If you heard people in a pub, restaurant etc speaking Irish....

Coeurdepirate wrote: »

I'd probably laugh at all of the English words that are just thrown in/turned into Irish words e.g. instead of ag seilg, hunting would be ag huntáil :P

why that would be a terrible faux pas...


QED

If they're talking among themselves then whatever, let them to it.

On the other hand, if they're doing it very, very loudly to make sure everybody can hear they're speaking Irish, then that's pretty obnoxious. And if they're doing it in our company, then they can get f*cked - it is incredibly rude to deliberately speak in a language that might not be common to all present, regardless of what that language might be.

Mr Keek wrote: »

That's just plain rude, I would never do that to another person if I could speak Irish and met another Irish speaker who was in mid conversation with another person that didn't speak it. Has only ever happened with these two particular people though, all the other Irish speakers I know actually have manners.

I've seen it happen a few times, and it boggles my mind. Any other country in Europe, everybody seems to understand this concept, I've never seen anybody but Irish speakers do it so casually. Maybe people who speak French or German or whatever might be a bit more used to the etiquette of dealing with mixed language company than many Irish speakers? Maybe Irish speakers are just so relieved to have a chance to exercise their Irish muscles that they don't stop to think? I don't know.

I actually have a decent comprehension of Irish, so I can follow the conversation if I have to, but the rudeness of it in the first place puts me right off. I don't for one second believe that it's a question of them assuming that everybody is fluent, which is what's so obnoxious about it.

To be fair, in some cases at least, I think it's just misguided attempt to support the language. Well intended perhaps, but no less infuriating for all that. I don't mean to say it's entirely unique to Irish speakers of course, but it does seem to be far more common with them than it should be. I suspect it might be a matter of ignorance than deliberate rudeness - it just doesn't occur to them that it might be a rude thing to do.

The point is, don't do this, ever, in any language. You might as well physically turn your backs to everybody else at the table and start whispering to each other.

Somewhat ironically, or not, I have no idea what you mean by that.

Oh what we have here is a failure to communicate.

neil_hosey wrote: »

why that would be a terrible faux pas...


QED

Sorry, but I don't have a clue what you're on about

curlzy wrote: »

I do have a problem with Irish speakers speaking Irish and leaving non-Irish speakers out of the conversation. I've a french friend who understandabley doesn't speak Irish and she was out in a group who decided to start speaking Irish, she asked them to stop but they wouldn't so she sat there like a tool until she said "ah **** this" and went home. It's just ****ing rude, but the "oh it's our national language" seems to take precedence over manners when it comes to some Irish speakers for some reason .

:rolleyes: I look forward to my next trip to France when the natives will happily converse with me in my chosen tongue. And nice to know that 'English speakers' are paragons of manners and linguistic respect wherever they are in the world, just dying to speak the local lingo and not expecting the natives to speak English. Oh no. :rolleyes:

It's easy to see how singling out Irish speakers as unique in this respect makes you more comfortable in your own anglophone prejudices. When it comes to sheer arrogance and unmannerly behaviour in communicative languages, English speakers and French speakers are infamously ill-mannered. But let's make Irish speakers your little bogey. :rolleyes:

I would feel a sense of pride and shame at the same time because a) it is great to hear our national language still spoken but b) because I cannot speak Irish fluently and it has become a secret language nowadays

Myself and the girlfriend and a few mates were in an offie one night getting drink and they are all fluent Irish Speakers from Tory Island (I’m not!) some other lad comes in fairly hammered and hears them talk and starts attempting a terrible borat yesh a mesh kinda thing. We look at him and ignore him and he keep son at it and eventually I ask what the hell is he at and he looks at us and goes “Ya know, Polish.. aren’t yous speaking polish you ****ers this is Ireland go home” oh how his face dropped when one of the lads (who towered over him) quietly corrected him saying we were Irish were speaking Irish and maybe he should f off. The one behind the counter thought it was brilliant and was pissing herself. Good night was had!

I'd eavesdrop and see if I could understand!