Visting the Gaeltachts

ancapailldorcha · 15-08-2018 11:35am

Hector Bellend wrote: »

Perhaps you'll discuss it in Irish. Oh wait.

Banned.

MilfordBud · 15-08-2018 11:46am

Reati wrote: »

It requires a stronger will than partial classical language education and learning of poems. For example if all schools were thought 50 50 through Irish and English, if RTÉ had more either Irish language shows with English subs or vice versa. This is something Iceland has and many of them speak fluent English, with an American twang.

Immersion is the lacking factor. Irish could be a daily spoken language within 2 decades by a majority of the younger population if the right will and weight was thrown behind it. It's again not a priority for the government and attempts to push its priority up is met with mindless aggressive commentary about dead languages and a waste. Its almost like the brits embedded the concept that its a language of the poor and peasant class deep in the Irish psyche.

My friend's 4 year old son does two days schooling through French and two through Occitan in the south of France. 5th day given to sport and cultural activities. This continues until they are 9. It's a new enough policy and neither of the parents speak Occitan nor would they be too pushed about it either way. It probably helps that Occitan, like Catalan is a lot more similar to French/Spanish than Irish to English.

Reati · 15-08-2018 12:01pm

MilfordBud wrote: »

My friend's 4 year old son does two days schooling through French and two through Occitan in the south of France. 5th day given to sport and cultural activities. This continues until they are 9. It's a new enough policy and neither of the parents speak Occitan nor would they be too pushed about it either way. It probably helps that Occitan, like Catalan is a lot more similar to French/Spanish than Irish to English.

Don't say that to a Catalan person. They don't like that! :P

Anyway, agree. Similarity helps but immersion is the key.

My family lived in Spain. We never had a lesson or word of Spanish. Within a year we could all hold conversation on everyday things with no problem. Everyone is back here now years and not one can remember a word of it! We don't speak it anymore and "forgot" it. Though, it'd come back fast i'm sure.

Same with a guy in work. He spoke 6 languages at one point but after years living here working in a job that doesn't require him to speak 6 he is only says he is only fluent in his native one and English but again I'd see it coming back fast if he had too. It's actually being around people who speak more languages that I have fingers on one hand that made me realise how disgraceful it is we can't speak our own language. You'd not see the comments we have here from peopel in Barcelona about Catalan.

The thread does show some of the attitudes Irish has to overcome. This isn't a dig at people, it's a fact of how people view it. The waste of money is a classic argument. There is massive waste throughout public spending and vastly larger and worse ones than can be attributed to activities related to Irish yet it's easy to pick on due to it's low usage. That's not to say there isn't waste and the removal of bilingual signs are a valid point that I, even as a passionate Irish speaker, do not agree with.

Anyway, don't worry, given the current trends Irish will not be spoken outside the academic setting in 30 years. When everyone is getting all nostalgic about why didn't someone do something we can look back on these threads and remember the good times!

15-08-2018 12:06pm

To go back to the original question:

If you are studying in UL, then you probably are best to go for a Gaeltacht where Munster Irish is spoken.

While Dingle is a Gaeltacht, you are far better off going much further west of Dingle and deep into Corca Dhuibhne, where Irish is very much the everyday language of the local people, particularly in Baile an Fheirtéaraigh, Baile na nGall and Feothanach. The Irish can naturally be diluted by the number of tourists in the area, but they speak a beautifully natural Irish there.

I stayed in Feothanach last summer for two weeks in a house where they speak nothing but Irish and my Irish came on more in that time than it did in a year studying it before then. There is nothing like being immersed in a language to learn it and love it.

I was in Ring, Co. Waterford a few weeks ago on a course, and while it is a lovely spot, the amount of Irish spoken there is pretty negligible.

I have no experience of the Muskerry Gaeltacht in Cork so am not qualified to comment on it.

Go n-éirí leat.

Squeeonline · 15-08-2018 1:18pm

I'd hear irish spoken daily in NUIG. A little less often but still frequently around the city. Diverse demographics speaking too in terms of age, old and young.

badtoro · 15-08-2018 3:07pm

Hector Bellend wrote: »

I have no problem with anyone else learning a dead language that nobody speaks in public and hasnt done in any meaningful way in my lifetime.

That's a whole truck load of ignorance.

uch · 15-08-2018 3:19pm

Hector Bellend wrote: »

Perhaps I'll crack one off in Irish.

Oh wait. I dont know what **** is in irish.

Bualadh Bod

boardise · 15-08-2018 4:02pm

Ag bean an Ard-Mhéara anois
Bhí brillín có mór le Sliabh Mis;
Ag an Méara ,an boc,
Bhí bod mar chnoc
-Téann an bheirt acu a' dreapadh gan chis.

chupacabra · 15-08-2018 4:21pm

In my experience the most interesting of the Gaeltacht areas are the Aran Islands. They have a unique dialect and its used heavily as a working language there. People on the islands are a very curious sort who are more than happy to converse away to you as Gaelige. Having grown up in the west of Kerry I have say the language there is definitely disappearing. Still going strong in areas to the north west on the peninsula and Baile an Fheirtéaraigh though.

mr chips · 15-08-2018 4:39pm

uch wrote: »

Hector Bellend wrote: »

Perhaps I'll crack one off in Irish.

Oh wait. I dont know what **** is in irish.

Bualadh Bod

Ag bualadh feola = **** ("beating meat")
Buailteoir feola = wanker ("beater of meat")

badtoro · 15-08-2018 6:44pm

Sycamore Tree wrote: »

The Irish lobby is powerful though.

I agree completely about the signs, bilingual were grand.

On the Irish lobby, there are daily Irish speakers as a first language then there are the fanatics. For example I know we looked at getting our son into a creche but because I don't have Irish (but it's his mother's 1st language) our son would be segregated from children both of who's parents speak Irish.

Kinda puts signs in the ha'penny place.

Jimbob1977 · 15-08-2018 6:48pm

The Aran Islands

Connemara around Spiddal and Inverin

Ring in Waterford

Parts of Donegal

Dingle Peninsula

I'd expect some of these places are no longer Fior Gaeltacht, though.

retalivity · 15-08-2018 7:25pm

I can speak for Donegal, having grown up in the gaeltacht there.
The gaeltacht stretches round the coast from Rosapenna to Kilcar for the most part, with the exception of a few areas like Dunfanaghy, and Portnoo. By far the strongest areas where it is used daily are in Gweedore, Glencolumbkille, and parts of the Rosses & Cloughaneely either side of gweedore. Go into a pub round there at the weekend and you'll hear Irish spoken, young and old, and be answered back to you if you speak it as well. Ta neart thart ata ag labhairt gaeilge.

Was in dingle a few weekends ago, and was expecting to speak Irish, but didnt hear anyone speaking it at all. Prob due to the fact its a height of tourist season. For some reason iI thought the Kerry gaeltacht was bigger, but its really only the end of that peninsula.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 15-08-2018 7:28pm

Jimbob1977 wrote: »

The Aran Islands

Connemara around Spiddal and Inverin

Ring in Waterford

Parts of Donegal

Dingle Peninsula

I'd expect some of these places are no longer Fior Gaeltacht, though.

I'd go with that but take out Dingle where it only seems to be put on for the tourists.

zapitastas · 15-08-2018 7:30pm

Hector Bellend wrote: »

Oh no. I think it is.

I want to hear all about the widespread conversations that you've all been having with each other through the glorious dead language of Irish.

I'll just remove my head from my English speaking arse over here.

There are plenty of pubs where there are Irish nights where you can have a few drinks and converse in Irish. Is far from dead given the growing popularity of gaelscoils.

ArtyC · 15-08-2018 8:17pm

mr chips wrote: »

Ag bualadh feola = **** ("beating meat")
Buailteoir feola = wanker ("beater of meat")

It's actually fein truailliú

Which translates to self pollution

Best of luck OP , sad you can't ask a simple question
Without being subjected to a load of rubbish.

Had he asked where best to learn origami would
There be this abuse

boardise · 15-08-2018 8:53pm

Well there are probably more speakers of Origami .

mr chips · 15-08-2018 8:59pm

ArtyC wrote: »

mr chips wrote: »

Ag bualadh feola = **** ("beating meat")
Buailteoir feola = wanker ("beater of meat")

It's actually fein truailliú

Which translates to self pollution

Both are correct.:) "Féintruailliú" is the term used by those who would frown on such perverted practice, the other is the more informal/colloquial.

ArtyC · 15-08-2018 9:20pm

boardise wrote: »

Well there are probably more speakers of Origami .

Pissing around making paper shapes wouldn't
Get people's goats up like this, it's pathetic .

I don't particularly like darts, I don't bomb into
Any dart related discussion calling ppl out for
Liking it.

boardise · 15-08-2018 9:59pm

With all due respect ArtyC -the presence and impact of the game of darts is of an infinitesimal order compared to the presence and impact of the remnants of the Gaeltachtaí on the public discourse ,policy and national budget in the Rep.of Ireland. ..thus making your comparison a thoroughly inappropriate one.

benneca1 · 15-08-2018 10:07pm

boardise wrote: »

With all due respect ArtyC -the presence and impact of the game of darts is of an infinitesimal order compared to the presence and impact of the remnants of the Gaeltachtaí on the public discourse ,policy and national budget in the Rep.of Ireland. ..thus making your comparison a thoroughly inappropriate one.

Féin t*******dóir den chéad scoth

FunkyDa2 · 15-08-2018 10:26pm

mazwell wrote: »

I speak it. My family speak it. And everyone in my area speaks it.
Come to west Donegal op. I suspect well have a different dialect to yours but we'll help you out

Last week, I overheard two passing motorists, who had stopped at Magheraroarty pier, engaged in conversation "as Gaeilge". I have some "school" Irish, but I had difficulty following their chat. And they were locals, one in a Nissan Note, and the other in a Berlingo.

jimbobaloobob · 15-08-2018 10:36pm

OP worth listening to radio na gaeltachta too. You'll hear formal and informal Irish, basic stuff you can make out from listening to any radio station (people and song introductions). News and current affairs. This will all help with you learning, all the dialects aswell.

ArtyC · 15-08-2018 10:42pm

boardise wrote: »

With all due respect ArtyC -the presence and impact of the game of darts is of an infinitesimal order compared to the presence and impact of the remnants of the Gaeltachtan the public discourse ,policy and national budget in the Rep.of Ireland. ..thus making your comparison a thoroughly inappropriate one.

The OP wanted to know about which Gaeltacht would be best to practise in.

You know well what I meant, any thing mentioned
About the Irish language and there's nasty ass
Comments that aren't warranted for those who wish to
Learn or keep it. Why click on a thread if it's of no interest to you??
Money is pissed around in our national budget on worse than
The Irish language. It baffles me why it gets people's knickers in such a twist.

boardise · 16-08-2018 12:02am

I'm afraid I must correct you there benny boy -the second element in the compound word you were searching for would be 'truaillitheoir' . You were ,no doubt, unsure of the structure and spelling -hence the unnecessary resort to a string of asterisks .
Should you need further help with any aspect of the history ,syntax , phonology, morphology or sociolinguistics of Gaelic -I shall be more than happy to assist in dispelling the fog of your ignorance...there being no guarantee at all,of course, that this might be accomplished.

LeinsterDub · 16-08-2018 3:23am

mazwell wrote: »

You'd be wrong there. Speaking as a native speaker of Irish

Then you should be more understanding and attempt to help those learning. You're part of the problem

Sycamore Tree · 16-08-2018 11:51am

ArtyC wrote: »

Pissing around making paper shapes wouldn't
Get people's goats up like this, it's pathetic .

I don't particularly like darts, I don't bomb into
Any dart related discussion calling ppl out for
Liking it.

Aragh will you give up your oul sins. This is After Hours, there is no need to be so precious.

boardise · 16-08-2018 1:16pm

Tráthnóna maith agaibh go léir a cháirde....

Just for a piece of crack/fun/divilment (sic)...here's a vocabulary 'test' for all you Gaelic enthusiasts.

How many of these words do you understand ?

Mainnitheoir ;Dreasacht ;Tíolaic ;Bonneager;Matán;Seachthoradh;Díolúint ; Antasubstaint ;Amhchamras;Fianán ?

I would have only got two myself.

If the OP is still looking in -I would suggest he try these out on any native speakers he happens across in whatever region he chooses to visit. It would be interesting to see what the best score might be.

feargale · 18-08-2018 2:04pm

whisky_galore wrote: »

They only speak it to get the free money and grants.

That would be highly unusual in this land of ours, somebody doing something for free money and grants.

Beanntraigheach · 18-08-2018 3:46pm

boardise wrote: »

Tráthnóna maith agaibh go léir a cháirde....

Just for a piece of crack/fun/divilment (sic)...here's a vocabulary 'test' for all you Gaelic enthusiasts.

Why do you consistently use "Gaelic" to refer to the language?

How many of these words do you understand ?

Mainnitheoir ;Dreasacht ;Tíolaic ;Bonneager;Matán;Seachthoradh;Díolúint ; Antasubstaint ;Amhchamras;Fianán ?

I would have only got two myself.

If the OP is still looking in -I would suggest he try these out on any native speakers he happens across in whatever region he chooses to visit. It would be interesting to see what the best score might be.

Would you expect that native speakers should know these words?
Most of them are recent coinages, used only by translators and those involved in specific fields.

For what it's worth, I (a learner) recognised Tíolaic and Matán. The meaning of Antasubstaint and Amhchamras was obvious enough. I understood the make-up of Bonneagar and Seachthoradh but had to confirm the exact meaning. Didn't know the others.

feargale · 23-08-2018 11:43pm

boardise wrote: »

Tráthnóna maith agaibh go léir a cháirde....

Just for a piece of crack/fun/divilment (sic)...here's a vocabulary 'test' for all you Gaelic enthusiasts.

How many of these words do you understand ?

Mainnitheoir ;Dreasacht ;Tíolaic ;Bonneager;Matán;Seachthoradh;Díolúint ; Antasubstaint ;Amhchamras;Fianán ?

I would have only got two myself.

If the OP is still looking in -I would suggest he try these out on any native speakers he happens across in whatever region he chooses to visit. It would be interesting to see what the best score might be.

Try these ones out to test somebody's fluency in English: patroiophobia, asseverate, formicary, kurash, acrotism, affiche, killock, alum, garrulous, knosp, conventicle, illecebrous.

Arcade_Tryer · 23-08-2018 11:47pm

gormdubhgorm wrote: »

I can never fully understand how Hungary succeeded where Ireland failed.
It must be because of population size?
Or is it historical factors like how Irish was viewed as backward?
One of my Great-Grandfathers had no English!
It is kind of sad how a language can be systematically attacked, first by foreign powers then attacked by societal pressure.

Pressure to learn the language?

mariaalice · 24-08-2018 9:25am

The OP is doing in wrong, first off if they have a little bit of Irish join an Irish speaking group the type that meat for a coffee or a pint and a chat in Irish.

Going to Dingle and expecting to here Irish is maybe not the way to go about it either, did the OP greet anyone or start a conversation as Gaeilge?

feargale · 24-08-2018 1:38pm

Arcade_Tryer wrote: »

Pressure to learn the language?

OP opened this thread with a simple enquiry, to find the thread flooded with opinions on the Irish language and government policy on same. There are other threads for discussing those issues, and if they do not meet the naysayers' requirements they are free to open fresh threads. Their complaints are off-topic here and it is simply unfair to OP to flood his thread with this stuff. He has expressed no opinion on government policy and he is not responsible for it.

As another poster has aptly put it:

ArtyC wrote: »

Best of luck OP , sad you can't ask a simple question
Without being subjected to a load of rubbish.
Had he asked where best to learn origami would
There be this abuse

If OP expressed an interest in learning German would the sins of the Nazis be laid at his feet?
If he enquired about learning Latin would he be saddled with the clerical child abuse issue? Oh wait, boards being boards, and assóles being assóles he probably would.
Cop yourselves on for Christ's sake.

gormdubhgorm · 29-08-2018 12:18pm

Arcade_Tryer wrote: »

Pressure to learn the language?

Yes, Irish was viewed as the poor man's language and to be upwardly mobile people learnt English.
There is still a hangover of that attitude, where Irish is viewed as inferior to English by it's detractors.
(much as this thread proves)
When in reality it is just a language like any other.

When a person in Ireland wants to learn Irish he is generally laughed at by a certain cohort.
It is almost a reverse cultural thing similar to those who say they don't want to drink.
They are made to feel there is something wrong with them.
That is fairly pathetic in my view.
That is the societal pressure I am referring to.
I hope the OP enjoys improving his Irish and it should give him/her some insight into real Irish culture and heritage.
There are turns of phrase in Irish that are never the same when translated from Irish.
For me that is the fun part discovering another view of the world through language.
Good luck with it OP.

Taytoland · 29-08-2018 3:28pm

It's not Irish, it's Gaelic.

feargale · 29-08-2018 4:09pm

Taytoland wrote: »

It's not Irish, it's Gaelic.

Shows how much you know, Mr. Tattooland.

ConnyMcDavid · 29-08-2018 4:11pm

Unless you're going to school or mass you won't hear any Irish being spoken in a "Gaeltacht".

lmimmfn · 29-08-2018 4:26pm

ConnyMcDavid wrote: »

Unless you're going to school or mass you won't hear any Irish being spoken in a "Gaeltacht".

Lol@ignorance, nice trolling

jimbobaloobob · 29-08-2018 5:14pm

ConnyMcDavid wrote: »

Unless you're going to school or mass you won't hear any Irish being spoken in a "Gaeltacht".

you might think you were stuck in school or mass in my locality so. Nice unfounded opinion there though.

DChancer · 29-08-2018 6:31pm

Nich sprichen ze gaelish
Mind you neither does anyone else that I know

feargale · 29-08-2018 8:33pm

DChancer wrote: »

Nich sprichen ze gaelish
Mind you neither does anyone else that I know

Some don't speak much German either.

lmimmfn · 29-08-2018 8:37pm

DChancer wrote: »

Nich sprichen ze gaelish
Mind you neither does anyone else that I know

Wrong thread