Role of Irish Language in Dublin

Toshi101 · 03-10-2014 8:16pm #1

Hey all,
I am currently beginning a project on the role of the Irish language in Dublin. I'm looking at it from an Anthropological point of view and plan to study the relevance of the language in a historically non-Irish speaking area and why it survives . Does anyone know of any Irish language groups in the city?
(Mods hope its okay to post this here if not please delete!)

Go Raibh Mile!

gaiscioch · 04-10-2014 12:21pm

Toshi101 wrote: »

Hey all,
I am currently beginning a project on the role of the Irish language in Dublin. I'm looking at it from an Anthropological point of view and plan to study the relevance of the language in a historically non-Irish speaking area and why it survives . Does anyone know of any Irish language groups in the city?
(Mods hope its okay to post this here if not please delete!)

Go Raibh Mile!

Regarding the history, you'd be surprised at how recently Irish was the native language of very many Dubliners. There's a fascinating blog entitled Dublin Irish which is an excellent introduction to the Irish dialect in Dublin, as traditionally spoken. The last native speakers lived well into the 19th century in Glenasmole (of Oisín and Fianna fame) in south County Dublin. There are several articles about the language all across Dublin on that website. I'm currently ordering some of the academic articles which the blogger is using for his articles.

Dublin Gaelic

AnLonDubh · 04-10-2014 7:42pm

Toshi101 wrote: »

Hey all,
I am currently beginning a project on the role of the Irish language in Dublin. I'm looking at it from an Anthropological point of view and plan to study the relevance of the language in a historically non-Irish speaking area and why it survives

Remember that the vast majority of what we now call Dublin was historically Irish speaking. The historically non-Irish speaking area is quite a small section of land near the quays.

dubhthach · 05-10-2014 7:40pm

AnLonDubh wrote: »

Remember that the vast majority of what we now call Dublin was historically Irish speaking. The historically non-Irish speaking area is quite a small section of land near the quays.

Even then it would be surprising if you didn't find Irish been spoken in those areas throughout the middle ages. The Dublin norse were thoroughly gaelicised

ezra_pound · 05-10-2014 8:00pm

gaiscioch wrote: »

Regarding the history, you'd be surprised at how recently Irish was the native language of very many Dubliners. There's a fascinating blog entitled Dublin Irish which is an excellent introduction to the Irish dialect in Dublin, as traditionally spoken. The last native speakers lived well into the 19th century in Glenasmole (of Oisín and Fianna fame) in south County Dublin. There are several articles about the language all across Dublin on that website. I'm currently ordering some of the academic articles which the blogger is using for his articles.

Dublin Gaelic

Thanks for sharing that super blog!

Grudaire · 06-10-2014 10:12am

It's probably also worth noting that many people have migrated from outside Dublin into Dublin. For example my grandparents would have come from the Kerry Gaeltacht region, but I am a second generation Dubliner.

Go néirí an táth leat Toshi!

uch · 08-10-2014 3:49pm

Thanks for that Blog, it's a great read

gaiscioch wrote: »

Regarding the history, you'd be surprised at how recently Irish was the native language of very many Dubliners. There's a fascinating blog entitled Dublin Irish which is an excellent introduction to the Irish dialect in Dublin, as traditionally spoken. The last native speakers lived well into the 19th century in Glenasmole (of Oisín and Fianna fame) in south County Dublin. There are several articles about the language all across Dublin on that website. I'm currently ordering some of the academic articles which the blogger is using for his articles.

Dublin Gaelic

GaelMise · 09-10-2014 9:46pm

gaiscioch wrote: »

Regarding the history, you'd be surprised at how recently Irish was the native language of very many Dubliners. There's a fascinating blog entitled Dublin Irish which is an excellent introduction to the Irish dialect in Dublin, as traditionally spoken. The last native speakers lived well into the 19th century in Glenasmole (of Oisín and Fianna fame) in south County Dublin. There are several articles about the language all across Dublin on that website. I'm currently ordering some of the academic articles which the blogger is using for his articles.

Dublin Gaelic

As it happens, I know a few people who were raised through Irish in Dublin so I think currently would be a better word than recently.

ezra_pound · 10-10-2014 7:48am

GaelMise wrote: »

As it happens, I know a few people who were raised through Irish in Dublin so I think currently would be a better word than recently.

Of course. But I don't think they were learning native Dublin dialect. Which is the real point.

Insect Overlord · 10-10-2014 12:45pm

The book Labhrann Laighnigh by Daithí Ó hÓgáin (Coiscéim, 2011) could be very useful for you.

Michael D Not Higgins · 10-10-2014 12:51pm

Conradh na Gaeilge would be a good place to start. www.cnag.ie

AnLonDubh · 10-10-2014 3:40pm

An File wrote: »

The book Labhrann Laighnigh by Daithí Ó hÓgáin (Coiscéim, 2011) could be very useful for you.

I agree with this. The book gives genuine examples of Dublin Irish and comments on its usage. The native dialect of Dublin would have been similar to Connacht Irish, like what is to be heard on the Doegen tapes from the Roscommon and East Galway speakers.

GaelMise · 12-10-2014 11:07am

ezra_pound wrote: »

Of course. But I don't think they were learning native Dublin dialect. Which is the real point.

I dont see why, is a native speaker not a native speaker depending on the dialect they speak and where they speak it?

The Dublin dialect may have died out, but that does not mean that there are no Dublin born and raised native speakers of Irish.

ezra_pound · 12-10-2014 1:58pm

GaelMise wrote: »

I dont see why, is a native speaker not a native speaker depending on the dialect they speak and where they speak it?

The Dublin dialect may have died out, but that does not mean that there are no Dublin born and raised native speakers of Irish.

For the second time.

Of course there are native speakers in Dublin. I was brought up bilingually from birth. But I wasn't brought up in Dublin Irish which is now extinct. That is what this is about. We're discussing how recently and widespread Dublin Irish was.

GaelMise · 13-10-2014 7:48pm

ezra_pound wrote: »

For the second time.

Of course there are native speakers in Dublin. I was brought up bilingually from birth. But I wasn't brought up in Dublin Irish which is now extinct. That is what this is about. We're discussing how recently and widespread Dublin Irish was.

Are we? Sorry I was under the impression that we were discussing the thread topic, ie the role of the Irish language in Dublin. If that is what we are discussing then current Dublin native speakers of Irish ar at least as important as former native speakers of Irish in Dublin.

davwain · 04-03-2015 6:47pm

Grudaire wrote: »

It's probably also worth noting that many people have migrated from outside Dublin into Dublin. For example my grandparents would have come from the Kerry Gaeltacht region, but I am a second generation Dubliner.

Go néirí an táth leat Toshi!

The 2001 Ukrainian census showed well over 1/2 of residents of Kiev spoke Ukrainian, as their 1st language, vs under 30% of respondents who responded to speaking Russian as their 1st language. I don't know, by comparison, how widespread Irish is spoken in Dublin, although I had no problem using English whilst I was there last year.

Role of Irish Language in Dublin

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