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Should we allow Irish to die out?

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  • 16-09-2016 10:40pm
    #1
    JupiterKid
    Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 12,586 Mod ✭✭✭✭


    For over 90 years now successive generations of Irish children have been taught Irish in schools and it is considered our national language but despite this only 1% or even less of the population are Gaelgeoirs on a daily basis.

    The shrinkage of the Gaeltacht is an area of real concern. In 1926, just after independence, 15 of the 26 counties included a Gaeltacht area, including most of Galway, most of Donegal, half of Kerry and much of Waterford. By 2007, these areas had shrunk to such an extent that only a tiny area at the tip of the Dingle peninsula, part of South Connemara and part of West Donegal were considered monoglot Gaeltacht areas. Indeed, a 2007 study suggested that by the end of the 2020s that Irish will be a minority spoken language in all the current Gaeltacht areas.

    What do boardsies think of the situation? Should we just let Irish die out or should we be making every effort to preserve or revive it?


    PS: tried to attach some maps but was unable to!


«13

Comments

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    #2
    zSparc
    Closed Accounts Posts: 168 ✭✭zSparc


    What?


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    #3
    clairewithani
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,270 ✭✭✭clairewithani


    zSparc wrote: »
    What?

    You mean céard?


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    #4
    foggy_lad
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,373 ✭✭✭✭foggy_lad


    JupiterKid wrote: »
    For over 90 years now successive generations of Irish children have been taught Irish in schools and it ios considered our national language but despite this only 1% or even less of the population are Gaelgoirs on a daily basis.

    The shrinkage of the Gaeltacht is an area of real concern. Just compare the Gaeltacht in 1926 to that in 2007:


    An Gaeltacht 1926
    Attachment not found.


    An Gaeltacht 2007
    Attachment not found.

    Attachments don't work, you could try to discuss it here - http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=904


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    #5
    The_Valeyard
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,452 ✭✭✭✭The_Valeyard


    JupiterKid wrote: »
    For over 90 years now successive generations of Irish children have been taught Irish in schools and it ios considered our national language but despite this only 1% or even less of the population are Gaelgoirs on a daily basis.

    The shrinkage of the Gaeltacht is an area of real concern. Just compare the Gaeltacht in 1926 to that in 2007:


    An Gaeltacht 1926
    Attachment not found.


    An Gaeltacht 2007
    Attachment not found.

    So is this the 1% that was causing all the hassle during the crash with the protesters and such?


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    #6
    Pawwed Rig
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 22,294 CMod ✭✭✭✭Pawwed Rig


    Irish should be banned with severe consequences for anyone caught using it.

    The whole country would be fluent in a year.


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    #7
    Letree
    Registered Users Posts: 1,005 ✭✭✭Letree


    JupiterKid wrote: »
    For over 90 years now successive generations of Irish children have been taught Irish in schools and it ios considered our national language but despite this only 1% or even less of the population are Gaelgoirs on a daily basis.

    The shrinkage of the Gaeltacht is an area of real concern. Just compare the Gaeltacht in 1926 to that in 2007:


    An Gaeltacht 1926
    Attachment not found.


    An Gaeltacht 2007
    Attachment not found.

    I think the language is never going to be used by the greater population. Its a farce as is where we pretend its our first language. I would be happy to see the gaeltacht fade away and the people living there use english.


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    #8
    Taxburden carrier
    Registered Users Posts: 551 ✭✭✭Taxburden carrier


    No but we should certainly let TG4 die out .


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    #9
    maudgonner
    Registered Users Posts: 5,455 ✭✭✭maudgonner


    Any chance we could just ban threads about Irish from After Hours? We all know how this is going to go...


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    #10
    511
    Closed Accounts Posts: 532 ✭✭✭511


    Let it die, Irish people generally seem to have less brain cells than other Western European states. I would have preferred if my time in religion and Irish class was spent on more useful subjects.


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    #11
    zSparc
    Closed Accounts Posts: 168 ✭✭zSparc


    clairewithani wrote: »
    You mean céard?

    No, I mean whaaat?


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    #12
    Hammer89
    Registered Users Posts: 3,003 ✭✭✭Hammer89


    Irish, as a subject, is completely useless in my experience.

    Turn it into a night course for people who want to converse with the locals in remote parts of the country, or for people who dream about having a role on Ros na Run, but for everybody else, like helpless children and teenagers in schools, don't subject them to a subject which they have absolutely no use for going forward in life.

    I realise there's a lot of other silly subjects, but I can't think of another which has contributed less to the person I am now as Irish.


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    #13
    ThinkProgress
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,634 ✭✭✭ThinkProgress


    What's the point filling kid's heads with stuff they'll almost certainly never use..?

    Sorry, but tradition and heritage is not a big enough reason for me. Every hour school kids in this country spend learning Irish, is time they could be learning something more practical to the world they'll soon be catapulted into...

    Meaning we are potentially at a disadvantage up against other nations with smarter education policies!


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    #14
    kenmc
    Registered Users Posts: 7,276 ✭✭✭kenmc


    Yes. Practice your antiquated hobby at home, don't enforce it on the future generations unless they choose to try it.

    "Oh but it's our heritage". Yes. And we also used to live in caves, wear animal skins and make fire with sticks. Times have changed. Deal with it.


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    #15
    riffmongous
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 12,629 Mod ✭✭✭✭riffmongous


    No not die out,but remove most official support and make it optional in secondary school, and instead put a focus on speaking the language in class and encourage cultural events


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    #16
    Ticking and Bashing
    Registered Users Posts: 107 ✭✭Ticking and Bashing


    Ugh ANOTHER thread on this!!!!


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    #17
    Esel
    Registered Users Posts: 22,004 ✭✭✭✭Esel


    Tá cead agat dul amach go dtí an leithreas.

    Not your ornery onager



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    #18
    Boater123
    Closed Accounts Posts: 312 ✭✭Boater123


    kenmc wrote: »
    Yes. Practice your antiquated hobby at home, don't enforce it on the future generations unless they choose to try it.

    "Oh but it's our heritage". Yes. And we also used to live in caves, wear animal skins and make fire with sticks. Times have changed. Deal with it.

    Tends to be the opinion of those that can't actually speak it, or who are embarrassed by it. The opinion of those who might as well live in ignorance in caves, wear animal skins and make fire with sticks.

    Its not only an Irish persons heritage but also part of an Irish persons psyche. Not being able to speak at least a few words, is to be missing out on something uniquely yours.

    Sad.


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    #19
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    511 wrote: »
    Irish people generally seem to have less brain cells than other Western European states.

    Ridiculous, unsubstantiated nonsensical statements like this are what need to die out, not the Irish language.


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    #20
    learn_more
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,520 ✭✭✭learn_more


    JupiterKid wrote: »
    For over 90 years now successive generations of Irish children have been taught Irish in schools and it is considered our national language but despite this only 1% or even less of the population are Gaelgeoirs on a daily basis.

    The shrinkage of the Gaeltacht is an area of real concern. In 1926, just after independence, 15 of the 26 counties included a Gaeltacht area, including most of Galway, most of Donegal, half of Kerry and much of Waterford. By 2007, these areas had shrunk to such an extent that only a tiny area at the tip of the Dingle peninsula, part of South Connemara and part of West Donegal were considered monoglot Gaeltacht areas. Indeed, a 2007 study suggested that by the end of the 2020s that Irish will be a minority spoken language in all the current Gaeltacht areas.

    What do boardsies think of the situation? Should we just let Irish die out or should we be making every effort to preserve or revive it?


    PS: tried to attach some maps but was unable to!

    Could you re-write that in Irish please. It would sound so much more richer and genuine.


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    #21
    mzungu
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 6,306 Mod ✭✭✭✭mzungu


    Taxburden carrier wrote: »
    No but we should certainly let TG4 die out .

    Ah no, TG4 has had some great shows over the years. Granted most of them are from the states....but still.


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    #22
    KKkitty
    Registered Users Posts: 7,534 ✭✭✭KKkitty


    I wouldn't get rid of it completely but make it like most languages and that is that if you want to learn it in school you can. It shouldn't be compulsory for 2nd level education anyway. The main language in Ireland is English and most forms have both English or Irish so you don't have to know Irish all that well. Unless you want to be a Gardaí or politician Irish isn't really necessary to know. Maybe if it was there to be learned for fun it might be picked up again.


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    #23
    kenmc
    Registered Users Posts: 7,276 ✭✭✭kenmc


    Boater123 wrote: »
    Tends to be the opinion of those that can't actually speak it, or who are embarrassed by it. The opinion of those who might as well live in ignorance in caves, wear animal skins and make fire with sticks.

    Its not only an Irish persons heritage but also part of an Irish persons psyche. Not being able to speak at least a few words, is to be missing out on something uniquely yours.

    Sad.
    Or who can see past the pointlessness of it. 14 years of irish enforcement, 6 Years of voluntary German, 20 weeks of voluntary mandarin, guess which of these I've found least useful?


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    #24
    TallGlass
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,935 ✭✭✭TallGlass


    Wow. Just wow, absolutely bizzare that people seem to have this hang up on Irish, the language is not the fault of how it was thought to people, unfortunately like alot of things it is another victim. I have to learn Irish at the moment, yes its hard but it's very interesting and beautiful to speak, I am guessing I will never be fluent or even half know how to speak it, but I tell you something, I will make sure my children are emersed in Irish and as many languages I can try to speak and see if they pick them up. I feel pissed off at myself, not just because I can't speak Irish, but I cannot speak any other language but English, which is fine with me but I would love to speak another one. But never blame Irish itself for why no body uses it, English is more practical, Irish should have been thought the same as English and along side it, not separately. I feel it would have made it practical, Irish that is.


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    #25
    Rothko
    Registered Users Posts: 12,840 ✭✭✭✭Rothko


    511 wrote: »
    Let it die, Irish people generally seem to have less brain cells than other Western European states. I would have preferred if my time in religion and Irish class was spent on more useful subjects.

    What do you base that on?


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    #26
    darkpagandeath
    Closed Accounts Posts: 24,465 ✭✭✭✭darkpagandeath


    It has already.


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    #27
    Day Lewin
    Registered Users Posts: 4,603 ✭✭✭Day Lewin


    Every language is a uniquely human achievement, a carrier of culture, learning, humour, song and oral history. Not to mention communication.
    Many languages have never been written down at all...many are only spoken by handfuls of people in remote places.
    But they are all treasures and it is a tragedy for even one to go extinct.
    I'd be appalled if we lost our uniquely beautiful and ancient language, but I doubt it will ever happen: Sure, there are always whingers, but many of us love it too.


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    #28
    learn_more
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,520 ✭✭✭learn_more


    I'm more concerned with Elephants and Rhinos becoming extinct , than a language.

    Egyptian Hieroglyphs are extinct, but who could care less.


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    #29
    Pugzilla
    Site Banned Posts: 1,765 ✭✭✭Pugzilla


    The world would be better with just one language.


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    #30
    wakka12
    Registered Users Posts: 9,786 ✭✭✭wakka12


    Pugzilla wrote: »
    The world would be better with just one language.

    Would it? I like the diversity of languages in the world, its beautiful


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    #31
    learn_more
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,520 ✭✭✭learn_more


    Pugzilla wrote: »
    The world would be better with just one language.

    It would still be the same overall.

    We would still have sunsets and rainbows.


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