Gaeilgeoir Comment by Bernie Joyce on August 9, 2013 at 4:26pm

Mickey it is never a waste of time to learn an Gaelge in school and they teach other languages also. Learning a new language broadens the mind, brings opportunities and opens a new world to people. Irish is no exception and our wealth of literature alone is proof of that.

There is not one child in Connemara attending primary school that can not speak English or have a strong grasp on the written word. So people moving  from the Gaeltacht will have no problem conversing with English speakers abroad.

I am sorry to hear you had a bad experience growing up learning the language and unfortunately you are not the only one. You are right about Dev. and Co.'s toxic policies which did more damage than good.Irish should not be a political agenda or used in patriotic blackmail and should never be forced. But at the same time we should be as proud and willing to speak it as the French value their language. 

 

Gaeilgeoir Comment by Micheal Ua Seaghdha on August 11, 2013 at 9:20am

Ni fheadfadh cursai a bheith nios siomplai: ma ta fonn ar einne an Ghaeilge a choimead beo, ni ga ach rudai a chruthu agus a chur ar bhun tri mhean na Ghaeilge. Ma's litriocht no gadaiocht e. A mhead daoine agus a chruthaionn achmhainni no abhair cultuir ar bith as Gaeilge, agus a mhead is a bhainneann daoine i gcoiteanna usaid as na hachmhainni sin, is beoai is a bheas an Ghaeilge amach anseo. Ach pe rud a chruthaitear no a dheantar, caifthfidh se bheith taithneamhach no aisiuil, mar nil fath ar bith usaid a bhaint as teanga, muna bhfuill suim fe leith ins na rudai gur feidir a dheanamh inti. 

Comment by Rose Maurer on August 11, 2013 at 10:29am

Thank you To Gerard Cappa for his stimulating and fasciating blog. Grateful thanks to Bit Devine; Gerard Cappa; and Ronan Gearoid O Domhnaill for their useful links - now to track down an English/Irish Dictionary in South Africa! Perhaps the Internet . . . 

Comment by Rónán Gearóid Ó Domhnaill on August 11, 2013 at 11:55am

Tá an ceart agat, A Mhiceál.

@ Rose.

online dictionaries

www.focal.ie

www.englisirishdictionary.com

Apparently a lot of New York slang is either of yiddish or Irish origin. words like shanty, phoney, mack, hooley, shenanigans etc.  Daniel Cassidy wrote a good book on the subject.

Comment by Ryan O'Rourke on August 11, 2013 at 12:57pm

Most thorough online dictionary (in my opinion) ==> www.PotaFocal.com

Comment by mickey mcadden on August 11, 2013 at 1:39pm

"Mickey ...It seems you misunderstand the term "West Brit."  We call people who live in Ireland but wish they lived in the U.K. (and perhaps desire to see Ireland adapt more of the British culture) "West Brits."  I'm fairly certain I wasn't describing your situation."

Not really. Most Irish I knew when I lived there openly admitted they wished they lived someplace better like England, or in the Wesht, the USA. As to  exclusive wishing for UK domicile, what can I say to you? How about Bangor Co Down? I have always wondered if it is as good as the other Bangor for the craic and great times I had there. Anyway if you look at the Irish phone book the mix of family names is about the same as anywhere else in Britain. As I keep reminding the mad republican crowd I meet, the Irish ARE British already why fight with yourself?

The entire war in Ireland was the result of the actions of Anglo Irish such as Dr Hyde, or perhaps you don't know that history? The Gaelic league, again a Victorian Irish gentrified yearning for Val Halla but the Celtic variety. Look today at the made up nonsense that is competitive Irish dancing? The wigs, the made up designs on the dresses and so on

Or worse still the Irish State creating enclaves of native speakers in Co Meath etc where people get the best education in whatever is going. Look how many of these people today travel around the world performing for the Irish that left Ireland, or HAD TO LEAVE it or starve? And then the absurdity of non- Irish with neither connection to, not any intention of ever connecting to Ireland forming their own branches of C.C.E. in order to monopolize the plastic paddy industries where they live?

Soon we will have a black C.C.E. in Ireland populated by Gaelic speaking Pakistanian Irish telling us the diaspora that we ARE NOT IRISH anymore.

What I want to ask this monstrosity of a nation is this, why do you mock us, the people who out of necessity emigrated, the same people who sent back the tenners and fivers in the bad years of Dev's banana republic. The money that kept those who could not leave in food and shelter while the Irish state was funding insane attempts to make Hyde's utopia a reality. An Rin, An 'whateve'r and so on, a Tir Na nOg where old age vanished and the people speak Gaelic, and faeries were in every bush playing the bagpipes and fiddles, and the rest of it? A land where the Cruishkeen Lan is in every home, and craic as plentiful as rain?

West Brit means a lot of things, amach, but for a better understanding maybe you would like to tour Welsh Wales!

Comment by Rónán Gearóid Ó Domhnaill on August 11, 2013 at 2:15pm

GRMA a Ryan. Sin Fóclóir nua.

Comment by Ryan O'Rourke on August 11, 2013 at 2:16pm

Sorry to hear your disdain for Ireland, Mickey.  I know you're not alone, but there is a grassroots revival of uniquely Irish culture here now which isn't of the forced variety.  It's something beautiful to behold for those of us who can appreciate its importance.  The "West Brits" in Dublin may not like it, but as I said before, they should just move to England where they'd be much happier.  I know I'd be happier if they did.

Comment by mickey mcadden on August 11, 2013 at 3:33pm

"Sorry to hear your disdain for Ireland, Mickey.  I know you're not alone, but there is a grassroots revival of uniquely Irish culture here now which isn't of the forced variety.  It's something beautiful to behold for those of us who can appreciate its importance.  The "West Brits" in Dublin may not like it, but as I said before, they should just move to England where they'd be much happier.  I know I'd be happier if they did."

First off I have no disdain for Ireland, but lots of hard facts for the banana republicans that still today try to make a hell out of the nightmare Dev created, blowing up Ireland's best friends like Earl Mountbatten and the rest of it! Why fight what you cannot even see let alone touch.

Ireland is British not by conquest but breeding. There's hardly a person anywhere on the Island today that does not have a history of intermarriage with Scots or English or Welsh or whatever, or all of them.

Dublin west Brit? Don't be silly. Achill Island is west Britain, as is Oran Mor, as it the Blasket Islands.

But while you are googling all that, how about this. I overheard at one these off shore C.C.E. meetings where we the Irish are called 'Micks'

Like I already showed today irishness according to the Gaelic lobby and the republicans has NOTHING to do with the racial background of the Irish people but is about the politics that such dunder heads embrace.

No need to insult the rest of Ireland with more Gaelic which the most of them do not understand anyway,  but to say to you in this useful and popular language, farewell let your eyes see through the lies of Hyde and his ilk that you may one day find truth.

Comment by Rónán Gearóid Ó Domhnaill on August 11, 2013 at 3:43pm

why is everyone so fixated with the past here? Dev and Hyde has little to do with modern Ireland. there are Irish people of different hues. I find it irritating when I speak Irish to friends in a Dublin pub and people look at us strangely or 'congratulate' us. 

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