Would you prefer to speak Irish?

PhlegmyMoses

44leto wrote: »

But the benefits of English are many, it is the primary second language of most the world and more are presently learning it then speaks it. Also its why we get so much American investments.

I agree. My post doesn't disagree with that.

philologos

realies wrote: »

I am quite aware of that thanks but the original OP qustion was Would you rather have been born in an Ireland that spoke Irish rather than English and imo yes as we could still have got on with living & working in the wider world as most other non speaking english do.

I'd rather the situation that Ireland's in right now. I'm glad I've learned English as my mother tongue and I believe that has benefited me greatly.

DEFTLEFTHAND

English is a difficult language to learn so I'm glad I'm a native speaker.

EddyC15

Liam Byrne wrote: »

The "alt" key will give you the fada!

It's "alt-gr" that'll give you the fada.

I would prefer to speak Irish for the simple reason that I think it is really beautiful and poetic language.
M.S.: An old way of saying Freckles as Gaeilge is "póganna gréine" but it literally means "sun kisses".

Also, I firmly believe that if we all spoke Irish, the education system would be completely different and there would be a huge emphasis on foreign languages. Chances are that most of us would speak English fairly well, (better than we speak Gaeilge at the moment, anyway) and many of us would probably not stop at learning just one foreign language.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Native English speaker, pureply for practical reasons. Irish, nice and patriotic though it may, is completely useless when looking for a job in another country (and probably large parts of Ireland, too)

P.

MsAllybear

Seachmall wrote: »

If we remove business and the ability to communicate easily with others than there wouldn't be a difference between English and Irish and I wouldn't care.

As it is, the Irish language is a fun past time. Nothing more.

SafeSurfer wrote: »

I wish we didn't waste money forcing a dead language down people's throats. If you want to speak Irish, pay for lessons with your own money in your own time.

ok....
what about the GAELTACHT areas?? where Irish IS their first language!?!

Dont get how some people don't seem to realise that there are parts of the country (and not just 25 people) where they live breathe and speak irish, they aren't made speak it, they speak it the way I get up in morning and speak English.

philologos

^^ That's fine, but there's no sound reason as to why the rest of us should do it. If most people want to speak English, that's well and good. If others want to speak Irish, grand let them speak Irish to their hearts desire.

44leto

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

Native English speaker, pureply for practical reasons. Irish, nice and patriotic though it may, is completely useless when looking for a job in another country (and probably large parts of Ireland, too)

P.

A friend of mine, A Dub and definitely not a nationalist decided to learn the language in his 30s now him and his family of five are all native speakers living in a Gaelteacht area in Clare.

I have to say when I am down there it is nice and for some reason it seems to bring them all closer together.

MsAllybear

philologos wrote: »

^^ That's fine, but there's no sound reason as to why the rest of us should do it. If most people want to speak English, that's well and good. If others want to speak Irish, grand let them speak Irish to their hearts desire.

I get that, i'm not saying everyone should be MADE speak it but there are thousands who do speak it as their first language,
I find it sad/strange/odd that some people dont actually realise this, its like its just something theyve to learn in school (which it is) but are not told of natives who speak it.
Anyway . . . .
Personally I love the irish language, in now way fluent, but in last 3 years have spent couple weeks in gaeltacht areas and its a lovely language when your in middle of it and see it spoken natively ...

kelle

My mother was a native Irish speaker who did not speak English until she was 9. The reason she learned English was because her family moved house and she relocated to an English speaking school. She was bullied mercilessly because of her lack of English.

When she married, she was back living in the Gaeltacht, but even though she always conversed with her family in Irish she wanted us to speak English as our first language to avoid what she went through when we would attend secondary school or socialise in the adjacent towns - which are not in the Gaeltacht.

cassi

later10 wrote: »

There's no problem with having a preference. We all have heroes, and it's great to have heroes. But it isn't necessarily logical to elevate a man or a team to that status simply because they're of your tribe or come from your island.

Pride is an emotion, it's a very strong emotion for some people. The basis behind someones pride in something, be it either something you directly had a hand in or your national team, country etc doesn't always have to have a logical explanation.

Like asking someone why they love or hate something, why they feel happy today etc, there's not always a reason behind it, just emotions!

lividduck

Nich spichen zie dead makey-uppy gaelige

Noreen1

Namlub wrote: »

She writes, in English.

I do, indeed.:rolleyes: I am also capable of writing in Irish, as are most native speakers. However, it is generally considered rude to reply to someone in a language that they (and others reading the post) do not understand.

What, exactly, do you find objectionable about that?
If you require a response, as Gaeilge, feel free to take it to pm.
I'll be happy to oblige.

Professor Knowall

I would like it to be left behind in the past where it belongs. Let it die and and ban Gaeltacht areas...

philologos

^^ This is too extreme, it also curbs heavily on the rights and liberties that all people should enjoy in a free society.

hondasam

Professor Knowall wrote: »

I would like it to be left behind in the past where it belongs. Let it die and and ban Gaeltacht areas...

why stop there, what else would you like to see abandoned? maybe rewrite history and omit our language.

Niles

I voted native Irish speaker with English as a second language. The Continental countries seem to get on fine like this, so I don't see why we wouldn't in some alternative universe where we kept our language as our primary one. But I emphasise that English would still be needed to keep our edge in a global context.

Purely idealist I know.

Namlub

Noreen1 wrote: »

I do, indeed.:rolleyes: I am also capable of writing in Irish, as are most native speakers. However, it is generally considered rude to reply to someone in a language that they (and others reading the post) do not understand.

What, exactly, do you find objectionable about that?
If you require a response, as Gaeilge, feel free to take it to pm.
I'll be happy to oblige.

Like I said already, I was being facetious, though your sarcasm is utterly devastating. If I cared enough to find your post 'objectionable' I'd have said it, rather than just made a throwaway comment you're reading far too much into.

Noreen1

Fair enough.

Corkfeen

I can speak Irish fluently but to be perfectly honest, it's been of feck all use since I finished secondary school. I would honesty have preferred to have learnt Spanish or even Chinese to a relatively fluent degree from early childhood as it would have been of some actual benefit to me in later life. I know that this sounds unpatriotic etc etc. But it's highly demotivating to be highly fluent in a language that only a small percentage of people can actually speak. I'd probably have held a different opinion a couple of years ago. I also don't have any intention of becoming a teacher or Garda. :pac: I have an odd feeling that people will be annoyed by this....

FionnK86

Im in secondary school now, Im getting C'sin honours and mocks are around the corner, personally I would love to be able to speak it fluently like my classmates but as a Dub with my parents having no sense of the language I cant cope with it in school. I love speaking it for stuff like "Ceart Go Leor" or "Failte Romhat" but I think a language and its survival depends on the least educated using it every day.

When I hear "well-off" people speaking it, its more of a show off kinda thing to do...

I am ashamed of myself for not being able to speak the language our ancestors fought for, which some may have forgotten!

later12

cassi wrote: »

The basis behind someones pride in something, be it either something you directly had a hand in or your national team, country etc doesn't always have to have a logical explanation.

Well I can't speak for everyone else, and despite what someone said earlier, I've no interest in policing others' emotions. Whether a man wants to take pride in his back garden or in his county GAA team, or his national team is really none of my business.

All I mean to say is what I personally find unacceptable. As an Irishman, I often find myself feeling defensive about Ireland or clenching my fist in satisfaction every time Ireland scores a try or puts a ball in the net.

If I can help it, I try to avoid these feelings by speaking to the rational side of my brain, and reminding myself that there is no logical reason to support a team on the grounds that we come from the same patch of land.
But I have no interest in printing pamphlets on this stuff or disseminating disaffection in my local pub as the punters shout for Paul O'Connell or Jamie Heaslip.

Whatever they choose to do is their own perogative, but this is a discussion board, and if none of us are going to share our opinions then we might as well sign off and lock ourselves away with our own private thoughts.

Noreen1

FionnK86 wrote: »

Im in secondary school now, Im getting C'sin honours and mocks are around the corner, personally I would love to be able to speak it fluently like my classmates but as a Dub with my parents having no sense of the language I cant cope with it in school. I love speaking it for stuff like "Ceart Go Leor" or "Failte Romhat" but I think a language and its survival depends on the least educated using it every day.

When I hear "well-off" people speaking it, its more of a show off kinda thing to do...

I am ashamed of myself for not being able to speak the language our ancestors fought for, which some may have forgotten!

Don't be ashamed.
My children speak fluent Irish, but some of them dislike Irish as a subject - (and English, too!:D) - not because of any difficulty with the language itself, but because of the poetry, prose etc.

If you want to learn the language, then find some classes outside of school, where Irish is spoken. You will find it is much easier than having to learn reams of poetry, appreciating different literary styles etc.

You should never feel ashamed of yourself for not being able to speak a language that you have not been allowed to speak (because in school you listen to the teacher, you do not get any real opportunity to speak the language).

Think about it. In French/German/any other language class - you get more time to speak whatever language it is you are learning, because no time is devoted to Poetry, or any of the other extras that are included in both the Irish and English syllabus.
Why Irish should be taught any differently, to those who cannot speak it, is beyond me, tbh.

I didn't learn reams of verbs before I started speaking Irish or English.
I did learn reams of verbs when starting to learn French, German, and Latin - yet Irish and English are the languages I speak fluently.
There's a reason for that, imo.

13spanner

I have an interest in Irish and enjoy using it. It's grand until you get stuck into the grammar that could be said for any language though.

Noreen1

It's just like learning English, though. No five or six year old speaking English knows anything about the grammar - but they still speak English.

Irish is no different.
Practice speaking it, and the grammar follows naturally.

Alanna Few Needle

I'm still learning Irish, but have few opportunities to use what I've learned and keeping it up is proving difficult, but as many have already said, it's a hobby. Would be nice to have it as a day to day language, however I think that's unlikely.

Alanna Few Needle wrote: »

On occassion Irish speakers have been invaluable oversea's when eves dropping on radio transmissions (conducted in English) compromised security then a unit would often look for Irish speakers (but enough of that) :cool:

During WWII Welsh and Gaelic (Scottish) speakers were highly valued in comms for the same reason, the US used native Americans as well.

Paz-CCFC

I'd prefer for Irish to be the native of language of the majority, but with a near level of English. I adore Irish and I wish I had been brought up to speak it natively. I know a few people from the Gaeltacht and I envy that they get to speak Irish at home all the time. Thankfully, I was sent to a Gaelscoil and a Gaelcholáiste, which is something I'll always be grateful for.

I see the usual arguments against Irish have come up. "Dead language", "it's of no practical use" etc. These arguments are always brought up, yet there is generally little statistics to back these up.

Dead Language. Is it really? There are 40,000+ native speakers, and 68,000 speak it daily outside of the education system. 475,000 speak it within the education system and, while some of those might not be at a particularly high level, some others would be fantastic at the language. The figure of 1.66 million of people who have some level of Irish, in my opinion, is probably a bit higher than reality. However, I think that there are plenty of people who underestimate their Irish. In the pub the other day, I was speaking to my friend for a good hour in Irish. Twice, at most, he stopped and asked me (through Irish) what a certain English word was in Irish. Other than that, he was well able to keep up with me. However, he said that he wasn't fluent and his Irish wasn't good at all. It was quite clear that he was. Anyway, I digress slightly from the point of Irish being a dead language. If it were dead, then no one would speak it. However, nearly 70,000 speak it on a daily basis. Manchester United get 70,000 people at their matches on a regular basis. I suppose they're a dead club, right?

It's of no practical use. It's of plenty of practical use:

• Media - TG4, Raidió na Gaeltachta, Foinse etc.
• Translating - Every act passed by the Oireachtas needs to be in Irish, as well as all amendents to Bunreacht na hÉireann. Ditto for European Union law. People who work doing the latter would be doing so in Luxembourg, I believe, which also disproves another point that says you'll never need it in a foreign country (sure, most places even in non-English native countries speak English anyway, so why bother learning their language?).
• Law - District courts encompassing Gaeltachtaí need a minimum quota of Irish-speaking judges. So, speaking fluent Irish gives you a clear leg up there. And while it's not necessary in the High Court and Supreme Court, you can bet that judges who speak it fluently are more likely to be appointed, since they could be hearing cases related to language conflicts. Irish citizens also have the right to have their cases heard in Irish, so, if the other party and/or judge is unable to speak Irish, a translator is neccessary. Likewise, Gardaí who work in stations that are in/crossover to Gaeltachtaí would need more Irish than most other places for obvious reasons.
• Education - obviously, seeing as Irish is being taught in schools, Irish speakers are needed. Gaelscoileanna are on the rise - guess who'll benefit from this? And there are jobs to be gotten in teaching languages to adults in night classes. In UCC, there's a certain course where you do an erasmus Montana in the US and teach Irish to the locals. Believe it or not, some people voluntarily attempt to learn the language.

A dead language with no practical uses? An bhfuil tú ag magadh fúm?

annascott

I can pass myself in Irish for interview level if necessary but would never call myself a native speaker. Unless it is necessary for work, I would rather not use it at all. If not given the option of phasing it out, I would like schools to have it as an extra (if at all). It is totally useless outside of Ireland. It's a shame that all children don't have a strong second language such as German, French or Spanish, which would be of some use to them unlike any of the Gaelic languages.

nice_very

I can speak: english, spanish, some Irish, some Basque, I understand some: written italian, written portuguese, very little french and german.

I would be happy with a good level of Irish, Basque, spanish, english

LH Pathe

I would prefer to do the hucklebuck.

After that, as a 2nd language i reckon I'd ituitively pick up the ould ingles anyhow through a desire to know WTF they're actually saying on tv