Making your name Irish

Lockstep · 17-04-2008 10:54AM #1

I recently went to see some relatives who I hardly ever see.

Rich people, both parents work in the banks, live in a nice Dublin suburb and can't speak a word of Irish.

Found out that they had all changed their names to O' and Ni whatever.

Just wondering on other people's thoughts on people playing up the name when they have about as much Irish as an egg.

CountingCrows · 17-04-2008 10:57AM

Can't really blame them for trying to separate themselves from there West Brit neighbours

17-04-2008 10:59AM

I was at the Cuba comedy club in Galway a few years ago. There was an open-mic spot that was hilarious. He had a story bout how to change people's names into irish, by using fadas like Adolf O' Hitlér.

Sherifu · 17-04-2008 11:00AM

CountingCrows wrote: »

Can't really blame them for trying to separate themselves from there West Brit neighbours

Don't mind him, he's hungover :pac:

It's an image thing. I know a guy that changed the other way. Irish can be a bit unwieldy.

mikemac · 17-04-2008 11:00AM

Elitism.
Whereas once your relations could define themselves as being above others, now many ordinary people like tradesmen probably earn more than bank employees. So they want something different to show how sophisticated they are.

They same way you hear the stereotype about Oisin or Fiachra or even Sorcha as the fashionable names these days
(if I missed a fada, apologies)

Once Irish was seen as a language for the poor and associated with poverty and backwardness. But Gaelscoils are extremly succusful these days. Which is good imo

David McWilliams explained it all well in the Pope's Children

ergonomics · 17-04-2008 11:48AM

I am considering changing my second name to it's Irish equivalent, Ní Raghallaigh. I went to an all Irish school, and am now studying Irish in college. All my friends know me by my Irish second name, my bank account is under that name, my degree will come in that name. It's just easier.

Just letting you know we're not all elitist! For some it's a practical issue.

CountingCrows · 17-04-2008 11:51AM

ergonomics wrote: »

I am considering changing my second name to it's Irish equivalent, Ní Raghallaigh. I went to an all Irish school, and am now studying Irish in college. All my friends know me by my Irish second name, my bank account is under that name, my degree will come in that name. It's just easier.

Just letting you know we're not all elitist! For some it's a practical issue.

Kudos

Rb · 17-04-2008 11:52AM

Ugh, I hate these bunch of tossers. Particularly since not many can actually string a sentence of Irish together.

I had a theory that they're doing it to put more distance between themselves and our foreign nationals but micmclo is pretty dead on there too.

Micmclo: I've heard from a number of people that their kids are going to Gaelscoils purely so they're not educated with foreign children. It's a trend that's picking up speed as time goes on and I'm sure this is the only reason that people are doing it as not many people could give a f*ck about the Irish language these days.

CountingCrows · 17-04-2008 11:54AM

rb_ie wrote: »

I'm sure this is the only reason that people are doing it as not many people could give a f*ck about the Irish language these days.

Well if you say so :rolleyes:

ibuprofen · 17-04-2008 12:02PM

Why not. Don't see it as an issue .
I would also know lots of people who may not be fluent but would use a few words here and there in day to day conversation and they're from a rich southside Dublin suburb too

cornbb · 17-04-2008 12:06PM

For all the loud kerfuffle about how Irish is dead, is a waste of time etc, there is a surprising amount of people doing their bit to show their support for it. The idealist in me would like to believe that the OP's relatives changed their names to do this (although actually speaking the language might help some more), and the cynic in me suspects that it is just fashionable, like the Gaelscoileanna, as someone pointed out.

boneless · 17-04-2008 12:11PM

There was another person in my job with the same name as me so I changed to the Irish version of my name to avoid confusion... we kept getting mixed up on the pay roll.

all the stars · 17-04-2008 12:16PM

I think its just a good thing... i like my surmane in irish - though i dont use it.
Well, i think if your irish, if ya can use it in any way shape or form you should.. Whats wrong with being proud of your heritage... all the mad americans hanging onto their great grandmothers mother in law bein irish so they are 1/8 irish/scottish/spanish/ etc... they all want to be irish, so why shouldn't we be proud?

kevmy · 17-04-2008 12:17PM

Have to say my name sounds way cooler and much more original in Irish than it does in English.

Ya know Murphy doesn't really separate you from the crowd at all. Mind you I wouldn't bother me hole changing it

all the stars · 17-04-2008 12:20PM

cornbb wrote: »

the cynic in me suspects that it is just fashionable, like the Gaelscoileanna, as someone pointed out.

Well, i speak enough irish to get by, and when i have kids they will go to a gaelscoil - not coz its fashionable but because that is my way of being culturally aware. Im irish, i can speak it and so will my kids - then it will be effortless for them, not a subject thought in school as is currently done, they will have that with them as part of their identity as an irish person.. its not a bad thing. I wish i knew more languages!

Jigsaw · 17-04-2008 12:30PM

I don't think my name can be changed into Irish.

Defenestrate · 17-04-2008 12:44PM

If anyone wants to change their name to its Irish equivalent it's their right as Irish descendants etc... just dont expect anyone to spell your name right!

dsmythy · 17-04-2008 02:23PM

Fair play for them for doing it. Can't exactly criticise them. For people who do criticise them i don't understand why they take a such a strong view on it.

EamonnKeane · 17-04-2008 02:29PM

Our descendents changed our names from Irish to English in the first place due to the way the world was going, so we'd just be restoring the original

Irish Halo · 17-04-2008 02:32PM

rb_ie wrote: »

I've heard from a number of people that their kids are going to Gaelscoils purely so they're not educated with foreign children

Seriously? Why because they'll get the "furriner AIDS" or something

That is fecked up if I was ever stupid enough to ever procreate I'd have no problem with my children mixing with and you know maybe learning a bit about other cultures as opposed to the white middle class Christian thing the UK, Ireland and America have going on.

On topic my first name and surname have always been in Irish not because my parents have ideas above their station (they probably do) but because my surname even in English is basically the same as it is in Irish and my first name doesn't have an English version. I don't pronounce either in the Irish way and leave out the Fadas when writing them (I live in London, the English don't need the extra confusion).

Princess Consuela Bananahammock · 17-04-2008 02:58PM

This 'suburb' wouldn;t be D4 by any chance would it??

It's pretensiousness, end of. If they could speak Irish, fair enough, but my guess is that they'd have done it ages ago.

My name is so blatantly English there's no chance of it being changed into Irish. At primary school, I was belted for asking why my name was the same as another kid called "Brennan".

ojewriej · 17-04-2008 03:05PM

I changed my name to the Irish version. Back home I used to be know as just "jewriej".

rb_ie wrote: »

I've heard from a number of people that their kids are going to Gaelscoils purely so they're not educated with foreign children. It's a trend that's picking up speed as time goes on and I'm sure this is the only reason that people are doing it as not many people could give a f*ck about the Irish language these days.

I heard that too, some school master was talking about it on the Right Hook.
I wonder how much truth there is to it.

And if it's true, I wouldn't necessary call it ignorant or racist straight away. In many schools, teachers do have to spend more time with children who have little English, so the have less time for other pupils. I wouldn't blame parents for trying to get the best education they can get for their children.

Das Kitty · 17-04-2008 03:05PM

We were forced to have our names in Irish in school regardless of what was on our birth cert. Caused a world of pain when I got my passport for a school tour and later used it to go to the States. Try explaining why your ticket has one name and your Passport another to the immigration officials. In retrospect I should have put my Irish name on the ticket but it didn't occur to me.

My intended has an Irish surname, I've told him I'll only take the English equivalent because the Irish one gives me the initials MUC, or MUiC, so pig or pigs. No thanks.

Plus his English surname is money.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock · 17-04-2008 03:14PM

rb_ie wrote: »

Ugh, I hate these bunch of tossers. Particularly since not many can actually string a sentence of Irish together.

I had a theory that they're doing it to put more distance between themselves and our foreign nationals but micmclo is pretty dead on there too.

Micmclo: I've heard from a number of people that their kids are going to Gaelscoils purely so they're not educated with foreign children. It's a trend that's picking up speed as time goes on and I'm sure this is the only reason that people are doing it as not many people could give a f*ck about the Irish language these days.

So, after years where various education ministries have failed, immigrants and racism are succeding in bringing back the Irish language? How.... Irish.

Das Kitty · 17-04-2008 03:48PM

There are a good few gaelscoileanna now who have foreign children in them. There was a girl from Botswana four years behind be in primary school, I left in 1992. English was her third language!

Toto Wolfcastle · 17-04-2008 04:28PM

If the people cant speak Irish I'm going to guess it's more of a fashion thing, like they think an Irish name is better in some way.

They can do what they want really!

I spent 6 years being called by the Irish version of my name, Sinead, which is obviously very different to Jane and I hated it. There were about 6 Sineads (mostly Janes or Jeans!) in my year so it got confusing. It wasn't my name then nor will it ever be my name. Surnames are different though, and I suppose I wouldn't mind being called by my Irish surname but I like my surname in English so I'll be keeping it!

BlitzKrieg · 17-04-2008 04:35PM

Opposite end of the spectrum here

My name has no english version, Same with my sister and one of our cousins.

Toto Wolfcastle · 17-04-2008 04:40PM

BlitzKrieg wrote: »

Opposite end of the spectrum here My name has no english version, Same with my sister and one of our cousins.

Ya, I work with a girl who's the same. One of my students asked me what her name is in English and they couldn't understand why it couldn't be translated.

Spaceman Spiff · 17-04-2008 04:50PM

Das Kitty wrote: »

There are a good few gaelscoileanna now who have foreign children in them. There was a girl from Botswana four years behind be in primary school, I left in 1992. English was her third language!

Just you wait, there will be a Tomász O'Czerkawski working on a job site before the year is out.

BlitzKrieg · 17-04-2008 04:51PM

there are polish kids living on the aran islands who only know polish and irish, no english.

which sounds pretty cool to me.

EDIT: Whoot! This is my 7,000 post on boards.ie.

et tu life?

Princess Consuela Bananahammock · 17-04-2008 05:56PM

BlitzKrieg wrote: »

there are polish kids living on the aran islands who only know polish and irish, no english.

which sounds pretty cool to me.

...until they try and get a job somewhere other than Poland, the Aran Islands or Dingle.

Making your name Irish

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