Could The Irish Language Ever Overtake English Again??

SharpshooterTom

Seeming the rise of the popularity of Gaelscoils in Ireland do you think the Irish language could overtake English again in terms of its usuage some point this century??

I have a few Republican friends who believe it could and would like to get rid of the English language, but then again they're sort of types that believe that soccer is a foriegn sport and should be banned, as with Rugby and the like. Our Sinn Fein mla Barry McElduff even regularly criticizes people who were premiership football shirts on his twitter account. I guess he may have a point.

Do you think we could remove ourselves from proper colonialism with the growth of the irish language becoming more popular once again than the English language over the next 100 years, or is it just a pipe dream??

Trevor451

No

/Thread

Mark200

English is far more practical to speak than Irish, there is absolutely no reason for Irish to ever overtake English. It never will.

Mahatma coat

with the increase of foreignists in the Country all speakin Quare lingos I can see a resurgance in Irish as a means of communicating ampongst ourselves, but I'd expect some kind of Evolved/Pidgin Irish as opposed to the traditional version thats beaten int us at school.

krudler

Gnobe wrote: »

Seeming the rise of the popularity of Gaelscoils in Ireland do you think the Irish language could overtake English again in terms of its usuage some point this century??

I have a few Republican friends who believe it could and would like to get rid of the English language, but then again they're sort of types that believe that soccer is a foriegn sport and should be banned, as with Rugby and the like. Our Sinn Fein mla Barry McElduff even regularly criticizes people who were premiership football shirts on his twitter account. I guess he may have a point.

Do you think we could remove ourselves from proper colonialism with the growth of the irish language becoming more popular once again than the English language over the next 100 years, or is it just a pipe dream??

so...idiots then.

Scuid Mhór

I doubt it.

123balltv

It will always be English forever
have you ever heard those kids from Irish schools speak Irish outside in the real world.

starbelgrade

123balltv wrote: »

have you ever heard those kids from Irish schools speak Irish outside in the real world.

Yes. In the Gealtacht.

It's a nice place. You should go visit.

My name is URL

Why do these threads always have to pit one against the other? Those that want to speak either language will do so regardless of one being more widespread than the other.

smk89

Gnobe wrote: »

I have a few Republican friends who believe it could and would like to get rid of the English language, but then again they're sort of types that believe that soccer is a foriegn sport and should be banned, as with Rugby and the like.

They sound like the type of people who say this while in armchairs and drinking alcohol.

3hn2givr7mx1sc

I'd love it too. But it's not gonna happen.

Kevin Duffy

It may rise to parity or near parity, but never as a replacement if we want to ineract with other countries.

Calibos

Could The Irish Language Ever Overtake English Again??

Well assuming...

A. There is a thermonuclear war in the next 100 years that wipes out most of humanity, technology and infrastructure everywhere except the Gaeltacht in Ireland.

B. That the population of the Gaeltacht become keepers and protectors of Western Civilisation and Technology until such time as the Nuclear Winter is over and they spread out across the world creating a new civilisation from the ashes of the old.

C. That Gaelige becomes the new post apocalyptic Lingua Franca of Commerce, Science, Popular Culture/Entertainment etc

Well, then my answer would be Yes!!

123balltv

starbelgrade wrote: »

Yes. In the Gealtacht.

It's a nice place. You should go visit.

No thanks my friend went they are very strict about speaking irish, warning him if you said a word in english you'd be expelled.
I know many words in Spanish,French,Italian etc and you no why cause
millions speak those langauges
:eek: 21,171 people speak Irish in gealtacht not a lot

Seachmall

Given the influence the internet has on my, and younger, generations and given that English is the most widely used language on the internet I'd say no. Obviously there are other reasons (influence of American and English TV/Music/Movies/etc.) but the internet is a big factor nowadays.

hotmail.com

Irish hasn't been spoken in Dublin for the about 600 years. It's our hertitage, my behind.

goodgolfer64

Gnobe wrote: »

I have a few Republican friends who believe it could and would like to get rid of the English language, but then again they're sort of types that believe that soccer is a foriegn sport and should be banned, as with Rugby and the like. Our Sinn Fein mla Barry McElduff even regularly criticizes people who were premiership football shirts on his twitter account. I guess he may have a point.
QUOTE]

u need to find new friends...not forgetting it was men with similiar beliefs who caused the OMAGH bombing.....on their home soil!!!!!

ShamoBuc

I think over the next 20 or so years, there will be a good rise in the number of Irish speakers...... will it ever overtake english.....seriously cannot see that ever happening but as long as the Irish language is spoken on a day to day basis by a fair percentage of the population, I'll be happy.

Saganist

The world is too globalised at this stage for that to ever happen, although I do think that the "dead" language, of Irish, has a heart beat, and will beat stronger in future years with the resurgence in the number of Gaelscoil around.

Frank Black

Gnobe wrote: »

Seeming the rise of the popularity of Gaelscoils in Ireland do you think the Irish language could overtake English again in terms of its usuage some point this century??

I have a few Republican friends who believe it could and would like to get rid of the English language, but then again they're sort of types that believe that soccer is a foriegn sport and should be banned, as with Rugby and the like. Our Sinn Fein mla Barry McElduff even regularly criticizes people who were premiership football shirts on his twitter account. I guess he may have a point.

Do you think we could remove ourselves from proper colonialism with the growth of the irish language becoming more popular once again than the English language over the next 100 years, or is it just a pipe dream??

That's because they're idiots.

Mr Benevolent

No, I fucking hate the Irish language. It's for ponces and countrymen. Replace it with something useful that doesn't have 300 words for depression and 300 more for potatoes.

Paddy De Plasterer

Gaelscoils and gaeltacht courses are a sort of middle class elitist thing. Costs a huge amount of money, kids start learning irish at about 5 and in theory continue it up until about 17, and cannot write or speak it.

Cathaoirleach

123balltv wrote: »

It will always be English forever
have you ever heard those kids from Irish schools speak Irish outside in the real world.

Yes, a few weeks ago when I was on the DART, some Coláiste Íosagáin girls got on at Booterstown and they were speaking Irish amongst themselves. It does happen you know!

Enkidu

hotmail.com wrote: »

Irish hasn't been spoken in Dublin for the about 600 years. It's our hertitage, my behind.

Actually Irish was spoken in Dublin 200 years ago.

Seachmall

this iz the futur of the english language how do u liek me now bitches!!!! lol j/k but notreally!!!!!!!!!!!

Salty

Gnobe wrote: »

Seeming the rise of the popularity of Gaelscoils in Ireland do you think the Irish language could overtake English again in terms of its usuage some point this century??

I have a few Republican friends who believe it could and would like to get rid of the English language, but then again they're sort of types that believe that soccer is a foriegn sport and should be banned, as with Rugby and the like. Our Sinn Fein mla Barry McElduff even regularly criticizes people who were premiership football shirts on his twitter account. I guess he may have a point.

Do you think we could remove ourselves from proper colonialism with the growth of the irish language becoming more popular once again than the English language over the next 100 years, or is it just a pipe dream??

Tbh, I don't think it will ever take over, but it would not help the country in economic terms if nobody here spoke English anymore. There should be a balance, most people should be able to speak both. Who knows what's going to happen in the next 100 years.

Confab wrote: »

No, I fucking hate the Irish language. It's for ponces and countrymen. Replace it with something useful that doesn't have 300 words for depression and 300 more for potatoes.

Why? Because you can't speak it? I can't speak German, but I don't hate the language because of that.:rolleyes:

Paddy De Plasterer wrote: »

Gaelscoils and gaeltacht courses are a sort of middle class elitist thing. Costs a huge amount of money, kids start learning irish at about 5 and in theory continue it up until about 17, and cannot write or speak it.

Hardly. I went to the Gaeltacht twice, but my family isn't "elitist" as you say. I've plenty of friends who attended Gaelscoileanna, none of whom have an elitist attitude. The schools were in their local areas, so they attended them. Makes sense, doesn't it?

Enkidu

Actually a more interesting (possibly) question is will English stay one language and if so, for how much longer? Will Hiberno-English become its own language eventually? Hiberno-Germanic anyone?

Duckworth_Luas

Enkidu wrote: »

Actually Irish was spoken in Dublin 200 years ago.

Actually, Irish was spoken in Dublin today.

Duffy the Vampire Slayer

Paddy De Plasterer wrote: »

Gaelscoils and gaeltacht courses are a sort of middle class elitist thing. Costs a huge amount of money, kids start learning irish at about 5 and in theory continue it up until about 17, and cannot write or speak it.

They're not elitist people from many different backgrounds attend Gaelthacht courses.

Columbia

No, the fact we speak English is one of the few things we currently have going for us, what we don't need is to make the place less accessible to tourists and more difficult to do business in.

Cathaoirleach

_meehan_ wrote: »

I've plenty of friends who attended Gaelscoileanna, none of whom have an elitist attitude.

The old "elitist" label is often bandied about by the anti-Irish brigade when anyone takes an interest in the Irish language. Ignore them.

Enkidu

Duckworth_Luas wrote: »

Actually, Irish was spoken in Dublin today.

Today is the present, so Irish is spoken in Dublin today and was spoken 200 years ago. Now I've been more of a pedantic arse, so I win.

Cybercubed

Yes it probably will at some point. English will die out here eventually. Too many patriots will see to that.

Duffy the Vampire Slayer

Cathaoirleach wrote: »

The old "elitist" label is often bandied about by the anti-Irish brigade when anyone takes an interest in the Irish language. Ignore them.

Its funny to think that English served as the language of the elite in Ireland for centuries with only the poor speaking Irish. Eventually it was confined to the poorest areas of the west coast. And now that some people are trying to keep the language alive suddenly they're the elites!

Iwasfrozen

Duffy the Vampire Slayer wrote: »

Its funny to think that English served as the language of the elite in Ireland for centuries with only the poor speaking Irish. Eventually it was confined to the poorest areas of the west coast. And now that some people are trying to keep the language alive suddenly they're the elites!

In the words of Thomas Edison "We will make electricity so cheap that only the rich will burn candles"

Seachmall

Enkidu wrote: »

Today is the present, so Irish is spoken in Dublin today and was spoken 200 years ago. Now I've been more of a pedantic arse, so I win.

Today includes the past 24 hours, not just the current moment, so "Irish was spoken in Dublin today" is perfectly valid.

:pac:

bayern282

Impressive though how the Welsh have kept their native tongue alive, you can walk around Holyhead, Cardiff etc and hear it spoken routinely .

Think the problem is how it's taught and not enough effort made to take a pride in the language and integrate it into everyday life, 52 Seachtain Na Gaeliges every year would make a difference and spread knowledge and enthusiam.

Enkidu

Seachmall wrote: »

Today includes the past 24 hours, not just the current moment, so "Irish was spoken in Dublin today" is perfectly valid.

:pac:

Damn! Curse you present tense!!:)

However my original post was intended to say that the original Dublin dialect only died out around 200-150 years ago, not 600 (or 800) years ago as some claim.

B_Fanatic

I think it will. As in, it will be spoke quite routinely by near enough everyone. But we'll become a multi lingual (A proper one) nationality and speak english for every other purpose.

whatdoicare

I doubt it - kids today in general worship American stars and have no interest in any of the ideals of Irish culture. If anything the Irish English accent will be replaced with American twang. I have already heard many kids walking around with American and Posh English accents that they acquired from watching television.
Nobody is going to revert from a language that opens doors all over the world to a language that barely exists outside the gaelteacht areas -especially in this climate.

Also, Is it not Ironic this thread is in English!

Cathaoirleach

whatdoicare wrote: »

Also, Is it not Ironic this thread is in English!

The rules are that you can't post in the Irish language on Boards.ie unless you provide an English translation. The only forums you can post in Irish are Teach na nGealt and Gaeilge (Irish).

whatdoicare

Cathaoirleach wrote: »

The rules are that you can't post in the Irish language on Boards.ie unless you provide an English translation. The only forums you can post in Irish are Teach na nGealt and Gaeilge (Irish).

Well as interesting as that is and all - what I mean is, if Irish is going to be the dominant language, according to the Op - then how come this debate isn't in IRISH, why put it in the English section? Why is it a rule that you have to provide a translation? Why is there even an English section? Why is the Irish section tiny and the English section huge in comparison? Why isn't the whole forum in Irish?? Why am I typing in English? Why is my television airing in English, why are all my newspapers, movies, books, games, comics, signs, music in English?? Why are all my neighbours' kids speaking in English?
Would that not be a huge sign right there that Irish is not going to be the dominant language?

B_Fanatic

whatdoicare wrote: »

Well as interesting as that is and all - what I mean is, if Irish is going to be the dominant language, according to the Op - then how come this debate isn't in IRISH, why put it in the English section? Why is it a rule that you have to provide a translation? Why is there even an English section? Why is the Irish section tiny and the English section huge in comparison? Why isn't the whole forum in Irish?? Why am I typing in English? Why is my television airing in English, why are all my newspapers, movies, books, games, comics, signs, music in English?? Why are all my neighbours' kids speaking in English?
Would that not be a huge sign right there that Irish is not going to be the dominant language?

No. For Irish to become the dominant language it first has to be repressed. If Irish was the main spoken language on Boards and boards was still as popular as it is now there wouldn't be any need for Irish to become dominant, because it would already be the prominent language.

Just to make sure my point is clear: Your neighbours' kids are speaking English because English is the dominant language. If they were speaking Irish this thread wouldn't exist. (Provided that your neighbours' kids are average kids and we can therefore assume that if your neighbours' kids are speaking Irish, so are the rest of the nation's children...)

It was a bit messy, but I'm hoping you caught my drift.

whatdoicare

B_Fanatic wrote: »

No. For Irish to become the dominant language it first has to be repressed. If Irish was the main spoken language on Boards and boards was still as popular as it is now there wouldn't be any need for Irish to become dominant, because it would already be the prominent language.

Just to make sure my point is clear: Your neighbours' kids are speaking English because English is the dominant language. If they were speaking Irish this thread wouldn't exist. (Provided that your neighbours' kids are average kids and we can therefore assume that if your neighbours' kids are speaking Irish, so are the rest of the nation's children...)

It was a bit messy, but I'm hoping you caught my drift.

So my point about Irish not being the dominant language is correct then - so why would Irish overtake English in the future? What would be the factor that would endear the younger generation into doing that?
There are no Irish speaking popular celebrities, no big movies in Irish, no xbox/wii/playstation games in Irish and no popular modern music in Irish - what would be the pull for the youth of today?
It won't happen - no matter how badly anyone in our generation wants it to happen.

Caraville

123balltv wrote: »

No thanks my friend went they are very strict about speaking irish, warning him if you said a word in english you'd be expelled.
I know many words in Spanish,French,Italian etc and you no why cause
millions speak those langauges
:eek: 21,171 people speak Irish in gealtacht not a lot

You do realise that the Gaeltacht is a region where people live and speak Irish, not just somewhere you can get expelled from- you're thinking of an Irish College or Coláiste Samhraidh that is situated in the Gaeltacht. It never ceases to amaze me the amount of people that think the Gaeltacht just means somewhere you go for 3 weeks to learn Irish as opposed to somewhere people live all day every day through the medium of Irish.

I love Irish and would consider myself a fluent speaker, but would be more concerned about the dire standards of spelling and grammar that is rampant in the English language nowadays, especially amongst young people.

Stained Class

black francis wrote: »

That's because they're idiots.

I'm surprised this post wasn't thanked more.

Is there a lot of 'RA heads on this forum or what?

Chukkie ar law!:rolleyes:

Stained Class

Gnobe wrote: »

or is it just a pipe dream??

Of course it is!

Everybody knows this, even the most die-hard lang-wich followers.

I can't explain my distain for such idiots,

They must have Peig as their poster girl in their rooms.

Rock on you cute 'nasty Gaelgeors.:rolleyes:

123balltv

Caraville wrote: »

I love Irish and would consider myself a fluent speaker, but would be more concerned about the dire standards of spelling and grammar that is rampant in the English language nowadays, especially amongst young people.

true kids should focus on one language English writing/speaking specifically
it's the language they'll be emigrating to USA/Australia/Canada etc

It was the language we were meant to speak but it was'nt to be
The days of Irish being useful only if you want to teach Irish are long gone.

CongoPowers

Ah, TÁ...

XxMCRxBabyxX

123balltv wrote: »

It will always be English forever
have you ever heard those kids from Irish schools speak Irish outside in the real world.

You need to meet my cousins. Aged 3 and 5 and can speak more Irish than most people I know

I don't think Irish could ever overtake English but I would love to see it become more popular and used more. I'm 20 and am currently contemplating getting some Irish lessons to bring up my standard seeing as I only started learning the language when I was 10

123balltv

XxMCRxBabyxX wrote: »

You need to meet my cousins. Aged 3 and 5 and can speak more Irish than most people I know

I don't think Irish could ever overtake English but I would love to see it become more popular and used more. I'm 20 and am currently contemplating getting some Irish lessons to bring up my standard seeing as I only started learning the language when I was 10

good to hear kids getting some enjoyment out of it I'm currently learning
French only due to my job I probably would learn Irish if I needed it
but I dont I never will