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Original poster

Irish (the language)

580 replies

Chickenkeev · 04/08/2023 20:14

Does anyone else feel a connection to it? My dad was a gaeilgoir but never taught us. But i'm 42 now and still feel a pull towards it. It's inexplicable. I spent a year in france but i feel nothing at all towards the language. But Irish draws me in massively.

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18
xPeaceXx · 05/08/2023 18:37

@Chickenkeev thanks, I might give duolingo a go

Original poster
Chickenkeev · 05/08/2023 18:38

Ta me ag feachaint ar Oasis Live from Knebworth. Bhi gra mor agam daoibh nuair a bhi me ar scoil, ach ta siad saghas crap anois. Agus Liam, cen saghas amadan e sin!

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Original poster
Chickenkeev · 05/08/2023 18:39

xPeaceXx · 05/08/2023 18:37

@Chickenkeev thanks, I might give duolingo a go

Do! And come here! Go n'eirigh an bother leat!

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Original poster
Chickenkeev · 05/08/2023 18:49

xPeaceXx · 05/08/2023 18:36

Oh sorry, I thought it was a question not a call to those who do have a connection to it. I am not trying to not have a connection to it. I am just hopeless at it.

Not "making excuses" but I am good at languages but somehow not good at Irish.

It's a thread for anyone to have a chat as gaeilge, no matter how good or bad you are. Just a bit of craic. I'm having great fun dredging the absolute depths of my brain. But everyone's lovely and i'm hoping to learn something. So all go maith!

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Villagetoraiseachild · 05/08/2023 19:34

Anocht, ta me ag feachaint Clean Sweep, an drama na hEireann. Ar feachaint tu cheana an drama sin ?
Nil spoilers le do thoil!

Original poster
Chickenkeev · 05/08/2023 19:38

Villagetoraiseachild · 05/08/2023 19:34

Anocht, ta me ag feachaint Clean Sweep, an drama na hEireann. Ar feachaint tu cheana an drama sin ?
Nil spoilers le do thoil!

Bionn me ag feachaint ar dramai RTE o tam go ham. Ach ta se ro luath anois. Tar eis a naoi a clog feach me drama.

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Original poster
Chickenkeev · 05/08/2023 19:40

Bhi mo 'niece' in Kin. Bhi shi thar barr!

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Original poster
Chickenkeev · 05/08/2023 19:48

Shi was looking wrong to me and i couldn't figure out why 🤣 state of me!

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SparkyBlue · 05/08/2023 21:19

xPeaceXx · 05/08/2023 18:29

I can't connect with Irish sadly. My daughter loves it. I lived in Spain for a few years and people (Spanish people) are impressed by my Spanish, so it's not that I have no gift for languages. I class myself as having linguistic intelligence, but disappointingly, I can't speak, or understand Irish. I used to live in Elche (Elx) and heard some valencian/catelan and I understand two people talking catalan better than I understand two people talking Irish. This baffles me but it is true.

That's me exactly. I've never picked up any meaningful amount of Irish but yet despite doing French for only five years in secondary I was able to move to France and get by no bother. It's like my mind is closed off to Irish. Although I will admit when I was growing up speaking irish was a posh person thing. No one I knew or mixed with ever went to Irish college and none of our parents would ever have entertained the notion of spending money on Irish college

Villagetoraiseachild · 06/08/2023 00:12

Maybe at times in Ireland the perception of learning Irish was that it was the opposite of progress. My Aunty for example could not understand why one of her nieces became an Irish teacher. I think she thought it was backward somehow. That niece has had a great career teaching Irish, so fair play to her.
Likewise I have learned other languages. I had a romantic notion that learning Irish might come a bit easier thanks to my genes, but it is very different to any language I've learned. It's been a slog alright, but any progress is rewarding. If the Welsh can do it, is feidir linn.

Original poster
Chickenkeev · 06/08/2023 01:32

Villagetoraiseachild · 06/08/2023 00:12

Maybe at times in Ireland the perception of learning Irish was that it was the opposite of progress. My Aunty for example could not understand why one of her nieces became an Irish teacher. I think she thought it was backward somehow. That niece has had a great career teaching Irish, so fair play to her.
Likewise I have learned other languages. I had a romantic notion that learning Irish might come a bit easier thanks to my genes, but it is very different to any language I've learned. It's been a slog alright, but any progress is rewarding. If the Welsh can do it, is feidir linn.

Is feidir linn gan dabht! Ta se usaideach an teanga a fhoghlaim, is thing maith e. Taimid ag iarracht anseo, nilimid perfect ach ta muid ag deanamh iarracht. Engagement with a language is the way to go imo, and if this is the way, then why not! Any engagement is positive!

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RitzyMcFitzy · 06/08/2023 02:40

Parky04 · 04/08/2023 22:38

I'm 50% Irish and do not give a toss about the language!

Fascinating contribution.

RitzyMcFitzy · 06/08/2023 02:46

Villagetoraiseachild · 06/08/2023 00:12

Maybe at times in Ireland the perception of learning Irish was that it was the opposite of progress. My Aunty for example could not understand why one of her nieces became an Irish teacher. I think she thought it was backward somehow. That niece has had a great career teaching Irish, so fair play to her.
Likewise I have learned other languages. I had a romantic notion that learning Irish might come a bit easier thanks to my genes, but it is very different to any language I've learned. It's been a slog alright, but any progress is rewarding. If the Welsh can do it, is feidir linn.

Absolutely.

It's evident on this thread. People proud that they're unable to understand Irish but can converse in other European languages. Encouraging their children not to bother with Irish. I think it stems from an inferiority complex. Why would you want to bother with this little language, from this little country?

mháthairtalmhan · 06/08/2023 03:29

Maidin maith go léir. Is as Mumhan mé agus is breá liom Gaelige. Bhí mo theaghlach dhátheanga (fuair said bás anois). Labhair mé sean-Ghaelige le mo sheantuismitheoirí Agus mo shin-aintín. Táim i mo chónaí taobh amuigh d'Éirinn anois ach labhraím é gach lá le mo páiste.

I grew up in a bilingual household speaking Irish with my paternal grandparents and great aunt (they banned English in their homes). It was mainly old Irish we spoke which was interesting for my Leaving Cert oral, the examiner picked up on it and we had a pleasant conversation instead of the reams I had learned😀

Is maith liom the idea faoi Pop-up Gaeltacht on MN😀

Original poster
Chickenkeev · 06/08/2023 04:36

mháthairtalmhan · 06/08/2023 03:29

Maidin maith go léir. Is as Mumhan mé agus is breá liom Gaelige. Bhí mo theaghlach dhátheanga (fuair said bás anois). Labhair mé sean-Ghaelige le mo sheantuismitheoirí Agus mo shin-aintín. Táim i mo chónaí taobh amuigh d'Éirinn anois ach labhraím é gach lá le mo páiste.

I grew up in a bilingual household speaking Irish with my paternal grandparents and great aunt (they banned English in their homes). It was mainly old Irish we spoke which was interesting for my Leaving Cert oral, the examiner picked up on it and we had a pleasant conversation instead of the reams I had learned😀

Is maith liom the idea faoi Pop-up Gaeltacht on MN😀

Welcome! Ta se grennmhar bheith ag caint gaeilge at this hour 🤣

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Villagetoraiseachild · 07/08/2023 13:44

Conas ata tu inniu, @Chickenkeev agus gach duine anseo?
Taitnionn an grian anseo I ndeireadh na dala!

Villagetoraiseachild · 07/08/2023 13:53

Ta cheist agam, @mháthairtalmhan !
(Trying to ask, is it very different)
An bhfuil Sean Gaelige nios mo difriuil na Nua Gaelige?

Original poster
Chickenkeev · 07/08/2023 16:27

Villagetoraiseachild · 07/08/2023 13:44

Conas ata tu inniu, @Chickenkeev agus gach duine anseo?
Taitnionn an grian anseo I ndeireadh na dala!

Ta tuirse orm, ni raibh oun codladh again areir. Ta suil agam go mbeidg coldadh samh agam anocht!

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mháthairtalmhan · 07/08/2023 17:40

@Villagetoraiseachild there are some difríochtaí, mainly in the litriú and some pronunciation differences. An Caighdeán Oifigiúil 1958 had an aim of simplifying the spelling so a lot of silent letters were removed. Interestingly, the spelling in sean-ghaelinn is very cosiúil le Gaelige as Alban, is tuigim Gaelige ó Alban. I have always used "is" for and instead of the generalized "agus"

Gooseysgirl · 07/08/2023 20:33

Táim ag déanamh iarracht cúpla focal a mhúineadh do mo pháistí... níl suim mhór acu but I figure if I keep dropping in a few words/phrases here and there something will catch 😆 For anyone in London there used to be a weekly naíonra at the LIC in Camden, not sure if it's still going - mine are way too old for it now.

Ballygowenwater · 07/08/2023 20:58

Haigh, an bhfuil aon duine as Ciarraí theas? Tá féile nua ar shúil i meán fómhair Aon Scéal. Is féile faoi Gaeilge agus cultúr Éireannach i. Feicim mé é ar Instagram.

Irish (the language)
Procrastination4 · 07/08/2023 23:08

Guimpe · 04/08/2023 23:48

Nach bhfuil aon duine eile anseo as Cúige Mumhan?

Mise! Ní fhaca mé an snáth roimhe seo. Tá Gaeilge agam, ach ní bhíonn morán seans agam í a labhairt go minic, áfach. (Is FUATH liom autocorrect ar mo fón! Ní thuigeann sé Gaeilge, agus bíonn orm a lán rudaí a athscríobh! 😂)

Nevermay · 07/08/2023 23:16

Chickenkeev · 04/08/2023 22:06

I am the exact opposite, despite never speaking it. I can't explain it, there's no sense behind it at all ( my dad's family always made it clear they hated us) but for whatever reason i love the language. I do love languages in general, so maybe just that? It feels like more though, like it's mine. It's a weird feeling.

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I would say this is an irrational feeling and has more to do with your percieved sense of identity than anything else- If you were to discover, no, it was all a mistake, you had a different father and he spoke Portugese, you would feel differently.

I personally think this is a type of jingoism which is unhelpful and unconstructive, as all jingoism. I understand though, as I feel the same towards my own heritage language. I have fought the feeling off!

I suppose no harm in learning it if you want to, but a huge effort goes into learning a language, and hundreds of hours of work - will you be able to communicate with more people after all that time and energy?

Go ahead if you want to, but recognise this "pull" for what it is, and don't imbue it with any sort of non existent mystical properties

Original poster
Chickenkeev · 08/08/2023 01:16

You're entitled to your opinion I suppose. Quite a few enjoying the cupla focal here though, i don't see any harm in that whatsoever.

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JaneJeffer · 08/08/2023 01:50

don't imbue it with any sort of non existent mystical properties
😤 jingoism my arse and we imbue everything with mystical properties on this island and that's the way we like it.