Why do you hate Irish?

All those people who complain about TG4 were probably glued to seachtar na cásca or similar programs but too afraid to admit it.

From what I can see TG4 make outstanding documentaries mostly as Gaeilge such as seachtar, far better than RTE ever did. In fact documentary making is all but dead on RTE 1 and RTE 2, or usually just a buy in from the BBC while Cathal O'Shannon and Eamonn De Butler were never properly replaced. RTE 1 and RTE 2 now consists of wall to wall American and British programs, reality TV, and lifestyle programs.

TG4 is vastly superior particularly when it comes to home grown programs than the main RTE channels. It more than justifies itself, except in the eyes of the Irish language haters who of course will always hate it, probably because its not based in Dublin. To hell or Connnacht is the view of many as evidenced by some on this thread.

maudgonner

ancapailldorcha wrote: »

The BBC is publicly funded by the licence fee, not the government. It also makes an abundance of high quality of programming which is often exported round the world either directly or as regional adaptations further increasing its capacity to cater to minority groups. TG4 on the other hand is a publicly funded parasite which, if it were not for sports and Westerns for older fellas would have nothing worthy for broadcast at all.

Regardless whether your argument about the finances might have any worth, you completely invalidated it with that last statement.

Even many people who hate Irish and don't agree with any state support, will agree that TG4 produce some fantastic quality programming, very efficiently. Have you ever actually watched enough of the output to make your sweeping statement, or is your disgust clouding up your blinkers too much?

(Take a gander at the Rebellion thread over in the TV forum if you want an example - plenty of people are highly critical of Rebellion, and I have seen nothing but praise there for the TG4 documentary series on the Rising).

Shep_Dog

Shurimgreat wrote: »

States coffers? A minute ago you said TG4 is funded by the TV licence and not the government. Which is it? Is it TV licence funded or funded from state coffers.

Both.

In 2012 it got 9.25m from TV license funds, 32.5m direct from the government and 7.7m in support from RTE.

A measure of the station's unpopularity is the measly 1.76m it got from advertising, even that was presumably, mostly for ads during the popular English-language programmes it shows. For comparison, RTE1 has commercial income of 65m.

That's 40m in subsidy, so it's not surprising that Irish language enthusiasts think some of TG4's original content is very good.

Shep_Dog wrote: »

Both.

In 2012 it got 9.25m from TV license funds, 32.5m direct from the government and 7.7m in support from RTE.

A measure of the station's unpopularity is the measly 1.76m it got from advertising, even that was presumably, mostly for ads during the popular English-language programmes it shows. For comparison, RTE1 has commercial income of 65m.

That's 40m in subsidy, so it's not surprising that Irish language enthusiasts think some of TG4's original content is very good.

And yet in terms of content its in my view vastly superior to rte. Leaving aside the language its a much better station than rte 1 and rte 2 who rely heavily on popular imports as opposed to home grown documentaries and the like. As maudgonner said seachtar has been widely acclaimed. Not only that but tg4 are producing brilliant documentary after brilliant documentary about 1916. The one about cumman na mban another example the other night.

The real question is why do rte get away with importing foreign series sit coms documentaries Top Gear and so on while also giving us mediocre home grown stuff fronted by darcy, duffy and tubridy.

Oranage2

BoatMad wrote: »

Ive never watched or seen TG4

Same enough boat and I went to a gaelscoil

Rte2, 2fm and possibly Lyric fm would be bigger candidates for wasting the licence fee, particularly 2fm which is loss making and whose content is done far better on other national and local stations.

So the argument for TG4 hinges on an error I made in a post? Absurd. A few decent programmes is not nearly enough. Fortunately, I don't pay for it.

Melodeon

BoatMad wrote: »

Ive never watched or seen TG4

I only ever watch it for the rugby, and even then it's only as a last resort if I can't get it elsewhere.
I might watch it a bit more if they'd provide an English language commentary on the red button though, as S4C and BBC Alba usually do.

ancapailldorcha wrote: »

So the argument for TG4 hinges on an error I made in a post? Absurd. A few decent programmes is not nearly enough. Fortunately, I don't pay for it.

The argument was the bbc and british government fund and subsidise minority language channels.

When the bbc do it its thought of as great. When we do it its thought of as outrageous, etc.

Shurimgreat wrote: »

The argument was the bbc and british government fund and subsidise minority language channels.

When the bbc do it its thought of as great. When we do it its thought of as outrageous, etc.

Another deflection. The BBC make quality programming which increases its revenue for these expenses. RTÉ only produce drivel barring precious few exceptions.

ancapailldorcha wrote: »

Another deflection. The BBC make quality programming which increases its revenue for these expenses. RTÉ only produce drivel barring precious few exceptions.

And how does rte making drivel have anything to do with tg4? They are by and large separate organisations, different staff, producers, etc. It so happens tg4 make quality programs on a shoe string while rte make 'drivel' as you say on a huge budget. How does it make sense to penalise tg4 and reward rte?

And again if its ok for the bbc why is it wrong for us? You said yourself the bbc are vastly superior to rte.

maudgonner wrote: »

Regardless whether your argument about the finances might have any worth, you completely invalidated it with that last statement.

Even many people who hate Irish and don't agree with any state support, will agree that TG4 produce some fantastic quality programming, very efficiently. Have you ever actually watched enough of the output to make your sweeping statement, or is your disgust clouding up your blinkers too much?

(Take a gander at the Rebellion thread over in the TV forum if you want an example - plenty of people are highly critical of Rebellion, and I have seen nothing but praise there for the TG4 documentary series on the Rising).

Indeed maudgonner. Some people can't be pleased. Tg4 are doing a great job re the 1916 Rising and have been complimented by many. In contrast RTE's coverage has been average at best. Rebellion was a decent effort but you get the feeling that a lot of people in rte are not that keen on celebrating 1916. If they were given the option of producing some new quality documentaries or drama about Irish related subjects such as 1916 or broadcasting a series of Friends re-runs, Friends would get the nod everytime.

Shurimgreat wrote: »

Indeed maudgonner. Some people can't be pleased.

Almost as if I resent people being forced to fund lavish attempts to revive a long dead language.

ancapailldorcha wrote: »

Almost as if I resent people being forced to fund lavish attempts to revive a long dead language.

You really are the master of exageration and hyberbole like most of the anti irish brigade. Irish is still spoken daily by thousands if not tens of thousands of people.

With statements like this you do your argument no service and whatever credibility you had vanishes in a flash.

ancapailldorcha wrote: »

Almost as if I resent people being forced to fund lavish attempts to revive a long dead language.

You'd think a mod would do some research before posting nonsence on one of his/her forums..

Irish is not a dead langauge.

Shurimgreat wrote: »

You really are the master of exageration and hyberbole like most of the anti irish brigade. Irish is still spoken daily by thousands if not tens of thousands of people.

With statements like this you do your argument no service and whatever credibility you had vanishes in a flash.

Proof?

Caoimhgh1n wrote: »

You'd think a mod would do some research before posting nonsence on one of his/her forums..

Irish is not a dead langauge.

Got anything to back that up with?

ancapailldorcha wrote: »

Got anything to back that up with?

I hope you are joking.

I'll take that as nothing. As per usual.

ancapailldorcha wrote: »

I'll take that as nothing. As per usual.

Thousands of people speak irish at home daily, and up to 300,000 if not more people use it weekly outside of the education system. This information is widely available.

thattequilagirl

ancapailldorcha wrote: »

I'll take that as nothing. As per usual.

Bhfeidir go duirt tu cheana fein, ach cen faith a bhfuil d'ainm as gaeilge?

Maybe this has already been said, but why is your username Irish?

Caoimhgh1n wrote: »

Thousands of people speak irish at home daily, and up to 300,000 if not more people use it weekly outside of the education system. This information is widely available.

If it is so easily available then why not post a source?

I can't get links on my phone, but maybe you could post a source that shows it's dead, which I think you'd find impossible unless An Rinn was bombed since I was there last week.

sryanbruen

Caoimhgh1n wrote: »

You'd think a mod would do some research before posting nonsence on one of his/her forums..

Irish is not a dead langauge.

If Irish is being spoken by people such as myself, it is 100% not a dead language. Like I'm actually spending my time talking Irish, researching Irish.. I even have me whole computer in Irish!

sryanbruen wrote: »

If Irish is being spoken by people such as myself, it is 100% not a dead language. Like I'm actually spending my time talking Irish, researching Irish.. I even have me whole computer in Irish!

I have my phone in Irish, and use it around the house and with Irish speaking friends daily.

Em... virtually all of Irish media is in English, schooling in Ireland is delivered through English and business in the country is delivered through English. Our state broadcaster communicates through English.

ancapailldorcha wrote: »

Em... virtually all of Irish media is in English, schooling in Ireland is delivered through English and business in the country is delivered through English. Our state broadcaster communicates through English.

That proves nothing. Ever hear of this thing called bilingualism?

Caoimhgh1n wrote: »

That proves nothing. Ever hear of this thing called bilingualism?

You still haven't backed up your 300,000 figure and now you're just clutching at straws. Yeah, if you speak it daily then it isn't technically dead but that's nowhere near justification for massive subsidies for unemployable, parasitic gombeens.

ancapailldorcha wrote: »

Em... virtually all of Irish media is in English, schooling in Ireland is delivered through English and business in the country is delivered through English. Our state broadcaster communicates through English.

Apart from tg4, radio na gaeltachta, nuacht and several irish newspapers, magazines and websites and tens of thousands of irish speakers...apart from all them..

ancapailldorcha wrote: »

You still haven't backed up your 300,000 figure and now you're just clutching at straws. Yeah, if you speak it daily then it isn't technically dead but that's nowhere near justification for massive subsidies for unemployable, parasitic gombeens.

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