ is translated as ‘cumann maitheasa puiblí’ in s1 of the Housing Act, 1925. ‘Where electricity supplied by the Company to any person (other than an authorised undertaker or a public utility undertaker)’ is translated as ‘I gcás leictreachas a sholáthruíonn an Chuideachta d’éinne (nách gnóthaire údaruithe ná gnóthaire áisiúlachta puiblí)’ in s24(2) of the Dublin United Tramways (Lucan Electric Railways) Act, 1927. ‘Úsáid’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as translating ‘utility’ in early Standing Orders (Private Business). Commenting on the compact nature of ‘oibreacha riachtanacha fóntais phoiblí’ in the direct translation below, Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú recommends ‘oibreacha riachtanacha le fónamh don phobal’ as an alternative. tar éis cúiteamh a íoc ‘Without payment of compensation’ is translated as ‘gan cúiteamh a íoc’ in s55(6) of the Building Societies Act, 1989, with ‘for saving money for the payment of compensation for criminal injury’ being translated as ‘chun airgead do sholáthar chun cúiteamh i ndíobháil choiriúil d’íoc’ in s20 of the Damage to Property (Com-

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pensation) Act, 1923. Finally, ‘the compensation shall be a lump sum’ is translated as ‘cnap-shuim a bheidh mar chúiteamh’ in s4 of the Railways (Existing Officers and Servants) Act, 1926. oibreacha riachtanacha ‘And other necessary works’ is translated as ‘agus oibreacha riachtanacha eile’ in s11(a) of the Industrial Alcohol Act, 1938, with ‘requiring the execution of all necessary works thereon’ being translated as ‘á éileamh go ndéanfar gach obair is gá ortha’ in s13(1)(a) of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1931. aon fhundúireachtaí Note that the form in the original text is ‘aon fhondúireachta’; while ‘fondúireachta’ expresses the nominative plural in the previous subsection, for example, it can also represent the genitive singular, and in fact would be the official standard form of the genitive singular today.

Standardised Irish text Ní cead maoin aon aicme creidimh ná aon fhondúireachtaí oideachais a bhaint díobh ach amháin le haghaidh oibreacha riachtanacha chun áise poiblí, agus sin tar éis cúiteamh a íoc leo.

Direct translation Ní dhéanfar maoin aon sainaicme creidimh nó aon fhorais oideachais a chlaonadh1 ach amháin i gcomhair oibreacha riachtanacha fóntais phoiblí2 agus tar éis cúiteamh a íoc.

Variants 1 ‘a bhaint díobh’, ‘a ghabháil uathu’, ‘a shealbhú’ 2 ‘oibreacha riachtanacha le fónamh don phobal’


640

The Constitution of Ireland

Bunreacht na hÉireann

DIRECTIVE PRINCIPLES OF SOCIAL POLICY BUNTREORACHA DO BHEARTAS CHOMHDHAONNACH ARTICLE 45

AIRTEAGAL 45 human interaction’, ‘communal’, with ‘social’ now generally being translated as ‘sóisialach’ or ‘sóisialta’.

TÉACS GAEILGE

BUNTREORACHA DO BHEARTAS CHOMHDHAONNACH Is mar ghnáth-threoir don Oireachtas a ceapadh na bunrialacha do bheartas chomhdhaonnach atá leagtha amach san Airteagal seo. Is ar an Oireachtas amháin a bheidh sé de chúram na bunrialacha sin a fheidhmiú i ndéanamh dlíthe, agus ní intriailte ag Cúirt ar bith ceist i dtaobh an fheidhmithe sin faoi aon fhoráil d’fhorálacha an Bhunreachta seo.

J.M. Kelly, op. cit., p. 209f., reports as follows on reference made to this Article in the courts: In McGee v Attorney General ([1974] IR 284; [1975] 109 ILTR 29) O’Keeffe P said, in regard to the words “agus ní hintriailte ag cúirt ar bith ceist i dtaobh an fheidhmithe sin fá aon fhoráileamh d’fhoráiltíbh an Bhunreachta so”, that this formulation:

LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

“appears to exclude from the cognisance of the courts only questions as to the attempts of the Oireachtas to have regard to the principles laid down in the course of framing legislation, and it may be argued that it does not preclude the consideration of these principles by the courts when a statute of the Oireachtas is not under review.”

BASIC DIRECTIONS FOR A SOCIETAL POLICY It is as a general guide for the Oireachtas that the basic rules for a societal policy that are laid out in this Article were intended. The responsibility for applying those basic rules in making laws will be on the Oireachtas alone, and a question concerning that application cannot be tried by any Court under any one of the provisions of this Constitution.

Commentary buntreoracha … mar ghnáth-threoir Neither of these compounds with ‘treoir’ appear to be given as headwords either in Ó Dónaill or in Dinneen. ‘Treoir’ is translated principally as ‘guidance, direction’ in Ó Dónaill and as ‘a guide, a helm, direction, tendency, ideal, progress of events, conduct, guidance, help …’ in Dinneen, who cites ‘narbh’ íseal treoir, whose ideals were high’. DIL translates ‘treóir’ principally as ‘guidance, direction, course’, citing ‘innraic treorach do Caoimgin’ (‘excellent of guidance to Coemgen’) from the Irish Lives of the Saints. The prefix ‘bun-’ is translated principally as ‘basic, primary, elementary’ in Ó Dónaill and as ‘principal, basal, foot-’ in Dinneen, with ‘gnáth-’ being translated primarily as ‘usual, customary, ordinary, vulgar, common; standard’ in the former source and as ‘usual, general, average, continual’ in the latter. Note that Ó Dónaill translates the adjective ‘treorach’ as ‘guiding, directive’, citing ‘rialacha treoracha, guiding rules’. Note also that ‘basic rent’ is translated as ‘cíos bunúsach’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘Bunriail’ expresses ‘principle’ in Articles 29.3 and 43.2.1o, for which term see the commentary on the latter Article, ‘treoir’ expressing ‘rule’ in the former Article. Looking at the early Acts regarding ‘principle’, ‘The Judge shall fix the sum … on the same principles as the compensation for an injury’ is translated as ‘Déanfaidh an Breitheamh an tsuim … do shocrú de réir na bprínsiobal gcéanna a bhaineann le socrú an chúitimh … i gcás díobhála’ in s15(4) of the Damage to Property (Compensation) Act, 1923. ‘The Special Commissioners shall thereupon hear and determine the appeal in accordance with the principles to be followed by the Revenue Commissioners’ is translated as ‘Leis sin déanfidh na Coimisinéirí Speisialta an t-athchomharc d’éisteacht agus

ENGLISH TEXT

DIRECTIVE PRINCIPLES OF SOCIAL POLICY The principles of social policy set forth in this Article are intended for the general guidance of the Oireachtas. The application of those principles in the making of laws shall be the care of the Oireachtas exclusively, and shall not be cognisable by any Court under any of the provisions of this Constitution.

Divergences between the official texts 1

2

3

4

5

‘Directive Principles’ is expressed as ‘Buntreoracha’, ‘Basic Directions’, in the heading of the Irish text, with ‘principles’ being expressed as ‘bunrialacha’, ‘basic rules’, in the Article itself. ‘And shall not be cognisable by any Court’ is expressed as ‘agus ní intriailte ag Cúirt ar bith ceist i dtaobh an fheidhmithe sin’ (‘and a question regarding that application cannot be tried by any Court’) in the Irish text, ‘intriailte’ translating ‘cognisable’ in the Acts also. ‘Are intended for the general guidance of the Oireachtas’ is expressed as ‘mar ghnáth-threoir don Oireachtas a ceapadh’ (‘were intended as a general guide for the Oireachtas’) in the Irish text. ‘Exclusive’ is expressed as ‘amháin’, ‘alone’/‘only’, in the Irish text, ‘eisiatach’ translating ‘exclusive’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘Of Social Policy’ is expressed as ‘do Bheartas Chomhdhaonnach’ (‘For Social Policy’) in the Irish text; the compound expressing ‘social’, as we have seen in some earlier Articles, is a now of less frequent use and literally might be translated as ‘(relating to)

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breith do thabhairt air do réir na bprínsiobal is inleanta ag na Coimisinéirí Ioncuim’ in s8(5) of the Finance Act, 1924. ‘Casual vacancies shall be filled in accordance with the foregoing principle of selection’ is translated as ‘is le roghanaíocht ar an gcuma san thuas a líonfar foth-fholúntaisí’ in s65 of the Courts of Justice Act, 1924. Finally, ‘The voting at a Seanad election shall be on the principle of proportional representation’ is translated as ‘Is do réir ionaduíochta cothromúla a déanfar an vótáil i dtoghachán Seanaid’ in s9(1) of the Seanad Electoral Act, 1928. Turning to modern Acts, ‘The Bank shall … keep the Minister … informed of the general principles which guide the Bank’ is translated as ‘Déanfaidh an Banc … an tAire … a choinneáil ar an eolas maidir leis na prionsabail ghinearálta a bhíonn mar threoir ag an mBanc’ in s66(2) of the Central Bank Act, 1989. The noun ‘directive’ is translated as ‘treoir’ in the Acts – see s2(1) of the National Agricultural Advisory, Education and Research Authority Act, 1977, for example, where ‘whether for the purpose of implementing any directive of the European Economic Community or otherwise’ is translated as ‘chun aon treoir ó Chomhphobal Eacnamaíochta na hEorpa nó eile a chur i bhfeidhm’. Note that ‘imthreorán’ is given in Foclóir Oifigiúil, without source. Commenting on a draft of the direct translation below, where ‘Directive Principles of Social Policy’ was translated simply as ‘Prionsabail Threoracha Bheartais Shóisialaigh’, Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú questioned the grammatical correctness of this phrase, recalling the earlier ‘ábhair nóis imeachta’. Professor Ó Murchú recommends ‘Prionsabail Threoracha faoi Bheartas Sóisialach’. a ceapadh ‘Mean, intend’ is given as one of the senses of ‘ceap’ in Ó Dónaill, citing ‘sin é a bhí ceaptha acu a dhéanamh, that is what they intended to do’. Dinneen includes ‘intended’ among the senses of ‘ceapuighthe’, the past participle of his headword ‘ceapaim’, translated in Téarmaí Dlí solely as ‘I appoint’. See the commentary on Articles 6.1, 13.1.1o, 15.10 and 34.4.5o regarding ‘ceap’, respectively expressing ‘designate’, ‘appoint’, ‘attach’ and ‘direct’. While the Irish verb ‘ceap’ may mean ‘design, conceive’ (Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú cites ‘seift a cheapadh’ as an example of that sense), and could be interpreted as having that meaning in the present instance in the literal English translation above of ‘bunrialacha a cheapadh’, as Professor Ó Murchú remarks, the English text makes clear that ‘ceap’ must here be taken to have the meaning ‘intend’ (Máirtín Ó Murchú citing ‘sin é a cheap sé a dhéanamh’ as an example of that sense). Looking at ‘intended’ in the early Acts, ‘any warehouse or other premises of any person engaged in the business of warehousing goods intended for export’ is translated as ‘aon stóras no áitreabh eile le héinne i mbun gnó stórála earraí le heasportáil’ in s4(1)(d) of the Agricultural Produce (Eggs) Act, 1924. ‘Any particular class of goods intended for human food or drink offered for sale on stall-traders … stands’ is translated as ‘aon tsaghas áirithe earraí a bheidh ceaptha mar bhia no mar dhigh do dhaoine agus a tairgfar le díol … ar sheasáin stalla-thrádálaí’ in s6(1)(f) of the Street-Trading Act, 1926, with ‘all expenses incurred in the seizure, removal, storage, and any intended or attempted sale of the goods’ being translated as ‘gach costas a bhain leis na hearraí do thógaint, d’aistriú agus

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do stóráil agus le haon bheartú nó iarracht ar iad do dhíol’ in s11(3). Finally, ‘Whenever the Commissioners intend to acquire any occupied premises’ is translated as ‘Aon uair a bheidh na Coimisinéirí ar aigne aon áitreabh i seilbh do thógaint’ in s2(1) of the Civic Guard (Acquisition of Premises) Act, 1923, with ‘one month’s notice in writing of their intention so to acquire such premises’ being translated as ‘fógra míosa go bhfuilid ar aigne an t-áitreabh san do thógaint amhlaidh’. Turning to the modern Acts, ‘Whether or not such fish or fishery products are intended for human consumption’ is translated as ‘bíodh nó ná bíodh an t-iasc nó na táirgí iascaigh sin beartaithe lena gcaitheamh ag daoine’ in s32(1)(d)(iv) of the Radiological Protection Act, 1991. ‘Words descriptive of any enactment are intended for convenience of reference only’ is translated as ‘is mar áis tagartha amháin na focail a dhéanann tuairisciú ar aon achtachán’ in s155(8) of the Corporation Tax Act, 1976. ‘It shows, to the satisfaction of the Revenue Commissioners that the goods in question are intended for the use of blind persons’ is translated as ‘go gcruthóidh sé do na Coimisinéirí Ioncaim gur le haghaidh úsáid daoine dalla na hearraí sin atá i gceist’ in s20(2)(b) of the Value-Added Tax Act, 1972. See further the commentary on Article 25.4.1o where ‘a mhalairt d’intinn’ expresses ‘a contrary intention’. amháin ‘Only’ is given as a secondary sense of ‘amháin’ (primary sense ‘one’) in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘sinn féin amháin, ourselves only, alone’. Dinneen translates ‘amháin’ as ‘only, alone, merely; even’, citing ‘é féin amháin, he alone’. ‘Amáin’ is the Middle Irish form of ‘nammá’, DIL translating this adjective ‘following a noun and limiting it in sense’ as ‘only, and no more, and nothing else’, citing examples from Leabhar na hUidhre (compiled in Clonmacnois c. 1100) onwards, including ‘an ruibér sin amháin eidirdealaiges etorra’ (‘nothing except the river divides them’) from Ó Cianáin’s Flight of the Earls. ‘Nammá’, according to DIL, is a petrified phrase ‘= negative + má’, comparative of ‘mór, már’, literally ‘not more’ – DIL cites ‘a mbecc sin nammá dogníu di maith’ (‘that little good I do’) from the eighth-century Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles. ‘Exclusive right’ is translated as ‘ceart eisiatach’ in Tearmaí Dlí, ‘eisiach’ being given as the standard form of ‘eisiatach’ in Ó Dónaill – see the commentary on Articles 8.3 and 15.2.1o, ‘aon’ expressing ‘exclusive’ therein. ‘And which, while used for the purposes of the trade, is wholly and exclusively so used’ is translated as ‘agus atá, fad a úsáidfear chun críocha na trádála é, in úsáid go hiomlán agus go heisiach amhlaidh’ in s70 of the Finance Act, 1990. In s29(3) of the Land Act, 1923, ‘the powers of the Court … shall be exercised exclusively by the Judicial Commissioner’ is translated as ‘déanfidh an Coimisinéir Breithiúntais amháin na cumhachta atá ag an gCúirt … d’fheidhmiú’. See further the commentary on Article 15.6.1o where, as in the present Article, ‘amháin’ expresses ‘exclusive’. de chúram The preposition ‘de’ can denote a feature of something, ‘what pertains to something’, Ó Dónaill citing ‘tá sé de chlú air (go), he has the reputation (of)’ and ‘ná bíodh sé de leithscéal agat, don’t have it as an excuse’, for example. Dinneen cites ‘tá sé de bhuaidh, de chéill, de


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chéird, agam, I have the virtue of, the good sense to, the art of’. Ó Dónaill translates ‘cúram’ principally as ‘care, responsibility’, citing ‘cúram ruda a bheith ort, to have the care of something’, giving ‘charge, task, duty’ as a secondary sense. Dinneen translates ‘cúram’ as ‘care, thought, responsibility; concern, interest, business …’ – see the commentary on Article 12.3.1o. ‘The duties imposed by this Act are hereby placed under the care and management of the Revenue Commissioners’ is translated as ‘Cuirtar fé chúram agus fé bhainistí na gCoimisinéirí Ioncuim leis seo na diúitéthe a forchuirtar leis an Acht so’ in s3 of the Finance (No. 2) Act, 1927. ‘That … he has employed a person for the purpose of having the care of the person … who is so incapacitated’ is translated as ‘go raibh duine ar fostú aige … chun aire a thabhairt don duine … a bhí faoi éagumas amhlaidh’ in s1(b) of the Table accompanying s4 of the Finance Act, 1990. ‘As to the wardship of infants or the care of infants’ estates’ is translated as ‘maidir le coimircíocht naíonna nó cúram eastát naíonna’ in s15(1)(a) of the Courts Act, 1981. ‘In any cemetery or burial ground under the care of the Committee’ is translated as ‘in aon reilig nó talamh adhlactha faoi chúram an Choiste’ in s29(1)(c) of the Dublin Cemeteries Committee Act, 1970. a fheidhimiú ‘Feidhmiú’ is the verbal noun of ‘feidhmigh’, translated in Ó Dónaill as (1) ‘function; act, officiate’ and (2) ‘execute, enforce, apply’, citing ‘an dlí a fheidhmiú, to enforce the law’. Dinneen translates both ‘feidhmighim’ and ‘feidhmim’ as ‘I accomplish’, translating the verbal noun ‘feidhmiughadh’ as ‘act of accomplishing, putting into force, carrying out’. ‘Feidhmím ar son an ghearánaí’ is translated as ‘I represent the plaintiff’ in Téarmaí Dlí. This verb is based on ‘feidhm’, regarding which see the commentary on Article 12.10.7o; see the commentary on Article 40.4.5o regarding ‘feidhmiú’ expressing ‘execution’. Looking at ‘application’ in early Acts, ‘to authorise the industrial application of the design’ is translated as ‘chun a údarú go n-úsáidfí an pátrún i gcúrsaí ceárdais’ in s180(2)(b) of the Industrial and Commercial Property (Protection) Act, 1927. ‘Application of Part VI of this Act to artistic work defining a design’ is translated as ‘Baint Cuid VI den Acht so le hobair ealadhanta a mhíníonn pátrún’ in the Margin Title of that section, with ‘For the purpose of the application under this section of Part VI of this Act to an artistic work defining a design, “copy-right” shall include the sole right …’ being translated as ‘chun na críche a bhaineann le Cuid VI den Acht so do chur i mbaint, fén alt so, le hobair ealadhanta a mhíníonn pátrún, folóidh “cóipcheart” an t-aon-cheart’ in s180(2). Turning to more modern Acts, ‘The investigation of the mathematical principles of natural philosophy and the application of those principles to the physical and chemical group of sciences’ is translated as ‘prinsiobail mhatamaiticeacha na feallsúnachta nádúrtha do scrúdú agus na prinsiobail sin do chur i bhfeidhm ar an ngrúpa fisiceach agus ceimiceach de sna heolaíochta’ in s5(2)(a) of the Institute for Advanced Studies Act, 1940. ‘Apart from the application of the provisions of this subsection to the distribution’ is translated as ‘ar leith ó fheidhmiú fhorálacha an fho-ailt seo maidir leis an dáileadh’ in s34(3) of the Finance Act, 1990. ‘The application of the Local Government (Superannuation) Act, 1956, or any scheme or regulations … to the body’ is translated as ‘an tAcht Rialtais

Bunreacht na hÉireann

Áitiúil (Aoisliúntas), 1956, nó aon scéim nó rialacháin … a chur i bhfeidhm maidir leis an gcomhlacht’ in s1(b) of the Table in s7 of the Local Government (Superannuation) Act, 1989, for example. do bheartas chomhdhaonnach According to the official standard, a qualifying adjective is lenited in the dative singular only following a feminine noun, ‘don bhean mhór’ being cited as an example – see An Caighdeán Oifigiúil, chapter headed ‘Séimhiú agus Urú’, s1(a) of the sections headed ‘Séimhiú ar Aidiachtaí’. In Old Irish, as both o- stems (masculine nouns) and a- stems (feminine nouns) ended in a vowel in the dative singular, the following adjective was lenited in every gender, Kim McCone citing ‘don chéiliu chumachtuch’ (Modern Irish ‘don chéile cumhachtach’) and ‘úan chluich thruimb’ (‘ón gcloch throm’) – see Kim McCone et al., op. cit., p. 120. Lenition of the adjective qualifying an article and noun in the dative singular masculine still continues in Ulster Irish, Art Hughes citing ‘don fhear mhór’, ‘as an teach bheag’ and ‘ar an uan bhocht’ (ibid, p. 633). We also find lenition of the masculine adjective in the dative case in North Connacht. In Conamara, however, we find this lenition of masculine adjectives only in phrases such as ‘faoi Sheán Mhór’ (as against ‘le Seán Mór’) and ‘ina chogadh dhearg’, non-lenition being the practice in every other case – see Ruairí Ó hUiginn, ibid, p. 605. Generally one does not find lenition of the adjective in the dative case in Munster Irish, though one often finds such lenition in Muskerry, Seán Ua Súilleabháin citing ‘fén gcrann mhuar’ (ibid, p. 499). See the commentary on Article 28.5.2o regarding ‘beartas’ and on Article 15.3.1o regarding ‘comhdhaonnach’. bunrialacha See the commentary on Article 43.2.1o, ‘bunriail’ being translated as ‘fundamental rule’ in Ó Dónaill. leagtha amach See the commentary on Article 15.2.2o. intriailte See the commentary on Article 38.4.2o.

Standardised Irish text BUNTREORACHA DO BHEARTAS COMHDHAONNACH Is mar ghnáth-threoir don Oireachtas a ceapadh na bunrialacha do bheartas comhdhaonnach atá leagtha amach san Airteagal seo. Is ar an Oireachtas amháin a bheidh sé de chúram na bunrialacha sin a fheidhmiú i ndéanamh dlíthe, agus ní intriailte ag Cúirt ar bith ceist i dtaobh an fheidhmithe sin faoi aon fhoráil d’fhorálacha an Bhunreachta seo.

Direct translation PRIONSABAIL THREORACHA1 FAOI BHEARTAS SÓISIALACH2

Tá na prionsabail faoi bheartas sóisialach2 atá leagtha amach san Airteagal seo ceaptha mar threoir ghinearálta don Oireachtas3. Is é cúram an Oireachtais go heisiatach4 é na prionsabail sin a fheidhmiú5 le linn dlíthe a dhéanamh, agus ní intriailte an feidhmiú sin ag aon Chúirt faoi aon fhoráil6 d’fhorálacha an Bhunreachta7 seo.

Variants 1 ‘Treoirphrionsabail’ 2 ‘do bheartas sóisialach’


A study of the Irish text

3 ‘chun an tOireachtas a threorú go ginearálta’, ‘chun treoir ghinearálta a thabhairt don Oireachtas’ 4 ‘go heisiach’, ‘amháin’ 5 ‘cúram eisiatach an Oireachtais é feidhmiú na bprionsabal sin’, ‘cur i bhfeidhm na bprionsabal sin’ 6 ‘aon cheann’ 7 ‘aon fhoráil den Bhunreacht’

ARTICLE 45.1

AIRTEAGAL 45.1

TÉACS GAEILGE

Déanfaidh an Stát a dhícheall chun leas an phobail uile a chur chun cinn trí ord chomhdhaonnach, ina mbeidh ceart agus carthanacht ag rialú gach forais a bhaineas leis an saol náisiúnta, a chur in áirithe agus a chaomhnú chomh fada lena chumas. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

The State will do its utmost to advance the welfare of all the people through ensuring and preserving as far as it is able a societal order, in which justice and charity will rule every institution which relates to the national life. ENGLISH TEXT

The State shall strive to promote the welfare of the whole people by securing and protecting as effectively as it may a social order in which justice and charity shall inform all the institutions of the national life.

Divergences between the official texts 1

2

3

4

5 6

7

‘Inform’ is expressed in the Irish text by ‘rialaigh’, which verb is translated in Téarmaí Dlí as ‘rule’/ ‘control’, this term usually expressing ‘regulate’ in the Constitution. ‘All the institutions of the national life’ is expressed as ‘gach foras a bhaineas leis an saol náisiúnta’ (‘every institution which relates to the national life’) in the Irish text. ‘Securing’ is expressed by the phrase generally expressing ‘ensuring’ in the Constitution, ‘a chur in áirithe’, this term in general usage rendering ‘reserving’. ‘Protecting’ is expressed by the term usually expressing ‘preserving’, ‘a chaomhnú’, ‘cosain’ generally rendering ‘protect’. ‘As effectively as it may’ is expressed as ‘chomh fada lena chumas’ (‘as far as it is able’) in the Irish text. ‘Social’ is expressed by the term found in the heading of this Article, ‘comhdhaonnach’, which, as we have said, occurs but infrequently today. ‘Justice’ is expressed in the Irish text by ‘ceart’, which term is translated as ‘right’ in Téarmaí Dlí, as we have seen in some earlier Articles.

Commentary carthanacht This abstract noun is translated as (1) ‘love, charity’ and (2) ‘friendliness, friendship’ in Ó Dónaill, with ‘carthannacht’ being translated as ‘charity, kindness, friendliness, gentleness’ in Dinneen. DIL only gives four citations of ‘carthanacht’, translated as ‘charity, kindness; friendship’, the first being from the Annals of the Four Masters (‘sidh caradradh 7 carthanacht’). This abstract noun

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is based on the adjective ‘carthanach’, cited in DIL from Leabhar na hUidhre (compiled in Clonmacnois c. 1100), which is based on ‘carthain’, the later verbal noun of ‘caraid’, ‘loves’, which verb is cited in DIL from the eighthcentury Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles – ‘serc’, Modern Irish ‘searc’, ‘love’, was the earlier verbal noun. See further the commentary on the Preamble. ‘All matters connected with outdoor relief, medical charities, etc.’ is translated as ‘gach ní a bhaineann le fóirithin allamuich, déarcaisí leighis, etc.’ in s3 of the ‘Cavan County Scheme’ in the First Schedule to the Local Government (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923, with ‘déarcas’ translating ‘charity’ in the Preamble to the Methodist Church in Ireland Act, 1928. a dhícheall ‘Dícheall’ is translated as ‘best endeavour’ in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘do dhícheall a dhéanamh, to do one’s best’. Dinneen translates ‘dícheall’ as ‘effort, endeavour; one’s best’, translating ‘déan do dhícheall’ as ‘do your best or worst (according to context), I defy you’. According to DIL, ‘díchell’ (‘effort, pains, utmost endeavour’) is ‘a late word common in Modern Irish’, citing ‘mesaim co bfuil do dhíchell le dénam acat do chóta … d’iomchur’ (‘I think you find it as much as you can do’ [to carry your coat]) from Standish H. O’Grady’s collection of Irish texts, Silva Gadelica. De Bhaldaithe gives ‘do dhícheall a dhéanamh (le) rud a dhéanamh’ as a translation of ‘to strive to do something’, also giving the phrases ‘bheith ag dréim le …’ and ‘féachaint go crua le …’. Both ‘righe le’ and ‘dréim le’ are cited in Foclóir Oifigiúil as translating ‘strive to’ in early Irish texts. In line with the wording of this section, ‘it being understood that the Community will strive to pursue a commercial policy which does not run counter to this progress’ is translated as ‘ar an mbonn tuisceana go ndéanfaidh an Comhphobal dícheall chun beartas tráchtála a shaothrú nach mbeidh bunoscionn leis na hiarrachtaí sin’ in Treaties establishing the European Communities (1973, p. 1401). a chur chun cinn Ó Dónaill cites ‘chuir sé é féin chun cinn, he advanced himself’, translating ‘cuir chun cinn’ as ‘advance, promote’, also citing ‘ag iarraidh cúis a chur chun cinn, trying to advance a cause’. Dinneen translates ‘chun cinn’ as ‘ahead, forward’. See the commentary on Articles 1 and 12.8 regarding ‘promote’ and ‘welfare’ respectively. ‘It shall be a function of every health board to promote the welfare of children in its area who are not receiving adequate care and protection’ is translated as ‘Is feidhm de chuid gach bord sláinte leas leanaí nach bhfuil ag fáil dóthain cúraim agus cosanta a chur chun cinn ina limistéar’ in s3(1) of the Child Care Act, 1991. ‘To establish … conveniences calculated to promote the welfare of its employees’ is translated as ‘áiseanna a bhunú … a meastar a raghaidh chun leasa a fhostaithe’ in s13(1)(n) of the Transport Act, 1950, with the Margin Title of s46 of the Transport Act, 1944, ‘Establishment of associations, etc., calculated to promote the welfare of employees’ being translated as ‘Comhlachais, etc., do bhunú do raghadh chun leasa d’fhostaithe’. Note that in s10(2)(b) of the Damage to Property Act, 1923, ‘that the injury to the building has not materially prejudiced the economic welfare of the district’ is translated as ‘nar dhin an díobháil


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don fhoirgneamh aon dochar substainteach do staid chó-ionmhuis an cheanntair’, with ‘Every person who shall … form, organise, promote, or maintain any secret society’ being translated as ‘gach éinne … a bhunóidh, a chó-ghléasfidh, a chuirfidh ar aghaidh … aon chumann sicréideach’ in s8(1) of the Treasonable Offences Act, 1925. ag rialú See the commentary on Articles 10.3 and 12.5 regarding ‘rialaigh’. For translations of ‘inform’ in the Acts, see s47(1) of the Building Societies Act, 1989, where ‘but he may at any time in the course of the investigation … inform the Bank on matters coming to his knowledge’ is translated as ‘ach féadfaidh sé tráth ar bith le linn an imscrúdaithe … scéala a thabhairt don Bhanc i dtaobh nithe atá taghta ar a iúl’, with ‘cuirifdh sé é sin in iúl don Aire’ translating ‘he shall inform the Minister accordingly’ in s3 of the First Schedule to the Restrictive Practices Act, 1972. Finally, note that ‘inform’ is translated as ‘foirmiú’ in Foclóir Fealsaimh, referring the reader to Dinneen. chomh fada lena chumas See the commentary on Article 40.3.2o where this phrase expresses ‘as best it may’. Regarding ‘effectively’ in the Acts, ‘which if the society had been empowered to do the same would have been lawfully and effectively done’ is translated as ‘agus a bheadh déanta go dlíthiúil agus go héifeachtúil dá mbeadh an chumhacht tugtha don chumann é a dhéanamh’ in s12(1) of the Building Societies Act, 1989, for example. In s7 of the Fifth Schedule to the Electoral Act, 1923, ‘so much of the description of each of such candidates … as will … effectively distinguish such candidate’ is translated as ‘oiread de thuairisc gach iarrthóra dhíobh … oiread agus a dhéanfidh idirdhealú éifeachtúil eatorra’. Note that ‘effectively obliterated stamps’ is translated as ‘stampaí curtha ar neamhbhrí go bunúsach’ in Iris an Phuist, 8/8/23. uile ‘In case the reversionary lease would be a lease of the whole of the land’ is translated as ‘i gcás inar léas ar iomlán na talún an léas frithdhílse’ in s33(2) of the Landlord and Tenant (Amendment) Act, 1980, for example, with ‘maidir le hiomlán na trádála nó an ghnó a sheolann sí’ translating ‘in respect of the whole of the trade or business carried on by it’ in s79(3)(a) of the Corporation Tax Act, 1976. See further the commentary on Article 2 (where ‘go huile’ expresses ‘whole’) and on Article 45.2.iv (where ‘uile’ expresses ‘as a whole’).

Bunreacht na hÉireann

as ‘a bhaineann’. See the commentary on Article 6.1 regarding the special form of the relative in ‘-s’. a chaomhnú The verbal noun of ‘caomhnaigh’ – see the commentary on Articles 28.3.3o and 41.1.2o. a chur in áirithe See the commentary on Article 15.10. foras See the commentary on Article 18.4.2o. ceart See the commentary on Articles 34.1, 38.3.1o and 43.2.1o.

Standardised Irish text Déanfaidh an Stát a dhícheall chun leas an phobail uile a chur chun cinn trí ord comhdhaonnach, ina mbeidh ceart agus carthanacht ag rialú gach forais a bhaineann leis an saol náisiúnta, a chur in áirithe agus a chaomhnú chomh fada lena chumas.

Direct translation Déanfaidh an Stát a dhícheall chun leas an phobail uile a chur chun cinn trí ord sóisialach ina mbeidh an ceartas agus an charthanacht mar bhonn le forais uile an tsaoil1 náisiúnta a áirithiú agus a chosaint chomh héifeachtúil agus is féidir leis.

Variant 1 ‘mar bhonn fhorais uile an tsaoil’

ARTICLE 45.2 AIRTEAGAL 45.2 TÉACS GAEILGE

Déanfaidh an Stát, go sonrach, a bheartas a stiúradh i slí go gcuirfear in áirithe:i Go bhfaighidh na saoránaigh (agus tá ceart acu uile, idir fhear is bean, chun leorshlí bheatha), trína ngairmeacha beatha, caoi chun soláthar réasúnta a dhéanamh do riachtanais a dteaghlach. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

trí ord chomhdhaonnach See the commentary on Article 45 regarding the lenition of the adjective following a masculine noun in the dative – following the official standard the phrase here would be replaced by ‘trí ord comhdhaonnach’. See the commentary on Articles 38.3.1o, 40.6.1o and 44.2.1o regarding ‘ord’ and on Article 15.3.1o regarding ‘comhdhaonnach’.

The State will, specifically, direct its policy in a way that will ensure:i That the citizens (and all of them, both men and women, have a right to a sufficient livelihood) will obtain, through their occupations, the means of making reasonable provision for the needs of their households.

an saol náisiúnta ‘In the confidence that the National Life and unity of Ireland shall thus be restored’ is translated as ‘agus muinghin aice gur mar seo a tabharfar thar n-ais beatha agus aontacht Náisiúnta na hÉireann’ in the Preamble to the 1922 Constitution.

ENGLISH TEXT

a bhaineas The special form of the relative, present indicative, of ‘bain’ – this would generally be written today

The State shall, in particular, direct its policy towards securing:i That the citizens (all of whom, men and women equally, have the right to an adequate means of livelihood) may through their occupations find the means of making reasonable provision for their domestic needs.


A study of the Irish text

Divergences between the official texts 1

2

3

4

5

‘Men and women equally’ is expressed in the Irish text by the familiar idiom, ‘idir fhear is bean’ (‘both men and women’). ‘Adequate means of livelihood’ is expressed as ‘‘leorshlí bheatha’ (‘sufficient means of livelihood’) in the Irish text. ‘Their domestic needs’ is expressed as ‘riachtanais a dteaghlach’ (‘the needs of their households’) in the Irish text. ‘In particular’ is expressed as ‘go sonrach’ (‘specifically’) in the Irish text, perhaps to avoid repetition of ‘áirithe’, which is used in expressing ‘securing’ (‘in áirithe’) – ‘particulary’ is generally translated as ‘go háirithe’; ‘in áirithe’ now generally renders ‘reserve’, but usually expresses ‘ensure’ in the Constitution. ‘Toward securing’ is expressed in the Irish text as ‘i slí go gcuirfear in áirithe’, ‘in a way that will secure/ ensure’.

J.M. Kelly, op. cit., p. 210, reports as follows on reference to this Article in the courts: In Murtagh Property v Cleary ([1972] IR 330) Kenny J used the Irish text to support his giving its full meaning to the provision that speaks of “men and women equally” having “the right to an adequate means of livelihood”: “The phrase “all of whom, men and women equally” shows that the right is one conferred equally on men and women. The Irish text (“agus tá ceart acu uile, idir fhear is bean”), though it does not refer to “equally”, also stresses that the right is one inherent in men and women. In Professor de Bhaldraithe’s English-Irish dictionary the phrase “both women and children” is translated as “idir mhná is pháistí”. If those who wrote the Constitution intended to refer to the right to an adequate means of livelihood only, it is impossible to understand why the phrase “all of whom, men and women equally” should have been inserted. Its purpose was to emphasise that [so far as that right was concerned] men and women were to be regarded as equal.”

Commentary leorshlí bheatha … trína ngairmeacha beatha ‘Slí bheatha’ is translated as ‘means of livelihood’ in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘slí bheatha a bhaint amach, to earn a livelihood’. Dinneen translates ‘slighe bheathadh’ as ‘means, livelihood’. ‘Slige’ is originally the verbal noun of ‘sligid’, and is translated as ‘act of felling, smiting, a slaughter’ in DIL, where ‘slige Assar’ (‘slaughter of the Assyrians’) is cited from the ninth-century Milan Glosses on the Commentary on the Psalms; from that sense came the sense of what is cleared or cut out, that is, ‘road, way, path’, later ‘way, means’ in general. ‘Leorshlí’ does not appear to be cited as a headword either in Ó Dónaill or in Dinneen, who translates the prefix ‘leor-’ as ‘full, sufficient, atoning’, citing ‘leor-chongnamh, suitable assistance’, ‘leor-dhóthain, full sufficiency’ and ‘leor-ghrása, sufficient grace’. ‘Profession, occupation’ is given as a secondary sense of ‘gairm’ in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘do ghairm bheatha, one’s mission in life; one’s occupation’. Dinneen translates ‘gairm bheathadh’ as ‘calling, avocation or condition of

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life, vocation’. Old Irish ‘bethu’ is translated principally as ‘life, existence’ in DIL, citing ‘is bronach a bethu’ (‘his life is … sad’) from the ninth-century Milan Glosses on the Commentary on the Psalms. Returning to ‘adequate’, ‘it is adequate’ is translated as ‘is leor é’ in De Bhaldraithe, who gives ‘imleor’ as the translation of ‘adequate’, followed by the abbreviation for ‘Philosophy’. ‘Adequate recompense’ and ‘adequate help’ are translated respectively as ‘cúiteamh cóir’ and ‘cuidiú fónta’. Looking at ‘adequate means’ in the Acts, ‘the absence of adequate means of egress from the building’ is translated as ‘gan leorchóir imeachta a bheith ar fáil as an bhfoirgneamh’ in s19(1)(e) of the Fire Services Act, 1981, with ‘the absence of adequate means of exit therefrom’ being translated as ‘toisc nach leor an tslí amach as’ in s1(1)(v) of the Fire Brigade Act, 1940. ‘If such dependants are without adequate means of support’ is translated as ‘mura bhfuil leoracmhainn a gcothabháilte féin ag na cleithiúnaithe’ in Article 81 of the Fourth Schedule to the Geneva Conventions Act, 1962. Looking at ‘adequate’ alone, ‘to direct and manage the affairs of the society with prudence, integrity and adequate professional skills’ is translated as ‘gnóthaí an chumainn a stiúradh agus a bhainistí go críonna agus go hionraic agus leis na scileanna gairmiúla leordhóthanacha’ in s17(4)(a)(iii) of the Building Societies Act, 1989, with ‘a society no longer possesses or is not maintaining … adequate capital resources’ being translated as ‘nach bhfuil acmhainní caiptiúla leordhóthanacha ag cumann a thuilleadh nó nach bhfuil acmhainní den sórt sin á gcothabháil aige’ in s40(2)(j). ‘Dóthanach’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as translating ‘adequate (arrangements)’ in translations for the Department of Local Government and Public Health. ‘He has an adequate knowledge of Irish’ is cited as being translated as ‘tá a dhóthain Gaedhilge aige’ in translations for the Department of Justice, with ‘Provided that at least two members of the committee shall be certified by the Minister for Home Affairs as possessing an adequate knowledge of the Irish language’ being translated as ‘Ach deimhneoidh an tAire um Ghnóthaí Dúithche leor-eolas a bheith ag beirt bhall ar a luíod den choiste ar an nGaedhilg’ in s65 of the Courts of Justice Act, 1924. Turning to ‘means of livelihood’, ‘and not as the principal means of livelihood’ is translated as ‘agus nach mar phríomh-shlí bheatha’ in s4 of Part II of the First Schedule to the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 1981. ‘Maritime … activities, constituting an essential means of livelihood for persons concerned’ is translated as ‘gníomhaíochtaí muirí … is deis riachtanach mhaireachtála do dhaoine áirithe’ in s2(6)(a)(i) of the Oil Pollution of the Sea (Amendment) Act, 1977. ‘Damages for any wrong or injury suffered by him in his person, property, reputation or means of livelihood’ is translated as ‘damáistí mar gheall ar aon éagóir nó díobháil a d’fhulaing sé ina phearsa, ina mhaoin, ina chlú nó ina shlí bheatha’ in s58(1)(a) of the Capital Acquisitions Tax Act, 1976. ‘That his principal means of livelihood during the whole period of ten years immediately preceding the passing of this Act was the practice of dentistry in Saorstát Éireann’ is translated as ‘gur fiaclóireacht do chleachta i Saorstát Éireann ba phríomh-shlí maireachtana dho ar feadh na tréimhse iomláine de dheich mbliana díreach roimh rith an Achta so’ in s28(1)(b) of the Dentists Act, 1928. Note that ‘means


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of occupation’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as being translated as ‘rudaí a chimeáda gnóthach é’ in translations for the Department of Justice. As regards ‘occupation’ in the Acts, ‘it ought to be treated … as a risk to their occupations and not as a risk common to all persons’ is translated as ‘gur chóir a áireamh … gur fiontar é nó í a ghabhann lena slí bheatha agus nach fiontar é nó í a bhaineann i gcoitinne le gach uile dhuine’ in s54(2)(a) of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 1981. ‘Having regard to other occupations which are insurable employments’ is translated as ‘ag féachaint do ghairmeacha eile is fostaíochtaí inárachaithe’ in s2(1) of the Social Welfare (No. 3) Act, 1974. ‘Together with their ages, sex, occupations and conditions of health’ is translated as ‘mar aon lena n-aoiseanna, a ngnéas, a slite beatha agus bail a sláinte’ in s61(1)(a) of the Housing Act, 1966. Turning to early Acts, ‘prohibit or restrict the employment of such children in particular occupations or during particular hours’ is translated as ‘fostú leanbh den tsórt san do thoirmeasc no do shriana i ngnóthaí áirithe no i rith uaireanta áirithe’ in s7(1) of the School Attendance Act, 1926. ‘Or carries on any profession, business or occupation’ is translated as ‘no ina mbíonn aon ghairm, gnó no ceárd ar siúl aige’ in s52(vi) of the Courts of Justice Act, 1924. ‘Other persons who teach or preach in any religious congregation and do not follow any secular occupation’ is translated as ‘daoine eile a mhúineann no a sheanmóineann in aon phobal creidimh agus ná leanann aon tslí bheatha shaolta’ in Part 1 of the First Schedule to the Juries Act, 1927. Finally, commenting on a draft of the direct translation below, where ‘adequate means of livelihood’ was translated as ‘slí bheatha leordhóthanach’, Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú remarked that ‘leordhóthanach’ would mean something like ‘thoroughly sated’ and recommended translating this phrase as ‘riar a gcáis de shlí bheatha’. go sonrach This adverbial phrase is translated as ‘particularly, notably’ in Ó Dónaill, with Dinneen translating ‘go sonnradach’ as ‘to come to details, also chiefly, very’ – see the commentary on Article 40.3.2o. DIL cites ‘in druth as sundradach’ from a commentary on an early Irish law-tract, ‘sainredach’ being the earlier form of this adjective, which glosses ‘peculiaris’ in the ninth-century St Gall Glosses on Priscian; DIL cites ‘ainm do dorus sainredach in hIerusalem’ (‘the name of a particular door in Jerusalem’), from the ninth-century Milan Glosses on the Commentary on the Psalms, as an example of the sense ‘specific, definite’. This adjective is based on ‘sainred’, translated in DIL as ‘peculiar property or characteristic’, citing ‘attáa lemsa a sainred-sa’ (‘I have this peculiarity’) from the eighth-century Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles. Looking at early Acts, ‘preventing nuisances in the Park and in particular preventing the obstruction of the roads and paths in the Park’ is translated as ‘cráitisí sa Pháirc do chosc agus go sonnrách cosc na mbóthar agus na gcosán sa Pháirc do chosc’ in s10(1)(g) of the Phoenix Park Act, 1925, with ‘prescribing the times during which the Park or any particular portion thereof shall be open to the public’ being translated as ‘na tráthanna d’ordú go mbeidh an Pháirc no aon chuid áirithe dhi ar oscailt don phuiblíocht’ in ss1(b). The former example above is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms, where ‘go

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mór-mhór’ is given as translating ‘in particular’ in Iris an Phoist. a stiúradh Verbal noun of the verb ‘stiúir’, ‘stiúraim’ being translated as ‘I conduct (case, etc.)’ in Téarmaí Dlí, ‘stiúruighim’ being translated as ‘I direct, guide, steer …’ in Dinneen, who cites ‘go stiúruighidh Dia thú, may God direct you’. Ó Dónaill gives ‘guide, direct, control’ as the secondary sense of ‘stiúir’ (principally ‘steer’) – see the commentary on Article 40.6.1oiii, where this verb expresses ‘control’. Note that ‘ceap’ and ‘ordaigh’ express ‘direct’ in Articles 34.4.5o and 40.4.4o respectively. ‘Stiúrú’, ‘socrú’ and díriú’ are all cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as translating ‘direct’ in translations done for various Departments. ‘Each member shall … endeavour to direct its economic and financial policies towards the objective of fostering orderly economic growth’ is translated as ‘déanfaidh gach comhalta … iarracht chun a bheartais geilleagair agus airgeadais a dhíriú i dtreo fás geilleagair ordúil’ in s1(i) of Article IV of the Schedule to the Bretton Woods Agreements (Amendment) Act, 1977. ‘The Director shall … control and direct the activities of the Institute and shall control and direct the staff of the Institute in the implementation of such activities’ is translated as ‘Déanfaidh an Stiúrthóir … gníomhaíochtaí an Fhorais a rialú agus a stiúradh agus foireann an Fhorais a rialú agus a stiúradh ag comhalladh na ngníomhaíochtaí sin dóibh’ in s1 of the Second Schedule to the National Institute for Higher Education, Limerick, Act, 1980. Commenting on a draft of the direct translation below, Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú recommended ‘a dhíriú ar a dheimhniú’ rather than ‘a dhíriú i dtreo a áirithiú’. idir fhear is bean See the commentary on Article 16.1.1o for ‘men and women’ in the Constitution. Note that the form of this phrase in the original text is ‘idir fear is bean’. According to the official standard, the preposition ‘idir’ lenites both nouns qualified by it in the phrase ‘idir x agus y’, which phrase Ó Dónaill translates as ‘both … and …’, citing ‘idir fhir agus mhná, both men and women’ – see An Caighdeán Oifigiúil, s4(d) of the chapter headed ‘Séimhiú agus Urú’. Dinneen, however, cites ‘idir fear is bean, men and women alike, all’, also citing ‘idir beag agus mór, both great and little’ as against ‘idir bheag is mhór’ in An Caighdeán Oifigiúil. DIL cites ‘etir maith et saich’ (‘both good and bad’) from the eighth-century Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles, along with ‘a tairbirt uili … eter mnaí is fer’ from Saltair na Rann, . composed c. 1000, and ‘etir fer 7 mnaí’ from the twelfthcentury Book of Leinster. ‘In the case of both men and women … 1s. 2d. a week’ is translated as ‘I gcás fear agus ban … 1s. 2d. sa tseachtain’ in the Table to s87(1) of the Social Welfare Act, 1952. ‘An Act to ensure equal treatment, in relation to certain terms and conditions of employment, between men and women employed on like work’ is translated as ‘Acht á áirithiú gurb ionann an chóir a chuirfear, maidir le téarmaí agus coinníollacha áirithe fostaíochta, ar fhir agus ar mhná a fhostaítear ar an obair chéanna’ in the Long Title of the Anti-Discrimination (Pay) Act, 1974. As regards ‘equally’, ‘and the costs incurred in such application shall be defrayed equally by the applicant and the persons …’ is translated as ‘agus na costais a tabhaíodh


A study of the Irish text

san iarratas sin íocfar iad, go cothrom, ag an iarratasóir agus ag na daoine’ in s26(3) of the Building Societies Act, 1989. ‘The charge shall be spread equally over a number of years of assessment’ is translated as ‘roinnfear an muirear go cothrom thar uimhir blianta measúnachta’ in s288(1)(b) of the Income Tax Act, 1967. In s49 of the Electoral Abuses Act, 1923, ‘if such permission is … given equally to all persons alike who are at the time in his employment’ is translated as ‘má tugtar an cead san … do gach éinne, mar a chéile, a bheidh ar fostú aige an uair sin’. ‘Bheith ina dhá leath cothroma’ is cited as a translation of ‘equally divided’ in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms, no source being given, however. caoi ‘Means, opportunity’ is given as a secondary sense of ‘caoi’ in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘caoi a thabhairt do dhuine (ar rud a dhéanamh), to give someone the means, an opportunity (to do something)’. Dinneen also includes ‘opportunity, means’ among the senses of ‘caoi’. ‘Way, manner, course, means’ is given as a secondary sense of ‘cáe’ in DIL – see the commentary on Article 40.4.2o where ‘caoi’ expresses ‘opportunity’. Looking at early Acts, ‘All patients must contribute towards their maintenance according to their means’ is translated as ‘Caithfidh gach othar cabhrú do réir a acfuinne chun a chimeádta suas’ in s11 of the ‘Details’ in the ‘Leitrim County Scheme’ in the Schedule to the Local Government (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923. ‘The yearly means of the claimant’ is translated as ‘acfuinn bhliantúil an éilitheora’ in the First Schedule to the Old Age Pensions Act, 1924. ‘If the District Justice is satisfied on the evidence adduced on the examination as to means that the statement lodged by the debtor is false’ is translated as ‘Más deimhin leis an nGiúistís Dúithche, ón bhfianaise a tabharfar sa scrúdú i dtaobh acfuinne, an cuntas acfuinne a lóisteáil an féicheamh do bheith bréagach’ in s20(2) of the Enforcement of Law (Occasional Powers) Act, 1924. Note that ‘means’ is expressed as ‘acmhainn’ in Article 42.1. soláthar ‘Soláthar a dhéanamh do rud’ is translated as ‘to make provision for something’ in Ó Dónaill, with ‘act of contributing, providing, producing, provision’ being included among the senses of ‘soláthar’ in Dinneen. DIL cites ‘atá d’fhiachaibh air an bhfear soláthar do dheunamh d’á theaghlach’ from Donlevy’s An Teagasg Críosduidhe (1742), this compound of ‘so’ and ‘láthar’ (translated as ‘arrangement, disposition’ and ‘place, position’, in particular, in DIL) being translated as ‘act of gathering, collecting, procuring, providing’. See the commentary on Article 22.1.1o where this headword expresses ‘supply’. ‘Provision to meet expenditure’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as being translated as ‘soláthairt i gcóir caiteachais’ in translations for the Department of Fisheries. ‘Any other enactment making provision for the protection of consumers’ is translated as ‘aon achtachán eile a dhéanann socrú le tomhaltóirí a chosaint’ in s9(7) of the Consumer Information Act, 1978, for example, with ‘do dhéanamh forála i leith ainmhithe agus éanlaithe atá galraithe nó faoi amhras galar a bheith orthu’ translating ‘making provision for animals or poultry affected or suspected of being affected with disease’ in s26(e) of the Disease of Animals Act, 1966. ‘After making provision for reserves’ is translated as ‘tar éis soláthar a dhéanamh le haghaidh cúltacaí’ in s14(a) of Article V of

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the Bretton Woods Agreements Act, 1957. See the commentary on Article 8.3 for ‘socrú’ expressing ‘provision’. riachtanais a dteaghlach Plural of ‘riachtanas’, this form being translated as ‘necessaries’ in Téarmaí Dlí, with ‘riachtanais na beatha’ being translated as ‘the necessaries of life’ in Ó Dónaill. ‘Riachtanas’ is translated as ‘necessity, need, want, exigence, indispensable duty’ in Dinneen. According to DIL, as we have seen, ‘riachtanas’ is an abstract noun from ‘ríachtain’ (‘the act of arriving, or of reaching’ [the Middle Irish form of the verbal noun of ‘ro-icc’]) used in the expression ‘ríachtanas a les(s)’, a petrified abstract from the phrase ‘ro-icc les(s)’, ‘needs (it)’, meaning ‘need, necessity’, with ‘ríachtanas’ later being used alone in the same sense. DIL cites ‘co mbetis uli i riachtanas a les Josep’ (‘… in need of Joseph’) from the Leabhar Breac (compiled in 1411 or earlier), for example. See the commentary on Article 41.1.2 o regarding ‘riachtanach’. Regarding ‘domestic’ in the present sense in the Acts, ‘she engages in any occupation other than domestic duties in her own household’ is translated as ‘go ngabhfaidh sí … d’aon slí bheatha seachas dualgais tís dá líon tí féin’ in s27(a) of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 1981, with ‘solely for the purposes of igniting gas for domestic use’ being translated as ‘gur d’aontoisc a rinneadh é chun gás a adhaint chun úsáide tís’ in s75(2)(b) of the Finance Act, 1980. ‘For certain domestic expenses’, in relation to the Office of Public Works, is translated as ‘le haghaidh costais intíre áirithe’ in the Second Schedule to the Appropriation Act, 1981. See the commentary on Article 24.1 where ‘whether domestic or international’ is expressed as ‘inmheánach nó idirnáisiúnta’.

Standardised Irish text Déanfaidh an Stát, go sonrach, a bheartas a stiúradh i slí go gcuirfear in áirithe:i Go bhfaighidh na saoránaigh (agus tá ceart acu uile, idir fhear is bhean, chun leorshlí bheatha), trína ngairmeacha beatha, caoi chun soláthar réasúnta a dhéanamh do riachtanais a dteaghlach.

Direct translation Déanfaidh an Stát, go háirithe, a bheartas a dhíriú ar1 a áirithiú2:i Go bhfaighidh na saoránaigh (a bhfuil an ceart acu uile, idir fhir agus mhná go comhionann, ar riar a gcáis de shlí bheatha3) trína ngairmeacha beatha an acmhainn4 chun soláthar réasúnta a dhéanamh dá riachtanais tís5.

Variants 1 2 3 4 5

‘i dtreo’ ‘a dheimhniú’ ‘ar shlí bheatha leordhóthanach’ ‘trína ngairmeacha beatha acmhainn’ ‘tí’


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ARTICLE 45.2.ii

AIRTEAGAL 45.2.ii

TÉACS GAEILGE

Go roinnfear dílse agus urlámhas gustail shaolta an phobail ar phearsana príobháideacha agus ar na haicmí éagsúla sa chuma is fearr a rachas chun leasa an phobail. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

That (the) proprietary right and control of (the) worldly wealth of the people will be divided among private persons and among the various classes in the way that will best contribute towards the welfare of the people. ENGLISH TEXT

That the ownership and control of the material resources of the community may be so distributed amongst private individuals and the various classes as best to subserve the common good.

Divergences between the official texts 1

2

3

4

‘Material resources’ is expressed in the Irish text as ‘gustail shaolta’, ‘worldly wealth’/‘riches’, the term ‘acmhainní’ being the familiar term today translating ‘resources’, and ‘maoin’ being the Irish legal term for ‘property’, and generally expressing ‘wealth’, with ‘ábhartha’ being the Irish legal term for ‘material’, ‘saolta’ generally being used to express ‘material/ worldly’ in a religious/spiritual context. ‘Control’ is expressed in the Irish text by ‘urlámhas’, a term which historically also has the sense of ‘possession’, ‘I control’ being translated as ‘rialaím’ in Téarmaí Dlí, which term usually expresses ‘regulate’ in the Constitution, but is also found expressing ‘control’. ‘Individuals’ is expressed as ‘pearsana’ (‘persons’) in the Irish text, though this term is sometimes so found in the Acts; there may have been a reluctance to express this as ‘daoine aonair’ as the clause is qualified by an adjective, and the natural order would be ‘daoine príobháideacha aonair’, which is a weak expression of the intended meaning. ‘Daoine’ alone expresses ‘individuals’ in the next paragraph. ‘Subserve the common good’ is expressed in the Irish text as ‘rachas chun leasa an phobail’, ‘contribute towards the welfare of the people’, the phrase ‘leas an phobail’ expressing ‘the common good’ in other Articles also, that phrase being translated in Téarmaí Dlí as ‘an mhaitheas phoiblí’.

Commentary dílse This headword is translated as ‘proprietary right; ownership, property’ in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘tugadh dílse a gcríche dóibh, they were given the right to own their territory’. Dinneen includes ‘inherent right’ and ‘forfeiture, appropriation, ownership’ among its senses. ‘Dílse’ is an abstract noun, based on ‘díles’, and literally means ‘that which is proper to, inherent in, due or belonging to’ according to DIL, where this headword is translated principally as ‘propriety (i.e. fitness, peculiar applicability, to), passing into notion of appropriation; ownership, possession (of), right over’, with examples of this word

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being cited from the ninth-century St Gall Glosses on Priscian onwards. ‘Dílis’ is a compound of ‘dí-’ and ‘les’, DIL citing ‘ni pa díless duit aní hitái’ (‘that in which thou art will not belong to thee’), from the eighth-century Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles, as an example of the general sense of this adjective, ‘belonging, own, proper, appropriate’, the substantive use of which is translated principally as ‘private property, possession’ in DIL, no examples of which use are cited from the Glosses. D.A. Binchy, op. cit., p. 83f., comments as follows on ‘díles’ in early Irish law: díles, lit. ‘excluded from remedy’ (dí + les), may be used of any situation incapable of being altered by legal process, where ‘no action lies’. It has two very different meanings, therefore, according as the exclusion of legal proceedings operates to the advantage or the detriment of the person concerned. In the former case díles means ‘indefeasibly entitled, held in absolute ownership’, when it refers to proprietary rights, and ‘immune, free from liability’ when it refers to acts or omissions …. On the other hand, where the exclusion of legal process or remedy operates to the detriment of the person concerned, e.g. where property that was once his has passed irretrievably into the ownership of others without any action for its recovery remaining open to him, díles is best translated ‘forfeit’.

According to Fergus Kelly, op. cit., p. 100, most farmland was ‘fintiu’ (‘kin-land’); when kin-land was being divided each heir got a share which he farmed as an individual, but he could not sell his share of the kin-land without the permission of the rest of the kin. ‘Private ownership’ is expressed as ‘a bheith aige dá chuid féin’ in Article 43.1.1o, with ‘own’ expressed as ‘bheith dá gcuid féin acu’ in Article 44.2.5o – see the commentary on both Articles regarding ‘own’/‘ownership’. Looking at the early Acts, ‘articles of personal ornament kept by the owner otherwise than as part of his stockin-trade’ is translated as ‘earraí órnáide pearsan a bhíonn ag an únaer ar aon tslí eile seachas mar chuid dá stoc trádála’ in s7(2)(i) of the Damage to Property (Compensation) Act, 1923. ‘Unaereacht’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as translating ‘ownership’ in the Proceedings of Dáil Éireann, 1927, p. 103, with ‘úinéireacht’ translating ‘ownership’ in Téarmaí Dlí. In s58(1) of the Land Act, 1923, ‘Where the registration of the ownership of the land … had not been effected’ is translated as ‘Sa chás nár dineadh clárú ar únaereacht tailimh’. Turning to modern Acts, ‘where there is a change in the ownership of the company’ is translated as ‘i gcás go raibh nó go mbeidh athrú ar úinéireacht na cuideachta’ in s39(4)(b) of the Finance Act, 1990. ‘For the purpose of enabling the ownership of the relevant plant breeders’ rights to be ascertained’ is translated as ‘d’fhonn go bhféadfar úinéireacht na gceart póraitheoirí plandaí iomchuí a fhionnadh’ in s3(a) of the Second Schedule to the Plant Varieties (Proprietary Rights) Act, 1980. urlámhas This headword is translated as ‘control; jurisdiction, authority’ in Ó Dónaill and as ‘control, custody, authority, possession, sequestration’ in Dinneen. ‘Airlámas’ is translated as ‘custody, possession’ in DIL, citing ‘cor ghobhadar … urlámhus in fhearaind’ from the Miscellany of the Celtic Society. This abstract noun is based on ‘airlám’,


A study of the Irish text

translated as ‘custody, possession’ in DIL, that noun being based on ‘lám’, ‘hand’. ‘I control’ is translated as ‘rialaím’ in Téarmaí Dlí, the verbal noun, ‘rialú’, generally translating ‘control’ in the Acts. ‘The systems of control which are to be established … are systems for the control of the conduct of its business … and for the control of the accounting and other records of its business’ is translated as ‘Na córais rialaithe atá le bunú … is córais iad chun rialú a dhéanamh ar sheoladh ghnó an chumainn … agus chun taifid chuntasaíochta agus taifid eile ghnó an chumainn a rialú’ in s76(5) of the Building Societies Act, 1989. ‘Rialú’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as translating ‘control (of staffs)’ in a 1928 Report of the Committee on Public Accounts. In Article 46 of the 1922 Constitution, ‘and every such force shall be subject to the control of the Oireachtas’ is translated as ‘beidh gach fórsa dá shórt fé smacht an Oireachtais’. ‘Control of Forces’ is translated as ‘Stiúra na bhFórsaí’ in the Margin Title of the Defence Forces (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923. See further the commentary on Articles 10.3 and 40.6.1oii, where ‘control’ is expressed by ‘rialaigh’, and note that ‘stiúir’ expresses ‘control’ in Article 40.6.1oiii. urlámhas gustail shaolta ‘Gustail’ is the genitive singular form of ‘gustal’, translated as (1) ‘belongings, chattels’ and (2) ‘means, resources, wealth’ in Ó Dónaill and as ‘wealth; a load, a burden; means, ability’ in Dinneen. ‘Gustal’ is translated as ‘chattels, utensils, belongings’ in DIL, with ‘gach gustal trom dá raibhe aca do mhalairt ar ghréithibh geanamhla’ being cited from Keating’s seventeenth-century Three Shafts of Death. ‘Resource’ is expressed by ‘ábhar maoine’ in Article 10.1. ‘All the natural resources’ is translated as ‘gach maoin nádúrtha’ in Article 11 of the 1922 Constitution, with ‘the exploitation of water power and other natural resources of Saorstát Éireann for the generation of electricity’ being translated as ‘comhacht uisce agus maoin nádúrtha eile i Saorstát Éireann d’úsáid chun leictreachas do gheiniúint’ in s27 of the Electricity (Supply) Act, 1927. ‘Saolta’, literally ‘worldly’, is translated principally as ‘earthly, mundane, temporal’ in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘nithe, rudaí, saolta, mundane matters; material things’. Dinneen translates ‘saoghalta’ as ‘mundane, sublunary, earthly, secular ...’, citing ‘maoin tsaoghalta, worldly possessions’. DIL translates ‘saegulta’ as ‘belonging to this world, mundane, secular’, this adjective being based on ‘saegul’ (Modern Irish ‘saol’) which comes from Latin ‘saeculum’, DIL citing ‘is garait ar saigul’ (‘our life is short’) from the ninth-century Milan Glosses on the Commentary on the Psalms. See the commentary on Article 43.1.1o where ‘maoin shaolta’ expresses ‘external goods’. ‘Material welfare’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as being translated as ‘leas cuirp’ in translations for the Department of Justice. ‘In relation to the measures taken by it and the human and material resources employed by it for the purpose of safeguarding aviation against acts of unlawful interference’ is translated as ‘i ndáil leis na bearta a bheidh glactha aici agus leis na hacmhainní daonna agus ábhartha a bheidh á n-úsáid aici chun eitlíocht shibhialta a chosaint in aghaidh toirmisc neamhdhleathaigh’ in s7(1)(d) of the Irish Aviation Authority Act, 1993.

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ar phearsana ‘Pearsana’ is the plural form of ‘pearsa’, ‘person’, Téarmaí Dlí translating ‘caomhnóir ar an bpearsa’ and ‘foghail ar an bpearsa’ respectively as ‘guardian of the person’ and ‘trespass to the person’. Ó Dónaill cites ‘tá trí phearsa i nDia, there are three persons in God’ and DIL cites ‘cindas persine attotchomnicc’ (‘what sort of person art thou?’) from the eighth-century Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistle – see the commentary on Articles 40.1 and 40.3.2o (where ‘pearsa’ expresses ‘person’). ‘Individual’ is variously translated as ‘éinne amháin’, ‘duine amháin’ and ‘duine’ in early Acts. ‘The Minister may at any time alter or cancel the registration of any premises under this Act upon the application of the registered proprietor, or in the case of an individual, the personal representative, or, in the case of an incorporated body, the liquidator, of the registered proprietor’ is translated as ‘Féadfidh an tAire aon uair clárú aon áitribh fén Acht seo d’atharú no do chur ar nea-mbrí ar iarratas an únaera chláruithe no, más éinne amháin an t-únaer cláruithe, ar iarratas a ionadaí phearsanta no, más cólucht ionchorpruithe é, ar iarratas an té is socrathóir do’ in s10(1) of the Agricultural Produce (Eggs) Act, 1924, with ‘that the registered proprietor, if an individual, has died, or if an incoporated body, has been dissolved’ being translated as ‘más duine amháin an t-únaer gur éag sé no, más cólucht ionchorpruithe é, gur scuireadh é’ in s10(3)(c). ‘Without naming any individual’ is translated as ‘gan ainm éinne fé leith do luadh’ in s6(2) of the Criminal Justice (Administration) Act, 1924. Finally, ‘a company or firm of which any director or manager or any partner … is an individual whom the controller could refuse to recognise as an agent’ is translated as ‘má tá ar an gcuideachtain no ar an tigh ghnótha san aon stiúrthóir no bainisteoir no aon pháirtnéir … is duine go bhféadfadh an ceannasaí diúltú d’é d’admháil mar ghníomhaire’ in s137(3) of the Industrial and Commercial Property (Protection) Act, 1927. Turning to modern Acts, ‘from public service organisations, institutions or private individuals’ is translated as ‘ó eagraíochtaí seirbhíse poiblí, ó fhorais nó ó dhaoine príobháideacha’ in s2(1)(a) of the National Archives Act, 1986, with ‘whether they are constitutionally responsible rulers, public officials or private individuals’ being translated as ‘cibé acu is rialtóirí iad ar a bhfuil freagracht bhunreachtúil, oifigigh phoiblí nó daoine príobháideacha’ in Article IV of the Schedule of the Genocide Act, 1973. In Article 53 of the First Schedule to the Geneva Conventions Act, 1962, however, ‘the use by private individuals, societies or firms, of the arms of the Swiss Confederation … shall be prohibited at all times’ is translated as ‘toirmisctear i gcónaí ar dhaoine aonair, ar chumainn nó gnólachtaí, úsáid a dhéanamh d’armas Chónaidhm na hEilvéise’. ‘And which he could do if he were a private individual and the owner of such fishery’ is translated as ‘agus a d’fhéadfadh sé a dhéanamh dá mba phearsa aonair phríobháideach é agus é ina úinéir ar an iascach sin’ in s60(1) of the Fisheries Act, 1980. Commenting on ‘daoine príobháideacha aonair’ in a draft of the direct translation below, Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú suggests substituting ‘ar leith’ for ‘aonair’ here. a rachas The special form of the relative, future tense, of ‘téigh’, this would generally be written as ‘a rachaidh’ in the Acts today – see the commentary on Article 6.1 regarding the special form of the relative in ‘-s’. ‘Téigh


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chun’ is translated literally as ‘go, proceed, to’ in Ó Dónaill, this phrase also having the sense of ‘develop, become’, Ó Dónaill citing ‘rachaidh sé chun tairbhe duit, it will benefit you’ and ‘chuaigh an fliuchadh chun fiabhrais dó, the wetting he got brought on a fever’. Dinneen cites ‘chuaidh an galar chun gadhscail air, the disease became chronic with him’. Earlier ‘téit dochum’ also had the sense of ‘marriage’, ‘sexual union’, according to DIL, citing ‘intí immurgu téte a dochumsi’ (‘those who visit her’ [a harlot]) from the eighth-century Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles, also citing ‘racha dochum n-écca ind’ (‘thou wilt die therein’) from a later source. ‘Subserve’ is translated as ‘cabhraím, cuidím, le (cúis, etc.)’ in De Bhaldraithe, who translates ‘to make something subservient to something’ as ‘rud a chur chun sochair do rud’. L. Mc Cionnaith translates ‘to do it in subservience to’ as ‘é do dhéanamh mar spleadh dóibh’, and ‘subservient’ as ‘bhí sé chomh spleadhach leo’, citing ‘nach mé an Jumper agat!’ from Connamara as a translation of ‘do you think I have no will of my own, am subservient to you’. chun leasa an phobail According to the official standard this would be replaced by ‘chun leas an phobail’, the nominative case taking the place of the genitive, in the case of ‘leas’, as it is followed by a definite noun – see the commentary on Article 1. As regards ‘the common good’, this is translated as ‘an mhaitheas phoiblí’ in Téarmaí Dlí – see the commentary on Articles 6.1 and 42.3.2o. ‘De réir riachtanais leasa an phobail’ translates ‘in accordance with the exigencies of the common good’ in the Long Title of the Rent Restrictions (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1981. ‘An Act to make provision, in the interests of the common good’ is translated as ‘Acht do dhéanamh socrú, chun tairbhe don mhaitheas phoiblí’ in the Long Title of the Local Government (Planning and Development) Act, 1963.

Bunreacht na hÉireann

ARTICLE 45.2.iii TÉACS GAEILGE

Go sonrach, nach ligfear d’oibriú na saoriomaíochta dul chun cinn i slí go dtiocfadh de an dílse nó an t-urlámhas ar earraí riachtanacha a bheith ina lámha féin ag beagán daoine chun dochair don phobal. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Specifically, that the operation of free competition will not be allowed to advance in a way that there would result from it that a small number of people had in their own hands the ownership or the control of essential goods to the detriment of the community. ENGLISH TEXT

That, especially, the operation of free competition shall not be allowed so to develop as to result in the concentration of the ownership or control of essential commodities in a few individuals to the common detriment.

Divergences between the official texts 1

2

3

na haicmí See the commentary on Articles 40.6.2o and 44.2.4o where ‘aicme’ respectively expresses ‘class’ and ‘denomination’.

4

an phobail See the commentary on Article 12.2.1o.

5

roinnfear … ar See the commentary on Article 28.12 where ‘roinnt’ expresses ‘distribution’.

6

Standardised Irish text Go roinnfear dílse agus urlámhas ghustal saolta an phobail ar phearsana príobháideacha agus ar na haicmí éagsúla sa chuma is fearr a rachaidh chun leas an phobail.

Direct translation Go ndéanfar úinéireacht agus rialú acmhainní ábhartha an phobail a dháileadh i measc daoine príobháideacha1 agus i measc na n-aicmí éagsúla sa tslí is fearr a chuideoidh leis an maitheas phoiblí2.

Variants 1 ‘pearsana príobháideacha’, ‘daoine príobháideacha aonair / ar leith’ 2 ‘le leas an phobail’

AIRTEAGAL 45.2.iii

‘The concentration of the ownership … in a few individuals’ is expressed as ‘an dílse … a bheith ina lámha féin ag beagán daoine’ (‘a small number of people having the ownership in their own hands’) in the Irish text, ‘individuals’ being expressed by ‘pearsana’ in the foregoing paragraph as against ‘daoine’ here. The Irish phrase expressing ‘to the common detriment’ parallels the phrase expressing ‘to subserve the common good’ in the previous paragraph, ‘chun dochair don phobal’ literally meaning ‘to the disadvantage of the community/people’. While ‘lig do’ has the sense of ‘allow’, ‘I allow’ is translated as ‘ceadaím’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘Operation’ is expressed by ‘oibriú’, the term usually expressing ‘exercise’ in the Constitution, this being the term for ‘operation’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘Especially’ is expressed by ‘go sonrach’, the same adverbial phrase as expresses ‘in particular’ in the opening sentence of this section. ‘Dul chun cinn’ expresses ‘develop’, the general term today expressing ‘develop’ being ‘forbairt’, with ‘cur ar aghaidh’ being found in Article 1.

Commentary d’oibriú na saoriomaíochta This compound of ‘saor’ and ‘iomaíocht’ does not appear to be given as a headword either in Ó Dónaill or in Dinneen, the latter translating ‘saor-’, in compounds, as ‘free, noble’ and ‘iomaidheacht’ as ‘competition, rivalry’. Ó Dónaill translates ‘iomaíocht’ as ‘(act of) competing, vying; competition, rivalry; emulation’. This noun is based on ‘iomaidh’, translated as ‘rivalry, competition’ in Ó Dónaill. The earlier form, ‘immad’, ‘immaid’ (which may come from ‘imbuith’, the verbal noun of ‘imm-tá’, according to DIL), is translated as ‘the act of contending; envy, jealousy, rivalry, strife’ in DIL, where ‘Niall Ó Néill is fear fromhtha / is léir ar a fhear n-iomtha’ (‘Niall Ó Néill is a proved warrior – this is shown by the state of his foe’) is cited from a miscellaneous collection of Classical Irish poetry.


A study of the Irish text

Looking at early translations, ‘in respect of competitive traffic’ is translated as ‘maidir le trácht comórtasúil’ in s29(1) of the Railways Act, 1924, with ‘dul isteach ar chomórtas’ being cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as translating ‘compete’ in Iris an Phoist, 8/2/28. ‘Iomathóir’ is cited as translating ‘competitor’ in translations for the Department of Education. Turning to more modern translations, ‘their opinion as to whether such prices are influenced by any agreement or combination for interfering with free competition’ is translated as ‘an é a dtuairim go bhfuil aon bhaint leis na praghsanna san ag aon chó-aontú no cur-le chéile chun cur isteach ar shaor-iomaíocht’ in s42(1)(d) of the Control of Prices Act, 1932. In s(a) of the Second Schedule to the Restrictive Trade Practices Act, 1953, and of the Third Schedule to the Restrictive Practices Act, 1972, ‘having … the effect of unreasonably limiting or restraining free and fair competition’ is translated as ‘a bhfuil d’éifeacht acu … tórainn nó srian neamhréasúnach a chur le saoirse chóir iomaíochta’. earraí The plural of ‘earra’, this form being translated as ‘goods’ in Téarmaí Dlí, where ‘dílseánacht sna hearraí, property in the goods’ is cited. ‘Earra’, in the collective sense, is translated as ‘goods; ware, merchandise’ in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘earra, earraí, a cheannach, a dhíol, to buy, sell, goods’. Dinneen translates ‘earradh’ as ‘property, goods, ware, furniture, articles, materials ...’. DIL translates ‘errad’ as ‘furniture, chattels, ware, merchandise’, citing ‘do theilgeadar an earradh do bhí san loing annsa bhfairge’ (‘= wares’) from the seventeenthcentury translation of Jonah i. 5, this being expressed as ‘theilg siad amach san fharraige a raibh ar bord’ in the modern ‘Maynooth Bible’. ‘Commodity’ is translated as ‘earra’, ‘tráchtearra’ and ‘ball earra’ in De Bhaldraithe. ‘“Commodities” means tangible assets which are dealt with on a commodity exchange in any part of the world other than currency, securities, debts or other assets of a financial nature’ is translated as ‘ciallaíonn “tráchtearraí” sócmhainní inláimhsithe a ndéileáiltear iontu ar mhalartáin tráchtearraí áit ar bith ar domhan, seachas airgead reatha, urrúis, fiacha nó sócmhainní eile de chineál airgeadais’ in s4(2) of Schedule Five to the Finance Act, 1990. ‘Commodities or articles for use in catching fish’ is translated as ‘tráchtearraí nó cóngair a úsáidtear chun iasc a ghabháil’ in s1 of Part II of the Second Schedule to the Finance Act, 1978. ‘When carrying commodities’ is translated as ‘nuair a bheidh earraí á n-iompar’ in s2(i) of the Road Transport Act, 1971. ‘For the transport of any commodities whatsoever upon any canal’ is translated as ‘chun aon tsaghas earraí d’iompar ar aon chanáil’ in s180(2) of the Defence Forces (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923. Note that ‘earraí’ translates ‘goods’ and ‘gréithre’ translates ‘commodities’ in s1(ii) of the Ministers and Secretaries Act, 1924, where ‘the supervision and control of all purchases made for or on behalf of and all supplies of commodities and goods held by the Department of State and the disposal thereof’ is translated as ‘maoirseacht agus cúram gach ceannaigh a déanfar d’aon Roinn Stáit no thar a ceann agus maoirseacht agus cúram gach soláthar gréithre agus earraí atá aici agus riar na rudaí sin’. ina lámha ‘In the hand(s) of, at the disposal of’ are

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included among the senses of ‘i láimh’ in Dinneen, who cites ‘suigheadh a iomaire féin i láimh gach aon díobh, each one was entrusted with a particular ridge’. ‘I láimh’ also has the sense of ‘captive’, ‘subservient (to)’, DIL citing ‘i láimh atú i ttalmhain’ from a collection of Classical Irish religious poetry. Old Irish ‘lám’, ‘hand’, is itself cited in DIL from the eighth-century Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles, where we find ‘gnúis et láma et cossa’ (‘face and hands and feet’). Turning to ‘concentration’, ‘the determination, in respect of such specimens, of the concentration of alcohol in the blood’ is translated as ‘cinneadh a dhéanamh maidir leis na samplaí sin ar an gcion alcóil san fhuil’ in s7(1)(b) of the Road Traffic (Amendment) Act, 1978. ‘“Concentrate of poppy straw” means the material produced when poppy straw has entered into a process for the concentration of its alkaloids’ is translated as ‘ciallaíonn “tiubhachán de thuí phoipín” an t-ábhar a tháirgtear tar éis tuí phoipín a dhul faoi phróiseas le haghaidh tiubhú a halcalóidí’ in s6 of the Schedule to the Misuse of Drugs Act, 1977. Finally, ‘articles which contain as an ingredient thereof coffee or chicory or any such extract, essence or concentration as is mentioned in the foregoing paragraph (a)’ is translated as ‘earraí ina mbeidh mar tháthchuid díobh caifé no ciocóire no aon eastóscán, úscra, no có-neartú den tsaghas a luaidhtear sa mhír sin (a) roimhe sin’ in the First Schedule to the Finance Act, 1939. De Bhaldraithe translates ‘concentrate’ as ‘cruinním (le chéile); comhchruinním (smaointe, saighdiúirí)’, citing ‘they concentrated the fire of the battery, chomhchruinníodar lámhach an bhataire’ and translating ‘concentration’ in the military sense as ‘comhchruinniú (gunnaí)’. Commenting on a draft of the direct translation below, where ‘the concentration of the ownership … of … commodities in a few individuals’ was translated as ‘go gcomhchruinneofaí úinéireacht … earraí riachtanacha i roinnt daoine’, Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú expressed doubt regarding such a construction and recommended ‘go mbeidh … úinéireacht earraí riachtanacha ar a láimh ag beagán daoine’ or, if it was felt necessary to give recognition to the sense of ‘concentration’, ‘go mbeidh … rialú earraí riachtanacha comhchruinnithe chucu féin ag beagán daoine’. chun dochair don phobal See the commentary on Article 3 regarding ‘gan dochar’, which phrase is translated as ‘without prejudice’ in Téarmaí Dlí. Ó Dónaill cites ‘rachaidh sé chun dochair don tír, it will bring harm on the country’ – see the commentary on Article 44.2.1o regarding ‘dul chun dochair’ and note that ‘dochar a dhéanamh do’ expresses ‘affect prejudicially’ in Article 44.2.4o. ‘In a manner which is to the detriment of a person’ is translated as ‘ar dhóigh a rachaidh chun dochair do dhuine’ in s6(1)(b) of the Local Government (Superannuation) Act, 1980, with ‘(shall not) be reduced or be otherwise altered to the detriment of such person’ being translated as ‘do laigheadú ná d’atharú ar shlí eile chun dochair don duine sin’ in s51(1)(a) of the Conditions of Employment Act, 1936. In s13(1)(c) of the Local Government (Superannuation) Act, 1956, ‘his position has been materially altered to his detriment’ is translated as ‘go ndearnadh a phost d’athrú go hábhartha chun dochair dó’. Finally, ‘without substantial detriment to the works’ is translated


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as ‘gan dochar mór do theacht as do sna hoibreacha’ in s16 of the Shannon Electricity Act, 1925. ligfear See the commentary on Article 40.4.3o regarding ‘lig’, ‘ligim’ being translated as ‘I let’ in Téarmaí Dlí, with ‘lig do’ being translated as ‘allow, permit’ in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘ligean do dhuine rud a dhéanamh, to let someone do something’. Dinneen includes ‘I concede or allow to, permit a thing’ among the senses of ‘leigim do’, citing ‘leigim dí imtheacht uirthi, I allow her to depart’. DIL cites ‘ní relic dia doib orcuin nDuaid’ (‘God did not let them slay David’), from the ninth-century Milan Glosses on the Commentary on the Psalms, as an example of the sense of ‘allows, permits (to do, have, etc.)’ of ‘léicid do’, literally, ‘leaves to or for, hands over to, entrusts to’. beagán daoine ‘Beagán’ is translated as ‘little’ in Ó Dónaill, ‘a few’ being given as the secondary sense, citing ‘beagán dár muintir, a few of our people’. Dinneen cites ‘beagán buidhne, a small force’ and DIL cites ‘in becan sa dib’ (‘these few of them’ [at end of list]) from Leabhar na hUidhre (compiled in Clonmacnois c. 1100), as an example of the sense of ‘a few, a small number’, ‘becán’ being translated as ‘a little, small quantity’, glossing Latin ‘pauxillum’ in the ninth-century St Gall Glosses on Priscian. See the previous commentary regarding ‘individual’. Commenting on ‘roinnt daoine’ in a draft of the direct translation below, Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú remarks that it is not as good in the context here as ‘beagán’. dul chun cinn See the commentary on Article 1 regarding ‘develop’, expressed in that Article as ‘a chur ar aghaidh’. Commenting on the direct translation below of ‘the operation of free competition shall not be allowed so to develop’ as ‘nach gceadófar d’oibriú na saoriomaíochta forbairt ar shlí go’, Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú recalls David Greene’s objections to ‘forbairt’ noted in the commentary on Article 1 and remarks that the traditional sense of ‘for-fen’ etc. is not suitable here; Professor Ó Murchú recommends ‘nach gceadófar forás d’oibriú na saoriomaíochta ar shlí go’ as an alternative translation. Go sonrach See the commentary on Article 45.2. Note that in the Preamble to the Local Government (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923, ‘and in particular the existing law relating to the relief of the poor’ is translated as ‘agus, go sonnrách, an dlí atá ann fé láthair i dtaobh fóirithin na mbocht’. Note also that the form in the original text is ‘go sonnradhach’; Dinneen translates ‘go sonnradhach’ as ‘to come to details, also chiefly, very’, giving ‘sonnrach’ as a separate headword, translated as ‘special, particular, etc.’, and under which the reader is referred to ‘sonnradhach’. Ó Dónaill gives ‘sonraíoch’ as a separate headword, translated as ‘noticeable, remarkable; peculiar, extraordinary; abnormal, grotesque’. d’oibriú See the commentary on Articles 3 and 13.5.1o regarding ‘oibriú’, which usually expresses ‘exercise’ in the Constitution, ‘oibrím’, however, being translated as ‘I operate’ in Téarmaí Dlí. an dílse nó an t-urlámhas ar See the commentary on the previous paragraph regarding ‘dílse’ and ‘urlámhas’, there directly qualifying the following noun and not linked to it by a preposition, as in this paragraph (i.e. ‘ar’).

Bunreacht na hÉireann

Direct translation 1

Go háirithe , nach gceadófar d’oibriú na saoriomaíochta forbairt2 ar shlí3 go mbeidh dá dheasca úinéireacht nó rialú earraí riachtanacha comhchruinnithe chucu féin4 ag beagán daoine chun dochair don phobal5.

Variants 1 2 3 4 5

‘Go speisialta’ ‘nach gceadófar forás d’oibriú na saoriomaíochta’ ‘i slí’, ‘sa tslí’ ‘ar a láimh’ ‘agus go mbeadh an pobal i gcoitinne thíos leis sin’

ARTICLE 45.2.iv

AIRTEAGAL 45.2.iv

TÉACS GAEILGE

Gurb é leas an phobail uile is buanchuspóir agus is príomhchuspóir a rialós ina mbaineann le hurlámhas creidmheasa. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

That the welfare of the whole community is the permanent and principal objective which will govern in all that concerns the control of credit. ENGLISH TEXT

That in what pertains to the control of credit the constant and predominant aim shall be the welfare of the people as a whole.

Divergences between the official texts 1

2

3

4

‘In what pertains to the control of credit’ is expressed as ‘a rialós ina mbaineann le hurlámhas creidmheasa’ (‘which will control/govern/dominate all that concerns the control of credit’) in the Irish text, the phrase ‘a rialós’ adding further emphasis to what appears in the English text. ‘Constant and predominant aim’ is expressed in the Irish text by repetition of compounds based on ‘cuspóir’ which, although it has the sense of ‘aim’, usually expresses ‘object’, the terms expressing ‘constant’ and ‘predominant’, ‘buan-’ and ‘príomh-’, usually expressing ‘permanent’ and ‘principal’ respectively. As in the foregoing paragraphs, ‘control’ is expressed by the term ‘urlámhas’, which also has senses other than ‘control’, ‘I control’ being translated as ‘rialaím’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘The people as a whole’ is expressed in the Irish text as ‘an pobal uile’, ‘all the people’ / ‘the whole community’.

Commentary le hurlámhas creidmheasa ‘Creidmheasa’ is the genitive singular form of ‘creidmheas’, translated as ‘credit’ in Téarmaí Dlí and in Ó Dónaill, and as ‘credit, trust, confidence’ in Dinneen. ‘Cairde’ is, and has been, perhaps the more colloquial term for ‘credit’, Ó Dónaill citing ‘rud a fháil, a thabhairt, ar cairde, to get, give, something on


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credit’, Dinneen giving ‘tick’ as one of its senses. In the Glosses of the eighth and ninth centuries ‘cairde’ glosses Latin ‘pactum’ and in early Irish law expressed ‘peaceful relations or pact either within a particular territory or between two or more territories’, according to DIL, where the sense ‘local peace, as opposed to cáin, the general law’ is given. D.A. Binchy, op. cit., p. 80, comments as follows:

‘Cuspóir’ is repeated here as having ‘buan’ qualify the compound ‘cuspóir’ would lead to the phrase being read as ‘permanent constant aim’; note that there are many instances in the Constitution of two adjectives linked by ‘and’ being expressed by the adjectives immediately following each other with no conjunction in the Irish text, this being in line with Irish usage in general.

cairde, lit. ‘friendship’, a solemn compact concluded on behalf of two or more túaths ([small kingdoms, a ‘tuath’ being] the political and jurisdictional unit of ancient Ireland) by their respective kings, each of whom pledges his subjects to it at an aonach. There are varying degrees of cairde, from a simple armistice to far-reaching arrangements for mutual recognition and enforcement of legal claims.

ina mbaineann le See the commentary on Article 3 regarding ‘bain le’. De Bhaldraithe translates ‘pertain’ as ‘baineann (to something, le rud)’, translating ‘this does not pertain to my office’ as ‘ní haon chuid de mo chúramsa é seo’. ‘Ensuring that, in what pertains to the control of credit, the constant and predominant aim shall be the welfare of the people as a whole’ is translated as ‘chun a áirithiú gurb é leas an phobail i gcoitinne is príomhchuspóir buan ina mbaineann le hurlámhas creidiúnais’ in s6(1) of the Central Bank Act, 1942. ‘Any question whether a matter pertains to both Departments’ is translated as ‘aon cheist i dtaobh baint a bheith ag ábhar leis an dá Roinn’ in s(a)(iii) of Article XXI of the Schedule to the Bretton Woods Agreements (Amendment) Act, 1977.

See Fergus Kelly, op. cit., p. 279, regarding a law-text on the subject of ‘cairde’. ‘Cara’, on which ‘cairde’ is based, is cited in DIL from the eighth-century Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles, where we find ‘coscc carat’ (‘a friend’s advice’). ‘The Agricultural Credit Corporation Limited’ is styled ‘Corparáid an Cháirde Talmhaíochta, Teoranta’ in s4(1) of the Agricultural Credit Act, 1927, with ‘Agricultural Credit Societies’ being translated as ‘Cumainn Chreidiúna Talmhaíochta’ on the Dáil Order Paper, 1925, p. 216. ‘On the credit of the said sum’ is translated as ‘Ar chreidiúint na suime sin’ in s2(1) of the Appropiation Act, 1923. ‘The Bank’s activities in respect of the protection of the integrity of the currency or the control of credit’ is translated as ‘(i dtaobh) ghníomhaíochtaí an Bhainc chun sláine an airgeadra a chosaint nó chun creidmheas a rialú’ in s16(1)(b) of the Central Bank Act, 1989. buanchuspóir … príomhchuspóir Compounds of ‘cuspóir’, which noun is translated as ‘object’ in Téarmaí Dlí, with ‘object; objective, purpose’ being given as a secondary sense in Ó Dónaill, the principal sense being ‘thing aimed at, target’. Dinneen translates ‘cuspóir’ as ‘an object, a target, a model, a theme ...’. This word comes from Latin ‘cuspis’ and is translated as ‘target, purpose, aim, object’ in DIL, citing ‘co rabi fed cusboir etorro’ (‘fed cusboir’ being translated as ‘distance of a bow-shot’) from Todd’s edition of the eleventh-century Cogadh Gaedhel re Gallaibh. Ó Dónaill translates the prefix ‘buan’ as ‘permanent, perpetual; fixed’, citing ‘do chara buan, your constant friend’ and ‘go buan, constantly, always’, the latter phrase being similarly translated by Dinneen, who translates ‘buan’ as ‘lasting, continual’. The adjective ‘búan’ is translated as ‘lasting, enduring; constant, firm, persevering’ in DIL, citing examples from Blathmac (fl. 750-770) onwards. Note incidentally that ‘the constancy of the supply of water to it’ is translated as ‘buaine an tsoláthair uisce a thagann chuige’ in s6(3) of the River Owenmore Drainage Act, 1926. Ó Dónaill translates ‘príomh-’ as ‘prime, principal, chief, major, cardinal’, with Dinneen translating this prefix as ‘first, prime, chief, principal, great’. ‘Prím-’ comes from Latin ‘primus’ and is translated as (a) ‘first (in time), primary’ and (b) ‘foremost, chief, principal, prime, eminent’ in DIL. De Bhaldraithe translates ‘predominant’ as ‘ardcheannasach’, translating ‘constant’ as ‘daingean, seasmhach, buan, buanseasmhach’.

uile This headword is translated as ‘all, whole’, after a noun, in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘an scéal uile, the whole story’ and ‘dár muintir uile, to all our people’. Dinneen also translates ‘uile’ as ‘all, whole’, citing ‘cách uile, everyone’. See the commentary on Articles 2 and 45.1. ‘Having regard to the interests of the members as a whole’ is translated as ‘ag féachaint do leasanna na gcomhaltaí i gcoitinne’ in s65(4)(a) of the Building Societies Act, 1989, with ‘any particular question affecting the company as a whole’ being translated as ‘aon cheist áirithe a bhain leis an gcuideachta i gcoitinne’ in s16(b)(i) of the Capital Acquisition Tax Act, 1976. Finally, ‘the net annual value of the undertaking of the Great Southern Railways as a whole’ is translated as ‘luach bliantúil glan gnótha uile Mhórbhóithre Iarainn an Deiscirt’ in s4 of the Schedule to the Railways (Valuation for Rating) Act, 1931. ‘In iomlán’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as translating ‘as a whole’ in a 1928 Report of the Public Accounts’ Committee, with ‘le chéile’ being cited from early Standing Orders of Dáil Éireann. ‘As a whole’ is translated as ‘ina iomláine’ in De Bhaldraithe, this phrase being translated as ‘in its entirety’ in Ó Dónaill, ‘iomláine’ being translated as ‘integrity; fulness; total’ in Dinneen. a rialós Special form of the relative, future tense, of ‘rialaigh’, translated as ‘rule’ in Téarmaí Dlí but generally expressing ‘regulate’ in the Constitution – see the commentary on Articles 10.3 and 12.5. le hurlámhas See the commentary on Article 45.2.ii.

Standardised Irish text Gurb é leas an phobail uile is buanchuspóir agus is príomhchuspóir a rialóidh ina mbaineann le hurlámhas creidmheasa.

Direct translation Ina mbaineann le1 rialú creidmheasa, gurb é leas an phobail i gcoitinne an phríomhaidhm bhuan2.3


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Variants 1 ‘Maidir le’ 2 ‘an príomhchuspóir buan’ 3 ‘Gurb é leas an phobail i gcoitinne an phríomhaidhm bhuan ina mbaineann le rialú creidmheasa.’

ARTICLE 45.2.v

AIRTEAGAL 45.2.v

TÉACS GAEILGE

Go mbunófar ar an talamh faoi shlándáil gheilleagrach an oiread teaghlach agus is féidir de réir chor an tsaoil. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

That as many households as possible in accordance with the circumstances of life will be established on the land in economic security. ENGLISH TEXT

That there may be established on the land in economic security as many families as in the circumstances shall be practicable.

Divergences between the official texts 1

2

3

‘In the circumstances’ is expressed in the Irish text as ‘de réir chor an tsaoil’, ‘in accordance with the circumstances of life’. ‘As … shall be practicable’ is expressed as ‘agus is féidir’ (‘as is possible’) in the Irish text, this phrase being generally so translated in Irish. ‘May’ (i.e. ‘may be established’) is expressed as ‘will’ (i.e. ‘go mbunófar’), as in some of the earlier paragraphs in this section.

Commentary faoi shlándáil gheilleagrach See the commentary on Article 1 s.v. ‘geilleagar’, regarding ‘geilleagrach’, and on Article 28.3.3o regarding ‘slándáil’. Ó Dónaill cites ‘slándáil shóisialta, social security’ and ‘fórsaí slándála, security forces’. ‘Slán’, the first element of the compound, is translated principally as ‘whole, sound, unimpaired, healthy, safe’ in DIL, citing ‘mad slaán in ball iarna galar’ (‘if the member be whole after its sickness’) from the eighthcentury Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles. In early Irish law, ‘slán’ had the sense of ‘exempt, non-liable, safe’, Fergus Kelly (op. cit., p. 156 n. 244) citing ‘slán cách mairnes mígním (‘anyone who betrays an evil deed is free from liability’) from an early Irish law-tract. The second element ‘dáil’ has the sense of ‘state, condition’ in such compounds, according to Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú. ‘Faoi’ can be used with an abstract noun to denote a state, Ó Dónaill citing ‘faoi mheas, onóir, held in esteem, in honour’, ‘faoi smacht, under control’ and ‘faoi shíocháin, in peace’. ‘Social security schemes’ is translated as ‘scéimeanna slándála sóisialaí’ in s10(7)(g) of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 1981, for example. ‘If the action relates to … national security or military activity’ is translated as ‘má bhaineann an gníomh le slándáil náisiúnta nó le gníomhaíocht mhíleata’ in s5(1)(b) of the Ombudsman

Bunreacht na hÉireann

Act, 1980. In s33 of the Fifth Schedule to the Electoral Act, 1923, ‘and shall otherwise take proper precautions for the security of such papers and documents’ is translated as ‘agus tabharfa sé gach aon aireachas eile is cóir chun na páipéirí agus na scríbhinní sin do chur ar láimh shábhála’. ‘Seasmhacht’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as translating ‘security’ in Iris Oifigiúil, 1922/23. ‘And any temporary works necessary for its reconstruction shall be so designed and executed as not to lessen or interfere with the stability or security of the Railway Bridge’ is translated as ‘agus ceapfar agus déanfar aon oibreacha sealadacha is gá chun a dhéanta, i slí is ná déanfar laigheadú ná cur isteach ar sheasmhacht ná ar dhaingneacht Dhroichead an Bhóthair Iarainn’ in s52(2) of the Dublin Port and Docks (Bridges) Act, 1929. Finally, ‘chun cosanta an ioncuim’ translates ‘for the security of the revenue’ in s3(1) of the Finance (Customs and Stamp Duties) Act, 1929. de réir chor an tsaoil According to the official standard, taking ‘cor’ to be the genitive plural here, this would read as ‘de réir chora an tsaoil’, ‘cora’ being the nominative plural in place of the genitive plural, lenited, as it is followed by a definite noun in the genitive – see the commentary on Article 1. ‘Cora (crua) an tsaoil’ is translated as ‘the vicissitudes of life’ in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘tháinig sé de chor sa saol go, it came to pass that’, ‘cor’ being translated principally as ‘turn, turning movement’. Dinneen gives ‘vicissitude, circumstance, plight’ as one of the senses of ‘cor’, also citing ‘coraí an tsaoghail, vicissitudes of life’. DIL cites ‘dia do chor’ (‘awful calamity’), from Pilib Bocht Ó hUiginn (†1487), as the first of but five citations of this sense of ‘state, condition, plight’, ‘cor’ being the verbal noun of ‘fo-ceird’ and being principally translated in DIL as ‘act of putting, placing; setting up’. See the commentary on Article 29.4.3o regarding ‘cor’ in the sense of ‘contract’ in early Irish law. Looking at ‘circumstances’ in early Acts, ‘An Act to interpret and to adapt to the circumstances of Saorstát Éireann certain Acts of the British Parliament’ is translated as ‘Acht chun Achtanna áirithe de Pháirlimint na Breataine … do léiriú agus do chur in oiriúint do chúrsaí Shaorstáit Éireann’ in the Long Title of the Adaptation of Enactments Act, 1922. ‘And whereas the circumstances which rendered the several Orders and Authorisations aforesaid necessary and proper still continue to exist’ is translated as ‘Agus de bhrí go bhfuilid ann fós na cúiseanna ba bhun leis na hOrduithe agus na hÚdaruithe uile sin roimh-ráite do bheith riachtanach agus cóir’ in the Preamble to the Statutory Undertakings (Continuance of Charges) Act, 1923, with ‘Persons in Class (b) who refuse to enter such Institutions as may be selected shall not be allowed under any circumstances to become chargeable to the public rates’ being translated as ‘Daoine d’Aicme (b) a dhiúltóidh do dhul isteach sna Fundúireachtaí a toghfar amach ní leigfar dóibh bheith ina muirear ar na rátaí puiblí ar aon tsaghas cúinse’ in s4 of the ‘Galway County Scheme’ in the Schedule to the Local Government (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923. ‘The Local Authority has been prevented by circumstances beyond their control from executing the works aforesaid’ is translated as ‘coisceadh na hÚdaráis Áitiúla le nithe a bhí lasmuich dá smacht ar na hoibreacha roimh-ráite do dhéanamh’ in the Preamble to the Local Authorities (Extension of Time) Act, 1923. ‘Or a declaration


A study of the Irish text

as nearly corresponding thereto as circumstances permit’ is translated as ‘no dearbhú chó mór deabhramh leis agus is féidir sa chás’ in s149(1) of the Industrial and Commercial Property Act, 1927, with ‘and consolidated so far as circumstances admit with the existing purchase annuities’ being translated as ‘agus déanfar iad do chomhdhlúthú sa mhéid gur féidir é leis na blianachtaí ceannaigh atá ann cheana’ in s55(2) of the Land Act, 1922. ‘Make an order either decreasing or increasing that rate to such an extent as in the circumstances may seem just’ is translated as ‘ordú do dhéanamh ag laigheadú no ag méadú an ráta san oiread agus a dheabhróidh bheith cóir sa chás’ in s169(3) of the Industrial and Commercial Property (Protection) Act, 1927. Finally, to give a modern example, ‘suspend the operation of the notice for such period as in the circumstances of the case he considers appropriate’ is translated as ‘oibriú an fhógra a fhionraí ar feadh cibé tréimhse a mheasfaidh sé is iomchuí in imthosca an cháis’ in s11(5)(b) of the Safety in Industry Act, 1980. See further the commentary on the amended Article 41.3.2o where ‘imthosca’ expresses ‘circumstances’. an oiread … agus is féidir ‘I n-oiread slighthe agus is féidir’ is translated as ‘in as many different ways as possible’ in Dinneen, giving An tAth. Seóirse Mac Cúin’s Réilthíní Óir (1922) as source. ‘Chomh luath is is féidir liom’ is translated by Ó Dónaill as ‘as soon as I can’, with ‘is féidir (go)’ being translated as ‘it is possible (that)’. DIL cites ‘uiread grádha … 7 atá aige dhó féin’ from Desiderius (1616) as the first of but a couple of examples of ‘airet’ with ‘ocus’ and relative clause. DIL translates ‘étir, éter’ as ‘able; possible, feasible’. See the commentary on Article 6.2. ‘All other currencies in proportion, so far as may be practicable, to the quotas of the members’ is translated as ‘gach airgeadra eile i gcomhréir, an oiread agus is féidir, le cuótaí na gcomhaltaí’ in s1(c) of Article K of the Bretton Woods Agreement (Amendment) Act, 1977. De Bhaldraithe translates ‘practicable’ as ‘indéanta’. Commenting on the direct translation below, Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú remarks that ‘is féidir’ is more intelligible that ‘is indéanta’.

Direct translation Go ndéanfar a oiread teaghlach agus is indéanta1 sna himthosca a bhunú ar an talamh faoi shlándáil eacnamaíochta.

Variant 1 ‘is féidir’

ARTICLE 45.3.1O

AIRTEAGAL 45.3.1O

TÉACS GAEILGE

Féachfaidh an Stát le fonn ar thionscnamh phríobháideach i gcúrsaí tionscail is tráchtála agus cuirfidh leis nuair is gá sin. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

The State will look eagerly at private initiative in industrial and commercial affairs and will augment/support it when that is necessary.

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ENGLISH TEXT

The State shall favour and, where necessary, supplement private initiative in industry and commerce.

Divergences between the official texts 1 2 3

‘Favour’ is expressed by ‘féach le fonn ar’, ‘look eagerly at’, in the Irish text. ‘Supplement’ is expressed by ‘cuir le’ (‘augment’ / ‘support’) in the Irish text. ‘In industry and commerce’ is expressed in the Irish text as ‘i gcúrsaí tionscail is tráchtála’, ‘in industrial and commercial affairs’.

Commentary ar thionscnamh phríobháideach According to the official standard the adjective would not be lenited here following a masculine noun in the dative singular – see the commentary on Article 45. ‘Initiative’ is given as one of the senses of ‘tionscnamh’ in the Glossary accompanying An Caighdeán Oifigiúil, this being the verbal noun of ‘tionscain’, the first person singular, present indicative, of which is translated as ‘I institute’, as it is in Téarmaí Dlí, where ‘tionscnaím imeachtaí, I bring proceedings’ and ‘tionscnamh imeachtaí, institution of proceedings’ are cited – note that ‘ar thionscnamh’ is translated as ‘at the instance of’ in Téarmaí Dlí. The verb ‘tionscain’ is translated as ‘begin, originate; initiate; establish’ in Ó Dónaill, ‘tionscnamh’ being translated as ‘beginning, origin; introduction, initiation; institution, establishment’. Dinneen translates ‘tionnscnamh’ principally as ‘act of beginning, initiating, planning’. ‘Tinnscna’, ‘tinnscnam’, translated as (a) ‘act of beginning’ and (b) ‘act of devising; design, project’ in DIL, is the Middle Irish verbal noun of ‘do-innscanna’, translated as ‘begins’ in DIL, this verb glossing Latin ‘incipere’ in the eighth-century Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles. ‘Tinnscetal’ (Modern Irish ‘tionscadal’) was the form of the earlier verbal noun. See the commentary on Article 20.1 for early translations of ‘initiative’, ‘tionscain’ expressing ‘initiate’ in that Article. ‘To promote private and entrepreneurial initiative in the Central and Eastern European countries’ is translated as ‘tionscnamh príobháideach agus fiontraíoch a chur chun cinn i dtíortha Lár agus Oirthear na hEorpa’ in Article 1 of the Schedule to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Act, 1991. ‘The President … may convene a meeting of the Council of his own iniative’ is translated as ‘Féadfaidh Uachtarán … (na Comhairle) cruinniú den Chomhairle a ghairm ar a thionscnamh féin’ in s11 of the Second Schedule to the Medical Practitioners Act, 1978, with ‘the Minister may, on his own initiative … by order fix … the charges’ being translated as ‘féadfaidh an tAire, uaidh féin … na héilithe … do cheapadh’ in s102(4) of the Transport Act, 1944. le fonn ‘Rud a dhéanamh le fonn’ is translated as ‘to do something eagerly, gladly’ in Ó Dónaill, who translates ‘fonn’ as ‘desire, wish, inclination, urge’. Dinneen translates ‘le fonn’ as ‘intensely, eagerly’, citing ‘le fonn na fola, with the intensity of animal passion’. According to DIL, ‘fonn’ seems confined to comparatively late Middle Irish


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and Modern Irish texts, DIL translating this headword as ‘desire, fondness, pleasure’. De Bhaldraithe translates ‘favour’ as ‘taobhaím le, táim i bhfabhar, ar thaobh (scéime)’, also giving ‘cuidím le’. ‘They do not favour their (the services) abandonment’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as being translated as ‘níor gheal leo go n-éireofaí asta’ in a 1926 Report of the Public Accounts Committee, with ‘A. would be favoured by the presence of B’ being cited as having been translated as ‘ba mhaith le A. go dtiocfadh B.’ in translations for the Department of Justice. ‘Through the operation of the most-favoured-nation clause’ is translated as ‘as oibriú an chláis úd i dtaobh barr fábhair do náisiún ar leith’ in Proposal V(a) in the League of Nations (Obligations of Membership) Act, 1935. ‘Except where … an agregate majority of all the votes cast, favours such strike or other industrial action’ is translated as ‘ach amháin … má bhíonn tromlach comhiomlán na vótaí go léir a caitheadh i bhfabhar na stailce nó an ghnímh tionscail eile sin’ in s14(2)(e) of the Industrial Relations Act, 1990. cuirfidh leis The pronoun ‘sé’, referring to ‘an Stát’, is understood here, i.e. ‘cuirfidh sé leis’. See the commentary on Article 42.4 where ‘cuir le’ earlier expresses ‘supplement’. Ó Dónaill cites ‘má chuireann sé linn is fearrde sinn é, it will be to our advantage if he supports us’. Dinneen includes ‘(I) prop up, co-operate with’ among the senses of ‘cuirim le’. ‘Cur le’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as translating ‘supplement’ in 1925 translations for the Department of Local Government and Public Health. De Bhaldraithe translates ‘supplement’ as ‘cuirim le, cuirim breis le, forlíonaim (leabhar, etc.)’, citing ‘he supplemented his income by journalism, chuir sé lena theacht isteach le hiriseoireacht’. ‘Supplemental’ is translated as ‘forlíontach’ in Téarmaí Dlí, with ‘supplemental deed’ translated as ‘gníomhas forlíontach’. ‘Fóirlíona’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms from ‘Dáil Div. 24/215’. In the Preamble to the Schedule to the Treaty (Confirmation of Supplemental Agreement) Act, 1924, ‘Agreement supplementing Article Twelve of the Articles of Agreement for a Treaty between Great Britain and Ireland’ is translated as ‘Cóaontú le n-a bhfóirlíontar Airtiogal a Dó-Dhéag de sna hAirtiogail Chó-aontuithe do Chonnra idir an Bhreatain Mhóir agus Éire’. ‘A weekly payment of supplementary welfare allowance may be made … to supplement that person’s other income’ is translated as ‘féadfar íocaíocht liúntais leasa fhorlíontaigh a íoc in aghaidh na seachtaine … d’fhorlíonadh ar ioncam eile an duine sin’ in s209(1)(b) of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 1981. ‘That there is a global need to supplement reserves’ is translated as ‘go bhfuil riachtanas domhanda ann cúltacaí a fhorlíonadh’ in s1(b) of Article XVIII of the Schedule to the Bretton Woods Agreements (Amendment) Act, 1977. Commenting on a draft of the direct translation below, where ‘(The State shall) supplement (private initiative)’ was translated as ‘déanfaidh sé é a fhorlíonadh’, Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú remarked that he doubted whether ‘forlíonadh’ could be used in that sense, ‘forlíonadh’ having the sense of ‘to fill more’ or ‘to put more than its fill in’. Professor Ó Murchú recommends translating this clause as ‘neartóidh sé leis’, ‘ádoigh sé air’ or ‘cuirfidh sé leis’ – as in the original text.

Bunreacht na hÉireann

i gcúrsaí tráchtála ‘Tráchtála’ is the genitive singular / attributive form of ‘tráchtáil’, ‘dlí tráchtála’ being translated as ‘mercantile law’, and ‘tráchtáil’ being translated as ‘(act of) trading; trade, commerce’ in Ó Dónaill. See the commentary on Article 18.7.1oiv. While ‘sa tráchtáil’ would be the usual translation of ‘in commerce’, being treated as an abstract noun preceded by the definite article (as ‘an pholaitíocht’ renders ‘politics’), ‘sa tionscal’ would be read as ‘in the industry’ and this perhaps occasioned the introduction of ‘i gcúrsaí’ here, so that both ‘tionscal’ and ‘tráchtáil’ would be similarly qualifying ‘i gcúrsaí’.

Standardised Irish text Féachfaidh an Stát le fonn ar thionscnamh príobháideach i gcúrsaí tionscail is tráchtála agus cuirfidh leis nuair is gá sin.

Direct translation Beidh an Stát i bhfabhar an tionscnaimh phríobháidigh i dtionscail agus sa tráchtáil agus, nuair is gá, neartóidh sé leis1.

Variant 1 ‘cuirfidh sé leis’, ‘adóidh sé air’

ARTICLE 45.3.2O

AIRTEAGAL 45.3.2O

TÉACS GAEILGE

Déanfaidh an Stát iarracht chun a chur in áirithe go stiúrfar fiontraíocht phríobháideach i slí gur deimhin go ndéanfar earraí a tháirgeadh agus a imdháil le hinniúlacht réasúnta agus go gcosnófar an pobal ar bhrabús éagórach. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

The State will endeavour to ensure that private enterprise is / will be conducted so that it is certain that goods will be produced and distributed with reasonable competency and that the community will be protected from unjust profit. ENGLISH TEXT

The State shall endeavour to secure that private enterprise shall be so conducted as to ensure reasonable efficiency in the production and distribution of goods and as to protect the public against unjust exploitation.

Divergences between the official texts 1

2 3

‘Exploitation’ is expressed in the Irish text as ‘brabús’, the core meaning of which is ‘profit’, but which has in addition some nuance of the sense of financial exploitation; ‘brabús’ is translated merely as ‘profit’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘Efficiency’ is expressed as ‘inniúlacht’, ‘competency’, in the Irish text. ‘Reasonable efficiency in the production and distribution of goods’ is expressed as ‘go ndéanfar earraí a tháirgeadh agus a imdháil le hinniúlacht réasúnta’ (‘that goods will be produced and distributed with reasonable competency’) in the Irish text.


A study of the Irish text

4

‘To secure’ is expressed in the Irish text by ‘a chur in áirithe’, an expression more generally translated as ‘to reserve’, but also used in the Constitution to express ‘to ensure’.

Commentary le hinniúlacht ‘Inniúlacht’ is translated as ‘competency’ in Téarmaí Dlí, where ‘inniúlacht chonraithe’ agus ‘inniúlacht tiomnaithe’ are translated respectively as ‘capacity to contract’ and ‘testamentary capacity’. Ó Dónaill translates ‘inniúlacht’ as ‘ability, competence, capacity’, this being an abstract noun based on the adjective ‘inniúil’. Dinneen translates ‘inneamhail’ as ‘able, capable, earnest, eager, willing’, giving no abstract noun based directly on this as a headword. ‘Inneamh’, on which the adjective is based, is translated as ‘wealth, prosperity, power, profit, addition, help’. DIL translates ‘inemail’ as ‘capable’, Keating’s seventeenth-century works being the principal source of the few examples cited there. ‘Indeb’ is translated as ‘gain, increase, wealth’ in DIL, where ‘co mbetis i n-indiub fochricce domsa’ (‘so that they might be in gain of [the] reward to me’) is cited from the eighth-century Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles. In s1 of Article VII of the Schedule to the Air Navigation and Transport (Preinspection) Act, 1986, ‘to carry out with reasonable speed and efficiency preinspection for eligible flights of carriers’ is translated as ‘chun réamhiniúchadh a dhéanamh, le luas agus éifeachtacht réasúnach, ar eitiltí cáilithe ag iompróirí’. ‘For the purpose of facilitating arrangements by which greater efficiency or economy can be effected’ is translated as ‘chun gurbh fhusaide comhshocraíochtaí a dhéanamh lenar féidir éifeacht nó tíos níos fearr a chur i gcrích’ in s1 of the Local Government (Superannuation) Act, 1980. ‘Ensure that the functions of the Authority are effectively carried out and performed with due efficiency’ is translated as ‘a chinntiú go ndéanfar feidhmeanna an Údaráis a chur i gcrích go héifeachtach agus a fheidhmiú le heifeacht chuí’ in s30(1)(b) of the National Agricultural Advisory, Education and Research Authority Act, 1977. In s18(d) of the Gárda Síochána (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923, ‘the maintenance, training, discipline, and efficiency of the Gárda Síochána’ is translated as ‘coinneáil-suas, tréineáil, smacht, agus éifeachtúlacht an Ghárda Síochána’. Note that ‘inniúil’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as translating ‘efficient’ in translations for the Department of Justice. ‘With a view to devising a more economic and more efficient system’ is translated as ‘d’fhonn slí níos bailighe agus níos slachtmhaire do cheapa’ in s7 of the ‘Cavan County Scheme’ in the First Schedule to the Local Government (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923, with ‘the duty and power of maintaining the drainage works … in good repair and condition and proper and efficient working order’ being translated as ‘An dualgas agus an chomhacht chun an hoibreacha dréineála … do choinneáil dea-dheisithe agus i dtreo mhaith agus in ordú ceart éifeachtúil chun oibre’ in s19(1) of the Arterial Drainage Act, 1925. De Bhaldraithe translates ‘efficiency’ as ‘éifeachtacht (leighis, rialtais, etc.)’, with ‘efficiency (of persons)’ being translated as ‘cumas; feabhas, inniúlacht (chun gnó)’. ‘Efficaciousness, efficacy’ is translated as ‘éifeachtúlacht’.

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fiontraíocht This abstract noun today usually renders ‘enterprise’, and is translated as ‘(act of) venturing; riskiness; speculation, enterprise’ in Ó Dónaill. Dinneen does not appear to give this headword, but translates the adjective ‘fionntrach’ as ‘venturesome, dangerous, unsafe’, this word being based on ‘fiontar’, as is ‘fiontraíocht’. Ó Dónaill translates ‘fiontar’ as ‘venture, risk; enterprise’, the ‘Department of Enterprise and Employment’ being styled in Irish ‘an Roinn Fiontar agus Fostaíochta’. ‘Fiontar’ is translated as ‘risk’ in Téarmaí Dlí, citing ‘fiontar a ghabhas leis an bhfostaíocht, risk incidental to the employment’. Dinneen translates ‘fionntar’ as ‘risk, jeopardy, struggle (used somewhat like venture)’. This word does not apppear to be given as a headword in DIL. ‘To further economic development by encouraging the growth of productive private enterprise in member countries’ is translated as ‘forbairt gheilleagrach a chur ar aghaidh trí fhás fiontraíochta príobháidí a ghríosadh i gcomhalta-thíortha’ in Article 1 of the Schedule to the International Finance Corporation Act, 1958. ‘That any activities of the Society bring the Society into competition with private enterprise’ is translated as ‘go gcuireann aon ghníomhaíochtaí de chuid an Chumainn an Cumann ag iomaíocht le fiontraíocht phríobháideach’ in s6(1) of the Red Cross Act, 1954. ‘That … a product … is not being manufactured in the State by means of private enterprise’ is translated as ‘nach bhfuil táirge … á mhonarú sa Stát trí fhiontraíocht phríobháideach’ in s12(2)(a) of the Grass Meal (Production) Act, 1953, with ‘that … a particular chemical product … is not being manufactured in the State by means of private enterprise’ being translated as ‘maidir le haon táirge ceimiceach áirithe … ná fuil sé á dhéanamh sa Stát trí ghnóthas príobháideach’ in s7(1) of the Industrial Alcohol (Amendment) Act, 1947. Finally, ‘any person who is not engaged … in agriculture or in a business or enterprise of any agricultural character’ is translated simply as ‘éinne ná fuil ag gabháil … do thalmhaíocht nó do ghnó a bhaineann le talmhaíocht’ in the Agricultural Credit Act, 1927. go stiúrfar The future, passive, of ‘stiúir’, ‘stiúraim’ being translated as ‘I conduct (a case, etc.)’ in Téarmaí Dlí – see the commentary on Articles 12.8 and 40.6.1oiii, where this verb respectively expresses ‘direct’ and ‘control’. ‘Conduct of public inquiries’ is translated as ‘Conas a stiúrófar fiosrúcháin phuiblí’ in the Margin Title of s28 of the Arterial Drainage Act, 1925, with ‘stiura’ being cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as translating ‘conduct (of an office)’ in the Proceedings of Seanad Éireann, 1924. ‘Such matters as appear to the Commission to be necessary or expedient for the proper conduct of its business’ is translated as ‘pé nithe is dó leis an gCoimisiún is gá no is oiriúnach chun a ngnó do dhéanamh sa cheart’ in s3(f) of the Tariff Commission Act, 1926. We find the current official term, ‘seol’, translating the verb ‘conduct’ as early as 1923, with ‘The Comptroller and AuditorGeneral shall have full power to make from time to time orders and rules for the conduct of the internal business of this Department’ being translated as ‘Beidh lánchomhacht ag an Árd-Scrúdóir órduithe agus rialacha do dhéanamh ó am go ham chun gach gnó laistig dá Roinn do sheola’ in s6 of the Comptroller and Auditor General Act, 1923. ‘The systems of control … must be such as to secure that the society’s business is so conducted … that


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Bunreacht na hÉireann

The expression “exploitation sheet” means the document commonly known by that name amongst persons engaged in the trade of exhibiting pictures by means of a cinematograph or other similar apparatus .... cialluíonn an focal “leathán tuairisce” an scríbhinn ar a dtugtar an ainm sin do ghnáth imeasc daoine gurb é a ngnó pictiúirí do thaisbeáint le cinematograf no le hinneal eile dá shamhail.

a tháirgeadh agus a imdháil ‘Táirgeadh’ is the verbal noun of ‘táirg’, translated as ‘produce, manufacture’ in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘earraí a tháirgeadh, to produce goods’. ‘Táirgim’ is translated as ‘I cause, effect, produce’ in Dinneen. This simple verb comes from the compound verb ‘do-áirci’, translated principally as ‘causes, effects, induces, brings about, brings (a result, etc.)’ in DIL, where ‘doáirci bethid dúnni tri chretim in Ísu Crist’ (‘it causes life to us through belief in Jesus Christ’) is cited from the eighth-century Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles, ‘produces, brings forth’ and ‘procures, gains, provides, supplies’ being later senses. ‘Saothrúchán’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as translating ‘production’ in the Proceedings of Dáil Éireann, 1926, p. 423. ‘Or other requisites of agricultural production or marketing’ is translated as ‘no riachtanaisí eile i saothrú no i margáil tora thalmhaíochta’ in s12(1)(a) of the Agricultural Credit Act, 1927, with ‘any cinematograph production’ being translated as ‘aon tabhairt-amach chinematografach’ in s177(1) of the Industrial and Commercial Property (Protection) Act, 1927. ‘Imdháileadh’ is given as the verbal noun of ‘imdháil’, ‘distribute’, in Ó Dónaill, ‘dáileadh’ being given in the Glossary appended to An Caighdeán Oifigiúil as the form of the verbal noun of ‘dáilim’ (‘I distribute’), the prefix ‘im-’ (‘about, around’) being compounded with ‘dáil’ in ‘imdháil’. ‘Imdháil’ does not appear to be given as a headword either in Dinneen or in DIL, the former giving both ‘dáil’ and ‘dáileadh’ as forms of the verbal noun of ‘dáilim’, ‘I dispense’ being one of the senses of that verb. ‘Dáilid’ is translated as (i) ‘portions out, pours out’ and (ii) ‘portions out, i.e. bestows, assigns, allots’ in DIL, no examples appearing to be cited from the Old Irish Glosses. ‘Dáil’ is the form of the verbal noun of ‘dáilid’. See the commentary on Article 28.12 regarding ‘distribute’/ ‘distribution’, ‘roinnt’ expressing ‘distribution’ in that Article. The Long Title of the Irish Medicines Board Act, 1995, ‘An Act to make further provision in relation to the regulation of the manufacture, production … and distribution of medicinal and cosmetic products’, is translated as ‘Acht do dhéanamh socrú breise i ndáil le rialáil a dhéanamh ar mhonarú, táirgeadh … agus dáileadh táirgí leigheasacha agus cosmaideacha’. ‘Relating to … technical efficiency, increased production, efficient distribution of products and access to markets’ is translated as ‘a bhaineann … le héifeacht teicniúil, le breis táirgíochta, le dáileadh éifeachtach ar tháirgí agus le cóir rochtana ar mhargaí’ in s(f) of the Schedule to the Mergers, Take-overs and Monopolies (Control) Act, 1978. In s5 of the Sligo Lighting and Electric Powers Act, 1924, ‘the production, generation, … distribution and supply of electrical energy or power’ is translated as ‘neart no comhacht leictriciúil do dhéanamh, do gheiniúint, … do roinnt agus do sholáthar’.

Commenting on ‘dúshaothrú’ in the direct translation below, Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú remarks that, as we see in De Bhaldraithe above, the range of reference of this term is limited solely to work, i.e. to get too much work from people. This is not the sense involved in this subsection but charging people too much. Professor Ó Murchú is of the opinion therefore that one must use either the original phrase ‘brabús’, suggesting ‘róbhrabús’ as an alternative.

Déanfaidh an Stát iarracht ‘Iarracht do thabhairt’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as translating ‘endeavour’ in translations for the Department of Justice. ‘The Controller shall endeavour to secure that the relevant plant variety is maintained in quality’ is translated as ‘féachfaidh an Rialaitheoir lena áirithiú go ndéanfar an cineál planda iomchuí a chothabháil ó thaobh cáilíochta’ in s8(4) of the Plant Varieties (Proprietary Rights) Act, 1980, with ‘the Controller … shall endeavour to secure

… the information necessary … is sufficiently accurate’ is translated as ‘ní mór na córais rialaithe … a bheith de chineál a áiritheoidh go seolfar gnó na cuideachta … ar chaoi a fhágfaidh … go mbeidh an fhaisnéis is gá … sách cruinn’ in s76(7) of the Building Societies Act, 1989. In s2(2)(a)(ii) of the Insurance (No. 2) Act, 1983, ‘(that) the business of the insurer is being or has been so conducted as to jeopardise or prejudice the rights and interests of persons arising under policies issued by the insurer’ is translated as ‘go bhfuil nó go raibh gnó an árachóra á sheoladh ar shlí gur bhaol nó gur dhochar é do chearta agus leasanna daoine faoi pholasaithe a d’eisigh an t-árachóir’. ar bhrabús ‘Brabús’ is translated as ‘profit’ in Téarmaí Dlí and in Ó Dónaill, who gives ‘advantage’ as the secondary sense. Dinneen translates ‘brabús’ as ‘gain, profit, advantage, especially an unfair advantage, a weak point, a “catch”, an opportunity’. ‘Brabach’ is also given as a headword in Ó Dónaill and in Dinneen, translated as (1) ‘gain, profit’, (2) ‘benefit, advantage’ and (3) ‘surplus’ in the former source, and as ‘gain, profit, advantage; something over’ in the latter. This term, unlike ‘brabús’, is also given as a headword in DIL, only two citations being given: ‘glacadh áointighe do chum brabaigh’ (‘= to receive any house to hire’) from the Rule of S. Clare, and ‘brabach, advantage or benefit gained by anything’ from the transcript of Peter O’Connell’s Irish-English Dictionary in the Royal Irish Academy. De Bhaldraithe gives ‘beirim brabús ar (dhuine)’ and ‘tagaim i dtír ar (dhuine)’ as ‘familiar’ translations of ‘I exploit’, giving ‘brabúsaí’, along with ‘saothraí’ agus ‘dúshaothraí’, as translations of ‘exploiter’. The abstract noun ‘exploitation’ is translated as ‘saothrú’ and ‘dúshaothrú (lucht oibre)’ by De Bhaldraithe. ‘A patent shall not be granted in respect of … an invention the publication or exploitation of which would be contrary to public order or morality’ is translated as ‘Ní dheonófar paitinn … i leith aireagáin a mbeadh a fhoilsiú nó a shaothrú contrártha don ord poiblí nó don mhoráltacht phoiblí’ in s10 of the Patents Act, 1992. ‘To advance the exploitation of water power in Saorstát Éireann’ is translated as ‘chun úsáid chomhachta uisce do chur ar aghaidh i Saorstát Éireann’ in s28(2) of the Electricity (Supply) Act, 1927. Finally, we find the following ‘Definition’ in s1 of the Censorship of Films (Amendment) Act, 1925:


A study of the Irish text

equality of advantage among the several licences’ being translated as ‘féachfaidh an Ceannasaí le comhionannas buntáiste a áirithiú i measc na gceadúnaithe ar leithligh’ in s37(3)(b) of the Patents Act, 1964. ‘He shall also endeavour to secure equality of advantage amongst several licencees’ is translated as ‘tabharfa sé fé n-a chur in áirithe leis, go mbeidh có-ionannas buntáiste imeasc na gceadúnaithe uile agus fé seach’ in s40(1)(b)(iii) of the Industrial and Commercial Property (Protection) Act, 1927. éagórach See the commentary on Article 40.3.2o. ‘That it would be unjust and inequitable not to make the order’ is translated as ‘nach mbeadh sé ceart ná cóir gan an t-ordú a dhéanamh’ in s5(d) of the Fifth Schedule to the Building Societies Act, 1989. ‘Impose unjust or unreasonable conditions in regard to the supply or distribution of goods’ is translated as ‘a fhorchuireann coinníollacha míchóra nó míréasúnacha maidir le soláthar nó imdháil earraí’ in s(h) of the Third Schedule to the Restrictive Practices Act, 1972, with ‘a fhorchuireas coiníollacha míchóra nó neamh-réasúnacha maidir le soláthar no imdháil earraí’ being found in s(h) of the Second Schedule to the Restrictive Trade Practices Act, 1953. go gcosnófar … ar See the commentary on Articles 15.10 and 40.3.2o regarding ‘protect’. ‘All practicable measures shall be taken to protect those persons against inhalation of the dust or fume or other impurity’ is translated as ‘déanfar gach beart is féidir chun na daoine sin a chosaint ar an deannach nó an múch nó an eisíonacht eile a análú isteach’ in the Table to s20 of the Safety in Industry Act, 1980. In Article 20 of the 1922 Constitution, ‘to protect itself and its members against any person or persons interfering with … its members’ is translated as ‘é féin agus a bhaill do chosaint ar aon duine no daoine a bhainfidh le n-a bhaill’. gur deimhin The adjective ‘deimhin’ is translated as ‘sure, certain’ in Ó Dónaill, who translates ‘is deimhin (go)’ as ‘it is certain (that)’ – see the commentary on Article 40.4.2o, where ‘mura deimhin le’ expresses ‘unless satisfied’. DIL s.v. ‘deimin’, cites ‘amal bid Dia farid gellad … bad demnithir sin’ (‘let it be as sure as if God had declared it’) from the ninth-century Milan Glosses on the Commentary on the Psalter. Note that the phrase usually expressing ‘ensure’, ‘a chur in áirithe’, is used in this subsection to express ‘to secure’. a chur in áirithe See the commentary on Article 15.10 regarding this phrase expressing ‘ensure’ and see the commentary on Article 28.3.3o regarding this same phrase earlier expressing ‘secure’, which is expressed by ‘cuir i bhfeidhm’ in Article 38.3.1o.

Standardised Irish text Déanfaidh an Stát iarracht chun a chur in áirithe go stiúrfar fiontraíocht phríobháideach i slí gur deimhin go ndéanfar earraí a tháirgeadh agus a imdháileadh le hinniúlacht réasúnta agus go gcosnófar an pobal ar bhrabús éagórach.

Direct translation Féachfaidh an Stát lena áirithiú go seolfar an fhiontraíocht phríobháideach ar shlí a áiritheoidh1 go mbainfidh

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éifeachtacht réasúnta le táirgeadh agus dáileadh earraí agus go gcosnófar an pobal ar róbhrabús2 éagórach.

Variants 1 ‘a dheimhneoidh’ 2 ‘ar bhrabús’, ‘ar dhúshaothrú’

ARTICLE 45.4.1O

AIRTEAGAL 45.4.1O

TÉACS GAEILGE

Gabhann an Stát air féin cosaint sonrach a dhéanamh ar leas gheilleagrach na n-aicmí is lú cumhacht den phobal agus, nuair a bheas riachtanas leis, cabhair maireachtála a thabhairt don easlán, don bhaintreach, don dílleacht agus don sean. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

The State takes upon itself specifically to protect the economic welfare of the classes in the community whose power is least and, when it will be necessary, to give subsistence help to the infirm, to the widow, to the orphan and to the old. ENGLISH TEXT

The State pledges itself to safeguard with especial care the economic interests of the weaker sections of the community, and, where necessary, to contribute to the support of the infirm, the widow, the orphan, and the aged.

Divergences between the official texts 1

2

3 4

5

‘To contribute to the support of’ is expressed in the Irish text as ‘cabhair maireachtála a thabhairt do’, ‘to give subsistence help to’. ‘The weaker sections’ is expressed as ‘na haicmí is lú cumhacht’ (‘the classes whose power is least’) in the Irish text. ‘Pledges itself’ is expressed by ‘gabhann air féin’ (‘undertakes’ / ‘takes upon itself’) in the Irish text. ‘To safeguard with especial care’ is expressed as ‘cosaint sonrach a dhéanamh ar’ (‘specifically to defend’) in the Irish text. ‘Interests’ is expressed as ‘leas’, ‘interest’/‘welfare’, in the Irish text.

Commentary Gabhann … air féin ‘Assume, undertake’ is given as a secondary sense of ‘gabh ar’ in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘ghabh sé air féin an obair a dhéanamh, he undertook to do the work’. Dinneen translates ‘gabhaim orm’ as ‘I take on myself, take up a challenge’. DIL cites ‘gabhuid sin ortha fein’ (‘they undertake to do that’), from the Lives of Irish Saints, as an example of ‘gaibid for’, with reflexive pronoun, in the sense of ‘takes (a burden, responsibility on one’s self), undertakes’. ‘The Contracting Parties pledge themselves in such cases to grant extradition in accordance with their laws and treaties in force’ is translated as ‘Gabhann na Páirtithe


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Conarthacha orthu féin eiseachadadh a dhéanamh i gcásanana den sórt sin de réir a ndlíthe agus na gconarthaí a bheidh i bhfeidhm’ in Article VII of the Schedule to the Genocide Act, 1973. In the ‘Form of Declaration’ in the Second Schedule to the Gárda Síochána (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923, ‘I … do solemnly and sincerely before God declare and affirm and my word and honour pledge that I will be faithful’ is translated as ‘Dinim-se … a fhaisnéis agus a dheimhniú agus m’fhocal agus m’onóir do thabhairt, go solamanta agus go macánta i láthair Dé, go mbead dílis’. In the 1993 Joint Declaration (p. 4), ‘but he pledges in the meantime that … no Northern Unionist should ever have to fear’ is translated as ‘ach geallann sé idir an dá linn … nár cheart go mbeadh eagla choíche ar aon duine d’Aontachtaithe an Tuaiscirt’, with ‘We will give a lead by honouring the pledge in the public sector’ being translated as ‘Beimid ar thús cadhnaíochta agus comhlíonfaimid an gealltanas san earnáil phoiblí’ in the Programme for a Partnership Government, 1993-97 (p. 35). ‘I pledge credit’ is translated as ‘cuirim creidmheas i ngeall’ in Téarmaí Dlí, ‘gealltán’ translating the noun ‘pledge’. De Bhaldraithe translates ‘pledge’ as ‘tugaim (m’fhocal, gealltanas)’, translating ‘to be pledged to do something’ as ‘bheith faoi ghealltanas rud a dhéanamh’. cosaint sonrach According to the official standard ‘sonrach’ would be lenited here, being an adjective qualifying a feminine noun; the rule regarding non-lenition of ‘d’, ‘t’, ‘s’ after ‘d’, ‘n’, ‘t’, ‘l’ and ‘s’ only applies to qualifying nouns – see An Caighdeán Oifigiúil, chapter on ‘Séimhiú and Urú’, s6(i) and s6 of the part headed ‘Séimhiú ar Aidiachtaí’, where ‘an áit shalach’ is cited as an example. See the commentary on Articles 40.3.2o, 45.2 and 45.2.iii regarding ‘sonrach’ and see the commentary on Articles 24.1, 28.3.2o and 40.3.1o regarding ‘cosain’, expressing respectively ‘preserve’, ‘protect’ and ‘defend’. De Bhaldraithe translates ‘safeguard’ as ‘cuirim ar láimh shábháilte, cosnaím’, the latter headword being translated as ‘I defend’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘To safeguard the interests of the Bank’ is translated as ‘chun leasanna an Bhainc a chosaint’ in s44(2)(h) of the Building Societies Act, 1989. ‘Whose duty it is to safeguard the interests of the Parties to the conflict’ is translated as ‘agus is é a ndualgas sin leasanna na bPáirtithe sa choinbhleacht a chaomhnú’ in Article 8 of the First Schedule to the Geneva Conventions Act, 1962, with ‘and to safeguard the rights of the other party to the contract’ being translated as ‘agus chun cearta an pháirtí eile sa chonradh a chosaint’ in s4(c) of the Schedule to the Great Northern Railway Act, 1958. In s14(3) of the Increase of Rent and Mortgage Interest (Restrictions) Act, 1923, ‘for the purpose of safeguarding all persons concerned’ is translated as ‘chun leas gach éinne le n-a mbaineann do chosaint’. Note, however, that ‘in relation to the safeguarding of the health of the people’ is translated as ‘maidir le caomhaint shláinte na ndaoine’ in s21(6)(a) of the Local Govenment Act, 1925. As regards ‘especial’, ‘that there is an especial danger of the spread of infestation of persons and articles’ is translated as ‘go bhfuil contúirt speisialta ann go leathnóidh foiriciú daoine agus earraí (ón mbunaíocht sin)’ in s49(1) of the Health Act, 1947. ‘Where an establishment or institution is confined … to persons of one sex requiring special care, supervision or treatment’ is translated as ‘i

Bunreacht na hÉireann

gcás ar daoine de ghnéas amháin … atá i mbunachas nó in institiúid is daoine ar gá aire, maoirseacht nó cóireáil ar leith lena n-aghaidh’ in s17(2)(c) of the Employment Equality Act, 1977. ‘Are certified … not to require special care and treatment in a fully equipped mental hospital’ is translated as ‘a bheas … deimhnithe … nach gá dóibh aireachas agus cóireáil speisialta in óspidéal meabhairghalar lánfheistithe’ in s22(1) of the Mental Treatment Act, 1945. cabhair maireachtála One would also expect ‘cabhair mhaireachtála’ here, ‘cabhair’ being a feminine noun. ‘Cabhair a thabhairt do dhuine’ is translated as ‘to give help to someone’ in Ó Dónaill, ‘maireachtáil’ being translated as ‘living, livelihood, subsistence’, Ó Dónaill citing ‘cóir mhaireachtála, means of subsistence’. Téarmaí Dlí cites ‘gan a chuma air cóir mhaireachtála a bheith aige, with no visible means of subsistence’. Dinneen translates ‘cabhair’ as ‘help, assistance, support ...’; he does not appear to give ‘maireachtáil’ as a headword, giving instead the variant form (in Ó Dónaill), ‘maireachtain(t)’, translated as ‘act of living, etc., livelihood’. DIL cites ‘lase dombeir dia cobrith n-occo’ (‘when God gives help therein’) from the eighth-century Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles as an example of ‘cobair’ (‘help, assistance’), citing ‘cabhair fhaghla’ (‘military help’), from a miscellaneous collection of Classical Irish poetry, along with ‘guth gan chabhair choigcríche’ (of the Irish lanaguage) from Keating’s seventeenth-century poetry, as examples of ‘cobair’ with descriptive genitive. ‘All patients must contribute towards their maintenance according to their means’ is translated as ‘Caithfidh gach othar cabhrú do réir a acfuinne chun a chimeádta suas’ in s11 of the ‘Details’ in the ‘Leitrim County Scheme’ in the First Schedule of the Local Government (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923. ‘Such amount as the Minister determines that the relevant pensioner … could reasonably be expected to contribute to the support of the carer’ is translated as ‘cibé méid a chinnfidh an tAire a bhféadfaí a bheith ag dréim le réasún go n-íocfadh an pinsinéir iomchuí … é chun an cúramóir a chothú’ in s18(2)(b) of the Social Welfare Act, 1990. The Long Title of the Illegitimate Children (Affiliation Orders) Act, 1930, reads as follows: An Act to make provision for the imposition on the father of an illegitimate child of the obligation to contribute to the support or otherwise in respect of such child. … Acht chun socrú do dhéanamh chun a chur mar oblagáid ar athair leinbh thabhartha cabhair do thabhairt chun an leanbh san do chothú no cabhrú leis ar shlí eile.

‘And that the parent or guardian is able to support the child’ is translated as ‘agus gur féidir leis an tuiste nó an caomhnóir an leanbh a chothabháil’ in s5(1)(c) of the Children (Amendment) Act, 1957. ‘Has sufficient means to support the child’ is translated as ‘gur leor a acmhainn chun an leanbh a chothú’ in s13(1) of the Adoption Act, 1952. ‘In possession of the lowest interest in the building ground which is sufficient to support the grant on the said day of a lease for one hundred and fifty years’ is translated as ‘i seilbh an leasa is ísle sa talamh tógála is leor chun neartuithe le léas céad go leith blian do dheonadh an lá san’ in s60(2)(b) of the Landlord and Tenant Act, 1931. ‘Investment in and support of bodies


A study of the Irish text

corporate’ is translated as ‘Infheistiú i gcomhlachtaí corpraithe agus tacú leo’ in the Margin Title of s28 of the Building Societies Act, 1989, with ‘to support a nomination at a meeting of the society’ being translated as ‘tacú le hainmniúchán ag cruinniú den chumann’ in s18(2). ‘That the harbour authority shall cease to contribute to the maintenance by the local authority of the roads’ is translated as ‘go scoirfidh an t-údarás cuain de ranníoc a dhéanamh i leith cothabhála na mbóithre ag an údarás áitiúil’ in s178(2)(a) of the Harbours Act, 1946. ‘Its construction contributes or will contribute significantly to meeting those needs’ is translated as ‘go gcabhraíonn nó go gcabhróidh a fhoirgniú go mór chun freastal do na riachtanais sin’ in s10(b)(ii) of the Finance Act, 1990. ‘The insured person did not directly or indirectly induce or contribute to the happening of the accident by his conduct outside the employment’ is translated as ‘nach ndearna an duine árachaithe go díreach ná go neamhdhíreach trína iompar lasmuigh den fhostaíocht … tarlú na tionóisce a aslú nó cabhrú lena tarlú’ in s39(2)(c) of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 1981. easlán This headword is translated as ‘sick person, invalid’ in Ó Dónaill, and as ‘a sick or infirm person’ in Dinneen. DIL cites ‘torramad eslánú’ (‘let him tend the sick’) from the twelfth-century Book of Leinster, ‘eslán’ being composed of the negative prefix ‘eas-, eis-’ (translated as ‘ex-, dis-’ in Dinneen) and ‘slán’ (‘whole, sound, unimpaired, healthy, safe’ in DIL). ‘Or be afflicted with some permanent affirmity disabling him from the due execution of his office’ is translated as ‘no mara mbeidh easláinte éigin bhuan ag gabháil do ná fágfaidh ar a chumas a oifig do chó-líona go cuibhe’ in s2(3) of the Comptroller and Auditor-General Act, 1923. ‘The care and treatment of the sick or infirm’ is translated as ‘aireachas agus cóireáil daoine breoite nó daoine easlána’ in s2 of the International Health Bodies (Corporate Status) Act, 1971. ‘The wounded and sick, as well as the infirm and expectant mothers, shall be the object of particular protection and respect’ is translated as ‘Tabharfar coimirce agus urraim ar leith don lucht créachtaithe agus breoite, agus do na heasláin agus do mhná atá le haghaidh clainne’ in Article 16 of the Fourth Schedule to the Geneva Conventions Act, 1962. In s16 of the ‘Wicklow County Scheme’ in the First Schedule to the Local Government (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923, ‘That one Home for the aged and infirm … shall be established for County Wicklow’ is translated as ‘Aon Teaghlach amháin do sheandaoine agus do dhaoine fannlaga … do bhunú do Chontae Chill Mhanntáin’, with ‘the body of the house being set apart for the aged, infirm ...’ being translated as ‘corp an tighe do chimeád i gcóir seandaoine, lucht anbhfainne’ in s8 of the ‘Clare County Scheme’. De Bhaldraithe translates the adjective ‘infirm’ as ‘easlán, éiglí, cróilí’. don bhaintreach ‘Baintreabhach’ is translated as ‘a widow, a widower’ in Dinneen, who cites ‘baintreabhach fir, a widower’ and ‘baintreabhach mná, a widow’. Ó Dónaill ’s entry s.v. ‘baintreach’ is as follows: (1) ‘baintreach (mná), widow’ and (2) ‘baintreach (fir), widower’. ‘Baintrebthach’, which is translated simply as ‘widow’ in DIL, is a compound of ‘ben’ (‘woman’) and ‘trebthach’ (translated as ‘householder, farmer’ in DIL), this word being

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based on ‘treb’, translated primarily as ‘house, farm, holding’ in DIL – ‘mac na bantrebthaige’ (1 Kings xvii. 17) is cited from the Gaelic Maundeville. Note that ‘widower’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as being translated as ‘baintreach fir’ in translations for the Department of Industry and Commerce. ‘To make suitable provision for his widow Mrs. Maud Griffith’ is translated as ‘soláthar oiriúnach do dhéanamh dá bhaintrigh Meadhbh Uí Ghríobhtha’ in the Preamble to the Griffith Settlement Act, 1923. don dílleacht The form ‘dílleachta’ is given in the Glossary accompanying An Caighdeán Oifigiúil, where it is translated as ‘orphan’, ‘dílleachta’ being similarly translated in Ó Dónaill, who gives this as the standard form of ‘dílleacht’. The form ‘díleacht’ is given as the headword in Dinneen, who gives ‘dílleacht’ as a variant. The nominative plural, ‘in dílechtai’, glosses Latin ‘orfani’ in the ninthcentury Milan Glosses on the Psalms, ‘dílechtae’ being given in DIL as the early form of this word, which is perhaps a compound of ‘dí’ and ‘slicht’ (in the sense of ‘offspring, family’). ‘Where the weekly means of the orphan do not exceed £1’ is translated as ‘i gcás nach mó ná £1 acmhainn sheachtainiúil an dílleachta’ in s183(a) of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 1981. ‘The word “orphan” means a child both of whose parents are dead’ is translated as ‘cialluíonn an focal “dílleachtaí” leanbh go bhfuil a athair agus a mháthair marbh’ in s3(1) of the Widows’ and Orphans’ Pensions Act, 1936, with ‘as if they were the orphan children of such man’ being translated as ‘fé is dá mba leanbhaí dílleachta leis an bhfear san iad’ in s3(2). ‘Allowances to his widow or orphan children’ is translated as ‘liúntaisí dá bhaintrigh no dá chlainn ina dhiaidh’ in s4 of the Railways (Existing Officers and Servants) Act, 1926. Finally, in s2 of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 1981, ‘“orphan” means … a qualified child, being a legitimate child, both of whose parents are dead’, is translated as ‘ciallaíonn “dílleachta” … leanbh cáilithe, ar leanbh dlisteanach é, a bhfuil a bheirt tuismitheoir marbh’. don sean ‘Urraim don sean’ is translated as ‘respect for the aged’ in Ó Dónaill, with Dinneen translating ‘sean’, as a noun, as ‘an old person, an ancestor, an elder, an ancient’. ‘Sen’ glosses Latin ‘senex’ in the ninth-century St Gall Glossses on Priscian, DIL also citing ‘is alind sen sobrich’ (‘delightful is a sober old man’) from the eighth-century Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles. In s4 of the ‘Monaghan County Scheme’ in the First Schedule to the Local Government (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923, ‘The Home to accommodate all the aged and infirm, harmless lunatics, imbeciles, and chronic cases’ is translated as ‘Slí do bheith sa Teaghlach do gach seanduine, duine fann-lag, gealt nea-dhíobhálach, amadán, agus síorbreoiteachán’. cosaint na n-aicmí See the commentary on Articles 40.6.2 o and 44.2.4 o as regards ‘aicme’, expressing respectively ‘class’ and ‘denomination’. As regards ‘section’, in s24(5) of the Constitution (Amendment No. 17) Act, 1931, ‘the expression “public meeting” means a meeting at which all members of the public or any particular class or section or classes or sections of the public are invited


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… to be present’ is translated as ‘cialluíonn an abairt “cruinniú puiblí” cruinniú ag a dtugtar cuireadh … do gach duine den phobal no d’aon aicme no dream no aicmí no dreamanna áirithe den phobal bheith i láthair’. In s3(1) of the Dublin Reconstruction (Emergency Provisions) Act, 1924, ‘in addition to any plans and sections of the proposed work’ is translated as ‘i dteannta aon phleananna agus gearrtha i gcóir na hoibre beartuithe’, with ‘interchanged between broad and narrow gauge sections of the company’s railway’ being translated as ‘a malairteofar idir roinn leathan agus roinn chaol de bhóthar iarainn na cuideachtan’ in s5 of the Sixth Schedule to the Railways Act, 1924. Note that in the New Ireland Forum Report (1984, 3.11) ‘both sections of the community’ is translated as ‘an dá chuid den phobal’, with ‘both sections of the community in the North’ being translated as ‘an dá dhrong de phobal an Tuaiscirt’ (2.3). ‘Representative of a broad section of prominent Irish-American business people’ is translated as ‘agus atá ionadaíoch do phobal leathan lucht gnó mór-le-rá Éireannach-Meiriceánach’ in the Programme for a Partnership Government, 1993-97 (p. 14). ‘Article 47 of the EEC Treaty lays down that its Agriculural Section shall have as its task’ is translated as ‘tá sé leagtha síos in Airteagal 47 de Chonradh CEE go mbeidh de chúram ar rannóg talmhaíochta an Choiste sin’ in the Treaties establishing the European Communities (1973, p. 1492). Note finally that the Translation Section of the Houses of the Oireachtas is styled ‘Rannóg an Aistriúcháin’. nuair a bheas riachtanas leis See the commentary on Article 45.2.i regarding ‘riachtanas’ and note that ‘preventing the withholding of any such necessaries from the community’ is translated as ‘chun cosc do chur le haon riachtanaisí den tsórt san do chimeád siar o sna daoine’ in s2(1)(e) of the Protection of the Community (Special Powers) Act, 1926. In s28(b) of the Finance Act, 1989, ‘and, where necessary to grant to each allowable investor company concerned an amount of relief’ is translated as ‘agus, más gá, d’fhonn méid faoisimh … a dheonú do gach cuideachta infheistiúcháin’. ‘To inspect all or any of such documents and where necessary, to open sealed packets’ is translated as ‘gach ceann no aon cheann de na scríbhinní sin d’iniúchadh agus, i gcás inar gá san, pacáidí séaluithe d’oscailt’ in s39(3) of the Referendum Act, 1942. ar leas gheilleagrach See the commentary on Article 45 regarding lenition of the adjective qualifying a masculine noun in the dative case – according to the official standard, this would have the form ‘ar leas geilleagrach’. ‘Leas’ is translated as ‘interest (i.e. beneficial etc.)’ in Téarmaí Dlí. a bheas See the commentary on Article 6.1 regarding the special form of the relative in ‘-s’, the above phrase now generally being written as ‘a bheidh’.

Standardised Irish text Gabhann an Stát air féin cosaint shonrach a dhéanamh ar leas geilleagrach na n-aicmí is lú cumhacht den phobal agus, nuair a bheidh riachtanas leis, cabhair mhaireachtála a thabhairt don easlán, don bhaintreach, don dílleachta agus don sean.

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Direct translation Tugann an Stát gealltanas go ndéanfaidh sé leas eacnamaíochta na ranna laga den phobal a chosaint le haire1 ar leith agus, más gá, cuidiú a thabhairt maidir le tacú leis an easlán, leis an mbaintreach, leis an dílleachta, agus leis an sean.

Variant 1 ‘le cúram’

ARTICLE 45.4.2O

AIRTEAGAL 45.4.2O

TÉACS GAEILGE

Déanfaidh an Stát iarracht chun a chur in áirithe nach ndéanfar neart agus sláinte lucht oibre, idir fheara is mná, ná maoth-óige leanaí a éagóradh, agus nach mbeidh ar shaoránaigh, de dheasca uireasa, dul le gairmeacha nach n-oireann dá ngné nó dá n-aois nó dá neart. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

The State will endeavour to ensure that the strength and health of workers, both men and women, nor the tender youth of children will not be wronged, and that citizens will not have to, because of want, take up occupations that do not suit their kind or their age or their strength. ENGLISH TEXT

The State shall endeavour to ensure that the strength and health of workers, men and women, and the tender age of children shall not be abused and that citizens shall not be forced by economic necessity to enter avocations unsuited to their sex, age or strength.

Divergences between the official texts 1

3

4 5

6

‘Sex’ is expressed as ‘gné’ (‘kind’)’ in the Irish text, the derivative ‘gnéas’ rather than ‘gné’ being the usual term today rendering ‘sex’; ‘to their sex, age or strength’ is expressed in the Irish text as ‘dá ngné nó dá n-aois nó dá neart’, ‘to their sex or to their age or to their strength’. ‘The tender-age of children’ is expressed as ‘maothóige leanaí’ (‘the tender youth of children’) in the Irish text. ‘Shall not be forced’ is expressed as ‘nach mbeidh ar’ (‘will not have to’) in the Irish text. ‘By economic necessity’ is expressed as ‘de dheasca uireasa’ (‘because of want’) in the Irish text, which phrase is preceded and followed by a comma in the Irish text alone. ‘Ensure’ is expressed by ‘a chur in áirithe’, which phrase we have seen expressing ‘secure’ in s3.2o of this Article, and expressing ‘ensure’ in some earlier Articles, ‘to reserve’ being the usual sense of this phrase today.

Commentary dul le gairmeacha ‘Take to, engage in’ is given as one of the senses of ‘téigh le’ in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘dul le polaitíocht, to engage in politics’ and ‘ní rachadh an mac


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le feirmeoireacht dó, the son wouldn’t take up farming for him’. DIL gives ‘devotes oneself to, adopts, takes a certain course’ as one of the senses of ‘téit fri’, citing ‘docotar iterum fri tola in betho’ (‘they have given themselves over again to worldly desires’) from the eighthcentury Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles, citing ‘conn-dechaid re filidecht’ (‘… took up poetry’) from a later source. ‘Gairmeacha’ is the plural of ‘gairm’, ‘profession, occupation’ being given as a secondary sense of that headword in Ó Dónaill and ‘avocation or condition of life’ being included among its senses in Dinneen – see the commentary on Articles 13.5.2o and 18.7.1oi regarding ‘gairm’, expressing respectively ‘commission’ and ‘professional interest’. ‘To enable them to resume their previous avocations and earn their livelihood’ is translated as ‘ionas go mbeidh ar a gcumas gabháil arís do na slite beatha a bhí acu cheana agus a mbeatha a thuilleamh’ in the Preamble to the Convalescent Home Stillorgan (Charter Amendment) Act, 1958. ‘He possesses the requisite knowledge and ability to enter on the discharge of the duties of that position’ is translated as ‘go bhfuil aige an t-eolas agus an ábaltacht is gá chun dul i gcionn dualgas an phoist sin a chomhlíonadh’ in s17(1)(a) of the Civil Service Commissioners Act, 1956, the same English text (with ‘his duties in that situation’ replacing ‘the duties of that position’) being translated as ‘go bhfuil an t-eolas agus an ábaltacht san aige is gá dho a bheith aige chun dul i mbun a dhualgaisí sa phost san’ in s3(2)(d) of the Civil Service Regulation Act, 1923. idir fheara is mná ‘Fir’ is the standard form of the plural of ‘fear’, with ‘feara’ and ‘fearaibh’ being used in certain phrases, according to Ó Dónaill, none of which phrases appears to be cited s.v. ‘fear’. Ó Donaill cites ‘idir fhir agus mhná, both men and women’, however, s.v. ‘idir’. Dinneen cites ‘idir fear is bean, men and women alike, all’. See the commentary .on Article 45.2.i for citations of ‘eter mnaí is fer’ and ‘etir fer 7 mnaí’ from earlier literature. lucht oibre This phrase is translated as ‘workpeople’ in Ó Dónaill and as ‘workers’ in Dinneen. Ó Dónaill gives ‘(class, category, of) people’ as the secondary sense of ‘lucht’, which in this sense is not inflected in the genitive singular, according to Ó Dónaill. ‘Lucht’ is translated principally as ‘contents, charge’ in DIL (which sense ‘lucht’ still has in Modern Irish) and secondly as ‘people, class of persons, category’, nearly always with defining genitive or clause. According to DIL, the earlier meaning of ‘lucht’ with defining genitive was ‘those occupying, inhabiting (and hence also possessing)’, citing ‘luct Corint’ (‘the people of Corinth’) from the eighth-century Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles; ‘a lucht adartha’ (‘his followers’) is cited from Leabhar na hUidhre (compiled in Clonmacnois c. 1100) as an example of ‘lucht’ with following verbal noun clause in the sense of ‘those who (perform certain actions, are engaged in certain occupations)’. See the commentary on Articles 12.10.6o and 27.2 where we find respectively ‘lucht tagartha’ and ‘lucht achainí’, the latter expressing ‘petitioners’. We find the current general term translating ‘worker’, ‘oibrí’, in the Schedule to the Appropriation Act, 1922, for example, where ‘contributions to … the Unemployed

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Workers’ Dependendants’ Fund’ is translated as ‘síntiúisí … don Chiste um Muirir Oibríthe Díomhaoine’. dá ngné ‘Gné’ is translated as (1) ‘species, kind’ and (2) ‘form, appearance’ in Ó Dónaill, citing ‘gné de rud, an aspect of something’ as an example of the secondary sense, this being one of the most common usages of ‘gné’ today. Dinneen translates ‘gné’ as ‘that by which a thing is known, characteristic, mark, specimen; form, appearance, countenance; an accident (in philosophy); colour, tint; apparition; good appearance; a kind or sort, a species’. Like Ó Dónaill, DIL translates ‘gné’ as (a) ‘kind, species’, citing ‘fúad et gné’ (‘form and kind’) from the eighth-century . Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles and ‘gné ferrdha díb 7 gné bannda’ (of diamonds) from the Gaelic Maundeville, and (b) ‘form’, (i) ‘of outward appearance, appearance of countenance’, citing ‘gné fírinne fuiri’ (‘the appearance of righteousness’) from the ninth-century Milan Glosses on the Psalms, and (2) ‘way, manner’. See the commentary on Article 9.1.3o for ‘sex’ in the Constitution. maoth-óige A compound of the adjective ‘maoth’, translated principally as ‘soft, tender’ in Ó Dónaill (who cites ‘leanbh maoth, tender child’) and the abstract noun ‘óige’ (‘youth’), this compound not being cited as a headword either in Ó Dónaill or in Dinneen. Both, however, give ‘maothóg’ as a headword, the former translating this noun as (1) ‘soft thing; soft person, softy’ and (2) ‘shell-less egg’, Dinneen translating ‘maothóg’ as ‘a soft-shelled egg’. ‘Maethóclach’, ‘a youth’, is cited in DIL from the Passions and Homilies from the Leabhar Breac, for example, which were composed in the second half of the eleventh century, where we find ‘oclach 7 moethoclach 7 senoir’ (‘man, youth and greybeard’ [of the three Magi]). Old Irish ‘moíth’, later ‘maeth’ (‘moeth’), is translated as ‘soft, tender, yielding (of substance or texture, also in figurative sense)’ in DIL, with the sense ‘tender, delicate’ of persons, ‘often denoting immaturity or youth’, citing ‘minores .i. inn aes moith 7 anfoirbthe’ (‘or minores, i.e. the tender and imperfect’) from the ninth-century Milan Glosses on the Psalms. Dinneen includes ‘tender’ among the senses of ‘moiglí’, ‘maoth’ and ‘saghal’, with ‘frithir’ and ‘íogair’ being included among the terms issued by the Department of Education. ‘Maoth-chroidheach’ is translated as ‘tender-hearted’ in Dinneen, ‘tiom(a)-chroidhe’ being translated as ‘a tenderheart, tenderness’. ‘Maoth-bhleántracha’ is cited in Téarmaí Oifigiúla as translating ‘tender loins’ in the Pigs and Bacon Act, 1937. Regarding the hyphen in ‘maeth-óige’, according to An Caighdeán Oifigiúil (‘Na Rialacha’, s24 (iv)), the hyphen is inserted in cases where there is a danger that the compound would not be recognisable without the hyphen; the hyphen here certainly makes it clear that we are dealing with a compound of ‘maoth’ and ‘óige’ as against an inflected form of ‘maothóg’. a éagóradh ‘Éagóradh’ is the verbal noun of ‘éagóir’, the variant form of the verb ‘éagóirigh’, ‘wrong’, in Ó Dónaill, with ‘éagóiriú’ being given as the standard form of the verbal noun. The noun ‘éagóir’ is translated as ‘wrong’ in Téarmaí Dlí, where ‘duine éagóraithe, aggrieved person (i.e. injured)’ is also cited, this being given as ‘duine éagóirithe’ in Ó Dónaill. ‘Éagcóir’ is translated as ‘a crime; wrong, injustice, iniquity, unrighteous-


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ness, a foul (in athletics, etc.)’ in Dinneen. ‘Éccóir’, the negative of ‘cóir’, is translated as ‘incongrous, wrong, inaccurate, improper, unjust, unfitting’, as an adjective, in DIL, citing ‘manip ecoir frisin stoir’ (‘if it be not at variance with the history’) from the ninth-century Milan Glosses on the Psalms, and as ‘wrong, impropriety, injustice’, as a noun, citing ‘écoir dungni som ón’ (‘the wrong which he does’), from the same collection of Glosses. ‘That the rights conferred by this section are being abused to secure needless publicity for defamatory matter’ is translated as ‘go bhfuil mí-úsáid á baint as na cearta a thugtar leis an alt seo chun poiblíocht gan gá a fháil d’ábhar clúmhillteach’ in s86(4) of the Building Societies Act, 1989, with ‘go bhfuil na cearta a thugtar leis an alt seo á mí-úsáid chun poiblíocht gan ghá a fháil d’ábhar clúmhillteach’ being found in s182(4) of the Companies Act, 1963. ‘The monopoly rights under a patent shall be deemed to have been abused in any of the following circumstances’ is translated as ‘Tuigfar mí-úsáid do bheith déanta de sna cirt aon-tseilbhe fé phaitinn in aon chás acu so a leanas’ in s43(2) of the Industrial and Commercial Property (Protection) Act, 1927. Note that ‘the Prevention of Electoral Abuses Act, 1982’, is cited in Irish as ‘an tAcht chun Droch-Bhearta Toghcháin a Chosc, 1982’, following the citation in Irish of ‘the Prevention of Electoral Abuses Act, 1923’, ‘an tAcht chun Droch-bhearta Toghacháin do Chosc, 1923’. uireasa See the commentary on Article 41.2.2o regarding the phrase ‘de dheasca uireasa’ and note further that DIL cites ‘do fháguibh [d’]uiresbaidh bennaighthe an taobh budh tuaidh’ (‘he left the north side without blessing’) from the seventeenth-century Martyrology of Donegal. Looking at ‘necessity’ in the Acts, ‘in case of urgent military necessity’ is translated as ‘i gcás géar-riachtanais mhíleata’ in Article 33 of the First Schedule to the Geneva Conventions Act, 1962, with ‘extensive destruction and appropriation of property, not justified by military necessity and carried out unlawfully and wantonly’ being translated as ‘díothú a dhéanamh agus seilbh a ghlacadh go forleathan ar mhaoin nuair nach bhfuil riachtanas míleata leis agus nuair a dhéantar é go neamhdhleathach agus go hainrianta’ in Article 50. In s15 of the Public Safety (Emergency Powers) Act, 1923, ‘the exercise by the Military Forces of Saorstát Éireann of any of the powers or authorities exercisable by them by virtue of military necessity arising in the course of the performance of their duty’ is translated as ‘feidhmiú do dhéanamh ar aon cheann de sna comhachta no na húdaráis is infheidhmithe acu san de bhua riachtanas mileata d’eirghe le linn iad do bheith ag có-líona a ndualgais’. neart ‘“Actual alcoholic strength by volume” means the number of volumes of pure alcohol contained at a temperature of 20oC in 100 volumes of the product at that temperature’ is translated as ‘ciallaíonn “an neart alcólach iarbhír de réir toirte” an líon toirteanna d’alcól íon atá, ag teocht 20oC, i 100 toirt den táirge ag an teocht sin’ in s37(1) of the Finance Act, 1989. ‘The strength of the bargaining positions relative to each other’ is translated as ‘a láidre atá staideanna margántaíochta na bpáirtithe i gcóimheas a chéile’ in s2(a) of the Schedule to the Sale of Goods and Supply of Services Act, 1980. ‘On grounds of physiology (excluding physical strength or stamina)’ is

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translated as ‘ar fhorais fiseolaíochta (gan neart ná lúth coirp a áireamh)’ in s17(2)(a) of the Employment Equality Act, 1977. ‘To perform any task of work which in the opinion of the board is suitable to the sex, age, strength, and capacity of such person’ is translated as ‘aon teasc oibre do dhéanamh is dó leis an mbord is oiriúnach d’innscin, d’aois, do neart, agus d’ábaltacht an duine sin’ in s4(1) of the Poor Relief (Dublin) Act, 1929. Note, finally, in passing, that ‘no such allowance shall be payable unless the numerical strength in Dáil Éireann of the Third Party is not less than seven’ is translated as ‘ní bheidh aon liúntas den tsórt san iníoctha maran seacht ar a laighead an líon comhaltaí i nDáil Éireann a bheidh ag an Tríú Páirtí’ in s11(a) of the Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices Act, 1938. sláinte ‘On methods of safeguarding and improving the health of workers’ is translated as ‘ar mhodhanna chun sláinte oibrithe a chosaint agus a fheabhsú’ in s151(3)(d) of the Mines and Quarries Act, 1965, with ‘a fheabhsú’ replacing ‘d’fheabhsú’ of s127(3)(d) of the Factories Act, 1955. nach mbeidh ar ‘When forced by stress of weather to seek shelter in the ports or on the coasts of Saorstát Éireann’ is translated as ‘nuair is éigean dóibh de dheascaibh doininne dídean d’iarraidh i bpoirt no ar chóstaí Shaorstáit Éireann’ in s40 of the Schedule to the Pier and Harbour Provisional Order Confirmation Act, 1929, with ‘in the case of a forced landing which takes place in the State, the time when a member of the Garda Síochána arrives at the place of landing’ being translated as ‘i gcás tuirlingt éigin sa Stát, an t-am a shroicheann comhalta den Gharda Síochána an áit tuirlingthe’ in s1(2)(a)(ii) of the Air Navigation and Transport Act, 1975. Commenting on a draft of the direct translation below, in which ‘shall not be forced’ was translated as ‘nach gcuirfear brú ar’, Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú remarked that, while this is commonly heard, as part of contemporary jargon, he doubts whether it is in line with the correct usage of Irish; it is based directly on English ‘pressure, pressurize’, and is not recognised by Ó Dónaill. Professor Ó Murchú recommends either ‘nach gcuirfear d’fhiacha ar’ or ‘nach dtabharfar ar’, along with the phrase in the original text, ‘nach mbeidh ar’. nach n-oireann d(o) See the commentary on Article 34.5.1o regarding ‘oir’. ‘And whereas the Control of Prices Act, 1937 … is unsuited to the present needs of the State’ is translated as ‘Agus de bhrí go bhfuil an tAcht chun Praghsanna a Rialú, 1937 … neamhoiriúnach do riachtanais láithreacha an Stáit’ in the Preamble to the Prices Act, 1958. In s10(3) of the Damage to Property (Compensation) Act, 1923, ‘that the substituted building named by the applicant would not be unsuited to the neighbourhood’ is translated as ‘nár neamh-oiriúnach don chomharsanacht an mhalairt fhoirgnimh d’ainmnigh an t-iarrthóir’, with ‘and in particular the existing law relating to the relief of the poor is wholly unsuited to the circumstances of Saorstát Éireann’ being translated as ‘agus, go sonnrách, an dlí atá ann fé láthair i dtaobh fóirithin na mbocht, go bhfuil sé neamh-oiriúnach ar fad do chás Shaorstáit Éireann’ in the Preamble to the Local Government (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923. a chur in áirithe See the commentary on Article 15.10.


A study of the Irish text

Standardised Irish text Déanfaidh an Stát iarracht chun a chur in áirithe nach ndéanfar neart agus sláinte lucht oibre, idir fhir is mhná, ná maothóige leanaí a éagóradh, agus nach mbeidh ar shaoránaigh, de dheasca uireasa, dul le gairmeacha nach n-oireann dá n-aois nó dá neart.1

Note 1 ‘dá ngné’ is omitted here following the gender-proofed English text.

Direct translation Féachfaidh an Stát lena áirithiú1 nach mbainfear mí-úsáid as neart agus sláinte oibrithe, fir agus mná, ná as2

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maoth-aois leanaí agus nach gcuirfear d’fhiacha3 ar shaoránaigh de dheasca riachtanais eacnamaíochta dul le slite beatha4 atá neamhoiriúnach5 dá ngnéas, dá n-aois nó dá neart.

Variants 1 2 3 4 5

‘lena dheimhniú’ ‘, agus’ ‘nach dtabharfar’, ‘nach mbeidh’ ‘gairmeacha’ ‘nach n-oirfidh’


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AMENDMENT OF THE CONSTITUTION AN BUNREACHT A LEASÚ ARTICLE 46.1

AIRTEAGAL 46.1 to have been ‘relief, redress, remedy’, Modern Irish ‘leas’, ‘welfare’, being a development of that sense. The principal sense of ‘lesaigidir’ in DIL is ‘is of benefit to, improve’, with ‘preserves, cherishes; perhaps also improves, embellishes’ in relation to objects, literary works, etc., as a secondary sense, DIL citing ‘iss é ro scrib 7 ro lesaig na scela so’ from Leabhar na hUidhre (compiled in Clonmacnois, c. 1100). ‘Amendments of this Constitution … may be made by the Oireachtas’ is translated as ‘Féadfaidh an t-Oireachtas leasú do dhéanamh ar an mBunreacht so’ in Article 50 of the 1922 Constitution. Note that ‘it shall be lawful for the District Justice to amend the said rate-book by striking out the name or description of the person entered therein’ is translated as ‘beidh sé dleathach don Ghiúistís Dúithche an leabhar rátaí sin do cheartú tré ainm no tuairisc an duine atá iontrálta ann … do bhuala amach’ in s4(1) of the Local Government (Collection of Rates) Act, 1924. ‘Amendment of the Constitution’ is translated as ‘Leasú an Bhunreachta’ in the Margin Title of s3 of the Public Safety Act, 1927, with ‘An Bunreacht do leasú’ translating ‘Amendment of the Constitution’ in the Margin Title of s1 of the Constitution (Amendment No. 17) Act, 1931, and ‘Amendment of Article 40.3 of the Constitution’ being translated as ‘Airteagal 40.3 den Bhunreacht do leasú’ in the Margin Title of s1 of the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution Act, 1992. ‘An Bunreacht a leasú’ translates this Margin Title in the Twentieth Amendment of the Constitution (No. 2) Bill, 1999, as passed by both Houses of the Oireachtas. Note that the practice in the Acts in general in Margin Titles which are of the form ‘Amendment of …’ is to translate this phrase as ‘Leasú ar …’ – see the Margin Title of s2 of the Shannon Free Airport Development Company Limited (Amendment) Act, 1980, for example, where ‘Amendment of section 2 of the Principal Act’ is translated as ‘Leasú ar alt 2 den Phríomh-Acht’.

TÉACS GAEILGE

AN BUNREACHT A LEASÚ Is cead foráil ar bith den Bhunreacht seo a leasú, le hathrú nó le breisiú nó le haisghairm, ar an modh a shocraítear leis an Airteagal seo. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

AMENDING THE CONSTITUTION It is permitted to amend any provision of this Constitution, by change or by addition or by repeal, in the manner provided by this Article. ENGLISH TEXT

AMENDMENT OF THE CONSTITUTION Any provision of this Constitution may be amended, whether by way of variation, addition, or repeal, in the manner provided by this Article.

Divergences between the official texts 1

2

‘Whether by way of variation, addition, or repeal’ is expressed simply as ‘le hathrú nó le breisiú nó le haisghairm’ (‘by variation or by addition or by appeal’) in the Irish text. ‘May be’ is expressed as ‘Is cead’ (‘It is permitted to’) in the Irish text, as we have seen in some earlier Articles.

J.M. Kelly, op. cit., p. 210, reports as follows on reference to this Article in the courts: In Finn v Minister for the Environment ([1983] IR 154) Barrington J drew attention to the fact that the Irish equivalent for the phrase “whether by way of variation, addition, or repeal” contains no word corresponding to “whether”, thus lending some (though he thought not enough) strength to the suggestion that the recital of these three modes of amendment was intended to be exhaustive rather than merely illustrative.

breisiú This headword is the verbal noun of ‘breisigh’, which verb is translated as ‘increase, add to’ in Ó Dónaill, the noun ‘breisiú’ being translated as ‘increase, growth’. ‘Breisiú’ does not appear to be given as a headword in Dinneen, who translates ‘breis’, on which it is based, as ‘increase, profit, interest; an addition’. The earliest citation of ‘breis’ in DIL is from the twelfth-century Book of Leinster (‘Eocho Mumo mó cech breis’), this headword being translated as ‘increase; profit, advantage’. Looking at early Acts, ‘Any power of the court under this section shall be in addition to and not in derogation of any other power of the court’ is translated as ‘Aon chomhacht a bheidh ag an gcúirt fén alt so is mar bhreis a bheidh sí le haon chomhacht eile ag an gcúirt … agus ní mar luíodú uirri’ in s6(6) of the Criminal Justice (Administration) Act, 1924, with ‘including the making of

Commentary a leasú ‘Chun an Bunreacht a leasú’ expresses ‘to amend the Constitution’ in Article 46.3. ‘Leasú’ is the verbal noun of ‘leasaigh’, the first person singular, present indicative, of which, ‘leasaím’, is translated as ‘I amend’ in Téarmaí Dlí, this being given as one of the senses of ‘leasuighim’ in Dinneen. ‘Amend, reform, improve’ are given as the principal senses of ‘leasaigh’ in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘do bheatha a leasú, to amend one’s life’ and ‘dlí a leasú, to amend a law’. ‘Lesaigidir’ is used to express a wide range of beneficial or remedial action, according to DIL, this verb being based on ‘les’, the earlier sense of which seems

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alterations and additions, so as to convert the same into one or more houses or self-contained flats’ being translated as ‘maraon le hatharuithe agus breiseanna do dhéanamh, i dtreo go ndéanfí den chéanna tigh no tithe, no úrlár no úrláir comhnaithe, iomlán ionta féin’ in s1 of the Housing (Building Facilities) Act, 1924. ‘Completion of the said works with such additions, omissions, variations, and deviations as aforesaid’ is translated as ‘(i) gcríochnú na n-oibreacha san maraon le gach cur-leo, fágaint-ar-lár ionta, atharú ortha, agus casa-i-leataoibh uatha mar adubhradh’ in s7(b) of the Barrow Drainage Act, 1927, with ‘The Minister shall … confirm with such modifications, omissions and additions as he shall deem necessary … every scheme submitted to him’ being translated as ‘Déanfidh an t-Aire gach scéim dá leagfar fé n-a bhráid … do dhaingniú tar éis í d’atharú agus baint uaithi agus cur léi fé mar is dó leis is gá’ in s4(1) of the Local Government (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923. Finally, ‘breisiúchán’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as translating ‘addition’ in the Proceedings of Seanad Éireann, 19/12/23. ‘“Alteration” … includes any addition to or variation of the memorandum of rules’ is translated as ‘folaíonn “athrú” … aon bhreis a chuirfear leis an meabhrán … nó aon éagsúlú a dhéanfar air’ in s2(1) of the Building Societies Act, 1989. ‘Whether by variation, addition or omission’ is translated as ‘trí athrú, breisiú nó fágáil ar lár’ in s26(7) of the Agricultural Credit Act, 1978, with ‘whether by way of addition, omission or variation’ being translated as ‘trí chur léi, baint aisti nó athrú’ in s11(3) of the Local Government (Planning and Development) Act, 1976, and ‘trí bhreisiú, trí fhágáil ar lár nó trí athrú’ being found in s12(3) of the Law Reform Commission Act, 1975. le haisghairm ‘Aisghairm’ is the verbal noun of ‘aisghair’, which verb is translated as ‘abrogate; repeal’ in Ó Dónaill, ‘aisghairim’ being translated as ‘I abrogate’ in Téarmaí Dlí. The noun ‘aisghairm’ is translated as ‘abrogation; repeal’ in Ó Donaill, ‘ais-ghairm’ being translated as ‘recalling, abrogation’ in Dinneen. This is a compound of the prefix ‘ais’ (translated as ‘re-, again, back, non-’ in Dinneen) and ‘gairm’, verbal noun of ‘gair’ (‘call’), on which verb see the commentary on Articles 13.2.1o and 13.5.2o. Looking at early Acts, ‘the imposition, repeal, remission, alteration or regulation of taxation’ is translated as ‘leaga, ath-ghairm, maitheamh, atharú no rialú cánach’ in Article 35 of the 1922 Constitution. ‘The enactments mentioned in the Tenth Schedule to this Act are hereby repealed to the extent specified in the third column of that Schedule’ is translated as ‘Na hachtacháin a luaidhtear sa Deichiú Sceideal a ghabhann leis an Acht so ath-ghairmtear iad leis seo a mhéid a háirítear sa tríú colún den Sceideal san’ in s66(1) of the Electoral Act, 1923, with ‘Repeals’ being translated as ‘Ath-ghairmeanna’ in the Margin Title of that section. See further the commentary on Article 48. le hathrú ‘Athrú’ is translated as ‘alteration’ in Téarmaí Dlí, citing ‘athrú déanmhais, structural alteration’ and ‘athrú úsáide, alteration of user’, along with ‘athrú ar imthosca, variation of circumstances’ and ‘comhaontú athraithe, variation agreement’. ‘Athrú’, the verbal noun of ‘athraigh’, is translated as ‘change, alteration’ and ‘variation’ in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘athrú maighnéadach,

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magnetic variation’, for example. Dinneen translates ‘athrughadh’ as ‘a change, a transformation; translation’. DIL translates ‘athrugad’ as ‘act of changing, altering, moving’, this being the verbal noun of ‘aithrigid’, the late form of ‘ad-eirrig’, translated in DIL as (a) ‘repeats, reiterates’ and (b) ‘changes’, with the sense of ‘changes for the better, amends, improves’ in the Old Irish Glosses, DIL citing ‘dúus indaithirset’ (‘if perchance they may repeat it’) from the eighth-century Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles. ‘With respect to the crediting or variation or cancellation of reserve values’ is translated as ‘i dtaobh luachanna cúil do chur i gcreidiúint no d’atharú no do chur ar neamh-ní’ in s26(1) of the National Health Insurance Act, 1923. ‘By way of variation, omisson, or addition’ is translated as ‘trí athrú, fágáil ar lár nó breisiú’ in s10(1) of the Coastal Protection Act, 1963. Note that ‘as amended by any alterations or variations made or to be made under this Act’ is translated simply as ‘arna leasú le haon athruithe a dhéantar nó a dhéanfar faoin Acht seo’ in s6(2) of the Leopardstown Park Hospital (Trust Deed Amendment) Act, 1974. Note also that ‘claochlú’ translates ‘alteration’ in s8(1)(c)(ii) of the Fisheries Act, 1980, where ‘review the programme and make in it any variations whether by way of alteration, addition or deletion’ is translated as ‘an clár a athbhreithniú agus aon chlaochlú is cuí leis a dhéanamh air trí athrú nó trí ábhar a chur leis nó a scriosadh as’. Commenting on ‘claochlú’, given as a variant in a draft of the direct translation below, Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú remarks that it is too strong and suggests ‘athrach’ as an alternative to that variant, ‘athrú’ being without fault. As regards ‘le’ expressing ‘by way of’, Ó Dónaill gives ‘by use of, by means of’ as one of the senses of the preposition ‘le’, citing ‘léirigh le samplaí é, illustrate it by example’. ‘Or confirm the scheme with such alteration (whether by way of variation, addition, or omission) as they may think proper to make therein’ is translated as ‘no an scéim do dhaingniú tar éis pé atharuithe (pe’ca tré chur leis no fágaint ar lár no aon atharú eile é) is oiriúnach leo do dhéanamh uirthi’ in s9(1) of the Arterial Drainage (Minor Schemes) Act, 1928, the phrase in brackets being translated as ‘pe’ca tré atharú do dhéanamh é no cur leis no fágaint ar lár’ in s10(1) of the Arterial Drainage Act, 1925, and as ‘pe’ca tré atharú do dhéanamh é no cur-leis no fágaint-ar-lár’ in s4(1) of the River Owenmore Drainage Act, 1926. Turning to modern Acts, wherein this triad does not appear to be cited, in s69(2)(b) of the Central Bank Act, 1989, ‘thereafter be distributed (whether by way of payment or by reducing the amount to be lodged …) among the holders of licences’ is translated as ‘í a dháileadh dá éis sin (cibé acu trí íocaíocht nó trí laghdú a dhéanamh ar an méid a bheidh le lóisteáil …) i measc na sealbhóirí ceadúnas’. ‘Review the programme and may make in it any variations whether by way of alteration, addition or deletion which it considers proper’ is translated as ‘an clár a athbhreithniú agus aon chlaochlú is cuí leis a dhéanamh air trína athrú nó trí ábhar a chur leis nó a scriosadh’ in s8(1)(c)(ii) of the Fisheries Act, 1980, with ‘review the plan and may make in it any variations (whether by way of alteration, addition or deletion) which they consider proper’ being translated as ‘an plean a athscrúdú agus aon athfhoirmithe (trí athrú, cur leis nó scriosadh as) is cuí leo a dhéanamh air’ in s20(1) of the


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Local Government (Planning and Development) Act, 1963. Note, finally, that ‘by way of’ is expressed as ‘i bhfoirm’ in Article 40.4.3o. ar an modh a shocraítear We find eclipsis after the relative particle ‘a’ following ‘modh’ in s11(2) of the Health Act, 1970, for example, where ‘Féadfaidh ordú faoin alt seo socrú a bheith ann i dtaobh an mhodha a n-íocfar na caiteachais’ translates ‘An order under this section may provide for the manner in which expenses … are to be met’. DIL cites ‘modh conid-tuccid’ (‘in such wise that ye may understand it’), from the eighth-century Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles, and ‘cach modh dobeir saethar furra’ (‘whatever trouble it gave her’), from an early Irish law-tract, as examples of ‘modh’ as a relative adverb, ‘modh’ being borrowed from Latin ‘modus’, and translated as ‘manner, mode, way, fashion’ in DIL. See the commentary on Articles 18.6 and 34.1 regarding ‘manner’. ‘Every insured person shall be insured in the manner provided by this Part against intermittent unemployment’ is translated as ‘Ní mór gach duine árachaithe bheith faoi árachas in aghaidh breac-dhífhostaíochta sa tslí a fhoráiltear leis an gCuid seo’ in s239 of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 1981, with ‘shall, in the manner provided by this Act pay to the Trustees for and in respect of such animals the appropriate charges’ being translated as ‘íocfaidh sé leis na hIontaobhaithe ar na hainmhithe sin agus maidir leo, sa tslí a fhoráiltear leis an Acht seo, na táillí iomchuí’ in s4(1) of the Slaughtered and Detained Animals (Compensation) Act, 1986. Note, finally, that ‘in the manner’ is expressed as ‘ar an gcuma’ in Article 18.10.3o. Is cead See the commentary on Article 9.1.3o.

Direct translation Féadfar aon fhoráil den Bhunreacht seo a leasú, cibé acu trí athrú, trí bhreisiú, nó trí aisghairm, sa tslí a fhoráiltear leis an Airteagal seo.

ARTICLE 46.2

AIRTEAGAL 46.2

TÉACS GAEILGE

Gach togra chun an Bunreacht seo a leasú ní foláir é a thionscnamh i nDáil Éireann ina Bhille, agus nuair a ritear nó a mheastar a ritheadh é ag dhá Theach an Oireachtais ní foláir é a chur faoi bhreith an phobail le Reifreann de réir an dlí a bheas i bhfeidhm i dtaobh an Reifrinn in alt na huaire. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Every proposal to amend this Constitution (it) must be initiated in Dáil Éireann as a Bill, and when it is passed or deemed passed by both Houses of the Oireachtas it must be submitted to the people for determination by Referendum in accordance with the law which will be in force as regards the Referendum at the time.

Bunreacht na hÉireann

ENGLISH TEXT

Every proposal for an amendment of this Constitution shall be initiated in Dáil Éireann as a Bill, and shall upon having been passed or deemed to have been passed by both Houses of the Oireachtas, be submitted by Referendum to the decision of the people in accordance with the law for the time being in force relating to the Referendum.

Divergences between the official texts 1

2

‘For an amendment of this Constitution’ is expressed as ‘chun an Bunreacht seo a leasú’ (‘to amend this Constitution’) in the Irish text. ‘Shall be’ is expressed as ‘ní foláir’ (‘must be’) in the Irish text, as we have seen in many other Articles.

Commentary togra This headword is translated as ‘purpose, desire, will, inclination; act of desiring, resolving …’ in Dinneen, who gives ‘togradh’ as a variant form. In Ó Dónaill, on the other hand, ‘togra’ is given as a variant form of ‘togradh’, verbal noun of ‘togair’, which verb is translated as ‘desire, choose, attempt’, with ‘togradh’ as a noun being translated as ‘will, inclination’. Earlier ‘tocra’ is the verbal noun of ‘tocraid’, which is apparently from a compound of ‘gair-’, according to DIL, where this verb is translated primarily as ‘desires to go, seeks as way’, citing ‘Adchíu . far rígna in móir / ní toccair dond imforráin’ (‘I see that your great queen does not seek to come to the fight’) from the version of the Táin in Leabhar na hUidhre (compiled in Clonmacnois c. 1100), giving ‘desires’, ‘resolves’ and ‘tries, attempts’ as other senses. Looking at ‘proposal’ in the early Acts, ‘The method of proposal and selection for nomination’ is translated as ‘an tslí déanfar tairisgint agus togha chun ainmniúcháin’ in Article 33 of the 1922 Constitution, with ‘for the purpose of debating, but not of voting upon, the proposals of the Bill’ being translated as ‘chun díospóireacht, ach gan vótáil, do dhéanamh ar intinn an Bhille’ in Article 38. In Article 48, ‘The Oireachtas may provide for the initiation by the people of proposals for laws or constitutional amendments’ is translated as ‘Féadfaidh an t-Oireachtas soláthar do dhéanamh chun tairisgintí ó sna daoine do thionnscnamh i dtaobh dlithe no i dtaobh leasuithe bun-reachta’. ‘Pass a resolution … approving of the proposals contained in the petition’ is translated as ‘rún do rith … á rá go bhfuilid sásta leis na molta atá san achuinge’ in s3(3) of the Arterial Drainage Act, 1925. Finally, ‘fógra faoi é bheith beartuithe’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as translating ‘notice of proposal’ in Iris Oifigiúil, 31/24. Turning to more modern translations, ‘Every proposal for an industrial assurance policy shall … contain a declaration’ is translated as ‘I ngach tairisgint i gcóir polasaí árachais tionnscail … beidh dearbhú’ in s61(1) of the Insurance Act, 1936. ‘Shall formulate its opinion on any proposal for amendment of this convention which is referred to it’ is translated as ‘foirmeoidh sé a thuairim ar aon mholadh chun an coinbhinsiún seo a leasú’ in Article 19(c) of the Data Protection Act, 1988. ‘A proposal for the amendment of the register for the purpose aforesaid shall be notified to the registered proprietor of the trade mark


A study of the Irish text

affected’ is translated as ‘Déanfar moladh chun an clár a leasú chun na críche a dúradh a chur i bhfios do dhílseánach cláraithe an trádmhairc’ in s44(3) of the Trade Mark Act, 1963. Note that while ‘The matters which shall be dealt with by Bills shall include all proposals for legislation’ is translated as ‘Ar na nithe a ndéileálfar leo le Billí áirítear gach togra reachtaíochta’ in s108(4) of the Standing Orders of Dáil Éireann (1997), ‘save where such proposal is opposed’ (referring back to ‘may propose … arrangements for sittings’) is translated as ‘ach amháin i gcás go gcuirtear in aghaidh moladh den sórt sin’ in s26(2). a chur faoi bhreith See the commentary on Article 26, ‘cás a chur faoi bhreith duine’ being translated as ‘to submit a case to someone for determination’ in Ó Dónaill. In Article 47 of the 1922 Constitution, ‘Such a Bill shall in accordance with regulations to be made by the Oireachtas be submitted by Referendum to the decision of the people’ is translated as ‘Déanfar Bille den tsórt san do chur, do réir rialacha a dhéanfaidh an tOireachtas, fé bhreith na ndaoine le Referendum’, with ‘it shall be submitted to the people for decision in accordance with the ordinary regulations governing the Referendum’ being translated as ‘(go) gcuirfear fé bhreith na ndaoine é do réir na ngnáth-rialacha a rialuíonn an Referendum’ in Article 48. ‘The matter shall be referred to the decision of a person appointed by the judge of the Circuit Court’ is translated as ‘déanfar … an t-ábhar a chur á chinneadh ag duine a cheapfaidh breitheamh den Chúirt Chuarda’ in s113(6) of the Mines and Quarries Act, 1965. In s22(6)(a) of the Dairy Produce Act, 1924, ‘the question … shall be referred to the decision of an arbitrator’ is translated as ‘cuirfear fé bhreith moltóra … an cheist …’. ‘Córas Iompair Éireann shall submit to the Authority for decision any proposals to vary its fares’ is translated as ‘Déanfaidh Córas Iompair Éireann aon tograí chun athrú a dhéanamh ar a tháillí … a chur chuig an Údarás le cinneadh a dhéanamh orthu’ in s28(2) of the Dublin Transport Authority Act, 1986. ‘Any question of interpretation … arising among members of the Agency shall be submitted to the Board for its decision’ is translated as ‘Aon cheist a éireoidh … idir baill den Ghníomhaireacht maidir le léiriú … cuirfear faoi bhráid an Bhoird í le cinneadh a dhéanamh uirthi’ in Article 56(a) of the Schedule to the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency Act, 1988. ‘The question shall be submitted for decision in accordance with this Part’ is translated as ‘cuirfear an cheist faoi chinneadh de réir na Coda seo’ in s119(a) of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 1981, with ‘cuirfear an cheist faoi bhreith de réir an Achta seo’ translating the same English text (with ‘Act’ replacing ‘Part’) in s57(a) of the Social Welfare Act, 1952. in alt na huaire See the commentary on Articles 10.1, 12.4.2o and 41.3.3o. ‘By reason only that it is not stamped in accordance with the law for the time being in force in Saorstát Éireann in relation to stamp duties’ is translated as ‘do dheascaibh gan é bheith stampálta do réir an dlí bheidh i bhfeidhm de thurus na huaire i Saorstát Éireann maidir le diúitéthe stampa agus dá dheascaibh sin amháin’ in s25 of the Finance Act, 1936. To give a modern example, in s45(3)(f)(iii) of the Finance Act, 1989, ‘applying to the said licence duty any enactment for the time being in force relating to persons carrying on any trade’ is translated

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as ‘chun aon achtachán a bheidh i bhfeidhm de thuras na huaire i ndáil le daoine a sheolann aon trádáil … a chur i bhfeidhm maidir leis an dleacht ceadúnais sin’. rith ‘Pass, enact’ is given as one of the senses of this verb in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘bille, rún, a rith, to pass a bill, a resolution’. Dinneen does not appear to cite examples of this specific sense s.v. ‘rithim’, translated there as ‘I run, race, rush, go smartly, visit, pass, pass current’. See the commentary on Articles 13.3.1o, 17.2 and 24.1. a thionscnamh The verbal noun of ‘tionscain’, translated as ‘begin, originate; initiate; establish’ in Ó Dónaill, ‘tionscnaím’ being translated as ‘I institute’ in Téarmaí Dlí – see the commentary on Article 20.1. a bheas See the commentary on Article 6.1 regarding the special form of the relative in ‘-s’, this phrase being generally written today as ‘a bheidh’. Reifreann See the commentary on Article 47.1. ina Bhille See the commentary on Article 28.6.1o for this use of the preposition ‘i’.

Standardised Irish text Gach togra chun an Bunreacht seo a leasú ní foláir é a thionscnamh i nDáil Éireann ina Bhille, agus nuair a ritear nó a mheastar a ritheadh é ag dhá Theach an Oireachtais ní foláir é a chur faoi bhreith an phobail le Reifreann de réir an dlí a bheidh i bhfeidhm i dtaobh an Reifrinn in alt na huaire.

Direct translation Déanfar gach moladh1 maidir le leasú a dhéanamh ar an mBunreacht seo a thionscnamh i nDáil Éireann ina Bhille, agus ar é a bheith rite nó arna mheas é a bheith rite ag dhá Theach an Oireachtais, déanfar é a chur faoi bhreith an phobail2 le Reifreann de réir an dlí a bheidh i bhfeidhm de thuras3 na huaire maidir leis an Reifreann4.

Variants 1 ‘togra’ 2 ‘faoi chinneadh an phobail’, ‘faoi bhráid an phobail lena chinneadh’ 3 ‘in alt’ 4 ‘i dtaobh an Reifrinn’

ARTICLE 46.3

AIRTEAGAL 46.3

TÉACS GAEILGE

Ní foláir a lua i ngach Bille den sórt sin é a bheith ina “Acht chun an Bunreacht a leasú”. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Its being “an Act to amend the Constitution” must be mentioned in every Bill of that kind.


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ENGLISH TEXT

Every such Bill shall be expressed to be “An Act to amend the Constitution”.

Divergences between the official texts 1

2

‘Every … Bill shall be expressed to be’ is expressed in the Irish text as ‘Ní foláir a lua i ngach Bille … é a bheith’ (‘It must be mentioned in every Bill … its being’), with ‘shall’ again being expressed as ‘Ní foláir’ (‘must’) in the Irish text, as we have seen in the previous section and in many earlier sections, and ‘expressed’ being expressed by the verb translated as ‘cite’ in Téarmaí Dlí, ‘luaigh’, the adjective ‘express’ being translated in Téarmaí Dlí as ‘sainráite’. ‘To amend the Constitution’ is expressed as ‘chun an Bunreacht a leasú’, the same phrase as expresses ‘for an amendment of (the) Constitution’ in the previous section, while ‘An Bunreacht a leasú’ expresses ‘Amendment of the Constitution’ in the heading of this Article.

Richard F. Humphreys, in ‘The Constitution of Ireland: The Forgotten Textual Quagmire’ (The Irish Jurist, xxii [1987], p. 175), noted that all Bills containing proposals for constitutional amendment (other than the first) were entitled ‘Acht chun an Bunreacht do leasú’, ‘which is the form appointed in Article 46.3, although the Stationery Office copy has the word a in place of do’. Referring to ‘Finn v. Attorney General [1983] I.R. 154 at 162’, Richard F. Humphreys remarks: ‘Theoretically the President might even be justified in refusing to sign an Amendment Bill which employed the Stationery Office formula’. Note that the Twentieth Amendment of the Constitution (No. 2) Bill, 1999, as passed by both Houses of the Oireachtas, reads ‘Acht chun an Bunreacht a leasú’. While we find ‘Acht chun an Bunreacht do leasú’ in the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution Act, 1992, for example, the Fifteenth Amendment of the Constitution Bill, 1995, however, has ‘Acht chun an Bunreacht a leasú’, as has subsequent amendments.

Bunreacht na hÉireann

do rinne é’ in s30(2)(b) of the Agriculture Act, 1931, with ‘each such lease or licence shall be expressed to be made or granted by the local authority as agent for the Minister’ being translated as ‘déarfaidh léas no ceadúnas den tsórt san gur mar ghníomhaire don Aire do dhein no do dheon an t-údarás áitiúil é’ in s5(2)(a) of the State Land (Workhouses) Act, 1930. See further the commentary on Article 24.1 regarding ‘express’ (expressed by ‘luaigh’). Commenting on a draft of the direct translation below, which had the variant there as the direct translation of this section, Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú remarked that while it was very correct (“an-cheart”) it said much more than is found in the English text, Professor Ó Murchú recommending the Irish text given below. Ní foláir See the commentary on Article 11. a leasú See the commentary on Article 46.1 above.

Direct translation Beidh sainráite i ngach Bille den sórt sin gur “Acht chun an Bunreacht a leasú” a bheidh ann.1

Variants 1 ‘Beidh gach Bille den sórt sin ina Bhille a mbeidh sé sainráite gur “Acht chun an Bunreacht a leasú” atá ann.’

ARTICLE 46.4

AIRTEAGAL 46.4

TÉACS GAEILGE

Aon Bhille ina mbeidh togra nó tograí chun an Bunreacht seo a leasú ní cead togra ar bith eile a bheith ann. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Any Bill in which there will be a proposal or proposals to amend this Constitution it is not permitted to have any other proposal in it. ENGLISH TEXT

Commentary a lua The verbal noun of ‘luaigh’, the first person singular, present indicative, of which, ‘luaim’, is translated as ‘I cite’ in Téarmaí Dlí, ‘(I) mention, speak of, tell’ being given as one of the senses of ‘luadhaim’ in Dinneen. See the commentary on Article 12.10.1o, where this verb expresses ‘state’, expressing ‘specify’ in Article 14.5.2o. The adjective ‘express’, on the other hand, is translated as ‘sainráite’ in Téarmaí Dlí, with ‘expressly’ translated as ‘go sainráite’. ‘The affidavit shall be expressed to be made by the creditor specified in section 6’ is translated as ‘Beidh sé sainráite sa mhionnscríbhinn í a bheith arna déanamh ag an gcreidiúnaí a shonraítear in alt 6’ in s71(3) of the Registration of Title Act, 1964. ‘Every contract by a committee of agriculture which is made in writing shall be expressed to be made by the council by whom such committee is appointed’ is translated as ‘gach connra dhéanfaidh coiste talmhaíochta agus a bheidh i scríbhinn déarfar ann gurb í an chomhairle do cheap an coiste sin

A Bill containing a proposal or proposals for the amendment of this Constitution shall not contain any other proposal.

Divergences between the official texts 1

2

‘For the amendment of (this) Constitution’ is expressed in the Irish text by the same phrase which expresses ‘to amend (the) Constitution’ in the previous section, ‘chun an Bunreacht a leasú’. ‘Shall not’ is expressed as ‘ní cead’ (‘it is not permitted’) in the Irish text, as we have seen in some earlier Articles.

Commentary ina mbeidh See the commentary on Article 40.6.2o regarding ‘contain’. ‘A plan under this section shall not contain any provision inconsistent with regulations under section 26’ is translated as ‘Ní bheidh aon fhoráil ar


A study of the Irish text

neamhréir le rialacháin faoi alt 26 i bplean faoin alt seo’ in s15(5) of the Local Government (Water Pollution) Act, 1977. ‘A revoking order shall not contain a provision transferring the holder of an office under the dissolved body to an office under a Department of State’ is translated as ‘Ní bheidh in ordú cúlghairme foráil d’aistriú sealbhóir aon oifige faoin gcomhlacht díscaoilte chun oifige faoi Roinn Stáit’ in s5(3) of the Local Government Services (Corporate Bodies) Act, 1971. togra See the commentary on Article 46.2.

Staidéar ar an téacs Gaeilge

2

3 4

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translated there as ‘I consent’. ‘Shall’ is twice expressed in the Irish text as ‘ní foláir’ (‘must’), as we have seen in sections 2 and 3 and in many earlier Articles, the final clause being preceded by a comma (before ‘agus ní foláir’) in the Irish text alone. ‘Forthwith’ is expressed as ‘láithreach’ (‘immediately’) in the Irish text, as it is generally in the Acts. ‘For the amendment of the Constitution’ is again expressed in the Irish text by the same phrase as expresses ‘to amend (this) Constitution’ in this Article.

a leasú See the commentary on Article 46.1. ní cead See the commentary on Article 9.1.3o.

Direct translation Aon Bhille ina mbeidh togra nó tograí maidir le leasú a dhéanamh ar an mBunreacht seo, ní bheidh aon togra eile ann.1

Variants 1 ‘Ní bheidh aon togra eile i mBille ina mbeidh togra nó tograí maidir le leasú a dhéanamh ar an mBunreacht seo.’

ARTICLE 46.5

AIRTEAGAL 46.5

TÉACS GAEILGE

Aon Bhille ina mbeidh togra chun an Bunreacht seo a leasú ní foláir don Uachtarán a lámh a chur leis láithreach, ar mbeith sásta dó gur comhlíonadh forálacha an Airteagail seo ina thaobh agus gur thoiligh an pobal go cuí leis an togra sin de réir forálacha alt 1 d’Airteagal 47 den Bhunreacht seo, agus ní foláir don Uachtarán é a fhógairt go cuí ina dhlí. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Any Bill in which there will be a proposal to amend this Constitution the President must immediately put his hand to it, when he has been satisfied that the provisions of this Article were fulfilled regarding it and that the people duly consented to that proposal in accordance with the provisions of section 1 of Article 47 of this Constitution, and the President must duly promulgate it as a law. ENGLISH TEXT

A Bill containing a proposal for the amendment of this Constitution shall be signed by the President forthwith upon his being satisfied that the provisions of this Article have been complied with in respect thereof and that such proposal has been duly approved by the people in accordance with the provisions of section 1 of Article 47 of this Constitution and shall be duly promulgated by the President as a law.

Divergences between the official texts 1

‘Has been duly approved by the people’ is expressed as ‘gur thoiligh an pobal le’ (‘the people duly consented to’) in the Irish text, with ‘I approve’ being translated as ‘formheasaim’ in Téarmaí Dlí, while ‘toilím’ is

Commentary láithreach ‘He shall forthwith be deemed to have vacated his first seat’ is expressed as ‘ní foláir a mheas láithreach go bhfuil éirithe aige as an gcéad ionad’ in Article 15.14, with ‘fiosrú a dhéanamh láithreach’ expressing ‘shall forthwith enquire’ in Article 40.4.2o. ‘Upon receipt of such notification … the President shall forthwith …’ is expressed as ‘Láithreach d’éis na scéala sin … a fháil don Uachtarán ní foláir dó’ in Articles 33.5.3o and 35.4.3o. In Article 27.4.1o, however, ‘Upon receipt of a petition addressed to him under this Article, the President shall forthwith consider such petition’ is expressed as ‘Chomh luath agus a gheibheann an tUachtarán achainí faoin Airteagal seo ní foláir dó í a bhreithniú’. ‘Láithreach’ expresses ‘immediately’ in Article 24.1 where ‘That … the Bill is urgent and immediately necessary’ is expressed as ‘go bhfuil práinn agus riachtanas leis an mBille sin láithreach’. ‘Immediately’ is given as the secondary sense of ‘láithreach’ in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘déan láithreach é, do it at once’, with ‘present, immediate’ being the principal sense of ‘láithreach’ as an adjective. Dinneen translates the adverb ‘láithreach’ as ‘presently, without delay; just a moment ago, on the spot’, citing ‘do fuaduigheadh uait láithreach, which was snatched from you on the spot’. According to DIL, ‘láithreach’ is apparently the genitive singular of ‘láthar’ (‘place, position’ being one sense of this word) in adjectival and adverbial use, no early examples of this adverbial use being cited in DIL, where ‘láithreach’ is translated as ‘immediately’. ‘Forthwith’ is translated as ‘gan mhoill, ar an bpointe (boise)’ in De Bhaldraithe. ‘The High Court … shall forthwith enquire into the same’ is translated as ‘fiosróidh an Ard-Chúirt … an gearán san láithreach’ in Article 6 of the 1922 Constitution, with ‘the secretary of the council shall forthwith send to the Commissioners a copy of such resolution’ being translated as ‘cuirfidh rúnaí na comhairle chun na gCoimisinéirí láithreach cóip den rún san’ in s3(4) of the Arterial Drainage Act, 1925. Note how ‘láithreach’ translates both ‘immediately’ and ‘forthwith’ in s3(2) of the Offences Against the State Act, 1940, where ‘that it is expedient that this Part of this Act should come into force immediately, this Part of this Act shall come into force forthwith’ is translated as ‘é bheith oiriúnach an Chuid seo den Acht so do theacht i bhfeidhm láithreach, tiocfaidh an Chuid seo den Acht so i bhfeidhm láithreach’. ‘Such person shall unless a Justice of a District Court is immediately available forthwith be brought before a Peace Commissioner’ is translated as ‘tabharfar an duine sin i láthair Feadhmannaigh Shíochána láithreach mara mbeidh Breitheamh de Chúirt Dúithche le fáil láithreach’ in s88(4) of the Courts of Justice Act, 1924; in s4(3) of the District


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Justices (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923, this same English text (with ‘a District Justice’ replacing ‘a Justice of a District Court’) is translated as ‘déanfar mara mbeidh Giúistís Dúithche ar fáil díreach le na linn sin, an duine sin do thabhairt gan mhoill os cóir Coimisinéara Shíochána’. ‘Láithreach’ currently translates ‘forthwith’ in the Acts, with ‘he shall forthwith cease to hold that office’ being translated as ‘scoirfidh sé láithreach den oifig sin a shealbhú’ in s64(10) of the Building Societies Act, 1989. thoiligh ‘Toilím’ is translated as ‘I consent’ in Téarmaí Dlí, ‘toilighim’ being translated as ‘I will, assent, agree to’ in Dinneen – see the commentary on Article 15.8.2o where this verb expresses ‘assent’. ‘Toiligid’ is translated as ‘wills’ and ‘consents, agrees’ in DIL, most examples cited coming from sixteenth- and seventeenth-century sources. This verb is based on ‘tol’, ‘will’, DIL citing ‘tol dae do dénum’ (‘to do God’s will’) from the eighth-century Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles. See the commentary on Article 13.1.2o regarding ‘approval’, there expressed as ‘comhaontú’, with ‘aontú’ being found in Article 40.2.2o and the phrase ‘sásta le’ in Article 13.7.3o. Both ‘ceadaigh’ and ‘toiligh’ are cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as translating ‘approve’ in translations for the Department of Local Government and Public Health, with ‘toiliú’ being cited as translating ‘approval’. Note that ‘A copy of any consent, approval, sanction …’ is translated as ‘cóip d’aon toiliú, aontú, ceadú’ in s11 of the Methodist Church in Ireland Act, 1928. ‘Except under conditions approved by the Government of that country’ is translated as ‘ach amháin faoi choinníollacha a cheadóidh Rialtas na tíre sin’ in Article 7(c) of the Diplomatic Relations and Immunities Act, 1967, with ‘until the execution of the sentence has been approved by the Government’ being translated as ‘go dtí go gceadóidh an Rialtas an phianbhreith a chur i bhfeidhm’ in s227(1) of the Defence Act, 1954. ‘But the Council shall not permit such alteration or addition to be made which in the opinion of the Council would fundamentally alter the scheme as approved by the members of the Institute’ is translated as ‘ach ní cheadóidh an Chomhairle aon athrú nó breis den sórt sin a d’athródh go bunúsach, i dtuairim na Comhairle, an scéim arna ceadú ag comhaltaí na hInstitiúide mar a dúradh’ in s5 of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland (Charter Amendment) Act, 1966. Finally, ‘A statement under this section shall not be sent to members of the society unless the contents have been approved by the Central Bank’ is translated as ‘Ní chuirfear ráiteas faoin alt seo chuig comhaltaí an chumainn mura mbeidh an t-ábhar ann ceadaithe ag an mBanc Ceannais’ in s103(3) of the Building Societies Act, 1989. See further the commentary on Article 47.1. sásta A variant past participle of ‘sásaigh’, according to Ó Dónaill, where this adjective is translated as ‘satisfied, contented, pleased’, ‘sásaím’ being translated as ‘I satisfy’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘Satisfied, contented, willing’ are the principle senses of ‘sásta’ in Dinneen, who cites ‘sásta im’ aigneadh, satisfied in my mind’. DIL cites ‘ar mbeidh sásta dhóibh’ from Keating’s seventeenth-century Three Shafts of Death, this being the opening example of DIL’s entry s.v. ‘sásta’, translated there as ‘satisfied, content’. The verb ‘sásaid’ is translated in DIL as ‘satisfies (particularly with food), feeds; assuages, soothes’, with ‘sásatar’

Bunreacht na hÉireann

glossing Latin ‘saturati sunt’ in the ninth-century Milan Glosses on the Psalms. ‘Sás’, upon which this verb is based, is translated principally as a ‘snare, trap (particularly for birds)’. See the commentary on Article 13.7.3o where ‘ní foláir an Rialtas a bheith sásta le’ expresses ‘have received the approval of the Government’. ‘Deimhin’ is used in early Acts to translate ‘satisfied’ in this context. ‘If the County Judge is satisfied … that it was not reasonably possible to effect service in the manner required by the law aforesaid’ is translated as ‘más deimhin leis an mBreitheamh Cúirte Contae … ná luíonn sé le réasún go bhféadfí an scríbhinn sin do sheirbheáil ar an gcuma a héilítear leis an dlí roimh-ráite’ in s2(1) of the County Courts (Amendment) Act, 1923. ‘If satisfied as to the guilt of the accused of any two or more of the offences with which he is so charged’ is translated as ‘más deimhin leis go bhfuil an duine sin ciontach in aon dá chionta no níos mó díobh san inar cúisíodh é amhlaidh’ in s7 of the Defence Forces (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1925. ‘Postmasters should satisfy themselves that …’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as being translated as ‘ba chóir do Mháistrí Puist féachaint chuige go …’ in Iris an Phuist, 4/4/28, with ‘I have satisfied myself as to …’ being translated as ‘táim tar éis mé féin do shásamh maidir le’ in translations for the Department of Finance. Turning to modern Acts, ‘and such order of rescission shall be made by the court upon it being satisfied that a reconciliaton has taken place between the applicant and the respondent’ is translated as ‘agus déanfaidh an chúirt an t-ordú cealaithe sin ar í a bheith deimhin de go bhfuil an t-iarratasóir agus an freagróir tar éis teacht ar chomhréiteach’ in s8(2) of the Judicial Separation and Family Law Reform Act, 1989. In s13(2)(c) of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1979, ‘the authority, upon being satisfied that the specified works have been properly completed, shall grant to the tenant a certificate stating that they are so satisfied’ is translated as ‘(go) dtabharfaidh an t-údarás, ar bheith sásta dóibh gur críochnaíodh na hoibreacha sonraithe go cuí, deimhniú don tionónta á rá go bhfuil siad sásta amhlaidh’. ar mbeith The preposition ‘ar’, used for ‘iar’, is translated as ‘after’ in Dinneen, who cites ‘ar dteacht abhaile dhóibh, after they had come home, when they had come home’ and ‘ar ndul a chodladh dhóibh, when they had gone to sleep’. Ó Dónaill cites ‘iar gcaitheamh a bproinne, after taking their meal’, from earlier literature, giving ‘ar éirí dom, when I get, got, up’ and ‘ar a theacht, on his coming’ from contemporary usage. ‘Upon his being returned for trial’ is translated as ‘ar é a chur chun a thrialach’ in s3(1)(b) of the Criminal Justice (Legal Aid) Act, 1962. ‘Upon his being attested as a man in any portion of the Defence Forces’ is translated as ‘ar é d’fhianú mar fhear in aon chuid d’Óglaigh na hÉireann’ in s248(b) of the Defence Act, 1954, with ‘upon his being attested as a soldier’ being translated as ‘nuair a dineadh é theistiú mar shaighdiúir’ in s196(1) of the Defence Forces (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923. See further the commentary on Article 27.4.1o where ‘upon …’ is expressed as ‘chomh luath agus’. de réir forálacha alt 1 According to the official standard this would read as ‘de réir fhorálacha alt 1’ – see the commentary on Article 1 regarding the lenited nominative in place of the genitive.


A study of the Irish text

a fhógairt ‘Fógairt’ is the verbal noun of ‘fógair’, translated as ‘declare, announce, make known’ in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘dlí a fhógairt, to promulgate a law’ – see the commentary on Articles 13.3.2o and 25.1. gur comhlíonadh See the commentary on Articles 12.1, 28.12 and 34.5.1o (where this verb respectively expresses ‘perform’, ‘discharge’ and ‘execute’), ‘comhlíonaim’ being translated as ‘I comply with; I conform with; I perform’ in Téarmaí Dlí. go cuí See the commentary on Articles 40.1 and 43.2.1o, ‘cuí’ being translated as ‘due’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ní foláir See the commentary on Article 11. a lámh a chur leis See the commentary on Articles 12.8 and 13.3.1o. togra See the commentary on Article 46.2. a leasú See the commentary on Article 46.1. ina dhlí See the commentary on Article 28.6.1o regarding this use of the preposition ‘i’.

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Standardised gender-proofed Irish text Aon Bhille ina mbeidh togra chun an Bunreacht seo a leasú ní foláir don Uachtarán a lámh a chur leis láithreach, ar bheith sásta dó nó di gur comhlíonadh forálacha an Airteagail seo ina thaobh agus gur thoiligh an pobal go cuí leis an togra sin de réir fhorálacha alt 1 d’Airteagal 47 den Bhunreacht seo, agus ní foláir don Uachtarán é a fhógairt go cuí ina dhlí.

Direct gender-proofed translation Déanfaidh an tUachtarán Bille ina mbeidh moladh1 maidir le leasú a dhéanamh ar an mBunreacht seo a shíniú láithreach ar é nó í a bheith sásta gur comhlíonadh forálacha an Airteagail seo ina leith sin agus gur cheadaigh an pobal an moladh1 sin go cuí de réir fhorálacha alt 1 d’Airteagal 47 den Bhunreacht seo agus déanfaidh an tUachtarán é a fhógairt go cuí ina dhlí.

Variant 1 ‘togra’


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The Constitution of Ireland

Bunreacht na hÉireann

THE REFERENDUM AN REIFREANN ARTICLE 47.1

AIRTEAGAL 47.1 Article 50 commences as follows:

TÉACS GAEILGE

Gach togra a dhéantar chun an Bunreacht seo a leasú agus a chuirtear faoi bhreith an phobail le Reifreann, ní foláir a mheas, chun críche Airteagal 46 den Bhunreacht seo, go dtoilíonn an pobal leis an togra sin má tharlaíonn, tar éis é a chur mar sin faoi bhreith an phobail, gur ar thaobh é a achtú ina dhlí a thugtar tromlach na vótaí a thugtar sa Reifreann sin.

Amendments of this Constitution … may be made by the Oireachtas, but no such amendment … shall become law, unless the same shall … have been submitted to a Referendum of the people, and unless a majority of the voters on the register shall have recorded their votes on such Referendum, and … the votes of a majority of the voters on the register … shall have been cast in favour of such amendment. Féadfaidh an t-Oireachtas leasú do dhéanamh ar an mBunreacht so … ach … ní dhéanfaidh dlí de n-a leithéid de leasú … mara ndéanfar … an leasú san do chur fé referendum na ndaoine agus mara gcaithfidh mór-áireamh de sna vótáluithe ar an gclár a vótanna le linn a leithéid de referendum, agus vótanna mór-áirimh de sna vótáluithe ar an gclár … do chaitheamh i bhfabhar an leasuithe.

LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Every proposal (which is) made to amend this Constitution and which is submitted to the people for determination by Referendum, it must be deemed, for the purpose of Article 46 of this Constitution, that the people consent to that proposal if it happens, after submitting it thus to the people for determination, that the majority of the votes that are given in that Referendum are given in favour of enacting it into law.

Commentary Reifreann This headword is simply translated as ‘referendum’ in Ó Dónaill, the form of the modern borrowing of ‘referendum’ in Irish being modelled on ‘Aifreann’, ‘oifrend’ being the earlier form of that borrowing from Latin ‘offerenda’, with ‘oifrend’ literally meaning ‘offering, sacrifice’, hence ‘the sacrifice or office of the Mass’, according to DIL – ‘a canar dind oifriund’ (‘what is chanted of the Mass’) is cited in DIL from the Stowe Missal, written in the monastery at Tallaght sometime between 792 and 812. As we see above, ‘Referendum’ is simply given as ‘Referendum’ in the Irish text of the 1922 Constitution, as it is in s29(4) of the Electoral Act, 1923. The Long Title of the Constitution (Amendment No. 16) Act, 1929, reads as follows:

ENGLISH TEXT

Every proposal for an amendment of this Constitution which is submitted by Referendum to the decision of the people shall, for the purpose of Article 46 of this Constitution, be held to have been approved by the people, if, upon having been so submitted, a majority of the votes cast at such Referendum shall have been cast in favour of its enactment into law.

Divergences between the official texts 1

2

3

4

5

‘Every proposal for an amendment of this Constitution which is submitted’ is expressed as ‘Gach togra a dhéantar chun an Bunreacht seo a leasú agus a chuirtear faoi bhreith’ (‘Every proposal which is made to amend this Constitution and which is submitted’) in the Irish text. ‘Be held’ is expressed as ‘a mheas’ (‘be considered’) in the Irish text, as this phrase is generally translated in Irish. ‘To have been approved by the people’ is expressed as ‘go dtoilíonn an pobal le’ (‘that the people consent to’) in the Irish text. ‘So submitted’ is expressed as ‘a chur mar sin faoi bhreith an phobail’ (‘thus submitted to the people for determination’) in the Irish text. ‘Shall’ is expressed as ‘ní foláir’ (‘must’) in the Irish text, as we saw in the previous Article and in many earlier Articles.

An Act to amend the Constitution by extending the period within which amendments of the Constitution may be made by the Oireachtas without submission thereof to a Referendum of the people. Acht chun an Bunreacht do leasú tré fhaidiú do dhéanamh ar an tréimhse ina bhféadfaidh an tOireachtas leasuithe do dhéanamh ar an mBunreacht gan iad do chur fé Referendum na nDaoine.

Following the 1937 Constitution, ‘the Referendum Act, 1942’ is cited in Irish as ‘Acht an Reifrinn, 1942’. a mheas See the commentary on Articles 12.6.2o and 20.2.2o where ‘meas’ respectively expresses ‘deem’ and ‘consider’. As regards ‘hold’ in this context, note that ‘damage may be held to be caused by the wrong of the defendant’ is translated as ‘féadfar a chinneadh gurbh é éagóir an chosantóra ba chúis le damáiste’ in s34(2)(e) of the Civil Liability Act, 1961. ‘A patent shall not be held to be invalid by reason only of the invention … having been published prior to the date of the patent’ is translated as

Note that Article 47 of the 1922 Constitution contains the following: Such a Bill shall … be submitted by Referendum to the decision of the people .... Déanfar Bille den tsórt san do chur … fé bhreith na ndaoine le Referendum.

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‘Ní tuigfar paitinn do bheith nea-dhleathach mar gheall ar gur dineadh an chumadóireacht … d’fhoillsiú roimh dháta na paitinne’ in s56(2) of the Industrial and Commercial Property (Protection) Act, 1927. ‘No loan or advance of moneys so made by the Corporation before the passing of this Act shall be held or deemed to be or ever to have been invalid or irrecoverable’ is translated as ‘ní háireofar ná ní tuigfar i dtaobh aon iasacht no roimh-íoc airgid do thug an Chorparáid uaithi amhlaidh roimh rith an Achta so, go bhfuil ná go raibh sé riamh nea-dhleathach na neamh-ionbhainte amach’ in s23(2) of the Agricultural Credit Act, 1929. As we have already seen, ‘meas’ later replaces ‘tuig’ in this context. See further the commentary on Article 40.1 where ‘All citizens shall … be held equal’ is expressed as ‘Áirítear gurb ionann … na saoránaigh uile’. a chuirtear faoi bhreith an phobail See the commentary on Article 26. Regarding ‘a chur mar sin faoi bhreith an phobail’, note that ‘provided that a scheme under this section which relates to the staff of a regional board shall be so submitted by the Central Board only after consultation with that board’ is translated as ‘ar choinníoll nach ndéanfaidh an Príomh-Bhord scéim faoin alt seo a bhaineann le foireann boird réigiúnaigh a chur faoi bhráid an Aire gan comhairle a ghlacadh roimh ré leis an mbord sin’ in s33(1) of the Fisheries Act, 1980. In s41(1) of the Railways Act, 1924, ‘The railway tribunal shall consider the terms and conditions so submitted’ is translated as ‘Breithneoidh an bínse bóthair iarainn na téarmaí agus na coinníollacha a leagfar fé n-a mbráid amhlaidh’. ar thaobh … a thugtar Ó Dónaill cites ‘ní raibh sé ar thaobh ná ar thaobh eile, he didn’t support either side, take any side in the argument’ and ‘An dá thaobh a thabhairt leat, to curry favour with both sides, to be a double-dealer’. ‘Do vóta a thabhairt do dhuine’ is translated in Ó Dónaill as ‘to give one’s vote to someone’, with ‘do vóta a chaitheamh’ being translated as ‘to record one’s vote’. De Bhaldraithe translates ‘cast’ as ‘caithim (vóta)’. ‘If a majority of the votes validly cast at that meeting … are cast in favour of the resolution for the proposals’ is translated as ‘má chaitear tromlach na vótaí a chaithfear go bailí ag an gcruinniú sin … i bhfabhar an rúin le haghaidh na dtograí’ in s23(3) of the Companies (Amendment) Act, 1990, with ‘If the voting rights conferred by any shares in the company were not cast in favour of the special resolution’ being translated as ‘Más rud é nach ndearnadh na cearta vótála a thugtar le haon scaireanna sa chuideachta a chaitheamh i bhfabhar an rúin speisialta’ in s260(3) of the Companies Act, 1963. In s7 of the Seventh Schedule to the Electoral Act, 1923, ‘stating the number of votes cast in favour of the Bill’ is translated as ‘á rá cá mhéid vóta do caitheadh i bhfabhar don Bhille’, with ‘and either the votes of a majority of the voters on the register, or two-thirds of the votes recorded shall have been cast in favour of such amendment’, in Article 50 of the 1922 Constitution, being translated as ‘agus vótanna mór-áirimh de sna vótáluithe ar an gclár, no dhá dtrian na vótanna sa chomhaireamh, do chaitheamh i bhfabhar an leasuithe’. Finally, ‘In the counting of the votes cast at a Seanad election’ is translated as ‘I gcomhaireamh na vótanna a tugadh i dtoghachán’ in s4(1) of the Electoral (Seanad Elections) Act, 1925. See further the commentary on Article

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15.11.2o where ‘vóta a thabhairt’ expresses ‘to exercise a vote’. go dtoilíonn See the commentary on Article 46.5. ‘Unless the scheme has been approved by the Central Bank as meeting the requirements of … this Part’ is translated as ‘mura mbeidh an scéim ceadaithe ag an mBanc Ceannais mar scéim a chomhlíonann ceanglais na Coda seo’ in s101(5) of the Building Societies Act, 1989. ‘A settlement which has been approved by a court in the course of proceedings’ is translated as ‘Socraíocht ar tugadh formheas uirthi sa chúirt i gcúrsa imeachtaí’ in Article 51 of the First Schedule to the Jurisdiction of Courts and Enforcement of Judgements (European Communities) Act, 1988. tromlach See the commentary on Article 13.2.2o. ní foláir See the commentary on Article 11. chun críche See the commentary on Article 29.4.2o. togra See the commentary on Article 46.2. a leasú See the commentary on Article 46.1.

Direct translation Measfar, chun críche Airteagal 46 den Bhunreacht seo, go mbeidh gach moladh1 maidir le leasú a dhéanamh ar an mBunreacht seo a chuirfear faoi bhreith an phobail2 le Reifreann ceadaithe3 ag an bpobal, más rud é, arna chur faoina mbreith amhlaidh, gur i bhfabhar a achtaithe4 ina dhlí a chaithfear formhór na vótaí a chaithfear sa Reifreann sin.

Variants 1 ‘togra’ 2 ‘a chuirfear faoi bhráid an phobail lena chinneadh’, ‘faoi chinneadh an phobail’ 3 ‘formheasta’ 4 ‘é a achtú’

ARTICLE 47.2.1O

AIRTEAGAL 47.2.1O

TÉACS GAEILGE

Gach togra, nach togra chun leasaithe an Bhunreachta, a chuirtear faoi bhreith an phobail le Reifreann ní foláir a mheas go ndiúltaíonn an pobal dó más in aghaidh é a achtú ina dhlí a thugtar tromlach na vótaí a thugtar sa Reifreann sin, agus nach lú an méid vótaí a thugtar amhlaidh in aghaidh é a achtú ina dhlí ná cion trí tríochad is trian faoin gcéad de líon na dtoghthóirí atá ar an rolla. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Every proposal, which is not a proposal for the amendment of the Constitution, which is submitted to the people for determination by Referendum it must be deemed that the people reject it if the majority of the votes that are given in that Referendum are given against enacting it into law, and the amount of votes so given against enacting it into law is not less than a thirty-three and a third per cent share of the number of electors that are on the roll.


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ENGLISH TEXT

Every proposal, other than a proposal to amend the Constitution, which is submitted by Referendum to the decision of the people shall be held to have been vetoed by the people if a majority of the votes cast at such Referendum shall have been cast against its enactment into law and if the votes so cast against its enactment into law shall have amounted to not less than thirty-three and one-third per cent. of the voters on the register. Note that the words ‘Every Bill and’ were deleted from the beginning of this subsection in the English text by the Second Amendment of the Constitution Act, 1941, with ‘Gach Bille agus’ being deleted from the beginning of the Irish subsection.

Divergences between the official texts 1

2

3

4

5

6

‘To be vetoed by the people’ is expressed as ‘go ndiúltaíonn an pobal dó’ (‘that the people reject it’) in the Irish text. ‘Voters’ is expressed as ‘toghthóirí’ (‘electors’) in the Irish text, the English text having ‘voters’ where one might expect ‘number of the voters’, with the Irish text having ‘líon na dtoghthóirí’, ‘the number of electors’. ‘Thirty-three and one-third per cent. of the voters’ is expressed as ‘cion trí tríochad is trian faoin gcéad de líon na dtoghthóirí’ (‘a thirty-three and a third per centage share of the number of voters’) in the Irish text. ‘And if the votes so cast against its enactment into law shall have amounted to not less than’ is expressed in the Irish text as ‘agus nach lú an méid vótaí a thugtar amhlaidh in aghaidh é a achtú ina dhlí’ (‘and the amount of votes so cast against its enactment into law is not less than’). ‘Register’ is expressed by ‘rolla’ (‘roll’), the term usually expressing ‘panel’, in the Irish text, with ‘on the register’ being expressed as ‘atá ar an rolla’, ‘that are on the register/roll’. ‘Shall’ is again expressed in the Irish text as ‘ní foláir’ (‘must’), as we saw in the previous section and in many earlier Articles.

Commentary go ndiúltaíonn … dó See the commentary on Article 13.2.2o for ‘diúltaigh’ in the Constitution generally expressing ‘refuse’. ‘Diúltaigh do’ is translated in Ó Dónaill as (a) ‘renounce, repudiate’, citing ‘diúltú don diabhal, to renounce the devil’ and (b) ‘refuse, reject’, citing ‘diúltú do bhia is do bheatha, to reject food and sustenance’. Dinneen translates ‘diúltuighim’ as ‘I deny, refuse, oppose, renounce (with do); I jilt’, with ‘diúltaím don fhaisnéis’ being translated as ‘I refuse informations’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘Diúlta(ig)id’ is translated as ‘refuses, rejects’ in DIL, where examples are cited from the Book of Ballymote (written c. 1400) onwards. This verb is based on ‘diúltad’, which itself is the verbal noun of the earlier ‘do-sluindi’, examples of which verb in the sense of ‘denies (i.e. refuses to believe)’ are cited in DIL from the Glosses of the eighth century onwards, with ‘isee ar ndiltuth dunn fanissin’ (‘this is our denial of ourselves’) being cited from the seventh-

Bunreacht na hÉireann

century Cambrai Homily as an example of ‘do-sluindi’ with the preposition ‘do’ in the sense of ‘denies, renounces, rejects’. Turning to ‘veto’, ‘whether such proposal was or was not vetoed at such referendum’ is translated as ‘cé acu diúltuíodh don togra san sa reifreann nó nár diúltuíodh’ in s8(4) of the Electoral (Amendment) Act, 1985, following s32(1)(b) of the First Schedule to the Referendum Act, 1942, where ‘and in any case whether such proposal was or was not vetoed at such referendum’ is translated as ‘agus in aon chás cé aca diúltuíodh don togra san sa reifreann san nó nár diúltuíodh’, which itself follows the wording of the Constitution. Looking at ‘veto’ outside of the context of the Constitution, ‘(the) power to veto the appointment of a director of the company’ is translated as ‘cumhacht urbhang a chur le ceapadh stiúrthóra ar an gcuideachta’ in s16(4)(b)(ii)(IV) of the Capital Acquisitions Tax Act, 1976, and in s6(3)(ii)(II) of the Wealth Tax Act, 1975. In s36(1)(d) of the Finance Act, 1971, however, ‘power to veto the appointment of a director thereof’ is translated as ‘cumhacht chun ceapadh stiúrthóra don chéanna a chrosadh’. Finally, in s154 of the Defence Forces (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923, ‘or to do either of such things subject, nevertheless, to the veto of the Minister’, is translated as ‘no chun aon taobh acu do dhéanamh ach, mar sin féin, beidh san fé veto an Aire’. In Treaties establishing the European Communities (1973, p. 547), ‘(The Agency shall) … possess a right of veto over its decisions’ is translated as ‘beidh ceart aige chun a cinntí a chrosadh’. De Bhaldraithe translates ‘I veto’ as ‘crosaim (rud)’, translating the noun ‘veto’ as ‘cros’, citing ‘to put a veto on something, rud a chrosadh’ and ‘he has the right of veto, tá ceart crosta aige ’. cion ‘Share, amount’ is the sense of the second headword ‘cion’ given in Ó Dónaill, the first being translated principally as ‘love, affection’ and the third as ‘offence, transgression, blame’, all these headwords having their origin in Old Irish ‘cin’, translated principally as ‘guilt, fault, crime’ in DIL – see the commentary on Articles 30.3 and 38.1. DIL cites ‘breith na clainne is cean [do] mhartra’ (‘… is a kind of martyrdom’), from a miscellaneous collection of Classical Irish poetry, as an example of the secondary sense of ‘share, due, portion’, referring the reader to ‘cuit’ and ‘páirt’ as regards the development of the meaning ‘love, affection’. Dinneen cites ‘mo chion den airgead, my share of the money’ s.v. ‘cion’, ‘a share, division, portion, quota or dividend’. As regards ‘amounted to’, ‘Where in a particular year an employed contributor’s reckonable earnings have amounted to the sum of £7,000’ is translated as ‘I gcás ina raibh, i mbliain ranníoca áirithe, suim £7,000 de thuilleamh ináirithe ag ranníoc fostaithe’ in s10(1)(c) of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 1981. ‘Such that the extent of the resulting disablement assessed in accordance with the following provisions of this section amounts to not less than one per cent.’ is translated as ‘ionas nach lú ná aon faoin gcéad méid na míthreorach dá dhroim sin arna measúnú de réir na bhforálacha seo a leanas den alt seo’ in s43(1). ‘Shall be divided as if each such deduction amounted to the said aggregate divided by the number of such deductions’ is translated as ‘a roinnte ionann is dá mbeadh gach asbhaint acu sin cóimhéid leis an gcomhiomlán arna roinnt ar an uimhir asbhaintí den sort


A study of the Irish text

sin’ in s17 of the Finance Act, 1969. ‘And the value of that interest … amounts to one fifth or more of the net assets of the company’ is translated as ‘agus gur cúigiú cuid nó níos mó de ghlansócmhainní na cuideachta luach an leasa sin’ in s63(1)(6) of the Finance Act, 1974. Finally, ‘whether the sum amounts to fifty pounds or more’ is translated as ‘más có-mhéid le caoga punt no breis í’ in s3(1) of the Damage to Property (Compensation) (Amendment) Act, 1926. rolla Note that this headword has an initial capital in the original text. See the commentary on Article 18.4.1o regarding ‘rolla’ expressing ‘panel’. Note that in Article 50 of the 1922 Constitution, which deals with referenda, ‘the votes of a majority of the voters on the register’ is translated as ‘vótanna mór-áirimh de sna vótáluithe ar an gclár’, ‘register’ being translated as ‘clár’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘The expression “the Register” shall mean the Register of the decrees of the Dáil Land Courts’ is translated as ‘ciallóidh an focal “an Clár” an Clár d’aitheanta Dáil-Chúirteanna Talmhan’ in s3(1) of the Dáil Éireann Courts (Winding Up) Act, 1923, Amendment Act, 1924. trí tríochad ‘Tríochad’ is the form of the genitive singular of ‘tríocha’ (‘thirty’), both ‘ceithre bliana tríochad’ and ‘ceithre bliana is tríocha’ being translated as ‘thirty-four years’ in Ó Dónaill. leasaithe The genitive singular form of the verbal noun of ‘leasaigh’, on which verb see the commentary on Article 46.1. ní foláir See the commentary on Article 11.

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ARTICLE 47.2.2O

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AIRTEAGAL 47.2.2O

TÉACS GAEILGE

Gach togra, nach togra chun leasaithe an Bhunreachta, a chuirtear faoi bhreith an phobail le Reifreann ní foláir a mheas, chun críocha Airteagal 27 den Bhunreacht seo, go dtoilíonn an pobal leis mura ndiúltaíd dó de réir forálacha an fho-ailt sin romhainn den alt seo. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Every proposal, (which is) not a proposal for the amendment of the Constitution, which is submitted to the people for determination by Referendum it must be deemed, for the purposes of Article 27 of this Constitution, that the people consent to it if they do not reject it in accordance with the provisions of the foregoing subsection of this section. ENGLISH TEXT

Every proposal, other than a proposal to amend the Constitution, which is submitted by Referendum to the decision of the people shall for the purposes of Article 27 hereof be held to have been approved by the people unless vetoed by them in accordance with the provisions of the foregoing sub-section of this section. Note that the words ‘Every Bill and’ were deleted from the beginning of this subsection in the English text by the Second Amendment of the Constitution Act, 1941, with ‘Gach Bille agus’ being deleted from the beginning of the Irish subsection.

na dtoghthóirí See the commentary on Article 16.1.4o.

Divergences between the official texts

togra See the commentary on Article 46.2. a chuirtear faoi bhreith See the commentary on Article 26.

Standardised Irish text Gach togra, nach togra chun leasaithe an Bhunreachta, a chuirtear faoi bhreith an phobail le Reifreann ní foláir a mheas go ndiúltaíonn an pobal dó más in aghaidh é a achtú ina dhlí a thugtar tromlach na vótaí a thugtar sa Reifreann sin, agus nach lú an méid vótaí a thugtar amhlaidh in aghaidh é a achtú ina dhlí ná cion tríocha a trí is trian faoin gcéad de líon na dtoghthóirí atá ar an rolla.

Direct translation Measfar, maidir le gach moladh1, seachas moladh1 chun an Bunreacht a leasú, a chuirfear faoi bhreith an phobail2 le Reifreann, go mbeidh sé crosta ag an bpobal más rud é gur in aghaidh é a achtú ina dhlí a chaithfear tromlach na vótaí a chaithfear ag an Reifreann3 sin agus nach lú ná tríocha a trí agus trian faoin gcéad de na vótálaithe ar an gclár na vótaí a chaithfear amhlaidh in aghaidh é a achtú ina dhlí.

Variants 1 ‘togra’ 2 ‘faoi chinneadh an phobail’, ‘faoi bhráid an phobail lena chinneadh’ 3 ‘a bheidh tromlach na vótaí a chaithfear ag an Reifreann’

1

2

3

As in the previous section, ‘approve’ is expressed in the Irish text by ‘toiligh le’ (‘consent to’); as in the foregoing subsection, ‘veto’ is expressed by ‘diúltaigh do’, ‘reject’. ‘Hereof’ is expressed as ‘den Bhunreacht seo’ (‘of this Constitution’) in the Irish text, as we have seen in some earlier Articles. ‘Shall’ is expressed as ‘ní foláir’ (‘must’), as in the previous subsection.

Commentary mura ndiúltaíd The synthetic form of the third person plural, present indicative, of ‘diúltaigh’ – see the commentary on Article 14.5.1o regarding the synthetic and analytic (i.e. ‘mura ndiúltaíonn siad’ in the case of the phrase above) forms of the verb and see the commentary on the previous subsection regarding ‘diúltaigh do’ and ‘veto’. Commenting on the direct translation below, Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú commends the continuity of ‘beidh … ceadaithe … beidh crosta’ as against the forms of ‘cros’ given in the variants. de réir forálacha an fho-ailt sin This would have the form ‘de réir fhorálacha an fho-ailt sin’ in the official standard – see the commentary on Article 1 regarding the (lenited) nominative in place of the genitive. ní foláir See the commentary on Article 11. go dtoilíonn … leis See the commentary on Article 47.1.


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Standardised Irish text

Gender-proofed Irish text

Gach togra, nach togra chun leasaithe an Bhunreachta, a chuirtear faoi bhreith an phobail le Reifreann ní foláir a mheas, chun críocha Airteagal 27 den Bhunreacht seo, go dtoilíonn an pobal leis mura ndiúltaíonn siad dó de réir fhorálacha an fho-ailt sin romhainn den alt seo.

Gach saoránach ag a bhfuil sé de cheart vótáil i dtoghchán do chomhaltaí de Dháil Éireann tá sé de cheart aige nó aici vótáil i Reifreann.

Direct gender-proofed translation Direct translation Measfar, chun críocha Airteagal 27 den Bhunreacht seo, go mbeidh gach togra, seachas togra chun an Bunreacht a leasú, a chuirfear faoi bhreith an phobail le Reifreann ceadaithe ag an bpobal mura mbeidh sé crosta acu1 de réir fhorálacha an fho-ailt sin romhainn den alt seo.

Beidh sé de cheart ag gach saoránach a bhfuil de cheart aige nó aici vótáil i dtoghchán do chomhaltaí de Dháil Éireann1 vótáil i Reifreann.2

Variants 1 ‘i dtoghchán comhaltaí do Dháil Éireann’ 2 ‘Gach saoránach a bhfuil sé de cheart aige nó aici vótáil i dtoghchán do chomhaltaí de Dháil Éireann beidh sé de cheart aige nó aici vótáil i Reifreann.’, ‘Beidh ceart vótála i Reifreann ag gach saoránach a bhfuil ceart vótála aige nó aici i dtoghchán do chomhaltaí de Dháil Éireann.’

Variants 1 ‘mura gcrosfaidh siad é’, ‘mura ndéanfaidh siad é a chrosadh’

ARTICLE 47.3

ARTICLE 47.4

AIRTEAGAL 47.3

AIRTEAGAL 47.4

TÉACS GAEILGE

TÉACS GAEILGE

Gach saoránach ag a bhfuil sé de cheart vótáil i dtoghchán do chomhaltaí de Dháil Éireann tá sé de cheart aige vótáil i Reifreann.

Faoi chuimsiú na nithe réamhráite is le dlí a rialófar an Reifreann. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Every citizen who has the right to vote in an election for members of Dáil Éireann (he) has the right to vote in a Referendum.

Within the constraint/scope of the aforementioned matters it is by law that the Referendum will be regulated. ENGLISH TEXT

Subject as aforesaid, the Referendum shall be regulated by law.

ENGLISH TEXT

Every citizen who has the right to vote at an election for members of Dáil Éireann shall have the right to vote at a Referendum.

Divergences between the official texts 1

Divergences between the official texts 1

‘Shall have the right’ is expressed as ‘tá sé de cheart aige’, ‘(he) has the right’, in the Irish text. 2

Commentary de cheart See the commentary on Article 12.2.2o regarding ‘ceart’, that subsection reading as follows: Every citizen who has the right to vote at an election for members of Dáil Éireann shall have the right to vote at an election for President. Gach saoránach ag a bhfuil ceart vótála i dtoghchán do chomhaltaí de Dháil Éireann, beidh ceart vótála aige i dtoghchán don Uachtarán.

‘De cheart’ is translated in Ó Dónaill as ‘by right’, citing ‘tá sé de cheart agat saoire a ghlacadh, you are entitled to take a holiday’. Dinneen translates both ‘níorbh é a cheart é’ and ‘ní raibh sé de cheart aige’ as ‘it was not right for him’. i dtoghchán do chomhaltaí Articles 12.2.2o and 12.5.

See the commentary on

‘Subject as aforesaid’ is expressed as ‘Faoi chuimsiú na nithe réamhráite’, ‘Subject to the aforementioned matters’, in the Irish text; ‘subject to’ is translated as ‘faoi réir’ in Téarmaí Dlí, as against ‘faoi chuimsiú’, which is translated in the Glossary appended to An Caighdeán Oifigiúil as ‘within the scope of’. ‘Regulate’ is expressed by ‘rialaigh’, which term is translated as ‘rule’/‘control’ in Téarmaí Dlí, ‘rialáil’ generally translating ‘regulate’ in the modern Acts.

Commentary Faoi chuimsiú na nithe réamhráite See the commentary on Article 12.5 regarding ‘faoi chuimsiú’. ‘Subject as aforesaid, the said sum shall be deducted repeatedly from the payments’ is translated as ‘Faoi réir na nithe a dúradh, déanfar an tsuim sin a asbhaint go rátúil as na híocaíochtaí’ in s3(b) of the Table to s10(2) of the Finance Act, 1980. ‘Subject as aforesaid the Company may dispose … of any property’ is translated as ‘Faoi réir a bhfuil ráite roimhe seo féadfaidh an Coiste aon mhaoin … a dhiúscairt’ in s18(2) of the Dublin Cemeteries Committee Act, 1970. ‘Faoi réir an mhéid a dúradh’ translates ‘Subject as aforesaid’ in s136(3) of the Income Tax Act, 1967. ‘Different superannuation schemes may be prepared and (subject


A study of the Irish text

as aforesaid) be carried into execution by the Minister for Education in relation to different classes of teachers’ is translated as ‘Féadfidh an tAire Oideachais scéimeanna deifriúla aois-liúntais d’ullamhú agus (fé réir a ndaingnithe mar adubhradh) do chur i bhfeidhm i dtaobh aicmí deifriúla múinteoirí’ in s2(2) of the Teachers Superannuation Act, 1928. Finally, in Article 24 of the 1922 Constitution, ‘The Oireachtas shall be summoned and dissolved by the Representatives of the Crown in the name of the King and subject as aforesaid Dáil Éireann shall fix the date of re-assembly of the Oireachtas’ is translated as ‘Déanfaidh Ionadaí na Coróinneach in ainm an Rí an t-Oireachtas do ghairm agus do sgur agus ar na hachtaibh sin ceapfaidh Dáil Éireann dáta aith-thionóil an Oireachtais’.

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a rialófar The passive future of the verb ‘rialaigh’ – see the commentary on Articles 10.3 and 12.5 regarding this verb and ‘regulate’.

Direct translation Faoi réir na nithe1 a dúradh, déanfar an Reifeann a rialáil le dlí.

Variant 1 ‘an mhéid’


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Bunreacht na hÉireann

REPEAL OF CONSTITUTION OF SAORSTÁT ÉIREANN AND CONTINUANCE OF LAWS BUNREACHT SHAORSTÁT ÉIREANN A AISGHAIRM AGUS DLÍTHE A BHUANÚ ARTICLE 48

AIRTEAGAL 48 perpetuate a custom’. Dinneen translates ‘buanuighim’ as ‘I continue, prolong, persevere, give long life’. DIL cites ‘buáineochuidh an duine iomlán innte’ (‘= the perfect shall remain in it’) from the seventeenth-century translation of Proverbs ii. 21, this verb being based on the adjective ‘búan’, translated as ‘lasting, enduring; constant, firm, persevering’ in DIL, giving citations from the poems of Blathmac (fl. 750-770) onwards. Modern Irish ‘buan’ has the principal sense of ‘enduring, permanent’ in Ó Donaill – see the commentary on Article 14.1. The Margin Title of s1 of the Exchange Control (Continuance and Amendment) Act, 1978, ‘Continuance of Principal Act’, is translated as ‘An Príomh-Acht a choimeád i ngníomh’, the Act itself being cited in Irish as ‘an tAcht um Rialú Iomlaoide (Buanú agus Leasú), 1978’. The Margin Title of s8 of the National Agricultural Advisory, Education and Research Authority Act, 1977, ‘Continuance of orders and regulations’, is translated as ‘Orduithe agus rialacháin do leanúint i bhfeidhm’, with ‘Continuance of Control of Exports (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1956’ being cited as ‘An tAcht chun Onnmhaire a Rialú (Forálacha Sealadacha), 1956, a Bhuanú’. The Margin Title of s1 of the Expiring Laws (Continuance) Act, 1922, ‘Continuance of Acts in Schedule’, is translated as ‘Buanú na n-Achtanna atá sna Sceidil’, this Act being cited in Irish as ‘Acht um Buanú Dlithe atá ag dul in Eug, 1922’, and the Long Title reading as follows:

TÉACS GAEILGE

BUNREACHT SHAORSTÁT ÉIREANN A AISGHAIRM AGUS DLÍTHE A BHUANÚ An Bunreacht a bheas i bhfeidhm do Shaorstát Éireann díreach roimh lá an Bunreacht seo a theacht i ngníomh agus an tAcht um Bunreacht Shaorstáit Éireann, 1922, sa mhéid go mbeidh an tAcht sin nó aon fhoráil de i bhfeidhm an uair sin, aisghairtear leis seo iad agus beid aisghairthe an lá sin agus as sin amach. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

REPEALING THE CONSTITUTION OF THE IRISH FREE STATE AND PERPETUATING LAWS The Constitution which will be in force for the Irish Free State immediately before the day of the coming into operation of this Constitution and the Constitution of the Irish Free State Act, 1922, in so far as that Act or any provision of it will be in force at that time, they are repealed by this and they will be repealed (on) that day and from then on. ENGLISH TEXT

REPEAL OF CONSTITUTION OF SAORSTÁT ÉIREANN AND CONTINUANCE OF LAWS The Constitution of Saorstát Éireann in force immediately prior to the date of the coming into operation of this Constitution and the Constitution of the Irish Free State (Saorstát Éireann) Act, l922, in so far as that Act or any provision thereof is then in force shall be and are hereby repealed as on and from that date.

An Act to continue certain expiring laws. Acht chun dlithe áirithe atá ag dul in eug do bhuanú.

Note, finally, that ‘Continuance of new import duties’ is translated as ‘Diúitéthe nua iomportála do bhuanú’ in the Margin Title of s11 of the Finance Act, 1926, with ‘included in the duties continued by this section’ being translated as ‘a háirítear ar na diúitéthe a buanuítear leis an alt so’ in s11(2).

Divergences between the official texts 1

2

3

4

‘Continuance of laws’ is expressed as ‘Dlíthe a bhuanú’ (‘to perpetuate laws’) in the Irish text, the verb ‘buanaigh’ being based on ‘buan’, which has the sense of ‘permanent’. ‘The Constitution of Saorstát Éireann in force ...’ is expressed as ‘An Bunreacht a bheas i bhfeidhm do Shaorstát Éireann’ (‘The Constitution which will be in force for Saorstát Éireann’) in the Irish text. ‘The date of’ is expressed in the Irish text as ‘lá an’, ‘the day of’, as we have seen in some earlier Articles, and ‘as on and from that date’ is expressed as ‘an lá sin agus as sin amach’, ‘on that day and from then on’. ‘Is then in force’ is expressed as ‘go mbeidh … i bhfeidhm an uair sin’ (‘will be in force at that time’) in the Irish text.

a aisghairm The verbal noun of ‘aisghair’ – see the commentary on Article 46.1. ‘Repeal of section 8 of Act of 1941 and continuance of orders’ is translated as ‘Alt 8 d’Acht 1941 a athghairm agus orduithe a choimeád i bhfeidhm’ in the Margin Title of s3 of the Trade Union Act, 1947. ‘Notwithstanding the repeal of the Building Societies Act, 1976’ is translated as ‘D’ainneoin aisghairm an Achta Cumann Foirgníochta, 1976’ in s6(5) of the Building Societies Act, 1989. The Margin Title of s12 of the Social Welfare (Amendment) Act, 1981, ‘Repeal of certain obsolete provisions of Principal Act’, is translated as ‘Forálacha áirithe den Phríomh-Acht atá tite as feidhm a aisghairm’. Finally, the Margin Title of s1 of the Gaming Act, 1923, ‘Repeal of Section 2 of Gaming Act, 1835’, is translated as ‘Alt 2 den Acht Cearrbhachais, 1835, d’athghairm’.

Commentary a bhuanú The verbal noun of ‘buanaigh’, translated as ‘perpetuate’ in Ó Dónaill, citing ‘nós a bhuanú, to

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as sin amach ‘On’ is given as a sense of ‘amach’ in the context of time, ‘forward’ being a subsense, in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘uaidh seo amach, henceforth’ and ‘ón lá seo amach, from this day forward’. Dinneen cites ‘ó shoin amach, from that time forth’. The earlier form, ‘immach’, literally means ‘into the plain’, i.e. the preposition ‘i’ (followed by eclipsis) plus ‘mag’ (‘field’/‘plain’), and is translated principally as ‘out, outwards’ in DIL, translating the phrase ‘ó shin amach’ as ‘from that time forward, henceforth’, citing ‘ba cara do Patraic he o sein immach’ (‘he was a friend of Patrick thenceforth’) from Fíacc’s Hymn on S. Patrick, composed c. AD 800. See the commentary on Article 34.4.4o regarding ‘amuigh’. ‘The certificate shall have effect as on and from that date’ is translated as ‘beidh éifeacht ag an deimhniú amhail ar an dáta sin agus uaidh sin amach’ in s26(1)(b) of the Civil Service Commissioners Act, 1956. In s10(3) of the Drainage Maintenance Act, 1924, ‘This Act shall be deemed to have come into force on the 1st day of April, 1924, and shall take effect as on and from that date’ is translated as ‘Tuigfar an tAcht so do theacht i bhfeidhm an 1adh lá d’Abrán, 1924, agus beidh éifeacht aige an lá san agus ón lá san amach’. See the commentary on Article 12.3.1o regarding ‘lá’ expressing ‘date’.

Staidéar ar an téacs Gaeilge

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1922, sa mhéid a bheidh an tAcht sin agus aon fhoráil de3 i bhfeidhm an uair sin, a aisghairm agus beidh siad aisghairthe amhail ar an dáta sin agus ón dáta sin amach4.

Variants 1 2 3 4

‘a bhuanú’ ‘déantar’ ‘den Acht sin’ ‘ón dáta sin’

ARTICLE 49.1

AIRTEAGAL 49.1

TÉACS GAEILGE

Gach uile chumhacht, feidhm, ceart agus sainchumas a bhí inoibrithe i Saorstát Éireann nó i dtaobh Shaorstát Éireann díreach roimh an 11ú lá de Mhí Nollag, 1936, cibé acu de bhua an Bhunreachta a bhí i bhfeidhm an uair sin é nó nach ea, ag an údarás ag a raibh cumhacht chomhallach Shaorstát Éireann an uair sin, dearbhaítear leis seo gur leis an bpobal iad uile. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

An tAcht um Bunreacht Shaorstáit Éireann, 1922 The official title of this Act in Irish; ‘Saorstát’ in this position would be lenited but otherwise today remain uninflected in this construction, as in ‘Bunreacht Shaorstát Éireann’ in the Heading of this Article – see the commentary on Article 1 regarding the (lenited) nominative in place of the genitive. beid The synthetic form of the third person, plural, future tense, of the substantive verb – this would generally be replaced today by ‘beidh siad’ (the analytic form). See the commentary on Article 14.5.1o regarding the synthetic and analytic forms of the verb. a bheas The special form of the relative, future tense, of the substantive verb; this would generally have the form ‘a bheidh’ today – see the commentary on Article 6.1 regarding the special form of the relative in ‘-s’.

Every power, function, right and prerogative that was operable in the Irish Free State or with regard to the Irish Free State immediately before the 11th day of the Month of December, 1936, whether by virtue of the Constitution which was then in force or not, by the authority which had the executive power of the Irish Free State at that time, it is hereby declared that they all belong to the people. ENGLISH TEXT

All powers, functions, rights and prerogatives whatsoever exercisable in or in respect of Saorstát Éireann immediately before the 11th day of December, 1936, whether in virtue of the Constitution then in force or otherwise, by the authority in which the executive power of Saorstát Éireann was then vested are hereby declared to belong to the people.

Divergences between the official texts Standardised Irish text BUNREACHT SHAORSTÁT ÉIREANN A AISGHAIRM AGUS DLÍTHE A BHUANÚ An Bunreacht a bheidh i bhfeidhm do Shaorstát Éireann díreach roimh lá an Bunreacht seo a theacht i ngníomh agus an tAcht um Bunreacht Shaorstáit Éireann, 1922, sa mhéid go mbeidh an tAcht sin nó aon fhoráil de i bhfeidhm an uair sin, aisghairtear leis seo iad agus beidh siad aisghairthe an lá sin agus as sin amach.

Direct translation BUNREACHT SHAORSTÁT ÉIREANN A AISGHAIRM AGUS DLÍTHE A CHOIMEÁD I nGNÍOMH1 Leis seo déanfar2 Bunreacht Shaorstát Éireann a bheidh i bhfeidhm díreach roimh dháta an Bunreacht seo a theacht i ngníomh agus an tAcht um Bunreacht Shaorstáit Éireann,

1 2

3

4

5

‘Or otherwise’ is expressed as ‘nó nach ea’ (‘or not’) in the Irish text. ‘By the authority in which the … power was then vested’ is expressed as ‘ag an údarás ag a raibh cumhacht … an uair sin’ (‘by the authority which had the … power … at that time’) in the Irish text. ‘All powers … whatsover’ is expressed as ‘Gach uile chumhacht’ (‘Every power’) in the Irish text, though ‘uile’ (‘all’) does add to the force of ‘gach’. ‘Exercisable’ is expressd as ‘inoibrithe’ (‘operable’) in the Irish text, ‘oibrím’ being translated as ‘I operate’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘Executive’, as we have seen in some earlier Articles, is expressed by an unfamiliar term today, ‘comhallach’, which would be more literally translated perhaps as ‘discharging’, the general term today expressing ‘executive’ (‘feidhmiúchán’) being found in a 1998 Amendment of the Constitution.


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Commentary sainchumas This headword is translated as ‘prerogative’ in Téarmaí Dlí and in Ó Dónaill. This compound of the prefix ‘sain-’ (translated in Dinneen as ‘special, different, particular’) and ‘cumas’ (‘requisite capability or power; ability’ being among its senses included in Dinneen) does not appear to be cited as a headword in Dinneen. See the commentary on Articles 14.2.2o and 31.2 regarding ‘cumas’. The adjective ‘sain’ is translated in DIL as (a) ‘different, distinct, separate (from other things)’, citing ‘sain dán cáich’ (‘different [is] every one’s gift’) from the eighth-century Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles, and (b) ‘peculiar, special (of a characteristic which distinguishes one thing from others)’, citing ‘is sain ordo dogní cechtar nái’ (‘different is the ordo which each of them makes’) from the same collection of Glosses, with ‘sainchóim ind ríg’ (‘the special favourites of the King’) being cited from the same source as an example of ‘sain-’ compounded with a noun. ‘A prisoner of war awarded disciplinary punishment may not be deprived of the prerogatives attached to his rank’ is translated as ‘Ní cead na sainchumais a ghabhann lena chéim a bhaint de phríosúnach ar ar gearradh pionós araíonachta’ in Article 98 of the Third Schedule to the Geneva Conventions Act, 1962, with ‘Beidh na sainchumais chéanna ag toscairí Choiste Idirnáisiúnta na Croise Deirge’ translating ‘The delegates of the International Committee of the Red Cross shall enjoy the same prerogatives’ in Article 126. Following the present Article, the Heading of Part III of the State Property Act, 1954, ‘Rights and Prerogatives belonging to the people in relation to property, escheat and bona vacantia’, is translated as ‘Cearta agus Sainchumais an Phobail maidir le Maoin, Eiséatadh agus bona vacantia’, with s27 reading as follows: Every right and every prerogative which, by virtue of Article 49 of the Constitution, belong to the People and relate to any property (including choses-in-action) shall be exercised by the Government through and by the Minister. Is é an Rialtas, tríd an Aire, a fheidhmeos gach ceart agus gach sainchumas is leis an bPobal, de bhuaidh Airteagail 49 den Bhunreacht, agus a bhaineas le haon mhaoin (lena n-áirítear ábhair i gcaingean).

In the Treaty on European Union (1992, p. 70), ‘for the purpose of protecting their prerogatives’ is translated as ‘d’fhonn sainchumais na gcomhlachtaí sin a choimirciú’. Looking at early translations, ‘the word “charter” means a charter, letters patent, warrant, or other instrument granted, made, or issued by the King in exercise of a prerogative power and having the force of law in Saorstát Éireann’ is translated as ‘cialluíonn an focal “cairt” cairt, leitreacha paitinne, barántas, no ionstruim eile den tsaghas chéanna do dheon no do rinne an Rí, no do thug sé amach, i bhfeidhmiú comhachta príbhléidighe agus ag a bhfuil feidhm dlí i Saorstát Éireann’ in s1 of the Executive Powers (Consequential Provisions) Act, 1937. ‘Ceart príbhléideach’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as translating ‘prerogative right’ in Iris Oifigiúil, 1925, p. 36. ‘Réimiadh’ translates ‘prerogative’ in Foclóir Staire is Tír-eóluíochta. Dinneen translates ‘uirdhligheadh’ as ‘prerogative, privilege’. Finally, ‘prerogative right’ is translated as ‘ceart príbhléideach’ in Foclóir Oifigiúil (without reference).

Bunreacht na hÉireann

gur leis an bpobal iad As regards ‘belong’ in the Acts, ‘The commodities or materials … are exported out of the State while continuing to belong to that person’ is translated as ‘go ndéanfar na hearraí nó na hábhair … a onnmhairiú as an Stát le linn dóibh a bheith fós ar úinéireacht ag an duine sin’ in s59(1) of the Corporation Tax Act, 1976, with ‘the machinery or plant shall be deemed to belong to him’ being translated as ‘measfar gur leis-sean an t-innealra nó an gléasra’ in s6 of the First Schedule thereto and ‘any event … whereby the machinery or plant ceases to belong to the person carrying on the trade’ being translated as ‘aon teagmhas … trína scoirfidh an t-innealra nó an gléasra de bheith ina mhaoin dá chuid féin ag an duine a bheidh ag seoladh na trádála’ in s29 of that Schedule. Finally, ‘Certain lands reclaimed to belong to the State’ is translated as ‘Má dintar míntíreach de thailte áirithe, is leis an Stát iad’ in the Margin Title of s105 of the Dundalk Harbour and Port Act, 1925. de Mhí Nollag ‘Mí Nollag’ would generally be written today as ‘Mí na Nollag’, ‘Nollaig’ and ‘Mí na Nollag’ being translated as ‘December’ in Ó Dónaill, ‘Nollaig’ having the principal sense of ‘Christmas’. Dinneen also gives ‘Mí na Nodlag, December’, ‘Lá Nodlag’ being ‘Christmas Day’. ‘Notlaic’ comes from Latin ‘natalicia’ and is translated as ‘Christmas; Christmas day’ in DIL, where this word is cited from the Stowe Missal, written in the monastery of Tallaght some time between 792 and 812. i dtaobh This prepositional phrase is translated as ‘about, concerning’ in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘i dtaobh do litreach, as regards your letter’. Dinneen gives ‘regarding, in reference to, about’ as one of the senses of ‘i dtaobh’, citing ‘im thaobh de, as far as I am concerned’. DIL cites - do briathraib ‘atcualaidh … beccan slanaighibh ’na thaibhsiumh’ (‘… as regarded him’) as an example of the sense ‘as regards, with respect to’ s.v. ‘taeb’. ‘I dtaobh aon ní’ expresses ‘on any matter’ in Article 13.7.1o. ‘In respect of’ is generally translated as ‘i leith’ in the Acts today, though we also find ‘maidir le’. ‘Minister’s sanction required as regards certain authorisations’ is translated as ‘Ceadú an Aire riachtanach maidir le húdaruithe áirithe’ in the Margin Title of s11 of the Local Government (Financial Provisions) Act, 1978, for example. de bhua See the commentary on Article 27. ‘And whether in virtue of ownership of such bog land or of ownership of other lands or otherwise’ is translated as ‘agus pe’ca de bhua únaeracht an phortaigh sin é no de bhua únaeracht tailte eile no éinní eile’ in s18(a) of the Arterial Drainage (Minor Schemes) Act, 1928. In s84(2) of the Postal and Telecommunications Services Act, 1983, ‘Subsection (1) shall not apply to any person who is acting … in virtue of any power conferred on the company by section 83’ is translated as ‘Ní bheidh feidhm ag fo-alt (1) maidir le haon duine a bheidh ag gníomhú … de bhua aon chumhachta a thugtar don chuideachta le halt 83’. ‘Which is a disposal to which Chapter VII … applies (whether by virtue of subsection (3) of section 64 or otherwise)’ is translated as ‘is diúscairt lena mbaineann Caibidil VII … (cibé acu de bhua fho-alt (3) d’alt 64 nó ar shlí eile)’ in s2(2)(b) of the Fifth Schedule to the Finance Act, 1990. i bhfeidhm See the commentary on Article 24.3 where


A study of the Irish text

‘fan i bhfeidhm’ expresses ‘remain in force’. ‘As regards which a certificate issued under section 73(2) of the Principal Act was then in force’ is translated as ‘a raibh deimhniú arna eisiúint faoi alt 73(2) den Phríomh-Acht i bhfeidhm an tráth sin ina leith’ in s36(2) of the Safety in Industry Act, 1980. ‘And which, if the Act of 1958 were then in force, would have been a building lease … within the meaning of that Act’ is translated as ‘agus a bheadh, dá mba rud é go raibh Acht 1958 i bhfeidhm an tráth sin, ina léas foirgníochta … de réir bhrí an Achta sin’ in s8(1) of the Landlord and Tenant (Amendment) Act, 1971. In s1(1) of the Finance Act, 1923, ‘under the law then in force in Saorstát Éireann’ is translated as ‘fén dlí a bhí i bhfeidhm an uair sin i Saorstát Éireann’. gach uile See the commentary on Articles 12.1 and 16.1.2o where ‘gach uile’ expresses ‘all’. ‘And shall be computed on the amount of all such salaries, fees, wages, perquisites or profits whatsoever therefrom’ is translated as ‘agus a ríomh ar mhéid na dtuarastal, na dtáillí, an phá, na bpeorcaisí nó na mbrabús uile sin de shórt ar bith uaithi’ in s19(a) of the Finance Act, 1990. In Article 66 of the 1922 Constitution, ‘and shall not be reviewed … by any other Court, Tribunal or Authority whatsoever’ is translated as ‘ná ní féadfar aith-bhreithniú do dhéanamh ar an mbreith sin ag aon Chúirt, Binse ná Údarás eile ar bith’. inoibrithe This headword is translated as ‘workable, practicable’ in Ó Dónaill, this adjective not appearing to be given as a headword in Dinneen, according to whom the prefix ‘ion-, in-’, with the genitive, denotes ‘fitness, aptitude, worthiness’, giving ‘ion-chaithte’ (‘edible, wearable, missive’) as an example of ‘ion-’ with the genitive of a verbal noun – see the commentary on Article 31.1. Commenting on the direct translation below, Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú remarks that ‘a bhí infheidhmithe’ is separated quite a bit from ‘ag an údarás’, a problem found in the English ‘exercisable … by the authority’ also and which the original Irish text did not succeed in lessening. dearbhaítear See the commentary on Article 29.1 and on Article 1. cumhacht chomhallach See the commentary on Article 28.2.

Staidéar ar an téacs Gaeilge

Variants 1 2 3 4

Direct translation Dearbhaítear leis seo gur leis an bpobal na cumhachtaí, na feidhmeanna, na cearta agus na sainchumais uile sin de shórt ar bith a bhí infheidhmithe i Saorstát Éireann nó ina leith1 roimh an 11ú lá de mhí na Nollag, 1936, cibé acu de bhua an Bhunreachta a bhí i bhfeidhm ansin nó ar shlí eile, ag an údarás dá2 raibh cumhacht fheidhmiúcháin Shaorstát Éireann dílsithe3.4

‘i leith Shaorstát Éireann’ ‘ina’ ‘a raibh cumhacht fheidhmiúcháin Shaorstát Éireann dílsithe dó’ ‘Na cumhachtaí, na feidhmeanna, na cearta agus na sainchumais uile sin de shórt ar bith a bhí infheidhmithe i Saorstát Éireann nó ina leith roimh an 11ú lá de mhí na Nollag, 1936, cibé acu de bhua an Bhunreachta a bhí i bhfeidhm ansin nó ar shlí eile, ag an údarás dá raibh cumhacht fheidhmiúcháin Shaorstát Éireann dílsithe, dearbhaítear leis seo gur leis an bpobal iad.’

ARTICLE 49.2

AIRTEAGAL 49.2

TÉACS GAEILGE

Ach amháin sa mhéid go ndéantar socrú leis an mBunreacht seo, nó go ndéanfar socrú ina dhiaidh seo le dlí, chun go n-oibreofar, le haon organ dá mbunaítear leis an mBunreacht seo, aon chumhacht, feidhm, ceart nó sainchumas díobh sin, achtaítear leis seo nach dleathach agus nach féidir na cumhachtaí, na feidhmeanna, na cearta, agus na sainchumais sin a oibriú sa Stát nó i dtaobh an Stáit ach amháin ag an Rialtas nó le húdarás an Rialtais. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Except in so far as provision is made by this Constitution, or that provision will be made hereafter by law, so that any of those powers, functions, rights or prerogatives will be operated, by any organ which is established by this Constitution, it is hereby enacted that it is not lawful and it is not possible to operate those powers, functions, rights, and prerogatives in the State or with regard to the State except by the Government or with the authority of the Government. ENGLISH TEXT

It is hereby enacted that, save to the extent to which provision is made by this Constitution or may hereafter be made by law for the exercise of any such power, function, right or prerogative by any of the organs established by this Constitution, the said powers, functions, rights and prerogatives shall not be exercised or be capable of being exercised in or in respect of the State save only by or on the authority of the Government.

Standardised Irish text Gach uile chumhacht, feidhm, ceart agus sainchumas a bhí inoibrithe i Saorstát Éireann nó i dtaobh Shaorstát Éireann díreach roimh an 11ú lá de mhí na Nollag, 1936, cibé acu de bhua an Bhunreachta a bhí i bhfeidhm an uair sin é nó nach ea, ag an údarás ag a raibh cumhacht chomhallach Shaorstát Éireann an uair sin, dearbhaítear leis seo gur leis an bpobal iad uile.

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Divergences between the official texts 1

2

3

‘Shall not be exercised’ is expressed as ‘nach dleathach … a oibriú’ (‘it is not lawful to exercise’) in the Irish text. ‘Shall not … be capable of being exercised’ is expressed as ‘nach féidir … a oibriú’ (‘cannot be exercised’ / ‘it is not possible to exercise’) in the Irish text. ‘By or on the authority of the Government’ is expressed as ‘ag an Rialtas nó le húdarás an Rialtais’ (‘by the Government or on the authority of the Government’) in the Irish text – note that Article 6.2 reads as follows: These powers of government are exercisable only by or on the authority of the organs of State established by this Constitution. Is leis na horgain Stáit a chuirtear ar bun leis an mBunreacht seo, agus leo sin amháin nó lena n-údarás, is féidir na cumhachtaí riala sin a oibriú.


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4

5

The Constitution of Ireland

‘Or may hereafter be made by law’ is expressed in the Irish text as ‘nó go ndéanfar socrú ina dhiaidh seo le dlí’, ‘or (to the extent) that provision will be made hereafter by law’. ‘Excercise’ is expressed by ‘oibrigh’ (‘operate’) in the Irish text, as we have seen in some earlier Articles.

Commentary féidir See the commentary on Article 6.2, where ‘is féidir … a oibriú’ expresses ‘are exercisable’. ‘A holder … will then, and only then by law be entitled to or be capable of being granted a superannuation allowance’ is translated as ‘maidir le sealbhóir a bheas do réir dlí … agus nach mbeidh go dtí sin, i dteideal aoisliúntas d’fháil nó i gcumas é a dheonadh dhó’ in Part I of the Second Schedule to the Local Government Act, 1955. In s121(b) of the Industrial and Commercial Property (Protection) Act, 1927, ‘licences made by the Minister … shall not … be or be capable of being entered in the register’ is translated as ‘ní déanfar ná ní féadfar … ceadúnaisí a dheonfidh an tAire … d’iontráil sa chlár’. In s5(4) of the Dáil Éireann Courts (Winding-up) Act, 1923, ‘No decree of a Dáil Court shall be of any force or effect or be capable of being sued upon or enforced before or by the Commissioners’ is translated as ‘Ní bheidh aon bhrí ná éifeacht ag aon aithne Dáil-Chúirte ná ní féadfar dlí do chur ar siúl mar gheall uirthe ná í d’fheidhmiú i láthair na gCoimsinéirí’. Finally, ‘capable of being applied’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as being translated as ‘is féidir do chur i mbaint’ in Iris Oifigiúil, 1925, p. 573.

Bunreacht na hÉireann

a haisíocfar amhlaidh, ach amháin sa mhéid a híocadh ús ar an tsuim a haisíocadh amhlaidh nuair a híocadh an cháin’ in s2 of Article VI of the First Schedule to the Finance Act, 1950. See the commentary on Article 15.4.2o regarding ‘sa mhéid’, ‘to the extent’. ina dhiaidh seo ‘Such claim hereafter be made at any time within one year after the end of the year of assessment’ is translated as ‘féadfar an t-éileamh san do dhéanamh feasta áon uair laistigh de bhliain tar éis deire na bliana cáinmheasa’ in s9(4) of the Finance Act, 1925. ‘Accept the trusteeship … of any trust which has been, or may hereafter be, established by any deed’ is translated as ‘glacadh le hiontaobhaíocht aon iontaobhas a bunaíodh, nó a bhunófar dá éis seo, le haon ghníomhas’ in s3 of the Commissioners of Public Works in Ireland (Acceptance of Trusteeship) Act, 1978. ‘The privileges and immunities which have been, or may hereafter be, accorded by any State to any specialised agency’ is translated as ‘na pribhléidí agus na díolúintí atá tugtha, nó a thabharfar dá éis seo, ag aon Stát d’aon sainghníomhaireacht’ in s39 of the Fourth Schedule to the Diplomatic Relations and Immunities Act, 1967. dleathach This headword is translated as ‘lawful’ in Téarmaí Dlí – see the commentary on Article 10.1. go n-oibreofar … oibriú See the commentary on Article 3 regarding ‘oibrigh’. organ See the commentary on Article 6.2. sainchumas See the commentary on the previous section.

socrú See the commentary on Article 8.3. Note that ‘Where a person is convicted of an offence under the Principal Act … in relation to which provision is not made … for the forfeiture on conviction of any fish in respect of which the offence is committed’ is translated as ‘I gcás ina gciontófar duine i gcion faoin bPríomh-Acht … nach bhfuil aon fhoráil ina thaobh déanta … maidir le haon iasc a ndearnadh an cion ina leith a fhorghéilleadh’ in s32(7) of the Fisheries Amendment Act, 1962. Ach amháin See the commentary on Article 12.10.4o. ‘A provisional referendum certificate shall not be capable of being questioned in any manner in any court save only by a referendum petition presented to the High Court’ is translated as ‘Ní bheidh deimhniú reifrinn sealadach ionchonspóidthe in aon tslí i gcúirt ar bith ach amháin tré achuinge reifrinn arna tíolacadh don Ard-Chúirt’ in s34(4) of the Referendum Act, 1942. ‘The name of a person whose name has been erased from the register by the Council on account of professional misconduct shall not be restored to the register save only by order of the High Court’ is translated as ‘Ní déanfar ainm duine gur scrios an Chomhairle a ainm amach as an gclár mar gheall ar mhí-iompar maidir le n-a ghairm do chur thar n-ais sa chlár ach le hordú ón Ard-Chúirt’ in s37(1) of the Veterinary Surgeons Act, 1931. Ach amháin sa mhéid ‘Any such refund shall be made without payment of interest on the amount so refunded, save to the extent to which interest was paid on the amount so refunded when the tax was paid’ is translated as ‘Déanfar aon aisíoc den tsórt sin gan ús d’íoc ar an tsuim

le húdarás See the commentary on Article 6.2.

Direct translation Achtaítear leis seo, ach amháin sa mhéid a dhéanfar socrú leis an mBunreacht seo nó go bhféadfar socrú a dhéanamh le dlí dá éis seo maidir le haon chumhacht, feidhm, ceart nó sainchumas den sórt sin a fheidhmiú ag aon cheann de na horgáin a bhunófar leis an mBunreacht seo1, nach ndéanfar na cumhachtaí, feidhmeanna, cearta agus sainchumais a dúradh a fheidhmiú nó nach mbeidh siad infheidhmithe sa Stát nó i leith an Stáit ach amháin ag an Rialtas nó ar údarás an Rialtais.

Variants 1 ‘maidir le haon cheann de na horgáin a bhunófar leis an mBunreacht seo a fheidhmiú aon chumhachta, feidhme, cirt nó sainchumais den sórt sin’

ARTICLE 49.3

AIRTEAGAL 49.3

TÉACS GAEILGE

Is é an Rialtas is comharba ar Rialtas Shaorstát Éireann i gcás gach maoine, sócmhainne, cirt agus féichiúnais. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

The Government is successor to the Government of the Irish Free State with regard to all property, assets, rights and liabilities.


A study of the Irish text

ENGLISH TEXT

The Government shall be the successors of the Government of Saorstát Éireann as regards all property, assets, rights and liabilities.

Staidéar ar an téacs Gaeilge

685

mean ‘either of the parties to an obligation, creditor as well as debtor’, according to D.A. Binchy, in his ‘Legal Glossary’ to the early Irish law-tract, Críth Gablach (p. 88), which word is cited in DIL from the eighth-century Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles. See further the commentary on Article 11.

Divergences between the official texts 1

2

‘The Government shall be the successors of’ is expressed in the Irish text as ‘Is é an Rialtas is comharba ar’, ‘It is the Government which is / The Government is successor to’. ‘Liability’ is translated as ‘dliteanas’ in Téarmaí Dlí, although ‘féichiúnas’ does also have this sense.

Commentary comharba ar See the commentary on Article 28.11.1o. ‘And the council of such county shall be the successors of the council of such rural district’ is translated as ‘agus is iad comhairle na contae sin a bheidh ina gcomharbaí do chomhairle an tuathcheanntair sin’ in s3(1) of the Local Government Act, 1925. ‘Córas Iompair Éireann as successors to the Waterford and Limerick Railway Company’ is translated as ‘Córas Iompair Éireann, mar chomharbaí ar an Waterford and Limerick Railway Company’ in the Preamble to the Waterford Harbour Commissioners (Acquisition of Property) Act, 1964. ‘As successors to the Congested Districts Board for Ireland’ is translated as ‘mar chomharbaí do Bhórd na gCeanntar gCumhang in Éirinn’ in s62 of the Land Act, 1923. ‘That I will be faithful to H. M. King George V., his heirs and successors by law’ is translated as ‘go mbead dílis dá Shoillse Rí Seoirse V., dá oighrí agus dá chomharbaí’ in the ‘Form of Oath’ to be taken by members of the Oireachtas in Article 17 of the 1922 Constitution. ‘And which is the successor to a scheduled harbour authority’ is translated as ‘agus is comharba ar údarás cuain sceidealta’ in s3(2) of the Harbours Act, 1947. ‘And thereupon the Corporation shall become and be the successor to the District Council’ is translated as ‘agus leis sin tiocfaidh an Bárdas chun bheith agus beidh ina chomharba don Chomhairle Cheanntair’ in s5 of the Local Government (Galway) Act, 1937. Commenting on a draft of the direct translation below, Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú remarks that the plural of the noun or pronoun was not really necessary here, and would translate the opening clause as ‘Beidh an Rialtas ina chomharba an Rialtas Shaorstát Éireann’. féichiúnais The genitive singular form of ‘féichiúnas’, translated as ‘indebtedness, liability’ in Ó Dónaill, ‘féicheamhnas’ being translated as ‘liability; recrimination’ in Dinneen, who cites ‘cáil féicheamhnais, state of indebtedness’. ‘Féchemnas’ is translated as ‘advocacy, pleading’ in DIL, citing Fionn Mac Cumhaill’s boast, ‘úair budh forderg forránach fergarnaidh na fuighle feichemnuis dogén-sa friú’ (‘for the debtor’s speech which I shall hold with them will be bloody and crushing, wrathful and relentless’) from the fifteenth-century version of the Chase of Slieve na mBan. This word is based on ‘féchem’, a noun of agency from ‘fíach’, which in early Irish law can

sócmhainne The genitive singular form of ‘sócmhainn’, the plural form, ‘sócmhainní’, being translated as ‘assets’ in Téarmaí Dlí . ‘Asset’ is given as the sole meaning of ‘sócmhainn’ in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘sócmhainní pearsanta, personal assets’ and ‘sócmhainní so-aistrithe, liquid assets’, along with ‘is beag an tsócmhainn duit é, it is no great asset, not much good, to you’. Dinneen translates ‘sócmhainn’ as ‘a makeshift or resource, something to fall back on, the next best thing, an asset especially if convertible’, citing ‘is maith an tsócmhainn airgid muca, pigs are readily turned into money’ and ‘ní’l airgead ná sócmhainn airgid agam, I have neither money nor convertible assets’. Dinneen translates the plural ‘sócmhainní’ as ‘assets’, also including ‘dainties, delicacies, medicaments’ among its senses. According to Dinneen ‘sócmhaing’ developed from ‘so’ and ‘eacmhaing’, early ‘eacmhang’ now ‘acfuinn, acainn’, ‘juncture, capacity (at a given time), power, etc.’ i gcás ‘I gcás’ is translated as ‘as regards’ in Dinneen, citing ‘i gcás Sheáin, in John’s case, as regards John’. ‘I gcás mar seo’ is translated as ‘in a case like this’ in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘i mo chás féin, in my own case’, ‘cás’ being translated principally as ‘case’ in the sense of ‘instance, circumstances, state of affairs’. See further the commentary on Articles 14.4, 15.8.2o and 17.1.2o regarding ‘cás’. ‘Indemnified such person in respect of the rates’ is translated as ‘an duine sin a shlánú i leith na rátaí’ in s5(1)(c) of the Local Government (Financial Provisions) Act, 1978. i gcás gach maoine ‘Maoine’ is the genitive singular form of ‘maoin’, translated as ‘property’ in Téarmaí Dlí but in general usage expressing ‘wealth’ – see the commentary on Article 10.1. Commenting on a draft of the direct translation below, where ‘as regards all property, assets, rights and liabilities’ was translated as ‘maidir leis an maoin, na sócmhainní, na cearta agus na dliteanais go léir’, Professor Ó Murchú remarked that ‘go léir’ was not understood as being so all-encompassing in the Irish and recommended returning to ‘gach’ of the original.

Direct translation Beidh an Rialtas ina gcomharbaí1 ar Rialtas Shaorstát Éireann sa mhéid a bhaineann le2 gach maoin, sócmhainn, ceart agus dliteanas3.

Variants 1 ‘ina chomharba’ 2 ‘maidir le’ 3 ‘le gach maoin, le gach sócmhainn, le gach ceart agus le gach dliteanas’


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The Constitution of Ireland

ARTICLE 50.1

AIRTEAGAL 50.1

TÉACS GAEILGE

Na dlíthe a bheas i bhfeidhm i Saorstát Éireann díreach roimh lá an Bunreacht seo a theacht i ngníomh leanfaid de bheith i lánfheidhm agus i lánéifeacht, faoi chuimsiú an Bhunreachta seo agus sa mhéid nach bhfuilid ina choinne, go dtí go n-aisghairtear nó go leasaítear iad nó aon chuid díobh le hachtú ón Oireachtas. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

The laws which will be in force in the Irish Free State immediately before the day of the coming into operation of this Constitution will continue to be in full force and in full effect, within the constraint of this Constitution and to the extent that they are not against it, until they or any part of them are repealed or amended by enactment by the Oireachtas. ENGLISH TEXT

Subject to this Constitution and to the extent to which they are not inconsistent therewith, the laws in force in Saorstát Éireann immediately prior to the date of the coming into operation of this Constitution shall continue to be of full force and effect until the same or any of them shall have been repealed or amended by enactment of the Oireachtas.

Divergences between the official texts 1

2 3

4 5 6

7

‘They are not inconsistent therewith’ is expressed as ‘nach bhfuilid ina choinne’ (‘they are not against it’) in the Irish text, ‘inconsistent with’ being translated as ‘ar neamhréir le’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘Date’ is expressed as ‘lá’, ‘day’, in the Irish text, as we have seen in some earlier Articles. ‘Shall continue to be of full force and effect’ is expressed as ‘leanfaid de bheith i lánfheidhm agus i lánéifeacht’ (‘shall continue to be in full force and in full effect’) in the Irish text. ‘The same’ is expressed as ‘iad’, ‘they’/‘them’, in the Irish text. ‘Any of them’ is expressed as ‘aon chuid díobh’ (‘any part of them’) in the Irish text. ‘Shall have been repealed or amended’ is expressed as ‘go n-aisghairtear nó go leasaítear’ (‘are repealed or amended’) in the Irish text. ‘Subject to’ is expressed as ‘faoi chuimsiú’ (‘within the scope/constraint of’) in the Irish text, as we have seen in some earlier Articles.

J.M. Kelly, op. cit., p. 210, reports as follows on reference to this Article in the courts: In The State (Sheerin) v Kennedy ([1965] IR 379) Walsh J pointed to the corresponding pairs of expressions (which were distinct in each text) “inconsistent/ina choinne”, “validity/bail”, “repugnant/in aghaidh” in order to fortify the practical distinction which he emphasised between “inconsistency” with the Constitution (under Article 50) and “invalidity” (under Article 34) or “repugnancy” (under Article 26).

Note that Article 73 of the 1922 Constitution reads as follows:

Bunreacht na hÉireann

Subject to this Constitution and to the extent to which they are not inconsistent therewith, the laws in force in the Irish Free State (Saorstát Éireann) at the date of the coming into operation of this Constitution shall continue to be of full force and effect until the same or any of them shall have been repealed or amended by enactment of the Oireachtas. Gan dochar don Bhun-reacht so agus sa mhéid ná fuilid buiniscionn leis, leanfaidh na dlithe atá i bhfeidhm i Saorstát Éireann le linn teacht i ngníomh don Bhun-reacht so i lán-neart agus i lán-fheidhm go dtí go n-athghairmfear no go leasófar iad no aon cheann aca le hachtú den Oireachtas.

Commentary ina choinne ‘Subsection (2) of section 38, to the extent to which it is inconsistent with this Act’ is translated as ‘Fo-alt (2) d’alt 38, sa mhéid go bhfuil sé ar neamhréir leis an Acht seo’ in Part III of the Schedule to the Statute of Limitations, 1957. ‘In so far as they are inconsistent with’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as being translated as ‘sa mhéid ná fuil … do réir …’ in translations for the Department of Local Government and Public Health. We find the phrase ‘bunoscionn le’ in earlier Acts, following the 1922 Constitution above. In the Preamble to the Adaptation of Enactments Act, 1922, ‘subject to that Constitution and to the extent to which they are not inconsistent therewith’ is translated as ‘gan dochar don Bhun-reacht san agus sa mhéid ná fuilid buiniscionn leis’. ‘And every such contract shall accordingly be deemed to be void to the extent (if any) to which it is inconsistent with such regulations’ is translated as ‘agus, dá réir sin, is tuigthe gach connradh den tsórt san do bheith gan bhrí sa mhéid (más aon mhéid é) go mbeidh sé bunoscionn leis na rialacháin sin’ in s21(3) of the Children Act, 1941. Note, finally, that ‘Sections 69 and 117 of the Income Tax Act, 1918, so far as the same are inconsistent with the provisions of this section shall cease to have effect’ is translated as ‘Sa mhéid ná tagaid le forálacha an ailt seo scuirfidh Ailt 69 agus 117 den Acht Cánach Ioncaim 1918, d’éifeacht do bheith acu’ in s11(4) of the Finance Act, 1923. díreach roimh ‘Immediately preceding’ is cited in the Oireachtas Dictionary of Official Terms as being translated as ‘díreach roimh’, preceding a noun, and as ‘díreach sara’, preceding a verb, in Iris Oifigiúil, 1922/23. ‘In every statute and statutory instrument in force immediately prior to the date of the coming into operation of the Constitution’ is translated as ‘I ngach reacht agus instruim reachtúil a bheidh i bhfeidhm díreach roimh an dáta thiocfaidh an Bunreacht i ngníomh’ in s2(1) of the Constitution (Consequential Provisions) Act, 1937. ‘All property … which immediately prior to the date of the passing of this Act is vested in … the commissioners’ is translated as ‘an mhaoin uile … a bhí, díreach roimh dháta an Achta so do rith, dílsithe sna coimisinéirí’ in s3(1) of the Mountjoy Square, Dublin, Act, 1938. ‘Part of an accounting period falling after the day immediately prior to the date of the commencement of that relevant accounting period’ is translated as ‘cuid de thréimhse chuntasaíochta ar tar éis an lae díreach roimh dháta tosaigh na tréimhse chuntasaíochta iomchuí sin di’ in s42(4) of the Finance Act, 1980.


A study of the Irish text

lánfheidhm … lánéifeacht ‘For the purpose of ensuring that the laws in force in Saorstát Éireann immediately prior to the date of the coming into operation of the Constitution shall continue to be of full force and effect in accordance with and to the extent provided by Article 50 of the Constitution’ is translated as ‘Chun a chur in áirithe go leanfaidh na dlithe bheidh i bhfeidhm i Saorstát Éireann díreach roimh dháta an Bhunreachta do theacht i ngníomh de lán-fheidhm agus de lán-éifeacht do bheidh acu do réir Airteagal 50 den Bhunreacht agus sa mhéid a foráltar leis an Airteagal san’ in s5(1) of the Constitution (Consequential Provisions) Act, 1937. In s37 of the Limerick Harbour Act, 1926, ‘the Limerick Harbour Act, 1867 … shall continue to be of full force and effect as if this Act had not been passed’ is translated as ‘leanfidh i lánfheidhm agus i lán-éifeacht fé is dá mba ná rithfí an tAcht so … an Limerick Harbour Act, 1867’. ‘And the adaptations of the Income Tax Acts … had had full force and effect’ is translated as ‘agus dá mbeadh lán-fheidhm agus lánéifeacht … ag na hoiriúnuithe a dineadh ar na hAchtanna Cánach Ioncuim’ in 2(1) of the Finance Act, 1923. Finally, in s68(1) of the Medical Practitioners Act, 1978, ‘the agreement … shall continue to have full force and effect’ is translated as ‘leanfaidh an comhaontú de lánfheidhm agus de lánéifeacht a bheith leis’, with ‘the covenant shall … continue in full force and effect’ being translated as ‘leanfaidh an cúnant … de lánfheidhm agus de lánéifeacht a bheith leis’ in s28(2) of the Landlord and Tenant (Ground Rents) (No. 2) Act, 1978. Commenting on a draft of the direct translation below, where ‘shall continue … to be of full force and effect’ was translated as ‘leanfaidh na dlíthe … de lánfheidhm agus lánéifeacht a bheith acu’, Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú recommended the more succinct ‘faoi lánfheidhm agus faoi lánéifeacht’. le hachtú ‘Achtú’ is the verbal noun of ‘achtaigh’, translated as ‘enact, decree’ in Ó Dónaill, ‘achtaím’ being translated as ‘I enact’ in Téarmaí Dlí. ‘Achtú’ as a noun is translated as ‘enactment’ in Ó Dónaill, ‘achtughadh’ being translated as ‘act of ordaining, decreeing, act of binding, coming to an agreement, imposing conditions’ in Dinneen, who cites the variant ‘achtadh’. ‘Achtugad’ is translated as ‘act of stipulating, making a condition; stipulation’ in DIL, where ‘ma ta achtugad airithe air eturru’ (‘if there be a particular stipulation respecting it between them’) is cited from a commentary on an early Irish law-tract, ‘achtugad’ being the verbal noun of ‘achtaigid’. The verb ‘achtaigid’ is based on ‘acht’, six different headwords ‘acht’ being given in DIL. One such headword, translated as ‘stipulation, condition’ in DIL and cited from commentaries on early Irish law-tracts, may be a specialisation of ‘acht’, ‘save, except’ (Modern Irish ‘ach’). The sixth headword ‘acht’ is an English loanword and is translated as ‘decree, contract, condition’ in DIL, where citations are given from seventeenth-century texts onwards. See further the commentary on Articles 13.3.1o and 15.4.2o regarding ‘achtaigh’.

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forms) – see the commentary on Article 14.5.1o regarding the synthetic and analytic forms of the verb. go leasaítear iad Commenting on a draft of the direct translation below, where ‘until the same … shall have been repealed’ was translated as ‘go dtí go mbeidh an céanna aisghairthe’, Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú, who in general advises against the use of ‘an céanna’, remarks that ‘an céanna’ could be taken as referring to ‘an Bunreacht’, which is syntactically nearest to it. a bheas The special form of the is relative, future, of the substantive verb – see the commentary on Article 6.1 regarding the special form of the relative in ‘-s’, the above now generally being replaced by ‘a bheidh’. lá See the commentary on Article 12.3.1o. faoi chuimsiú See the commentary on Article 12.5. go n-aisghairtear See the commentary on Article 46.1. go leasaítear See the commentary on Article 46.2.

Standardised Irish text Na dlíthe a bheidh i bhfeidhm i Saorstát Éireann díreach roimh lá an Bunreacht seo a theacht i ngníomh leanfaidh siad de bheith i lánfheidhm agus i lánéifeacht, faoi chuimsiú an Bhunreachta seo agus sa mhéid nach bhfuil siad ina choinne, go dtí go n-aisghairtear nó go leasaítear iad nó aon chuid díobh le hachtú ón Oireachtas.

Direct translation Faoi réir an Bhunreachta seo agus sa mhéid nach bhfuil siad ar neamhréir leis, leanfaidh na dlíthe a bheidh i bhfeidhm i Saorstát Éireann díreach roimh dháta an Bunreacht seo a theacht i ngníomh faoi lánfheidhm agus faoi lánéifeacht1 go dtí go mbeidh na dlíthe sin, nó aon cheann díobh, aisghairthe nó leasaithe le hachtú ón Oireachtas.

Variant 1 ‘de lánfheidhm agus lánéifeacht a bheith leo’

ARTICLE 50.2

AIRTEAGAL 50.2

TÉACS GAEILGE

Dlíthe a bheas achtaithe roimh an mBunreacht seo a theacht i ngníomh agus a mbeidh luaite iontu iad do theacht i bhfeidhm dá éis sin, tiocfaid i bhfeidhm de réir mar a luaitear iontu mura n-achtaí an tOireachtas a mhalairt. Dochum Glóire Dé agus Onóra na hÉireann. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

leanfaid … nach bhfuilid The synthetic forms of the third person plural, future tense, of ‘lean’ and of the third person plural, present indicative, of the substantive verb, respectively, these generally today being replaced by ‘leanfaidh siad’ and ‘nach bhfuil siad’ (i.e. the analytic

Laws which will be enacted before the coming into operation of this Constitution and in which will be stated that they are to come into force after that, will come into force in accordance with what is stated in them unless the Oireachtas enacts the contrary.


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The Constitution of Ireland

For the Glory of God and the Honour of Ireland. ENGLISH TEXT

Laws enacted before, but expressed to come into force after, the coming into operation of this Constitution, shall, unless otherwise enacted by the Oireachtas, come into force in accordance with the terms thereof. Dochum Glóire Dé agus Onóra na hÉireann.

Divergences between the official texts 1

2

‘But expressed’ is expressed in the Irish text as ‘agus a mbeidh luaite iontu’ (‘and in which will be stated’), ‘express’ being translated by the participial adjective ‘sainráite’ in Téarmaí Dlí, where ‘luaim’ is translated as ‘I cite’. ‘In accordance with the terms thereof’ is expressed as ‘de réir mar a luaitear iontu’ (‘in accordance as is stated in them’) in the Irish text, the same verb being found here as expresses ‘express’ earlier in the section.

Commentary luaite … luaitear See the commentary on Articles 12.10.1o, 14.5.2o and 24.1 regarding the verb ‘luaigh’, respectively expressing ‘state’, ‘specify’ and ‘express’. ‘Where an Act passed after the commencement of this Act … is expressed to come into operation on a particular day’ is translated as ‘Má abartar go dtiocfidh i bhfeidhm ar lá áirithe Acht a rithfar tar éis tosach feidhme an Achta so’ in s11(2) of the Interpretation Act, 1923. ‘Any order made by the Minister … before the appointed day shall not be expressed to come into operation on a day earlier than the appointed day’ is translated as ‘Aon ordú dhéanfaidh an tAire … roimh an lá ceaptha ní déarfaidh go dtiocfaidh i bhfeidhm ar dháta is túisce ná an lá ceaptha’ in s30(6) of the Agricultural Produce (Cereals) Act, 1936, with ‘but any order which is made … before the appointed day shall not be expressed to come into operation on a day earlier than the appointed day’ being translated as ‘ach ní déarfar in aon ordú a dhéanfar … roimh an lá ceaptha, go dtiocfaidh an t-ordú sin i ngníomh ar dháta is luaithe ná an lá ceaptha’ in s2(5) of the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act, 1977. ‘The following provisions shall have effect in relation to every Act of the Oireachtas of Saorstát Éireann which is expressed to come into operation immediately after the coming into operation of the Constitution’ is translated as ‘Beidh éifeacht ag na forálacha so leanas maidir le gach Acht d’Oireachtas Shaorstáit Éireann go mbeidh ráite ann é do theacht i ngníomh díreach tar éis teacht i ngníomh don Bhunreacht’ in s11(2) of the Constitution (Consequential Provisions) Act, 1937. Looking at modern Acts, ‘A requirement of the Central Bank under subsection (4) may be expressed to apply …’ is translated as ‘Féadfaidh sé a bheith sainráite i gceanglas de chuid an Bhainc Ceannais faoi fho-alt (4) go bhfuil feidhm aige’ in s39(5) of the Building Societies Act, 1989. ‘Part 1 shall, save as is otherwise expressly provided therein, be deemed to have come into force … as on and

Bunreacht na hÉireann

from the 6th day of April, 1990’ is translated as ‘Measfar gur tháinig Cuid 1 i bhfeidhm …, ach amháin mar a fhoráiltear a mhalairt go sainráite inti, amhail ar an agus ón 6ú lá d’Aibreán 1990’ in s140(8) of the Finance Act, 1990. Note that ‘No adoption of a person taking effect or expressed to take effect at any time after the coming into operation of this Constitution’ is rendered as ‘Ní raibh ná ní bheidh aon uchtáil ar dhuine do ghlac éifeacht nó a bhfuil sé sainráidhte gur ghlac sí éifeacht aon tráth tar éis don Bhunreacht seo do theacht i ngníomh’ in Article 37.2, following the Sixth Amendment of the Constitution (Adoption) Act, 1979. See further the commentary on Articles 24.1 and 46.3. Regarding ‘thereof’, which as the plural ‘iontu’ clearly shows, refers to the ‘laws’, see the commentary on Articles 8.3 and 40.4.5o; ‘den chéanna’ would match the ambiguity of the English text. tiocfaid The synthetic form of the third person plural, future tense, of the verb ‘tar’, this would generally be replaced by ‘tiocfaidh siad’ (the analytic form) today – see the commentary on Article 14.5.1o regarding the synthetic and analytic forms of the verb in the Constitution. mura n-achtaí The present subjective of the verb ‘achtaigh’, this generally being replaced by the future tense today (i.e. ‘mura n-achtóidh’), except in the case of the optative (e.g. ‘go ndéana Dia trócaire ort’) – see the commentary on Article 12.3.1o. a bheas The special form of the relative, future tense, of the substantive verb, this would generally be replaced today by ‘a bheidh’ – see the commentary on Article 6.1 regarding the special form of the relative in ‘-s’. do theacht ‘A’ generally replaces ‘do’ before verbal nouns today – see the commentary on Article 15.8.2o. Dochum Glóire Dé agus Onóra na hÉireann This wellknown Irish expression, here closing both texts of the Constitution, is attested in the ‘Epistle Dedicatory’ from Michael O’Cleary to Fearghal O’Gadhra in the seventeenthcentury Annals of the Four Masters: Tanaccsa an brathair bocht durd .S. Fronseis Michel o clericch (iar mbeith deich mbliadhna damh acc Sccriobhadh gach sendachta da bfuaras ar naomhaibh na hereann a maille le humhlacht gach Prouinsiail da raibhe in erinn a ndiaidh a chele do beith accam) da bhar lathairsi a uasail A Fherghail uí ghadhra. Do bhraithes ar bhar nonoir gur bhadbar truaighe, 7 nemhele, doghailsi, 7 dobroin libh (do chum gloire dé 7 onora na hereann) a mhed do dheachattar sliocht Gaoidhil meic Niuil fo chiaigh 7 dorchadas, gan-fios ecca na oidhedha Naoimh, na bannaoimhe Airdepscoip, Epscoip, na abbadh, na uasal graidh eccailsi oile, Righ, na Ruirigh, tighearna na toisicch, comhaimsir na coimhsinedh neich dibhsidhe fri aroile. (I, Michael O’Clerigh, a poor brother of the order of St. Francis (after having been for ten years transcribing every old material which I found concerning the saints of Ireland, observing obedience to each provincial that was in Ireland successively), have come before you, O noble Farrell O’Gara. I have calculated on your honour that it seemed to you a cause of pity and regret, grief and sorrow (for the glory of God and the honour of Ireland), how much the race of Gaedhal the son of Niul have gone under a cloud and darkness without a knowledge of the death or obit of saint, or virgin,


A study of the Irish text

archbishop, bishop, abbot, or other noble dignitary of the Church, of king or prince, lord or chieftain [and] of the synchronism or connexion of the one with the other.)

The colophon followed Article 63, the final Article of the Transitory Provisions, in the original Constitution. Such expressions would generally not be standardised.

Standardised Irish text Dlíthe a bheidh achtaithe roimh an mBunreacht seo a theacht i ngníomh agus a mbeidh luaite iontu iad a theacht i bhfeidhm dá éis sin, tiocfaidh siad i bhfeidhm de réir

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mar a luaitear iontu mura n-achtóidh an tOireachtas a mhalairt.

Direct translation Dlíthe a achtófar roimh theacht i bhfeidhm don Bhunreacht seo ach a mbeidh sé sainráite go dtiocfaidh siad i bhfeidhm i ndiaidh don Bhunreacht seo a theacht i ngníomh, mura n-achtóidh an tOireachtas a mhalairt, tiocfaidh siad i bhfeidhm de réir théarmaí na ndlíthe1.

Variants 1 ‘na ndlíthe céanna’, ‘na ndlíthe céanna sin’, ‘an chéanna’


A study of the Irish text

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APPENDIX 1 FOSCRÍBHINN 1 PREAMBLE

BROLLACH Dáil Éireann sitting as a Constituent Assembly in this Provisional Parliament, acknowledging that all lawful authority comes from God to the people and in the confidence that the National life and unity of Ireland shall thus be restored, hereby proclaims the establishment of The Irish Free State (otherwise called Saorstát Éireann) and in the exercise of undoubted right, decrees and enacts as follows:– Dáil Éireann ’na suidhe mar Dháil Bhunaidh sa Pháirlimint Shealadach so, á admháil gur ó Dhia a thagann gach údarás dleathach chun na ndaoine agus muinghin aice gur mar seo a tabharfar thar n-ais beatha agus aontacht Náisiúnta na hÉireann, fógrann sí leis seo bunú Shaorstáit Éireann agus de bharr lán-chirt gan dearmad dineann sí a reachtú agus a achtú mar leanas:-

As noted in the introductory essay, unlike the Irish text of the Constitution in general, the Preamble is acknowledged in the authorised Irish biography of Éamon de Valera to be a translation from English done by Tomás Ó Rathile. The Preamble, being in the nature of a dedication or prayer and not having the same legislative content as the main part of the text, would allow the translator some freedom. A cursory commentary on the Preamble is presented below, the text itself being divided into five sections.

I TÉACS GAEILGE

BUNREACHT NA hÉIREANN In Ainm na Tríonóide Ró-Naofa is tobar don uile údarás agus gur chuici, ós í is críoch dheireanach dúinn, is dírithe ní amháin gníomhartha daoine ach gníomhartha Stát,

Commentary is tobar do ‘Tobar’ is translated as ‘well; fountain, spring, source’ in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘tobar eagna, eolais, fountain of wisdom, of knowledge’. Dinneen translates ‘tobar’ as ‘a well, spring or source’ and cites ‘Tobar na dTrí Sreabh, the Well of Three Streams, God; Trí Tobair na trócaire, the Three Wells of mercy, the three Divine Persons; Eo na dTrí dTobar, the Salmon of the Three Wells, Christ’. DIL cites ‘is hé as topur inna n-ane’ (‘it is He who is the well of the treasures’) from the eighth-century Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles, giving three examples of ‘tobar do’, including ‘Saltair Temrach … as topur do seanchadhaibh Érenn’ (i.e. the Tara Psalter is the source for the historians of Ireland).

LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

THE CONSTITUTION OF IRELAND In the Name of the Most Holy Trinity which is the wellspring for all authority and to whom, since it is the final end for us, not alone actions of people but actions of States are directed, ENGLISH TEXT

BUNREACHT NA hÉIREANN In the Name of the Most Holy Trinity, from Whom is all authority and to Whom, as our final end, all actions both of men and States must be referred,

críoch dheireanach ‘An chríoch dhéanach’ is translated as ‘the latter end’ in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘(Ceithre) críocha déanacha an duine, man’s last state; the Four Last Things’ and ‘tá sé sna críocha déanacha, he is in the last extremities’. Dinneen also cites ‘ceithre críocha déidheannacha an duine’, which he explains are death, judgment, hell, heaven. He also cites ‘tá sé ’sna críochaibh déidheannacha, he is in the last extremities, at the point of death’. DIL translates ‘crích’ as (a) ‘boundary, limit (of territory), end; aim, purpose’, and (b) ‘confines, territory, district, land’. Under (a) is cited ‘go ttangador criocha deiridh don lo soin’ (i.e. evening). From Gearnon’s Parrthas an Anma (1645) are cited the four last things: ‘an bás, an breithiomhnas, ifrionn 7 flaitheamhnas’. See further the commentary on Articles 2 and 3. ‘Deireanach’, like ‘déanach’, is translated as ‘last’ in Ó Dónaill, and comes from ‘deiredach’ through the influence of ‘déidenach’ – see DIL s.v. ‘deirenach’. It is based on ‘deired’, translated as (a) ‘remainder, residue’ and (b) ‘end, rear, conclusion’ in DIL, examples of which are cited from the Glosses of the eighth century onwards. No early examples of ‘deiredach’ are cited in DIL (only a

Divergences between the official texts 1

2

3

4

5

‘From Whom is all authority’ is translated as ‘is tobar don uile údarás’ (‘who is the source of all authority’) in the Irish text. The initial capital in ‘Whom’ is not matched either in ‘chuici’ or ‘í’ in the Irish text, this being in accord with differences in orthographic convention, according to Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú. ‘As our final end’ is translated in the Irish text as ‘ós í is críoch dheireanach dúinn’, ‘as it (“í”, in reference to the grammatically feminine ‘Tríonóid’) is the final end for us’. ‘All actions both of men and States’ is translated as ‘ní amháin gníomhartha daoine ach gníomhartha Stát’ (‘not alone the actions of people but the actions of States’) in the Irish text. ‘Must be referred’ is translated in the Irish text as ‘is dírithe’, ‘are (to be) directed’.

Note that the Preamble to the 1922 Constitution reads as follows:

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few examples in all of ‘deiredach’ and ‘deirenach’ are cited), as against ‘déidenach, dídenach’, the earlier form of ‘déanach’, examples of which are cited in DIL from the eighth-century Glosses onwards. ‘Déidenach, dídenach’ are formed from ‘déiden-’ (‘last’) and ‘díden’ (‘end’). na Tríonóide Ró-Naofa ‘Rónaofa’ is translated as ‘most holy’ in Ó Dónaill. Dinneen translates ‘ró-naomhtha’ as ‘Most Holy or Sacred’ and cites ‘an Tríonóid Ró-naomhtha, the Most Holy Trinity’. The earlier form of ‘ró-’ was ‘ro-’. As stated in DIL s.v. ‘ro’, this intensive prefix with an adjective is used ‘to denote the possession of a quality in a high (but not necessarily excessive) degree; the notion of excess is sometimes implied and is usual in modern Irish’. Note that the headword is un-hyphenated in Ó Dónaill. According to the official standard, ‘proper titles’, such as ‘An Príomh-Bhreitheamh’ and ‘An tArd-Aighne’, are hyphenated and the hyphen may perhaps be so justified here. Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú refers to s47 of Graiméar Gaeilge na mBráithre Críostaí where ‘NaomhMhuire Síor-Ógh’ is cited. Also as ‘Most’ and ‘Holy’ have initial capitals, the inclination in translation would be to follow suit. ‘Trínóid’, Old Irish ‘tríndóit’, comes from Latin ‘trinitat-’ – see DIL s.v. ‘tríndóit’, where ‘chum na Tríonnóide ro naomhtha d’onórughadh’ is cited from Donlevy’s Catechism (1st edition, 1742). chuici … í As regards the lower-case initials referring to the Trinity, see s48 of Graiméar Gaeilge na mBráithre Críostaí where it is stated that initial capitals are not usually used in pronouns referring to God, with ‘is tú mo Dhia’ and ‘go dtaga do ríocht’ being cited for example. Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú remarks that while Ó Dónaill has ‘Sé’ s.v. ‘Dia’ he cites ‘tá máthair mhaith aige’. Professor Ó Murchú further remarks that it is unusual that the Trinity is referred to by the singular pronouns ‘chuici’ and ‘uaithi’, citing ‘… an Tríonoid naomhtha ’na ttrí bpearsanaibh … 7 gurab ionan aois, óige, glóir, 7 cumhachta dóibh’ from Seanmónta Chúige Uladh (ll. 1109-11). is dírithe ‘Dírigh’ is translated as (1) ‘straighten’ and (2) ‘direct’ in Ó Dónaill. ‘I refer (a case to the County Registrar, etc.)’ is translated as ‘tarchuirim (cás chun an Chláraitheora Chontae, etc.)’ in Téarmaí Dlí. Commenting on ‘tarchur’ in a draft of the direct translation below, Professor Ó Murchú remarked that this was not the sense of ‘refer’ here, recommending ‘tagairt’ instead. Commenting on ‘araon’ expressing ‘both’ in the same draft, Máirtín Ó Murchú remarked that, as there is more than one state involved, ‘both’ here refers to more than a couple.

Direct gender-proofed translation In Ainm na Tríonóide Ró-Naofa, a dtagann gach údarás uathu1 agus nach mór, mar chríoch dheireanach2 dúinn, gníomhartha uile daoine agus Stát a thagairt dóibh3,

Variants 1 ‘arb uathu a thagann gach údarás’ 2 ‘dheiridh’ 3 ‘ar chucu, mar chríoch dheireanach dúinn, a chaithfear gach gníomh de chuid fear agus Stát a thagairt’

Bunreacht na hÉireann

II TÉACS GAEILGE

Ar mbeith dúinne, muintir na hÉireann, ag admháil go huiríseal a mhéid atáimid faoi chomaoin ag Íosa Críost, ár dTiarna Dia, a thug comhfhurtacht dár sinsir i ngach cruatan ina rabhadar ar feadh na gcéadta bliain, LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

As we, the people of Ireland, are humbly admitting the extent to which we are obliged to Jesus Christ, our Lord God, who comforted our ancestors in every hardship in which they were for hundreds of years, ENGLISH TEXT

We, the people of Éire, Humbly acknowledging all our obligations to our Divine Lord, Jesus Christ, Who sustained our fathers through centuries of trial,

Divergences between the official texts 1

2

3

4

5

The lay-out of the Irish text does not correspond to the English, which has ‘We, the people of Éire’ on a separate line. ‘Our obligations to’ is translated as ‘a mhéid atáimid faoi chomaoin ag’ (‘the extent that we are under obligation to’) in the Irish text. ‘Our Divine Lord, Jesus Christ’ is translated as ‘Íosa Críost, ár dTiarna Dia’ (‘Jesus Christ, our Lord God’) in the Irish text. ‘Who sustained our fathers’ is translated as ‘a thug comhfhurtacht dár sinsir’ (‘who gave consolation to our ancestors’) in the Irish text. ‘Through centuries of trial’ is translated as ‘i ngach cruatan ina rabhadar ar feadh na gcéadta bliain’ (‘in every hardship in which they were for hundreds of years’) in the Irish text.

Commentary Ar mbeith dúinne The preposition ‘ar’ plus the verbal noun of the substantive verb ‘bí’, plus the first person plural of the prepositional pronoun ‘do’, with which the first person plural suffix ‘-ne’ coalesces. See Ó Dónaill s.v. ‘ar’ (14) (with verbal noun), ‘(b) (Action) Ar éirí dom, when I get, got, up. Ar a theacht, on his coming’. ‘Ar mbeith’ would generally be replaced today by ‘Ar bheith’. go huiríseal ‘Uiríseal’ is translated as (1) ‘lowly, humble’ and (2) ‘base, servile’ in Ó Dónaill. The earlier form, ‘airísel’, which is based on ‘ísel’, is translated as ‘very low’ in DIL, an example of ‘co airísel’ in the sense of ‘in a low voice’ being cited from the twelfth-century manuscript, the Book of Leinster. faoi chomaoin ‘Comaoin’ is translated as ‘consideration’ in Téarmaí Dlí. Ó Dónaill translates ‘bheith faoi chomaoin ag duine’ as ‘to be under a compliment, beholden to someone’ and cites ‘tá mé faoi chomaoin agat, I am obliged to you’. Dinneen translates ‘comaoin’ as ‘a counter-gift, consideration, favour, recompense, complement’ and translates ‘táim fá chomaoin agat’ as ‘you have


A study of the Irish text

done me a favour, I am under an obligation to you’. The earlier form, ‘commaín’, is a compound of ‘com’ and ‘maín’, translated as ‘equal wealth, means’ in DIL. Commenting on a draft of the direct translation below containing ‘na comaoineacha atá curtha orainn’, Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú remarked that the plural of ‘comaoin’ in this context would be somewhat unusual. comhfhurtacht ‘Comhfhortacht’ is translated as ‘consolation, comfort’ in Ó Dónaill. The form ‘fortacht’, rather than ‘furtacht’, is given in An Caighdeán Oifigiúil and, according to Ó Dónaill, ‘comhfhortacht’ is the standard headword. Dinneen translates ‘cómhfhortacht’ as ‘act of consoling, comforting; comfort, aid, consolation; full relief, . help, or comfort’. ‘Comfortacht’, based on ‘fortacht’, is translated as ‘act of helping, comforting; help; comfort, relief’ in DIL – no early examples are cited. rabhadar The synthetic form of the substantive verb – the analytic form, ‘raibh siad’, generally replaces this in writing today. See the commentary on Article 14.5.1o regarding synthetic and analytic forms of the verb. cruatan This headword is translated as ‘hardship, want’ in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘cruatan a fhulaingt, to endure hardship’ and the saying ‘tagann an cruatan i ndiaidh an chaite, waste makes want’. Dinneen translates ‘cruadhtan’ as ‘difficulty, hardship, distress’ and cites ‘mám an chruadhtain, the yoke of misery; an cruadhtan, the busy season’. The earliest examples of this word, which is based on ‘crúaid’ (‘hard’), seem to mean ‘hard ground’ but we find the meaning ‘hardship’ in Pádraigín Haicéad’s seventeenth-century poetry and, in the translation Trompa na bhFlaitheas (1755), we find ‘trésan uile shórt cruatain’ – see DIL s.v. ‘crúatan’. ‘Triail’ is translated as ‘trial, test’ in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘is crua an triail orthu é, it is a sore trial for them’ and ‘ba mhór an triail a bhí ann, he showed great endurance’. Commenting on ‘trí na céadta bliain de thrialacha’ in a draft of the direct translation below, Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú remarked that this plural would only have the literal sense and recommends retaining ‘cruatan’ or substituting the singular ‘de threabhlaid’, ‘d’anró’ or ‘d’fhulaingt’. sinsir This headword is translated as ‘ascendants’ in Téarmaí Dlí – see the commentary on Article 1. Ó Dónaill has ‘ancestor’ as a secondary sense of ‘athair’, as have Dinneen and DIL, and translates ‘ár n-aithreacha romhainn’ as ‘our fathers before us’. However, as Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú remarks, ‘aithreacha’ would not suit here as regards gender-proofing, remarking further that ‘aithreacha’ adheres very much to its literal meaning. ár dTiarna Dia ‘An Tiarna (Dia)’ is translated as ‘the Lord (God)’ in Ó Dónaill, who also cites ‘Ár dTiarna (Íosa Críost), Our Lord (Jesus Christ)’. ‘An Tighearna’ is translated as ‘the Lord’ in Dinneen. ‘Tigerna’ is translated as ‘lord, superior, chief’ in DIL, citing examples of the meaning ‘God’ from an early Irish law-tract, as well as from two religious tracts. See further the commentary on Articles 40.3.3o and 44.2.1o. ag admháil ‘Admhaím’ is translated as ‘I acknowledge’ and ‘I confess’ in Téarmaí Dlí; ‘admhuighim’ is translated

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as ‘I confess, admit, acknowledge’ in Dinneen. The earlier form of the verb is ‘ad-daim’, which is translated as (a) ‘acknowledges, admits, concedes, confesses’, (b) ‘consents to, accedes to, grants, allows’ and (c) ‘avows, reveals, makes known, declares’ in DIL, where examples are cited from the Glosses of the eighth century onwards. ar feadh This prepositional phrase is translated as ‘during, throughout’ in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘ar feadh an lae, during the day, all day. Ar feadh bliana, for the space of a year …. Ar feadh i bhfad, for a long time’. DIL s.v. ‘ed’ (with prosthetic ‘f’ in ‘fed’ probably under the influence of ‘fot’) cites examples of ‘ar fed’ (‘during, for the period of; whilst’) from the Passions and Homilies from the Leabhar Breac (a fourteenth-century manuscript [‘er fead na bethadsa’]) onwards. ‘Trí’, ‘through’, also has the sense of ‘during the course of; throughout’ (Ó Dónaill); Dinneen cites ‘tré’n oidhche go léir, all through the night; tré saoghal na saoghal, for ever and ever, tré biotha síor, trias an saoghal síor, idem’. DIL s.v. ‘tré’, cites ‘tri rei ciana’ (‘for long times’) from the ninth-century Milan Glosses, and ‘tria nuile mbethaid’ (‘through their whole life’) from the Turin Glosses, as well as examples from later centuries. muintir na hÉireann See the commentary on Article 12.2.1o.

Standardised Irish text Ar bheith dúinne, muintir na hÉireann, ag admháil go huiríseal a mhéid atáimid faoi chomaoin ag Íosa Críost, ár dTiarna Dia, a thug comhfhortacht dár sinsir i ngach cruatan ina raibh siad ar feadh na gcéadta bliain,

Direct gender-proofed translation Déanaimid, muintir na hÉireann, leis seo, Ag admháil dúinn go huiríseal an chomaoin atá curtha orainn ag ár dTiarna Íosa Críost, a chothaigh ár sinsir trí na céadta bliain de chruatan1,

Variant 1 ‘d’fhulaingt’

III TÉACS GAEILGE

Agus ar mbeith dúinn ag cuimhneamh go buíoch ar a chalmacht a rinneadarsan troid gan staonadh chun an neamhspleáchas is dual dár Náisiún a bhaint amach, LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

And as we gratefully remember how bravely they fought ceaselessly to achieve the independence which is the intrinsic right of our Nation, ENGLISH TEXT

Gratefully remembering their heroic and unremitting struggle to regain the rightful independence of our Nation,


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Divergences between the official texts 1

2

The Irish text has ‘chun an neamhspleáchas is dual dár Náisiún a bhaint amach’ (‘to gain the rightful independence of our Nation’) as against the English text’s ‘to regain’ it – note, however, the strength of ‘is dual do’, which has among its senses ‘that belongs to’, so that gaining it is really regaining it. ‘Their heroic and unremitting struggle’ is translated as ‘a chalmacht a rinneadarsan troid gan staonadh’ (‘how bravely they fought without cessation’) in the Irish text.

Commentary a bhaint amach ‘Bain amach’, literally ‘take out’, also has the sense of ‘gain’. Ó Dónaill cites ‘clú, ceart, a bhaint amach, to gain a reputation, a right’ and ‘daingean a bhaint amach, to gain, capture, a fortress’. Dinneen translates ‘bainim amach’ as ‘I take possession of, I exact, I eke out, I reach, gain, I rescue’. DIL s.v. ‘benaid’, cites ‘lér bhain sé a fhlaitheas … amach arís’ (‘bhain amach’ being translated there as ‘recovered’), from Keating’s seventeenth-century History of Ireland. De Bhaldraithe gives ‘bainim (áit) amach arís’ as a translation of a secondary sense of ‘regain’, giving ‘athghnóthaím, gnóthaím ar ais’ as a translation of the principal sense. Commenting on a draft of the direct translation below, where ‘to regain the independence’ was translated as ‘chun an neamhspleáchas a athghnóthú’, Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú suggested ‘a bhuachan’ as an alternative to ‘a athghnóthú’. Note that De Bhaldraithe translates ‘to regain possession of something’ as ‘athsheilbh a fháil ar rud’. Note finally and incidentally that ‘who when recovering from illness would otherwise be obliged to return to work before they had regained their strength’ is translated as ‘a mbeadh orthu, mura mbeadh sin, … filleadh chun oibre sula mbeadh siad ar ais ar a neart’ in the Preamble to the Convalescent Home, Stillorgan (Charter Amendment) Act, 1958. troid a dhéanamh ‘Troid’, translated as ‘fight, quarrel’ in Ó Dónaill, is given as the verbal noun of ‘troid’. Dinneen translates this headword as ‘act of fighting, struggling or wrangling, a fight or struggle, a quarrel or wrangle, opposition, resistance’. Unlike ‘cath’ and ‘comrac’, for example, we find no examples of ‘troit’ in the Glosses of the eighth and ninth centuries; it is cited, however, in the twelfth century Book of Leinster – see DIL, s.v. ‘troit’ (‘fight, battle, quarrel’). ‘Gleic’ would be the usual translation of ‘struggle’ today. ‘During the struggle to bring about the establishment of the First Dáil Éireann’ is translated as ‘le linn na gleice chun an Chéad Dáil Éireann … do bhunú’ in the Long Title of the Indemnity Act, 1924, for example. ‘Gleic’ is translated as ‘(act of) wrestling, fighting; struggle, contest’ in Ó Dónaill and as ‘a wrestling, a contending, a struggle, a contest, act of contending, struggling’ in Dinneen. DIL translates ‘glecc’ as ‘wrestling, a struggle, a contest’, citing an example from Leabhar na hUidhre, completed by 1106. go buíoch ‘Buíoch’ is translated as (1) ‘thankful’ and (2) ‘pleased, satisfied’ in Ó Dónaill. The form ‘buidheach’ is found in Dinneen, who translates this headword as

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‘thankful, grateful, obliged, kindly disposed, pleasing’. The Old Irish form ‘buidech’ glosses Latin ‘contentus’ and ‘gratus’ and is translated as ‘well-disposed, pleased, satisfied, sated, grateful, thankful’ in DIL, citing ‘go … buidheach’ (= ‘thankfully’) from Donlevy’s Catechism (1742). a chalmacht ‘Calmacht’ is translated as ‘stalwartness; bravery, strength’ in Ó Dónaill and as ‘bravery, courage, strength’ in Dinneen. This abstract noun is itself based on the abstract noun ‘calma’, ‘strength; bravery, deeds of valour’; the adjective ‘calma’ is translated as ‘strong, brave, valiant’ in DIL, where it is stated that the relationship to English and French ‘calm(e)’ is obscure. ‘A’, leniting, is a particle used with abstract nouns to denote degree – see Ó Dónaill, who translates this particle as ‘how’, citing ‘a ghéire a labhair sí, how sharply she spoke’. a rinneadarsan The synthetic form of the third person plural, perfect tense, of ‘déan’, plus the plural emphatic suffix – see Ó Dónaill s.v. ‘-san’, who cites ‘ach rinneadarsan an obair, but it was they who did the work’. See the commentary on Article 14.5.1o regarding synthetic and analytic forms of the verb. Today in the Acts ‘rinneadar’ would be rendered as ‘rinne siad’, i.e. the analytic form. staonadh This headword is translated as ‘forbearance’ in Téarmaí Dlí. It is the verbal noun of ‘staon’, translated as ‘stop, desist; abstain, forbear; draw back, flinch’ in Ó Dónaill, who translates ‘gan staonadh’ as ‘without stop’ and cites ‘fearthainn gan staonadh, incessant rain’ and ‘gan stad (sos, stop) gan staonadh, without stop or stay’. Dinneen cites ‘ní raibh maide rámha gan staonadh, no oar but was strained (in the rowing)’. O’Daly’s Poets and Poetry of Munster and two volumes of the Transactions of the Ossianic Society are the only sources for the late examples of the verb ‘staonaid’, ‘refrains, desists, hangs back’, cited in DIL. neamhspleáchas This headword is translated as ‘independence’ in Ó Dónaill. The noun ‘neamh-spleádh’, ‘independence’, and the adjective ‘neamh-spleádhach’, ‘independent’, are given in Dinneen. ‘Spleadhachas’ is translated as ‘flattery, boasting, romance, exploits, dependence’ in Dinneen, where ‘gan spleadhachas’ is translated as ‘independent, regardless of consequence’. ‘Spledachus’ is translated as ‘flattery’ in DIL. See further the commentary on Articles 5 and 35.2. is dual do ‘Dual’ is translated as (1) ‘native, natural (do, to)’, (2) ‘proper, fitting’ and (3) ‘in the natural order of things; fated; possible’ in Ó Dónaill. Under (1) Ó Dónaill cites ‘an rud is dual do dhuine a dhéanamh, what is natural for one to do, what one may be expected to do’ and ‘ba dhual sin dó ón dá thaobh, he took that from both sides of the family’. Under (2) he cites ‘an áit, an oidhreacht, is dual dó, his rightful place, inheritance’ and ‘is dual dó é, it is his due’. Under the third group of senses Ó Dónaill cites ‘dúirt sé gur dhual don mhac a bheith in aghaidh an athar, he said that it was fated for son to oppose father’. Dinneen translates ‘dual’ as ‘that which is natural, hereditary, bounden, expected’, and cites ‘ba dhual dó é dhéanamh, it was according to his kind to do it’. DIL translates ‘dúal’, with the preposition ‘do’, as ‘that


A study of the Irish text

which belongs or is proper to an individual by nature or descent; kind, natural’ and cites an example of the sense ‘belonging to by right or descent, right, possession’ from the twelfth-century Book of Leinster. Looking at ‘rightful’ in the Acts, ‘that he is the rightful holder of a particular supplementary unemployment book’ is translated as ‘gurb é is sealbhóir dlisteanach ar leabhar dífhostaíochta forlíontach áirithe’ in s262(2) of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 1981, and as ‘gurb é sealbhóir dleathach leabhair áirithe díomhaointis fhoirlíontaigh’ in s42(2) of the Insurance (Intermittent Unemployment) Act, 1942. Finally, ‘the District Justice may order such books or money to be delivered to the rightful owner thereof’ is translated as ‘féadfidh an Giúistís Dúithche a ordú go dtíolacfar na hearraí no an t-airgead san don té gur leis iad le ceart’ in s5(1) of the Public Safety (Punishment of Offences) Temporary Act, 1924.

Standardised Irish text Agus ar bheith dúinn ag cuimhneamh go buíoch ar a chalmacht a rinne siadsan troid gan staonadh chun an neamhspleáchas is dual dár Náisiún a bhaint amach,

Direct translation Ag cuimhneamh go buíoch dúinn ar a ngleic laochta gan staonadh chun athsheilbh a fháil ar an neamhspleáchas is dual dár Náisiún1,

Variants 1 ‘is lenár Náisiún le ceart’, ‘chun an neamhspleáchas is dual dár Náisiún a bhuachan / a athghnóthú’

IV TÉACS GAEILGE

Agus ar mbeith dúinn á chur romhainn an mhaitheas phoiblí a chur ar aghaidh maille le Críonnacht agus le hIonracas agus le Carthanacht de réir mar is cuí, ionas go dtiocfaidh linn a uaisleacht agus a shaoirse a chur in áirithe do gach aon duine, saol ceart comhdhaonnach a bhunú, aiseag a haontachta a thabhairt dár dtír, agus comhcharadra a dhéanamh le náisiúin eile, LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

And as we are setting out to advance the public good with Wisdom and Integrity and Charity as is appropriate, so that we can ensure his nobility and his freedom to every individual, to establish a proper societal life, to give the restoration of her unity to our country, and to make mutual alliance with other nations, ENGLISH TEXT

And seeking to promote the common good, with due observance of Prudence, Justice and Charity, so that the dignity and freedom of the individual may be assured, true social order attained, the unity of our country restored, and concord established with other nations,

Divergences between the official texts 1

The Irish text can be read as if the final three clauses, beginning with ‘saol ceart comhdhaonnach a bhunú’,

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2

3

4

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were following on from ‘Agus ar mbeith dúinn á chur romhainn’ (‘And seeking to’) rather than following from ‘ionas go dtiocfaidh linn’ (‘so that we can’). ‘Aiseag a haontachta a thabhairt dár dtír’ would not be readily understood today, ‘aiseag’ being disadvantaged by having the sense of ‘vomit’. ‘With due observance of Prudence ….’ is translated as ‘le Críonnacht … de réir mar is cuí’ (‘with Prudence … as is appropriate’) in the Irish text. The term translating ‘social’ in the Irish text, ‘comhdhaonnach’, has been superseded by ‘sóisialta’/ ‘sóisialach’.

Commentary aiseag This headword is translated as ‘restitution’ in Téarmaí Dlí where ‘aiseag chearta an phósta, restitution of conjugal rights’ and ‘eascaire aisig, writ of restitution’ are cited. Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú cites ‘fuair sé aiseag a amhairc’ from An tAthair Peadar. ‘Aiseag’ is translated as ‘restoration, restitution’ in Ó Dónaill, but is more common today in Ó Dónaill ’s secondary sense of ‘vomit, emetic’. Dinneen translates ‘aiseag’ as ‘restitution; repayment; recovery; restoration; act of vomiting; the thing vomited; disgust, nausea, loathing’, citing ‘tabhair aiseag ’na bheathaidh dó, restore to him his means of livelihood’ as well as ‘chuirfeadh sé ag aiseag mé, it would make me vomit’. DIL s.v. ‘aisec’ (‘act of restoring, giving back; restitution, restoration’), cites ‘asec a rige fein do’ from the Annals of Connacht, 1250. The difference in the sense of ‘taisecc’, verbal noun of ‘do-aisicc’, translated as ‘restoring, restitution’ in DIL, is not clear, according to DIL (s.v. ‘taisecc’). aontachta ‘Aontacht’ is translated as (1) ‘oneness, unity’, (2) ‘union’, (3) ‘unanimity’ and (4) ‘simplicity’ in Ó Dónaill and as ‘unity, agreement, singleness, solitariness, celibacy’ in Dinneen. ‘Oendacht’ is translated as (a) ‘oneness, unity, indivisibility’ and (2) ‘simplicity, ingenuousness’ (only one example cited, from Betha Colaim Chille) in DIL. á chur romhainn ‘Cuir roimh’ is translated literally as ‘put, place, send, before’ in Ó Dónaill and also as ‘set before (as aim)’, citing ‘rud a chur romhat (féin), to set oneself to do something’. Dinneen translates ‘cuirim rómham’ as ‘I propose for myself, decide, undertake, put in front of myself’. See DIL s.v. ‘cuirid’, with ‘ré’. Críonnacht This abstract noun is translated as ‘wisdom, prudence; shrewdness, sagacity’, as well as ‘thriftiness’ and ‘maturity; old age’ in Ó Dónaill and as ‘wisdom, prudence, thrift; cleverness; age, longevity; old withered refuse’ in Dinneen. ‘Crínnacht’, translated as ‘prudence, wisdom’ in DIL, is based on the adjective ‘crínna’ (translated as ‘old, aged; experienced, prudent, wise’ in DIL), which is a development of the adjective ‘crín’, translated as ‘withered, decayed; old, decrepit’ in DIL. ‘Manage the affairs of the society with prudence, integrity and adequate professional skills’ is translated as ‘gnóthaí an chumainn … a bhainistí go críonna agus go hionraic agus leis na scileanna gairmiúla leordhóthanacha’ in s17(4)(a)(iii) of the Building Societies Act, 1989. Commenting on ‘críonnacht’ in the direct translation below, Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú remarks that it still


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retains some of the sense of age and suggests ‘gaois’ and ‘ciall’ as alternatives. comhdhaonnach This compound is translated as ‘social, companionable’ in Ó Dónaill, who translates ‘saol ceart comhdhaonnach’ as ‘true social order’. See the commentary on Article 15.3.1o. comhcharadra This compound is translated as ‘concord’ in Ó Dónaill, preceded by the abbreviation for ‘history; historical’. Dinneen does not seem to have this headword but translates ‘cómhcháirdeas’ as ‘mutual friendship’. Ó Dónaill has ‘caradradh, caradras = cairdeas’. The one example of ‘comcharatrad’ cited in DIL (from the Irish version of Lucan’s Pharsalia) is translated as ‘mutual friendship’. Ionracas This headword is translated as (1) ‘uprightness, honesty, integrity’, (2) ‘artlessness, guilelessness’ and (3) ‘favour, compliment’ in Ó Dónaill, where the saying ‘tá ionracas os cionn margaidh, honesty is above bargaining, honesty is the best policy’ is cited. ‘Ionnracas’ is translated as ‘uprightness, conscientiousness, honesty; innocence, chastity; justice, fair play; compliment, mark of respect, favour; officious diligence’ in Dinneen. DIL translates ‘indracus’ as ‘worthiness, honour, integrity, innocence’. This abstract noun is based on the adjective ‘indraic’, which is formed from ‘in’ + ‘reic’, literally ‘fit for sale’ – see DIL s.v. ‘indraic’, where examples are cited from the Glosses of the eighth century onwards as well as from early Irish law-tracts, where in reference to persons it has the sense of ‘worthy, trustworthy, qualified to perform certain legal functions’. Note that ‘miscarriage of justice’ and ‘natural justice’ are translated as ‘iomrall ceartais’ and ‘ceartas aiceanta’ in Téarmaí Dlí. See the commentary on Articles 29.1 and 34.1 where ‘justice’ is respectively expressed as ‘cothrom’ and ‘ceart’. Carthanacht See the commentary on Article 45.1. Note further and incidentally that, unlike ‘grád’ (Modern Irish ‘grá’), examples of ‘serc’ (the early verbal noun of ‘caraid’), ‘love (both sacred and profane)’, according to DIL, are found in the Old Irish Glosses of the eighth and ninth centuries. ‘Carthanas’ is translated as ‘charity’ in Téarmaí Dlí, where ‘iontaobhas carthanais’ is translated as ‘charitable trust’. a chur in áirithe ‘In áirithe’ is translated as ‘reserved, engaged’ in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘suíochán a chur in áirithe, to book a seat’ and ‘culaith a chur in áirithe, to bespeak a suit’. Dinneen translates ‘cuirim i n-áirithe’ as ‘I engage, secure’. See the commentary on Article 15.10. an mhaitheas phoiblí This phrase is translated as ‘the common good’ in Téarmaí Dlí. Ó Dónaill translates ‘an mhaitheas phoiblí’ as ‘the common weal’, while Dinneen translates ‘an maitheas poiblidhe’ as ‘the public good’ s.v. ‘maitheas’. ‘Poiblí’ is translated as ‘public’ in Ó Dónaill, while ‘poiblidhe’ is translated as ‘public, common, well-known’ in Dinneen, who here translates ‘an mhaitheas poiblidhe’ as ‘the public weal’. DIL s.v. ‘maithes’, cites two examples (with ‘maithes’ in the sense of ‘welfare, weal’) from the seventeenth century: ‘a mbearar … do

Bunreacht na hÉireann

bhreathaibh díorgha dlighe isin maitheas phuiblidhe’ (‘in the common weal’) from the ‘Contention of the Bards’ and ‘na seacht gcéime onóra bhíos corónta san maitheas phuiblidhe, mar atáid pápa, impir, rí, etc.’, from Keating’s Three Shafts of Death. See the commentary on Article 6.1, where we find ‘leas an phobail’ expressing ‘the common good’, as it does in general in the Constitution. uaisleacht See the commentary on Article 40.2.1o where this headword expresses ‘nobility’. This abstract noun is translated as ‘nobility, gentility’ in Ó Dónaill, to which Dinneen adds ‘generosity, refinement; finery’, citing ‘ar aon dul in uaisleacht, of equal dignity’. DIL translates ‘úaislecht’ as ‘nobility, honour, greatness’. This word is based on ‘úaisle’, translated as ‘nobility, dignity’ in DIL. Dinneen s.v. ‘dighnit’ (‘dignity’), states ‘used as far back as 1500’ and cites ‘fear dighnite móire, a man of high position’ from the Annals of Ulster. DIL s.v. ‘dignit’, an English or Romance loanword, gives examples in particular from the seventeenth-century works of Keating. T.F. O’Rahilly includes it in his ‘English words rooted in Irish before 1580’ – see L. Mc Cionnaith s.v. ‘dignity’, who also cites ‘my dignity was never upset, níor gabhadh do chosaibh im dhighnit riamh’ from the Munster Irish of Seán Tóibín, Murcha Dubh. ionas go dtiocfaidh linn Note that the form of this verb is ‘go dtiocfadh’ in the original text, that is, the conditional rather than the future tense. de réir mar is cuí ‘De réir’ is translated as ‘in accordance with, according to’ in Ó Dónaill, who cites ‘de réir mar a chuala mé, according to what I have heard’ and ‘de réir mar is mian leat, according as you wish’. Ó Dónaill translates ‘cuí’ as ‘fitting, proper’, and ‘mar is cuí’ as ‘as is proper’. Dinneen translates ‘do réir’ as ‘agreeable to, according to, after, at the disposal of’ and ‘do réir mar’ as ‘according as, while, as’, citing ‘do réir mar thiocfaidh linn, as we shall have occasion’ and ‘do réir mar chífead, according to what I shall find, according to circumstances’. ‘Mar is cuibhe’ is translated as ‘as is becoming’ in Dinneen. DIL s.v. ‘ríar’, cites two examples of ‘do réir’, in the sense of ‘according to’, with ‘mar’, both from the seventeenth century: ‘do réir mar ráinig a leas, according as the need had arisen’ (from the ‘Contention of the Bards’) and ‘do réir mar léaghthar san ochtmhadh caibidil’ (from Keating’s Three Shafts of Death). DIL s.v. ‘cubaid’ (a compound of ‘com’ + ‘fid’ [‘tree, wood, timber’]), translated as (a) ‘harmonious, in accord, agreeing’ and ‘fitting, meet, - iomchair an becoming; proper, right’, cites ‘neach nar umhla mar budh cubaidh’ (i.e. a person who did not carry humility as was meet) from the seventeenth-century Beatha San Froinsias. See further the commentary on Article 43.2.1o. a chur ar aghaidh Ó Dónaill translates ‘cuir ar aghaidh é’ as ‘put it forward’ and cites ‘scéim a chur ar aghaidh, to promote a scheme’ – see the commentary on Article 1.

Standardised gender-proofed Irish text Agus ar bheith dúinn á chur romhainn an mhaitheas phoiblí a chur ar aghaidh maille le Críonnacht agus le hIonracas agus le Carthanacht de réir mar is cuí, ionas go


A study of the Irish text

dtiocfaidh linn uaisleacht agus saoirse gach aon duine a chur in áirithe, saol ceart comhdhaonnach a bhunú, aiseag a haontachta a thabhairt dár dtír, agus comhcharadra a dhéanamh le náisiúin eile,

Direct translation Agus ag iarraidh dúinn an mhaitheas phoiblí a chur chun cinn, le meas cuí ar an gCríonnacht1, ar an gCeartas2 agus ar an gCarthanacht,3 chun go ndéanfar dínit agus saoirse an duine aonair a áirithiú, fíor-ord sóisialach a bhaint amach, aontacht ár dtíre a thabhairt ar ais, agus comhcharadra a bhunú le náisiúin eile,

Variants 1 ‘ar an nGaois’ 2 ‘ar an gCóir’ 3 ‘leis an gCríonnacht, leis an gCeartas agus leis an gCarthanacht á n-urramú go cuí,’

V TÉACS GAEILGE

Atáimid leis seo ag gabháil an Bhunreachta seo chugainn, agus á achtú agus á thíolacadh dúinn féin. LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

We are hereby adopting this Constitution, and enacting it and dedicating it to ourselves. ENGLISH TEXT

Do hereby adopt, enact, and give to ourselves this Constitution.

Divergences between the official texts 1

‘Give to ourselves’ is translated more poetically – perhaps with religious intonations – as ‘á thíolacadh dúinn féin’, ‘dedicating it to ourselves’, in the Irish text.

Staidéar ar an téacs Gaeilge

‘gabhaim chum’ as ‘I take or receive for myself, take to heart, adopt, suffer’ and cites ‘ná gabh chughat m’éagnach, take not my reproaches to heart’, from the seventeenthcentury ‘Contention of the Bards’. See DIL s.v. ‘gaibid co’, ‘takes to oneself, receives’, with a reference to Keating’s seventeenth-century Three Shafts of Death. ‘“Adoptable powers” means powers which … must … be adopted by the society and “adopt” or “adopted” means adopt or adopted on the formation of the society or subsequently by a special resolution’ is translated as ‘ciallaíonn “cumhachtaí inghlactha” cumhachtaí nach mór … a bheith glactha ag an gcumann … agus ciallaíonn “glacadh” nó “glactha” glacadh nó ghlactha, trí chomhaontú, ar fhoirmiú an chumainn nó trí rún speisialta dá éis sin’ in s2 of the Building Societies Act, 1989. In s10 of the ‘Sligo County Scheme’ in the Schedule to the Local Government (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923, ‘The Committee shall adopt such Standing Orders and Regulations as shall be deemed necessary’ is translated as ‘Glacfaidh an Coiste le pé Buanórduithe agus Rialacháin is gá’. Commenting on the variant direct translation below of ‘a ghabháil chugainn féin’, Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú remarks that it is somewhat too strong, with the sense of ‘make our own of’. á thíolacadh ‘Tíolacaim’ is translated as ‘I convey’ in Téarmaí Dlí. Ó Dónaill translates ‘tíolaic’ as (1) ‘bestow’, (2) ‘dedicate’ and (3) ‘convey’, citing ‘thíolaic sí a beatha do Dhia, she dedicated her life to God’ under ‘tíolaic’ (2). Dinneen translates ‘tiodhlaicim’ as ‘I convey, deliver, present, bestow, offer, grant, deliver up, conduct, convoy, escort’. The earlier form of the verb, ‘do-indnaig’, is translated as ‘gives, bestows, grants, hands over (with do of recipient)’ in DIL, where examples from the Glosses of the eighth century onwards are cited.

Direct translation An Bunreacht seo a ghlacadh, a achtú agus a thabhairt dúinn féin1.

Commentary ag gabháil … chugainn Ó Dónaill cites ‘gabh chugat an scian, take (hold of) the knife’. Dinneen translates

697

Variant 1 ‘a ghabháil chugainn féin’


698

The Constitution of Ireland

Bunreacht na hÉireann

APPENDIX 2 FOSCRÍBHINN 2 TÉARMAÍ DLÍ

LEGAL TERMS

The following is a table of terms in the Constitution which differ from those in Téarmaí Dlí – see the English Index for references to the Articles in which these terms and phrases occur. Where the Irish term in the Constitution expressing an English headword below is differently translated in Téarmaí Dlí that is included at the end of the entry from Téarmaí Dlí. CONSTITUTION

TÉARMAÍ DLÍ

acquire

acquired by the State: a thiocfas i seilbh an Stáit

after-acquired property: maoin iarfhaighte seilbh: possession

actual

without any actual election: gan é a dhul faoi thoghadh; in the case of actual invasion: i gcás ionraidh; actual conditions: cor an lae

actual bodily harm: díobháil choirp; actual delivery: seachadadh iarbhír; actual loss: caillteanas iarbhír

affection

without affection or ill-will towards any man: gan bá gan drochaigne chun duine ar bith

natural love and affection: grá agus gean nádúrtha

affirm

deimhnigh; dearbhaigh

I affirm (decree etc.): daingním; I affirm (as an unsworn witness): dearbhascaim deimhním: I certify, I vouch dearbhaím: I declare

agree

réitigh

I agree: comhaontaím

alienation

sannadh

coimhthiú sannadh: assignment

allege

abair a person alleged to be detained: duine a deirtear a bheith á choinneáil

I allege: líomhnaím

allow

lig do the High Court shall … allow the said person to be at liberty: ní foláir don Ard-Chúirt … ligean don duine sin a shaoirse a bheith aige

I allow (a question, costs, etc.): ceadaím

appear

to appear at the investigation: bheith i láthair ar an scrúdú

I appear (in Court): láithrím

appropriate

leithghabháil

I appropriate: dílsím chugam

approval

comhaontú; sásta le; aontú

formheas

approve

toiligh le

I approve: formheasaim

armed rebellion

ceannairc faoi arm

ceannairc faoi airm

assign

counsel assigned by the Court: abhcóidí a thoghfar ag an gCúirt

I assign: sannaim

attach

power to attach penalties for their infringement: de chumhacht acu pionós a cheapadh do lucht a sáraithe sin

I attach (for contempt, etc.): astaím

authenticate

fíoraigh

I authenticate: fíordheimhním

698


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699

TÉARMAÍ DLÍ

body

vested in any person or body: is le haon duine nó le haon dream

body corporate: comhlacht corpraithe

capacity

differences of capacity, physical and moral: (don) difríocht atá idir daoine ina mbuanna corpartha agus ina mbuanna morálta

cáil personal capacity: cáil phearsanta; testamentary capacity: inniúlacht tiomnaithe

capital

capital cases: cásanna breithe báis

capital offence: cion báis

case stated

cás ríofa

cás sonraithe I state (a case): sonraím (cás) ríomhaim: I compute; cuntas ríofa: account stated

casting vote

vóta cinniúna

vóta réitigh

certified

faoi theastas

certified copy: cóip dheimhnithe

charge

invoking a charge upon public funds: a chuirfeadh costas ar an gciste poiblí

muirear land improvement charge: muirear feabhsaithe talún

children

clann

the Children’s Court: an Chúirt Leanaí

the common good

leas an phobail

an mhaitheas phoiblí leas: interest (i.e. beneficial)

commute/commutation

maolú

iomalairt I commute: iomalartaím maolú: mitigation

condition

cúinse

coinníoll

consent

toil

toiliú tionóntacht ar toil: tenancy at will

control

for the regulation and control … of the exercise of the right: chun oibriú an chirt … a rialú agus a stiúradh

I control: rialaím

corporate

private and corporate educational initiative tionscnamh oideachais idir phríobháideach agus chumannta

body corporate: comhlacht corpraithe

custody

coinneáil

coimeád coinneáil: detention

decide

the Court decides that: más é breith na Cúirte

I decide: breithním

declare

The Oireachtas shall not declare acts to be infringements of the law: Ní cead don Oireachtas a rá gur sárú dlí gníomhartha; War shall not be declared: ní dleathach cogadh a fhógairt

I declare: dearbhaím; dying declaration: dearbhú i mbéal báis

dedicate

dedicate my abilities: mo lándícheall a dhéanamh

I dedicate: toirbhrím

defer

moilligh

deferred share: scair iarchurtha

detain

coinnigh ina bhrá

I detain: coinním

detention

braighdeanas

coinneáil

develop

cuir ar aghaidh

development scheme: scéim forbartha

stiúraim: I conduct (case, etc.)


700

The Constitution of Ireland

Bunreacht na hÉireann

CONSTITUTION direct

direction

such one of the judges of that Court as that Court shall direct: an duine sin de bhreithiúna na Cúirte sin a cheapfaidh an Chúirt sin chuige sin; if the President of the High Court … directs: má dhéanann Uachtarán na hArd-Chúirte … a ordú ordú

TÉARMAÍ DLÍ I direct (jury): treoraím ceapaim: I appoint ordaím: I order

treorú ordú: order

discretion

in his absolute discretion: as a chomhairle féin

judicial discretion: rogha bhreithiúnach; at the discretion of: faoi rogha; I exercise discretion: déanaim rogha comhairle: advice

dispute

achrann

díospóid

disqualify

cuir faoi dhícháilíocht

I disqualify: dícháilím

distribution

distribution of business: gnó a roinnt orthu

I distribute: dáilim; Statutes of Distribution: Reachtanna an Dáilte

document

scríbhinn

doiciméad

enrol

cuir isteach ina iris

I enrol: rollaím; enrolment: rollú

enter

dul isteach i

I break and enter: brisim agus iontrálaim

entitled

No person shall be entitled to: Ní cead d’aon duine

absolutely entitled: i dteideal iomlán

except

No law shall be enacted excepting from the appellate jurisdiction: Ní cead aon dlí a achtú a chuirfeadh ar an taobh amuigh de dhlínse achomhairc

I except: eiscim

exclude

No person may be excluded from Irish nationality: Ní cead náisiúntacht Éireann a cheilt ar dhuine ar bith

I exclude: eisiaim; excluding: ag eisiamh ceilt bhreithe: concealment of birth

exclusive

The sole and exclusive power of making laws is vested in the Oireachtas: Bheirtear don Oireachtas amháin an t-aon chumhacht chun dlíthe a dhéanamh

exclusive right: ceart eisiatach

execute

comhlíon

I execute (i.e. an order, deed, etc.): forghníomhaím comhlíonaim: I comply with; I conform with; I perform

execution

for the execution of the said sentence of death: chun an bhreith bháis sin a fheidhmiú

execution order: ordú forghníomhaithe; stay of execution: bac ar fhorghníomhú

expiration

at the expiration of: i gceann; before the expiration of: go ceann

on the expiration of the lease: ar éag don léas

forcible

foréigneach

forneartach foréigneach: violent

future

the future acquisition: fáil feasta

future debt: fiach todhchaí

general

general guidance: gnáth-threoir

general agent: gníomhaire ginearálta; general meeting: cruinniú ginearálta: gnáthchruinniú: ordinary meeting

the common good

leas an phobail

an mhaitheas phoiblí


A study of the Irish text

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CONSTITUTION

701

TÉARMAÍ DLÍ

goods

external goods: maoin shaolta

earraí I pass off goods as those of another: tairgim earraí i leith is gur earraí duine eile iad maoin: property

ground

on the ground of: mar gheall ar

on ground of: ar fhoras

holder

the holder of the office: an té a bheas i seilbh na hoifige

sealbhóir holder for value: sealbhóir ar luach-chomaoin

inadequate

nach leor

inadequate consideration: comaoin neamhleor

incapacity

míthreoir

éagumas permanent incapacity: éagumas buan míthreoraím: I misdirect; míthreorú: misdirection

incidental

incidental to: a bhfuil baint aige le

risk incidental to the employment: fiontar a ghabhas leis an bhfostaíocht

incite

saighid

I incite: gríosaím; incitement: gríosú

include

The Courts of First Instance shall include: Beidh ar na Cúirteanna Céadchéime

I include: folaím

inconsistent

to the extent that they are not inconsistent therewith: sa mhéid nach bhfuilid ina choinne

inconsistent with: ar neamhréir le

indecent

graosta

mígheanasach graosta: obscene

intention

unless the contrary intention appears: mura léir a mhalairt d’intinn ina thaobh

notice of intention to claim relief: fógra go bhfuiltear chun faoiseamh a éileamh

invalid

shall be invalid: beidh sé gan bhail; no adoption shall be invalid: ní bheidh aon uchtáil ó bhail dlí

neamhbhailí

issue

cuir amach

I issue: eisím

jury

coiste tiomanta

giúiré coiste iniúchta: committee of inspection

justice

cothrom; ceart; ionracas

miscarriage of justice: iomrall ceartais; natural justice: ceartas aiceanta ceart: right

knowledge

to the best of my knowledge and power: chomh maith agus is eol agus is cumas dom; persons having knowledge of the following interests: daoine ag a mbeidh eolas ar na gnóthaí seo a leanas

positive law

reacht daonna

guilty knowledge: fios ciontach; unlawful carnal knowledge: fios collaí neamhdhleathach

dlí daonna Reacht na dTréimhsí: Statute of Limitations

liability

féichiúnas

dliteanas féichiúnaí: debtor

matter

a matter of such grave import: chomh tábhachtach sin

ábhar in the matter of: maidir le

means

the means of making reasonable provision for their domestic needs: caoi chun soláthar réasúnta a dhéanamh do riachtanais a dteaghlach

with no visible means of subsistence: gan a chuma air cóir mhaireachtála a bheith aige


702

The Constitution of Ireland

Bunreacht na hÉireann

CONSTITUTION

TÉARMAÍ DLÍ

meeting

tionól

cruinniú tionól neamhdhleathach: unlawful assembly

notice of motion

fógra tairisceana

fógra foriarratais

molest

any person interfering with, molesting … its members: aon duine … a dhéanfadh cur isteach nó toirmeasc ar a chomhaltaí

I molest: cuirim isteach ar

movable

so-aistrithe

so-chorraithe

nuisance

cránas

núis

nullify

cuir ar neamhní

I nullify: neamhním

official

official residence: stát-áras

official assignee: an sannaí oifigiúil; official receiver: glacadóir oifigiúil Stát-fhiach: State debt

open

in open court: sa chúirt go poiblí

hearing in open court: éisteacht i gcúirt oscailte ceart slí poiblí: public right of way

operate

shall operate to: is é is feidhm do

I operate: oibrím cuirim i bhfeidhm:I enforce; i bhfeidhm: in force

ownership

period

the ownership … of the material resources of the community: dílse … gustail shaolta an phobail; private ownership: a bheith aige dá chuid féin ré; téarma; tráth

úinéireacht dílsím: I vest extension of period: fadú tréimhse; I extend the period: fadaím an tréimhse tionóntacht ar feadh téarma blianta: tenancy for a term of years

petitioner

petitioners: an lucht achainí

achainíoch

positive law

reacht daonna

dlí daonna reacht: statute

possess

tá aige

possess and receive … order to: ordú … a shealbhú agus a ghlacadh

preference

in violation of their … lawful preference: in aghaidh a rogha dleathaí

fraudulent preference: tosaíocht chalaoiseach; preference share: scair thosaíochta rogha: option

presence

in the presence of: i bhfianaise

in the constructive presence of: i láthair … go hinchiallaithe

privileged

saor ar chúrsaí dlí

faoi phribhléid

prosecute

All crimes … prosecuted in any court … shall be prosecuted: i gcás gach coir dá dtugtar in aon chúirt … a dhéanfar an cúiseamh

I prosecute (a person): ionchúisím; I prosecute (appeal, proceedings, etc.): tugaim ar aghaidh

purport

a bheireann le tuiscint

I purport: airbheartaím

armed rebellion

ceannairc faoi arm

ceannairc faoi airm

refer

cuir faoi bhráid; cuir faoi bhreith

I refer (a case to the County Registrar, etc.): tarchuirim (cás chun an Chláraitheora Chontae, etc.)

reference

a chur faoi bhreith

reference (to arbitration, etc.): tarchur (chun eadrána, etc.); reference order: ordú tarchurtha


A study of the Irish text

Staidéar ar an téacs Gaeilge

CONSTITUTION

703

TÉARMAÍ DLÍ

register

rolla

clár register of agreements: clár na gcomhaontuithe rolla an ghiúiré: jury panel

Registrar

Iriseoir

Cláraitheoir County Registrar: Cláraitheoir Contae

remuneration

tuarastal

luach saothair

represent

ionadaigh

I represent the plaintiff: feidhmím ar son an ghearánaí

representative

ionadóir

personal representative: ionadaí pearsanta

repugnant to

in aghaidh

aimhréireach le

retire

dul as oifig; scoir

I retire: scoirim as oifig

review

cuir faoi léirmheas

I review: athbhreithním

rule

rule of conduct: treoir

rule of Court: riail Chúirte treoraím: I direct (jury)

satisfy

unless satisfied that: mura deimhin leis go

I satisfy: sásaím

second

as a second official language: mar theanga oifigiúil eile

second private sitting: an dara suí príobháideach

senior

in the presence of … the senior available judge: i láthair … an bhreithimh … is sinsearaí dá mbeidh ar fáil

senior counsel: abhcóide sinsir

sentence

sentence of death: breith bháis

pianbhreith I sentence: cuirim pianbhreith ar breith: decision

sign

lámh a chur le signed by: faoi láimh

I sign: síním

special

faoi leith

special agent: gníomhaire speisialta; special sitting: suí speisialta

specific

by specific enactment: in achtachán chuige sin

specific gift: bronntanas sonrach; specific performance: sainchomhlíonadh

specify

luaigh

I specify: sonraím luaim: I cite

state

luaigh; abair

I state (a case): sonraím (cás)

stated

case stated: cás ríofa

case stated: cás sonraithe cuntas ríofa: account stated

statement

léirthuairisc

ráiteas

subject to

faoi chuimsiú

faoi réir faoi chuimsiú na fostaíochta: within the scope of the employment

subsequent

subject to the subsequent provisions of this section: faoi chuimsiú na bhforálacha inár ndiaidh den alt seo

subsequent condition: iarchoinníoll

subsisting

but is a subsisting marriage: agus an pósadh sin … a bheith ann fós

ar marthain

supervision

to be prepared under his supervision: a ullmhú faoina threorú

winding up under supervision: foirceannadh faoi stiúradh treorú: direction (by judge)


704

term

The Constitution of Ireland

Bunreacht na hÉireann

CONSTITUTION

TÉARMAÍ DLÍ

the terms and conditions of the office

term (i.e., of contract, etc.): téarma

of …: coinníollacha agus cúinsí oifig an … coinníoll: condition; proviso; stipulation terminate

terminate the appointment: cuir as oifig

I terminate: foirceannaim

title

gairm title of honour: gairm onóra

teideal

transfer

to transfer … property: maoin a shannadh

I transfer: aistrím

unlawful

unlawfully: go haindleathach

unlawful assembly: tionól neamhdhleathach

valid

but is a subsisting valid marriage: agus an pósadh sin, agus bail dlí air, a bheith ann fós

bailí

validity

the question of the validity of any law: (leis) an gceist sin bail a bheith nó gan a bheith ar aon dlí áirithe

bailíocht

vest

interests … lawfully vested in any person: leasanna is le haon duine; The supreme command of the Defence Forces is hereby vested in the President: Leis seo cuirtear na Fórsaí Cosanta faoi ardcheannas an Uachtaráin

I vest: dílsím

voluntary

deonach

saorálach

work

saothar

obair luach saothair: remuneration


A study of the Irish text

Staidéar ar an téacs Gaeilge

705

APPENDIX 3 FOSCRÍBHINN 3 GENDER-PROOFING

PROMHADH

Two cases are outlined in the introductory essay where the Irish text of the Constitution could be taken into account in gender-proofing the English text. Other possible cases are examined in this appendix, which is concerned in particular with cases where there appears to be an option in how one gender-proofs the Irish text, along with the question of repetition in gender-proofing. Article 43.1.1o, ‘The State acknowledges that man, in virtue of his rational being, has the natural right … ’, is gender-proofed in the edition published by the All-Party Oireachtas Committee on the Constitution to read ‘The State acknowledges that man, a man or woman, in virtue of his or her rational being, has the natural right …’. The Irish text is as follows: ‘Admhaíonn an Stát, toisc bua an réasúin a bheith ag an duine, go bhfuil sé de cheart nádúrtha aige …’. The only emendation necessitated by gender-proofing this text is to add ‘nó aici’ to the final ‘aige’. While one would not recommend, as an alternative to the amendment ‘a man or woman’ in the English text, substituting ‘the person’ for ‘man’ above, ‘duine’ expressing ‘person’ on approximately forty occasions in the Constitution, ‘duine’ also expresses ‘individual’ both in the Preamble (‘so that the dignity and freedom of the individual may be assured’, ‘ionas go dtiocfaidh linn a uaisleacht agus a shaoirse a chur in áirithe do gach aon duine’) and in Article 45.2.iii (‘the concentration of the ownership or control of essential commodities in a few individuals’, ‘an t-urlámhas ar earraí riachtanacha a bheith ina lámha féin ag beagán daoine’). In light of this, ‘The State acknowledges that man, in virtue of his rational being, has the natural right …’ might be emended to read ‘The State acknowledges that man, the individual, in virtue of his or her rational being, has the natural right … ’. Article 12.4.5o, which reads ‘Where only one candidate is nominated for the office of President it shall not be necessary to proceed to a ballot for his election’, is genderproofed as follows:

Ó THAOBH INSCNE

An emendation similar to the above is made to the English text of Article 18.9 (‘Every member of Seanad Éireann shall … continue to hold office until the day before the polling day of the general election for Seanad Éireann next held after his election or nomination’), which is gender-proofed as follows: Every member of Seanad Éireann shall … continue to hold office until the day before the polling day of the general election for Seanad Éireann next held after his or her election or nomination.

There is another factor involved in making the genderproofed Irish and English texts of Article 12.4.5o correspond more fully to one another, that is, Article 12.7, which concludes with the clause ‘as soon as may be after the election’ – the very same clause with which the genderproofed text of that Article commences: ‘The first President shall enter upon his office as soon as may be after his the election …’. The Irish text of this Article commences and concludes as follows: Ní foláir don chéad Uachtarán dul i gcúram a oifige chomh luath agus is féidir é tar éis é a thoghadh … chomh luath agus is féidir é tar éis an toghcháin.

The same English word ‘election’ is expressed by ‘a thoghadh’ and ‘toghchán’, the first being the verbal noun and the second a noun. The above can be gender-proofed as follows: Ní foláir don chéad Uachtarán dul i gcúram a oifige chomh luath agus is féidir é tar éis é nó í a thoghadh … chomh luath agus is féidir é tar éis an toghcháin.

While one could propose emending ‘a thoghadh’ to ‘toghchán’ and reading ‘Ní foláir don chéad Uachtarán dul i gcúram a oifige chomh luath agus is féidir é tar éis é a thoghadh an toghcháin … chomh luath agus is féidir é tar éis an toghcháin’, the emendation of Article 12.4.5o to read ‘Nuair nach n-ainmnítear d’oifig an Uachtaráin ach aon iarrthóir amháin, ní gá vótáil don toghchán’ is not satisfactory. The recommended emendation of the commencement of Article 12.7 above would be equivalent to emending the Enlish text to read ‘The first President shall enter upon his office as soon as may be after his or her election’ rather than ‘The first President shall enter upon his office as soon as may be after his the election’. Finally, turning to the Preamble, ‘We, the people of Éire, Humbly acknowledging all our obligations to our Divine Lord, Jesus Christ, Who sustained our fathers through centuries of trial’ is gender-proofed to read ‘We, the people of Éire, Humbly acknowledging all our obligations to our Divine Lord, Jesus Christ, Who sustained our fathers forebears through centuries of trial’. No gender-proofing is necessary in the case of the Irish text which reads ‘Ar mbeith dúinne, muintir na hÉireann, ag

Where only one candidate is nominated for the office of President it shall not be necessary to proceed to a ballot for his the election.

The Irish text reads: Nuair nach n-ainmnítear d’oifig an Uachtaráin ach aon iarrthóir amháin, ní gá vótáil chun é a thoghadh.

This would be gender-proofed as follows: Nuair nach n-ainmnítear d’oifig an Uachtaráin ach aon iarrthóir amháin, ní gá vótáil chun é nó í a thoghadh.

This would be equivalent to emending the English text above to read: Where only one candidate is nominated for the office of President it shall not be necessary to proceed to a ballot for his or her election.

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admháil go huiríseal a mhéid atáimid faoi chomaoin ag Íosa Críost, ár dTiarna Dia, a thug comhfhurtacht dár sinsir i ngach cruatan ina rabhadar ar feadh na gcéadta bliain’. While De Bhaldraithe translates ‘forbear’ as ‘sinsear’, ‘our forbears’ is translated therein as ‘an mhuintir a chuaigh romhainn’. In Téarmaí Dlí, based on Statutory Instrument No. 3 of 1950, ‘sinsir’ is translated as ‘ascendants’. In view of this, perhaps ‘Who sustained our fathers through centuries of trial’ might be emended to read ‘Who sustained our fathers ascendants through centuries of trial’, rather than emending it as above. As we have seen above, a choice sometimes presents itself in gender-proofing the Irish text between following the gender-proofed English text published by the All-Party Oireachtas Committee on the Constitution or genderproofing the Irish text independently of the English text. Article 25.2.1o, for example, reads: Save as otherwise provided by this Constitution, every Bill so presented to the President for his signature and for promulgation by him as a law shall be signed by the President not earlier than the fifth and not later than the seventh day after the date on which the Bill shall have been presented to him. Taobh amuigh de chás dá socraítear a mhalairt leis an mBunreacht seo, gach Bille a thairgtear don Uachtarán mar sin chun a lámh a chur leis agus chun é a fhógairt ina dhlí, ní foláir dó a lámh a chur leis lá nach luaithe ná an cúigiú lá agus nach déanaí ná an seachtú lá tar éis an lae a thairgtear an Bille dó.

The English text has been gender-proofed as follows: Save as otherwise provided by this Constitution, every Bill so presented to the President for his or her signature and for promulgation by him or her as a law shall be signed by the President not earlier than the fifth and not later than the seventh day after the date on which the Bill shall have been presented to the President.

The Irish text can be gender-proofed as follows: Taobh amuigh de chás dá socraítear a mhalairt leis an mBunreacht seo, gach Bille a thairgtear don Uachtarán mar sin chun a lámh a chur leis agus chun é a fhógairt ina dhlí, ní foláir don Uachtarán a lámh a chur leis lá nach luaithe ná an cúigiú lá agus nach déanaí ná an seachtú lá tar éis an lae a thairgtear an Bille dó nó di.

Gender-proofing the Irish text following the genderproofed English text above would give the following Irish text: Taobh amuigh de chás dá socraítear a mhalairt leis an mBunreacht seo, gach Bille a thairgtear don Uachtarán mar sin chun a lámh a chur leis agus chun é a fhógairt ina dhlí, ní foláir dó nó di a lámh a chur leis lá nach luaithe ná an cúigiú lá agus nach déanaí ná an seachtú lá tar éis an lae a thairgtear an Bille don Uachtarán.

While account was taken of the gender-proofed edition of the English text in gender-proofing the Irish text in this study, the Irish text was gender-proofed having regard to emendations which would involve the least interference with the original Irish text. In the published gender-proofed English text, ‘Chairman’ is gender-proofed to ‘chair’ in the following Articles: 15.9.1o, 15.9.2o, 15.11.1o, 15.11.2o, 22.2.3o, 24.1, 27.5.1o, 27.6, 33.5.2o and 35.4.2o. By emending ‘Cathaoirleach’ to ‘cathaoirleach’ (with lower case ‘c’), this minor

Bunreacht na hÉireann

emendation suffices to gender-proof the Irish version of those Articles. Note, however, that we find ‘Cathaoir’ in the Standing Orders of Dáil Éireann (1997), in sections 20, 44, 48, 53, 61(1), 64(1), 75, 113 agus 115(1) – s44, for example, reads ‘Members shall address the Chair’, ‘Is chun na Cathaoireach a labhróidh comhaltaí ’. In s116, however, ‘which is deemed by the Chair …’ is translated as ‘más dóigh le Cathaoirleach an Choiste’. ‘Cathaoirleach’ (with upper case ‘C’) refers to ‘Cathaoirleach Sheanad Éireann’ in Articles 14.2.1o and 14.2.4o. Article 15.9.1o reads as follows: Each House of the Oireachtas shall elect from its members its own Chairman and Deputy Chairman, and shall prescribe their powers and duties. Toghfaidh gach Teach ar leith den Oireachtas a Chathaoirleach agus a Leas-Chathaoirleach féin as a chomhaltas féin, agus leagfaidh amach dóibh a gcumhachtaí agus a ndualgais.

The English text has been added to as follows in the gender-proofed edition of that text: Each House of the Oireachtas shall elect from its members its own chair and deputy chair, and shall prescribe their powers and duties, the chair of Dáil Éireann to be known as the Ceann Comhairle and the chair of Seanad Éireann to be known as the Cathaoirleach.

This has been rendered as follows in the gender-proofed Irish text in this study: Toghfaidh gach Teach ar leith den Oireachtas a chathaoirleach agus a leaschathaoirleach féin as a chomhaltas féin, agus leagfaidh amach dóibh a gcumhachtaí agus a ndualgais; an Ceann Comhairle a ghairfear de chathaoirleach Dháil Éireann agus an Cathaoirleach a ghairfear de chathaoirleach Sheanad Éireann.

Somewhat like ‘Cathaoirleach’ above, ‘baintreach’, expressing ‘widow’ in Article 45.4.1o, needs no genderproofing. The English text, ‘to contribute to the support of the infirm, the widow, the orphan, and the aged’ is gender-proofed as follows: ‘to contribute to the support of the infirm, widows and widowers, the orphan, and the aged’. The Irish text reads as ‘cabhair maireachtála a thabhairt don easlán, don bhaintreach, don dílleacht agus don sean’. ‘A widow or widower’ is translated simply as ‘baintreach’ in s19(1) of the Finance Act, 1966, though we find ‘baintreach fir’ translating ‘widower’ in s18(2) of the Social Welfare (Occupational Injuries) Act, 1966, and ‘baintreach nó baintreach fir’ translating ‘widow or widower’ in s5(1)(c) of the Social Welfare Act, 1970. ‘Baintreach fir’ is cited in Foclóir Oifigiúil as translating ‘widower’ in translations for the Department of Industry and Commerce. Ó Dónaill’s entry s.v. ‘baintreach’ reads: ‘1. baintreach (mná), widow. 2. baintreach (fir), widower ’. In De Bhaldraithe, s.v. ‘widower’, we find ‘baintreach (fir)’. Dinneen translates ‘baintreabhach’ as ‘a widow, a widower’, but also includes ‘baintreach fir, a widower; baintreach mná, a widow’. While ‘baintreach’ is a compound of ‘ban’ and ‘trebthach’ (‘householder, farmer’), we find the metaphorical use of this term in the seventeenth century in the phrase ‘is baintreach gach teampoll’ (i.e. without their clergy) –see DIL. Turning specifically to the question of gender-proofing


A study of the Irish text

and the Irish text, the omission of the personal pronoun in some clauses where one would generally find such a pronoun today results in clauses where the English text requires gender-proofing but the corresponding Irish text needs no such proofing. Taking the opening of Article 14.1, for example, where the gender-proofed English text reads ‘In the event of the absence of the President, or the temporary incapacity of the President, or the permanent incapacity of the President’, the Irish text reads ‘Má bhíonn an tUachtarán as láthair nó má bhíonn ar míthreoir go sealadach, nó má bhíonn ar míthreoir go buan …’. In Article 12.7, where ‘ … in the event of his predecessor’s removal from office, death, resignation, or permanent incapacity …’ is gender-proofed to read ‘in the event of his or her predecessor’s removal from office, death, resignation, or permanent incapacity’, the Irish text (‘má tharlaíonn dá réamhtheachtaí go gcuirfear as oifig é nó go n-éagfaidh nó go n-éireoidh as oifig nó neachtar acu go ngabhfaidh míthreoir bhuan é’) can be gender-proofed to read ‘má tharlaíonn dá réamhtheachtaí go gcuirfear as oifig é nó í nó go n-éagfaidh nó go n-éireoidh as oifig nó neachtar acu go ngabhfaidh míthreoir bhuan é nó í’, rather than ‘má tharlaíonn dá réamhtheachtaí go gcuirfear as oifig é nó í nó go n-éagfaidh sé nó sí nó go n-éireoidh sé nó sí as oifig nó neachtar acu go ngabhfaidh míthreoir bhuan é nó í.’ ‘Under disability or incapacity for membership of Dáil Éireann’, in Article 16.1.3o, is expressed as ‘faoi mhíchumas nó faoi mhíthreoir maidir lena bheith ina chomhalta de Dháil Éireann’. In the gender-proofed text presented in the study, ‘lena’ is emended to ‘le’ and the text reads ‘faoi mhíchumas nó faoi mhíthreoir maidir le bheith ina chomhalta nó ina comhalta de Dháil Éireann’. The English text ‘after his election or nomination’, in Article 18.9, which is expressed in the Irish text as ‘d’éis é a thoghadh nó é a ainmniú’, is gender-proofed to read ‘after his or her election or nomination’. In gender-proofing the Irish text here ‘é nó í’ is inserted only once in the Irish text and the second ‘é’ is deleted, to read ‘d’éis é nó í a thoghadh nó a ainmniú’, rather than ‘d’éis é nó í a thoghadh nó é nó í a ainmniú’. Gender-proofing the Irish text sometimes, however, requires repetition of elements of the original text. Where a preposition occurs before a masculine personal pronoun it would appear that the preposition itself needs to be repeated before the feminine pronoun which is introduced in gender-proofing. In Article 26.2.1o, for example, ‘le hargóintí ón Ard-Aighne nó thar a cheann’ would be gender-proofed to read ‘le hargóintí ón Ard-Aighne nó thar a cheann nó thar a ceann’, rather than ‘le hargóintí ón Ard-Aighne nó thar a cheann nó a ceann’. Similarly, in Article 31.1, where the English text ‘in relation to the exercise and performance by him of such of his powers and functions, as are by this Constitution expressed …’ is gender-proofed to read ‘in relation to the exercise and performance by him or her of such of his or her powers and functions as are by this Constitution expressed’, the Irish text, ‘maidir le hé d’oibriú is do chomhlíonadh na gcumhachtaí is na bhfeidhmeanna a luaitear sa Bhunreacht seo’, would be gender-proofed to ‘maidir le hé nó le hí d’oibriú …’ rather than ‘maidir le hé nó hí d’oibriú’ or ‘maidir le hé nó í d’oibriú’. An alternative to the above, as noted by my colleague Treasa Ní Bhrua, is to repeat the noun, i.e. to gender-proof ‘le hargóintí ón Ard-Aighne nó

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thar a cheann’ as ‘le hargóintí ón Ard-Aighne nó thar ceann an Ard-Aighne’ — such repetition of the noun is found in the gender-proofed English text also, as we saw above, where ‘the President’ was inserted rather than emending ‘he’ to ‘he or she’. Note, as an example of repetition of the preposition in the original text, that ‘all estates and interests therein for the time being lawfully vested in any person or body’ is expressed as ‘cibé eastáit agus leasanna is le haon duine nó le haon dream go dleathach in alt na huaire’ in Article 10.1 and ‘Every such message or address must, however, have received the approval of the Government’ is expressed as ‘Ach i ngach cás díobh sin ní foláir an Rialtas a bheith sásta roimh ré leis an teachtaireacht nó leis an aitheasc’ in Article 13.7.3o. Repetition of the copula seems to be necessary when gender-proofing the phrase ‘is é’, i.e. ‘is é nó is í’, as against ‘is é nó í’. In Article 28.1, for example, ‘agus is é an tUachtarán a cheapfas na comhaltaí sin’ (‘who shall be appointed by the President’) is gender-proofed as ‘agus is é nó is í an tUachtarán …’ rather than ‘agus is é nó í an tUachtarán’. As regards the feminine pronoun referring to a masculine noun, see Graiméar Gaeilge na mBráithre Críostaí, p. 144: Is é gnéas an duine agus ní hé gnéas an ainmfhocail a chinneann inscne an fhorainmnigh go hiondúil. (The gender of the person rather than the gender of the noun usually decides the gender of the pronoun.)

Among the examples cited are ‘sin í an cailín ag cur uirthi a cóta’ and ‘is í an captaen í’. Article 35.2 reads as follows: All judges shall be independent in the exercise of their judicial functions and subject only to this Constitution and the law. Beidh gach breitheamh saor neamhspleách maidir lena fheidhmeanna breithimh a oibriú, gan de smacht air ach an Bunreacht seo agus an dlí.

It would appear that ‘breithimh’ needs to be repeated in gender-proofing, Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú recommending having the extra phrase ‘no lena feidhmeanna breithimh’ preceded and followed by a comma: Beidh gach breitheamh saor neamhspleách maidir lena fheidhmeanna breithimh, nó lena feidhmeanna breithimh, a oibriú, gan de smacht air nó uirthi ach an Bunreacht seo agus an dlí.

The alternative would read: Beidh gach breitheamh saor neamhspleách maidir lena fheidhmeanna nó lena feidhmeanna breithimh a oibriú, gan de smacht air nó uirthi ach an Bunreacht seo agus an dlí.

It would not appear to be necessary to repeat ‘maidir’ to read: Beidh gach breitheamh saor neamhspleách maidir lena fheidhmeanna breithimh nó maidir lena feidhmeanna breithimh a oibriú ….

Again it would appear necessary to repeat the adjective in Article 40.4.1o which reads: No citizen shall be deprived of his personal liberty save in accordance with law. Ní cead a shaoirse phearsanta a bhaint d’aon saoránach ach amháin de réir dlí.


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The English text has been gender-proofed to read: No citizen shall be deprived of his or her personal liberty save in accordance with law.

A question arises as to whether the Irish text be gender-proofed to read: Ní cead a shaoirse phearsanta nó a saoirse phearsanta a bhaint d’aon saoránach ach amháin de réir dlí.

or Ní cead a shaoirse nó a saoirse phearsanta a bhaint d’aon saoránach ach amháin de réir dlí.

Similarly in Article 40.5 (‘The dwelling of every citizen is inviolable’, ‘Is slán do gach saoránach a ionad cónaithe’), one could gender-proof the Irish text as ‘Is slán do gach saoránach a ionad cónaithe nó a hionad cónaithe’ or simply as ‘Is slán do gach saoránach a ionad nó a hionad cónaithe’. Note in the original text that ‘sannadh’ is repeated in Article 10.3 (‘for the control of the alienation, whether temporary or permanent, of that property’, ‘chun sannadh buan nó sannadh sealadach na maoine sin a rialú’), as is ‘tábhacht’ in Article 13.7.1o (‘any matter of national or public importance’, ‘aon ní a bhfuil tábhacht náisiúnta nó tábhacht phoiblí ann’). In gender-proofing ‘Tig leis an Uachtarán, as a chomhairle féin, diúltú’ (‘The President may in his absolute discretion refuse’), in Article 13.2.2o, for example, a question arises as to whether it is necessary to repeat ‘féin’, i.e. ‘as a chomhairle féin nó as a comhairle féin’ as against ‘as a chomhairle nó a comhairle féin’. See also Articles 13.9 and 31.3. In Articles 28.9.4o, 30.5.2o and 31.7 – where the English text, ‘for reasons which to him seem sufficient’, is gender-proofed simply as ‘for reasons which to him or her seem sufficient’ – the choice in gender-proofing the Irish text ‘ar ábhair is leor leis féin’ is between ‘ar ábhair is leor leis féin nó léi féin’ or ‘ar ábhair is leor leis nó léi féin’. The question of the repetition of ‘sin’ arises in some Articles. ‘Ceapfaidh an tUachtarán an Taoiseach .i. an Ceann Rialtais nó an Príomh-Aire, arna ainmniú sin ag Dáil Éireann’ (‘The President shall, on the nomination of Dáil Éireann, appoint the Taoiseach, that is, the head of the Government or Prime Minister’), in Article 13.1.1o, would appear capable of been gender-proofed either as ‘Ceapfaidh an tUachtarán an Taoiseach .i. an Ceann Rialtais nó an Príomh-Aire, arna ainmniú sin nó arna hainmniú sin ag Dáil Éireann’ or as ‘… arna ainmniú nó arna hainmniú sin ag Dáil Éireann’. A similar phrase is found in Article 30.2 (‘The Attorney General shall be appointed by the President on the nomination of the Taoiseach …’, ‘Is ag an Uachtarán a cheapfar an tArd-Aighne arna ainmniú sin ag an Taoiseach’); the same wording is found in Article 33.2, regarding the appointment of the Comptroller and Auditor General. ‘Arna’ is composed of ‘ar’ and the possessive adjective ‘a’; no differentiation is made as regards number or gender in the case of ‘sin’ with a possessive pronoun – ‘a mhac sin’ (‘that man’s son’) and ‘lena dtaobh sin’ (‘as compared to those’) are cited by Ó Dónaill; ‘muintir Chonamara sin’ is cited in s104(d) of Graiméar Gaeilge na mBráithre Críostaí, where ‘sin’

Bunreacht na hÉireann

qualifies the feminine noun ‘muintir’. The English text of Article 34.5.4o, ‘shall be deemed to have vacated his office’, is gender-proofed as ‘shall be deemed to have vacated his or her office’. The Irish text reads as ‘ní foláir a mheas go bhfuil scartha aige lena oifig’. Again a question arises as to whether to gender-proof as ‘ní foláir a mheas go bhfuil scartha aige lena oifig nó aici lena hoifig’ or as ‘ní foláir a mheas go bhfuil scartha aige nó aici lena oifig nó lena hoifig’. Article 40.4.2o, ‘go bhfuil an duine sin á choinneáil ina bhrá go haindleathach’ (‘… that such person is being unlawfully detained’) illustrates the case of gender-proofing the Irish text where possessive adjectives are involved. This phrase is gender-proofed in the study as ‘go bhfuil an duine sin á choinneáil ina bhrá nó á coinneáil ina brá go haindleathach’ rather than ‘go bhfuil an duine sin á choinneáil nó á coinneáil ina bhrá nó ina brá go haindleathach’. Further on in that subsection, the English text’s ‘the person in whose custody he is detained’ (‘neach a choinnithe ina bhrá’) is gender-proofed as ‘the person in whose custody he or she is detained’. The Irish text has been gender-proofed here as ‘neach a choinnithe ina bhrá nó a coinnithe ina brá’ rather than ‘neach a choinnithe nó a coinnithe ina bhrá nó ina brá’. We find similar phrases in Articles 40.4.3o agus 40.4.4o – ‘a bheith á choinneáil ina bhrá’ being gender-proofed to read ‘a bheith á choinneáil ina bhrá nó á coinneáil ina brá’ rather than ‘a bheith á choinneáil nó á coinneáil ina bhrá nó ina brá’. In Article 40.4.3o ‘ligean don duine sin a shaoirse a bheith aige’ is gender-proofed to read ‘ligean don duine sin a shaoirse a bheith aige nó a saoirse a bheith aici’ rather than ‘ligean don duine sin a shaoirse nó a saoirse a bheith aige nó aici’. Finally, Article 43.1.1o reads: The State acknowledges that man, in virtue of his rational being, has the natural right, antecedent to positive law, to the private ownership of external goods. Admhaíonn an Stát, toisc bua an réasúin a bheith ag an duine, go bhfuil sé de cheart nádúrtha aige maoin shaolta a bheith aige dá chuid féin go príobháideach, ceart is ársa ná reacht daonna.

The English text is gender-proofed as follows: The State acknowledges that a man or woman, in virtue of his or her rational being, has the natural right, antecedent to positive law, to the private ownership of external goods.

The Irish text is gender-proofed to read: Admhaíonn an Stát, toisc bua an réasúin a bheith ag an duine, go bhfuil sé de cheart nádúrtha ag fear nó bean maoin shaolta a bheith aige dá chuid féin nó aici dá cuid féin go príobháideach, ceart is ársa ná reacht daonna.

This is in preference to the following: Admhaíonn an Stát, toisc bua an réasúin a bheith ag an duine, go bhfuil sé de cheart nádúrtha ag fear nó bean maoin shaolta a bheith aige nó aici dá chuid féin nó dá cuid féin go príobháideach, ceart is ársa ná reacht daonna.


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APPENDIX 4 FOSCRÍBHINN 4 THE LATEST AMENDMENTS

NA LEASUITHE

IS

DEIREANAÍ

2.15 den Chonradh dá dtagraítear i bhfo-alt 5o den alt seo nó fúthu agus leis an dara Prótacal agus leis an gceathrú Prótacal atá leagtha amach sa Chonradh sin nó fúthu ach beidh aon fheidhmiú den sórt sin faoi réir ceadú a fháil roimh ré ó dhá Theach an Oireachtais. The State may exercise the options or discretions provided by or under Articles 1.11, 2.5 and 2.15 of the Treaty referred to in subsection 5o of this section and the second and fourth Protocols set out in the said Treaty but any such exercise shall be subject to the prior approval of both Houses of the Oireachtas.

As stated in the introductory essay, the Irish text of the most recent amendments of the Constitution are direct translations of the English text and therefore need not be translated into English in this study. However, again as noted in that essay, the translator of the amendment strives as far as possible to adhere to the terms and phrases already in use in the full text, which terms and phrases may not be direct translations of the terms and phrases in the English text, as this study has shown. It follows, therefore, that some modern amendments contain an amalgam of two styles, as we have seen in the commentary on Articles 40.3.3o and 41.3.2o above, which include the Thirteenth, Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments of the Constitution. While it is not intended to comment in any detail on the later amendments here, particularly as the author is a member of the staff of the Translation Section of the Houses of the Oireachtas which produced those translations, the texts are given here for the sake of completeness and a few remarks will be made on the lengthy Nineteenth Amendment of the Constitution in Article 29.7, which contains two new Articles which are proposed to be substituted for Articles 2 and 3. Article 29.4.3o was added to the Constitution by the Third Amendment of the Constitution Act, 1972. The text of that subsection was added to by the Tenth Amendment of the Constitution Act, 1987. It is the text following that amendment which is given in the study above and commented on. Following the Eleventh Amendment of the Constitution, 1992 (dealing with the Maastricht Treaty), the third sentence of that Article was deleted and became the basis for the new ss7o; ss4o and 8o were also added to the text following that amendment. Subsections 5o and 6o were added following the Eighteenth Amendment of the Constitution, 1998 (dealing mainly with the Amsterdam Treaty). Articles 29.4.4o, 5o, 6o, 7o and 8o read as follows:

7o Ní dhéanann aon fhoráileamh atá sa Bhunreacht seo aon dlíthe a d’achtaigh, gníomhartha a rinne nó bearta lenar ghlac an Stát, de bhíthin riachtanais na n-oibleagáidí mar chomhalta den Aontas Eorpach nó de na Comhphobail a chur ó bhail dlí ná cosc a chur le dlíthe a d’achtaigh, gníomhartha a rinne nó bearta lenar ghlac an tAontas Eorpach nó na Comhphobail nó institiúidí díobh, nó comhlachtaí atá inniúil faoi na Conarthaí ag bunú na gComhphobal, ó fheidhm dlí a bheith acu sa Stát. No provision of this Constitution invalidates laws enacted, acts done or measures adopted by the State which are necessitated by the obligations of membership of the European Union or of the Communities, or prevents laws enacted, acts done or measures adopted by the European Union or by the Communities or by institutions thereof, or by bodies competent under the Treaties establishing the Communities, from having the force of law in the State. 8o Tig leis an Stát an Comhaontú maidir le Paitinní Comhphobail a tarraingíodh suas idir Ballstáit na gComhphobal agus a rinneadh i Lucsamburg ar an 15ú lá de Nollaig, 1989, a dhaingniú. The State may ratify the Agreement relating to Community Patents drawn up between the Member States of the Communities and done at Luxembourg on the 15th day of December, 1989.

4o Tig leis an Stát an Conradh ar an Aontas Eorpach a síníodh i Maastricht ar an 7ú lá d’Fheabhra, 1992, a dhaingniú agus tig leis a bheith ina chomhalta den Aontas sin. The State may ratify the Treaty on European Union signed at Maastricht on the 7th day of February, 1992, and may become a member of that Union.

Most of the terms and phrases found in ss4o, 5o and 8o are already found in ss3o and the Irish text of those new subsections is consistent with that of the earlier subsection. Note that ‘amending’ in ss5o could also be translated as ‘lena leasaítear’. As noted above, ss7o is based on the original ss3o, with ‘aon fhoráileamh’ replacing ‘aon fhoráil’ of the original subsection, ‘foráileamh’ being the form of ‘foráil’ found in the original text of the Constitution, but being replaced by ‘foráil’ in the popular edition in general. The subsections above did, nevertheless, introduce terms to the text which do not conform to those of the original text. As noted in the commentary on Article 3, ‘exercise’ is rendered by ‘feidhmigh’ in ss6o, as is the norm in the modern Acts, ‘oibrigh’ expressing ‘exercise’ in the text of the Constitution in general. As noted in the commentary on Article 12.5, ‘subject to’ is rendered above as

5o Tig leis an Stát Conradh Amstardam ag leasú an Chonartha ar an Aontas Eorpach, na gConarthaí ag bunú na gComhphobal Eorpach agus Ionstraimí gaolmhara áirithe, a síníodh in Amstardam an 2ú lá de Dheireadh Fómhair, 1997, a dhaingniú. The State may ratify the Treaty of Amsterdam amending the Treaty on European Union, the Treaties establishing the European Communities and certain related Acts signed at Amsterdam on the 2nd day of October, 1997. 6o Tig leis an Stát na roghnuithe nó na roghanna a fheidhmiú a shocraítear le hAirteagail 1.11, 2.5 agus

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‘faoi réir’, following Téarmaí Dlí, ‘faoi chuimsiú’ generally expressing ‘subject to’ in the Constitution. Similarly ‘ceadú’ is the term found generally in the modern Acts translating ‘approval’, although this term is translated as ‘formheas’ in Téarmaí Dlí – see the commentary in Article 13.1.2o. Article 28 was amended by the Seventeenth Amendment of the Constitution, 1997 (dealing with Cabinet confidentiality). Subsection 3o of Article 28.4 was renumbered as ss4o and the following new ss3o was inserted: Déanfar rúndacht na bpléití ag cruinnithe den Rialtas a urramú i ngach toisc ach amháin i gcás ina gcinnfidh an Ard-Chúirt gur ceart nochtadh a dhéanamh i dtaobh ní áirithe – i ar mhaithe le riaradh cirt ag Cúirt, nó ii de bhua leasa phoiblí sháraithigh, de bhun iarratais chuige sin ó bhinse arna cheapadh ag an Rialtas nó ag Aire den Rialtas le húdarás Thithe an Oireachtais chun fiosrú a dhéanamh faoi ní a luafaidh siad ina thaobh go bhfuil tábhacht phoiblí ann. The confidentiality of discussions at meetings of the Government shall be respected in all circumstances save only where the High Court determines that disclosure should be made in respect of a particular matter – i in the interests of the administration of justice by a Court, or ii by virtue of an overriding public interest, pursuant to an application in that behalf by a tribunal appointed by the Government or a Minister of the Government on the authority of the Houses of the Oireachtas to inquire into a matter stated by them to be of public importance.

Note how ‘respect’ (‘a urramú’) is translated literally here as against ‘gan cur isteach ar’ found in Articles 40.3.1o and 42.1; ‘justice’ is translated as ‘ceartas’ following Téarmaí Dlí as against ‘ceart’ in the Constitution in general. Note that Ó Dónaill gives ‘riaradh’ as a variant form of ‘riar’, ‘riaradh’ being the general form in the Acts; and note, finally, that we find the lenited nominative in the phrase ‘le húdarás Thithe an Oireachtais’, this rule of the official standard regarding the lenited nominative in place of the genitive not being complied with in general in the popular edition of the original text of the Constitution – see the commentary on Article 1. Article 40.4.7o was added to the Constitution following the Sixteenth Amendment of the Constitution, 1996 (dealing with bail). This section reads as follows: Féadfar socrú a dhéanamh le dlí chun go bhféadfaidh cúirt bannaí a dhiúltú do dhuine atá cúisithe i gcion tromaí sa chás go measfar le réasún é a bheith riachtanach chun an duine sin a chosc ar chion tromaí a dhéanamh. Provision may be made by law for the refusal of bail by a court to a person charged with a serious offence where it is reasonably considered necessary to prevent the commission of a serious offence by that person.

‘Charge’ is translated here, following Téarmaí Dlí, by ‘cúisigh’, this not being the case always in the original text of the Constitution – see the commentary on Articles 12.10.2o and 3o. Note also that ‘trom’ (rather than ‘tromaí’) translates ‘serious’ in Téarmaí Dlí, where ‘serious and permanent disablement’ is translated as ‘buan-mhíchumas trom’. ‘Serious offence’ is translated as ‘cion tromaí’ in the ‘Interpretation’ in s1 of the Extradition (European Convention on the Suppression of Terrorism) Act, 1987, with ‘mura mbeidh cúiseanna tromaí ann chun a thoimhde go bhfuil

Bunreacht na hÉireann

earraí ann nach mbaineann na saoirseachtaí leo a luaitear i mír 1 den Airteagal seo’ translating ‘unless there are serious grounds for presuming that it contains articles not covered by the exemptions mentioned in paragraph 1 of this Article’ in s2 of Article 36 of the First Schedule to the Diplomatic Relations and Immunities Act, 1967. The final amendment to be touched on here is the lengthy Nineteenth Amendment of the Constitution, 1998 (dealing with the British-Irish Agreement), which added Article 29.7 to the Constitution. This section reads as follows: 1o Tig leis an Stát a thoiliú a bheith faoi cheangal ag Comhaontú na Breataine-na hÉireann, arna dhéanamh i mBéal Feirste an 10ú lá d’Aibreán, 1998, ar a dtugtar an Comhaontú sa Bhunreacht seo feasta. The State may consent to be bound by the BritishIrish Agreement done at Belfast on the 10th day of April, 1998, hereinafter called the Agreement. 2o Tig le haon institiúid a bhunófar leis an gComhaontú nó faoin gComhaontú na cumhachtaí agus na feidhmeanna a fheidhmiú a thugtar di dá chionn sin i leith oileán na hÉireann ar fad nó i leith aon chuid de d’ainneoin aon fhorála eile den Bhunreacht seo lena dtugtar cumhacht nó feidhm dá samhail d’aon duine nó d’aon organ Stáit arna cheapadh faoin mBunreacht seo nó arna chruthú nó arna bhunú leis an mBunreacht seo nó faoin mBunreacht seo. Féadfaidh aon chumhacht nó aon fheidhm a thabharfar d’institiúid den sórt sin i ndáil le hachrainn nó conspóidí a réiteach nó a shocrú a bheith i dteannta nó in ionad aon chumhachta nó aon fheidhme dá samhail a thugtar leis an mBunreacht seo d’aon duine den sórt sin nó d’aon organ Stáit den sórt sin mar a dúradh. Any institution established by or under the Agreement may exercise the powers and functions thereby conferred on it in respect of all or any part of the island of Ireland notwithstanding any other provision of this Constitution conferring a like power or function on any person or any organ of State appointed under or created or established by or under this Constitution. Any power or function conferred on such an institution in relation to the settlement or resolution of disputes or controversies may be in addition to or in substitution for any like power or function conferred by this Constitution on any such person or organ of State as aforesaid. 3o Má dhearbhaíonn an Rialtas go bhfuil an Stát tagtha chun bheith faoi oibleagáid, de bhun an Chomhaontaithe, éifeacht a thabhairt don leasú ar an mBunreacht seo dá dtagraítear sa Chomhaontú sin, ansin, d’ainneoin Airteagal 46 den Bhunreacht seo, déanfar an Bunreacht seo a leasú mar a leanas: If the Government declare that the State has become obliged, pursuant to the Agreement, to give effect to the amendment of this Constitution referred to therein, then, notwithstanding Article 46 hereof, this Constitution shall be amended as follows: i déanfar na hAirteagail seo a leanas a chur in ionad Airteagail 2 agus 3 den téacs Gaeilge: i the following Articles shall be substituted for Articles 2 and 3 of the Irish text: “Airteagal 2 Tá gach duine a shaolaítear in oileán na hÉireann, ar a n-áirítear a oileáin agus a fharraigí, i dteideal, agus tá de cheart oidhreachta aige nó aici, a


A study of the Irish text

bheith páirteach i náisiún na hÉireann. Tá an teideal sin freisin ag na daoine go léir atá cáilithe ar shlí eile de réir dlí chun bheith ina saoránaigh d’Éirinn. Ina theannta sin, is mór ag náisiún na hÉireann a choibhneas speisialta le daoine de bhunadh na hÉireann atá ina gcónaí ar an gcoigríoch agus arb ionann féiniúlacht agus oidhreacht chultúir dóibh agus do náisiún na hÉireann. Airteagal 3 1 Is í toil dhiongbháilte náisiún na hÉireann, go sítheach cairdiúil, na daoine go léir a chomhroinneann críoch oileán na hÉireann i bpáirt lena chéile, in éagsúlacht uile a bhféiniúlachtaí agus a dtraidisiún, a aontú, á aithint gur trí mhodhanna síochánta amháin le toiliú thromlach na ndaoine, á chur in iúl go daonlathach, sa dá dhlínse san oileán, a dhéanfar Éire aontaithe a thabhairt i gcrích. Go dtí sin, bainfidh na dlíthe a achtófar ag an bParlaimint a bhunaítear leis an mBunreacht seo leis an limistéar feidhme céanna, agus beidh an raon feidhme céanna acu, lenar bhain na dlíthe, agus a bhí ag na dlíthe, a d’achtaigh an Pharlaimint a bhí ar marthain díreach roimh theacht i ngníomh don Bhunreacht seo. 2 Féadfaidh údaráis fhreagracha faoi seach na ndlínsí sin institiúidí ag a mbeidh cumhachtaí agus feidhmeanna feidhmiúcháin a chomhroinntear idir na dlínsí sin a bhunú chun críoch sonraithe agus féadfaidh na hinstitiúidí sin cumhachtaí agus feidhmeanna a fheidhmiú i leith an oileáin ar fad nó i leith aon chuid de.”, ii déanfar na hAirteagail seo a leanas a chur in ionad Airteagail 2 agus 3 den téacs Sacs-Bhéarla: ii the following Articles shall be substituted for Articles 2 and 3 of the English text: “Article 2 It is the entitlement and birthright of every person born in the island of Ireland, which includes its islands and seas, to be part of the Irish nation. That is also the entitlement of all persons otherwise qualified in accordance with law to be citizens of Ireland. Furthermore, the Irish nation cherishes its special affinity with people of Irish ancestry living abroad who share its cultural identity and heritage. Article 3 1 It is the firm will of the Irish nation, in harmony and friendship, to unite all the people who share the territory of the island of Ireland, in all the diversity of their identities and traditions, recognising that a united Ireland shall be brought about only by peaceful means with the consent of a majority of the people, democratically expressed, in both jurisdictions in the island. Until then, the laws enacted by the Parliament established by this Constitution shall have the like area and extent of application as the laws enacted by the Parliament that existed immediately before the coming into operation of this Constitution. 2 Institutions with executive powers and functions that are shared between those jurisdictions may be established by their

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respective responsible authorities for stated purposes and may exercise powers and functions in respect of all or any part of the island.”, iii déanfar an t-alt seo a leanas a chur leis an téacs Gaeilge den Airteagal seo: iii the following section shall be added to the Irish text of this Article: “8 Tig leis an Stát dlínse a fheidhmiú taobh amuigh dá chríoch de réir bhunrialacha gnáth-admhaithe an dlí idirnáisiúnta.”, agus and iv déanfar an t-alt seo a leanas a chur leis an téacs Sacs-Bhéarla den Airteagal seo: iv the following section shall be added to the English text of this Article: “8 The State may exercise extra-territorial jurisdiction in accordance with the generally recognised principles of international law.”. 4o Má dhéantar dearbhú faoin alt seo, déanfar an foalt seo agus fo-alt 3o, seachas an leasú ar an mBunreacht seo a dhéantar leis an bhfo-alt sin 3o, agus fo-alt 5o, den alt seo a fhágáil ar lár as gach téacs oifigiúil den Bhunreacht seo a fhoilseofar dá éis sin, ach d’ainneoin iad a fhágáil ar lár amhlaidh leanfaidh an t-alt seo d’fheidhm dlí a bheith aige. If a declaration under this section is made, this subsection and subsection 3o, other than the amendment of this Constitution effected thereby, and subsection 5o, of this section shall be omitted from every official text of this Constitution published thereafter, but notwithstanding such omission this section shall continue to have the force of law. 5o Mura ndéanfar dearbhú den sórt sin laistigh de dhá mhí dhéag ón tráth a chuirfear an t-alt seo leis an mBunreacht seo nó cibé tréimhse is faide ná sin a shocrófar le dlí, scoirfidh an t-alt seo d’éifeacht a bheith leis agus fágfar ar lár é as gach téacs oifigiúil den Bhunreacht seo a fhoilseofar dá éis sin. If such a declaration is not made within twelve months of this section being added to this Constitution or such longer period as may be provided for by law, this section shall cease to have effect and shall be omitted from every official text of this Constitution published thereafter.

This is a very literal translation of the English text favouring modern Irish legal terms and the phraseology of the modern Acts to the terminology and phraseology of the text of the Constitution in general. Thus ‘consent’ is translated as ‘toiliú’ in the proposed new Article 3 (as against ‘toil’ in Article 12.9, for example); ‘exercise’ is translated as ‘feidhmigh’ in ss2o above (as against ‘oibrigh’ in the Constitution in general); ‘has become’ is translated as ‘tagtha chun bheith’ in ss3o (see the commentary on Article 9.1.1o) and ‘within’ is translated as ‘laistigh’ in ss5o (as against ‘taobh istigh de’ in the Constitution in general). On the other hand, following Article 29.3, ‘the generally recognised principles of international law’ is rendered as ‘bunrialacha gnáth-admhaithe an dlí idirnáisiúnta’ in the new Article 29.8 contained in Article 29.7.3o above. In s66(2) of the Central Bank Act, 1989, for example, ‘the general principles which guide the Bank’ is translated as


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‘na prionsabail ghinearálta a bhíonn mar threoir ag an mBanc’, ‘de réir ghnáthphrionsabail an dlí’ translating ‘in accordance with general principles of law’ in Article 67 of the Fourth Schedule to the Geneva Conventions Act, 1962, and ‘Prinsiobail Ghinearálta’ translating ‘General Principles’ in the Heading for s55 of the ‘Clare County Scheme’ in the First Schedule to the Local Government (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923. As stated in the text of the amendment above, it is intended that subsections 5o, 4o and 3o of Article 29.7 be omitted in due course from the official text of the Constitution and that the new Articles 2 and 3 contained in Article 29.7.3o be substituted for the original Articles 2 and 3. Note that ‘territory’, in ‘the territory of the island of Ireland’ in Article 3.1, is translated literally by the singular ‘críoch’ (‘críoch oileán na hÉireann’) as against the plural ‘críocha’ of the original Article 2, where ‘The national territory consists of the whole island of Ireland’ is expressed as ‘Is é oileán na hÉireann go hiomlán … na críocha náisiúnta’ – see the commentary on Article 2 regarding ‘críocha’ v. ‘críoch’. In Article 3.2 we find ‘exercise’ translated by the current term in the Acts, ‘feidhmigh’, rather than the term in the Constitution in general, ‘oibrigh’. ‘Executive’ is translated by the genitive singular of ‘feidhmiúchán’ as an attributive adjective rather than as ‘comhallacht’ as in Article 6.1, or the adjective ‘comhallach’ as in Articles 28.2, 29.4.1o, 29.4.2o and 49.1. As stated in the introductory essay, the new Article 2 introduced gender-proofing in an otherwise non-genderproofed text, with ‘tá de cheart oidhreachta aige nó aici’ translating ‘It is the … birthright (of every person)’. Note that in order to gender-proof the preceding subsection in this amendment (Article 29.7.2o), ‘d’aon duine nó d’aon organ Stáit arna cheapadh faoin mBunreacht seo’ (‘on any person or any organ of State appointed under … this Constitution’) would have to read ‘d’aon duine nó d’aon organ Stáit arna cheapadh nó arna ceapadh faoin mBunreacht seo’ – Professor Máirtín Ó Murchú recommends ‘d’aon duine nó d’aon organ Stáit dá gceapfaí faoin mBunreacht seo’ here. Note, finally, that ‘oidhreacht’ occurs twice in the new Article 2, translating ‘heritage’ in the concluding clause of this Article, with ‘ceart oidhreachta’ translating ‘birthright’ of the opening clause. ‘Oidhreacht’ is translated as

Bunreacht na hÉireann

‘inheritance, heredity; heritage, patrimony’ in Ó Dónaill, citing ‘thréig siad a n-oidhreacht, they forsook their heritage’ and ‘oidhreacht ár sinsear, our ancestral heritage, patrimony’ – note that s.v. ‘ceart’, Ó Dónaill translates ‘ceart dúchais’ as ‘hereditary right’. Dinneen translates ‘oidhreacht’ as ‘an inheritance, heirloom, birthright, patrimony’. DIL translates ‘eigrecht’/‘oigrecht’ as ‘inheritance, heritage, patrimony, (inherited) possession’. This abstract noun is based on ‘eigre’/‘oigre’, translated in DIL as ‘heir, inheritor, successor, descendant (often equivalent to mac)’; the earliest dateable example recorded is ‘eigher’ in a thirteenth-century poem, but ‘eigre’ (‘oigre’), the commoner form, may be older, according to DIL. Turning specifically to ‘birthright’, Dinneen cites ‘ceart beirthe, birth-right’ s.v. ‘ceart’. L. Mc Cionnaith cites ‘ceart do shinnsearachta’, from Munster, translating ‘your birth right’. Historically, ‘sinsearacht’ alone expresses ‘birthright’. The year 1535 is given for the earliest citation of ‘birthright’ in the Shorter Oxford Dictionary, where Jacob’s response to his brother Esau’s request for food, ‘Sell me this daye thy byrth-right’, is cited from Genesis xxv. 31. This is rendered as ‘Reic liom do cheart sinsearachta ar dtús más ea’ in the modern ‘Maynooth’ Bible. This biblical episode is echoed in the Irish saga ‘Echtra mhac nEchach’ (‘The Adventures of the Sons of Eochaid’), with the Goddess of Sovereignty telling the young Niall ‘ná tabair-seo in t-usce dod braithrib co tucad aisceda dait .i. co tucud a sindsirrdacht duid’, translated by Standish Hayes O’Grady as ‘to thy brothers deal not water until they give thee conditions: till they yield thee their birthright’. DIL translates ‘sinsirecht’/‘sinseracht’ as ‘seniority, birthright’, citing examples from the twelfth-century Book of Leinster onwards. DIL also includes ‘seniority, birthright’ among the senses of the headword ‘sinserdacht’. Both headwords are developments of ‘sinser’, translated as ‘the elder, the eldest; a senior, in plural, elders, ancestors, forefathers’ in DIL. Dinneen translates the phrase ‘de shinnsearacht’ as ‘by inheritance’, and cites from the epigram by Roibeard Mac Artúir (fl. 1606-1626), ‘sinnsearacht ní ghabhann ceart i dtír do ghabhthar le neart, ancestry counts for naught in a conquered land’. This epigram in particular, the author feels, would have won a place for ‘sinsearacht’ over the repetition of ‘oidhreacht’ were the new Article 2 found in the original 1937 Constitution.


A study of the Irish text

Staidéar ar an téacs Gaeilge

APPENDIX 5 FOSCRÍBHINN 5 1999 ENROLLED IRISH TEXT AN TÉACS GAEILGE MAR A ROLLAÍODH I 1999

Under Article 63 – a Transitory Provision – a copy of the Constitution signed by the Taoiseach, the Chief Justice and the Chairman of Dáil Éireann must be enrolled for record purposes in the office of the Registrar of the Supreme Court, such enrolled text being the conclusive evidence of the provisions of the Constitution. This was done in 1938. Under Article 25.5, further enrolments took place in 1942, 1980, 1990 and in 1999 to embody amendments. The authentic version of the Irish text, then, is that passed by the people in 1937, as subsequently amended under the Constitution, and enrolled. The following is the Irish text (excluding the Transitory Provisions, in accordance with their own terms) as enrolled on 27 May 1999.

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Airteagal 3. Go dtí go ndéantar aṫ-ċoṁlánú ar na críoċaiḃ náisiúnta, agus gan doċar do ċeart na Párlaiminte is an Riaġaltais a bunuiġṫear leis an mBunreaċt so ċun dliġinse d’oibriú insna críoċaiḃ náisiúnta uile, bainfiḋ na dliġṫe aċtóċar ag an bPárlaimint sin leis an límistéir céadna le n-ar ḃain dliġṫe Ṡaorstát Éireann, agus beiḋ an éifeaċt ċéadna aca taoḃ amuiġ den límistéir sin a ḃí ag dliġṫiḃ Ṡaorstát Éireann.

I nAinm na Tríonóide Ró-Naoa is tobar don uile udarás agus gur uice, ós í is crío eireanna dúinn, is dírie ní haáin gníoara daoine a gníoara Stát, Ar mbei úinne, muintear na hÉireann, ag adáil go huiríseal a éid atámaid fá omaoin ag Íosa Críost, ar dTiearna Dia, ug courtat dár sinsearai i nga cruatan ’na raadar ar fea na gcéadta bliaan, Agus ar mbei úinn ag cuiniú go buiea ar a almat do rinneadar-san troid gan staona un an nea-spleaas is dual dár Náisiún do aint ama, Agus ar mbei úinn dá ur roainn an aieas oiblie do ur ar aai maille le Críonnat agus le hIonnracas agus le Carannat do réir mar is cuai, ionnas go dtiocfa linn a uaisleat agus a aoirse do ur i n-áirie do ga aon duine, saoal ceart coaonna do unú, aiseag a haondata do aairt dár dtír, agus coaradra do éana le náisiúnai eile,

AN STÁT. Airteagal 4. Éire is ainm don Stát nó, sa tSacsḂéarla, Ireland. Airteagal 5. Is Stát ceannasaċ, neaṁ-spleaḋaċ, daon-ḟlaṫaċ Éire. Airteagal 6. 1.

Is ón bpobal, fá Ḋia, a ṫigeas gaċ cuṁaċt riaġla, idir reaċtaiḋeaċt is coṁallaċt is breiṫeaṁnas, agus is ag an bpobal atá sé de ċeart riaġlóirí an Stáit do ċeapaḋ, agus is fán bpobal fá ḋeoiḋ atá gaċ ceist i dtaoḃ beartas an Náisiúin do ṡocrú do réir mar is gáḃaḋ ċun leas an ṗobail.

2.

Is leis na horganaiḃ Stáit a cuirtear ar bun leis an mBunreaċt so, agus leo sin aṁáin nó le n-a n-uġdarás, is féidir na cuṁaċta riaġla sin d’oibriú.

Atámaid leis seo ag gaáil an unreata so ugainn, agus dá atú agus dá íolaca úinn féin.

AN NÁISIÚN. Airteagal 1. Deiṁniġeann náisiún na hÉireann leis seo a gceart do-ṡannta, do-ċlaoiḋte, ceannasaċ ċun cibé cinéal Riaġaltais is roġa leo féin do ḃunú, ċun a gcaidreaṁ le náisiúnaiḃ eile do ċinneaḋ, agus ċun a saoġal poilitiḋeaċta is geilleagair is saoiḋeaċta do ċur ar aġaiḋ do réir ḋúṫċais is gnás a sinsear. Airteagal 2. Is é oileán na hÉireann go hiomlán, maille le n-a oileáin agus a ḟairrgí teorann, na críoċa náisiúnta.

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Airteagal 7. An ḃrataċ trí ndaṫ .i. uaine, bán, agus flannḃuiḋe, an suaiṫeantas náisiúnta. Airteagal 8. 1.

Ós í an Ġaeḋilg an teanga náisiúnta is í an ṗríṁ-ṫeanga oifigeaṁail í.

2.

Glactar leis an Sacs-Ḃéarla mar ṫeangain oifigeaṁail eile.


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Aċ féadfar socrú do ḋéanaṁ le dliġeaḋ d’ḟonn ceaċtar den dá ṫeangain sin do ḃeiṫ ina haon-teangain le haġaiḋ aon ġnó nó gnóṫaí oifigeaṁla ar fuaid an Stáit ar fad nó i n-aon ċuid de.

Bunreacht na hÉireann

Airteagal 11. Ní foláir cíos uile an Stáit cibé bunaḋ atá leis, aċ aṁáin an ċuid sin de ar a ndéantar eisceaċt le dliġeaḋ, do ċur i n-aon ċiste aṁáin, agus é do leiṫ-ġaḃáil ċun na gcríċeanna, agus ar an moḋ, a cinntear le dliġeaḋ agus fá ċuimsiú na muirear agus na ḃféiċeaṁnas a gearrṫar le dliġeaḋ.

Airteagal 9. 1.

1° Ar ṫeaċt i ngníoṁ don Ḃunreaċt so is saoránaċ d’Éirinn aon duine ba ṡaoránaċ de Ṡaorstát Éireann díreaċ roiṁ ṫeaċt i ngníoṁ don Ḃunreaċt so. 2° Is do réir dliġiḋ a cinnfear faġáil agus cailleaṁaint náisiúntaċt agus saoránaċt Éireann feasta.

An tUaċtarán. Airteagal 12. 1.

Beiḋ Uaċtarán ar Éirinn (.i. Uaċtarán na hÉireann), ar a dtugtar an tUaċtarán insan Ḃunreaċt so feasta; beiḋ tosaċ aige ar gaċ uile ḋuine insan Stát, agus ní foláir dó na cuṁaċta agus na feaḋmanna a ḃeirtear don Uaċtarán leis an mBunreaċt so agus le dliġeaḋ d’oibriú agus do ċoiṁlíonaḋ.

2.

1° Le ḃóta lom-díreaċ an ṗobail a toġfar an tUaċtarán.

3° Ní cead náisiúntaċt agus saoránaċt Éireann do ċeilt ar ḋuine ar biṫ toisc gur fireann nó toisc gur baineann an duine sin. 2.

Is bun-dualgas poiliticeaċ ar gaċ saoránaċ ḃeiṫ dílis don náisiún agus tairiseaċ don Stát.

Airteagal 10. 1.

Gaċ aḋḃar maoine nádúrṫa, mar aon leis an aer agus gaċ aḋḃar fuinniṁ, dá ḃfuil fá ḋliġinse na Párlaiminte agus an Riaġaltais a bunuiġṫear leis an mBunreaċt so, maille le gaċ rí-ċíos agus díolṁaine dá ḃfuil fán dliġinse sin, is leis an Stát iad uile, gan doċar do cibé eastáit agus leasanna is le haon duine nó le haon dream go dleaġṫaċ i n-alt na huaire.

2.

Gaċ talaṁ agus gaċ mianaċ, mianraḋ, agus uisce ba le Saorstát Éireann díreaċ roiṁ ṫeaċt i ngníoṁ don Ḃunreaċt so is leis an Stát iad uile sa ṁéid go mba le Saorstát Éireann an uair sin iad.

3.

Féadfar socrú do ḋéanaṁ le dliġeaḋ ċun bainistiġe do ḋéanaṁ ar an maoin is leis an Stát de ḃuaḋ an Airteagail seo, agus ċun sannaḋ buan nó sannaḋ sealadaċ na maoine sin do riaġlú.

4.

Féadfar socrú do ḋéanaṁ le dliġeaḋ, fairis sin, ċun bainistiġe do ḋéanaṁ ar ṫalaṁ, ar ṁianaiġ, ar ṁianraiḋe agus ar uiscí ṫiocfas i seilḃ an Stáit d’éis teaċt i ngníoṁ don Ḃunreaċt so, agus ċun sannaḋ buan nó sannaḋ sealadaċ na talṁan, na mianaċ, na mianraḋ agus na n-uiscí a ṫiocfas ina ṡeilḃ aṁlaiḋ do riaġlú.

2° Gaċ saoránaċ ag a ḃfuil ceart ḃótála i dtoġċán do ċoṁaltaíḃ de Ḋáil Éireann, beiḋ ceart ḃótála aige i dtoġċán don Uaċtarán. 3° Is le rún-ḃallóid agus do réir na hionadaiḋeaċta cionṁaire agus ar ṁoḋ an aon-ġoṫa ionaistriġṫe a déanfar an ḃótáil. 3.

1° Beiḋ an tUaċtarán i seilḃ oifige go ceann seaċt mbliaḋan ón lá raċaiḋ i gcúram a oifige muna dtárluiġiḋ roiṁ ḋeireaḋ an téarma sin go n-éagfaiḋ nó go n-éireoċaiḋ as oifig nó go gcuirfear as oifig é, nó go ngeoḃaiḋ míṫreoir ḃuan é agus go suiḋfear sin go sásaṁ na Cúirte Uaċtaraiġe agus í coiṁḋéanta de ċúigear breiṫeaṁan ar a laiġead. 2° Duine atá nó a ḃí ina Uaċtarán, is iontoġṫa ċun na hoifige sin é aon uair aṁáin eile, aċ sin a mbeiḋ. 3° Ní foláir toġċán d’oifig an Uaċtaráin do ḋéanaṁ lá naċ déiḋeanaiġe ná dáta ḋeireaḋ ṫéarma oifige gaċ Uaċtaráin ar leiṫ agus naċ luaiṫe ná an seascadṁaḋ lá roiṁ an dáta sin, aċ má cuirtear an tUaċtarán as oifig, nó má ṫárluiġeann dó (roiṁ é do ḋul i gcúram a oifige nó dá éis sin) é d’éag nó é d’éirġe as nó míṫreoir ḃuan ar n-a suiḋeaṁ mar aduḃraḋ dá


A study of the Irish text

ġaḃáil, ní foláir toġċán d’oifig an Uaċtaráin do ḋéanaṁ taoḃ istiġ de ṡeasca lá tar éis an ní sin do ṫárlaċtaint. 4.

Staidéar an an téacs Gaeilge

8.

1° Gaċ saoránaċ ag a ḃfuil cúig bliaḋna tríoċad slán, is iontoġṫa ċun oifig an Uaċtaráin é. 2° Gaċ iarrṫóir d’oifig an Uaċtaráin, seaċas duine atá nó ḃí ina Uaċtarán ċeana, is uaṫa so leanas naċ foláir a ainmniú do ṫeaċt: i.

Is é sliġe a raċaiḋ an tUaċtarán i gcúram a oifige ná leis an dearḃaḋ so leanas do ḋéanaṁ go poibliḋe agus a láṁ do ċur leis i ḃfiaḋnaise ċoṁaltaí den dá Ṫiġ den Oireaċtas, agus breiṫeaṁna den Ċúirt Uaċtaraiġ agus den Árd-Ċúirt agus maiṫe poibliḋe eile:– “I láṫair Dia na nUile-ċuṁaċt, táimse, dá ġeallaṁaint agus dá ḋearḃaḋ go sollamanta is go fírinneaċ ḃeiṫ im ṫaca agus im ḋídin do Ḃunreaċt Éireann, agus a dliġṫe do ċaoṁna, mo ḋualgais do ċoiṁlíonaḋ go dílis coinsiasaċ do réir an Ḃunreaċta is an dliġiḋ, agus mo lán-díċeall a ḋéanaṁ ar son leasa is fóġnaiṁ ṁuintir na hÉireann. Dia dom stiúraḋ agus dom ċuṁdaċ.”

fiċe duine ar a laiġead agus gaċ duine fá leiṫ ḋíoḃ sin ina ċoṁalta, i n-alt na huaire, de Ṫiġ de Ṫiġṫiḃ an Oireaċtais, nó

ii. Coṁairlí ċeiṫre ċontae riaraċáin ar a laiġead (agus Contae-Ḃuirgí d’áireaṁ) mar míniġṫear le dliġeaḋ. 3° Ní cead d’aon duine ná d’aon Ċoṁairle ḋíoḃ sin ḃeiṫ páirteaċ i n-ainmniú breis is aon iarrṫóir aṁáin d’oifig an Uaċtaráin san aontoġċán.

9.

Ní cead don Uaċtarán imeaċt ón Stát le linn é ḃeiṫ i n-oifig, aċ aṁáin le toil an Riaġaltais.

4° Tig le haon duine atá nó a ḃí ina Uaċtarán é féin d’ainmniú d’oifig an Uaċtaráin.

10.

1° Féadfar an tUaċtarán do ṫáinseaṁ as uċt mí-iomċair a luaḋfar.

5° Nuair ná hainmniġṫear d’oifig an Uaċtaráin aċ aon iarrṫóir aṁáin, ní gáḃaḋ ḃótáil ċun é ṫoġa. 5.

Fá ċuimsiú foráiltí an Airteagail seo is le dliġeaḋ riaġlóċar toġċáin d’oifig an Uaċtaráin.

6.

1° Ní cead an tUaċtarán do ḃeiṫ ina ċoṁalta de Ḋáil Éireann ná de Ṡeanad Éireann. 2° Má toġṫar coṁalta de ċeaċtar de Ṫiġṫiḃ an Oireaċtais ċun ḃeiṫ ina Uaċtarán, ní foláir a ṁeas go ḃfuil scarṫa aige le coṁaltas an Tiġe sin. 3° Ní cead don Uaċtarán aon oifig ná post soċair do ḃeiṫ aige seaċas a oifig Uaċtaráin.

7.

717

Ní foláir don ċéad Uaċtarán dul i gcúram a oifige ċoṁ luaṫ agus is féidir é tar éis é ṫoġa, agus ní foláir do gaċ Uaċtarán dá éis sin dul i gcúram a oifige an lá i ndiaiḋ deireaḋ ṫéarma oifige a réaṁ-ṫeaċtaiḋe nó ċoṁ luaṫ agus is féidir é dá éis sin nó, má ṫárluiġeann dá réaṁ-ṫeaċtaiḋe go gcuirfear as oifig é nó go n-éagfaiḋ nó go néireoċaiḋ as oifig nó neaċtar aca go ngeoḃaiḋ míṫreoir ḃuan é agus go suiḋfear sin mar socruiġṫear le halt 3 den Airteagal so, ċoṁ luaṫ agus is féidir é tar éis an toġċáin.

2° Ceaċtar de Ṫiġṫiḃ an Oireaċtais a ḋéanfas an cúisiú agus is fá ċuimsiú agus do réir foráiltí an ailt seo déanfar é. 3° Má tairgtear do ċeaċtar de Ṫiġṫiḃ an Oireaċtais cúis do ṫaḃairt i n-aġaiḋ an Uaċtaráin fán alt so ní cead áird do ṫaḃairt ar an dtairgsint sin aċ aṁáin de ḃarr fógra tairgseana i scríḃinn fá láiṁ tríoċa coṁalta ar a laiġead den Tiġ sin. 4° Ní cead do ċeaċtar de Ṫiġṫiḃ an Oireaċtais glacaḋ le haon tairgsint den tsórt sin aċ aṁáin de ḃarr rúin ón Tiġ sin le n-a mbeiḋ tacaiḋeaċt ḋá dtrian ar a laiġead dá lán-ċoṁaltas. 5° Má ḋéanann ceaċtar de Ṫiġṫiḃ an Oireaċtais cúisiú fán alt so ní foláir don Tiġ eile an ċúis do scrúdaḋ nó an ċúis do ċur dá scrúdaḋ. 6° Beiḋ de ċeart ag an Uaċtarán ḃeiṫ i láṫair agus luċt tagarṫa do ḃeiṫ aige ar an scrúdaḋ sin. 7° Más é toraḋ an scrúdta sin go riṫfear rún, le tacaiḋeaċt ḋá dtrian ar a laiġead de lán-ċoṁaltas an Tiġe den Oireaċtas do scrúduiġ an ċúis nó do ċuir


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The Constitution of Ireland

an ċúis dá scrúdaḋ, dá ḋearḃaḋ gur suiḋeaḋ an ċúis a tugaḋ i n-aġaiḋ an Uaċtaráin agus, an mí-iomċar ba ṡiocair don ċúisiú, gur mí-iomċar é go ḃfuil an tUaċtarán neaṁ-oireaṁnaċ dá ḋeascaiḃ ċun fanaṁaint i seilḃ oifige, isé is feiḋm don rún sin an tUaċtarán do ċur as oifig. 11.

Bunreacht na hÉireann

5.

2° Is ón Uaċtarán a ḃeiḋ a ġairm ag gaċ oifigeaċ garma de na Fórsaíḃ Cosanta. 6.

Ḃeirtear don Uaċtarán leis seo ceart maiṫeaṁnaċais, agus cuṁaċt ċun maoluiġṫe nó loġṫa pionóis a gearrṫar ar ḋaoiniḃ i naon ċúirt dliġinse coire, aċ, taoḃ amuiġ de ċásanna breiṫe báis, féadfar an ċuṁaċt maoluiġṫe nó loġṫa sin do ṫaḃairt le dliġeaḋ d’uġdarásaiḃ eile freisin.

7.

1° Tig leis an Uaċtarán, tar éis coṁairle do ġlacaḋ leis an gCoṁairle Stáit, teaċtaireaċt nó aiṫeasc do ċur fá ḃráġaid Tiġṫe an Oireaċtais i dtaoḃ aon ní a ḃfuil táḃaċt náisiúnta nó táḃaċt poibliḋe ann.

1° Beiḋ stát-árus ag an Uaċtarán i gcaṫair Ḃaile Áṫa Cliaṫ nó ar a coṁgar. 2° Ġeoḃaiḋ an tUaċtarán soċair agus allúntais fá mar cinnfear le dliġeaḋ. 3° Ní cead laġdú do ḋéanaṁ ar ṡoċair ná ar allúntais an Uaċtaráin le linn é ḃeiṫ i n-oifig.

Airteagal 13. 1.

1° Ceapfaiḋ an tUaċtarán an Taoiseaċ .i. an Ceann Riaġaltais nó an Príoṁ-Aire, ar n-a ainmniú sin ag Dáil Éireann.

2° Tig leis an Uaċtarán uair ar biṫ, tar éis coṁairle do ġlacaḋ leis an gCoṁairle Stáit, aiṫeasc do ċur fá ḃráġaid an Náisiúin i dtaoḃ aon ní den tsórt sin.

2° Ar n-a n-ainmniú ag an Taoiseaċ, le coṁaontaḋ Ḋáil Éireann roiṁ ré, ceapfaiḋ an tUaċtarán na coṁaltaí eile den Riaġaltas. 3° Ar ċoṁairle an Taoisiġ ní foláir don Uaċtarán glacaḋ le haon ċoṁalta den Riaġaltas d’éirġe as oifig, nó coṁalta ar biṫ den Riaġaltas do ċur as oifig. 2.

3° Aċ i ngaċ cás díoḃ sin ní foláir an Riaġaltas do ḃeiṫ sásta roiṁ ré leis an dteaċtaireaċt nó leis an aiṫeasc. 8.

1° Is é an tUaċtarán, ar ċoṁairle an Taoisiġ, a ċomórfas agus a lán-scoirfeas Dáil Éireann.

3.

1° Gaċ Bille riṫtear nó a meastar a riṫeaḋ ag ḋá Ṫiġ an Oireaċtais ní foláir láṁ an Uaċtaráin do ḃeiṫ leis ċun é aċtú ina ḋliġeaḋ. 2° Gaċ dliġeaḋ dá ndéanfaiḋ an tOireaċtas ní foláir don Uaċtarán é ḟógairt.

4.

Leis seo cuirtear na Fórsaí Cosanta fá árd-ċeannas an Uaċtaráin.

1° Níl an tUaċtarán freagarṫaċ d’aon Tiġ den Oireaċtas ná d’aon ċúirt i n-oibriú is i gcoiṁlíonaḋ cuṁaċt is feaḋmanna a oifige ná i n-aon ġníoṁ dá ndéanann sé nó a ḃeireann le tuigsint gur gníoṁ é a ḋéanann sé i n-oibriú agus i gcoiṁlíonaḋ na gcuṁaċt is na ḃfeaḋmanna sin. 2° Aċ féadfar iomċar an Uaċtaráin do ċur fá léirṁeas i gceaċtar de Ṫiġṫiḃ an Oireaċtais ċun críċeanna ailt 10 d’Airteagal 12 den Ḃunreaċt so, nó ag aon ċúirt, binnse nó coṁluċt a ceapfar nó a ainmneoċar ag ceaċtar de Ṫiġṫiḃ an Oireaċtais ċun cúis fá alt 10 den Airteagal sin do scrúdaḋ.

2° Tig leis an Uaċtarán, as a ċoṁairle féin, diúltaḋ do Ḋáil Éireann do lán-scor ar ċoṁairle Taoisiġ ná leanann tromlaċ i nDáil Éireann de ḃeiṫ i dtacaiḋeaċt leis. 3° Tig leis an Uaċtarán uair ar biṫ, tar éis coṁairle do ġlacaḋ leis an gCoṁairle Stáit, ceaċtar de Ṫiġṫiḃ an Oireaċtais, nó iad araon, do ċomóraḋ.

1° An t-árd-ċeannas ar na Fórsaíḃ Cosanta is le dliġeaḋ a riaġlóċar an moḋ ar a n-oibreoċar é.

9.

Taoḃ amuiġ de ċás dá socruiġṫear leis an mBunreaċt so go ngníoṁóċaiḋ an tUaċtarán as a ċoṁairle féin, nó tar éis coṁairle do ġlacaḋ leis an gCoṁairle Stáit, nó go ngníoṁóċaiḋ sé i dtaoḃ ní a ḃaineas leis an gCoṁairle Stáit, nó ar ċoṁairle nó ainmniú aon duine nó aon dreama eile, nó ar aon scéala eile d’ḟaġáil ó aon duine nó aon dream eile, is ar ċoṁairle an Riaġaltais aṁáin is cead don Uaċtarán na cuṁaċta agus na feaḋmanna a ḃeirtear dó leis an mBunreaċt so d’oibriú is do ċoiṁlíonaḋ.


A study of the Irish text

10.

Fá ċuimsiú an Ḃunreaċta so féadfar tuilleaḋ cuṁaċt agus feaḋmanna do ṫaḃairt don Uaċtarán le dliġeaḋ.

11.

Ní cead don Uaċtarán aon ċuṁaċt ná feiḋm dá mbronntar air le dliġeaḋ d’oibriú ná do ċoiṁlíonaḋ aċ aṁáin ar ċoṁairle an Riaġaltais.

Staidéar an an téacs Gaeilge

ḋéanaṁ ċun na cuṁaċta agus na feaḋmanna bronntar ar an Uaċtarán leis an mBunreaċt so nó fé d’oibriú is do ċoiṁlíonaḋ i n-aon ċás ná déantar socrú ina ċoṁair leis na foráiltiḃ sin roṁainn den Airteagal so. 5.

Airteagal 14. 1.

2.

Má ḃíonn an tUaċtarán as láṫair nó má ḃíonn ar míṫreoir go sealadaċ, nó má ḃíonn ar míṫreoir go buan agus go suiḋfear sin mar socruiġṫear le halt 3 d’Airteagal 12 den Ḃunreaċt so, nó má ṫárluiġeann é d’éag nó é d’éirġe as oifig nó é do ċur as oifig, nó má ṫeipeann air cuṁaċta is feaḋmanna a oifige nó aon ċeann díoḃ d’oibriú is do ċoiṁlíonaḋ, nó má ḃíonn oifig an Uaċtaráin folaṁ, is Coimisiún a ḃeas coiṁḋéanta mar socruiġṫear i n-alt 2 den Airteagal so oibreoċas is ċoiṁlíonfas na cuṁaċta is na feaḋmanna bronntar ar an Uaċtarán leis an mBunreaċt so nó fé.

AN ṖÁRLAIMINT NÁISIÚNTA. Coiéana agus Cuata. Airteagal 15. 1.

3.

Is dleaġṫaċ don Ċoimisiún gníoṁú trí ḃeirt ar biṫ dá líon agus gníoṁú d’aindeoin folaṁantais ina gcoṁaltas.

4.

Féadfaiḋ an Ċoṁairle Stáit, le tromlaċ dá gcoṁaltaíḃ, cibé socrú is oirċeas leo do

1° An tOireaċtas is ainm don Ṗárlaimint Náisiúnta, agus sin é a ḃeirtear uirṫi de ġnáṫ sa Ḃunreaċt so. 2° An tUaċtarán agus ḋá Ṫiġ atá insan Oireaċtas: Tiġ Ionadóirí ar a dtugtar Dáil Éireann, agus Seanad ar a dtugtar Seanad Éireann.

3° Gníoṁóċaiḋ Leas-Ċaṫaoirleaċ Ḋáil Éireann ina ċoṁalta den Ċoimisiún i nionad Ċaṫaoirleaċ Ḋáil Éireann aon uair a ḃeas oifig Ċaṫaoirleaċ Ḋáil Éireann folaṁ nó a ḃeas an Caṫaoirleaċ sin gan ḃeiṫ i gcumas gníoṁuiġṫe. 4° Gníoṁóċaiḋ Leas-Ċaṫaoirleaċ Ṡeanad Éireann ina ċoṁalta den Ċoimisiún i nionad Ċaṫaoirleaċ Ṡeanad Éireann aon uair a ḃeas oifig Ċaṫaoirleaċ Ṡeanad Éireann folaṁ nó a ḃeas an Caṫaoirleaċ sin gan ḃeiṫ i gcumas gníoṁuiġṫe.

1° Na foráiltí den Ḃunreaċt so a ḃaineas leis an Uaċtarán d’oibriú is do ċoiṁlíonaḋ na gcuṁaċt is na ḃfeaḋmanna a bronntar air leis an mBunreaċt so nó fé bainfid, fá ċuimsiú na ḃforáiltí i n-ar ndiaiḋ den alt so, le hoibriú is le coiṁlíonaḋ na gcuṁaċt is na ḃfeaḋmanna san fán Airteagal so. 2° Má ṫeipeann ar an Uaċtarán aon ċuṁaċt nó feiḋm d’oibriú nó do ċoiṁlíonaḋ naċ foláir dó, do réir an Ḃunreaċta so nó fé, í d’oibriú nó do ċoiṁlíonaḋ fá ċeann aimsire luaiḋtear, ní foláir í d’oibriú nó do ċoiṁlíonaḋ fán Airteagal so ċoṁ luaṫ agus is féidir é tar éis na haimsire luaiḋtear aṁlaiḋ.

1° Is iad na daoine seo leanas an Coimisiún, .i. an Príṁ-Ḃreiṫeaṁ, Caṫaoirleaċ Ḋáil Éireann (An Ceann Coṁairle) agus Caṫaoirleaċ Ṡeanad Éireann. 2° Gníoṁóċaiḋ Uaċtarán na hÁrd-Ċúirte ina ċoṁalta den Ċoimisiún i n-ionad an Ṗríṁ-Ḃreiṫiṁ aon uair a ḃeas oifig an Ṗríṁ-Ḃreiṫiṁ folaṁ nó a ḃeas an PríṁḂreiṫeaṁ gan ḃeiṫ i gcumas gníoṁuiġṫe.

719

3° Is i gcaṫair Ḃaile Áṫa Cliaṫ nó ar a coṁgar, nó cibé áit eile ar a gcinnfid ó am go ham, a ṡuiḋfid Tiġṫe an Oireaċtais. 2.

1° Ḃeirtear don Oireaċtas aṁáin leis seo an t-aon ċuṁaċt ċun dliġṫe do ḋéanaṁ don Stát; níl cuṁaċt ag uġdarás reaċtaiḋeaċta ar biṫ eile ċun dliġṫe do ḋéanaṁ don Stát. 2° Aċ féadfar socrú do ḋéanaṁ le dliġeaḋ ċun fó-reaċtais do ċur ar bun nó ċun glacṫa leo, agus ċun cuṁaċta agus feaḋmanna na ḃfó-reaċtas sin do leagaḋ amaċ.


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3.

The Constitution of Ireland

1° Tig leis an Oireaċtas socrú do ḋéanaṁ ċun coṁairlí feaḋmannais is garma beaṫaḋ, a ionaduiġeas ranna de ṡaoġal ċoṁḋaonnaċ agus de ṡaoġal ġeilleagraċ an ṗobail, do ċur ar bun nó glacaḋ leo.

Bunreacht na hÉireann

2° Is le dliġeaḋ a cinnfear tuarastal Ċaṫaoirliġ is Leas-Ċaṫaoirliġ gaċ Tiġe ar leiṫ. 10.

Déanfaiḋ gaċ Tiġ ar leiṫ a riaġlaċa agus a ḃuan-orduiġṫe féin, agus beiḋ sé de ċuṁaċt ag gaċ Tiġ aca pionós do ċeapaḋ do luċt a sáruiġṫe sin; beiḋ sé de ċuṁaċt aige fairis sin saoirse aiġnis do ċur i n-áiriṫe, agus a scríḃinní oifigeaṁla féin agus páipéir ṗríoḃáideaċa a ċoṁaltaí do ḋídin, agus fós é féin agus a ċoṁaltaí do ḋídin ar aon duine nó ar aon dream daoine do ḋéanfaḋ curisteaċ nó toirmeasc ar a ċoṁaltaíḃ nó do ḋéanfaḋ iarraċt ar iad d’éilliú agus iad ag déanaṁ a ndualgas.

11.

1° Taoḃ amuiġ de ċás dá socruiġṫear a ṁalairt leis an mBunreaċt so is é sliġe a dtaḃarfar breiṫ ar gaċ ceist i ngaċ Tiġ ar leiṫ ná le hurṁór ḃótaí na gcoṁaltaí a ḃeas i láṫair agus a ḋéanfas ḃótáil aċ gan an Caṫaoirleaċ nó an coṁalta ḃeas i gceannas d’áireaṁ.

2° Dliġeaḋ ar biṫ le n-a gcuirtear coṁairle den tsórt sin ar bun nó fá n-a nglactar léi ní foláir léiriú do ḃeiṫ ann ar ċeartaiḃ, ar ċuṁaċtaiḃ agus ar ḋualgasaiḃ na coṁairle sin, agus fós ar a coṁḃaint leis an Oireaċtas agus leis an Riaġaltas. 4.

1° Ní cead don Oireaċtas aon dliġeaḋ d’aċtú a ḃeaḋ ar aon ċuma i n-aġaiḋ an Ḃunreaċta so nó i n-aġaiḋ aon ḟoráilte den Ḃunreaċt so. 2° I gcás aon dliġeaḋ dá n-aċtóċaiḋ an tOireaċtas do ḃeiṫ ar aon ċuma i n-aġaiḋ an Ḃunreaċta so nó i n-aġaiḋ aon ḟoráilte den Ḃunreaċt so beiḋ sé gan ḃail sa ṁéid go mbeiḋ sé i n-aġaiḋ an Ḃunreaċta so agus sa ṁéid sin aṁáin.

5.

Ní cead don Oireaċtas a ráḋ gur sárú dliġiḋ gníoṁarṫa nár ṡárú dliġiḋ iad le linn a ndéanta.

6.

1° Is ag an Oireaċtas aṁáin atá de ċeart fórsaí míleata nó fórsaí armṫa do ḃunú agus do ċoṫaḃáil.

2° Más ionann líon na ḃótaí ar an dá ṫaoḃ beiḋ ag an gCaṫaoirleaċ, nó ag an gcoṁalta ḃeas i gceannas, ḃóta cinneaṁna naċ foláir dó a ṫaḃairt. 3° Is le n-a ḃuan-orduiġṫe cinnfear cia an méid coṁalta a ḃeas riaċtanaċ do ṫionól de ċeaċtar den dá Ṫiġ ċun é ḃeiṫ i gcumas feaḋma.

2° Ní dleaġṫaċ fórsa míleata ná fórsa armṫa ar biṫ, seaċas fórsa míleata nó fórsa armṫa a bunuiġṫear agus a coṫaḃáiltear ag an Oireaċtas, do ḃunú ná do ċoṫaḃáil ċun críċe ar biṫ.

12.

Gaċ tuarascḃáil agus foillseaċán oifigeaṁail ón Oireaċtas agus ó gaċ Tiġ de, maille le caint ar biṫ dá ndéantar i n-aon Tiġ díoḃ, táid saor ar ċúrsaíḃ dliġiḋ cibé áit a ḃfoillsiġṫear.

7.

Ní foláir don Oireaċtas suiḋe uair sa ḃliaḋain ar a laiġead.

13.

8.

1° Is go poibliḋe a ṡuiḋfiḋ gaċ Tiġ den Oireaċtas.

Tá coṁaltaí gaċ Tiġe den Oireaċtas saor ar ġaḃáil le linn ḃeiṫ i dtearmann ceaċtar den dá Ṫiġ nó ag teaċt ċuige nó ag imeaċt uaiḋ, aċ aṁáin i gcás tréasa, mar míniġṫear sa Ḃunreaċt so é, nó i gcás feileontaċta nó briseaḋ síoṫċána; agus cibé caint a ḋéanfaiḋ coṁalta i n-aon Tiġ díoḃ ní hionċúisiġṫe é mar ġeall uirṫi i n-aon ċúirt ná ag uġdarás ar biṫ aċ aṁáin an Tiġ féin.

14.

Ní cead d’aon duine ḃeiṫ ina ċoṁalta de ḋá Ṫiġ an Oireaċtais san am ċéadna, agus aon duine ḃeas ina ċoṁalta de Ṫiġ díoḃ agus go ndéanfar coṁalta den Tiġ eile ḋe, ní foláir a ṁeas láiṫreaċ go ḃfuil éiriġṫe aige as an gcéad ionad.

2° Aċ i gcás práinn speisialta do ḃeiṫ ann, tig le ceaċtar den dá Ṫiġ suiḋe go príoḃáideaċ aċ ḋá dtrian de na coṁaltaíḃ a ḃeas i láṫair do ṫoiliú leis. 9.

1° Toġfaiḋ gaċ Tiġ ar leiṫ den Oireaċtas a Ċaṫaoirleaċ agus a Leas-Ċaṫaoirleaċ féin as a ċoṁaltas féin, agus leagfaiḋ amaċ dóiḃ a gcuṁaċta agus a ndualgais.


A study of the Irish text

15.

Staidéar an an téacs Gaeilge

Tig leis an Oireaċtas socrú do ḋéanaṁ le dliġeaḋ ċun allúntais d’íoc le coṁaltaíḃ gaċ Tiġe ḋe as uċt a ndualgas i gcáil ionadóirí poibliḋe, agus ċun go ndeonfaí ḋóiḃ, maidir le n-a ndualgasaiḃ, saoráid ċun taisteal i n-aisce agus cibé saoráid eile a ċinnfiḋ an tOireaċtas, má ċinneann.

3° An ċoiṁréir a ḃeas idir an líon coṁaltaí ḃeas le toġa aon tráṫ le haġaiḋ gaċ dáil-ċeanntair ar leiṫ agus daonraḋ gaċ dáil-ċeanntair ar leiṫ, do réir an daonáiriṁ is déiḋeanaiġe dá ndearnaḋ roiṁe sin, ní foláir í ḃeiṫ ar coṫrom, sa ṁéid gur féidir é, ar fuaid na dúiṫċe uile. 4° Ní foláir don Oireaċtas na dáil-ċeanntair d’aiṫ-ṁeas uair ar a laiġead insan dá ḃliaḋain déag ag féaċaint go cuiḃe d’aon aṫarruiġṫe ar ṡuiḋeaṁ na daonraiḋe; aċ aṫarruiġṫe ar biṫ dá ndéanfar ar na dáilċeanntraiḃ ní ṫiocfaid i ḃfeiḋm i riṫ ré na Dála ḃeas ina suiḋe le linn an aiṫṁeasta sin.

Dáil Éireann. Airteagal 16. 1.

1° Gaċ saoránaċ, cibé aca fear nó bean, ag a ḃfuil bliaḋain agus fiċe slán agus ná cuirtear fá ṁíċumas nó fá ṁíṫreoir leis an mBunreaċt so ná le dliġeaḋ, tá sé iontoġṫa ar ċoṁaltas Ḋáil Éireann. 2° i.

5° Is do réir na hionadaiḋeaċta cionṁaire agus ar ṁoḋ an aon-ġoṫa ionaistriġṫe a toġfar na coṁaltaí. 6° Ní cead dliġeaḋ d’aċtú a ḃéarfaḋ fá ḃun trír an líon coṁaltaí a ḃeas le toġa d’aon dáil-ċeanntar.

Gaċ uile ṡaoránaċ, agus

ii. cibé daoine eile sa Stát a cinnfear le dliġeaḋ,

3.

cibé aca fir nó mná, ag a ḃfuil oċt mbliaḋna déag slán agus ná cuirtear fá ḋíċáiliḋeaċt le dliġeaḋ, agus a ċoiṁlíonas coinġeallaċa an dliġiḋ i dtaoḃ toġċáin coṁaltaí do Ḋáil Éireann, tá ceart ḃótála aca i dtoġċán coṁaltaí do Ḋáil Éireann. 3° Ní cead aon dliġeaḋ d’aċtú do ċuirfeaḋ saoránaċ ar biṫ, toisc gur fear nó toisc gur bean an saoránaċ sin, fá ṁíċumas nó fá ṁíṫreoir maidir le n-a ḃeiṫ ina ċoṁalta de Ḋáil Éireann nó a ḋíċáileoċaḋ saoránaċ ar biṫ nó duine ar biṫ eile, ar an ḃforas céanna sin, ó ḃeiṫ i dteideal ḃótála i dtoġċán coṁaltaí do Ḋáil Éireann. 4° Ní cead do ṫoġṫóir ar biṫ ṫar aon ḃóta aṁáin do ṫaḃairt i dtoġċán do Ḋáil Éireann, agus is le rún-ḃallóid a déanfar an ḃótáil. 2.

1° Ní foláir Dáil Éireann do ċomóraḋ agus do lán-scor mar socruiġṫear le halt 2 d’Airteagal 13 den Ḃunreaċt so. 2° Ní foláir olltoġċán do ċoṁaltaíḃ do Ḋáil Éireann do ḃeiṫ ann lá naċ déiḋeanaiġe ná tríoċa lá tar éis Dáil Éireann do lán-scor.

4.

1° An ḃótáil do gaċ olltoġċán ar leiṫ do Ḋáil Éireann ní foláir í ḋéanaṁ, sa ṁéid gur féidir é, an t-aon lá aṁáin ar fuaid na dúiṫċe uile. 2° Ní foláir do Ḋáil Éireann teaċt le ċéile taoḃ istiġ de ṫríoċa lá ón lá ḃótála sin.

5.

Ní ḃeiḋ de ré ag aon Dáil Éireann aċ seaċt mbliaḋna ó lá a céad-tionóil: féadfar ré is giorra ná sin do ṡocrú le dliġeaḋ.

6.

An coṁalta de Ḋáil Éireann a ḃeas ina Ċaṫaoirleaċ díreaċ roiṁ lán-scor do Ḋáil Éireann ní foláir socrú do ḋéanaṁ le dliġeaḋ ċun go ḃféadfar a ṁeas an coṁalta sin a ḃeiṫ toġṫa do Ḋáil Éireann insan ċéad olltoġċán eile, gan é ḋul fá ṫoġa.

7.

Fá ċuimsiú na ḃforáiltí sin roṁainn den Airteagal so is do réir dliġiḋ a riaġlóċar toġċáin do ċoṁaltas Ḋáil Éireann, mar aon le líonaḋ corr-ḟolaṁantas.

1° Ionadóirí do ḋáil-ċeanntraiḃ a socruiġṫear le dliġeaḋ coṁaltas Ḋáil Éireann. 2° Socróċar líon coṁaltaí Ḋáil Éireann le dliġeaḋ ó am go ham aċ ní cead a lánlíon do ḃeiṫ fá ḃun coṁalta i n-aġaiḋ gaċ tríoċa míle den daonraiḋ, ná ós cionn coṁalta i n-aġaiḋ gaċ fiċe míle den daonraiḋ.

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722

The Constitution of Ireland

Bunreacht na hÉireann

Airteagal 17. 1.

2° Féadfar foráileaṁ a ḋéanaṁ le dliġeaḋ ċun go dtoġfar do réir toġ-ċórais, agus ar an moḋ, a socróċar le dliġeaḋ, ag ceann aṁáin nó níos mó de na forais seo a leanas, eaḋon:

1° Ċoṁ luaṫ agus is féidir é tar éis na Meastaċáin ar ḟaġáltas an Stáit agus na Meastaċáin ar ċaiṫeaṁ airgid an Stáit i gcoṁair aon ḃliaḋna airgeadais do ċur fá ḃráġaid Ḋáil Éireann fá Airteagal 28 den Ḃunreaċt so, ní foláir do Ḋáil Éireann na Meastaċáin sin do ḃreaṫnú. 2° An reaċtaiḋeaċt a ḃeas riaċtanaċ ċun feiḋm dliġiḋ do ṫaḃairt do Rúin Airgeadais gaċ bliaḋna ar leiṫ ní foláir í aċtú an ḃliaḋain sin féin aċ aṁáin sa ṁéid go mbeiḋ a ṁalairt socair i dtaoḃ gaċ cás ar leiṫ i n-aċtaċán ċuige sin.

2.

Seasca coṁalta líon Ṡeanad Éireann, .i. aon duine ḋéag a ainmneoċar agus naonḃar is dá ḟiċid a toġfar.

2.

Ionnas go mbeaḋ duine ionġlacṫa ar ċoṁaltas Ṡeanad Éireann ní foláir é ḃeiṫ ionġlacṫa ar ċoṁaltas Ḋáil Éireann.

3.

Na coṁaltaí ainmneoċar do Ṡeanad Éireann ainmneoċar iad le réaṁ-ċead uaṫa féin ag an Taoiseaċ a ceapfar ar Ḋáil Éireann d’aiṫtionól i ndiaiḋ an lán-scoir ar Ḋáil Éireann is siocair leis na coṁaltaí sin d’ainmniú.

4.

1° Na coṁaltaí a toġfar do Ṡeanad Éireann, is ar an gcuma so leanas a toġfar iad:— i.

Toġfaiḋ Ollscoil na hÉireann triúr.

ii.

Toġfaiḋ Ollscoil Ḃaile Áṫa Cliaṫ triúr.

iii. Toġfar triúr is dá ḟiċid as rollaíḃ d’iarrṫóiríḃ a cóireoċar ar an gcuma a socruiġṫear annso i n-ar ndiaiḋ.

ii.

aon ḟorais eile árdoideaċais sa Stát,

Féadfar coṁalta nó coṁaltaí de Ṡeanad Éireann a ṫoġa fán ḃfo-alt so ag forais a ḃeas tiomsuiġṫe le ċéile nó ag foras aonair. 3° Ní cead aon ní dá ḃfuil in san Airteagal so d’agairt ċun toirmeasc a ċur le hollscoil a luaiḋtear i ḃfo-alt 1° den alt so a lánscor do réir dliġiḋ.

Seanad Éireann. 1.

na hollscoileanna a luaiḋtear i ḃfo-alt 1° den alt so,

an líon san coṁaltaí de Ṡeanad Éireann a socróċar le dliġeaḋ in ionad líon coṁionann de na coṁaltaí a ḃeas le toġa do ḃun míreanna i agus ii den ḟo-alt san 1°.

Ní dleaġṫaċ do Ḋáil Éireann ḃóta ná rún do riṫ, ná ní dleaġṫaċ aon dliġeaḋ d’aċtú, ċun leiṫ-ġaḃáil do ḋéanaṁ ar stát-ċíos ná ar airgead poibliḋe ar biṫ eile, muna mbeiḋ teaċtaireaċt ag Dáil Éireann ón Riaġaltas fá láiṁ an Taoisiġ ag molaḋ críċe na leiṫ-ġaḃála ḋóiḃ.

Airteagal 18.

i.

5.

Gaċ toġċán dá mbeiḋ ann do na coṁaltaíḃ a toġfar do Ṡeanad Éireann is do réir na hionadaiḋeaċta cionṁaire a déanfar é agus ar ṁoḋ an aon-ġoṫa ionaistriġṫe, le rún-ḃallóid ṗuist.

6.

Na coṁaltaí a toġfar do Ṡeanad Éireann ag na hOllscolaiḃ is do réir toġċórais, agus ar an moḋ, a socróċar le dliġeaḋ a toġfar iad.

7.

1° Roiṁ gaċ olltoġċán do na coṁaltaíḃ do Ṡeanad Éireann a toġfar as rollaíḃ d’iarrṫóiríḃ cóireoċar ar an gcuma socróċar le dliġeaḋ cúig rollaí d’iarrṫóiríḃ ar a mbeiḋ ainmneaċa daoine ag a mbeiḋ eolas agus cleaċtaḋ ar na gnóṫaiḃ agus na seirḃísíḃ seo leanas fá seaċ:– i.

An Ġaeḋilg agus an tSaoiḋeaċt náisiúnta, Litriḋeaċt, Ealaḋnaċt, Oideaċas agus pé garma a léireoċar le dliġeaḋ ċun críċe an rolla so;

ii.

Talṁaiḋeaċt, maille le gnóṫaiḃ a ḃaineas léi, agus Iascaireaċt;

iii. Oibreaċas, cibé coiṁeagruiġṫe é nó naċ eaḋ;


A study of the Irish text

iv.

v.

Tionnscal is Tráċtáil ar a n-áiriṁṫear b an n c aeraċt, ai r g e adas, cunnt a s ai ḋ e a ċ t , i n n e al l t ó i r e a ċt agus foirgniḋeaċt;

9.

10.

Ní foláir olltoġċán do Ṡeanad Éireann do ḃeiṫ ann lá naċ déiḋeanaiġe ná nóċa lá d’éis lán-scor do Ḋáil Éireann, agus ní foláir do Ṡeanad Éireann teaċt le ċéile ar ċéad-tionól tar éis an olltoġċáin lá a ċinnfiḋ an tUaċtarán ċuige ar ċoṁairle an Taoisiġ. Leanfaiḋ gaċ coṁalta de Ṡeanad Éireann dá oifig, muna n-éagaiḋ nó muna n-éirġiḋ as oifig nó muna ndíċáiliġṫear é, go dtí an lá roiṁ lá na ḃótála don olltoġċán is túisce ḃeas ann do Ṡeanad Éireann d’éis é ṫoġa nó é d’ainmniú.

Airteagal 20. 1.

Ní foláir gaċ Bille a tionnscantar i nDáil Éireann agus a riṫtear ag Dáil Éireann do ċur go Seanad Éireann agus, muna Bille Airgid é, tig le Seanad Éireann é leasú, agus ní foláir do Ḋáil Éireann aon leasú den tsórt sin do ḃreaṫnú.

2.

1° Is dleaġṫaċ Bille naċ Bille Airgid é do ṫionnscnaṁ i Seanad Éireann, agus má riṫeann Seanad Éireann é ní foláir é ṫaḃairt isteaċ i nDáil Éireann. 2° Má tionnscantar Bille i Seanad Éireann agus go leasuiġeann Dáil Éireann é, ní foláir a ṁeas é ḃeiṫ ina Ḃille a tionnscnaḋ i nDáil Éireann.

3.

Airteagal 21. 1.

1° Is i nDáil Éireann aṁáin is cead Billí Airgid do ṫionnscnaṁ. 2° Ní foláir gaċ Bille Airgid a riṫtear ag Dáil Éireann do ċur go Seanad Éireann d’iarraiḋ a moltaí ina ṫaoḃ.

2.

3° Is ar an gcuma a socruiġṫear le dliġeaḋ a líonfar corr-ḟolaṁantais i líon na gcoṁaltaí a toġṫar do Ṡeanad Éireann.

1° Gaċ Bille Airgid a cuirtear go Seanad Éireann d’iarraiḋ a moltaí ina ṫaoḃ, ní foláir é ċur ar ais go Dáil Éireann i gceann tréiṁse naċ sia ná lá agus fiċe tar éis an Bille do ċur go Seanad Éireann, agus tig le Dáil Éireann iomlán na moltaí ó Ṡeanad Éireann nó aon ċuid díoḃ do ġlacaḋ nó do ḋiúltaḋ. 2° Muna gcuirtear an Bille Airgid sin ar ais ó Ṡeanad Éireann go Dáil Éireann taoḃ istiġ den lá agus fiċe sin, nó má cuirtear ar ais é taoḃ istiġ den lá agus fiċe sin mar aon le moltaí ná glacann Dáil Éireann leo, ní foláir a ṁeas gur riṫ an dá Ṫiġ i gcionn an lae agus fiċe sin é.

Airteagal 19. Féadfar socrú do ḋéanaṁ le dliġeaḋ ionnas go ḃféadfaḋ aon dream feaḋma nó garma beaṫaḋ, nó aon ċoṁluċt nó coṁairle feaḋma nó garma beaṫaḋ, an oiread coṁaltaí do Ṡeanad Éireann do ṫoġa go lom-díreaċ agus a cinnfear leis an dliġeaḋ sin, in ionad an oirid ċéadna de na coṁaltaíḃ a toġfar as na coṁ-rollaíḃ d’iarrṫóiríḃ a cóireoċar fá Airteagal 18 den Ḃunreaċt so.

Bille a riṫtear ag ceaċtar den dá Ṫiġ agus le n-a nglacann an Tiġ eile ní foláir a ṁeas gur riṫeaḋ é ag an dá Ṫiġ. Billí Airgid.

1° Fá ċuimsiú na ḃforáiltí sin roṁainn den Airteagal so, is do réir dliġiḋ a riaġlóċar gaċ toġċán do na coṁaltaíḃ a toġfar do Ṡeanad Éireann. 2° Is le hainmniú ón Taoiseaċ a líonfar corr-ḟolaṁantais i líon na gcoṁaltaí ainmniġṫear do Ṡeanad Éireann, le réaṁċead na ndaoine ainmneoċṫar.

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Reataieat.

Riaraċán Poibliḋe agus seirḃísí coṁḋaonnaċa, agus obair ċoṁḋaonnaċ ḋeontaċ d’áireaṁ.

2° Ní cead níos mó ná aon duine ḋéag ná, fá ċuimsiú foráiltí Airteagail 19 den Ḃunreaċt so, níos luġa ná cúigear de ċoṁaltaíḃ Ṡeanad Éireann do ṫoġa as aon rolla áiriṫe. 8.

Staidéar an an téacs Gaeilge

Airteagal 22. 1.

1° Is é is ciall do Ḃille Airgid Bille ná bíonn ann aċ foráiltí le haġaiḋ iomlán na n-aḋḃar so leanas nó aon ċuid aca .i.


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cánaċas do ġearraḋ, d’aisġairm, do loġaḋ, d’aṫarrú nó do riaġlú; muirir do leagaḋ ar airgidiḃ poibliḋe ċun fiaċa d’íoc nó ċun cuspóirí eile airgeadais, nó a leiṫéidí sin de ṁuirir d’aṫarrú nó d’aisġairm; soláṫar; airgead poibliḋe do leiṫ-ġaḃáil, do ġlacaḋ, do ċoinneáil nó d’eiseaṁaint, nó cunntais air d’iniúċaḋ; aon iasaċt do ċruinniú nó do ráṫú nó d’aisíoc; fó-aḋḃair a ḃfuil baint aca leis na neiṫiḃ sin nó le haon ċuid aca.

Bunreacht na hÉireann

tréise un billí do reanú. Airteagal 23. 1.

2° Insan ṁíniú sin ní áiriṁṫear fá na foclaiḃ “cánaċas”, “airgead poibliḋe” agus “iasaċt”, fá seaċ, aon ċánaċas, airgead ná iasaċt a ċruinniġid uġdaráis nó coṁluċtaí áiteaṁla ċun críċeanna áiteaṁla. 2.

1° Má ṫárluiġeann, taoḃ istiġ den tréiṁse áiriṫe a luaiḋtear sa ċéad ḟó-alt eile, go ndiúltuiġeann Seanad Éireann d’aon Ḃille le n-a mbaineann an tAirteagal so, nó go riṫeann Seanad Éireann an Bille agus leasuiġṫe air a ndiúltuiġeann Dáil Éireann dóiḃ, nó muna ndéanann Seanad Éireann an Bille do riṫ (pé aca leasuiġṫe é nó gan leasú) nó diúltaḋ ḋó taoḃ istiġ den tréiṁse áiriṫe, annsin má riṫeann Dáil Éireann rún ċuige sin taoḃ istiġ de naoi ḃfiċid lá tar éis na tréiṁse áiriṫe ḃeiṫ caiṫte, ní foláir a ṁeas gur riṫeaḋ an Bille sin ag ḋá Ṫiġ an Oireaċtais an lá riṫeaḋ an rún.

1° Más é tuairim Ċaṫaoirleaċ Ḋáil Éireann gur Bille Airgid aon Ḃille fá leiṫ ní foláir dó a ḋeiṁniú gur Bille Airgid é agus, fá ċuimsiú na ḃforáiltí i n-ar ndiaiḋ den alt so, ní ḃeiḋ dul ṫar an deiṁniú sin. 2° Tig le Seanad Éireann rún do riṫ i dtionól ná beiḋ níos luġa ná tríoċa coṁalta i láṫair ann, dá iarraiḋ ar an Uaċtarán ceist do ċur fá ḃráġaid Ċoiste Príḃléidí féaċaint cé aca Bille Airgid an Bille nó naċ eaḋ. 3° Má aontuiġeann an tUaċtarán leis an aṫċuinġe tar éis coṁairle do ġlacaḋ leis an gCoṁairle Stáit, ní foláir dó Coiste Príḃléidí do ċeapaḋ. An líon céadna de ċoṁaltaíḃ de Ḋáil Éireann agus de Ṡeanad Éireann a ḃeas ar an gCoiste sin, agus breiṫeaṁ den Ċúirt Uaċtaraiġ ina Ċaṫaoirleaċ orṫa. Is tar éis coṁairle do ġlacaḋ leis an gCoṁairle Stáit a déanfar na ceapaċáin sin. Más ionann an líon ḃótaí ar an dá ṫaoḃ beiḋ ḃóta ag an gCaṫaoirleaċ, aċ munab ionann ní ḃeiḋ. 4° Ní foláir don Uaċtarán an ċeist do ċur fá ḃráġaid an Ċoiste Príḃléidí a ceapfar mar sin, agus ní foláir don Ċoiste a mbreiṫ ar an gceist do ċur ċun an Uaċtaráin taoḃ istiġ de lá agus fiċe d’éis an lae a cuireaḋ an Bille go Seanad Éireann. 5° Ní ḃeiḋ dul tar breiṫ an Ċoiste. 6° Má ḋiúltuiġeann an tUaċtarán d’aṫċuinġe Ṡeanad Éireann tar éis coṁairle do ġlacaḋ leis an gCoṁairle Stáit, nó muna gcuiriḋ an Coiste Príḃléidí a mbreiṫ i n-iúil taoḃ istiġ den tréiṁse a luaiḋtear annso roṁainn, seasfaiḋ deiṁniú Ċaṫaoirleaċ Ḋáil Éireann.

Baineann an tAirteagal so le gaċ Bille a riṫeann Dáil Éireann agus a seoltar go Seanad Éireann, aċ aṁáin Bille Airgid nó Bille go ndearnaḋ an tréiṁse ċun a ḃreaṫnuiġṫe ag Seanad Éireann do ġiorrú fá Airteagal 24 den Ḃunreaċt so.

2° Nóċa lá, nó aon tréiṁse is sia ná sin a réiḋtiġid ḋá Ṫiġ an Oireaċtais le ċéile maidir leis an mBille, an tréiṁse áiriṫe, agus is é an lá a seoltar an Bille ar dtús ó Ḋáil Éireann go Seanad Éireann tosaċ na tréiṁse. 2.

1° Baineann an t-alt sin roṁainn den Airteagal so le gaċ Bille a tionnscantar i Seanad Éireann agus a riṫtear ag Seanad Éireann, agus a leasuiġṫear ag Dáil Éireann, agus go meastar dá ḃíṫin sin gur i nDáil Éireann a tionnscnaḋ é. 2° Ċuige sin is é an lá a seoltar an Bille go Seanad Éireann den ċéad uair tar éis é leasú ag Dáil Éireann a ṫosuiġeas an tréiṁse áiriṫe i gcoṁair an Ḃille sin.

Airteagal 24. 1.

Má riṫeann Dáil Éireann Bille, seaċas Bille a luaiḋtear a ḃeiṫ ina Ḃille a ḃfuil togra ann ċun an Bunreaċt do leasú, agus go seolann an Taoiseaċ teaċtaireaċtaí scríoḃṫa ċun an Uaċtaráin agus ċun Caṫaoirleaċ gaċ Tiġe den Oireaċtas, dá ḋeiṁniú ḋóiḃ gurb é tuairim an Riaġaltais go ḃfuil práinn agus riaċtanas leis an mBille sin láiṫreaċ ċun síoṫċáin agus


A study of the Irish text

slándáil an ṗobail do ċosaint, nó go ḃfuil práinn agus riaċtanas leis láiṫreaċ toisc éigeandáil ṗoibliḋe inṁeaḋónaċ nó eadarnáisiúnta do ḃeiṫ ann, annsin má ḃeartuiġeann Dáil Éireann aṁlaiḋ le rún, agus go n-aontuiġeann an tUaċtarán leis an rún tar éis coṁairle do ġlacaḋ leis an gCoṁairle Stáit, ní foláir an tréiṁse a fágfar an Bille sin fá ḃreaṫnú Ṡeanad Éireann do ġiorrú agus do ċur fán teorainn a luaiḋtear insan rún. 2.

Bille ar biṫ a ndearnaḋ an tréiṁse ċun a ḃreaṫnuiġṫe ag Seanad Éireann do ġiorrú fán Airteagal so, má ṫárluiġeann, (a) i gcás Bille naċ Bille Airgid, go ndiúltuiġeann Seanad Éireann dó nó go riṫeann Seanad Éireann é maille le leasuiġṫiḃ dá ndiúltuiġeann Dáil Éireann nó ná déanann Seanad Éireann é riṫ ná diúltaḋ ḋó, nó, (b) i gcás Bille Airgid, go gcuireann Seanad Éireann ar ais go Dáil Éireann é maille le moltaiḃ ná glacann Dáil Éireann leo nó ná déanann Seanad Éireann é ċur ar ais go Dáil Éireann, taoḃ istiġ den tréiṁse a luaiḋtear insan rún, ní foláir a ṁeas gur riṫeaḋ an Bille ag ḋá Ṫiġ an Oireaċtais i gcionn na tréiṁse sin.

3.

Ar ḋéanaṁ dliġiḋ de Ḃille go ndearnaḋ an tréiṁse ċun a ḃreaṫnuiġṫe ag Seanad Éireann do ġiorrú fán Airteagal so, beiḋ sé i ḃfeiḋm ar feaḋ tréiṁse nóċa lá ó ḋáta a aċtuiġṫe, aċ sin a mbeiḋ, muna n-aontuiġid ḋá Ṫiġ an Oireaċtais roiṁ ḋeireaḋ na tréiṁse sin an dliġeaḋ sin d’ḟanaṁaint i ḃfeiḋm ar feaḋ tréiṁse is sia ná sin, agus go luaiḋtear i rúnaiḃ ón dá Ṫiġ an tréiṁse aontuiġṫear aṁlaiḋ.

Dlie do iniú agus d’ógairt. Airteagal 25. 1.

Ċoṁ luaṫ agus riṫtear Bille, seaċas Bille a luaiḋtear a ḃeiṫ ina Ḃille a ḃfuil togra ann ċun an Bunreaċt so do leasú, nó a meastar é ḃeiṫ riṫte ag ḋá Ṫiġ an Oireaċtais, ní foláir don Taoiseaċ an Bille sin do ṫairgsint don Uaċtarán ċun a láṁ do ċur leis agus ċun é ḟógairt ina ḋliġeaḋ do réir foráiltí an Airteagail seo.

Staidéar an an téacs Gaeilge

2.

725

1° Taoḃ amuiġ de ċás dá socruiġṫear a ṁalairt leis an mBunreaċt so, gaċ Bille a tairgṫear don Uaċtarán mar sin ċun a láṁ do ċur leis agus ċun é ḟógairt ina ḋliġeaḋ, ní foláir dó a láṁ do ċur leis lá naċ luaiṫe ná an cúigṁeaḋ lá agus naċ déiḋeanaiġe ná an seaċtṁaḋ lá tar éis an lae tairgṫear an Bille ḋó. 2° Ar aṫċuinġe an Riaġaltais, le coṁṫoil Ṡeanad Éireann roiṁ ré, tig leis an Uaċtarán a láṁ a ċur le haon Ḃille is siocair don aṫċuinġe sin níos luaiṫe ná an cúigṁeaḋ lá tar éis an dáta réaṁráiḋte.

3.

Gaċ Bille go ndearnaḋ an tréiṁse ċun a ḃreaṫnuiġṫe ag Seanad Éireann do ġiorrú fá Airteagal 24 den Ḃunreaċt so, ní foláir don Uaċtarán a láṁ do ċur leis an lá tairgṫear an Bille sin dó ċun é ṡiġniú agus ċun é ḟógairt ina ḋliġeaḋ.

4.

1° Déanann dliġeaḋ de gaċ Bille an lá a ċuireann an tUaċtarán a láṁ leis fán mBunreaċt so agus is dliġeaḋ é an lá sin agus ón lá sin amaċ agus, muna léir a ṁalairt d’intinn ina ṫaoḃ, is é an lá sin a ṫigeann sé i ngníoṁ. 2° Gaċ Bille a gcuireann an tUaċtarán a láṁ leis fán mBunreaċt so ní foláir dó é ḟógairt ina ḋliġeaḋ le fógra insan Iris Oifigiúil, fá ordú uaiḋ, dá ráḋ go ḃfuil an Bille ina ḋliġeaḋ. 3° Isé téacs de Ḃille a gcuirfiḋ an tUaċtarán a láṁ leis ná an téacs do riṫeaḋ nó a meastar do riṫeaḋ ag ḋá Ṫiġ an Oireaċtais agus, má riṫtear Bille nó má meastar é ḃeiṫ riṫte aṁlaiḋ insan dá ṫeangain oifigeaṁla, cuirfiḋ an tUaċtarán a láṁ le téacs Gaeḋilge agus le téacs SacsḂéarla an Ḃille. 4° I gcás an tUaċtarán do ċur a láiṁe le téacs Ḃille i dteangain de na teangṫaċa oifigeaṁla agus insan teangain sin aṁáin, ní foláir tionntóḋ oifigeaṁail do ċur amaċ insan teangain oifigeaṁail eile. 5° Ċoṁ luaṫ agus is féidir é tar éis Bille do ṡiġniú agus é ḟógairt ina ḋliġeaḋ, ní foláir an téacs den dliġeaḋ sin le n-a mbeiḋ láṁ an Uaċtaráin nó, i gcás láṁ an Uaċtaráin do ḃeiṫ le téacs Gaeḋilge agus le téacs Sacs-Ḃéarla an dliġiḋ sin, an dá ṫéacs siġniġṫe sin do ċur isteaċ ina iris nó ina n-iris i n-oifig Iriseoir na Cúirte Uaċtaraiġe, agus is fiaḋnaise ḋoċlaoiḋte ar ḟoráiltiḃ an dliġiḋ sin an téacs


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Bunreacht na hÉireann

a cuirfear isteaċ ina iris, nó an dá ṫéacs a cuirfear isteaċ ina n-iris, aṁlaiḋ.

tAirteagal so do ċur fá ḃreiṫ na Cúirte Uaċtaraiġe féaċaint an ḃfuil an Bille sin nó aon ḟoráileaṁ nó aon ḟoráiltí áiriṫe ḋe i n-aġaiḋ an Ḃunreaċta so nó i n-aġaiḋ aon ḟoráilte ḋe.

6° I gcás téacs Gaeḋilge agus téacs Sacs-Ḃéarla de ḋliġeaḋ do ċur isteaċ ina n-iris fán alt so agus gan an dá ṫéacs sin do ḃeiṫ do réir a ċéile, is ag an téacs Gaeḋilge a ḃeiḋ an forláṁas. 5.

2° I ngaċ cás den tsórt sin ní foláir an Bille do ċur fá ḃreiṫ na Cúirte lá naċ déiḋeanaiġe ná an seaċtṁaḋ lá tar éis an dáta a ṫairgeann an Taoiseaċ an Bille don Uaċtarán ċun a láṁ do ċur leis.

1° Is dleaġṫaċ don Taoiseaċ a ṫaḃairt, ó am go ham fá mar a ċífear dó gáḃaḋ do ḃeiṫ leis, go ndéanfar téacs (insan Ġaeḋilg agus insan Sacs-Ḃéarla) den Ḃunreaċt so, mar a ḃeiḋ i ḃfeiḋm an tráṫ sin agus ina mbeiḋ na leasuiġṫe uile ḃeiḋ déanta air go dtí sin, d’ullṁú fá n-a ṫreorú. 2° Gaċ téacs a hullaṁóċar aṁlaiḋ ní foláir don Uaċtarán a láṁ do ċur le cóib de ar ḃeiṫ fíoruiġṫe ḋi le siġniġṫe an Taoisiġ agus an Ṗríṁ-Ḃreiṫiṁ, agus ní foláir an ċóib sin do ċur isteaċ ina hiris i n-oifig Iriseoir na Cúirte Uaċtaraiġe.

3° Bille ar biṫ a cuirtear fá ḃreiṫ na Cúirte Uaċtaraiġe fán Airteagal so, ní cead don Uaċtarán a láṁ do ċur leis go dtí go dtugann an Ċúirt a breiṫ. 2.

3° An ċóib a ḃeiḋ siġniġṫe agus curṫa isteaċ ina hiris aṁlaiḋ agus gurb í an téacs is deireannaiġe, ar n-a ullṁú aṁlaiḋ, i n-alt na huaire í, beiḋ sí, ar ḃeiṫ curṫa isteaċ ina hiris di aṁlaiḋ, ina fiaḋnaise ḋo-ċlaoiḋte ar an mBunreaċt so mar a ḃeiḋ ar ḋáta an ċóib sin do ċur isteaċ ina hiris aṁlaiḋ agus, ċuige sin, gaḃfa sí ionad na dtéacsanna uile den Ḃunreaċt so a mbeiḋ cóibeanna ḋíoḃ curṫa isteaċ ina n-iris aṁlaiḋ roiṁe sin. 4° I gcás gan na téacsanna d’aon ċóib áiriṫe den Ḃunreaċt so a ḃeiḋ curṫa isteaċ ina hiris fán alt so do ḃeiṫ do réir a ċéile, is ag an téacs Gaeḋilge a ḃeiḋ an forláṁas. Billí do ur fá rei na Cúirte Uataraie. Airteagal 26. Baineann an tAirteagal so le gaċ Bille a riṫtear nó a meastar a riṫeaḋ ag ḋá Ṫiġ an Oireaċtais, aċ aṁáin Bille Airgid, nó Bille a luaiḋtear a ḃeiṫ ina Ḃille a ḃfuil togra ann ċun an Bunreaċt do leasú, nó Bille go ndearnaḋ an tréiṁse ċun a ḃreaṫnuiġṫe ag Seanad Éireann do ġiorrú fá Airteagal 24 den Ḃunreaċt so. 1.

1° Is cead don Uaċtarán, tar éis coṁairle do ġlacaḋ leis an gCoṁairle Stáit, aon Ḃille le n-a mbaineann an

1° Ní foláir don Ċúirt Uaċtaraiġ, cúirt ina mbeiḋ cúigear breiṫeaṁan ar a laiġead, gaċ ceist dá gcuireann an tUaċtarán fá na breiṫ fán Airteagal so do ḃreaṫnú agus, tar éis éisteaċt le hargónaiḃ ón Árd-Aiġne nó tar a ċeann agus ó aḃcóidíḃ a toġfar ag an gCúirt, ní foláir di a breiṫ ar an gceist sin do ṫaḃairt insan ċúirt go poibliḋe ċoṁ luaṫ agus is féidir é agus, ar aon ċuma, lá naċ déiḋeanaiġe ná seasca lá tar éis an ċeist do ċur fá n-a breiṫ. 2° An ḃreiṫ a ḃeireann an tromlaċ de ḃreiṫeaṁain na Cúirte Uaċtaraiġe, sin í breiṫ na Cúirte ċun críċeanna an Airteagail seo agus isé ċraolfas an ḃreiṫ sin ná an duine sin de na breiṫeaṁnaiḃ sin a ċeapfaiḋ an Ċúirt ċuige sin, agus ní cead tuairim ar biṫ eile, ag aontú nó ag easaontú leis an mbreiṫ sin, do ċraolaḋ ná ní cead a noċtaḋ tuairim ar biṫ eile den tsórt sin do ḃeiṫ ann.

3.

1° I gcás aon Ḃille a cuirtear fá ḃreiṫ na Cúirte Uaċtaraiġe fán Airteagal so, más é breiṫ na Cúirte go ḃfuil aon ḟoráileaṁ de i n-aġaiḋ an Ḃunreaċta so nó i n-aġaiḋ aon ḟoráilte ḋe, ní foláir don Uaċtarán diúltaḋ dá láṁ do ċur leis an mBille sin. 2° I gcás aṫċuinġe do ḃeiṫ curṫa ċun an Uaċtaráin fá Airteagal 27 den Ḃunreaċt so i dtaoḃ Bille le n-a mbaineann an tAirteagal sin, ní foláir an tAirteagal sin do ċoiṁlíonaḋ. 3° I ngaċ cás eile ní foláir don Uaċtarán a láṁ do ċur leis an mBille ċoṁ luaṫ agus is féidir é tar éis an lae a ḃeireann an Ċúirt Uaċtaraċ a breiṫ.


A study of the Irish text

Billí do ur fá rei an obail.

Staidéar an an téacs Gaeilge

5.

Airteagal 27. Baineann an tAirteagal so le gaċ Bille, seaċas Bille a luaiḋtear a ḃeiṫ ina Ḃille a ḃfuil togra ann ċun an Bunreaċt so do leasú, a meastar, de ḃuaḋ Airteagail 23 den Ḃunreaċt so, a riṫeaḋ ag ḋá Ṫiġ an Oireaċtais. 1.

2.

Is cead do ṫromlaċ de ċoṁaltaíḃ Ṡeanad Éireann, i ḃfoċair trian, ar a laiġead, de ċoṁaltaíḃ Ḋáil Éireann, coṁ-aṫċuinġe do ċur ċun an Uaċtaráin fán Airteagal so, dá iarraiḋ air diúltaḋ dá láṁ do ċur le haon Ḃille le n-a mbaineann an tAirteagal so agus don Ḃille sin d’ḟógairt ina ḋliġeaḋ, toisc togra ḃeiṫ ann ina ḃfuil an oiread sin táḃaċt náisiúnta gur cóir breiṫ an ṗobail d’ḟaġáil air.

Ní foláir léar-ṫuairisc do ḃeiṫ i ngaċ aṫċuinġe den tsórt sin ar an aḋḃar nó ar na haḋḃaraiḃ áiriṫe ar a ḃfuil sí bunuiġṫe, agus í do ṫairgsint don Uaċtarán lá naċ déiḋeanaiġe ná ċeiṫre lá tar éis an dáta a meastar a riṫeaḋ an Bille ag ḋá Ṫiġ an Oireaċtais.

4.

1° Ċoṁ luaṫ agus ġeiḃeann an tUaċtarán aṫċuinġe fán Airteagal so ní foláir dó í ḃreaṫnú agus, tar éis coṁairle do ġlacaḋ leis an gCoṁairle Stáit, a ḃreiṫ do ṫaḃairt uirṫi lá naċ déiḋeanaiġe ná deiċ lá tar éis an lae a meastar a riṫeaḋ, ag ḋá Ṫiġ an Oireaċtais, an Bille sin le n-a mbaineann an aṫċuinġe. 2° I gcás an Bille nó aon ḟoráileaṁ de do ċur fá ḃreiṫ na Cúirte Uaċtaraiġe fá Airteagal 26 den Ḃunreaċt so, ní ḃeiḋ ar an Uaċtarán an aṫċuinġe do ḃreaṫnú muna ndéanaiḋ ná go dtí go ndéanfaiḋ an Ċúirt Uaċtaraċ, de ḋruim an ċurṫa fá ḃreiṫ sin, breiṫ do ċraolaḋ dá ḋearḃú gan an Bille sin nó an foráileaṁ sin de do ḃeiṫ i naġaiḋ an Ḃunreaċta so ná i n-aġaiḋ aon ḟoráilte ḋe agus, i gcás an Ċúirt Uaċtaraċ do ċraolaḋ breiṫe dá ḋearḃú sin, ní ḃeiḋ ar an Uaċtarán a ḃreiṫ ar an aṫċuinġe do ċraolaḋ go ceann sé lá tar éis an lae a craolfar breiṫ na Cúirte Uaċtaraiġe ag dearḃú mar aduḃraḋ.

1° I gcás gaċ Bille is siocair d’aṫċuinġe fán Airteagal so, más é breiṫ an Uaċtaráin go ḃfuil togra ann ina ḃfuil an oiread sin táḃaċt náisiúnta gur cóir breiṫ an ṗobail d’ḟaġáil air, ní foláir dó scríḃinn fá n-a láiṁ agus fá n-a Ṡéala do ċur go dtí an Taoiseaċ agus go dtí Caṫaoirleaċ gaċ Tiġe den Oireaċtas dá ċur sin i n-iúil dóiḃ, agus diúltaḋ dá láṁ do ċur leis an mBille sin agus dá ḟógairt ina ḋliġeaḋ muna nglactar, agus go dtí go nglactar, an togra— i.

le toil an ṗobail i Reifreann do réir foráiltí ailt 2 d’Airteagal 47 den Ḃunreaċt so, taoḃ istiġ d’oċt mí ḋéag ón lá a ḃeireann an tUaċtarán a ḃreiṫ, nó

ii. le rún ó Ḋáil Éireann ar n-a riṫ taoḃ istiġ den tréiṁse réaṁráiḋte i ndiaiḋ lán-scor agus aiṫtionól do Ḋáil Éireann.

Ní foláir gaċ aṫċuinġe den tsórt sin do ḃeiṫ i scríḃinn agus í ḃeiṫ fá láiṁ an luċt aṫċuinġe agus ní foláir a siġniġṫe sin do ḃeiṫ fíoruiġṫe ar an moḋ a horduiġṫear le dliġeaḋ.

3.

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2° Cibé uair a déantar togra ḃíonn i mBille is siocair d’aṫċuinġe fán Airteagal so do ġlacaḋ le toil an ṗobail nó le rún ó Ḋáil Éireann do réir na ḃforáiltí sin roṁainn den alt so, ní foláir an Bille sin do ṫairgsint don Uaċtarán ċoṁ luaṫ agus is féidir é tar éis a ġlacṫa, ċun a láṁ do ċur leis agus é ḟógairt ina ḋliġeaḋ, agus air sin ní foláir don Uaċtarán a láṁ do ċur leis an mBille agus é ḟógairt go cuiḃe ina ḋliġeaḋ. 6.

I gcás gaċ Bille is siocair d’aṫċuinġe fán Airteagal so, más é breiṫ an Uaċtaráin ná fuil aon togra ann ina ḃfuil an oiread sin táḃaċt náisiúnta gur cóir breiṫ an ṗobail d’ḟaġáil air, ní foláir dó scríḃinn fá n-a láiṁ agus fá n-a Ṡéala do ċur go dtí an Taoiseaċ agus go dtí Caṫaoirleaċ gaċ Tiġe den Oireaċtas dá ċur sin i n-iúil dóiḃ, agus a láṁ do ċur leis an mBille sin lá naċ déiḋeanaiġe ná aon lá déag tar éis an lae a meastar a riṫeaḋ an Bille sin ag ḋá Ṫiġ an Oireaċtais, agus é ḟógairt go cuiḃe ina ḋliġeaḋ.

AN RIAĠALTAS. Airteagal 28. 1.

Móirṡeisear ar a laiġead, agus cúig ḋuine ḋéag ar a ṁéid, líon coṁaltaí an Riaġaltais, agus is é an tUaċtarán a ċeapfas na coṁaltaí sin do réir foráiltí an Ḃunreaċta so.


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2.

3.

The Constitution of Ireland

Bunreacht na hÉireann

Fá ċuimsiú foráiltí an Ḃunreaċta so, is é an Riaġaltas oibreoċas, nó is le huġdarás an Riaġaltais a oibreoċar, cuṁaċt ċoṁallaċ an Stáit.

i.

ii. de ḃua leasa ṗoiblí ṡáraiṫiġ, de ḃun iarratais ċuige sin ó ḃinse arna ċeapaḋ ag an Rialtas nó ag Aire den Rialtas le húdarás Ṫiṫe an Oireaċtais ċun fiosrú a ḋéanaṁ faoi ní a luafaiḋ siad ina ṫaoḃ go ḃfuill táḃaċt ṗoiblí ann.

1° Ní dleaġṫaċ cogaḋ d’ḟógairt ná páirt do ḃeiṫ ag an Stát i n-aon ċogaḋ aċ aṁáin le haontaḋ Ḋáil Éireann. 2° Aċ féadfaiḋ an Riaġaltas, i gcás ionnraiḋ, aon ní do ḋéanaṁ a ṁeasfaid a ḃeiṫ riaċtanaċ ċun an Stát do ċosaint, agus muna mbeiḋ Dáil Éireann ina suiḋe ní foláir í ṫionól ċoṁ luaṫ agus is féidir é. 3° Ní cead aon ní dá ḃfuil insan Ḃunreaċt so d’agairt ċun aon dliġeaḋ dá naċtuiġeann an tOireaċtas do ċur ó ḃail má luaiḋtear ann gur dliġeaḋ é ċun slándáil an ṗobail do ċur i n-áiriṫe agus ċun an Stát do ċaoṁna i n-aimsir ċogaiḋ nó ceannairce fá arm, ná ċun aon ġníoṁ dá ndéantar nó a ḃeireann le tuigsint gur gníoṁ é a déantar in aimsir ċogaiḋ nó ceannairce fá arm do ḃun aon dliġiḋ den tsórt sin, do ċur ar neaṁ-ní. Insan ḃfo-alt so, foluiġeann “aimsir ċogaiḋ” tráṫ a ḃeiḋ coinḃlioċt fá arm ar siuḃal ná beiḋ an Stát páirteaċ ann aċ go mbeiḋ beartuiġṫe ag gaċ Tiġ den Oireaċtas ina ṫaoḃ le rún go ḃfuil ann, de ḋeascaiḃ an ċoinḃlioċta sin fá arm, staid ṗráinne náisiúnta ḋéanann deifir do ḃonn beaṫa an Stáit agus foluiġeann “aimsir ċogaiḋ nó ceannairce fá arm” an tréiṁse aimsire sin a ḃeiḋ idir an tráṫ a cuirfear deireaḋ le haon ċogaḋ, nó le haon ċoinḃlioċt fá arm den tsórt sin réaṁ-ráiḋte, nó le ceannairc fá arm agus an tráṫ a ḃeartóċaiḋ gaċ Tiġ den Oireaċtas le rún naċ ann a ṫuilleaḋ don staid ṗráinne náisiúnta arḃ é an cogaḋ sin, nó an coinḃlioċt sin fá arm, nó an ċeannairc sin fá arm fá ndeár é.

4.

4° Ní foláir don Riaġaltas Meastaċáin ar Ḟaġáltas an Stáit agus Meastaċáin ar Ċaiṫeaṁ Airgid an Stáit d’ullṁú i gcoṁair gaċ bliaḋna airgeadais, agus iad do ċur ós coṁair Ḋáil Éireann ċun a mbreaṫnuiġṫe. 5.

3° Déanfar rúndaċt na bpléití ag cruinniṫe den Rialtas a urramú i ngaċ toisc aċ aṁáin i gcás ina gcinnfiḋ an ArdĊúirt gur ceart noċtaḋ a ḋéanaṁ i dtaoḃ ní áiriṫe—

1° An Taoiseaċ is teideal do ċeann an Riaġaltais, .i. an Príoṁ-Aire, agus sin é a ḃeirtear air insan Ḃunreaċt so. 2° Ní foláir don Taoiseaċ eolas i gcoitċinne do ṫaḃairt don Uaċtarán ar neiṫiḃ a ḃaineas le beartas inṁeaḋónaċ agus le beartas eadarnáisiúnta.

6.

1° Ní foláir don Taoiseaċ coṁalta den Riaġaltas d’ainmniú ċun ḃeiṫ ina Ṫánaiste. 2° Má éagann an Taoiseaċ nó má ġaḃann míṫreoir ḃuan é, ní foláir don Tánaiste gníoṁú ċun gaċ críċe i n-ionad an Taoisiġ nó go gceaptar Taoiseaċ eile. 3° Ní foláir don Tánaiste, fairis sin, gníoṁú tar ceann nó i n-ionad an Taoisiġ le linn eisean do ḃeiṫ as láṫair go sealadaċ.

7.

1° Ní foláir an Taoiseaċ agus an Tánaiste agus an coṁalta sin den Riaġaltas a ḃeas i mbun an Roinn Airgeadais do ḃeiṫ ina gcoṁaltaíḃ de Ḋáil Éireann. 2° Ní foláir na coṁaltaí eile den Riaġaltas do ḃeiṫ ina gcoṁaltaíḃ de Ḋáil Éireann nó de Ṡeanad Éireann, aċ ní dleaġṫaċ ṫar beirt aca do ḃeiṫ ina gcoṁaltaíḃ de Ṡeanad Éireann.

1° Tá an Riaġaltas freagarṫaċ do Ḋáil Éireann. 2° I gcoṁuġdarás a ṫiocfaiḋ an Riaġaltas le ċéile agus a ġníoṁóċaid, agus táid go léir le ċéile freagarṫaċ insna Rannaiḃ Stáit a riartar ag coṁaltaíḃ an Riaġaltais.

ar ṁaiṫe le riaraḋ cirt ag Cúirt, nó

8.

Tá sé de ċeart ag gaċ coṁalta den Riaġaltas ḃeiṫ i láṫair agus laḃairt i ngaċ Tiġ den Oireaċtas.

9.

1° Tig leis an Taoiseaċ éirġe as oifig uair ar biṫ trí n-a ċur sin i n-iúil don Uaċtarán. 2° Tig le haon ċoṁalta eile den Riaġaltas éirġe as oifig trí n-a ċur sin i niúil don Taoiseaċ ċun an scéal do ċur fá ḃráġaid an Uaċtaráin.


A study of the Irish text

10.

11.

2.

Dearḃann Éire fós gur mian léi go ndéanfaí gaċ aċrann idir náisiúnaiḃ do réiḋteaċ go síoṫċánta le headráin eadarnáisiúnta nó le cinneaḋ breiṫeaṁnaċ.

4° Tig leis an Taoiseaċ uair ar biṫ, ar aḋḃaraiḃ is leor leis féin, a iarraiḋ ar ċoṁalta den Riaġaltas éirġe as oifig; muna ndéanaiḋ an coṁalta sin do réir na haṫċuinġe sin, ní foláir don Uaċtarán an coṁalta sin do ċur as oifig má ċoṁairliġeann an Taoiseaċ dó é.

3.

Glacann Éire le bunriaġlaċa gnáṫ-adṁaiṫe an dliġiḋ eadarnáisiúnta le ḃeiṫ ina dtreóir d’Éirinn ina caidreaṁ le Státaiḃ eile.

4.

1° Do réir Airteagail 28 den Ḃunreaċt so is é an Riaġaltas oibreoċas, nó is le huġdarás an Riaġaltais a oibreoċar, cuṁaċt ċoṁallaċ an Stáit maidir le n-a caidreaṁ eaċtraċ.

Aon uair ná leanann tromlaċ i nDáil Éireann de ḃeiṫ i dtacaiḋeaċt leis an Taoiseaċ, ní foláir dósan éirġe as oifig muna lán-scoireann an tUaċtarán Dáil Éireann ar ċoṁairle an Taoisiġ, agus go néiriġeann leis an Taoiseaċ tacaiḋeaċt tromlaiġ i nDáil Éireann d’ḟaġáil ar aiṫtionól do Ḋáil Éireann i ndiaiḋ an lánscoir. 1° Má éiriġeann an Taoiseaċ as oifig tráṫ ar biṫ, ní foláir a ṁeas go n-éiriġeann an ċuid eile de ċoṁaltaíḃ an Riaġaltais as oifig fairis sin; aċ leanfaiḋ an Taoiseaċ agus an ċuid eile de ċoṁaltaíḃ an Riaġaltais dá ndualgais nó go gceaptar a gcoṁarbaí.

Is do réir dliġiḋ a riaġlóċar na neiṫe seo leanas .i. Ranna Stáit do ċoiṁeagrú agus gnó do roinnt orṫa, coṁaltaí den Riaġaltas do ċeapaḋ ċun ḃeiṫ ina nAirí i mbun na Rann sin, na feaḋmanna a ḃaineas le hoifig ċoṁalta den Riaġaltas do ċoiṁlíonaḋ le linn an coṁalta sin do ḃeiṫ tamall as láṫair nó ar míṫreoir, agus tuarastal coṁaltaí an Riaġaltais.

CAIDREAṀ EADARNÁISIÚNTA. Airteagal 29. 1.

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3° Ní foláir don Uaċtarán glacaḋ le haon ċoṁalta den Riaġaltas, seaċas an Taoiseaċ, d’éirġe as oifig má ċoṁairliġeann an Taoiseaċ é sin dó.

2° Na coṁaltaí den Riaġaltas a ḃeas i n-oifig lá lán-scorṫa Ḋáil Éireann leanfaid dá n-oifig nó go gceaptar a gcoṁarbaí. 12.

Staidéar an an téacs Gaeilge

Dearḃann Éire gur mian léi síoṫċáin agus coṁar, do réir an ċoṫruim eadarnáisiúnta agus na móráltaċta eadarnáisiúnta, do ḃeiṫ ar bun idir náisiúnaiḃ an doṁain.

2° Ionnas go ḃféadfar aon ḟeiḋm ċoṁallaċ leis an Stát d’oibriú maidir le na ċaidreaṁ eaċtraċ féadfaiḋ an Riaġaltas, sa ṁéid go gcinnfear le dliġeaḋ agus fá ċuimsiú pé coinġeallaċa a cinnfear le dliġeaḋ, má cinntear, aon organ stáit nó sás nó nós imeaċta do ċur ċun críċe nó do ġlacaḋ a cuirtear ċun críċe nó a glactar ċun a leiṫéid sin de ċuspóir ag na náisiúnaiḃ is coṁaltaí d’aon ḃuiḋin nó d’aon ċumann de náisiúnaiḃ a ḃfuil nó a mbeiḋ an Stát i gcoṁlaċas leo le haġaiḋ coṁair eadarnáisiúnta i gcúrsaíḃ a ḃaineas leo uile. 3° Tig leis an Stát do ḃeiṫ ina ċoṁalta den Ċoṁṗobal Eorpaċ do Ġual agus Cruaċ (do bunuiġeaḋ le Connraḋ do síniġeaḋ i bPáras an 18aḋ lá d’Aibreán, 1951), de Ċoṁṗobal Eacnamaíoċta na hEorpa (do bunuiġeaḋ le Connraḋ do síniġeaḋ insan Róiṁ an 25aḋ lá de Ṁárta, 1957) agus den Ċoṁṗobal Eorpaċ do Ḟuinneaṁ Adaṁaċ (do bunuiġeaḋ le Connraḋ do síniġeaḋ insan Róiṁ an 25aḋ lá de Ṁárta, 1957). Tig leis an Stát an Ionstraim Eorpaċ Aonair (do síniġeaḋ tar ceann Ḃallstáit na gCoṁṗobal i Lucsamburg an 17aḋ lá d’Ḟeaḃra, 1986, agus insan Háig an 28aḋ lá d’Ḟeaḃra, 1986) do ḋaingniú. 4° Tig leis an Stát an Conraḋ ar an Aontas Eorpaċ a síniġeaḋ i Maastricht ar an 7aḋ lá d’Ḟeaḃra, 1992, do ḋaingniú agus tig leis do ḃeiṫ ina ċoṁalta den Aontas san. 5° Tig leis an Stát Conraḋ Amstardam ag leasú an Ċonarṫa ar an Aontas Eorpaċ, na gConarṫaí ag bunú na gCoṁṗobal Eorpaċ agus Ionstraimí gaolṁara áiriṫe, a síníoḋ in Amstardam an 2ú lá de Ḋeireaḋ Fóṁair, 1997, a ḋaingniú.


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The Constitution of Ireland

6° Tig leis an Stát na roġnuiṫe nó na roġanna a ḟeiḋmiú a ṡocraítear le hAirteagail 1.11, 2.5 agus 2.15 den Ċonraḋ dá dtagraítear i ḃfo-alt 5° den alt seo nó fúṫu agus leis an dara Prótacal agus leis an gceaṫrú Prótacal atá leagṫa amaċ sa Ċonraḋ sin nó fúṫu aċ beiḋ aon ḟeiḋmiú den sórt sin faoi réir ceadú a ḟáil roiṁ ré ó ḋá Ṫeaċ an Oireaċtais. 7° Ní ḋéanann aon ḟoráileaṁ atá insan Ḃunreaċt so aon dliġṫe d’aċtuiġ, gníoṁarṫa do rinne nó bearta le n-ar ġlac an Stát, de ḃíṫin riaċtanais na n-oibleagáidí mar ċoṁalta den Aontas Eorpaċ nó de na Coṁṗobail do ċur ó ḃail dliġiḋ ná cosc do ċur le dliġṫe d’aċtuiġ, gníoṁarṫa do rinne nó bearta le n-ar ġlac an tAontas Eorpaċ nó na Coṁṗobail nó institiúidí díoḃ, nó coṁluċtaí atá inneaṁail fá na Connarṫaí ag bunú na gCoṁṗobal, ó ḟeiḋm dliġiḋ do ḃeiṫ aca sa Stát. 8° Tig leis an Stát an Coṁaontú maidir le Paitinní Coṁṗobail a tarrainguiġeaḋ suas idir Ballstáit na gCoṁṗobal agus a rinneaḋ i Lucsamburg ar an 15aḋ Lá de Nollaig, 1989, do ḋaingniú. 5.

1° Ní foláir gaċ connraḋ eadarnáisiúnta ina mbeiḋ an Stát páirteaċ do leagaḋ ós coṁair Ḋáil Éireann. 2° Aon ċonnraḋ eadarnáisiúnta a ċuirfeaḋ costas ar an gciste poibliḋe ní ḃeiḋ sé ina ċeangal ar an Stát muna dtoiliġiḋ Dáil Éireann le téarmaíḃ an ċonnarṫa. 3° Ní ḃaineann an t-alt so le connarṫaiḃ ná le coṁaontaíḃ ar ċúrsaíḃ teicnice agus riaraċáin.

6.

Ní ḃeiḋ aon ċonnraḋ eadarnáisiúnta ina ċuid de ḋliġeaḋ inṁeaḋónaċ an Stáit aċ mar ċinnfiḋ an tOireaċtas.

7.

1° Tig leis an Stát a ṫoiliú a ḃeiṫ faoi ċeangal ag Coṁaontú an Breataine-na hÉireann, arna ḋéanaṁ i mBéal Feirste an 10ú lá d’Aibreán, 1998, ar a dtugtar an Coṁaontú sa Ḃunreaċt seo feasta.

Bunreacht na hÉireann

2° Tig le haon institiúid a ḃunófar leis an gCoṁaontú nó faoin gCoṁaontú na cuṁaċtaí agus na feiḋmeanna a ḟeiḋmiú a ṫugtar di dá ċionn sin i leiṫ oileán na hÉireann ar fad nó i leiṫ aon ċuid de d’ainneoin aon ḟorála eile den Ḃunreaċt seo lena dtugtar cuṁaċt nó feiḋm dá saṁail d’aon duine nó d’aon organ Stáit arna ċeapaḋ faoin mBunreaċt seo nó arna ċruṫú nó arna ḃunú leis an mBunreaċt seo nó faoin mBunreaċt seo. Féadfaiḋ aon ċuṁaċt nó aon ḟeiḋm a ṫaḃarfar d’institiúid den sórt sin i ndáil le haċrainn nó conspóidí a réiteaċ nó a ṡocrú a ḃeiṫ i dteannta nó in ionad aon ċuṁaċta nó aon ḟeiḋme dá saṁail a ṫugtar leis an mBunreaċt seo d’aon duine den sórt sin nó d’aon organ Stáit den sórt sin mar a dúraḋ. 3° Má ḋearḃaíonn an Rialtas go ḃfuil an Stát tagṫa ċun ḃeiṫ faoi oibleagáid, de ḃun an Ċoṁaontaiṫe, éifeaċt a ṫaḃairt don leasú ar an mBunreaċt seo dá dtagraítear sa Ċoṁaontú sin, ansin, d’ainneoin Airteagal 46 den Ḃunreaċt seo, déanfar an Bunreaċt seo a leasú mar a leanas: i.

déanfar an hAirteagail seo a leanas a ċur in ionad Airteagail 2 agus 3 den téacs Gaeilge: “Airteagal 2. Tá gaċ duine a ṡaolaítear in oileán na hÉireann, ar a n-áirítear a oileáin agus a ḟarraigí, i dteideal, agus tá de ċeart oiḋreaċta aige nó aici, a ḃeiṫ páirteaċ i náisiún na hÉireann. Tá an teideal sin freisin ag na daoine go léir atá cáiliṫe ar ṡlí eile de réir dlí ċun ḃeiṫ ina saoránaiġ d’Éirinn. Ina ṫeannta sin, is mór ag náisiún na hÉireann a ċoiḃneas speisialta le daoine de ḃunaḋ na hÉireann atá ina gcónaí ar an gcoigríoċ agus arb ionann féiniúlaċt agus oiḋreaċt ċultúir dóiḃ agus do náisiún na hÉireann.. Airteagal 3. 1. Is í toil ḋiongḃáilte náisiún na hÉireann, go síṫeaċ cairdiúil, na daoine go léir a ċoṁroinneann críoċ oileán na hÉireann i bpáirt lena ċéile, in éagsúlaċt uile a


A study of the Irish text

ḃféiniúlaċtaí agus a dtraidisiún, a aontú, á aiṫint gur trí ṁoḋanna síoċánta aṁáin le toiliú ṫromlaċ na ndaoine, á ċur in iúl go daonlaṫaċ, sa dá ḋlínse san oileán, a ḋéanfar Éire aontaiṫe a ṫaḃairt i gcríċ. Go dtí sin, bainfiḋ na dlíṫe a aċtófar ag an bParlaimint a ḃunaítear leis an mBunreaċt seo leis an limistéar feiḋme céanna agus beiḋ an raon feiḋme céanna acu, lenar ḃain na dlíṫe, agus a ḃí ag na dlíṫe, a d’aċtaiġ an Ṗarlaimint a ḃí ar marṫain díreaċ roiṁ ṫeaċt i ngníoṁ don Ḃunreaċt seo. 2. Féadfaiḋ údaráis ḟreagraċa faoi seaċ na ndlínsí sin institiúidí ag a mbeiḋ cuṁaċtaí agus feiḋmeanna feiḋmiúċáin a ċoṁroinntear idir na dlínsí sin a ḃunú ċun críoċ sonraiṫe agus féadfaiḋ na hinstitiúidí sin cuṁaċtaí agus feiḋmeanna a ḟeiḋmiú i leiṫ an oileáin ar fad nó i leiṫ aon ċuid de.’’, ii. déanfar na hAirteagail seo a leanas a ċur in ionad Airteagail 2 agus 3 den téacs Sacs-Ḃéarla: “Article 2. It is the entitlement and birthright of every person born in the island of Ireland, which includes its islands and seas, to be part of the Irish nation. That is also the entitlement of all persons otherwise qualified in accordance with law to be citizens of Ireland. Furthermore, the Irish nation cherishes its special affinity with people of Irish ancestry living abroad who share its cultural identity and heritage. Article 3. 1. It is the firm will of the Irish nation, in harmony and friendship, to unite all the people who share the territory of the island of Ireland, in all the diversity of their identities and traditions, recognising that a united Ireland shall be brought about only by peaceful means with the consent of a majority of the people, democratically expressed, in both jurisdictions

Staidéar an an téacs Gaeilge

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in the island. Until then, the laws enacted by the Parliament established by this Constitution shall have the like area and extent of application as the laws enacted by the Parliament that existed immediately before the coming into operation of this Constitution. 2. Institutions with executive powers and functions that are shared between those jurisdictions may be established by their respective responsible authorities for stated purposes and may exercise powers and functions in respect of all or any part of the island.’’, iii. déanfar an t-alt seo a leanas a ċur leis an téacs Gaeilge den Airteagal seo:

“8. Tig leis an Stát dlínse a ḟeiḋmiú taoḃ amuiġ dá ċríoċ de réir ḃunrialaċa gnáṫ-adṁaiṫe an dlí idirnáisiúnta.’’, agus iv. déanfar an t-alt seo a leanas a ċur leis an téacs Sacs-Ḃéarla den Airteagal seo: “8. The State may exercise extra-territorial jurisdiction in accordance with the generally recognised principles of international law.’’.

4° Má ḋéantar dearḃú faoin alt seo, déanfar an fo-alt seo agus fo-alt 3°, seaċas an leasú ar an mBunreaċt seo a ḋéantar leis an ḃfo-alt sin 3°, agus foalt 5°, den alt seo a ḟágáil ar lár as gaċ téacs oifigiúil den Ḃunreaċt seo a ḟoilseofar dá éis sin, aċ d’ainneoin iad a ḟágáil ar lár aṁlaiḋ leanfaiḋ an t-alt seo d’ḟeiḋm dlí a ḃeiṫ aige. 5° Mura ndéanfar dearḃú den sórt sin laistiġ de ḋá ṁí ḋéag ón tráṫ a ċuirfearan t-alt seo leis an mBunreaċt seo nó cibé tréiṁse is faide ná sin a ṡocrófar le dlí, scoirfiḋ an t-alt seo d’éifeaċt a ḃeiṫ leis agus fágfar ar lár é as gaċ téacs oifigiúil den Ḃunreaċt seo a ḟoilseofar dá éis sin.


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AN tÁRD-AIĠNE.

luaiḋtear sa Ḃunreaċt so do ḃeiṫ ionoibriġṫe is ionċoiṁlíonta aige tar éis coṁairle do ġlacaḋ leis an gCoṁairle Stáit, agus fós ċun aon ḟeaḋmanna eile a bronntar ar an gCoṁairle sin leis an mBunreaċt so do ċoiṁlíonaḋ.

Airteagal 30. 1.

Beiḋ Árd-Aiġne ann, agus is é is coṁairleaċ don Riaġaltas i gcúrsaíḃ dliġiḋ agus tuairimí dliġiḋ, agus ní foláir dó gaċ cuṁaċt, gaċ feiḋm agus gaċ dualgas dá mbronntar nó dá gcuirtear air leis an mBunreaċt so nó le dliġeaḋ d’oibriú agus do ċoiṁlíonaḋ.

2.

Is ag an Uaċtarán a ceapfar an tÁrdAiġne ar n-a ainmniú sin ag an Taoiseaċ.

3.

I gcás gaċ coir agus cion dá dtugtar i n-aon ċúirt a bunuiġṫear fá Airteagal 34 den Ḃunreaċt so, aċ aṁáin cúirt dliġinse aṫċomaire, is i n-ainm an Ṗobail agus ar agra an Árd-Aiġne, nó ar agra ḋuine éigin eile a uġdaruiġṫear ina ċoṁair sin do réir dliġiḋ, a déanfar an cúisiú.

2.

Is iad na daoine seo leanas a ḃeas ina gcoṁaltaíḃ den Ċoṁairle Stáit: i.

De ḃuaḋ oifige: an Taoiseaċ, an Tánaiste, an Príṁ-Ḃreiṫeaṁ, Uaċtarán na hÁrd-Ċúirte, Caṫaoirleaċ Ḋáil Éireann, Caṫaoirleaċ Ṡeanad Éireann, agus an tÁrd-Aiġne.

4.

Ní cead an tÁrd-Aiġne ḃeiṫ ina ċoṁalta den Riaġaltas.

ii. Gaċ duine gur cumas dó agus gur fonn leis gníoṁú ina ċoṁalta den Ċoṁairle Stáit, agus a ḃí tráṫ ina Uaċtarán nó ina Ṫaoiseaċ nó ina Ṗríṁ-Ḃreiṫeaṁ, nó ina Uaċtarán ar Árd-Ċoṁairle Ṡaorstát Éireann.

5.

1° Tig leis an Árd-Aiġne éirġe as oifig uair ar biṫ trí n-a ċur sin i n-iúil don Taoiseaċ ċun an scéal do ċur fá ḃráġaid an Uaċtaráin.

iii. Aon daoine eile a ceapfar ag an Uaċtarán fán Airteagal so, má ceaptar éinne, ċun ḃeiṫ ina gcoṁaltaíḃ den Ċoṁairle Stáit.

2° Tig leis an Taoiseaċ, ar aḋḃaraiḃ is leor leis féin, a iarraiḋ ar an Árd-Aiġne éirġe as oifig.

3.

Tig leis an Uaċtarán uair ar biṫ agus ó am go ham cibé daoine eile is oireaṁnaċ leis, as a ċoṁairle féin, do ċeapaḋ le barántas fá n-a láiṁ is fá n-a Ṡéala ċun ḃeiṫ ina gcoṁaltaíḃ den Ċoṁairle Stáit, aċ ní dleaġṫaċ ṫar móirṡeisear a ceaptar ar an gcuma sin a ḃeiṫ ina gcoṁaltaíḃ den Ċoṁairle Stáit insan am ċéadna.

4.

Ní foláir do gaċ coṁalta den Ċoṁairle Stáit, an ċéad uair a ḃeiḋ sé ar ṫionól den Ċoṁairle sin ina ċoṁalta ḋi, an dearḃaḋ so leanas do ḋéanaṁ agus a láṁ do ċur leis:

3° Muna ndéanaiḋ an tÁrd-Aiġne do réir na haṫċuinġe sin ní foláir don Uaċtarán é ċur as oifig má ċoṁairliġeann an Taoiseaċ dó é. 4° Ní foláir don Árd-Aiġne dul as oifig ar éirġe as oifig don Taoiseaċ, aċ tig leis leanaṁaint dá ḋualgais nó go gceaptar coṁarba an Taoisiġ. 6.

Fá ċuimsiú na ḃforáiltí sin roṁainn den Airteagal so is do réir dliġiḋ a riaġlóċar oifig an Árd-Aiġne, maille leis an tuarastal is iníocṫa leis an té ḃeas i seilḃ na hoifige sin.

“I láṫair Dia na nUileċuṁaċt táimse, , dá ġeallaṁaint agus dá ḋearḃaḋ go sollamanta agus go fírinneaċ mo ḋualgais im ċoṁalta den Ċoṁairle Stáit do ċoiṁlíonaḋ go dílis coinsiasaċ.”

AN ĊOṀAIRLE STÁIT. Airteagal 31. 1.

Beiḋ Coṁairle Stáit ann ċun caḃair is coṁairle do ṫaḃairt don Uaċtarán i dtaoḃ gaċ ní dá gcuirfiḋ an tUaċtarán ina gcoṁairle, maidir le hé d’oibriú is do ċoiṁlíonaḋ na gcuṁaċt is na ḃfeaḋmanna a

5.

Gaċ coṁalta den Ċoṁairle Stáit a ceapfar ag an Uaċtarán beiḋ sé i seilḃ oifige nó go dtéiġiḋ coṁarba an Uaċtaráin a ċeap é i gcúram a oifige, sé sin muna dtárluiġiḋ roiṁe sin go n-éagfaiḋ an coṁalta sin, nó go n-éireoċaiḋ as oifig, nó go ngeoḃaiḋ míṫreoir ḃuan é, nó go gcuirfear as oifig é.


A study of the Irish text

6.

Aon ċoṁalta den Ċoṁairle Stáit dá gceapfaiḋ an tUaċtarán tig leis éirġe as oifig trí n-a ċur sin i n-iúil don Uaċtarán.

7.

Tig leis an Uaċtarán, ar aḋḃaraiḃ is leor leis féin, duine ar biṫ dár ċeap sé don Ċoṁairle Stáit do ċur as oifig le hordú fá n-a láiṁ agus fá n-a Ṡéala.

8.

Staidéar an an téacs Gaeilge

5.

Airteagal 32.

AN tÁRD-REAĊTAIRE CUNNTAS AGUS CISTE.

3° Láiṫreaċ d’éis na scéala sin agus cóibeanna de na rúnaiḃ sin d’ḟaġáil don Uaċtarán ní foláir dó, le hordú fá n-a láiṁ is fá n-a Ṡéala, an tÁrd-Reaċtaire Cunntas agus Ciste do ċur as oifig. 6.

Beiḋ Árd-Reaċtaire Cunntas agus Ciste ann ċun gaċ caiṫeaṁ airgid do riaġlú tar ceann an Stáit, agus ċun iniúċaḋ do ḋéanaṁ ar gaċ uile ċunntas ar airgead a riartar ag an Oireaċtas nó fá uġdarás an Oireaċtais.

2.

Is ag an Uaċtarán a ceapfar an tÁrdReaċtaire Cunntas agus Ciste, ar n-a ainmniú sin ag Dáil Éireann.

3.

Ní cead an tÁrd-Reaċtaire Cunntas agus Ciste ḃeiṫ ina ċoṁalta de ċeaċtar de Ṫiġṫiḃ an Oireaċtais, ná ḃeiṫ i n-aon oifig ná post soċair eile.

4.

Ní foláir don Árd-Reaċtaire Cunntas agus Ciste tuarascḃála do ċur ós coṁair Ḋáil Éireann ar ṫráṫaiḃ áiriṫe mar cinnfear le dliġeaḋ.

Fá ċuimsiú na neiṫe sin roṁainn, is le dliġeaḋ a cinnfear coinġeallaċa agus cúinsí oifig an Árd-Reaċtaire Cunntas agus Ciste.

NA CÚIRTEANNA. Airteagal 34. 1.

Is i gcúirteannaiḃ a bunuiġṫear le dliġeaḋ agus ag breiṫeaṁnaiḃ a ceaptar ar an moḋ atá leagṫa amaċ sa Ḃunreaċt so a riarfar ceart, agus is go poibliḋe a déanfar sin aċ aṁáin insna cásannaiḃ speisialta teoranta sin a hordóċar le dliġeaḋ.

2.

Beiḋ ar na cúirteannaiḃ sin Cúirteanna Céadċéime agus Cúirt Aṫċoṁairc Ḋeiriḋ.

3.

1° Beiḋ ar na Cúirteannaiḃ Céadċéime sin Árd-Ċúirt ag a mbeiḋ lán-dliġinse ḃunaiḋ, agus cuṁaċt ċun breiṫ do ṫaḃairt, i ngaċ ní agus ceist dliġiḋ nó fíris cibé síḃialta nó coireaċ iad.

Airteagal 33. 1.

1° Ní cead an tÁrd-Reaċtaire Cunntas agus Ciste do ċur as oifig aċ aṁáin de ḋeascaiḃ mí-iomċair nó míṫreóra a luaḋfar, ná an uair sin féin muna riṫid Dáil Éireann agus Seanad Éireann rúin dá éileaṁ é ċur as oifig. 2° Rúin ar biṫ den tsórt sin a riṫfid Dáil Éireann agus Seanad Éireann ní foláir don Taoiseaċ scéala a ṫaḃairt don Uaċtarán ina dtaoḃ go cuiḃe, agus cóib de gaċ rún den tsaṁail sin do ṡeolaḋ ċuige fá ṫeastas Ċaṫaoirleaċ an Tiġe den Oireaċtas do riṫ é.

Tig leis an Uaċtarán an Ċoṁairle Stáit do ċomóraḋ cibé áit agus am a ṡocróċaiḋ sé ċuige.

Cuṁaċta nó feaḋmanna ar biṫ go luaiḋtear ina dtaoḃ insan Ḃunreaċt so gur dleaġṫaċ don Uaċtarán iad d’oibriú nó do ċoiṁlíonaḋ tar éis coṁairle do ġlacaḋ leis an gCoṁairle Stáit, ní cead don Uaċtarán aon ċuṁaċt ná feiḋm díoḃ d’oibriú ná do ċoiṁlíonaḋ muna gcomóra sé an Ċoṁairle Stáit i ngaċ cás roiṁ ré, agus éisteaċt leis na coṁaltaíḃ den Ċoṁairle sin a ḃeas i láṫair.

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2° Taoḃ amuiġ de ċás dá socruiġṫear a ṁalairt leis an Airteagal so, beiḋ dliġinse ag an Árd-Ċúirt maidir leis an gceist sin bail do ḃeiṫ nó gan a ḃeiṫ ar aon dliġeaḋ áiriṫe ag féaċaint d’ḟoráiltiḃ an Ḃunreaċta so, agus ní cead aon ċeist den tsórt sin do ṫarraing anuas (trí ṗléideáil ná argóint ná eile) i gCúirt ar biṫ, ar n-a bunú fán Airteagal so nó fá aon Airteagal eile den Ḃunreaċt so, seaċas an Árd-Ċúirt nó an Ċúirt Uaċtaraċ.


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3° Ní ḃeiḋ dliġinse ag Cúirt ar biṫ ċun bailiḋeaċt ḋliġiḋ nó ḟoráilte ar biṫ de ḋliġeaḋ do ċur i n-aṁras is dliġeaḋ a ndearna an tUaċtarán an Bille le n-a aġaiḋ do ċur fá ḃreiṫ na Cúirte Uaċtaraiġe fá Airteagal 26 den Ḃunreaċt so, ná ċun bailiḋeaċt ḟoráilte de ḋliġeaḋ do ċur i n-aṁras má rinne an tUaċtarán an foráileaṁ cóiṁ-réire insan Ḃille le haġaiḋ an dliġiḋ sin do ċur fá ḃreiṫ na Cúirte Uaċtaraiġe fán Airteagal sin 26.

“I láṫair Dia na nUileċuṁaċt táimse, , dá ġeallaṁaint agus dá ḋearḃaḋ go sollamanta agus go fírinneaċ go gcoiṁlíonfad go cuiḃe agus go dílis, ċoṁ maiṫ agus is eol agus is cumas dom, oifig an Ṗríṁ-Ḃreiṫiṁ (nó do réir mar oireas) gan eagla gan claonaḋ, gan báiḋ gan droċaigne ċun duine ar biṫ, agus go gcuṁdóċad Bunreaċt agus dliġṫe Éireann. Dia dom stiúraḋ agus dom ċuṁdaċ.” 2° Is i láṫair an Uaċtaráin a ḋéanfaiḋ an Príṁ-Ḃreiṫeaṁ an dearḃaḋ sin agus a ċuirfiḋ a láṁ leis, agus is insan ċúirt go poibliḋe agus i láṫair an Ṗríṁ-Ḃreiṫiṁ nó an ḃreiṫiṁ den Ċúirt Uaċtaraiġ is sinsearaiġe dá mbeiḋ ar faġáil a ḋéanfaiḋ gaċ breiṫeaṁ eile den Ċúirt Uaċtaraiġ agus gaċ breiṫeaṁ den Árd-Ċúirt agus de gaċ Cúirt eile an dearḃaḋ sin agus a ċuirfiḋ láṁ leis.

4° Beiḋ ar na Cúirteannaiḃ Céadċéime, fairis sin, Cúirteanna ag a mbeiḋ dliġinse ṫeoranta áiteaṁail maille le ceart aṫċoṁairc ina n-aġaiḋ fá mar cinnfear le dliġeaḋ. 4.

1° An Ċúirt Uaċtaraċ is teideal don Ċúirt Aṫċoṁairc Ḋeiriḋ.

3° Ní foláir do gaċ breiṫeaṁ an dearḃaḋ do ḋéanaṁ agus a láṁ do ċur leis sara dtéiġiḋ i gcúram dualgas a oifige, agus cibé scéal é, ar ḋáta naċ déiḋeanaiġe ná deiċ lá tar éis lae a ċeapṫa, nó dáta is déiḋeanaiġe ná sin mar ċinnfiḋ an tUaċtarán.

2° An Príṁ-Ḃreiṫeaṁ is teideal d’uaċtarán na Cúirte Uaċtaraiġe. 3° Taoḃ amuiġ de cibé eisceaċta agus fá ċuimsiú cibé riaġlaċa ordóċar le dliġeaḋ, beiḋ dliġinse aṫċoṁairc ag an gCúirt Uaċtaraiġ ar ḃreaṫaiḃ uile na hÁrd-Ċúirte agus, fairis sin, ar na breaṫaiḃ sin ó ċúirteannaiḃ eile a ordóċar le dliġeaḋ. 4° Ní cead aon dliġeaḋ d’aċtú do ċuirfeaḋ ar an dtaoḃ amuiġ de ḋliġinse aṫċoṁairc na Cúirte Uaċtaraiġe cásanna ina mbeaḋ ceisteanna le réiḋteaċ i dtaoḃ bail do ḃeiṫ nó gan a ḃeiṫ ar aon dliġeaḋ, ag féaċaint d’ḟoráiltiḃ an Ḃunreaċta so. 5° Isé ċraolfas breiṫ na Cúirte Uaċtaraiġe ar ċeist i dtaoḃ bail do ḃeiṫ nó gan a ḃeiṫ ar ḋliġeaḋ ag féaċaint d’ḟoráiltiḃ an Ḃunreaċta so ná an duine sin de ḃreiṫeaṁnaiḃ na Cúirte sin a ċeapfaiḋ an Ċúirt sin ċuige sin, agus ní cead tuairim ar biṫ eile ar an gceist sin, ag aontú nó ag easaontú leis an mbreiṫ sin, do ċraolaḋ ná ní cead a noċtaḋ tuairim ar biṫ eile den tsórt sin do ḃeiṫ ann. 6° Ní ḃeiḋ dul tar breiṫ na Cúirte Uaċtaraiġe i gcás ar biṫ. 5.

1° Gaċ duine a ceapfar ċun ḃeiṫ ina ḃreiṫeaṁ fán mBunreaċt so ní foláir dó an dearḃaḋ so leanas do ḋéanaṁ agus a láṁ do ċur leis:

4° Aon ḃreiṫeaṁ a ḋiúltóċas nó a ḟailleoċas an dearḃaḋ réaṁráiḋte do ḋéanaṁ ní foláir a ṁeas go ḃfuil scarṫa aige le n-a oifig. Airteagal 35. 1.

Is ag an Uaċtarán a ceapfar breiṫeaṁain na Cúirte Uaċtaraiġe, na hÁrd-Ċúirte agus an uile Ċúirte eile a bunuiġṫear do ḃun Airteagail 34 den Ḃunreaċt so.

2.

Beiḋ gaċ breiṫeaṁ saor neaṁ-spleaḋaċ maidir le n-a ḟeaḋmanna breiṫeaṁan d’oibriú, gan de smaċt air aċ an Bunreaċt so agus an dliġeaḋ.

3.

Ní cead aon ḃreiṫeaṁ do ḃeiṫ ina ċoṁalta de ċeaċtar de Ṫiġṫiḃ an Oireaċtais, ná ḃeiṫ i n-aon oifig ná post soċair eile.

4.

1° Ní cead breiṫeaṁ den Ċúirt Uaċtaraiġ ná den Árd-Ċúirt do ċur as oifig aċ aṁáin de ḋeascaiḃ mí-iomċair nó míṫreóra a luaḋfar, ná an uair sin féin muna riṫid Dáil Éireann agus Seanad Éireann rúin dá éileaṁ é ċur as oifig. 2° Rúin ar biṫ den tsórt sin a riṫfid Dáil Éireann agus Seanad Éireann ní foláir don Taoiseaċ scéala do ṫaḃairt don Uaċtarán ina dtaoḃ go cuiḃe agus cóib de gaċ rún díoḃ do ṡeolaḋ ċuige fá ṫeastas Ċaṫaoirleaċ an Tiġe den Oireaċtas do riṫ é.


A study of the Irish text

5.

Staidéar an an téacs Gaeilge

TRIAIL I gCIONTAIḂ.

3° Láiṫreaċ d’éis na scéala sin agus cóibeanna de na rúnaiḃ sin d’ḟaġáil don Uaċtarán ní foláir dó, le hordú fá na láiṁ is fá n-a Ṡéala, an breiṫeaṁ le n-a mbainid do ċur as oifig.

Airteagal 38. 1.

Ní cead laġdú do ḋéanaṁ ar ṫuarastal breiṫiṁ an ḟaid is ḃeiḋ in oifig.

Ní cead éinne do ṫriail i n-aon ċúis ċoirṫiġ aċ mar is cuiḃe do réir dliġiḋ.

2.

Féadfar mion-ċionta do ṫriail cúirteanna dliġinse aṫċomaire.

3.

1° Féadfar cúirteanna fá leiṫ do ḃunú le dliġeaḋ ċun cionta do ṫriail i gcásannaiḃ go gcinnfear ina dtaoḃ, do réir an dliġiḋ sin, naċ leor na gnáṫċúirteanna ċun riaraḋ cirt do ċur i ḃfeiḋm le héifeaċt agus ċun síoṫċáin agus ord poibliḋe do ċaoṁna.

Airteagal 36. Fá ċuimsiú na ḃforáiltí sin roṁainn den Ḃunreaċt so a ḃaineas leis na Cúirteannaiḃ is do réir dliġiḋ a riaġlóċar na neiṫe seo leanas .i. i.

líon breiṫeaṁan na Cúirte Uaċtaraiġe, agus na hÁrd-Ċúirte, tuarastal, aois scorṫa agus pinsin na mbreiṫeaṁan sin,

ii. líon breiṫeaṁan gaċ Cúirte eile, agus na coinġeallaċa fá gceaptar iad, agus

4.

2.

Ní raiḃ ná ní ḃeiḋ aon uċtáil ar ḋuine do ġlac éifeaċt nó a ḃfuil sé sainráiḋte gur ġlac sí éifeaċt aon tráṫ tar éis don Ḃunreaċt seo do ṫeaċt i ngníoṁ faoi ḋliġṫe d’aċtuiġ an tOireaċtas agus is uċtáil de ḃun ordú do rinne nó údarú do ṫug aon duine nó aon dream a ḃí sonruiġṫe leis na dliġṫe sin ċun na feaḋmanna agus na cuṁaċta sin d’oibriú ó ḃail dliġiḋ de ḃíṫin aṁáin nár ḃreiṫeaṁ ná cúirt do ceapaḋ nó do bunuiġeaḋ mar ḃreiṫeaṁ nó mar ċúirt faoin mBunreaċt seo an duine nó an dream sin.

1° Féadfar binnsí míleata do ḃunú ċun daoine do ṫriail i gciontaiḃ i n-aġaiḋ dliġiḋ ṁíleata adeirtear do rinneadar le linn a mbeiṫ fá ḋliġeaḋ ṁíleata, agus fós ċun broic le heisíṫ nó le ceannairc fá arm. 2° Duine de na Fórsaíḃ Cosanta ná fuil ar fianas ní cead é ṫriail i láṫair aon armċúirte ná binnse míleata eile i gcion is intriailte insna cúirteannaiḃ síḃialta, muna cion é atá fá ḋliġinse aon arm-ċúirte nó binnse míleata eile fá aon dliġeaḋ ċun smaċt míleata do ċur i ḃfeiḋm.

Airteagal 37. Aon duine nó aon dream go n-uġdaruiġṫear go cuiḃe ḋóiḃ le dliġeaḋ feaḋmanna agus cuṁaċta teoranta breiṫeaṁnais d’oibriú i gcúrsaíḃ naċ cúrsaí coireaċta, má oibriġid na feaḋmanna agus na cuṁaċta sin ní ḃeiḋ an t-oibriú sin gan ḃail dliġiḋ de ḃíṫin aon ní insan Ḃunreaċt so, siúd is naċ breiṫeaṁ ná cúirt do ceapaḋ nó do bunuiġeaḋ mar ḃreiṫeaṁ nó mar ċúirt fán mBunreaċt so an duine nó an dream sin.

ag

2° Is le dliġeaḋ a socróċar coiṁḋéanaṁ, cuṁaċta, dliġinse agus nós imeaċta na gcúirteanna fá leiṫ sin.

iii. coiṁḋéanaṁ agus coiṁeagraiḋeaċt na gCúirteanna sin, roinnt na dliġinse agus na hoibre ar na Cúirteannaiḃ sin agus ar na breiṫeaṁnaiḃ sin, agus gaċ ní ḃaineas le nós imeaċta.

1.

735

5.

Ní cead duine do ṫriail i n-aon ċúis ċoirṫiġ aċ i láṫair ċoiste tiomanta, aċ aṁáin i gcás cionta do ṫriail fá alt 2, alt 3 nó alt 4 den Airteagal so.

6.

Ní ḃainfiḋ foráiltí Airteagail 34 ná Airteagail 35 den Ḃunreaċt so le haon ċúirt ná le haon ḃinnse a bunóċar fá alt 3 nó alt 4 den Airteagal so.

Airteagal 39. Is é aṁáin is tréas ann: cogaḋ do ċur ar an Stát, nó caḃrú le stát nó le duine ar biṫ, nó saiġeadaḋ fá ḋuine, nó ḃeiṫ i gcoṁċeilg le duine, ċun cogaḋ do ċur ar an Stát; nó iarraċt do ḋéanaṁ le harm nó ar ṁoḋ ḟoiréigneaċ eile ar na horgain riaġaltais a bunuiġṫear leis an mBunreaċt so do ṫrascairt; nó páirt nó baint do ḃeiṫ ag neaċ le n-a leiṫéid sin d’iarraċt, nó éinne do ṡaiġeadaḋ nó ḃeiṫ i gcoṁċeilg leis ċun a déanta nó ċun páirt nó baint do ḃeiṫ aige léi.


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BUN-ĊIRT. Cirt earsanta. Airteagal 40. 1.

Áiriṁṫear gurb ionann ina bpearsain daonna na saoránaiġ uile i láṫair an dliġiḋ. Aċ ní hiontuigṫe as sin ná féaċfaiḋ an Stát go cuiḃe, ina ċuid aċtaċán, don deifriḋeaċt atá idir ḋaoiniḃ ina mbuaḋaiḃ corporḋa agus ina mbuaḋaiḃ mórálta agus ina ḃfeiḋm ċoṁḋaonnaiġ.

2.

1° Ní cead don Stát gairm uaisleaċta do ḃronnaḋ ar éinne. 2° Ní cead d’aon tsaoránaċ gairm uaisleaċta ná gairm onóra do ġlacaḋ aċ le haontaḋ roiṁ ré ón Riaġaltas.

3.

1° Ráṫuiġeann an Stát gan cur isteaċ le n-a ḋliġṫiḃ ar ċeartaiḃ pearsanta aon tsaoránaiġ, agus ráṫuiġeann fós na cirt sin do ċosaint is do ṡuiḋeaṁ le n-a ḋliġṫiḃ sa ṁéid gur féidir é. 2° Déanfaiḋ an Stát, go sonnraḋaċ, le na ḋliġṫiḃ, beaṫa agus pearsa agus deaġċlú agus maoin-ċirt an uile ṡaoránaiġ do ċosaint ar ionnsaiġe éagcóraċ ċoṁ fada le n-a ċumas, agus iad do ṡuiḋeaṁ i gcás éagcóra. 3° Adṁaíonn an Stát ceart na mbeo gan breiṫ ċun a mbeaṫa agus, ag féaċaint go cuí do ċoṁċeart na máṫar ċun a beaṫa, ráṫaíonn sé gan cur isteaċ lena ḋlíṫe ar an gceart sin agus ráṫaíonn fós an ceart sin a ċosaint is a ṡuíoṁ lena ḋlíṫe sa ṁéid gur féidir é.

don Árd-Ċúirt agus d’aon ḃreiṫeaṁ agus do gaċ breiṫeaṁ di ċun a ndéanfar an gearán sin fiosrú do ḋéanaṁ láiṫreaċ i dtaoḃ an ġearáin sin, agus féadfaiḋ a ordú do neaċ coinniġṫe an duine sin ina ḃráiġe an duine sin do ṫaḃairt ina ṗearsain i láṫair na hÁrd-Ċúirte lá a ainmniġṫear agus a ḋeiṁniú i scríḃinn cad is forais dá ḃraiġdeanas, agus ní foláir don Árd-Ċúirt, nuair do ḃeirtear an duine sin ina ṗearsain i láṫair na Cúirte sin agus tar éis caoi do ṫaḃairt do neaċ a ċoinniġṫe ina ḃráiġe ar a ċruṫú gur braiġdeanas cóir an braiġdeanas, a ordú an duine sin do scaoileaḋ as an mbraiġdeanas sin muna deiṁin leis an gCúirt sin gur do réir an dliġiḋ atáṫar dá ċoinneáil. 3° I gcás duine adeirtear do ḃeiṫ dá ċoinneáil ina ḃráiġe go haindleaġṫaċ do ṫaḃairt ina ṗearsain i láṫair na hÁrdĊúirte de ḃun orduiġṫe ċuige sin ar na ḋéanaṁ fán alt so agus gur deiṁin leis an gCúirt sin an duine sin do ḃeiṫ dá ċoinneáil ina ḃráiġe do réir dliġiḋ áiriṫe aċ an dliġeaḋ sin do ḃeiṫ neambailiḋe ag féaċaint d’ḟoráiltiḃ an Ḃunreaċta so, ní foláir don Árd-Ċúirt an ċeist sin bail do ḃeiṫ nó gan a ḃeiṫ ar an dliġeaḋ sin do ċur fá ḃreiṫ na Cúirte Uaċtaraiġe i ḃfuirm ċáis ríoṁṫa agus féadfaiḋ, le linn an ċeist sin do ċur fá ḃreiṫ aṁlaiḋ nó tráṫ ar biṫ ina ḋiaiḋ sin, leigean don duine sin a ṡaoirse do ḃeiṫ aige, fá réir na mbannaí agus na gcoinġeallaċa sin a ċeapfaiḋ an Árd-Ċúirt, go dtí go dtiuḃraiḋ an Ċúirt Uaċtaraċ breiṫ ar an gceist a cuirfear fá n-a breiṫ aṁlaiḋ.

1° Ní cead a ṡaoirse ṗearsanta do ḃaint d’aon tsaoránaċ aċ aṁáin do réir dliġiḋ.

4° Is triúr breiṫeaṁan is Árd-Ċúirt i n-aon ċás áiriṫe, ina ndéantar duine adeirtear do ḃeiṫ á ċoinneáil ina ḃráiġe go haindleaġṫaċ do ṫaḃairt ina ṗearsain i láṫair na hÁrd-Ċúirte de ḃun orduiġṫe ċuige sin ar n-a ḋéanaṁ fán alt so, má ḋéanann Uaċtarán na hÁrd-Ċúirte nó, muna mbeiḋ seisean ar faġáil, an breiṫeaṁ is sinsearaiġe den Ċúirt sin dá mbeiḋ ar faġáil a ordú, i dtaoḃ an ċáis sin, an líon sin do ḃeiṫ inti agus is breiṫeaṁ aṁáin is Árd-Ċúirt i ngaċ cás eile den tsórt sin.

2° Nuair ḋéanann duine ar biṫ gearán, nó a déantar gearán tar ceann duine ar biṫ, leis an Árd-Ċúirt nó le breiṫeaṁ ar biṫ ḋi dá ráḋ go ḃfuil an duine sin dá ċoinneáil ina ḃráiġe go haindleaġṫaċ, ní foláir

5° I gcás an Árd-Ċúirt nó breiṫeaṁ di do ḋéanaṁ orduiġṫe fán alt so dá ordú duine fá ḃreiṫ ḃáis do ṫaḃairt i láṫair ina ṗearsain, ní foláir don Árd-Ċúirt nó don ḃreiṫeaṁ sin di a ordú freisin feiḋmiú na

Ní ṫeorannóiḋ an fo-alt seo saoirse ċun taisteal idir an Stát agus stát eile. Ní ṫeorannóiḋ an fo-alt seo saoirse ċun faisnéis a ḟáil nó a ċur ar fáil sa Stát maidir le seirḃísí atá ar fáil go dleaṫaċ i stát eile aċ sin faoi ċuimsiú cibé coinníollaċa a ḟéadfar a leagan síos le dlí. 4.

Bunreacht na hÉireann


A study of the Irish text

Staidéar an an téacs Gaeilge

737

breiṫe báis sin do ṁoilliú go dtí go dtiuḃarfar an duine sin ina ṗearsain i láṫair na hÁrd-Ċúirte agus go gcinnfear an dleaġṫaċ an duine sin do ċoinneáil ina ḃráiġe nó naċ dleaġṫaċ agus má cinntear, tar éis an ḟeiḋmiġṫe sin do ṁoilliú, gur dleaġṫaċ an duine sin do ċoinneáil ina ḃráiġe, ceapfaiḋ an Árd-Ċúirt lá ċun an ḃreiṫ ḃáis sin d’ḟeiḋmiú agus beiḋ éifeaċt ag an mbreiṫ ḃáis sin fá réir an lá ceapfar aṁlaiḋ do ċur i n-ionad an lae socruiġeaḋ i dtosaċ ċun an ḃreiṫ ḃáis sin d’ḟeiḋmiú.

ii. Ceart na saoránaċ ċun teaċt ar tionól go síṫeoilte gan arm.

6° Aċ aon ġníoṁ de ġníoṁaiḃ na ḃFórsaí Cosanta le linn eisíṫe nó ceannairce fá arm, ní cead aon ní dá ḃfuil insan alt so d’agairt ċun an gníoṁ sin do ṫoirmeasc nó do riaġlú nó do ḃac.

iii. Ceart na saoránaċ ċun coṁlaċais agus cumainn do ḃunú.

Féadfar socrú do ḋéanaṁ do réir dliġiḋ ċun cosc do ċur nó riaġlú do ḋéanaṁ ar ṫionólaiḃ go gcinnfear do réir dliġiḋ gur baoġal briseaḋ síoṫċána do ṫeaċt díoḃ nó gur contaḃairt nó cráḋnas don ṗobal i gcoitċinne iad, agus fós ar ṫionólaiḃ i gcoṁgar do ċeaċtar de Ṫiġṫiḃ an Oireaċtais.

Aċ is cead dliġṫe d’aċtú ċun oibriú an ċirt réaṁráiḋte do riaġlú agus do stiúraḋ ar ṁaiṫe leis an bpobal.

7° Féadfar socrú a ḋéanaṁ le dlí ċun go ḃféadfaiḋ cúirt bannaí a ḋiúltú do ḋuine atá cúisiṫe i gcion tromaí sa ċás go measfar le réasún é a ḃeiṫ riaċtanaċ ċun an duine sin a ċosc ar ċion tromaí a ḋéanaṁ. 5.

Is slán do gaċ saoránaċ a ionad coṁnaiḋṫe, agus ní cead dul isteaċ ann go foiréigneaċ aċ do réir dliġiḋ.

6.

1° Ráṫuiġeann an Stát saoirse ċun na cirt seo leanas d’oibriú aċ san do ḃeiṫ fá réir uird is móráltaċta poibliḋe:— i.

Ceart na saoránaċ ċun a ndeiṁní is a dtuairimí do noċtaḋ gan bac. Aċ toisc oileaṁaint aigne an ṗobail do ḃeiṫ ċoṁ táḃaċtaċ sin do leas an ṗobail, féaċfaiḋ an Stát le n-a ċur i n-áiriṫe ná déanfar orgain aigne an ṗobail, mar ṡompla, an radió is an preas is an cineama, d’úsáid ċun an t-ord nó an ṁóráltaċt ṗoibliḋe nó uġdarás an Stáit do ḃonn-ḃriseaḋ. Insan am ċéadna coimeádfaiḋ na horgain sin an tsaoirse is dleaċt dóiḃ ċun tuairimí do noċtaḋ agus orṫa sin tuairimí léirṁeasa ar ḃeartas an Riaġaltais. Aon ní diaṁaslaċ nó ceannairceaċ nó draosta d’ḟoillsiú nó d’aiṫris is cion inṗionóis é do réir dliġiḋ.

2° Ní cead aon idirḋealú, maidir le poilitiḋeaċt nó creideaṁ nó aicmí, do ḃeiṫ i ndliġṫiḃ a riaġluiġeas moḋ oibriġṫe an ċirt ċun coṁlaċais agus cumainn do ḃunú agus an ċirt ċun teaċt le ċéile ar saor-ṫionól.

An Teala. Airteagal 41. 1.

1° Adṁuiġeann an Stát gurb é an Teaġlaċ is buiḋean-aonad príoṁḋa bunaiḋ don ċoṁḋaonnaċt do réir nádúra, agus gur foras mórálta é ag a ḃfuil cirt doṡannta do-ċlaoiḋte is ársa agus is airde ná aon reaċt daonna. 2° Ós é an Teaġlaċ is foṫa riaċtanaċ don ord ċoṁḋaonnaċ agus ós éigeantaċ é do leas an Náisiúin agus an Stáit, ráṫuiġeann an Stát coṁṡuiḋeaṁ agus uġdarás an Teaġlaiġ do ċaoṁna.

2.

1° Go sonnraḋaċ, adṁuiġeann an Stát go dtugann an ḃean don Stát, trí n-a saoġal insan teaġlaċ, congnaṁ ná féadfaí leas an ṗobail do ġnóṫaċan dá éagmuis. 2° Uime sin, féaċfaiḋ an Stát le n-a ċur i n-áiriṫe ná beiḋ ar ṁáiṫreaċaiḃ cloinne, de ḋeascaiḃ uireasḃa, dul le saoṫar agus failliġe do ṫaḃairt dá ċionn sin ina ndualgais insan teaġlaċ.


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The Constitution of Ireland

Bunreacht na hÉireann

1° Ós ar an bPósaḋ atá an Teaġlaċ bunuiġṫe gaḃann an Stát air féin coimirce fá leiṫ do ḋéanaṁ ar ord an ṗósta agus é ċosaint ar ionnsaiġe.

2.

Tig le tuistíḃ an t-oideaċas sin do ċur ar faġáil dá gclainn ag baile nó i scolaiḃ príoḃáideaċa nó i scolaiḃ a adṁuiġṫear nó a bunuiġṫear ag an Stát.

2° Féadfaiḋ Cúirt a ḃeiḋ ainmniṫe le dlí scaoileaḋ ar ṗósaḋ a ṫaḃairt sa ċás, aċ sa ċás aṁáin, gur deiṁin léi-

3.

1° Ní cead don Stát a ċur d’ḟiaċaiḃ ar ṫuistíḃ, i n-aġaiḋ a gcoinsiais nó a roġan dleaṫaiġe, a gclann do ċur ar scolaiḃ a bunuiġṫear ag an Stát nó ar aon ċinéal áiriṫe scoile a ainmniġṫear ag an Stát.

i.

go raiḃ, ar ḋáta ṫionscnaṁ na n-imeaċtaí, tréiṁse ceiṫre bliana ar a laġad, nó tréiṁsí ceiṫre bliana ar a laġad san iomlán, caite ag na céilí ina gcónaí ar leiṫliġ óna ċéile le linn na gcúig bliana roiṁe sin,

ii. naċ ḃfuil ionċas réasúnaċ ar biṫ ann go mbeiḋ coṁréiteaċ idir na céilí,

2° Aċ ós é an Stát caoṁnaiḋe leasa an ṗobail ní foláir dó, toisc cor an lae, é ḋéanaṁ éigeantaċ minimum áiriṫe oideaċais do ṫaḃairt do na leanḃaiḃ i gcúrsaíḃ móráltaċta, intleaċta agus coṁḋaonnaċta. 4.

Ní foláir don Stát socrú do ḋéanaṁ ċun bunoideaċas do ḃeiṫ ar faġáil in aisce, agus iarraċt do ḋéanaṁ ċun caḃrú go réasúnta agus ċun cur le tionnscnaṁ oideaċais idir ṗríoḃáideaċ agus ċumanta agus, nuair is riaċtanas ċun leasa an ṗobail é, áiseanna nó fondúireaċta eile oideaċais do ċur ar faġáil, ag féaċaint go cuiḃe, áṁṫaċ, do ċeartaiḃ tuistí, go mór-ṁór maidir le múnlú na haigne i gcúrsaíḃ creidiṁ is móráltaċta.

5.

I gcásaiḃ neaṁ-ċoitċeanna nuair ṫárluiġeann, ar ċúiseannaiḃ corporḋa nó ar ċúiseannaiḃ mórálta, ná déanaid na tuistí a ndualgais dá gclainn, ní foláir don Stát, ós é an Stát caoṁnaiḋe leasa an ṗobail, iarraċt do ḋéanaṁ le beart oireaṁnaċ ċun ionad na dtuistí do ġlacaḋ, ag féaċaint go cuiḃe i gcoṁnaiḋe, áṁṫaċ, do ċeartaiḃ nádúrṫa do-ċlaoiḋte an leinḃ.

iii. go ḃfuil cibé socrú ann, nó go ndéanfar cibé socrú, is dóiġ leis an gCúirt a ḃeiṫ cuí ag féaċaint do na himṫosca, le haġaiḋ na gcéilí, le haġaiḋ aon leanaí le ceaċtar acu nó leis an mbeirt acu agus le haġaiḋ aon duine eile a ḃeiḋ forordaiṫe le dlí, agus iv. go gcoṁlíontar aon ċoinníollaċa breise a ḃeiḋ forordaiṫe le dlí. 3° I gcás pósaḋ duine ar biṫ do scaoileaḋ fá ḋliġeaḋ ṡíḃialta aon Stáit eile agus an pósaḋ san, agus bail dliġiḋ air, do ḃeiṫ ann fós fán dliġeaḋ ḃeas i ḃfeiḋm i n-alt na huaire taoḃ istiġ de ḋliġinse an Riaġaltais agus na Párlaiminte bunuiġṫear leis an mBunreaċt so, ní ḟéadfaiḋ an duine sin pósaḋ ar a mbeaḋ bail dliġiḋ do ḋéanaṁ taoḃ istiġ den dliġinse sin an ḟaid is beo don duine eile ḃí sa ċuing ṗósta do scaoileaḋ aṁlaiḋ.

Maoin ríoáidea. Airteagal 43.

Oideaas. Airteagal 42. 1.

Adṁuiġeann an Stát gurb é an Teaġlaċ is múinteoir príoṁḋa dúṫċasaċ don leanḃ, agus ráṫuiġeann gan cur isteaċ ar ċeart do-ṡannta ná ar ḋualgas do-ṡannta tuistí ċun oideaċas do réir a n-acfuinne do ċur ar faġáil dá gclainn i gcúrsaíḃ creidiṁ, móráltaċta, intleaċta, cuirp agus coṁḋaonnaċta.

1.

1° Adṁuiġeann an Stát, toisc buaḋ an réasúin do ḃeiṫ ag an duine, go ḃfuil sé de ċeart nádúrṫa aige maoin tsaoġalta do ḃeiṫ aige dá ċuid féin go príoḃáideaċ, ceart is ársa ná reaċt daonna. 2° Uime sin, ráṫuiġeann an Stát gan aon dliġeaḋ d’aċtú d’iarraiḋ an ceart sin, ná gnáṫ-ċeart an duine ċun maoin do ṡannaḋ agus do ṫiomnaḋ agus do ġlacaḋ ina hoiḋreaċt, do ċur ar ceal.


A study of the Irish text

2.

Staidéar an an téacs Gaeilge

1° Aċ adṁuiġeann an Stát gur cuiḃe, insan ċoṁḋaonnaċt ṡíḃialta, oibriú na gceart atá luaiḋte insna foráiltiḃ sin roṁainn den Airteagal so do riaġlú do réir bunriaġlaċa an ċirt ċoṁḋaonnaiġ. 2° Uime sin, tig leis an Stát, do réir mar ḃeas riaċtanaċ, teóra do ċur le hoibriú na gceart réaṁráiḋte d’ḟonn an t-oibriú sin agus leas an ṗobail do ṫaḃairt dá ċéile.

6° Ní cead maoin aon aicme creidiṁ ná aon ḟondúireaċta oideaċais do ḃaint díoḃ aċ aṁáin le haġaiḋ oibreaċa riaċtanaċa ċun áise poibliḋe, agus san tar éis cúiteaṁ d’íoc leo.

BUN-TREORA DO ḂEARTAS ĊOṀḊAONNAĊ. Airteagal 45. Is mar ġnáṫ-ṫreoir don Oireaċtas a ceapaḋ na bunriaġlaċa do ḃeartas ċoṁḋaonnaċ atá leagṫa amaċ insan Airteagal so. Is ar an Oireaċtas aṁáin a ḃeiḋ sé de ċúram na bunriaġlaċa sin d’ḟeiḋmiú i ndéanaṁ dliġṫe, agus ní hintriailte ag Cúirt ar biṫ ceist i dtaoḃ an ḟeiḋmiġṫe sin fá aon ḟoráileaṁ d’ḟoráiltiḃ an Ḃunreaċta so.

Creidea. Airteagal 44. 1.

2.

739

Adṁuiġeann an Stát go ḃfuil ag dul do Ḋia na nUileċuṁaċt é d’aḋraḋ le hómós go poibliḋe. Beiḋ urraim ag an Stát dá ainm, agus ḃéarfaiḋ oirṁidin agus onóir do Ċreideaṁ.

1.

1° Ráṫuiġṫear do gaċ saoránaċ saoirse ċoinsiais is saor-ċead adṁála is cleaċtṫa creidiṁ, aċ gan san do ḋul ċun doċair don ord ṗoibliḋe ná don ṁóráltaċt ṗoibliḋe.

Déanfaiḋ an Stát a ḋíċeall ċun leas an ṗobail uile do ċur ċun cinn trí ord ċoṁḋaonnaċ, ina mbeiḋ ceart agus carṫannaċt ag riaġlú gaċ forais a ḃaineas leis an saoġal náisiúnta, do ċur i n-áiriṫe agus do ċaoṁna ċoṁ fada le n-a ċumas.

2.

Déanfaiḋ an Stát, go sonnraḋaċ, a ḃeartas do stiúraḋ i sliġe go gcuirfear i náiriṫe:—

2° Ráṫuiġeann an Stát gan aon ċóras creidiṁ do ṁaoiniú. 3° Ní cead don Stát neaċ do ċur fá ṁí-ċumas ar biṫ ná aon idirḋealú do ḋéanaṁ mar ġeall ar ċreideaṁ nó adṁáil ċreidiṁ nó céim i gcúrsaíḃ creidiṁ. 4° Reaċtaiḋeaċt le n-a gcuirtear congnaṁ Stáit ar faġáil do scolaiḃ ní cead idirḋealú do ḋéanaṁ innti idir scolaiḃ atá fá ḃainistiġe aicmí creidiṁ seaċas a ċéile ná í do ḋéanaṁ doċair do ċeart aon leinḃ ċun scoil a ġeiḃeann airgead poibliḋe d’ḟreastal gan teagasc creidiṁ sa scoil sin d’ḟreastal. 5° Tá sé de ċeart ag gaċ aicme ċreidiṁ a ngnóṫaí féin do ḃainistiġe, agus maoin, idir ṡo-aistriġṫe agus do-aistriġṫe, do ḃeiṫ dá gcuid féin aca, agus í d’ḟaġáil agus do riaraḋ, agus fondúireaċta ċun críċeanna creidiṁ is carṫannaċta do ċoṫaḃáil.

i.

Go ḃfuiġiḋ na saoránaiġ (agus tá ceart aca uile, idir fear is bean, ċun leor-ṡliġe ḃeaṫaḋ), trí n-a ngarmaiḃ beaṫaḋ, caoi ċun soláṫar réasúnta do ḋéanaṁ do riaċtanasaiḃ a dteaġlaċ.

ii. Go roinnfear dílse agus urláṁas gustail ṡaoġalta an ṗobail ar ṗearsanaiḃ príoḃáideaċa agus ar na haicmíḃ éagsaṁla insan ċuma is fearr a raċas ċun leasa an ṗobail. iii. Go sonnraḋaċ, ná leigfear d’oibriú na saor-iomaiḋeaċta dul ċun cinn i sliġe go dtiocfaḋ de an dílse nó an t-urláṁas ar earraíḃ riaċtanaċa do ḃeiṫ ina láṁaiḃ féin ag beagán daoine ċun doċair don ṗobal. iv. Gurb é leas an ṗobail uile is buanċuspóir agus is príoṁ-ċuspóir a riaġlóċas ina mbaineann le hurláṁas creideaṁasa.


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v. Go mbunóċar ar an talaṁ fá ṡlándáil ġeilleagraiġ an oiread teaġlaċ agus is féidir do réir ċor an tsaoġail. 3.

Bunreacht na hÉireann

4.

Aon Ḃille ina mbeiḋ togra nó tograí ċun an Bunreaċt so do leasú ní cead togra ar biṫ eile ḃeiṫ ann.

5.

Aon Ḃille ina mbeiḋ togra ċun an Bunreaċt so do leasú ní foláir don Uaċtarán a láṁ do ċur leis láiṫreaċ, ar mbeiṫ sásta ḋó gur coiṁlíonaḋ foráiltí an Airteagail seo ina ṫaoḃ agus gur ṫoiliġ an pobal go cuiḃe leis an togra sin do réir foráiltí ailt 1 d’Airteagal 47 den Ḃunreaċt so, agus ní foláir don Uaċtarán é ḟógairt go cuiḃe ina ḋliġeaḋ.

1° Féaċfaiḋ an Stát le fonn ar ṫionnscnaṁ ṗríoḃáideaċ i gcúrsaíḃ tionnscail is tráċtála agus cuirfiḋ leis nuair is gáḃaḋ sin. 2° Déanfaiḋ an Stát iarraċt ċun a ċur i n-áiriṫe go stiúrfar fionntraiḋeaċt ṗríoḃáideaċ i sliġe gur deiṁin go ndéanfar earraí do ṫáirgeaḋ agus d’iomḋáil le hinneaṁlaċt réasúnta agus go gcosnóċar an pobal ar ḃrabús éagcóraċ.

4.

1° Gaḃann an Stát air féin cosaint sonnraḋaċ do ḋéanaṁ ar leas ġeilleagraċ na n-aicmí is luġa cuṁaċt den ṗobal agus, nuair ḃeas riaċtanas leis, caḃair maireaċtana do ṫaḃairt don easlán, don ḃaintriġ, don dílleaċt agus don tsean. 2° Déanfaiḋ an Stát iarraċt ċun a ċur i n-áiriṫe ná déanfar neart agus sláinte luċt oibre, idir ḟearaiḃ is mnáiḃ, ná maoṫóige leanḃ d’éagcóraḋ, agus ná beiḋ ar ṡaoránaċaiḃ, de ḋeascaiḃ uireasḃa, dul le garmaiḃ ná hoireann dá ngné nó dán-aois nó dá neart.

AN REIFREANN. Airteagal 47. 1.

Gaċ togra déantar ċun an Bunreaċt so do leasú agus a cuirtear fá ḃreiṫ an ṗobail le Reifreann, ní foláir a ṁeas, ċun críċe Airteagail 46 den Ḃunreaċt so, go dtoiliġeann an pobal leis an dtogra sin má ṫárluiġeann, tar éis é ċur mar sin fá ḃreiṫ an ṗobail, gur ar ṫaoḃ é aċtú ina ḋliġeaḋ a tugtar tromlaċ na ḃótaí a tugtar insan Reifreann sin.

2.

1° Gaċ togra, naċ togra ċun leasuiġṫe an Ḃunreaċta, a cuirtear fá ḃreiṫ an ṗobail le Reifreann ní foláir a ṁeas go ndiúltuiġeann an pobal dó más i n-aġaiḋ é aċtú ina ḋliġeaḋ a tugtar tromlaċ na ḃótaí a tugtar insan Reifreann sin, agus naċ luġa an méid ḃótaí a tugtar aṁlaiḋ i n-aġaiḋ é aċtú ina ḋliġeaḋ ná cion trí tríoċad is trian fán gcéad de líon na dtoġṫóirí atá ar an rolla.

AN BUNREAĊT DO LEASÚ. Airteagal 46. 1.

Is cead foráileaṁ ar biṫ den Ḃunreaċt so do leasú, le haṫarrú nó le breisiú nó le haisġairm, ar an moḋ socruiġṫear leis an Airteagal so.

2.

Gaċ togra ċun an Bunreaċt so do leasú ní foláir é ṫionnscnaṁ i nDáil Éireann ina Ḃille, agus nuair a riṫtear nó a meastar a riṫeaḋ é ag ḋá Ṫiġ an Oireaċtais ní foláir é ċur fá ḃreiṫ an ṗobail le Reifreann do réir an dliġiḋ ḃeas i ḃfeiḋm i dtaoḃ an Reifrinn i n-alt na huaire.

3.

Ní foláir a luaḋ i ngaċ Bille den tsórt sin é ḃeiṫ ina “Aċt ċun an Bunreaċt do leasú”.

2° Gaċ togra, naċ togra ċun leasuiġṫe an Ḃunreaċta, a cuirtear fá ḃreiṫ an ṗobail le Reifreann ní foláir a ṁeas, ċun críċeanna Airteagail 27 den Ḃunreaċt so, go dtoiliġeann an pobal leis muna ndiúltuiġid dó do réir foráiltí an ḟó-ailt sin roṁainn den alt so. 3.

Gaċ saoránaċ ag a ḃfuil sé de ċeart ḃótáil i dtoġċán do ċoṁaltaíḃ de Ḋáil Éireann tá sé de ċeart aige ḃótáil i Reifreann.


A study of the Irish text

4.

Fá ċuimsiú na neiṫe réaṁráiḋte is le dliġeaḋ riaġlóċar an Reifreann.

Staidéar an an téacs Gaeilge

2.

Aċ aṁáin sa ṁéid go ndéantar socrú leis an mBunreaċt so, nó go ndéanfar socrú ina ḋiaiḋ seo le dliġeaḋ, ċun go noibreoċar, le haon organ dá mbunuiġṫear leis an mBunreaċt so, aon ċuṁaċt, feiḋm, ceart nó san-ċumas díoḃ sin, aċtuiġṫear leis seo naċ dleaġṫaċ agus naċ féidir na cuṁaċta, na feaḋmanna, na cirt, agus na san-ċumais sin d’oibriú sa Stát nó i dtaoḃ an Stáit aċ aṁáin ag an Riaġaltas nó le huġdarás an Riaġaltais.

3.

Is é an Riaġaltas is coṁarba ar Riaġaltas Ṡaorstát Éireann i gcás gaċ maoine, sócṁainne, cirt agus féiċeaṁnais.

BUNREAĊT ṠAORSTÁT ÉIREANN D’AISĠAIRM AGUS DLIĠṪE DO ḂUANÚ. Airteagal 48. An Bunreaċt a ḃeas i ḃfeiḋm do Ṡaorstát Éireann díreaċ roiṁ lá an Bunreaċt so do ṫeaċt i ngníoṁ agus an tAċt um Bunreaċt Ṡaorstáit Éireann, 1922, sa ṁéid go mbeiḋ an tAċt sin nó aon ḟoráileaṁ de i ḃfeiḋm an uair sin, aisġairmṫear leis seo iad agus beid aisġairmṫe an lá sin agus as sin amaċ.

Airteagal 50. 1.

Na dliġṫe ḃeas i ḃfeiḋm i Saorstát Éireann díreaċ roiṁ lá an Bunreaċt so do ṫeaċt i ngníoṁ leanfaid de ḃeiṫ i lán-ḟeiḋm agus i lán-éifeaċt, fá ċuimsiú an Ḃunreaċta so agus sa ṁéid ná fuilid ina ċoinniḃ, go dtí go n-aisġairmṫear nó go leasuiġṫear iad nó aon ċuid díoḃ le haċtú ón Oireaċtas.

2.

Dliġṫe ḃeas aċtuiġṫe roiṁ an mBunreaċt so do ṫeaċt i ngníoṁ agus go mbeiḋ luaiḋte ionnta iad do ṫeaċt i ḃfeiḋm dá éis sin, tiocfaid i ḃfeiḋm do réir mar luaiḋtear ionnta muna n-aċtuiġiḋ an tOireaċtas a ṁalairt.

Airteagal 49. 1.

Gaċ uile ċuṁaċt, feiḋm, ceart agus san-ċumas do ḃí ionoibriġṫe i Saorstát Éireann nó i dtaoḃ Ṡaorstát Éireann díreaċ roiṁ an 11aḋ lá de Ṁí Nodlag, 1936, cibé aca de ḃuaḋ an Ḃunreaċta a ḃí i ḃfeiḋm an uair sin é nó naċ eaḋ, ag an uġdarás ag a raiḃ cuṁaċt ċoṁallaċ Ṡaorstát Éireann an uair sin, dearḃṫar leis seo gur leis an bpobal iad uile.

741


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Bunreacht na hÉireann

IRISH INDEX INNÉACS GAEILGE This is principally an index referring to the commentaries in the study on the various Articles rather than a concordance or glossary. Translations/meanings of the headwords below as given in standard dictionaries will be found in the commentaries, along with citations from official translations. san am chéanna: at the same time 15.14, 31.3 amháin: only 6.2; exclusively 15.6.1°, 45 cuir in amhras: question 34.3.3° amuigh: see 34.4.4° bheith ann: take place 16.3.2° bheith ann fós: subsisting 41.3.3° nach ann a thuilleadh: ceased to exist 28.3.3° anseo inár ndiaidh: hereinafter 18.4.1° aon: exclusive 8.3, 15.2.1° aon … amháin: only one 12.4.5°; same 16.4.1° aonghuth: single vote 12.2.3° aontacht: unity preamble aontaigh: accede 22.2.3°; assent 26.2.2°, 34.4.5° aon-toghchán: same election 12.4.3° aontú: assent 28.3.1°; approval 40.2.2° ar: comprise 34.2; include 34.3.1° ar: upon 46.5 beidh ar: obligatory 27.4.2° iad araon: both 13.2.3° Ard-Aighne: Attorney General 30.1 Ard-Chomhairle: Executive Council 31.2 Ard-Chúirt: High Court 34.3.1° ardcheannas: supreme command 13.4 ardoideachas: higher education 18.4.2° argóint: argument 34.3.2° armchúirt: courtmartial 38.4.2° Ard-Reachtaire Cuntas agus Ciste: Comptroller and Auditor General 33.1 armtha: armed 15.6.1° le harm: by force of arms 39 gan arm: without arms 40.6.1°ii arna: on the 30.2 ársa: antecedent 41.1.1°, 43.1.1° as: from among 15.9.1° as sin amach: from that date 48 atá: see 15.1.2° athchomhlánú: re-integration 3 athmheas: revise 16.2.4° athrú: alteration 16.2.4°; variation 46.1 ationól: re-assembly 18.3, 28.10

abair: declare 15.5; allege 38.4.1°, 40.4.2°; mar a dúradh: see 27.4.2° ábhar: ground 27.3°; reason 28.9.4° ábhar fuinnimh: potential energy 10.1 ábhar maoine: resource 10.1 abhcóidí: counsel 26.2.1° ach: however 15.2.2°; with 15.8.2°; save 40.5 ach amháin: save 12.10.4°; save only 49.2 ach amháin sa mhéid go: save in so far as 17.1.2° ach sin: see 40.3.3° achainí: request 22.2.3°, 25.2.2°, 28.9.4°; petition 26.3.2° achomharc: appeal 34.2, 34.4.3° achrann: dispute 29.2 achtaigh: enact 13.3.1°, 15.4.2° acmhainn: means 42.1 adhair: worship 44.1.1° admhaigh: acknowledge 40.3.3°, 42.1; recognise 42.2 admháil: profess 44.2.1°; acknowledging preamble ag: by 38.2; a bheith aige dá chuid féin: private ownership 43.1.1°; tá aige: possess 41.1.1° agair: invoke 18.4.3°, 40.4.6° cuir ar aghaidh: develop 1; promote preamble in aghaidh: for 16.2.2°; in violation of 42.3.1°; repugnant to 15.4.1°, 26.1.1° agra: suit 30.3 agus: see 22.2.1° aiceanta, see 10.1 aicme: class 40.6.2°; denomination 44.2.4°; section 45.4.1° aigne an phobail: public opinion 40.6.1°i aighneas: debate 15.10 aimsir chogaidh nó ceannairce faoi arm: time of war or armed rebellion 28.3.3° aindleathach: unlawful 40.4.2° ainm: name 4; see 15.1.1° ainmnigh: nominate 12.4.4°, 13.1.1°, 18.3, 30.2; designate 13.8.2°, 41.3.2°, 42.3.1° d’ainneoin: notwithstanding 14.3 air sin: thereupon 27.5.2° aird a thabhairt air: entertain 12.10.3° is airde ná: superior to 41.1.1° aire: see 13.1.1° agus … a áireamh: including 12.4.2°, 18.7.1°v airgead poiblí: public moneys 17.2; airgidí: moneys 22.1.1° airgeadas: finance 18.7.1°iv Bille Airgid: Money Bill 20.1 áirigh: hold 40.1; see 15.11.1°; ar a n-áirítear: including 18.7.1°iv áirithe: one 18.7.2°; stated 23.1.1° cuir in áirithe: ensure 15.10; secure 28.3.3° áis: facility 42.4; utility 44.2.6° in aisce: free 15.15 aiseag: restore preamble aisghairm: repeal 46.1, 48 aitheasc: address 13.7.1°; see 13.7.2° aithris: utter 40.6.1°i áitiúil: local 34.3.4° in alt na huaire: for the time being 10.1 12.4.2°, 41.3.3°

bá: affection 34.5.1° bac: interfere with 40.4.6° gan bac: freely 40.6.1°i bail: validity 40.4.3° bail dlí air: valid 41.3.3° bail a bheith: validity 34.3.2° ó bhail: invalid 37.2 cuir ó bhail: invalidate 28.3.3° gan bhail: invalid 15.4.2° ag baile: in their homes 42.2 bain amach: regain preamble bain de: deprive 40.4.1°; divert 44.2.6° bain le: have, apply 3; in relation to 13.9; relate to, apply to 14.5.1°; ally 18.7.1°ii; see 29.4.2°; pertains 45.2.iv baincéireacht: banking 18.7.1°iv bainistí: management 10.3

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A study of the Irish text

faoi bhainistí: under the management of 44.2.4° a bhfuil baint aige: incidental 22.1.1° páirt nó baint: taking part or being concerned in 39 baintreach: widow 45.4.1° ballóid: ballot 12.2.3° ballstát: member state 29.4.3° bannaí: bail 40.4.3° baol: see 40.6.1°ii barántas: warrant 31.3 beagán daoine: a few individuals 45.2.iii beart: measure 29.4.3°; means 42.5 beartaigh le rún: resolve 24.1, 28.3.3° beartas: policy 28.5.2° beatha: life 40.3.3° fad is beo: during the lifetime 41.3.3° beo gan breith: unborn 40.3.3° a bheir air: refer to 15.1.1° bheir do: confer 12.1; give 26.2.2°; a bhéarfadh: whereby 16.2.6° Bille Airgid: Money Bill 20.1 binse: tribunal 13.8.2°, 38.4.1° ar bith: see 9.1.3°, 15.2.1°, 15.6.2° dá bhíthin sin: accordingly 23.2.1° de bhíthin: necessitated by 29.4.3° sa bhliain: every year 15.7 bonn beatha: vital interests 28.3.3° bonnbhris: undermine 40.6.1°i coinnigh ina bhrá: detain 40.4.2° brabús: exploitation 45.3.2° faoi bhráid: see 13.7.1°; present 17.1.1° cuir faoi bhráid: refer 22.2.2° braighdeanas: detention 40.4.2° bratach: flag 7 breisiú: addition 46.1 breith: will 27.1 breith: determine 15.11.1°, 34.3.1°, 40.4.3°; decide 26.3.1° cuir faoi bhreith: refer 26, 40.4.3°; submit … to the decision of 46.2 breith bháis: sentence of death 40.4.5°; cásanna breithe báis: capital cases 13.6 breithimh: judicial 35.2 breithiúnach: judicial 29.2 breithiúnais: judicial 37.2 breithnigh: consider 17.1.1°, 20.1 breithniú: consideration 24.1, 24.2 briseadh síochána: breach of the peace 15.13, 40.6.1°ii broic le: deal with 38.4.1° bronn: confer 13.11 bua: see 40.1; virtue 43.1.1° de bhua: by virtue of 27; in virtue of 49.1 de bhua oifige: as ex-officio members 31.2 buan: permanent 14.1 buanchuspóir: constant aim 45.2.iv buan-orduithe: standing orders 15.10 buanú: continuance 48 buíoch: grateful preamble buíon: group 29.4.2° buíon-aonad: unit group 41.1.1° bun-: fundamental 9.2 ar bun: see 29.1 cuir ar bun: create 15.2.2° de bhun: in pursuance of 28.3.3° faoi bhun: less than 16.2.2° i mbun: in charge 28.7.1° bunadh: source 11 bunaidh: original 34.3.1°; fundamental 41.1.1° bunaigh: establish 3; form 40.6.1°iii; found 41.3.1°; raise 15.6.1° bunoideachas: primary education 42.4 bunriail: principle 29.3, 29.4.2°, 43.2.1° buntreoir: directive principle 45

Staidéar ar an téacs Gaeilge

743

cabhair: aid 31.1 cabhair mhaireachtála a thabhairt: contribute to the support 45.4.1° caidreamh: relations 1, 29.3 cailleadh: loss 9.1.2° caint: utterance 15.12 caite: expiration 23.1.1° caitheamh airgid: expenditure 17.1.1°; disbursement 33.1 calmacht: heroic preamble cánachas: taxation 22.1.1° caoi: opportunity 40.4.2°; means 45.2.i caomhnaigh: preserve 28.3.3°, 41.1.2° caomhnóir: guardian 42.3.2° carthanacht: charity 45.1, preamble cás ríofa: case stated 40.4.3° i dtaobh gach cás: in each case 17.1.2° i gcás: in cases 15.8.2°; as regards 49.3 in aon chás: in any contingency 14.4 Cathaoirleach: Chairman 14.2.1°, 14.2.3° ceachtar: see 12.6.1°; either 13.2.3°, 20.3 ní cead: no … may 9.1.3°; no … entitled 12.4.3°; shall not 12.6.1°, 30.4 an chéad … eile: ensuing 16.6 ina cheangal: bound 29.5.2° Ceann Rialtais: head of Government 13.1.1°, ceann an Rialtais: head of the Government 28.5.1° faoi cheann: within 14.5.2° go ceann: before the expiration of 27.4.2° i gceann: at the expiration of 21.2.1° thar ceann: for 28.6.3° den chéanna: thereof 18.3 ceannairc faoi arm: armed rebellion 28.3.3° ceannairceach: seditious 40.6.1°i i gceannas: presiding 15.11.1° ceannasach: sovereign 1 ceap: designate 6.1; appoint 13.1.1°, 13.8.2°, 28.1°; attach 15.10; direct 34.4.5°; fix 40.4.3°; intend 45 ceart: justice 34.1, 38.3.1°, 43.2.1° ceart vótála: the right to vote 12.2.2° ceil: exclude 9.1.3° céile: spouse 41.3.2° céim: status 44.2.3° ceist: question 22.2.2°, 34.3.1°, 40.4.3° cheana: see 12.4.2° mar a chítear dó: see 25.5.1° chomh fada lena chumas: as best it may 40.3.2°; as effectively as it may 45.1 chuige sin: specific 17.1.2°; see 23.1.1°, 23.2.2° is ciall do: means 22.1.1° cibé: see 15.1.3° cibé áit agus am: at such times and places 31.8 cibé uair: whenever 27.5.2° cineál: form 1 cineama: cinema 40.6.1°i cinn: determine 1, 12.11.2° cinneadh: determination 29.2 vóta cinniúna: casting vote 15.11.2° cion: offence 30.3, 38.1, see 47.2.1° dá chionn sin: see 41.2.2° os cionn: more than 16.2.2° ionadaíocht chionúire: proportional representation 12.2.3° cíos: revenue 11 ciste: fund 29.5.2° clann: children 42.1 claonadh: favour 34.5.1° cleachtadh: practical experience 18.7.1° cogadh: war 28.3.1° cogadh a chur: levy war 39 coimeád: preserve 40.6.1°i coimirce a dhéanamh ar: guard 41.3.1° coimisiún: commission 14.1


744

The Constitution of Ireland

coinbhleacht: conflict 28.3.3° i gcoinne: inconsistent 50.1 coinneáil: custody 22.1.1° coinníoll: provision 16.1.2°; term 33.6, 36ii saoirse choinsiasa: freedom of conscience 44.2.1° coinsiasach: conscientious 12.8 coir: crime 30.3 coireachta: criminal 37.1 cóirigh: constitute 18.4.1°; form 18.7.1° coiriúil: criminal 34.3.1°, 38.1 coiste tiomanta: jury 38.5 faoi chomaoin: obligations preamble comhachainí: joint petition 27.1 comhair: see 14.4 cuir os comhair: present 28.4.3°; leag os comhair: lay before 29.5.1° comhairle: advice 13.1.3° tabhair comhairle: counsel 31.1 comhairle a ghlacadh: consult 13.2.3° as a chomhairle féin: in his absolute discretion 13.2.2° comhairleach: adviser 30.1 comhairligh: advise 28.9.3° comhallach: executive 28.2 comhallacht: executive 6.1 comhalta: member 12.2.2° comhaltas: see 12.6.2°, 12.10.4° comhaontú: approval 13.1.2°; convention 29.5.3° comhar: co-operation 29.1 comharba: successor 28.11.1°, 49.3 comhbhaint: relation 15.3.2° comhcharadra: concord preamble comhcheart: equal right 40.3.3° i gcomhcheilg le: conspire 39 comhdhaonnach: social 15.3.1° comhdhaonnacht: society 41.1.1° an chomhdhaonnacht shibhialta: civil society 43.2.1° comhdhéan: constitute 14.1 comhdhéanamh: constitution 15.1.1°, 36iii comheagraíocht: organization 36iii comheagraithe: organised 18.7.1°ii comheagrú: organization 28.12 comhfhurtacht: sustain preamble comhionann: equal 18.4.2° comhlachas: association 40.6.1°iii i gcomhlachas: associated 29.4.2° comhlacht: association 19; body 13.8.2° comhlíon: perform 12.1, see 13.9, 14.5.1°; discharge 28.12; execute 34.5.1°; comply with 46.5 Comhphobal: Community 29.4.3° comhréir: ratio 16.2.3° comhréire: corresponding 34.3.3° comhréiteach: reconciliation 41.3.2° comhrollaí: corresponding panels 19 comhshuíomh: constitution 41.1.2° comhthoil: concurrence 25.2.2° comhúdarás: collective authority 28.4.2° comóir: see 12.3.3°; summon 13.2.1°; convene a meeting 13.2.3°; convene 31.8 cóngar: near 12.11.1°; vicinity 40.6.1°ii conradh: treaty 29.4.3° contúirt: danger 40.6.1°ii cor an lae: actual conditions 42.3.2° cor an tsaoil: circumstances 45.2.v córas: see 44.2.2° corp: physical 42.1 corpartha: physical 40.1, 42.5 corrfholúntas: casual vacancy 16.7, 18.10.2° cosain: preserve 24.1; protect 28.3.2°, 40.3.1°, 41.3.1°; safeguard 45.4.1° cosain ar: protect from 40.3.2°; protect against 45.3.2° cosc a chur ar: prevent 40.6.1°ii

Bunreacht na hÉireann

costas: charge 29.5.2° cothabháil: maintain 15.6.1°, 44.2.5° cothrom: justice 29.1 ar cothrom: the same 16.2.3° cránas: nuisance 40.6.1°ii craol: pronounce 34.4.5° creideamh: religion 44.1; religious 42.1, 44.2.3°; belief 44.2.3° teagasc creidimh: religious instruction 44.2.4° creidmheas: credit 45.2.iv cuir chur críche: avail, use 29.4.2° críoch dheireanach: final end preamble críocha: territory 2, 3 chun críocha: for the purposes of 13.8.2° Críonnacht: Prudence preamble cruatan: trial preamble cruinnigh: raise 22.1.1° cruthaigh: see 40.4.2° cuí: due preamble go cuí: due 40.1 gur cuí: ought 43.2.1° cuid: part 29.6 an chuid eile: see 28.11.1° bheith dá gcuid féin acu: own 44.2.5° bheith aige dá chuid féin: private ownership 43.1.1° faoi chuimsiú: subject to 12.5, 18.7.2°, 40.3.3° cuing phósta: marriage 41.3.3° cúinse: condition 33.6 cuir á: cause 12.10.5° cuir amach: issue 25.4.4° cuir ar: impose 30.1 cuir ar ceal: abolish 43.1.2° cuir ar fáil: make available 40.3.3° cuir as oifig: remove from office 12.10.7°, 33.5.1°; terminate the appointment 13.1.3°, 28.9.4° cuir chun: send 26.3.2° cuir chun cinn: promote 45.1 cuir faoi: see 13.4 cuir faoi bhráid: communicate 13.7.1° cuir go: send 22.2.4° cuir i: form 11 cuir i gcomhairle: consult 31.1 cuir isteach: interfere 15.10 cuir le: supplement 42.4, 45.3.1° cuir roimh: seek preamble cúirt: court 34.1 Cúirt Dlínse Achomaire: Court of Summary Jurisdiction 30.3, 38.2 cúirt achomhairc dheiridh: court of final appeal 34.2 cúirt chéadchéime: court of first instance 34.2 cúis: charge 12.10.3°; 38.1 cúiseamh: charge 12.10.2°; prosecute 30.3 cúiteamh: compensation 44.2.6° ar an gcuma: see 18.4.1°; in the manner 18.10.3° ar aon chuma: in any respect 15.4.1°; in any case 26.2.1° cumann: league 29.4.2°; union 40.6.1°iii cumannta: corporate 42.4 gan bheith i gcumas: is unable 14.2.2°; ar cumas dó: able 31.2 cumhacht: power 13.6, 13.9 cumhdaigh: sustain 12.8, 34.5.1°; uphold 34.5.1° cúnamh: support 41.2.1° cúnamh Stáit: State aid 44.2.4° cuntas: account 22.1.1°; see 33.1 cuntasaíocht: accountancy 18.7.1°iv cur isteach: interfere 15.10 gan cur isteach: respect 40.3.1°, 42.1 de chúram: the care of 45 dul i gcúram oifige: enters office 12.3.1°; i gcúram dualgas: enter upon duties 34.5.3° cúrsa: see 15.12 cuspóir: purpose 29.4.2°; aim 45.2.iv


A study of the Irish text

dá: see 13.3.2°, 40.4.6° an dá: both 20.3 dáilcheantar: constituency 16.2.1° daingnigh: ratify 29.4.3° daonáireamh: census 16.2.3° daonlathach: democratic 5 ina bpearsain daonna: as human persons 40.1 reacht daonna: positive law 41.1.1°, 43.1.1° daonra: population 16.2.2° de: thereof 8.3, 40.4.5°; see 35.2, 45 dea-chlú: good name 40.3.2° déan: commit 15.5; prefer (a charge) 12.10.2° nach ndéanann: fail in 42.5 déan de: become 15.14, 25.4.1° toghchán a dhéanamh: hold an election 12.3.3° faoi deara: occasion 28.3.3° dearbhaigh: declare 12.10.7°; affirm 29.1 dearbhú: declaration 12.8 dá dheasca: see 12.10.7°; de dheasca: see 41.3.3° deimhin: satisfied 40.4.2°; ensure 45.3.2° deimhne: conviction 40.6.1°i deimhnigh: affirm 1; certify 22.2.1° deireadh: expiration 12.3.1° críoch dheireanach: final end preamble is deireanaí: latest 25.5.3° faoi dheoidh: in final appeal 6.1 deon: grant 15.15 deonach: voluntary 18.7.1°v dhá thrian: two-thirds 12.10.4° Dia na nUilechumhacht: Almighty God 12.8; 44.1 ina dhiaidh seo: hereafter 49.2 inár ndiaidh: subsequent 14.5.1°, 22.2.1° diamhaslach: blasphemous 40.6.1°i dícháiligh: disqualify 16.1.3°, 18.9 cuir faoi dhícháilíocht: disqualify 16.1.2° dícheall a dhéanamh: strive 45.1 dídean: see 12.8; protect 15.10 déan difear do: affect 28.3.3° dílis: fidelity 9.2; faithful 12.8 dílleacht: orphan 45.4.1° dílse: ownership 45.2.ii díolúine: franchise 10.1 díreach roimh: immediately preceding 50.1 dírigh: refer preamble diúltaigh: reject 21.2.1°; decline 34.5.4°; veto 47.2.1° diúltaigh do: refuse 13.2.2°; decline 26.3.1° is dleacht do: rightful 40.6.1°i dleathach: lawful 10.1, 40.3.3°, 42.3.1° an dleathach nó nach dleathach: lawfullness 40.4.5° is dleathach: may 14.3; shall 15.6.2°, 17.2; it shall be lawful 25.5.1° dlí míleata: military law 38.4.1° dlí sibhialta: civil law 41.3.3° le dlí: by law 15.9.2° de réir dlí: see 38.1 dlínse: jurisdiction 3, 34.3.2° dlínse achomhairc: appellate jurisdiction 34.4.3° cúirt dlínse coire: court of criminal jurisdiction 13.6 do-aistrithe: immovable 44.2.5° chun dochair do: to the detriment of 45.2.iii dul chun dochair: see 44.2.1° dochar a dhéanamh do: affect prejudicially 44.2.4° gan dochar: without prejudice 3 dochloíte: indefeasible 1 doshannta: inalienable 1 dream: body 10.1; body of persons 37.1; group 19 droch-aigne: ill-will 34.5.1° de dhroim: on 27.4.2° is dual do: rightful preamble dualgas: duty 12.8, 15.3.2°, 42.5

Staidéar ar an téacs Gaeilge

745

dúchas: genius 1 dúchasach: natural 42.1 dúiche: country 16.2.3° ag dul do: is due 44.1.1° dul isteach: enter 40.5 dul thar: final and conclusive 22.2.1°, 34.4.6° eachtrach: external 29.4.1° eadhon: see 14.2.1°; namely 18.4.2° eadráin: arbitration 29.2 éag: die 12.3.1°, 28.6.2° éagóir: injustice 40.3.2°; abuse 45.4.2° éagórach: unjust 40.3.2°, 45.3.2° ealaíonacht: art 18.7.1° earra: commodity 45.2.iii easaontaigh: dissent 26.2.2°, 34.4.5° easlán: infirm 45.4.1° eastát: estate 10.1 éifeacht: effect 3, 40.4.5°; effective 38.3.1° éigeandáil: emergency 24.1 éigeantach: indispensable 41.1.2°; require 42.3.2° eile: second 8.2; new 28.6.2° aon daoine eile: such other persons 31.2 ná eile: or otherwise 34.3.2° éiligh: call for 33.5.1° éilligh: corrupt 15.10 Éireann: Irish 9.1.2°, 12.8° éirigh as: resign 12.3.1°; resignation 13.1.3°; vacate 15.14 éirigh leis: see 28.10 d’éis: after 10.4; dá éis sin: subsequent 12.7 tar éis: after 25.2.1° eisceacht: exception 11 eisíth: a state of war 40.4.6° éist le: hear 26.2.1°, 32 is eol: knowledge 34.5.1° eolas: knowledge 18.7.1°; inform 28.5.2° fad is beo: during the lifetime 41.3.3° an fad is bheidh: during 35.5 faigh: ascertain 27.1 fáil: acquisition 9.1.2° cuir ar fáil: make available 40.3.3°; provide for 42.1 faillí: neglect 41.2.2° failligh: neglect 34.5.4° fairis sin: also 10.4 faisnéis: information 40.3.3° fáltas: see 11; receipts 17.1.1° fan: continue 12.10.7° fan i bhfeidhm: remain in force 24.3; i bhfeidhm: in force 49.1 faoi mar: as 12.11.2°, 25.5.1°, 34.3.4° féach do: have regard 40.1 féach le: endeavour 40.6.1°i féach le fonn: favour 45.3.1° ag féachaint go cuí: with due regard 16.2.4°, 42.4, 42.5 féad: see 12.4.4°; may 40.3.3°; capable of 41.3.3°; enable 16.6 ar feadh: through preamble fear nó bean: see 16.1.1° feasta: future 9.1.2° féichiúnas: liability 11, 49.3 feidhm: operate 12.10.7° feidhm dlí: effect 17.1.2°; force of law 29.4.3° i bhfeidhm: in force 49.1 cuir i bhfeidhm: secure 38.3.1°; enforce 38.4.2° fan i bhfeidhm: remain in force 24.3 teacht i bhfeidhm: take effect 16.2.4° dream feidhme: functional group 19 feidhmeannas: functional 15.3.1° feidhmigh: apply 45 feidhmiú: execution 40.4.5°


746

The Constitution of Ireland

féidir: see 6.2, 40.3.1°; capable of being 49.2 sa mhéid gur féidir é: in as far as practicable 16.2.3°, 40.3.1° chomh luath agus is féidir é: as soon as possible 17.1.1°; at the earliest practicable date 28.3.2° an oiread agus is féidir: as many as shall be practicable 45.2.v feileonacht: felony 15.13 féin: see 17.1.2°, 33.5.1° a chur d’fhiacha ar: oblige 42.3.1° fianaise: evidence 25.4.5° fianaise dhochloíte: conclusive evidence 25.4.5° i bhfianaise: in the presence of 12.8 ar fianas: on active service 38.4.2° fiontraíocht: enterprise 45.3.2° fíoraigh: authenticate 25.5.2°; verify 27.2 fíoras: fact 34.3.1° fiosrú a dhéanamh: enquire into 40.4.2° fireann nó baineann: sex 9.1.3° go fírinneach: sincerely 12.8 flannbhuí: orange 7 fo-ábhar: subordinate matter 22.1.1° focal: expression 22.1.2° i bhfochair: and 27.1 fógair: promulgate 13.3.2°, 25.1; declare 28.3.1° fógra: notice 25.4.2° fógra tairisceana: notice of motion 12.10.3° foilsigh: publish 15.12 foirgníocht: architecture 18.7.1°iv i bhfoirm: by way of 40.4.3° ní foláir: shall 11; require 13.3.1° folamh: vacant 14.1 folúntas: vacancy 14.3 fónamh: service 12.8 ar fonn leis: is willing 31.2 foráil: see 8.3, 14.4, 18.4.2° foras: institution 18.4.2°; ground 40.4.2° fo-reachtas: subordinate legislature 15.2.2° foréigneach: violent 39; forcible 40.5 forlámhas: prevail 25.4.6° formhór: majority 15.11.1° forordaigh: prescribe 41.3.2° fórsa: force 15.6.1° na Fórsaí Cosanta: the Defence Forces 13.4° fós: see 15.3.2°, 29.2, 40.3.1° fotha: basis 41.1.2° freagrach do: answerable to 13.8.1°; responsible to 28.4.1° freastal: attend 44.2.4° freisin: further 40.4.5° ar fud: throughout 8.3, 16.2.3° fuinneamh: energy 10.1 fundúireacht: institution 42.4 gá: necessary 12.4.5° gabh: see 31.5 gabh air féin: pledge itself 41.3.1°, 45.4.1° gabh chuig: adopt preamble gabháil: arrest 15.13 gach: all 10.2 gach … dá: every 13.3.2° gach uile: all 12.1, 16.1.2°; all … whatsoever 49.1 gair: see 13.2.1° gairm: commission 13.5.2°; title 40.2.1°; professional interest 18.7.1°; avocation 45.4.2° gairm bheatha: occupation 45.2.i; comhairlí gairme beatha: vocational councils 15.3.1° gairm onóra: title of honour 40.2.2° geall: promise 12.8 mar gheall ar: on the ground of 44.2.3° gearán: complaint 40.4.2° gearr: impose 11, 13.6, 22.1.1° geilleagar: economic 1

Bunreacht na hÉireann

is giorra: shorter 16.5 giorraigh: abridge 23.1 glac: accept 40.2.2° glac le: recognise 8.2; adopt 12.10.4°; accept 13.1.3°, 28.9.3°; approve 27.5.1° ionad a ghlacadh: to supply the place of 42.5 de ghnáth: generally 15.1.1° gnáth-: general 43.1.2° gnáth-admhaithe: generally recognised 29.3 gnáth-threoir: general guidance 45 gné: sex 45.4.2° gníomh: act 13.8.1°, 15.5, 40.4.6° teacht i ngníomh: come into operation 9.1.1° gníomhaigh: act 13.9, 14.2.2°, 28.4.2° gnó: purpose 8.3; interest 18.7.1°; affair 44.2.5° gnóthaigh: achieve 41.2.1° go dtí go: pending 26.1.3° graosta: indecent 40.6.1°i gustail shaolta: material resources 45.2.ii i: consists of 15.1.2°; as 31.4; see 29.6 bheith i: contain 40.6.2°, 46.4 .i. see 7; namely 14.2.1° iarracht: attempt 15.10 iarracht a dhéanamh: endeavour 42.1, 45.3.2° iarraidh: attempt 43.1.2° d’iarraidh: for 21.1.2° iarrthóir do: candidate for 12.4.2° iascaireacht: fisheries 18.7.1°ii idir: both 45.2.ii idirdhealú: discrimination 40.6.2° imdháil: distribution 45.3.2° imigh ó: leave 12.9 imthosca: circumstances 41.3.2° ina: holds office of 12.3.2°; see 28.6.1°, 40.1 inaistrithe: transferable 12.2.3° inchomhlíonta: performable 31.1 inchúisithe: amenable 15.13 inghlactha: eligible (to become) 18.2 iniúch: audit 22.1.1°, 33.1 inmheánach: domestic 24.1, 29.6 innealtóireacht: engineering 18.7.1°iv inniúlacht: efficiency 45.3.2° inoibrithe: exercisable 31.1, 49.1 inphionóis: punishable 40.6.1°i intinn: intention 25.4.1° intleacht: intellectual 42.1 intofa: eligible for re-election 12.3.2°; eligible for election 12.4.1°; eligible for 16.1.1° intriailte: cognisable 38.4.2° intuigthe: hold to mean 40.1 cúiteamh a íoc le: payment of compensation 44.2.6° iomlán: all 21.2.1° go hiomlán: entirely 2 san iomlán: amounting to 41.3.2° iompar: behaviour 13.8.2° ionad: seat 15.14 gabh ionad: supersede 25.5.3° ionad a ghlacadh: to supply the place of 42.5 in ionad: in substitution for 19; in the place of 14.2.2° ionad cónaithe: dwelling 40.5 ionadaigh: represent 15.3.1° ionadaíocht chionúire: proportional representation 12.2.3° ionadóir: representative 15.1.2° ionann: equality 15.11.2°, 22.2.3°; equal 40.1 ionas go: see 18.2, 29.4.2° ionchas: prospect 41.3.2° Ionracas: Justice preamble ionradh: invasion 28.3.2° ionsaí: attack 40.3.2°, 41.3.1° ionstraim: act 29.4.3°


A study of the Irish text

cuir isteach ina iris: enrol 25.4.5° Iriseoir: Registrar 25.4.5° is: shall become and be 9.1.1°; see 15.1.1° is é: consists of 2 cuir in iúl: report 22.2.6° lá: date 12.3.1° labhair: be heard 28.8 ar a laghad: not less than 12.4.2°, 12.10.3° laghdú a dhéanamh ar: diminish 12.11.3° faoi láimh: signed by 12.10.3°, 31.3 láithreach: forthwith 46.5 lámh a chur le: subscribe 12.8; sign 13.3.1° bheith ina lámha: concentration 45.2.iii lánchomhaltas: total membership 12.10.4° lándícheall: see 12.8 lándlínse: full jurisdiciton 34.3.1° lánéifeacht: full effect 50.1 lánfheidhm: full force 50.1 lánlíon: total number 16.2.2° lánscoir: dissolve 13.2.1°, 18.8 as láthair: absence 14.1, 28.6.3° i láthair: in the presence of 12.8; see 38.4.2°; before 40.1 i láthair ann: are present 22.2.2° bheith i láthair: appear 12.10.6°; attend 28.8 tabhair i láthair: produce 40.4.2° le: vested in 10.1; by way of 46.1; see 31.3 is le: belong 49.1 leag amach: see 15.2.2°; prescribe 15.9.1° leag síos: lay down 40.3.3° lean de: continue to 18.9; see 13.2.2°, 28.10, 28.11.1° a leanas: as follows 18.4.1° leanbh: child 42.1 leas: interest 10.1; welfare 12.8 leas an phobail: the common good 6.1, 42.3.2°; the exigencies of the common good 43.2.2° Leas-Chathaoirleach: Vice-Chairman 14.2.3° leasaigh: amend 46.1 mura léir: unless … appears 25.4.1° léirigh: define 18.7.1°i léiriú: see 15.3.2° léirmheas: review 13.8.2° tuairimí léirmheasa: criticism 40.6.1°i léirthuairisc: statement 27.3 leis seo: hereby 13.6 faoi leith: special 38.3.1°, 41.3.1° gach … ar leith: every 12.3.3°; see 15.9.1° leithghabháil: appropriate 11; appropriation 17.2 ar leithligh: apart 41.3.2° nach leor: inadequate 38.3.1° is leor leis féin: to him seem sufficient 28.9.4° leorshlí bheatha: adequate means of livelihood 45.2.i lig do: allow 40.4.3° le linn: at the date of 15.5; during 12.9; at the time of 40.4.3°; see 38.4.1° líon: number 14.3; 36i; see 18.1, 28.1 liúntas: allowance 12.11.2° loghadh: remit 13.6, 21.1.1° lomdíreach: direct 12.2.1° luaigh: state 12.10.1°; specify 14.5.2°; express 24.1, 28.3.3°, 46.3 chomh luath agus: upon 27.4.1° chomh luath agus is féidir é: as soon as may be 12.7, 25.4.5°; as soon as possible 17.1.1°; at the earliest practicable date 28.3.2° lucht achainí: see 27.2 lucht oibre: workers 45.4.2° lucht tagartha: see 12.10.6° má: if and whenever 24.1; see 15.15 má bhíonn: in the event of 14.1

Staidéar ar an téacs Gaeilge

747

maidir le: in connection with 15.15; relating to 40.3.3°; in the matter of 42.4; see 29.4.1° maille le: see 2; and 10.1 cabhair maireachtála a thabhairt: contribute to the support 45.4.1° maithe: personages 12.8 an mhaitheas phoiblí: the common good preamble maithiúnas: pardon 13.6 máithreacha clainne: mothers 41.2.2° malairt: contrary 25.4.1° maoin shaolta: external goods 43.1.1° ábhar maoine: resource 10.1 maoincheart: property right 40.3.2° maoinigh: endow 44.2.2° maolú: commute/commutation 13.6 maoth-óige: tender age 45.4.2° mar aon le: including 10.1, 16.7 mar sin: so 22.2.4° meas: deem 12.6.2°, 16.6, 24.2; consider 20.2.2°, 28.3.2°; hold 47.1 meastachán: estimate 17.1.1° cén méid: the number 15.11.3° ar a mhéid: not less than 28.1 sa mhéid go: to the same extent 10.2; to the extent 15.4.2° sa mhéid gur féidir é: in as far as practicable 16.2.3° Mí Nollag: December 49.1 is mian le: devotion to 29.1; adherence 29.2 mianach: mine 10.2 mianra: mineral 10.2 míchumas: disability 16.1.1°, 16.1.3°, 44.2.3° mí-iompar: misbehaviour 12.10.1° dlí míleata: military law 38.4.1° mínigh: define 12.4.2° minimum: minimum 42.3.2° míniú: definition 22.1.2° mionchion: minor offence 38.2 míthreoir: incapacity 12.3.1°, 31.5 modh: see 13.5.1°; manner 18.6, 34.1, 46.1 modh oibrithe: see 40.6.2° ar mhodh: by means of 12.2.3° moilligh: defer 40.4.5° mol: recommend 17.2 moladh: recommendation 21.1.2°, 24.2 go mór mór: especially 42.4 moráltacht: morality 29.1, 40.6.1°, 42.1 mórsheisear: seven 28.1 muirear: charge 11, 22.1.1° múnlú na haigne: formation 42.4 mura: unless 27.4.2°; see 28.9.4° ná eile: or otherwise 34.3.2° de réir nádúir: natural 41.1.1° nádúrtha: natural 10.1 náisiún: nation 1 saol náisiúnta: national life 45.1 náisiúntacht: nationality 9.1.2° neach: person 40.4.2° neachtar: see 12.7 neamhchoiteann: exceptional 42.5 cuir ar neamhní: nullify 28.3.3° neamhoiriúnach: unfit 12.10.7° neamhspleách: independent 5, 35.2 neamhspleáchas: independence preamble neart: strength 45.4.2° ní: see 12.3.3°; faoi chuimsiú na nithe réamhráite: subject as aforesaid 47.4 aon ní: aon matter 13.7.1°; matter 40.6.1°i gach ní: all matters 34.3.1° níl: shall not be 13.8.1° níos mó ná … níos lú ná: not more than … not less than 18.7.2°


748

The Constitution of Ireland

nó go: until 28.6.2° nocht: disclose 26.2.2°; express 40.6.1°i Mí Nollag: December 49.1 nós imeachta: method of procedure 29.4.2°, 36iii nuair: where 12.4.5° obair: activities 18.7.1°v oibleagáid: obligation 29.4.3° oibreacha riachtanacha: necessary works 44.2.6° oibreachas: labour 18.7.1°iii oibrigh: exercise 3, 13.5.1°, 14.5.1°; see 13.9 oideachas: education 42.1 oidhreacht: inherit 43.1.2° oifig: office 30.6 cuir as oifig: remove from office 12.10.7°, 33.5.1° dul as oifig: retire from office 30.5.4° maoth-óige: tender age 45.4.2° oiliúint: education 40.6.1°i oir: see 34.5.1°; suit 45.4.2° oircheas: meet 14.4 Oireachtas: see 15.1.1° oiread: see 19 an oiread agus is féidir: as many as … shall be practicable 45.2.v oiriúnach: fit 31.3 le beart oiriúnach: by appropriate means 42.5 oirmhidin: respect 44.1.1° Ollscoil Bhaile Átha Cliath: the University of Dublin 18.4.1° Ollscoil na hÉireann: the National University of Ireland 18.4.1° ómós: homage 44.1.1° onóir: honour 44.1.1° gairm onóra: title of honour 40.2.2° ord an phósta: the institution of marriage 41.3.1° ord poiblí: public order 38.3.1°, 40.6.1°, 44.2.1° ordaigh: prescribe 27.2, 34.4.3°; direct 40.4.4° ordú: direction 25.4.2°; ordú … á ordú: order for 40.4.5° organ: organ 6.2, 40.6.1°i ós é/í: as 8.1, 41.1.2° páirt a bheith: participate 28.3.1° páirt nó baint: taking part or being concerned in 39 páirteach: subscribe 12.4.3°; participant 28.3.3°; see 29.5.1° pearsa: person 40.3.2°; individual 45.2.ii ina bpearsain daonna: as human persons 40.1 pionós: punishment 13.6; penalty 15.10 pléadáil: pleading 34.3.2° pobal: people 12.2.1° ar mhaithe leis an bpobal: in the public interest 40.6.1°iii poiblí: public 40.6.1° an mhaitheas phoiblí: the common good preamble Riarachán Poiblí: Public Administration 18.7.1°v go poiblí: in public 15.8.1°, 34.1 sa chúirt go poiblí: in open court 26.2.1° polaitíocht: political 1 pósadh: marriage 41.3.1°; cuing phósta: marriage 41.3.3° pósadh a dhéanamh: contract marriage 41.3.3° post: position 12.6.3° práinn: emergency 15.8.2°, 24.1 staid phráinne náisiúnta: a national emergency 28.3.3° príobháideach: private 15.8.2° Coiste Pribhléidí: Committee of Privileges 22.2.2° príomha: primary 41.1.1°, 42.1 Príomh-Aire: Prime Minister 13.1.1°, 28.5.1° Príomh-Bhreitheamh: Chief Justice 14.2.1°, 31.2 príomhchuspóir: predominant aim 45.2.iv príomhtheanga: first language 8.1 á rá: alleging 40.4.2° ranna: branches 15.3.1° ráthaigh: guarantee 22.1.1°, 40.3.1° ré: life 16.2.4°; period 16.5

Bunreacht na hÉireann

reacht daonna: positive law 41.1.1°, 43.1.1° reachtaíocht: legislative 15.2.1°; legislation 20.1 réamhchead: prior consent 18.3 réamhráite: aforesaid 25.2.2°; foregoing 40.6.1°iii faoi chuimsiú na nithe réamhráite: subject as aforesaid 47.4 réamhtheachtaí: predecessor 12.7 réasún: see 43.1.1° reifreann: referendum 47.1 de réir: in accordance with 1; on the system of 12.2.3°; by 14.5.2°; founded on 29.1 de réir a chéile: see 25.4.6° de réir dlí: see 38.1 réitigh: agree 23.1.2° riachtanach: necessary 41.1.2° de réir mar a bheas riachtanach: as occasion requires 43.2.2° oibreacha riachtanacha: necessary works 44.2.6° riachtanais: needs 45.2.i nuair a bheas riachtanas leis: where necessary 45.4.1° riail: government 6.1 rialaigh: control 10.3, 33.1; regulate 12.5; inform 45.1 rialú a dhéanamh ar: control 40.6.1°ii riar: administer 28.4.2°, 44.2.5° Riarachán Poiblí: Public Administration 18.7.1°v ríchíos: royalty 10.1 cás ríofa: case stated 40.4.3° rith: pass 13.3.1°, 17.2; see 24.1, 46.2 Ró-Naofa: Most Holy preamble rogha: preference 42.3.1° díreach roimh: immediately preceding 50.1 roimh ré: previous 13.1.2° roinnt: distribution 28.12 rolla: panel 18.4.1°; register 47.2.1° anseo romhainn: hereinbefore 22.2.6° sin romhainn: foregoing 14.4, 18.10.1° Rúin Airgeadais: Financial Resolutions 17.1.2° rún: resolution 12.10.4° rúnbhallóid: secret ballot 12.2.3° Sacs-Bhéarla: English 4 saighid: incite 39 sainchumas: prerogative 49.1 sainráite: expressed 37.2 saíocht: culture 1, 18.7.1°i den tsamhail sin: such 33.5.2° sannadh: alienation 10.3; transfer 43.1.2° saoirse: freedom 15.10, 40.4.1°; liberty 40.4.3°, 40.6.1° saoirse choinsiasa: freedom of conscience 44.2.1° saol: life 41.2.1° saol náisiúnta: national life 45.1 gustail shaolta: material resources 45.2.ii maoin shaolta: external goods 43.1.1° saor: see 35.2 saor ar chúrsaí dlí: privileged 15.12 saoráid: facility 15.15 saoránach: citizen 9.1.1°, 12.2.2° saorchead: free 44.2.1° saoriomaíocht: free competition 45.2.iii saothar: work 41.2.2° sárú: infringement 15.5 sás: instrument 29.4.2° sásta le: approval 13.7.3°; satisfied 46.5 scaoil: dissolve 41.3.2°, 41.3.3° scaoileadh: release 40.4.2° scar le: vacate 12.6.2°, 34.5.4° scéal: see 28.9.2° cibé scéal é: in any case 34.5.3° scéala: communication 13.9; notify 33.5.2°; notification 33.5.3° scoir: retire 36i scoir de: see 13.2.2° scríbhinn: document 15.10


A study of the Irish text

i scríbhinn: in writing 27.2 scrúdaigh: investigate 12.10.5° faoi seach: respectively 18.7.1°, 22.1.2° seachas: not 12.4.2° seachas a chéile: different 44.2.4° sealadach: temporary 14.1, 28.6.3° sean: aged 45.4.1° Seanad: Senate 15.1.2° seas: stand confirmed 22.2.6° i seilbh: see 30.6 i seilbh oifige: hold office 12.3.1° tar i seilbh: acquire 10.4 seirbhís: service 18.7.1° seol: send 23.1, 33.5.2°; address 24.1 nach sia: not longer 21.2.1° sibhialta: civil 34.3.1°, 38.4.2° dlí sibhialta: civil law 41.3.3° an chomhdhaonnacht shibhialta: civil society 43.2.1° sin: these 6.2; the said 8.3; such 12.4.3°; see 13.1.1°, 30.2 sin a mbeidh: that is all 12.3.2° sin romhainn: foregoing 14.4 sínigh: sign 25.3 sinsear: see 1; father preamble sinsearach: senior 34.5.2°, 40.4.4° siocair: subject 12.10.7°, 25.2.2°; occasion 18.3 síocháin: peace 29.1 sítheoilte: peaceful 40.6.1°ii siúd is nach: notwithstanding 37.1 sláinte: health 45.4.2° slán: reached 12.4.1° slán do: inviolable 40.5 slándáil: security 28.3.3°, 45.2.v slí bheatha: livelihood 45.2.i smacht: discipline 38.4.2° gan de smacht air: subject only to 35.2 so-aistrithe: movable 44.2.5° socair: provide 17.1.2° sochar: emolument 12.6.3°, 12.11.2° sócmhainn: asset 49.3 socraigh: fix 16.2.2° socrú: provide/provision 8.3, 15.2.2°; 42.4; 49.2 soláthar: supply 22.1.1°; provision 45.2.i sonrach: especial 45.4.1° go sonrach: in particular 40.3.2°, 45.2, 45.2.iii den sórt sin: such 13.7.2° staid phráinne náisiúnta: state of national emergency 28.3.3° gan staonadh: unremitting preamble stát: state 4 stát-áras: official residence 12.11.1° státchíos: revenue 17.2 stiúir: direct 12.8, 45.2; control 40.6.1°iii; conduct 45.3.2° suaitheantas: flag 7 suigh: sit 15.1.3°; establish 12.3.1°, 12.3.3°; sustain 12.10.7°; vindicate 40.3.1°; see 15.7 suíomh: distribution 16.2.4° tá: shall 15.12 tá ar – nach mbeidh ar: shall not be forced 45.4.2° tábhacht: importance 13.7.1° chomh tábhachtach sin: matter of such grave import 40.6.1°i tabhair: confer 13.6; cause 25.5.1°; prosecute 30.3 tabhair ar thaobh: cast in favour 47.1 tabhair dá chéile: reconcile 43.2.2° tabhair isteach: introduce 20.2.1° breith a thabhairt: pronounce a decision 26.2.1° taca: see 12.8 tacaíocht: support 12.10.4°, 28.10 lucht tagartha: see 12.10.6° táinsigh: impeach 12.10.1° tairg: present 25.1, 26.1.2°; see 12.10.3° táirg: production 45.3.2°

Staidéar ar an téacs Gaeilge

749

tairiscint: motion 12.10.3° tairiseach: loyalty 9.2 taisteal: travel 40.3.3° talmhaíocht: agriculture 18.7.1°ii tamall: temporary 28.12 Tánaiste: see 28.6.1° taobh amuigh de chás: save where 13.9; save as 15.11.1°, 25.2.1°, 34.3.2° cuir ar an taobh amuigh de: except 34.4.4° taobh istigh de: within 12.3.3°, 16.4.2°, 21.2.2° i dtaobh: relating to 16.1.2°; on 13.7.1°; in respect of 49.1 Taoiseach: see 28.5.1° tar ó: derive 6.1 má tharlaíonn: in the event of 12.3.3°; where 24.2 tarraing anuas: raise 34.3.2° an té: see 30.6 teacht le chéile: meet 16.4.2° teachtaireacht: message 13.7.1° téacs: text 25.4.3° teagasc creidimh: religious instruction 44.2.4° teaghlach: family 41.1.1° téarma: period 12.3.1° tearmann: precincts 15.13 faoi theastas: certified 33.5.2° teicnic: technical 29.5.3° is teideal: shall be called 28.5.1°, 34.4.1° téigh chun: subserve 45.2.ii téigh le: engage in 41.2.2° téigh le gairm: enter an avocation 45.4.2° teip: fail 14.1, 14.5.2° teorainn: territorial 2 teorainn a chur le: delimit 43.2.2° teorannaigh: limit 40.3.3° teoranta: limited 34.1 thar: more than 28.7.2° ní bheidh dul thar: final and conclusive 22.2.1°, 34.4.6° tig le: may 12.4.4°; free to 42.2 tíolaic: give preamble tiomnaigh: bequeath 43.1.2° tiomsaigh: group 18.4.2° tionóil: summon 28.3.2° tionól: meeting 15.11.3°, 40.6.1°ii; sitting 22.2.2° teacht ar tionól: assemble 40.6.1°ii tionscain: initiate 20.1 tionscal: industry 18.7.1°iv tionscnamh: institution 41.3.2°; initiative 42.4, 45.3.1° tiontú: translation 25.4.4° is tobar do: see preamble togh: elect 12.2.1°; return 16.2.6°; assign 26.2.1° toghchán: election 16.1.2° toghchán a dhéanamh: hold an election 12.3.3° toghchán do: election for 12.2.2°, 12.5 toghchóras: franchise 18.4.2° toghthóir: voter 16.1.4° togra: proposal 46.2 toil: consent 12.9; see 27.5.1°i toiligh: approve 46.5; see 15.8.2° toirmeasc: molest 15.10; prohibit 18.4.3°, 40.4.6° toisc: in view of 42.3.2°; see 40.6.1°i toradh: result 12.10.7° tosach: precedence 12.1 i dtosach: originally 40.4.5° tráchtáil: commerce 18.7.1°iv cúrsaí tráchtála: commercial affairs 45.3.1° tráth: see 31.2 aon tráth: at any time 16.2.3° tréas: treason 15.13, 39 treascair: overthrow 39 tréimhse: time 23.1 treoir: rule of conduct 29.3; see 45 treorú: supervision 25.5.1°


750

The Constitution of Ireland

Bunreacht na hÉireann

triail: trial 38.1 trian: a third 27.1 Tríonóid: Trinity preamble triúr: three 16.2.6° troid: struggle preamble tromlach: majority 13.2.2°, 14.4, 26.2.2°, 28.10 tuairim: opinion 22.2.1°, 24.1, 30.1, 40.6.1° tuairimí léirmheasa: criticism 40.6.1°i tuarascáil: report 33.4 tuarastal: remuneration 15.9.2° tuilleadh: additional 13.10 is túisce: next 18.9 a bheireann le tuiscint: purport 13.8.1° tuiste: parent 42.1

as ucht: for 12.10.1° uchtáil: adoption 37.2 údarás: authority 13.6 le húdarás: by/on the authority of 6.2 údarú: authorisation 37.2 uile: whole 45.1; as a whole 45.2.iv uile … eile: all other 35.1 Dia na nUilechumhacht: Almighty God 12.8, 44.1 uime sin: therefore 41.2.2°; accordingly 43.1.2° uireasa: economic necessity 41.2.2°, 45.4.2° uiríseal: humble preamble ullmhaigh: prepare 25.5.1° urlámhas: control 45.2.ii urraim: reverence 44.1.1°

uachtarán: president 12.1 uaine: green 7 uair ar bith: at any time 13.2.3°, 13.7.2° an uair sin féin: then 33.5.1° aon uair: on any occasion 14.2.2° uaisleacht: nobility 40.2.1°; dignity preamble

vóta: vote 12.2.1°, 17.2 vóta a thabhairt: exercise a vote 15.11.2°, 16.1.4°; cast a vote 47.1 vótáil: proceed to a ballot 12.4.5°; polling 16.4.1° ceart vótála: the right to vote 12.2.2°


A study of the Irish text

Staidéar ar an téacs Gaeilge

751

ENGLISH INDEX INNÉACS BÉARLA This is principally an index referring to the commentaries in the study on the various Articles rather than a concordance or glossary. Translations and citations of the headwords below from official translations, particularly from the Acts of the Oireachtas, will be found in the commentaries. ability: see 12.8, 34.5.1° abolish: cuir ar ceal 43.1.2° abridge: giorraigh 23.1 absence: as láthair 14.1, 28.6.3° abuse: éagóir 45.4.2° accede: aontaigh 22.2.3° accept: glac le 13.1.3°, 28.9.3°; glac 40.2.2° in accordance with: de réir 1 accordingly: dá bhíthin sin 23.2.1°; uime sin 43.1.2° account: cuntas 22.1.1° accountancy: cuntasaíocht 18.7.1°iv achieve: gnóthaigh 41.2.1° acknowledge: admhaigh 40.3.3°, 42.1, preamble acquire: tar i seilbh 10.4 acquisition: fáil 9.1.2° act: gníomh 13.8.1°, 15.5, 40.4.6°; ionstraim 29.4.3° act: gníomhaigh 13.9, 28.4.2° activities: obair 18.7.1°v actual: see 16.6, 28.3.2°, 42.3.2° actual conditions: cor an lae 42.3.2° addition: breisiú 46.1 additional: tuilleadh 13.10 address: aitheasc 13.7.1°; see 13.7.2° address: seol 24.1 adequate means of livelihood: leorshlí bheatha 45.2.i administer: riar 28.4.2°, 44.2.5° Public Administration: Riarachán Poiblí 18.7.1°v adopt: gabh chuig preamble; glac le 12.10.4° adoption: uchtáil 37.2 advice: comhairle 13.1.3° advise: comhairligh 28.9.3° adviser: comhairleach 30.1 affairs: gnóthaí 44.2.5° affect: déan difear do 28.3.3° affect prejudicially: dochar a dhéanamh do 44.2.4° affection: bá 34.5.1° affirm: deimhnigh 1; dearbhaigh 29.1 aforesaid: réamhráite 25.2.2° subject as aforesaid: faoi chuimsiú na nithe réamhráite 47.4 after: d’éis 10.4; tar éis 25.2.1° tender age: maoth-óige 45.4.2° aged: sean 45.4.1° agree: réitigh 23.1.2° agriculture: talmhaíocht 18.7.1°ii aid: cabhair a thabhairt 31.1 State aid: cúnamh Stáit 44.2.4° aim: cuspóir 45.2.iv alienation: sannadh 10.3 all: gach 10.2; gach uile 12.1, 16.1.2°; iomlán 21.2.1° all other: uile … eile 35.1 all … whatsoever: gach uile 49.1 that is all: sin a mbeidh 12.3.2° allege: abair 38.4.1°, 40.4.2° allied: a bhaineann le 18.7.1°ii allow: lig do 40.4.3° allowance: liúntas 12.11.2° Almighty God: Dia na nUilechumhacht 12.8, 44.1

also: fairis sin 10.4 alteration: athrú 16.2.4° amenable: inchúisithe 15.13 amend: leasaigh 46.1 from among: as 15.9.1° amount to: see 47.2.1° amounting to: san iomlán 41.3.2° and: i bhfochair 27.1; maille le 10.1 answerable to: freagrach do 13.8.1° antecedent: ársa 41.1.1°, 43.1.1° if any: see 15.15, 29.4.2° apart: ar leithligh 41.3.2° appeal: achomharc 34.2, 34.4.3° in final appeal: faoi dheoidh 6.1 appear: bheith i láthair 12.10.6° unless … appears: mura léir 25.4.1° appellate jurisdiction: dlínse achomhairc 34.4.3° application: bain le 3; see 23.2.2°; a fheidhmiú 45 apply: bain le 3, 23.1 apply to: bain le 14.5.1° appoint: ceap 13.1.1°, 13.8.2°, 28.1 appropriate: leithghabháil 11 by appropriate means: le beart oiriúnach 42.5 appropriation: leithghabháil 17.2 approval: comhaontú 13.1.2°; sásta le 13.7.3°; aontú 40.2.2° approve: toiligh 46.5, 47.1 arbitration: eadráin 29.2 architecture: foirgníocht 18.7.1°iv area: limistéar 3 argument: argóint 34.3.2° armed: armtha 15.6.1° armed rebellion: ceannairc faoi arm 28.3.3°, 40.4.6° without arms: gan arm 40.6.1°ii by force of arms: le harm 39 arrest: gabháil 15.13 art: ealaíonacht 18.7.1°i as: ós í 8.1; ós é 41.1.2°; faoi mar 12.11.2°, 25.5.1°, 34.3.4°; i 31.4 as best it may: chomh fada lena chumas 40.3.2° ascertain: faigh 27.1 assemble: teacht ar tionól 40.6.1°ii assent: see 15.8.2°; aontaigh 26.2.2°; aontú 28.3.1° asset: sócmhainn 49.3 assign: togh 26.2.1° associated: i gcomhlachas 29.4.2° association: comhlacht 19; comhlachas 40.6.1°iii attach: ceap 15.10 attack: ionsaí 40.3.2°, 41.3.1° attempt: iarracht 15.10; iarraidh 43.1.2° attend: freastal 44.2.4°; bheith i láthair 28.8 Attorney General: Ard-Aighne 30.1 audit: iniúch 22.1.1°, 33.1 authenticate: fíoraigh 25.5.2° authorisation: údarú 37.2 authority: údarás 13.6 by/on the authority of: le húdarás 6.2

751


752

The Constitution of Ireland

avail: cuir chun críche 29.4.2° make available: cuir ar fáil 40.3.3° avocation: gairm 45.4.2° bail: bannaí 40.4.3° ballot: ballóid 12.2.3°; vótáil 12.4.5° banking: baincéireacht 18.7.1°iv basis: fotha 41.1.2° become: déan de 15.14, 25.4.1°; see 18.2 become and be: is 9.1.1° before: os comhair 29.5.1°; i láthair 40.1 behaviour: iompar 13.8.2° rational being: see 41.1.1° belief: creideamh 44.2.3° belong: is le 49.1 bequeath: tiomnaigh 43.1.2° blasphemous: diamhaslach 40.6.1°i body: dream 10.1; comhlacht 13.8.2° body of persons: dream 37.1 both: iad araon 13.2.3°; an dá 20.3; idir 45.2.i bound: ina cheangal 29.5.2° branches: ranna 15.3.1° breach of the peace: briseadh síochána 15.1.3°, 40.6.1°ii by: de réir 14.5.2°; ag 38.2 calculate: see 40.6.1°ii call: see 15.1.1° shall be called: is teideal 28.5.1°, 34.4.1° call for: éiligh 33.5.1° candidate for: iarrthóir do 12.4.2° capable of: féad 41.3.3°; féidir 49.2 capacity: see 40.1 capital cases: cásanna breithe báis 13.6 care: see 41.3.1° the care of: de chúram 45 case stated: cás ríofa 40.4.3° as the case may be: de réir mar a oireas 34.5.1° in any case: cibé scéal é 34.5.3° in cases: i gcás 15.8.2° cast in favour: tabhair ar thaobh 47.1 casting vote: vóta cinniúna 15.11.2° casual vacancy: corrfholúntas 16.7, 18.10.2° cause: cuir á 12.10.5°; tabhair 25.5.2°; see 40.6.1°ii cease: see 13.2.2° ceased to exist: nach ann a thuilleadh 28.3.3° census: daonáireamh 16.2.3° certified: faoi theastas 33.5.2° certify: deimhnigh 22.2.1°, 24.1 Chairman: Cathaoirleach 14.2.1°, 14.2.3° charge: cúiseamh 12.10.2°; cúis 12.10.3° charge: muirear 11, 22.1.1°; costas 29.5.2° in charge: i mbun 28.7.1° charity: carthanacht 45.1, preamble Chief Justice: Príomh-Bhreitheamh 14.2.1°, 31.2 child: leanbh 42.1 children: clann 42.1 cinema: cineama 40.6.1°i circumstances: imthosca 41.3.2°; cor an tsaoil 45.2.v citizen: saoránach 9.1.1°, 12.2.2° civil: sibhialta 34.3.1°, 38.4.2° civil law: dlí sibhialta 41.3.3° civil society: an chomhdhaonnacht shibhialta 43.2.1° class: aicmí 40.6.2° cognisable: intriailte 38.4.2° collective authority: comhúdarás 28.4.2° commerce: tráchtáil 18.7.1°iv commercial affairs: cúrsaí tráchtála 45.3.1° commission: coimisiún 14.1; gairm 13.5.2° commit: déan 15.5 commodity: earra 45.2.iii

Bunreacht na hÉireann

common good: leas an phobail 6.1; an mhaitheas phoiblí preamble communicate: cuir faoi bhráid 13.7.1° communication: scéala 13.9 Community: Comhphobal 29.4.3° commute/commutation: maolú 13.6 compensation: cúiteamh 44.2.6° free competition: saoriomaíocht 45.2.iii complaint: gearán 40.4.2° compose of: see 18.1 comprise: ar 34.2 Comptroller and Auditor General: Ard-Reachtaire Cuntas agus Ciste 33.1 concentration: bheith ina lámha 45.2.iii taking part or being concerned in: páirt nó baint 39 concord: comhcharadra preamble concurrence: comhthoil 25.2.2° condition: cúinse 33.6 actual conditions: cor an lae 42.3.2° conduct: stiúir 45.3.2° confer: bheir do 12.1; tabhair 13.6; bronn 13.11 conflict: coinbhleacht 28.3.3°; see de réir a chéile 25.4.6° in connection with: maidir le 15.15 freedom of conscience: saoirse choinsiasa 44.2.1° conscientious: coinsiasach 12.8 consent: toil 12.9 consider: breithnigh 17.1.1°, 20.1; meas 20.2.2° consideration: breithniú 24.1, 24.2 consist: is é 2; is iad 14.2.1°; tá i 15.1.2°; see 40.4.4° conspire: i gcomhcheilg le 39 constant aim: buanchuspóir 45.2.iv constituency: dáilcheantar 16.2.1° constitute: comhdhéan 14.1; see 18.1; cóirigh 18.4.1° constitution: comhdhéanamh 15.1.1°, 36iii; comhshuíomh 41.1.2° consult: cuir i gcomhairle 31.1 contain: bheith i 40.6.2°, 46.4; see 18.7.1° contingency: cás 14.4 continuance: buanú 48 continue: fan 12.10.7°; lean 18.9 continue to: lean de 28.11.1° contract marriage: pósadh a dhéanamh 41.3.3° contrary: malairt 25.4.1° contribute to the support: cabhair maireachtála a thabhairt 45.4.1° control: rialaigh 10.3; rialú a dhéanamh ar 40.6.1°ii; stiúir 40.6.1°iii control: urlámhas 45.2.ii convene a meeting: comóir 13.2.3°, 31.8 convention: comhaontú 29.5.3° conviction: deimhne 40.6.1°i co-operation: comhar 29.1 corporate: cumannta 42.4 corresponding: comhréire 34.3.3° corresponding panels: comhrollaí 19 corrupt: éilligh 15.10 counsel: abhcóidí 26.2.1° counsel: comhairle a thabhairt 31.1 country: dúiche 16.2.3° in due course of law: see 38.1 court: cúirt 34.1 court of criminal jurisdiction: cúirt dlínse coire 13.6 court of final appeal: cúirt achomhairc dheiridh 34.2 court of first instance: cúirt chéadchéime 34.2 Court of Summary Jurisdiction: Cúirt Dlínse Achomaire 30.3, 38.2 courtmartial: armchúirt 38.4.2° create: cuir ar bun 15.2.2° credit: creidmheas 45.2.iv crime: coir 30.3 criminal: coiriúil 34.3.1°; coireachta 37.1


A study of the Irish text

criticism: tuairimí léirmheasa 40.6.1°i cultural: saíocht 1 custody: coinneáil 22.1.1° danger: contúirt 40.6.1°ii date: lá 12.3.1° at the date of: le linn 15.5 from that date: as sin amach 48 deal with: broic le 38.4.1° sentence of death: breith bháis 40.4.5° debate: aighneas 15.10 December: Mí Nollag 49.1 decide: breith 26.3.1° declare: dearbhaigh 12.8, 12.10.7°; abair 15.5; fógair 28.3.1° decline: diúltaigh do 26.3.1°; diúltaigh 34.5.4° dedicate my abilities: mo lándícheall a dhéanamh 12.8 deem: meas 12.6.2°, 16.6; see 24.2 the Defence Forces: na Fórsaí Cosanta 13.4 defend: cosain 40.3.1° defer: moilligh 40.4.5° define: mínigh 12.4.2°; léirigh 18.7.1°i definition: míniú 22.1.2° delimit: teorainn a chur le 43.2.2° democratic: daonlathach 5 denomination: aicme 44.2.4° deprive: bain de 40.4.1° derive: tar ó 6.1 designate: ceap 6.1; ainmnigh 13.8.2°, 41.3.2°, 42.3.1° detain: coinnigh ina bhrá 40.4.2° detention: braighdeanas 40.4.2° determination: cinneadh 29.2 determine: cinn 1, 12.11.2°; breith 15.11.1°, 34.3.1°, 40.4.3° to the detriment of: chun dochair do 45.2.iii develop: cuir ar aghaidh 1 devotion to: is mian le 29.1 die: éag 12.3.1°, 28.6.2° different: seachas a chéile 44.2.4° dignity: uaisleacht preamble diminish: laghdú a dhéanamh ar 12.11.3° direct: lomdíreach 12.2.1° direct: stiúir 12.8, 45.2; ceap 34.4.5°; ordaigh 40.4.4° direction: ordú 25.4.2° directive principle: buntreoir 45 disability: míchumas 16.1.1° disbursement: caitheamh airgid 33.1 discipline: smacht 38.4.2° disclose: nocht 26.2.2° in his absolute discretion: as a chomhairle féin 13.2.2° discrimination: idirdhealú 40.6.2° dispute: achrann 29.2 disqualify: cuir faoi dhícháilíocht 16.1.2°; dícháiligh 16.1.3°, 18.9 dissent: easaontaigh 26.2.2° dissolve: lánscoir 13.2.1°, 18.4.3°, 18.8; scaoil 41.3.2°, 41.3.3° distinction: see 16.1.1° distribution: roinnt 28.12; imdháil 45.3.2°; suíomh 16.2.4° divert: bain de 44.2.6° document: scríbhinn 15.10 domestic: inmheánach 24.1, 29.6 domestic needs: riachtanais a dteaghlach 45.2.i done: see 40.3.2° due: cuí preamble; go cuí 40.1 in due course of law: see 38.1 is due: ag dul do 44.1.1° during: le linn 12.9; an fad is bheidh 35.5 during the lifetime: an fad is beo 41.3.3° duty: dualgas 12.8, 15.3.2° dwelling: ionad cónaithe 40.5 earliest practicable: chomh luath agus is féidir é 28.3.2° economic: geilleagair 1; see 41.2.2°

Staidéar ar an téacs Gaeilge

753

education: oideachas 42.1; oiliúint 40.6.1° effect: éifeacht 3, 40.4.5°; feidhm dlí 17.1.2°; see 27.4.2° full effect: lánéifeacht 50.1 take effect: teacht i bhfeidhm 16.2.4° effective: éifeacht 38.3.1° as effectively as it may: chomh fada lena chumas 45.1 efficiency: inniúlacht 45.3.2° either: see 12.6.1°, 13.2.3°, 20.3 elect: togh 12.2.1° election (of): toghchán 16.1.2° election for: toghchán do 12.2.2° hold an election: toghchán a dhéanamh 12.3.3° eligible (to be): bheith 35.3 eligible (to become): inghlactha 18.2 eligible for re-election: intofa 12.3.2°; eligible for election: intofa 12.4.1° embodying: ina mbeidh 25.5.1° emergency: práinn 15.8.2°; éigeandáil 24.1 state of national emergency: staid phráinne náisiúnta 28.3.3° emolument: sochar 12.6.3°, 12.11.2° enable: féad 16.6 enact: achtaigh 13.3.1°, 15.4.2°, 49.2 enactment: achtú 50.1 final end: críoch dheireanach preamble endeavour: féach le 40.6.1°i; iarracht a dhéanamh 42.4, 45.3.2° energy: fuinneamh 10.1 enforce: cuir i bhfeidhm 38.4.2° engage in: dul le 41.2.2° engineering: innealtóireacht 18.7.1°iv English language: Sacs-Bhéarla 4 enquire into: fiosrú a dhéanamh 40.4.2° enrol: cuir isteach ina iris 25.4.5° ensuing: an chéad … eile 16.6 ensure: cuir in áirithe 15.10 enter: dul isteach i 40.5 enter an avocation: téigh le gairm 45.4.2° enter office: dul i gcúram oifige 12.3.1° enter upon duties: dul i gcúram dualgas 34.5.3° enterprise: fiontraíocht 45.3.2° entertain: aird a thabhairt ar 12.10.3° entitled: (ní) cead 12.4.3° equal: comhionann 18.4.2°; ionann 40.1 equal right: comhcheart 40.3.3° equality: ionann 15.11.2°, 22.2.3° equally: see 45.2.i especial: sonrach 45.4.1° especially: go mór mór 42.4 establish: suigh 12.3.1°, 12.3.3° estate: eastát 10.1 estimate: meastachán 17.1.1° event: see 12.3.3°, 30.5.3° in the event of: má tharlaíonn 12.3.3°; má bhíonn 41.1 every: gach … ar leith 12.3.3°; gach … dá 13.3.2°, 15.9.1° evidence: fianaise 25.4.5° ex-officio: de bhua oifige 31.2 except: cuir ar an taobh amuigh de 34.4.4° except with: ach le see 40.2.2° exception: eisceacht 11 exceptional: neamhchoiteann 42.5 exclude: ceil 9.1.3° exclusive: aon 8.3, 15.2.1° exclusively: amháin 15.6.1°, 45 execute: comhlíon 34.5.1° execution: feidhmiú 40.4.5° executive: comhallacht 6.1; comhallach 28.2 Executive Council: Ard-Chomhairle 31.2 exercisable: inoibrithe 31.1, 49.1; oibrigh 6.2; see 13.9 exercise: oibrigh 3, 13.5.1° exercise a vote: vóta a thabhairt 15.11.2°, 16.1.4° in the exercise of: see 35.2


754

The Constitution of Ireland

exigencies of the common good: leas an phobail 43.2.2.° ceased to exist: nach ann a thuilleadh 28.3.3° expenditure: caitheamh airgid 17.1.1° expiration: deireadh 12.3.1°; see 21.2.1°; caite 23.1.1° at the expiration of: i gceann 21.2.1°, 24.2 before the expiration of: go ceann 27.4.2° exploitation: brabús 45.3.2° express: luaigh 24.1, 46.3, 50.2; nocht 40.6.1° expressed: sainráite 37.2 expression: focal 22.1.2° extend to: see 34.3.2° to the extent: sa mhéid 15.4.2°, 49.2 to the same extent: sa mhéid go 10.2 external: eachtrach 29.4.1° external goods: maoin shaolta 43.1.1° extra-territorial: see 3 facility: saoráid 15.15; áis 42.4 fact: fíoras 34.3.1° fail: teip 14.1, 14.5.2°; fail in: nach ndéanann 42.5 faithful: dílis 12.8 family: teaghlach 41.1.1° fathers: sinsir preamble favour: féach le fonn 45.3.1° favour: claonadh 34.5.1° cast in favour: tabhair ar thaobh 47.1 felony: feileonacht 15.13 a few individuals: beagán daoine 45.2.iii fidelity: dílis 9.2 final and conclusive: ní bheidh dul thar 22.2.1°, 34.4.6° final end: críoch dheireanach preamble in final appeal: faoi dheoidh 6.1 finance: airgeadas 18.7.1° Financial Resolutions: Rúin Airgeadais 17.1.2° first language: príomhtheanga 8.1 fisheries: iascaireacht 18.7.1°ii he may think fit: is oiriúnach leis 31.3 fix: socraigh 16.2.2°; ceap 40.4.3° flag: suaitheantas, bratach 7 as follows: a leanas 18.4.1° for: as ucht 12.10.1°; in aghaidh 16.2.2°; d’iarraidh 21.1.2°; thar ceann 28.6.3° force: fórsa 15.6.1° by force of arms: le harm 39 in force: i bhfeidhm 24.3, 49.1 shall not be forced: nach mbeidh ar 45.4.2° forcible: foréigneach 40.5 foregoing: sin romhainn 14.4, 18.10.1°; réamhráite 40.6.1°iii form: cuir i 11; cóirigh 18.7.1°; bunaigh 40.6.1°iii form: cineál 1 formation: múnlú na haigne 42.4 former: see 12.4.2° forthwith: láithreach 46.5 found: bunaigh 41.3.1° founded on: de réir 29.1 franchise: díolúine 10.1; toghchóras 18.4.2° free: in aisce 15.15; saorchead 44.2.1° is free to: tig le 42.2 free competition: saoriomaíocht 45.2.iii freedom: saoirse 15.10, 40.4.1° freedom of conscience: saoirse choinsiasa 44.2.1° freely: gan bac 40.6.1°i from that date: as sin amach 48 full effect: lánéifeacht 50.1 full force: lánfheidhm 50.1 full jurisdiction: lándlínse 34.3.1° functional: feidhmeannas 15.3.1° functional group: dream feidhme 19 fundamental: bun- 9.2; bunaidh 41.1.1° further: freisin 40.4.5° future: feasta 9.1.2°

Bunreacht na hÉireann

general: gnáth- 43.1.2° general guidance: gnáth-threoir 45 generally: de ghnáth 15.1.1° genius: dúchas 1 give: bheir 26.2.2°; tíolaic preamble Almighty God: Dia na nUilechumhacht 12.8, 44.1 good name: dea-chlú 40.3.2° the common good: leas an phobail 6.1; an mhaitheas phoiblí preamble external goods: maoin shaolta 43.1.1° government: riail 6.1 grant: deonaigh 15.15; see 41.3.2° grateful: buíoch preamble grave: see 40.6.1°i green: uaine 7 ground: ábhar 27.3; foras 40.4.2° on the ground of: mar gheall ar 44.2.3° group: tiomsaigh 18.4.2° group: dream 19; buíon 29.4.2° guarantee: ráthaigh 22.1.1°, 40.3.1° guard: coimirce a dhéanamh ar 41.3.1° guardian: caomhnóir 42.3.2° head of Government: Ceann Rialtais 13.1.1°; ceann an Rialtais 28.5.1° health: sláinte 45.4.2° hear: éist le 26.2.1°, 32 hereafter: ina dhiaidh seo 49.2 be heard: labhair 28.8 hereby: leis seo 13.6 hereinafter: anseo inár ndiaidh 18.4.1° hereinbefore: anseo romhainn 22.2.6° hereof: den Bhunreacht seo 35.1 heroic: calmacht preamble High-Court: Ard-Chúirt 34.3.1° higher education: ardoideachas 18.4.2° hold: áirigh 40.1, 47.1; see 13.5.2° hold an election: toghchán a dhéanamh 12.3.3° hold office: i seilbh oifige 12.3.1°; ina 12.3.2° hold to mean: intuigthe 40.1 holder: see 30.6 homage: ómós 44.1.1° in their homes: ag baile 42.2 honour: onóir 44.1.1° title of honour: gairm onóra 40.2.2° however: ach 15.2.2° as human persons: ina bpearsain daonna 40.1 humble: uiríseal preamble if and whenever: má 24.1 if any: see 15.15 ill-will: droch-aigne 34.5.1° immediately preceding: díreach roimh 50.1 immovable: do-aistrithe 44.2.5° impeach: táinsigh 12.10.1° a matter of such grave import: chomh tábhachtach sin 40.6.1°i importance: tábhacht 13.7.1° impose: gearr 11, 13.6; cuir ar 30.1 inadequate: nach leor 38.3.1° inalienable: doshannta 1 incapacity: míthreoir 12.3.1°, 16.1.1°, 16.1.3°, 31.5 incidental: a bhfuil baint aige le 22.1.1° incite: saighid 39 include: ar 34.3.1° including: mar aon le 10.1, 16.7; agus a áireamh 12.4.2°, 18.7.1°v; ar a n-áirítear 18.7.1°iv inconsistent: i gcoinne 50.1 indecent: graosta 40.6.1°i indefeasible: dochloíte 1 independence: neamhspleáchas preamble independent: neamhspleách 5, 35.2


A study of the Irish text

indispensable: éigeantach 41.1.2° individual: pearsa 45.2.ii industry: tionscal 18.7.1°iv infirm: easlán 45.4.1° inform: cuir in iúl 27.5.1°; eolas a thabhairt 28.5.2°; rialaigh 45.1 information: faisnéis 40.3.3° infringement: sárú 15.5 inherit: oidhreacht 43.1.2° initiate: tionscain 20.1 initiative: tionscnamh 42.4, 45.3.1° injustice: éagóir 40.3.2° institution: foras 18.4.2°; ord 41.3.1°; fundúireacht 42.4; tionscnamh 41.3.2° religious instruction: teagasc creidimh 44.2.4° instrument: sás 29.4.2° intellectual: intleacht 42.1 intend: ceap 45 intention: intinn 25.4.1° interest: leas 10.1; gnó 18.7.1° professional interest: gairm 18.7.1°i in the public interest: ar mhaithe leis an bpobal 40.6.1°iii vital interests: bonn beatha 28.3.3° interfere: cur isteach 15.10; bac 40.4.6° introduce: tabhair isteach 20.2.1° invalid: gan bhail 15.4.2°; ó bhail 37.2; neamhbhailí 40.4.3° invalidate: cuir ó bhail 28.3.3° invasion: ionradh 28.3.2° invest with: beidh ag 34.3.1° investigate: scrúdaigh 12.10.5° inviolable: slán do 40.5 invoke: agair 18.4.3°, 40.4.6° Irish: Éireann 9.1.2°, 12.8 issue: cuir amach 25.4.4° judicial: breithiúnach 29.2; breithimh 35.2; breithiúnais 37.1 jurisdiction: dlínse 3, 34.3.2° jury: coiste tiomanta 38.5 justice: cothrom 29.1; ceart 34.1, 38.3.1°, 43.2.1°; ionracas preamble justify: see 40.4.2° knowledge: eolas 18.7.1°; eol 34.5.1° known: see 15.1.1° labour: oibreachas 18.7.1°iii latest: is deireanaí 25.5.3° by law: le dlí 15.9.2° civil law: dlí sibhialta 41.3.3° positive law: reacht daonna 41.1.1°, 43.1.1° in due course of law: see 38.1 lawfullness: an dleathach nó nach dleathach 40.4.5° lawfully: dleathach 10.1, 42.3.1° lay down: leag síos 40.3.3° league: cumann 29.4.2° leave: imigh ó 12.9 legislation: reachtaíocht 20.1 legislative: reachtaíocht 15.2.1° less than: faoi bhun 16.2.2° not less than: ar a laghad 12.4.2°, 12.10.3°, 28.1 levy war: cogadh a chur 39 liability: féichiúnas 11, 49.3 liberty: saoirse 40.4.3°, 40.6.1° life: ré 16.2.4°; beatha 40.3.3°; saol 41.2.1° national life: saol náisiúnta 45.1 during the lifetime: an fad is beo 41.3.3° limit: teorannaigh 40.3.3° limited: teoranta 34.1 livelihood: slí bheatha 45.2.i local: áitiúil 34.3.4° not longer: nach sia 21.2.1°

Staidéar ar an téacs Gaeilge

755

loss: cailleadh 9.1.2° loyalty: tairiseach 9.2 maintain: bheith i mo thaca agus i mo dhídin 12.8; cothabháil 15.6.1°, 44.2.5° majority: tromlach 13.2.2°, 14.4, 26.2.2°, 28.10; formhór 15.11.1° make available: cuir ar fáil 40.3.3° management: bainistí 10.3 under the management: faoi bhainistí 44.2.4° manner: modh 18.6, 34.1 in the manner: ar an gcuma 18.10.3°; ar an modh 46.1 marriage: pósadh 41.3.1°; cuing phósta 41.3.3° contract marriage: pósadh a dhéanamh 41.3.3° matter: see 40.6.1°i any matter: aon ní 13.7.1° in the matter of: maidir le 42.4 may: tig le 12.4.4°; is dleathach 14.3; féad 40.3.3° no … may: ní cead 9.1.3° mean: is ciall do 22.1.1° means: acmhainn 42.1; beart 42.5; caoi 45.2.i by means of: ar mhodh 12.2.3° measure: beart 29.4.3° meet: oircheas 14.4 meet: teacht le chéile 16.4.2° meeting: see 13.2.3°; tionól 15.11.3°, 40.6.1°ii member: comhalta 12.2.2° member state: ballstát 29.4.3° membership: see 12.10.4° men and women: idir fhear is bean 45.2.i message: teachtaireacht 13.7.1°; see 13.7.2° military law: dlí míleata 38.4.1° mine: mianach 10.2 mineral: mianra 10.2 minimum: minimum 42.3.2° minor offence: mionchion 38.2 misbehaviour: mí-iompar 12.10.1° molest: toirmeasc 15.10 Money Bill: Bille Airgid 20.1 moneys: airgidí 22.1.1° public moneys: airgead poiblí 17.2 morality: moráltacht 29.1, 40.6.1°, 42.1 more than: os cionn 16.2.2°; thar 28.7.2° not more than: ar a mhéid 28.1 Most Holy: Ró-Naofa preamble mothers: máithreacha clainne 41.2.2° motion: tairiscint 12.10.3° movable: so-aistrithe 44.2.5° name: ainm 4 good name: dea-chlú 40.3.2° namely: .i. 14.2.1° nation: náisiún 1 national life: saol náisiúnta 45.1 nationality: náisiúntacht 9.1.2° natural: nádúrtha 10.1; de réir nádúir 41.1.1°; dúchasach 42.1 nature: see 37.1 near: cóngar 12.11.1° necessary: gá 12.4.5°; riachtanach 41.1.2° necessary works: oibreacha riachtanacha 44.2.6° where necessary: nuair a bheas riachtanas leis 45.4.1° necessitated by: de bhíthin 29.4.3° by economic necessity: de dheasca uaireasa 41.2.2°, 45.4.2° needs: riachtanais 45.2.i neglect: failligh 34.5.4°; faillí 41.2.2° new: eile 28.6.2° next: see 18.3; is túisce 18.9 nobility: uaisleacht 40.2.1° nominate: ainmnigh 12.4.4°, 13.1.1°, 18.3, 30.2 not: seachas 12.4.2°


756

The Constitution of Ireland

not more than … not less than: níos mó ná … níos lú ná 18.7.2° notice of motion: fógra tairisceana 12.10.3° notification: scéala 33.5.3° notify: scéala a thabhairt 33.5.2° notwithstanding: d’ainneoin 14.3; siúd is nach 37.1 nuisance: cránas 40.6.1°ii nullify: cuir ar neamhní 28.3.3° number: líon 14.3, 16.2.2°, 36i; cén méid 15.11.3°; see 19 obligation: oibleagáid 29.4.3° obligations: faoi chomaoin preamble obligatory: beidh ar 27.4.2° oblige: a chur d’fhiachaibh ar 42.3.1° occasion: faoi deara 28.3.3° as occasion requires: de réir mar a bheas riachtanach 43.2.2°; see 25.5.1° on any occasion: aon uair 14.2.2° occupation: gairm bheatha 45.2.i offence: cion 30.3, 38.1 office: oifig 30.6 official residence: stát-áras 12.11.1° on: i dtaobh 13.7.1°; de dhroim 27.4.2° one: áirithe 18.7.2° only one: aon … amháin 12.4.5° only: amháin 6.2, 21.1.1° in open court: sa chúirt go poiblí 26.2.1° shall operate to: is é is feidhm do 12.10.7° come into operation: teacht i ngníomh 9.1.1° opinion: tuairim 22.2.1°, 24.1, 40.6.1°i public opinion: aigne an phobail 40.6.1°i opportunity: caoi 40.4.2° orange: flannbhuí 7 public order: ord poiblí 38.3.1°, 40.6.1°, 44.2.1° organ: organ 6.2, 40.6.1°i organised: comheagraithe 18.7.1°iii organization: comheagrú 28.12; comheagraíocht 36iii original: bunaidh 34.3.1° originally: i dtosach 40.4.5° orphan: dílleacht 45.4.1° such other persons: aon daoine eile 31.2 other than: see 15.11.1° otherwise: see 22.2.3°; or otherwise: ná eile 34.3.2° ought: gur cuí 43.2.1° overthrow: treascair 39 own: bheith dá gcuid féin acu 44.2.5° ownership: dílse 45.2.ii private ownership: a bheith aige dá chuid féin 43.1.1° panel: rolla 18.4.1° pardon: maithiúnas 13.6 parent: tuiste 42.1 part: cuid 29.6 taking part or being concerned in: páirt nó baint 39 participant: páirteach 28.3.3° participate: páirt a bheith 28.3.1° in particular: go sonrach 40.3.2°, 45.2, 45.2.iii pass: rith 13.3.1°, 17.2, 46.2 passage: see 24.1 payment of compensation: cúiteamh a íoc le 44.2.6° peace: síocháin 29.1 peaceful: sítheoilte 40.6.1°ii penalty: pionós 15.10 pending: go dtí go 26.1.3° people: pobal 12.2.1 perform: comhlíon 12.1; see 13.9 performable: inchomhlíonta 31.1 period: ré 16.5; téarma 12.3.1°; tráth 33.4 permanent: buan 14.1 person: pearsa 40.3.2°; neach 40.4.2° as human persons: ina bpearsain daonna 40.1

Bunreacht na hÉireann

personages: maithe 12.8 pertain: bain le 45.2.iv petition: achainí 26.3.2° petitioners: an lucht achainí 27.2 physical: corpartha 40.1, 42.5; coirp 42.1 in the place of: in ionad 14.2.2° to supply the place of: ionad a ghlacadh 42.5 pleading: pléadáil 34.3.2° pledge itself: gabh air féin 41.3.1°, 45.4.1° policy: beartas 28.5.2° political: polaitíocht 1 polling: vótáil 16.4.1° population: daonra 16.2.2° position: post 12.6.3° positive law: reacht daonna 41.1.1, 43.1.1° possess: tá aige 41.1.1° as soon as possible: chomh luath agus is féidir é 17.1.1° potential: ábhar 10.1 power: cumhacht 13.6, 13.9 at the earliest practicable date: chomh luath agus is féidir é 28.3.2° so far as practicable: sa mhéid gur féidir é 16.2.3°, 40.3.1° as many as shall be practicable: an oiread agus is féidir 45.2.v practical experience: cleachtadh 18.7.1° precedence: tosach 12.1 immediately preceding: díreach roimh 50.1 precincts: tearmann 15.13 predecessor: réamhtheachtaí 12.7° predominant aim: príomhchuspóir 45.2.iv prefer (a charge): déan 12.10.2°; tabhair 12.10.3° preference: rogha 42.3.1° without prejudice to: gan dochar do 3 affect prejudicially: dochar a dhéanamh do 44.2.4° prepare: ullmhaigh 25.5.1° prerogative: sainchumas 49.1 prescribe: leag amach 15.9.1°; ordaigh 27.2, 34.1, 34.4.3°; forordaigh 41.3.2° in the presence of: i bhfianaise 12.8 present: cuir faoi bhráid 17.1.1°; tairg 25.1, 26.1.2°; cuir os comhair 28.4.3° present: i láthair ann 22.2.2° preserve: cosain 24.1; caomhnaigh 28.3.3°; coimeád 40.6.1°i president: uachtarán 12.1 presiding: i gceannas 15.11.1° prevail: see forlámhas 25.4.6° prevent: cosc a chur ar 40.6.1°ii previous: roimh ré 13.1.2° primary: príomha 41.1.1°, 42.1 primary education: bunoideachas 42.4 Prime Minister: Príomh-Aire 13.1.1°, 28.5.1° principle: bunriail 29.3, 43.2.1° directive principle: buntreoir 45 prior consent: réamhchead 18.3 private: príobháideach 15.8.2° private ownership: a bheith aige dá chuid féin 43.1.1° privileged: saor ar chúrsaí dlí 15.12 Committee of Privileges: Coiste Pribhléidí 22.2.2° method of procedure: nós imeachta 29.4.2°, 36iii proceed to a ballot: vótáil 12.4.5° produce: tabhair i láthair 40.4.2° production: táirg 45.3.2° profess: admháil 44.2.1° professional interest: gairm 18.7.1°i prohibit: toirmeasc 18.4.3°; toirmisc 40.4.6° promise: geall 12.8 promote: see cur ar aghaidh 1; cur chun cinn 45.1 promulgate: fógair 13.3.2°, 25.1 pronounce decision: breith a thabhairt 26.2.1°; breith a chraoladh 34.4.5° property right: maoincheart 40.3.2° proportional representation: ionadaíocht chionúire 12.2.3°


A study of the Irish text

proposal: togra 46.2 prosecute: tabhair 30.3; cúiseamh a dhéanamh 30.3 prospect: ionchas 41.3.2° protect: dídean 15.10; cosain 28.3.2°, 41.3.1°; caomhnaigh 41.1.2° protect against: cosain ar 45.3.2° protect from: cosain ar 40.3.2° provide: socair 17.1.2°; see 41.3.2° provide for: cuir ar fáil do 42.1 provide/provision: socrú 8.3, 42.4; coinníoll 16.1.2°; see 18.4.2°, 41.3.2°; soláthar 45.2.i Prudence: Críonnacht preamble public: poiblí 15.8.1°, 34.1, 40.6.1° Public Administration: Riarachán Poiblí 18.7.1°v public order: ord poiblí 44.2.1° in the public interest: ar mhaithe leis an bpobal 40.6.1°iii publish: foilsigh 15.12 punishable: inphionóis 40.6.1°i punishment: pionós 13.6 purport: a bheireann le tuiscint 13.8.1° purpose: gnó 8.3; cuspóir 29.4.2° for the purpose of: chun críocha 13.8.2° in pursuance of: de bhun 28.3.3° pursuant to: de bhun 18.4.2° question: ceist 22.2.2°, 34.3.1°, 40.4.3° question: cuir in amhras 34.3.3° raise: bunaigh 15.6.1°; cruinnigh 22.1.1°; tarraing anuas 34.3.2° ratify: daingnigh 29.4.3° ratio: comhréir 16.2.3° rational being: see 43.1.1° reached: slán 12.4.1° reason: ábhar 28.9.4° re-assembly: ationól 18.3, 28.10 armed rebellion: ceannairc faoi arm 28.3.3° receipts: fáltas 17.1.1° recognise: glac le 8.2; admhaigh 42.2 recommend: mol 17.2 recommendation: moladh 21.1.2°, 24.2 reconcile: tabhair dá chéile 43.2.2° reconciliation: comhréiteach 41.3.2° refer: cuir faoi bhráid 22.2.2°; cuir faoi bhreith 40.4.3°; dírigh preamble refer to: bheir ar 15.1.1° reference: a chur faoi bhreith 26 referendum: reifreann 47.1 refuse to: diúltaigh do 13.2.2° regain: bain amach preamble have regard: féach do 40.1 with due regard: ag féachaint go cuí 16.2.4°, 42.4, 42.5 as regards: i gcás 49.3 register: rolla 47.2.1° Registrar: Iriseoir 25.4.5° regulate: rialaigh 12.5 re-integration: athchomhlánú 3 relate to: bain le 14.5 1°; maidir le 40.3.3° relating to: i dtaobh 16.1.2° relation: comhbhaint 15.3.2° in relation to: bain le 13.9 relations: caidreamh 1, 29.3 release: scaoileadh 40.4.2° religion: creideamh 44.1 religious: creideamh 42.1, 44.2.3° religious instruction: teagasc creidimh 44.2.4° remain in force: fan i bhfeidhm 24.3 remit: loghadh 13.6 remove from office: cuir as oifig 12.10.7°, 33.5.1° remuneration: tuarastal 15.9.2° render: see 12.10.7°

Staidéar ar an téacs Gaeilge

757

repeal: aisghair 46.1, 48 report: cuir in iúl 22.2.6° report: tuarascáil 33.4 represent: ionadaigh 15.3.1°; see 16.2.1° proportional representation: ionadaíocht chionúire 12.2.3° representative: ionadóir 15.1.2° to be represented: lucht tagartha a bheith aige 12.10.6° repugnant to: in aghaidh 26.1.1° request: achainí 22.2.3°, 25.2.2° require: ní foláir 13.3.1°, 13.5.2°; see éigeantach 42.3.2° as occasion requires: see 25.5.1° resign: éirigh as 12.3.1° resignation: éirigh as oifig 13.1.3°; see 28.9.1° resolution: rún 12.10.4° Financial Resolutions: Rúin Airgeadais 17.1.2° resolve: see 23.1.1°; beartaigh le rún 24.1 resource: ábhar maoine 10.1 material resources: gustail shaolta 45.2.ii respect: gan cur isteach 40.3.1°, 42.1 respect: oirmhidin 44.1.1° in any respect: ar aon chuma 15.4.1° in respect of: i dtaobh 49.1 respectively: faoi seach 18.7.1°; 22.1.2° responsible to: freagrach do 28.4.1° restore: aiseag preamble result: toradh 12.10.7° retire: dul as oifig 30.5.4°; scoir 36i retiring: see 12.4.2° revenue: cíos 11; státchíos 17.2 reverence: urraim 44.1.1° review: cuir faoi léirmheas 13.8.2° revise: athmheas 16.2.4° the right to vote: ceart vótála 12.2.2° rightful: is dleacht do 40.6.1°i; is dual do preamble royalty: ríchíos 10.1 rule of conduct: treoir 29.3 safeguard: cosain 45.4.1° same: aon … amháin 16.4.1° same election: aon-toghchán 12.4.3° the same: ar cothrom 16.2.3° at the same time: san am chéanna 15.14 satisfied: deimhin 40.4.2°; sásta 46.5 save: ach amháin 12.10.4°, 49.2; ach 40.5 save as: taobh amuigh de chás 15.11.1°, 25.2.1°, 34.3.2° save in so far: ach amháin sa mhéid go 17.1.2° save where: taobh amuigh de chás 13.9 seat: ionad 15.14 second: eile 8.2 secret ballot: rúnbhallóid 12.2.3° section: aicme 45.4.1° secure: cuir in áirithe 28.3.3°; cuir i bhfeidhm 38.3.1° security: slándáil 28.3.3°, 45.2.v seditious: ceannairceach 40.6.1°i seek: cuir roimh preamble seem sufficient: is leor leis 28.9.4° Senate: Seanad 15.1.2° send: cuir go 22.2.4°; seol 23.1, 33.5.2°; cuir chun 26.3.2° senior: sinsearach 34.5.2°, 40.4.4° sentence of death: breith bháis 40.4.5° service: fónamh 12.8; seirbhís 18.7.1° on active service: ar fianas 38.4.2° session: see 15.7 seven: mórsheisear 28.1 sex: fireann nó baineann 9.1.3°; gné 45.4.2°; see 16.1.1° shall: ní foláir 11; ní cead 12.6.1°; tá 15.12; see 15.1.2°, 18.4.3° shall not: níl 13.8.1° no … shall: ní dleathach 15.6.2° shorter: is giorra 16.5 sign: lámh a chur le 13.3.1°; sínigh 25.3


758

The Constitution of Ireland

signed by: faoi láimh 12.10.3° sincerely: go fírinneach 12.8 single vote: aonghuth 12.2.3° sit: suigh 15.1.3° sitting: see 15.8.1°; tionól 22.2.2° so: mar sin 22.2.4°; chuige sin 23.1.1°; see 47.1 social: comhdhaonnach 15.3.1° society: comhdhaonnacht 41.1.1° civil society: an chomhdhaonnacht shibhialta 43.2.1° as soon as may be: chomh luath agus is féidir é 12.7, 25.4.5° as soon as possible: chomh luath agus is féidir é 17.1.1° source: bunadh 11 sovereign: ceannasach 1 special: faoi leith 38.3.1°, 41.3.1° specific: chuige sin 17.1.2° specify: luaigh 14.5.2°, 22.2.6° spouse: céile 41.3.2° stand confirmed: seas 22.2.6° state: luaigh 12.10.1°; abair 25.4.2° state: stát 4 state of national emergency: staid phráinne náisiúnta 28.3.3° state of war: eisíth 40.4.6° stated: áirithe 23.1.1° case stated: cás ríofa 40.4.3° statement: léirthuairisc 27.3 status: céim 44.2.3° strength: neart 45.4.2° strive: dícheall a dhéanamh 45.1 struggle: troid preamble subject: is siocair do 12.10.7° subject as aforesaid: faoi chuimsiú na nithe réamhráite 47.4 subject to: faoi chuimsiú 12.5, 40.3.3°; ach gan san a dhul chun dochair do 44.2.1° subject only to: gan de smacht air 35.2 submit to the decision of: cuir faoi bhreith 46.2 subordinate legislature: fo-reachtas 15.2.2° subordinate matter: fo-ábhar 22.1.1° subscribe: bheith páirteach i 12.4.3°; lámh a chur le 12.8 subsequent: dá éis sin 12.7; inár ndiaidh 14.5.1°, 22.2.1° subserve: téigh chun 45.2.ii subsisting: bheith ann fós 41.3.3° in substitution for: in ionad 19 successor: comharba 28.11.1°, 49.3 such: sin 12.4.3°; den sórt sin 13.7.2°; den tsamhail sin 33.5.2°; see 12.10.7°, 15.1.3° at such times and places: cibé áit agus am 31.8 suit: agra 30.3 summon: comóir 13.2.1°; tionóil 28.3.2° superior to: is airde ná 41.1.1° supersede: gabh ionad 25.5.3° supervision: treorú 25.5.1° supplement: cur le 42.4, 45.3.1° supply: soláthar 22.1.1° to supply the place of: ionad a ghlacadh 42.5 support: tacaíocht 12.10.4°, 28.10; cúnamh 41.2.1° contribute to the support: cabhair maireachtála a thabhairt 45.4.1° supreme command: ardcheannas 13.4 sustain: cumhdaigh 12.8; suigh 12.10.7°; see comhfhurtacht preamble on the system of: de réir 12.2.3° take place: bheith ann 16.3.2° taxation: cánachas 22.1.1° technical: teicnic 29.5.3° temporary: sealadach 14.1, 28.6.3°; tamall 28.12 tender age: maoth-óige 45.4.2° term: coinníoll 33.6, 36ii terminate the appointment: cuir as oifig 13.1.3°, 28.9.4° territorial: teorainn 2 territory: críocha 2

Bunreacht na hÉireann

text: téacs 25.4.3° that is all: sin a mbeidh 12.3.2° then: an uair sin féin 33.5.1° therefore: uime sin 41.2.2°; see 41.1.2° thereof: de 8.3, 40.4.5°; den chéanna see 18.3 thereupon: air sin 27.5.2° these: sin 6.2 three: triúr 16.2.6° a third: trian 27.1 two-thirds: dhá thrian 12.10.4° through: ar feadh preamble throughout: ar fud 8.3, 16.2.3° time: tréimhse 23.1 time of war or armed rebellion: aimsir chogaidh nó ceannairce faoi arm 28.3.3° at any time: aon tráth 16.2.3°; uair ar bith 13.2.3°, 13.7.2° at the same time: san am chéanna 31.3 for the time being: in alt na huaire 10.1, 41.3.3° title: gairm 40.2.1° title of honour: gairm onóra 40.2.2° total membership: lánchomhaltas 12.10.4° total number: lánlíon 16.2.2° tradition: gnás 1 transfer: sann 43.1.2° transferable: inaistrithe 12.2.3° translation: tiontú 25.4.4° travel: taisteal 40.3.3° treason: tréas 15.13, 39 treaty: conradh 29.4.3° trial: triail 38.1; cruatan preamble tribunal: binse 13.8.2°, 38.4.1° tricolour: bratach trí dhath 7 is unable: gan bheith i gcumas 14.2.2° unborn: beo gan breith 40.3.3° undermine: bonnbhris 40.6.1° unfit: neamhoiriúnach 12.10.7° union: cumann 40.6.1°iii unit-group: buíon-aonad 41.1.1° unity: aontacht preamble the National University of Ireland: Ollscoil na hÉireann 18.4.1° the University of Dublin: Ollscoil Bhaile Átha Cliath 18.4.1° unjust: éagórach 40.3.2°, 45.3.2° unlawful: aindleathach 40.4.2° unless: mura 27.4.2° unremitting: gan staonadh preamble unsuited to: nach n-oireann do 45.4.2° until: nó go 28.6.2° until after: see 40.4.5° uphold: cumhdaigh 34.5.1° upon: chomh luath agus 27.4.1°; ar 46.5 urgent: práinn leis 24.1 utility: áis 44.2.6° utterance: caint 15.12; a aithris 40.6.1°i vacancy: folúntas 14.3 vacant: folamh 14.1 vacate: scar le 12.6.2°, 34.5.4°; éirigh as 15.14 valid: bail dlí air 41.3.3° validity: bail a bheith 34.3.2°, 40.4.3° variation: athrú 46.1 vest in: le 10.1; see 13.4 veto: diúltaigh do 47.2.1° Vice-Chairman: Leas-Chathaoirleach 14.2.3° vicinity: cóngar 40.6.1°ii in view of: toisc 42.3.2° vindicate: suigh 40.3.1° in violation of: in aghaidh 42.3.1° violent: foréigneach 39 virtue: bua 43.1.1° by virtue of: de bhua 27


A study of the Irish text

vital interests: bonn beatha 28.3.3° viz.: see 15.1.2° vocational: gairme beatha 15.3.1° voluntary: deonach 18.7.1°v vote: vóta 12.2.1° vote: vótáil 12.2.2° voter: toghthóir 16.1.4° war: cogadh 28.3.1° levy war: cogadh a chur 39 state of war: eisíth 40.4.6° warrant: barántas 31.3 by way of: i bhfoirm 40.4.3°; le 46.1 welfare: leas 12.8 all … whatsoever: gach uile 49.1 whenever: cibé uair 27.5.2° where: nuair 12.4.5°; má tharlaíonn 24.2; i gcás 40.4.5°

Staidéar ar an téacs Gaeilge

759

whereby: a bhéarfadh 16.2.6° whole: go hiomlán 2; uile 45.1 as a whole: uile 45.2.iv of whom: see 18.1 widow: baintreach 45.4.1° will: breith 27.1 is willing: ar fonn leis 31.2 with: ach 15.8.2°; faoi réir 40.4.5° within: taobh istigh de 12.3.3°, 16.4.2°; faoi cheann 14.5.2°; see 17.1.2°, 21.2.2° work: saothar 41.2.2° workers: lucht oibre 45.4.2° necessary works: oibreacha riachtanacha 44.2.6° worship: adhair 44.1.1° every year: sa bhliain 15.7


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