News in Irish

TestTransmission · 28-01-2008 3:00pm #1

Was on the way back from lunch in the car and the Nuacht came on,i immediately switched over(well,caus i cant understand a word they're saying)
I was just wondering if im alone in doing this?
Does the news in Irish serve a purpose?Is there an actual audience out there to justify it?
I guess the same could be the same for the news in Irish on rte one?
Is that not what TG4 was intended for?

Dont get me wrong,im proud to be irish and wished i could speak fluent Irish..but i cant really see the point of it

r3nu4l · 28-01-2008 3:03pm

Well I do know people who listen to it and wish that it had the same depth of news as the bulletins in English.

Personlly my Irish isn't good enough to understand it all but I do sometimes listen to it to see what I can make out

Archeron · 28-01-2008 3:03pm

I dont speak Irish either, except for a few words and phrases remembered from school, but I've noticed a lot more people speaking it over the past while.
I've heard schoolkids having full conversations in Irish, as well as people in shops (not in the Gaeltacht either) and pubs. Even when I say something basic in Irish to a shop assistant such as "An bhfuil aon bainne agat?", I always get a response As Gaeilge. One incident that was really strange was when I heard a nurse speaking to a patient in a hospital in Irish! I thought that was cool.

I think Irish is coming back into its own, and I'd be delighted if someday I could actually understand Nuacht.

Mr. Incognito · 28-01-2008 3:05pm

Hot Nuacht girl keeps me entertained. Especially on low cut top days, that money gap is fair nice.

robinph · 28-01-2008 3:10pm

SetantaL wrote: »

Hot Nuacht girl keeps me entertained. Especially on low cut top days, that money gap is fair nice.

The weather girls on TG4 are pretty good as well. Haven't a clue what they might be talking about but that is definately a worthwhile program, well except for when they have the bloke giving the weather.

Stollaire · 28-01-2008 3:11pm

jackncoke wrote: »

Does the news in Irish serve a purpose?Is there an actual audience out there to justify it?

Yes it does, and yes there is.

Archeron · 28-01-2008 3:12pm

robinph wrote: »

The weather girls on TG4 are pretty good as well. Haven't a clue what they might be talking about but that is definately a worthwhile program, well except for when they have the bloke giving the weather.

I really like the way they give you visual aids to the weather too. You can always tell when its cold outside

is_that_so · 28-01-2008 3:14pm

I would leave it on in the car or on TV. It tends to be short and pretty much to the point. An added problem for people is the fact that they tend to use native speakers from all parts. So if you only know Connemara Irish, the weird sounds of the Northern brogue will throw you.

Krieg · 28-01-2008 3:37pm

I listen/watch the Nuacht when foreign people are around, make them jealous that "I Understand" whats being said leaving them out of the fun
I Can barely speak the language let alone understand it, so I frequently nod at the tv/radio

david1two3 · 28-01-2008 3:44pm

neil aon bearla agam anois. Ta gach aon fochal agam con a bheith ag caint leis aon duine ,fear, ban, buhcail beag, caileen deas,aon duine.Is mise ag dul ag obair anois, ba mhat lom con a bhet ag caint amarach.

Its over thirty years since I even tried this so I have no bdoubt there are bad smelling pistakes in there.Thanks to the original poster for forcing my return to the language.Your last sentence contradicts itself aon,do, tri times.

Xavi6 · 28-01-2008 3:49pm

jackncoke wrote: »

Dont get me wrong,im proud to be irish and wished i could speak fluent Irish..but i cant really see the point of it

Lol talk about a contradiction.

dlofnep · 28-01-2008 3:53pm

I listen to it all the time and can understand it here and there, but some of the accents are hard to understand.. It's much easier on TG4 when you can see the lips move.

News and radio as gaeilge is there for the fluent gaeilge speakers in all the gaeltachts, but also there as a medium for people who are trying to retain gaeilge, or improve upon it.

For example - my friend is a teacher, teaching her first year. As a primary school teacher, your gaeilge has to be top notch - so she listens to the radio and tv as gaeilge gach lá as it helps her teaching.

It's important and relevant to have gaeilge on the airwaves.

TestTransmission · 28-01-2008 3:54pm

Xavi6 wrote: »

Lol talk about a contradiction.

Just to correct any misunderstanding...
I cant see the point of the news been broadcast in Irish when anyone who does speak Irish fluently would also speak English aswell.
Why not broadcast the news in Polish also?Wouldnt there be more fluent polish speakers than irish ones in the country?

Rob_l · 28-01-2008 3:56pm

robinph wrote: »

The weather girls on TG4 are pretty good as well. Haven't a clue what they might be talking about but that is definately a worthwhile program, well except for when they have the bloke giving the weather.

+++10 for their hotness

dlofnep · 28-01-2008 3:58pm

jackncoke wrote: »

I cant see the point of the news been broadcast in Irish when anyone who does speak Irish fluently would also speak English aswell.
Why not broadcast the news in Polish also?Wouldnt there be more fluent polish speakers than irish ones in the country?

Polish is not our native language. Broadcasting as gaeilge allows for the preservation of our native language. If there is no medium for broadcasting as gaeilge, then the language dies.

It's very simple really.

Xavi6 · 28-01-2008 3:59pm

jackncoke wrote: »

Just to correct any misunderstanding...
I cant see the point of the news been broadcast in Irish when anyone who does speak Irish fluently would also speak English aswell.
Why not broadcast the news in Polish also?Wouldnt there be more fluent polish speakers than irish ones in the country?

Should we have our road signs in English and Polish too then?

Let's get rid of every other shred of national identity while we're at it.

TestTransmission · 28-01-2008 4:09pm

dlofnep wrote: »

Polish is not our native language. Broadcasting as gaeilge allows for the preservation of our native language. If there is no medium for broadcasting as gaeilge, then the language dies.

It's very simple really.

There's TG4 and theres the radio irish stations.They are there,thats the service they're providing.

dlofnep wrote: »

Should we have our road signs in English and Polish too then?

Let's get rid of every other shred of national identity while we're at it.

I never said we should change the signs,thats just idiotic.I was making the point if they can justify broadcasting the news in Irish on a popular radio station,why dont they do a broadcast in Polish.At least more ppl would understand it.

AlmightyCushion · 28-01-2008 5:50pm

Asbad wrote: »

I listen/watch the Nuacht when foreign people are around, make them jealous that "I Understand" whats being said leaving them out of the fun
I Can barely speak the language let alone understand it, so I frequently nod at the tv/radio

I do that too but I translate the news for them. That can be quite funny. Especially telling them ridiculous like the last remaining leprechaun in Ireland has just died. Break out the tears and hold in the laughter as they try and console you.

Cionnfhaolaidh · 28-01-2008 7:57pm

jackncoke wrote: »

Just to correct any misunderstanding...
I cant see the point of the news been broadcast in Irish when anyone who does speak Irish fluently would also speak English aswell.

:rolleyes:

28-01-2008 8:19pm

I'm not fluent, but I watch Nuacht on RTE and TG4 to improve.
I haven't done anything else but now I understand most of what is being said.

Thats the point of nuacht.

OPENROAD · 28-01-2008 8:39pm

Usually turn it off, the odd time if I can't reach to change it, I actually undestand quite a bit :eek:

Mr.Micro · 28-01-2008 8:46pm

No, its a waste of time and money, often after the main news as well, overkill or what. TG4 is where it should be. It reminds me of the repressive times when I was younger when schools tried to beat Irish into us. Now what was the point of that?

williambonney · 28-01-2008 8:49pm

Mr.Micro wrote: »

No, its a waste of time and money, often after the main news as well, overkill or what. TG4 is where it should be. It reminds me of the repressive times when I was younger when schools tried to beat Irish into us. Now what was the point of that?

Well, spare a thought for the “Christian brothers” they had to get their jollies someway.

Pythia · 28-01-2008 11:31pm

dlofnep wrote: »

Polish is not our native language. Broadcasting as gaeilge allows for the preservation of our native language. If there is no medium for broadcasting as gaeilge, then the language dies.

It's very simple really.

So let it die!
If they have to force it on people who don't understand it anyway, it's not really keeping it alive. If I broadcast the news in Latin, I'm preserving it. Serves no purpose though.
Why do people get so annoyed that languages are dying. So many languages have died over the thousands of years, I don't see anyone being upset about any other.

dlofnep · 28-01-2008 11:37pm

Pythia wrote: »

So let it die!

No thanks. You on the other hand.. I've no objections.

Pythia · 28-01-2008 11:54pm

dlofnep wrote: »

No thanks. You on the other hand.. I've no objections.

Eh, wtf?

28-01-2008 11:55pm

jackncoke wrote: »

Dont get me wrong,im proud to be irish and wished i could speak fluent Irish..but i cant really see the point of it

Simple answer,

(re)learn it & use whenever possible in day to day conversations, and soon we'll have a bi-lingual country like Wales.

The biggest obsticle for the Irish language today is the Irish pepole!

btw. I'm learning it myself - but am still a beginner!
Is féidir liom (I can) so can you!

dlofnep · 29-01-2008 12:41am

Deleted User wrote: »

The biggest obsticle for the Irish language today is the Irish pepole!

Pretty much. I'm studying on the side also.. It's hard finding time with college/work, but if you really want to learn, you'll make the effort.

astrofool · 29-01-2008 12:53am

But very few people "really want to learn"

They need to re-invent Irish, move it away from the days of beating it into kids who had no interest (and still don't) in it, and more towards people wanting to pick it up. You ensure those that want to learn it don't get soured by the school experience, and those that don't have nothing to complain about.

Nuacht should be kept, it's nice to have Irish on tv for a few minutes, lots of other channels to switch to nowadays, and it's not like RTé is overflowing with great content to replace it anyway.

Capt'n Midnight · 29-01-2008 12:58am

jackncoke wrote: »

Why not broadcast the news in Polish also?Wouldnt there be more fluent polish speakers than irish ones in the country?

Or Chinese Or whatever ?
Unlike the UK our news programs are on at different time so you can change channel
Worth having just to wind up people. the eye candy is also good

simu · 29-01-2008 12:59am

Get over it tbh. It's rare for a radio station to please all the listeners all the time. I like to hear Nuacht in Irish but I have no interest in sports news, whether in Irish or English, and I just wait for it to pass.

CerebralCortex · 29-01-2008 1:02am

I just can't stomach the way Irish is pronounced in on the nuacth, it sounds so unnatural and is a far cry from the Irish I learned in school. I especially hate Irish spoken by poeple far east of the Shannon it sounds so manufactured.

Toto Wolfcastle · 29-01-2008 1:16am

david1two3 wrote: »

neil aon bearla agam anois. Ta gach aon fochal agam con a bheith ag caint leis aon duine ,fear, ban, buhcail beag, caileen deas,aon duine.Is mise ag dul ag obair anois, ba mhat lom con a bhet ag caint amarach.

Its over thirty years since I even tried this so I have no bdoubt there are bad smelling pistakes in there.Thanks to the original poster for forcing my return to the language.Your last sentence contradicts itself aon,do, tri times.

Yes, spelling and grammatical mistakes (and at least one missing word!) but for someone who hasn't spoken Irish in over 30 years that was great. I understood everything you were trying to say! I teach Irish, and the kids really don't see the point of it, although a lot of them will make an effort to speak to me in the corridors in Irish. I love when people actually make an effort to speak it. Who cares if it's not perfect? It's great when people take an interest in it.

I don't switch over when the Nuacht is on, but I don't make a conscious effort to listen either. I think that a lot of the newsreaders have very strong accents and while they sound great, it's not ideal for those who have basic Irish and want to make an effort to learn. I think it's very much directed at fluent speakers, daily speakers.

I love the Irish language, but I wish the Nuacht was directed more at the general public rather than at those of us who are fluent. However the purists would be giving out if the strong accents were taken away!

conor2007 · 29-01-2008 1:19am

of course there is people listening

rng
rte
rnl

tg4
rte

foinse
la
the times

theres lots of places with irish daily

JC 2K3 · 29-01-2008 1:19am

Pythia wrote: »

So let it die!
If they have to force it on people who don't understand it anyway, it's not really keeping it alive. If I broadcast the news in Latin, I'm preserving it. Serves no purpose though.
Why do people get so annoyed that languages are dying. So many languages have died over the thousands of years, I don't see anyone being upset about any other.

There are language preservation groups for many languages all over the world, and Irish isn't really forced on anyone after the age of 18.

Many people like the whole national identity thing. If everything was purely functional and efficient, ie. languages being simply communication tools, sport being about nothing but exercise, clothes being simply material worn to keep warm etc. then life would be pretty boring IMO.

An Nuacht, TG4 and the general presence of Irish in Ireland is a nice and unique thing which we have in this country. Many Irish people seem to appreciate this, even if they're not fluent.

Personally, if the only reason to continue broadcasting An Nuacht was "for the craic", then I wouldn't have any objection to it. People need to stop looking at everything so clinically.

jdivision · 29-01-2008 1:26am

I firmly believe that half of it is a job creation exercise for people from the Gaeltacht. The Govt is spending millions getting documents translated that nobody has ever read in irish - country development plans in many areas being one, sending Irish speakers to the EU as translators, Smoking kills signs in irish ffs. I've nothing against a lot of this but do feel it's the old Leaving Cert bonus for doing your exams in Irish grown up and being used in the employment world.

fuzzywiggle · 29-01-2008 1:31am

Just tonight nuacht came on and the tv was on mute but i recognised your one off it and turned it off saying ''not that irish shiite"

conor2007 · 29-01-2008 2:07am

:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

that pretty much sums that up - some people are very ignorant

guinnessdrinker · 29-01-2008 2:40am

Mr.Micro wrote: »

It reminds me of the repressive times when I was younger when schools tried to beat Irish into us. Now what was the point of that?

Ah come on Mr. Micro, when did you go to school, 1934?

Hagar · 29-01-2008 6:56am

Nuacht +1
TG4 +1

Jacjncoke wrote:

Why not broadcast the news in Polish also?Wouldnt there be more fluent polish speakers than irish ones in the country?

There are many languages spoken in Britain by their Asian communities, who are far more numerous than our Polish community, yet I can't recall seeing too many programs on BBC in those languages. Why should we take a different approach?

Cionnfhaolaidh · 29-01-2008 1:32pm

jdivision wrote: »

Smoking kills signs in irish ffs.

Do our ciggy boxes have those warning in Irish now?

jdivision · 29-01-2008 2:35pm

They won a court case on it during the week. Gonna have to be in both languages by middle of this year

Cionnfhaolaidh · 29-01-2008 5:22pm

jdivision wrote: »

They won a court case on it during the week. Gonna have to be in both languages by middle of this year

Thanks

Toto Wolfcastle · 29-01-2008 6:09pm

Listened to it at half 3 today and the Ciaran guy was fabulous! He actually pronounced a lot of the words rather than slurring through them like some do.

News in Irish

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