Is Irish a Dead Language?

sdanseo · 07-12-2010 08:19PM

Wibbs wrote: »

This sentiment is why I can't abide some sections of this argument. It's utter BS for a start. If it's "intrinsic to the whole character of this country" then it would be spoken by significantly more people than it is. It's quite that simple. It's intrinsic to a small proportion of the citizens of this country alright and I wouldnt like to see it die out, but this "you're not Irish if you don't speak Irish/like GAA/Irish trad music does it no favours.

Don't get me wrong - I'm not saying that everyone should speak Irish or be fluent in it, and certainly don't suggest that anyone be forced to play or like GAA etc, personally I don't follow it at all.

What I'm suggesting is that as an Irish citizen, everyone should have a certain degree of respect for the language just like any other part of our heritage, and that laziness should simply not be a good enough reason to cast it to the dungheap.

Wagon wrote:

It's nice, it ain't dead but i could have been doing another subject i was good at in the LC instead of being taught this useless pile of tripe which cost me about 80 points. Turns out I didn't even need it in the end.

Irish is not the be all and end all of your education. I think it should be mandatory in second level, purely to keep it alive. It's ridiculouly easy to pass at ordinary level - a D3 in OL Irish is basicaly ticking the boxes in multiple choice questions for 20 minutes, a trained monkey could do the same - and once you do better in six other subjects your points won't be adversely affected. I can't abide that some people see it as a chore like that, though. I can understand that people want to prioritise subjects that will have a larger bearing on their adult life, and that's both a reasonable and sensible attitude. But the attitude that Irish is just not important and the simple fact that most people just can't be bothered to make time for it is unacceptable. It's easy to learn basic Irish, and at present that's all the ordinary level course is.

I didn't ace Irish by the way, I got a B3 in OL in the Leaving. I accredit that to the fact that I was put in the OL class pre Junior Cert and though I really wanted to, wasn't allowed back up to honours. The way the language is taught is fundamentally flawed as it's only the people who have a real passion for the language, or who are exceptionally talented, that do well at it.

Krusader · 07-12-2010 08:23PM

The thing about Irish is it will still be around for 100 years, long after me and you

07-12-2010 08:23PM

Some of the soundest, best craic people I know are Gaelgoiri.

Gaeilge = more drinking oppertunities = somethign to discuss over a pint = something to be defended at all costs!

Pace2008 · 07-12-2010 08:51PM

Deleted User wrote: »

Some of the soundest, best craic people I know are Gaelgoiri.

Gaeilge = more drinking oppertunities = somethign to discuss over a pint = something to be defended at all costs!

This is the strongest argument I've seen from the pro-Gaelic side so far.

Which say it all, really.

Enkidu · 07-12-2010 09:17PM

Japer wrote: »

Not only is it dead, its an ugly old language.

Japer wrote: »

Its ugly, its dead, get over it.

Is it gay as well? I can understand your frustration, but it seems a bit overboard to describe a language as ugly.

wow sierra · 07-12-2010 09:19PM

Paparazzo wrote: »

It's not a dead language, but a state funded language. I can speak enough to get by, but would dearly love to have the same knowledge in a useful language instead.
I spend a week in a gaeltach every year for the past 12 years and have yet to hear a local speak Irish there.

I find that surprising. Yeah you hear plenty of English in the Gaeltacht but Irish is quite widely used too. I can't believe that you have NEVER heard it in 12 years. I suppose it depends on who is around at the time - there is a tendency if there are any English speakers around to speak English. Most native speakers would speak a mixture of English and Irish depending on the circumstances. Some only ever speak Englsih when they have to to a tourist. It depends. A friend of mine from Conamara says there is a huge amount of Irish spoken socially in Galway city.

Anyway, no Irish isn't dead - it is the first language of a considerable number of Irish people.

Mind you Paparazzo you are contributing very well to the survival of the Language - Gaeltachts need to be a viable place to live economically so tourism is very important. Your contribution is very important.

Krusader · 07-12-2010 09:28PM

Enkidu wrote: »

Is it gay as well? I can understand your frustration, but it seems a bit overboard to describe a language as ugly.

It's a matter of taste, would I prefer a girl with a thick Dublin accent speaking sweet nothings in my ear in English or a Donegal gírseach doing the same in Irish.
I'd prefer the latter

FoxT · 07-12-2010 09:31PM

OOOOOHHHHHH

Irish is a dead language. And after the mugging we got today in the budget Irish is waayy up there on my list of things for the Govt to cease & desist spending money on.

FoxT · 07-12-2010 09:31PM

PS I'd prefer a girl with a French accent myself...

Krusader · 07-12-2010 09:32PM

FoxT wrote: »

PS I'd prefer a girl with a French accent myself...

but they have hairy armpits

DublinWriter · 07-12-2010 09:36PM

Is it just me, or does anyone else have a compulsive impulse to see a log of a cybersex session in Irish?

Would be far more interesting than Peig.

Ta me ag going like a steam engine.

Krusader · 07-12-2010 09:40PM

DublinWriter wrote: »

Is it just me, or does anyone else have a compulsive impulse to see a log of a cybersex session in Irish?

Would be far more interesting than Peig.

Ta me ag going like a steam engine.

Tá bosca mór fliuch salach agat, a leannán

sandmanporto · 07-12-2010 09:45PM

It is a dead language! And it has no place in the world to be honest. even members of stormfront.org who are Irish members who praise this language, cant speak it themselves!
Its a language for Irish nationalists extremists at this stage!

FoxT · 07-12-2010 09:50PM

Crosáidí wrote: »

but they have hairy armpits

Sin direach e!
Is brea liom les oxters francaise!

Enkidu · 07-12-2010 09:51PM

Crosáidí wrote: »

Tá bosca mór fliuch salach agat, a leannán

Tá mo fhaighin ina líbín baite.

Pace2008 · 07-12-2010 09:52PM

sdonn wrote: »

Irish is not the be all and end all of your education. I think it should be mandatory in second level, purely to keep it alive. It's ridiculouly easy to pass at ordinary level - a D3 in OL Irish is basicaly ticking the boxes in multiple choice questions for 20 minutes, a trained monkey could do the same - and once you do better in six other subjects your points won't be adversely affected.

That is not keeping the language alive. That is putting it on mechanical ventilation and feeding it through vital nutrients through an IV tube (at significant cost) because some people can't let go of something that once was but will never again be.

I didn't ace Irish by the way, I got a B3 in OL in the Leaving. I accredit that to the fact that I was put in the OL class pre Junior Cert and though I really wanted to, wasn't allowed back up to honours. The way the language is taught is fundamentally flawed as it's only the people who have a real passion for the language, or who are exceptionally talented, that do well at it.

I got a C1 in honours even though I didn't know what the play was about. I now can't speak a word of Irish because, like the majority of the country, I don't give a **** about it either way.

Krusader · 07-12-2010 09:56PM

Enkidu wrote: »

Tá mo fhaighin ina líbín baite.

Diúl mo bhod, a stór agus Téigh suas chuig mo bholg

Cú Giobach · 07-12-2010 10:21PM

Crosáidí wrote: »

Diúl mo bhod, a stór agus Téigh suas chuig mo bholg

Cosc ar Crosáidí.

Krusader · 07-12-2010 10:25PM

Is magadh fúm atá tú :cool:

deise go deo · 07-12-2010 10:35PM

Pace2008 wrote: »

That is not keeping the language alive. That is putting it on mechanical ventilation and feeding it through vital nutrients through an IV tube (at significant cost) because some people can't let go of something that once was but will never again be.

I agree, the current system dosent do anything to promote the use of Irish, The curriculum needs to be changed with much more focus on oral Irish, There is no point expecting people to apreaciate the beuity of a poem as Gaeilge before they can speak the language.

And I wouldent be so fast to calim that Irish can not be revived, There is no reason it cant, It just needs to be done properly

I got a C1 in honours even though I didn't know what the play was about. I now can't speak a word of Irish because, like the majority of the country, I don't give a **** about it either way.

Exactly, Pointless in the extream, The time would have been much better spent learning how to actually speak Irish so that some use could be gotten from it in Later life.
I dont think most Irish people dont give a **** about Irish, I think that given the oppertunity they would love to have learned to speak it properly in School.

Cú Giobach · 07-12-2010 10:57PM

Crosáidí wrote: »

Is magadh fúm atá tú :cool:

Comhrá faoi prátaí nó an feirm, ach gneas as Gaeilge, tut tut.

Go cúin;
Ár nAithair atá ar neamh........

sdanseo · 07-12-2010 11:04PM

sdonn wrote: »

Irish is not the be all and end all of your education. I think it should be mandatory in second level, purely to keep it alive. It's ridiculouly easy to pass at ordinary level

Pace2008 wrote: »

That is not keeping the language alive. That is putting it on mechanical ventilation and feeding it through vital nutrients through an IV tube (at significant cost) because some people can't let go of something that once was but will never again be.

deise go deo wrote: »

I agree, the current system dosent do anything to promote the use of Irish, The curriculum needs to be changed with much more focus on oral Irish, There is no point expecting people to apreaciate the beuity of a poem as Gaeilge before they can speak the language.

That's what I was getting at. The current system is useless, but easy to pass...the only way to change that attitude is to make it harder, but find a way to keep the rather inane befit that it currently has of keeping half our kids in education by being so easy (as we know, if you fail Irish you fail the Leaving).

But it should be kept alive through a reformed and competent curriculum at second level.

Paparazzo · 07-12-2010 11:12PM

wow sierra wrote: »

I find that surprising. Yeah you hear plenty of English in the Gaeltacht but Irish is quite widely used too. I can't believe that you have NEVER heard it in 12 years. I suppose it depends on who is around at the time - there is a tendency if there are any English speakers around to speak English. Most native speakers would speak a mixture of English and Irish depending on the circumstances. Some only ever speak Englsih when they have to to a tourist. It depends. A friend of mine from Conamara says there is a huge amount of Irish spoken socially in Galway city.

Anyway, no Irish isn't dead - it is the first language of a considerable number of Irish people.

Mind you Paparazzo you are contributing very well to the survival of the Language - Gaeltachts need to be a viable place to live economically so tourism is very important. Your contribution is very important.

I lied, I heard someone speak a sentence of Irish earlier this year. but me and my mate noted that it was the first bit of Irish we ever heard there.
I don't care what the language, it just happens that the gaeltach area has everything I'm looking for. Definitely recommended

Krusader · 07-12-2010 11:15PM

There's a mini-Gaeltacht up the road from you in Rath Cairn, also

deise go deo · 07-12-2010 11:19PM

Paparazzo wrote: »

I lied, I heard someone speak a sentence of Irish earlier this year. but me and my mate noted that it was the first bit of Irish we ever heard there.
I don't care what the language, it just happens that the gaeltach area has everything I'm looking for.

Your from Meath? There is a Gaelthacht in Meath. Is that the one you dident hear any Irish in?

Gaelthachts tend to be very rural places, Everyone there will most likely know each other, So when they meet someone they dont know they will naturaly assume you dont Have Irish and will speak English to you. If you talk in Irish with them though they will be able to speak back in Irish.

Insect Overlord · 08-12-2010 12:04AM

Paparazzo wrote: »

I lied, I heard someone speak a sentence of Irish earlier this year. but me and my mate noted that it was the first bit of Irish we ever heard there.
I don't care what the language, it just happens that the gaeltach area has everything I'm looking for. Definitely recommended

deise go deo wrote: »

Your from Meath? There is a Gaelthacht in Meath. Is that the one you dident hear any Irish in?

Gaelthachts tend to be very rural places, Everyone there will most likely know each other, So when they meet someone they dont know they will naturaly assume you dont Have Irish and will speak English to you. If you talk in Irish with them though they will be able to speak back in Irish.

I experienced the very same thing down in Dún Chaoin two months ago. Went down for a weekend with the class from college and a few of our lecturers. All the locals who showed up for the talks and presentations spoke Irish because they knew the people there had it. But, when we ventured as far as Feothanach for dinner, the lads behind the bar spoke Irish amongst themselves and English with us. Which was a bit disappointing, to say the least!

Enkidu · 08-12-2010 12:24AM

Crosáidí wrote: »

Diúl mo bhod, a stór agus Téigh suas chuig mo bholg

Ná lig mise i gcathú le do bhata mór! Diúltóidh mé, dá dheacracht é!

Anyway, enough of this racy stuff!

sandmanporto · 08-12-2010 12:36AM

Look I can see where this is going!
I know that if we were raised speaking Irish it would have been heavens gift! but unfortunately, due to historically significant factors, it has been ultimately replaced!
That is sad to me because I had a boss once who was Indian, and when I misread his instructions he had the cheek to ask me "do you speak english". Because Ireland was overrun by the British as was India, I felt assaulted(literally) by that comment; but if I had spoke Irish I would have let him known it was my native language and that of course I speak it!!
It's a real shame! But I couldnt understand a word of irish in school. I got laughed at because of my mock result, yet I done well in German and Swedish! It's the way it's taught! Obviously the people who wrote the syllabus had an easier influence from their background in Irish which created a solid foundation for their own childrens learning that didnt rub off on everyone else! thats why so many irish people "work" hard for an exemption! blame the people who write the syllabus!

FoxT · 08-12-2010 12:36AM

Enkidu wrote: »

Ná lig mise i gcathú leis do bhata mór! Diúltóidh mé, dá dheacracht é!

Anyway, enough of this racy stuff!

Brilliant!

Nil aon toin tin mar do thoin tinn fein:)

Enkidu · 08-12-2010 12:59AM

FoxT wrote: »

Brilliant!

Nil aon toin tin mar do thoin tinn fein:)

Níl aon duine ag tabhairt aire do mo thoin. Ba chóir duit é a dheanamh.

Is Irish a Dead Language?

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