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€65m on Irish road signs

135

Comments

  • #102
    fits
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,650 ✭✭✭✭fits


    Finnish and Swedish.

    http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=finnish+roadsigns&FORM=HDRSC2#view=detail&id=60E79A9B51440284757A413B3109BFA2C988988F&selectedIndex=14


  • #103
    fits
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,650 ✭✭✭✭fits


    French and catalan.
    http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=catalonia+roadsign&go=&qs=ds&form=QBIR#view=detail&id=9A8DFA92789E8D794B78EBAE5FAC5D86D65BB4D6&selectedIndex=4


  • #104
    Iwasfrozen
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 16,250 ✭✭✭✭Iwasfrozen


    JuliusCaesar wrote: »
    I never heard this expression till I emigrated to England in the 70s. But why do IRISH people use it so pejoratively against themselves? What other nation or people would say something like this against themselves? Are we so colonialised that we accept and internalise the oppressors prejudice as regards our inferiority?

    It is like somebody having poor self-esteem, but an entire nation!:eek:
    Don't be silly, I don't have low self esteem but I still know I'm a gob ****é. You are too even if you don't know it.


  • #105
    Iwasfrozen
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 16,250 ✭✭✭✭Iwasfrozen


    fits wrote: »
    Finnish and Swedish.

    http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=finnish+roadsigns&FORM=HDRSC2#view=detail&id=60E79A9B51440284757A413B3109BFA2C988988F&selectedIndex=14
    English:
    http://www.ukma.org.uk/sites/default/files/images/transport_road_signs_5.gif

    German:
    http://www.sixtharmygroup.com/portal/cpg/albums/userpics/10659/Road%20sign%20Sparks~0.JPG

    Arab:
    http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1401/1454665383_b725832449_z.jpg

    Hindustani:
    http://indianfunnypicture.com/img/2012/10/Funny-Indian-Hindi-Road-Signs-Boards.jpg


  • #106
    Duckworth_Luas
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,733 ✭✭✭Duckworth_Luas


    Iwasfrozen wrote: »
    Ah that's all right then. As long as they do it in Europe.
    They do it all over the UK too!


  • #107
    fits
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,650 ✭✭✭✭fits


    And these countries have how many official languages???


  • #108
    Iwasfrozen
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 16,250 ✭✭✭✭Iwasfrozen


    Duckworth_Luas wrote: »
    They do it all over the UK too!
    The UK is in Europe. We have bilingual signs here, if anything we should be making Irish language names smaller to compensate for their longer names.


  • #109
    Iwasfrozen
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 16,250 ✭✭✭✭Iwasfrozen


    fits wrote: »
    And these countries have how many official languages???
    Look up article 8.3 of the constitution, what does it say? The government has no obligation to pursue this folly.


  • #110
    LordSutch
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,078 ✭✭✭✭LordSutch


    As suspected, Kilmacanog (previously Kilmaconogue) was just the tip of the iceberg. The countdown to 2016 is well under way ;)


  • #111
    DDC1990
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,386 ✭✭✭✭DDC1990


    So the €65 million would have to be spent anyway regardless of the design of the signs.

    And the Signs actually look better and are easier for the motorists to read.

    But the Irish is more prominent so fúck you Government/Conradh/Gaeilgóirí. You are wasting €65 million on a dead language, could be better off spent on healthcare instead of propping up a dead language, etc. rabble rabble.

    Just another day in AH.


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  • #112
    Duckworth_Luas
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,733 ✭✭✭Duckworth_Luas


    Iwasfrozen wrote: »
    The UK is in Europe. We have bilingual signs here, if anything we should be making Irish language names smaller to compensate for their longer names.
    Don't you want Ireland to join a United Kingdom? Seeing as they have bilingual signs the easiest way to progress towards your goal is to show the English/Scots/Welsh that we are capable of the same open mindedness as they possess.


  • #113
    Iwasfrozen
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 16,250 ✭✭✭✭Iwasfrozen


    Duckworth_Luas wrote: »
    Don't you want Ireland to join a United Kingdom? Seeing as they have bilingual signs the easiest way to progress towards your goal is to show the English/Scots/Welsh that we are capable of the same open mindedness as they possess.
    I toyed with the idea for long enough to post a reply but it's hardly my life passion.


  • #114
    Duckworth_Luas
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,733 ✭✭✭Duckworth_Luas


    Iwasfrozen wrote: »
    I toyed with the idea for long enough to post a reply but it's hardly my life passion.
    So you're saying that you lack the British sense of fair play? Very good then!


  • #115
    Iwasfrozen
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 16,250 ✭✭✭✭Iwasfrozen


    Duckworth_Luas wrote: »
    So you're saying that you lack the British sense of fair play? Very good then!
    It's not about fair play, the language, culture or any other such nonsense. It's about safety. The exact reason we have smaller print for Irish names as things stand.


  • #116
    JuliusCaesar
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,882 ✭✭✭JuliusCaesar


    Iwasfrozen wrote: »
    Don't be silly, I don't have low self esteem but I still know I'm a gob ****é. You are too even if you don't know it.

    I'm glad you have insight, but I still am an expert in my field. Sad for you though. :D


  • #117
    fits
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,650 ✭✭✭✭fits


    Iwasfrozen wrote: »
    It's not about fair play, the language, culture or any other such nonsense. It's about safety. The exact reason we have smaller print for Irish names as things stand.

    *snirk* ah go on.. pull the other one :D


  • #118
    JuliusCaesar
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,882 ✭✭✭JuliusCaesar


    Iwasfrozen wrote: »
    I toyed with the idea for long enough to post a reply but it's hardly my life passion.
    Iwasfrozen wrote: »
    It's not about fair play, the language, culture or any other such nonsense. It's about safety. The exact reason we have smaller print for Irish names as things stand.
    Iwasfrozen wrote: »
    Don't be silly, I don't have low self esteem but I still know I'm a gob ****é. You are too even if you don't know it.

    I'm glad you have insight*, but I still am an expert in my field. Sad for you though. :D


    *you don't.


  • #119
    Iwasfrozen
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 16,250 ✭✭✭✭Iwasfrozen


    fits wrote: »
    *snirk* ah go on.. pull the other one :D
    Believe what you want it's not my place to convince you otherwise.


  • #120
    LordSutch
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,078 ✭✭✭✭LordSutch


    I think an interesting analogy would be the Gaelige Vs English options on Cash Point Machines (ATMs).

    Hom many people choose the Gaelige (instead of English) option when doing an ATM transaction?


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  • #121
    Duckworth_Luas
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,733 ✭✭✭Duckworth_Luas


    Iwasfrozen wrote: »
    It's not about fair play, the language, culture or any other such nonsense. It's about safety. The exact reason we have smaller print for Irish names as things stand.
    Nope, your lack of the famed British sense of fair play makes you anti-British. I shall not be taking any of your posts seriously. You sir are a spoofer!


  • #122
    DDC1990
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,386 ✭✭✭✭DDC1990


    LordSutch wrote: »
    I think an interesting analogy would be the Gaelige Vs English options on Cash Point Machines (ATMs).

    Hom many people choose the Gaelige (instead of English) option when doing an ATM transaction?
    I do, not to be pretentious but because the service is there and obviously money was payed to provide the service so those who can use it should.


  • #123
    Iwasfrozen
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 16,250 ✭✭✭✭Iwasfrozen


    DDC1990 wrote: »
    I do, not to be pretentious but because the service is there and obviously money was payed to provide the service so those who can use it should.
    Fair play, it would be nice if the banks released the stats for the percentage of people who avail of this option. I think it would give more reliable figures for daily speakers of the language.


  • #124
    mackerski
    Registered Users Posts: 2,281 ✭✭✭mackerski


    DDC1990 wrote: »
    And the Signs actually look better

    That's subjective.


    DDC1990 wrote: »
    and are easier for the motorists to read.

    That hasn't been demonstrated. My reaction, as a motorist, is that it isn't easier for me to find the bits I need. Also, that this new use of colour as a differentiator takes away from the colour-based visual clues we had before. In particular, using yellow for two separate purposes, road number and Irish name, makes speed-reading the sign a lot harder than it used to be, at least for English speakers.
    DDC1990 wrote: »
    But the Irish is more prominent so fúck you Government/Conradh/Gaeilgóirí..

    Actually, leaving aside whether one should be so abrupt about it, this issue is one that cannot avoid confrontation. I've asserted that the signs are harder for this motorist to read. And I won't complain that the Irish names are more prominent than the English names. They are, I'd guess, in exactly the same size and treatment. And I may as well add, before somebody else does, that this fulfils the spirit and the letter of the law on this matter.

    But am I happy? Not in the slightest. The existing sign design has a lot of faults. All uppercase letters are harder to read. Italics are even harder, and the butchering of the Transport typeface to Irishise the letter A isn't pretty. And, in effect, the treatment of the Irish names probably made them harder to read for anybody who chose to.

    Frankly, that's too bad. Because the imperative to have usable signs means you have to optimise them for the audience. The old signs were tolerable because most of us were able to mentally edit out the bits we didn't need to read. A new design that equalises the prominence while overloading the meaning of colour will take too long to process. It is, as others have mentioned, a safety issue.

    Feel free to bring up the issue of fairness, the rights of the Irish speakers or the anointed status of the Irish language itself in our statutes, because I've heard it all before and it rings hollow. You can't claim discrimination against Irish speakers in road signage with a straight face as long as the Gaeltacht roads omit widely-used English names from their signs. Sure, it's legally done, but legal and fair are different concepts.

    I've never seen bilingual signage done well. Welsh signs are a mess because you have to look carefully to work out which name pairs belong together (identical treatment with no colour-coding). Scottish signs are ugly and hard to read because of the colour overload. Belgium has the right idea, in choosing (except around Brussels) the dominant language of an area and signing everything in that language (though arguably even there they might do better to sign destinations outside that language zone in its own language).


  • #125
    kowloon
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,517 ✭✭✭✭kowloon


    Pick one name for a place and stick with it. Then it can be larger on a given sign size. It isn't hard to comprehend and it's not part of some evil plan set in motion by Cromwell (that was a moronic post).


  • #126
    up for anything
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,778 ✭✭✭up for anything


    I find it astounding that the signs cost €65M!

    Whoever does their purchasing needs a good kick up the ass. I bet I could have sourced those signs for a lot less money and put a load of Jobbridge slaves to work on putting them up and had change out of €10M and at that, some would have found it's way to my back pocket.


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  • #127
    Capt'n Midnight
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 92,550 Mod ✭✭✭✭Capt'n Midnight


    €65m ?

    For that sort of money you could send a space probe to Mars.


  • #128
    Herb Powell
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,097 ✭✭✭Herb Powell


    Capt'n Midnight wrote: »
    €65m ?

    For that sort of money you could send a space probe to Mars.

    Not quite


  • #129
    Fighting Irish
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,065 ✭✭✭Fighting Irish


    up for anything wrote: »
    I find it astounding that the signs cost €65M!

    Whoever does their purchasing needs a good kick up the ass. I bet I could have sourced those signs for a lot less money and put a load of Jobbridge slaves to work on putting them up and had change out of €10M and at that, some would have found it's way to my back pocket.

    i doubt it's 65m just for the signs


  • #130
    digger58
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 291 ✭✭digger58


    What next? I suppose all sat nav's sold her will have to have an Irish language option, what a terrible waste of money, I notice we have recently placed signs on our motorways every 1/2 Klm showing distance from start of motorway/Dublin, not sure which, incredible waste of time, money and effort. Another great brain wave from the RSA I suppose. Just try and reply to their latest public consultation document on part worn tyres, I have no doubt that they will implement new laws anyway irrespective of what the public think. We really are a bunch of suckers in this country, we just lie down and take all this bull


  • #131
    Grayson
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 16,324 ✭✭✭✭Grayson


    DDC1990 wrote: »
    So the €65 million would have to be spent anyway regardless of the design of the signs.

    And the Signs actually look better and are easier for the motorists to read.

    But the Irish is more prominent so fúck you Government/Conradh/Gaeilgóirí. You are wasting €65 million on a dead language, could be better off spent on healthcare instead of propping up a dead language, etc. rabble rabble.

    Just another day in AH.


    From the OP's article
    While no signs will be replaced in the short-term – the National Roads Authority (NRA) has just spent €65m re-signing the road network – the new ones may be used when needed.

    Are you actually advocating spending €65million more replacing brand new signs? And saying that it should be done because of the irish language? Or because they're a bit easier on the eyes?

    I know people have been saying there's better things to do with 65 million and they're right. 65 million on a childrens hospital or the health service would help/save more lifes than new road signs. How many people have died due to road signage in the last year?


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  • #132
    Red Nissan
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,055 ✭✭✭Red Nissan


    digger58 wrote: »
    What next? I suppose all sat nav's sold her will have to have an Irish language option,

    Google Maps have already made themselves unusable in Ireland, they have invented Irish names and and trying to navigate has become impossible as the font size to fit in the very, very much longer Irish Name "bothar an tiprarid whereever" is tiny and takes over the small screens.

    I've already emailed them and gave them negative feedback and told them to make an English option and CHARGE for the Irish version that they'd actually make a fortune from selling the Irish one.

    I did get a response saying that I was the ONLY one complaining.


  • #133
    Herb Powell
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,097 ✭✭✭Herb Powell


    Red Nissan wrote: »
    Google Maps have already made themselves unusable in Ireland, they have invented Irish names and and trying to navigate has become impossible as the font size to fit in the very, very much longer Irish Name "bothar an tiprarid whereever" is tiny and takes over the small screens.

    I've already emailed them and gave them negative feedback and told them to make an English option and CHARGE for the Irish version that they'd actually make a fortune from selling the Irish one.

    I did get a response saying that I was the ONLY one complaining.

    lol


  • #134
    Sheldons Brain
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,394 ✭✭✭Sheldons Brain


    Pick one name for a place and stick with it. Then it can be larger on a given sign size. It isn't hard to comprehend and it's not part of some evil plan set in motion by Cromwell (that was a moronic post).

    Would you prefer the proper name of the place or the pidgin English version introduced by the likes of Cromwell?

    In any case, the Shoneen classes so dominant here have overlooked one advantage of this scheme. If Irish is in yellow then you'll be able to go to the Orange Order website, or that of their local representatives, and buy driving glasses that filter out that exact shade of yellow, so that actual Irish names for places in Ireland won't offend you.


  • #135
    Days 298
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,311 ✭✭✭Days 298


    Sheldons Brain wrote: »

    In any case, the Shoneen classes so dominant here have overlooked one advantage of this scheme. If Irish is in yellow then you'll be able to go to the Orange Order website, or that of their local representatives, and buy driving glasses that filter out that exact shade of yellow, so that actual Irish names for places in Ireland won't offend you.

    What? :confused:


  • #136
    Red Nissan
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,055 ✭✭✭Red Nissan


    Sheldons Brain wrote: »
    and buy driving glasses that filter out that exact shade of yellow, so that actual Irish names for places in Ireland won't offend you.

    Brilliant. I LOVE IT, bring it on. DOWN With Irish in my personal opinion and I don't want anyone to follow me, I'm over 50 so I've an excuse, get your own.

    But the whole point of this story and in fact so many others is lobbying, staying silent is not an option.

    There are arguably more Polish speaker in Ireland on a permanent basis than Irish speakers, but the English lobby does not exist or are considered traitorous.

    I can be Irish and speak English. If I could go back in time, I think I'd have assassinated Peirce, a bleedin school teacher for feck sack, his OWN school, mind boggles.


  • #137
    Capt'n Midnight
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 92,550 Mod ✭✭✭✭Capt'n Midnight


    Herb Powell wrote: »
    Not quite
    India's Mars mission is costing €54 million.


  • #138
    Red Nissan
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,055 ✭✭✭Red Nissan


    Capt'n Midnight wrote: »
    India's Mars mission is costing €54 million.

    Ye, but they have six year old kids heat gunning the parts off our waste motherboards.

    Health & Safety here means a 300 billion euro test facility.


  • #139
    NuckingFacker
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,221 ✭✭✭NuckingFacker


    kneemos wrote: »
    Heard an interview with someone from the NRA on the radio about what roadsigns cost about the years ago. Couldn't believe the numbers he was claiming.Those big roundabout signs with the twin support posts cost 40,000 apparently...Mindblowing.
    I did mention the money involved was from the planet Zog.


  • #140
    View
    Registered Users Posts: 3,872 ✭✭✭View


    I do hope the Road Signs will include place names in Ulster-Scots as well.

    After all, together with English and Irish, it was explicitly recognised as one of our languages in the GFA.

    It is time to recognise that and enlarge all our road signs to include all 3 languages in very large and multi-colured font!!!


  • #141
    darlett
    Registered Users Posts: 2,313 ✭✭✭darlett


    Thank God! Bullet dodged. They could have wasted some of that 65million euro on a childrens cancer ward or something else equally spurious!


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  • #142
    Iwasfrozen
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 16,250 ✭✭✭✭Iwasfrozen


    View wrote: »
    I do hope the Road Signs will include place names in Ulster-Scots as well.

    After all, together with English and Irish, it was explicitly recognised as one of our languages in the GFA.

    It is time to recognise that and enlarge all our road signs to include all 3 languages in very large and multi-colured font!!!
    Don't forget Shelta, Yola and Fingalian. The five language of Ireland all in large multi coloured letters. :)


  • #143
    hfallada
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,180 ✭✭✭hfallada


    I find the most annoying thing about Irish on road sign is the length of the place names. Baile Atha Cliath is nearly 3 times as long as Dublin.


  • #144
    Capt'n Midnight
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 92,550 Mod ✭✭✭✭Capt'n Midnight


    Iwasfrozen wrote: »
    Don't forget Shelta, Yola and Fingalian. The five language of Ireland all in large multi coloured letters. :)
    And this one too ...

    http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/Visit-and-Learning/Information-Leaflets/Ulster-Scots/


  • #145
    Capt'n Midnight
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 92,550 Mod ✭✭✭✭Capt'n Midnight


    hfallada wrote: »
    I find the most annoying thing about Irish on road sign is the length of the place names. Baile Atha Cliath is nearly 3 times as long as Dublin.
    Actually those names are for two different places https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=73325927


  • #146
    Iwasfrozen
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 16,250 ✭✭✭✭Iwasfrozen


    Capt'n Midnight wrote: »
    And this one too ...

    http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/Visit-and-Learning/Information-Leaflets/Ulster-Scots/
    Ah yes. We cannot forget Ulster Scots!

    Or as they say in Ulster Scots,

    We cannae forgoot aboot Ullans!*

    *You know what I actually looked up a dictionary for that so called "language" and there's not even one on the web.


  • #147
    Carlos Orange
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,499 ✭✭✭Carlos Orange


    Red Nissan wrote: »
    Google Maps have already made themselves unusable in Ireland

    I did get a response saying that I was the ONLY one complaining.

    Well that certainly isn't true since I have given them negative feedback about it. They should give a language option. Everyone (sane) wins.


  • #148
    That username is already in use.
    Registered Users Posts: 186 ✭✭That username is already in use.


    Lol, I only log into Boards every few months, but when I do, Iwasfrozen is always the top poster in these Irish language debates and getting his knickers in a twist. He is absolutely OBSESSED with the Gaeilge, it's hilarious.

    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/misc.php?do=whoposted&t=2057078683

    So glad these new bilingual signs are coming into force, not least to know that Iwasfrozen will be red-faced and fuming when he sees these signs from his mammy's car. :D

    God bless the cantankerous saddos - no end of amusement!


  • #149
    thebaz
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,718 ✭✭✭✭thebaz


    SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »
    65 million would be better used on starting to build the new National Children's Hospital

    100% agree , we're becoming such a nanny state for certain things (policing the roads in particular) , and for things that really matter like childrens health and the current timebomb of depression and addiction in or society , we seam to have no money - the mind boggles at times - or mine does anyway


  • #150
    Iwasfrozen
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 16,250 ✭✭✭✭Iwasfrozen


    That username is already in use. wrote: »
    Lol, I only log into Boards every few months, but when I do, Iwasfrozen is always the top poster in these Irish language debates and getting his knickers in a twist. He is absolutely OBSESSED with the Gaeilge, it's hilarious.

    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/misc.php?do=whoposted&t=2057078683

    So glad these new bilingual signs are coming into force, not least to know that Iwasfrozen will be red-faced and fuming when he sees these signs from his mammy's car.

    God bless the cantankerous saddos - no end of amusement!
    Meh what can I say, you're obviously interested enough to post about me.


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  • #151
    jamesr123
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 430 ✭✭jamesr123


    I'm shocked to see them spending this kind of money on road signs:eek: Road deaths have been up, why not actually spend some money and let the gardai reduce the amount of deaths on the road which is more important.

    Better yet, why not put it into education? Unbelievable.


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