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Why do you hate Irish?

LeinsterDub

Given the other thread it was surprising to the level of hatred for Irish. Having been over in Wales recently the English speakers would generally be apathetic to Welsh. No one seemed to hate it. Why do people hate a language so much?

Cen faith mar is fuair a lán daoine Gaeilge?

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whatismyname

I don't....?

Stheno

One word - Peig

mikeym

Its forced down us at Primary School level.

If you made it more fun for kids they might enjoy learning it.

Paz-CCFC

I love Irish. Is aoibhinn liom an Ghaoluinn.

The_Valeyard

Most younger people never did peig.

Just hated by a certain group. Seems to be tolerated by others. The Welsh do a good job of keeping their language going.

alias no.9

Irish is the medium, its totally benign, the subject matter that was pushed through Irish is what people resist and detest.

eviltwin

I don't hate it but I have no interest in it. It's not relevant to my life and I expect it's the same for most people.

[Deleted User]

I don't, I do hate people who hate it :P

tina1040

It has to be the way it's taught. You learn it every day for 8 years in primary and still can't have a simple conversation or understand any Nuacht on tv. It cant be the kids' fault.

SCOOP 64

Ha, the Irish language, thought you meant hate the irish by title.

Stheno

The_Valeyard wrote: »

Most younger people never did peig.

Just hated by a certain group. Seems to be tolerated by others. The Welsh do a good job of keeping their language going.

For me it's the way it was thought, over twenty years after I left school, I can still have a conversation in French or German, but Irish is beyond me, that's with five years of French and German and 13 of Irish.

jeremymurphy

Hatred doesn't kill a language as easily as apathy.

Charlie19

I don't even dislike it and I wish I paid more attention back when i was in school.

heroics

Hated learning it in school. Could not see the point. The way way it was thought was also a joke. Not relevant at all. I got a lot better results in German than Irish even though only learned it for 5 years.

I also resented that it was compulsory as I am not language orientated but would have preferred to do an additional science subject for the leaving cert instead.

I could understand maths and English being compulsory as they may have some use in the future but unless you want to teach Irish what's the point.

Orangebrigade

It is state propaganda forced upon people. You should not have to learn Irish if you don't want to. Not everyone is Gaelic in thinking and thinks the Irish language is what defines them. You would be better learning Chinese and investing money into languages which are relevant in the world.

What good is Irish going to do in the 21st century? Keep it as a hobby but it should not be state funded.

martyos121

I certainly don't hate it, I went to a Gaelscoil for national school and it really helped me all the way through to my Leaving Cert. Having our own language is something that should be treasured by all the people of Ireland, it's something not every country has (USA, Canada, most South American countries don't have their own) and it really should be the case where we can carry on with our everyday lives as Gaeilge and not be forced to speak English everywhere bar small parts of the country. Nothing against speaking English either since it's useful across the globe, but many people in EU countries like Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Belgium are bilingual so there isn't any excuse for us.

I would like to add though that even though I love the language and what it represents and how it gives our country its own identity, it should not be forced onto people who don't want to learn it, but it should be heavily encouraged.

The_Minister

I have a massive chip on my shoulder over having to learn that language.

It was the source of endless hours of suffering for me - I cannot put into words what a negative impact having to learn Irish had on my childhood, and that isn't an exaggeration.

It was taught in such an awful manner that my knowledge of French surpasses it by a mile, even though I put a fraction of the time into it.
It was the subject that made the least sense, took the most work, was the least fun and the least rewarding.
It shook my confidence in my intelligence, and made me feel like an idiot for at least an hour every day.
It took time from subjects with some usefulness and set back my academic life overall.
It represented hours of frustration and heartache, over something I knew all along was absolutely worthless.

I'm older now, and I no longer want to burn down the Gaeltacht, but the way the language is taught needs to be radically overhauled, in particular, not having the language taught by teachers with only a passing knowledge of the language.

LordSutch

I think a lot of the older generation really do hate Irish because of the way it was taught (and beaten into them) during the 1940s 50s 60s and 70s - ouch!

Not that the beating it into them worked, because mostly it didn't.

I don't hate Irish, but I think the Compulsory nature of its teaching 'post Inter Cert' needs to looked into.

RayM

LeinsterDub wrote: »

Why do people hate a language so much?

The policy of ramming it down people's throats, with the aim of ensuring that everyone can speak (literally) a 'cupla focal' hasn't helped. I like the language, but I've yet to hear a valid argument in favour of compulsory Irish in schools.

Shep_Dog

LeinsterDub wrote: »

Why do people hate a language so much?

Can you point to surveys or polls supporting your contention that people hate Irish?

Baggy Trousers

I actually think it sounds awful. Really rough. I never really wanted to speak it.
I was decent at it at school even though it was my least favourite subject.
It should not be mandatory in school.

ancapailldorcha

Well said, Minister. I don't think I ever "hated" Irish but I certainly resented having to "learn" it. Looking back there were dozens of practical and useful things I could have actually learned in its place. The worst thing is that the system isn't even structured to teach kids the language. It's there to funnel taxpayers money into the hands of inept morons who'd never be able to find work in another country.

Lights On

If so many people are coming out of school after spending the majority of their childhood and teenage years learning it, and not being able to speak much more than a few simple words and phrases, surely something is fundamental wrong with the way it's been taught?

DivingDuck

A few reasons.

1. I resent that I was forced to waste my time learning it at school when that time could have been better used on topics which would have been useful to me in adult life.

2. I resent the money spent on providing dual language options for everything from documents to signage in a country where I believe there are probably fewer than a handful of people who could not readily cope with same in English.

3. I resent that it seems to be given priority in some official circumstances, as this causes confusion (mainly road signage and the issue with Google maps).

I have no problem with Irish existing; I fully support it being available for those who would choose to learn it and use it as their secondary language for personal use, the same as any other language.

I resent it being forced on the majority at the behest of the minority, and at great expense and hassle to boot.

theteal

I don't, quite like it in fact. I spent many a summer up in Meenaclady in my youth. I also like the awkward silence when I accidentally blurt out the odd phrase in the office. . .tá brón orm mr/ms english person

Anyway, I think a lot of people hate it much like religion in that they see it as a waste of school hours.

ted1

I don't hate it. I only speak a cupla focail but me daughter is in senior infants in a gaelscoil. She was fluent by the Christmas in junior infants. It really demonstrates the power of learning through immersion. None if her other subjects have suffered as a result. I'd like to see more gaelscoil and Gael secondary schools.

Grandeeod

It was undoubtedly taught very poorly and under some kind of obligatory duress...but tá mé i ngrá as gaelige!

My daughter started second class in Ireland recently. She hadn't a word of Gaelige as we lived abroad. She loves it. Why? Because she had to learn a different lingo at the age of 4 and now this is something else new and she wants it.

My generation hated it because it was rammed down the throat. No fun or relevence attached to it at all.

mikeym

Lights On wrote: »

If so many people are coming out of school after spending the majority of their childhood and teenage years learning it, and not being able to speak much more than a few simple words and phrases, surely something is fundamental wrong with the way it's been taught?

Just goes to show the poor instruction from most of the teachers.

Its not being taught properly to kids leaving them confused and hating Irish.

Dughorm

This thread needs a poll..... lots of people don't hate it... unless they put down that they can speak Irish on the census but secretly hate it as well

A Rogue Hobo

I just don't understand it's purpose in today's society. And I never really got the whole arguement that it's our culture yada yada yada. Our culture is our personalities, our pastimes and art. Not a language that isn't used anymore.