Teilifís na Gaeilge as a Public Sphere

The public sphere is an heuristic concept employed as an ideal type in critique of that 'space' which exists between the individual and the state. Habermas claims that the public sphere has become transformed from a sphere of rational-critical debate to a sphere of consumption. Today the public sphere is mediated by the mass media, especially television. In this paper the role played by the Irish language media is critically assessed. It is argued that although the public sphere has been transformed Irish speakers have not 'existed' in the 'national' public sphere and that therefore these media provide an opportunity for Irish speakers to exist as a public. Finally it is claimed that public access is crucial for fulfilling the democratic potential of a public sphere.