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Original poster

AmericaniZation of Irish children's accents, outside of Dublin too or just in Dublin?

85 replies

Charismam · 27/01/2018 13:58

I was at an exhibition at my daughter's school, in South Dublin granted, but every single one of them who got up and spoke had an American accent, and one that went up at the end. One even referred to sneakers when she was talking about a trip that involved abseiling. It's a great school and I'm happy with it but I'm just wondering is this phenomenon happening in the wesht of Ireland or are you lot resisting better? Not one of them seemed capable of pronouncing a 't' properly. id was all wader boddle, liderally, todally...
One of the activities at the school is debating (debading) and the ones who are selected for being the most 'artikulid' do it too. There is no respite. It is so refreshing to hear a donegal accent or a cork accent that isn't a mangled hybrid of an accent. I realise older people have always believe young people can't speak, so I'm just observing with interest honestly. Languages and accents evolve, I know that.

OP posts:
Original poster
Charismam · 28/01/2018 15:37

Well there's an exclusion clause for people in Arklow, officially the most hideous accent in all of Ireland by a long long way. If they have an American accent they're doing well. I used to work with a woman from Arklow. When she spoke I felt like I had to put my paws over my beagle ears and yelp in pain.

OP posts:
BillywigSting · 28/01/2018 15:37

Sorry posted too soon.

Meant to say my cousin hasn't always the American twang. Hers used to be a strong arklow accent too, she picked it up in Waterford (her mum hates it) so for her it's something of an affectation, albeit an unconscious one.

BillywigSting · 28/01/2018 15:38

Agreed charisman!

BillywigSting · 28/01/2018 15:50

Not a nice place to live either.

TroubleinDaFamily · 28/01/2018 15:55

Arklow or Arkla Grin

BillywigSting · 28/01/2018 16:01

Nothing as pleasant as arkla, more like aarrrkla Hmm

eloisesparkle · 28/01/2018 16:40

The Americanization of a Waterford accent can only be an improvement.

Aarkla is a sweet and dulcet accent in comparison to Waterford. Smile
Sorry Waterford (and some in South Tipp.)

BillywigSting · 28/01/2018 17:50

As much maligned as arklow is though it's got nothing on Cork.

Sorry Cork. Beautiful city, nice folks, awful accent

eloisesparkle · 28/01/2018 20:31

I love the Cork accent.

Cheatabix · 28/01/2018 21:27

I love the Cork accent too. But the first time i heard it (aged 9) i cried because i thought it was so awful and wanted thenperson to stop talking (sheltered childhood, so sorry corkonians, ye had the last laugh with a much lovlier accent than the one i was sporting at the time)

TroubleinDaFamily · 29/01/2018 01:26

I love the Cork accent, and in particular, the West Cork accent, Baltimore, Clonakilty...and so on and so forth..

honeyrider · 29/01/2018 01:32

The Waterford accent is similar to a Dublin accent especially if from around the city, west of the county can be similar to an East Cork accent. I think the Wicklow accent is worse than the Waterford accent but that's better than the Biffo country accent.

OkPedro · 29/01/2018 01:36

There's more than one Dublin accent
I don't know of any Dublin accent similar to a Waterford accent though!

eloisesparkle · 29/01/2018 07:34

I don't know of any Dublin accent similar to a Waterford accent either.

Lonesurvivor · 29/01/2018 07:54

Is it a private school? They seem the worst offenders, reminds me of Damo and Ivor.

Original poster
Charismam · 30/01/2018 20:25

Cork is a lovely sing song. And Arklow is a hideous sing song. It's all in the where it goes up and where it goes down. Can't explain it.

School not a private school, very mixed area socially. Lots of students whose parents could afford private school but it does well in league tables.

OP posts:
MulhuddartDrive · 30/01/2018 20:26

Does anyone remember when Lorraine whatsherface started doing the AA traffic bulletins? My mam still refers to them as "AA Ride watch" from the hideous accent.

Not that we can throw stones, being from RO'CK country. I hope I've grown out of it like A1Sharon has Grin

whattoweartomorrow · 30/01/2018 20:37

God OP, did you get here in a time machine?

The slagging off of my accent started in earnest in the mid-nineties. It's a South Dublin accent. It's not American, it predates YouTube and existed when most of my class only had two channels. They weren't picking it up from zig and zag.

I HATE how ok it is to mock it, and act like we all have fierce notions and are mimicking TV programmes/ are ridiculously posh and out of a Ross o'carroll kelly novel. It's an evolution of a sneering 'West Brit' accusation you used to get if you were from Dublin and read the Irish Times (which itself was a socially acceptable way to imply Protestant/different). I wasn't privately educated, and It's a slight evolution of an accent that's been around for decades- listen to Pat Kenny. Slight tweak of certain sounds and you're there. More common in pockets of the city that are traditionally more affluent, but not new and not necessarily a sign of wealth.

If it bothers you, you can move west or to cork or Donegal, which have different accents- given the dodgy broadband in many rural areas you can feel better that their access to YouTube tutorials will be restricted, if you want to ignore the last twenty off years of media commentary and pretend it's a new thing.

honeyrider · 31/01/2018 00:17

Anyone remember the accents in Pure Mule? Jaysus.

OkPedro · 31/01/2018 17:00

whattowear
The south Dublin accent is awful..
It sounds fake and thankfully hasn't made its way to the northside.. Sorry 😂

eloisesparkle · 31/01/2018 18:05

OKPedro
Sorry to tell you but it has.
My sil has her dd do the voice message on the home phone.
Northsiders through and through.
You'd never know though, with the SoCoDu/ Ross O' Carroll Kelly's Sorcha accent.
Smile

Lonesurvivor · 31/01/2018 18:12

Pat Kennys accent sounds nothing like the current horrendous South Co Dub one. It's evolved from that to the horrible fake Americanized one it's not a true Irish accent.

eloisesparkle · 01/02/2018 07:34

I like Pat Kenny's accent.
I think he speaks very well. Smile

badb · 01/02/2018 09:23

eloisesparkle, does the DD go to school on the southside? My SIL is a northsider, but most of her friends and her husband are from the southside, and she has that accent. Whereas DH and his brother went to school more locally and they don't have it. DH's family is very posh, actually - his mother speaks like Pat Kenny, but his father has a typical northside accent, even though they grew up only a few streets apart. So I think the accent has a lot to do with your friendship group and even the way your parents speak, as well.

On the subject of Pat Kenny, I like his voice too. But, as I mentioned in another post, I do think it would be nice to hear more diverse accents on the radio and in the media more generally. But like I said, RP.

whattowear, I agree with a lot of your post. I do think that it is perceived as posh/private school/elitest, even though that is not necessarily the case. I particularly don't like the way young girls are sneered at for the accent.

Vagndidit · 01/02/2018 09:38

I guarantee you no American is going to think the accent is "native" The moment they open their mouths, they'll be labelled as "forrin'". Oddly enough, I'm an American who has lived in England for 8 years and get asked on occasion what part of Ireland (or Oz on a bad day) I'm from. HmmAccents are funny things.

Meanwhile, DS has lived in England for most of his 10 years of life, and manages to still sound too American to be English, yet too English to ever be American.