The Irish Language: 5 things you need to know
Modern usage of the Irish language: BláthInis Garden Centre. Photo by Imeallach on Flickr. All rights reserved by Imeallach.
Irish is a “small” language. It’s not dominant in its own country of Ireland. But it has had a huge underlying effect on Ireland’s modern culture, and you can spot its influence further afield, to where the Irish have travelled across the (Anglo) world. It’s alive, and getting stronger. Let’s get some thing cleared up!
1. You might call it “Irish Gaelic”. We simply call it “Irish”.
First, when speaking in the language, the language is referred to as “An Ghaeilge“. When referring to the language when speaking in English, the Irish simply call it “Irish”. It is universally recognised as such, and there’s no need for a qualifier like “Gaelic”.
You can keep calling it Irish Gaelic if you like, if you already do. But if visiting Ireland, just refer to it as Irish. You’ll also see references to simply “Gaelic” when the Iish language is meant. This is where it gets a bit controversial. Rather, the Irish when referring to “Gaelic” generally (but not strictly…) mean Scottish Gaelic.
2. Irish is a Celtic language
Irish is closely related to Manx (Gaelg/Gailck) and Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig). For example, written Scottish Gaelic is quite comprehensible for an Irish speaker. Other Celtic languages include Welsh, Cornish and Breton. I won’t go into any more details here, you can read more elsewhere.
3. It sounds like this
“Thank you” = “Go raibh maith ‘ad“
The recording above is a native Connemara speaker, thanks to Irish-Sayings.com recordings.
You should also definitely check out TG4 television and Radió na Gaeltachta.
4. The language is alive
There are small communities in the Gaeltacht where Irish is the dominant language. There are Gaeltachtaí, for example, in Connemara (Co. Galway), Co. Donegal and Co. Kerry. The language is taught to all school kids. It has a national TV station, and a dedicated radio station. You’ll see it on most of our road signs, and on our coins.
Roads signs in An Cheathrú Rua, Connemara. Copyright GaeltachtTravel.com.
But it’s far from the dominant language in Ireland
Don’t be under any illusions. The colonial English did all the right things for the survival of their language in Ireland, it seems, because it has permeated every part of Irish daily culture, including society’s mentality. English is the societal language of Ireland. If you walk into a shop just about anywhere, English is the assumed language of communication.
5. Shh! There’s a quiet language revolution happening
The Irish language has been through some tough times. And its traditional reach is unfortunately shrinking by the year. For example, 40 years ago you could have only ordered a pint on the Aran Islands by pointing if you didn’t speak Irish. But now, even there, a substantial percentage of people don’t speak it daily.
However! The Internet age has really seen a new life to the language. It feels that some of the old stigma related to it has faded away. Its influence is also rising in urban areas – of note is Belfast’s Gaeltacht Quarter. I think its real strength is shaking its old stigma held by its own people, along with a strong international community of speakers and learners who are connected through the Internet. Check out a collection of Irish language videos on YouTube.
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They try to keep the Irish language alive but its basically a dead language. I personally believe teaching it in schools is a waste of time for everyone and should be a choice for students if they want to study it or not. Fun fact: Irish is meant to be one of the best languages in the world for cursing with, supposedly its very descriptive.
ya well it happens to be our mother language so its not a waste of time to learn it we were forced to speak english hundreds of years ago so its nice to try and keep it alive
i nearing 60, not solvent, but want to live in gaeltacht as near to cork city as possible, family there
want to learn irish can anyone advise
i nearing 60, not solvent, but want to live in gaeltacht as near to cork city as possible, family there
want to learn irish can anyone advise 00447526584895
if i get txt i will ring u back, wud luv to learn irish, livin in wales, wanna come to gaeltacht /cork, never had int in welsh, but is similar in some words. 00447526584895 maz
Irish is not a dead language. I have travelled to Ireland last year and found fluent speakers in urban areas where I could not remark any difference to native speakers of a language. I think Irish should be a cumpulsory subject only in primary school in order that every child gets in touch with the language. Interested pupils will continue studying Irish in secondary school. Those who don´t care about it, will forget the most after school. The interested pupils however will take part in Irish language activities and develope fluency. It is no use forcing pupils to study Irish during 10 years and more who hate it except in the Gaeltacht where Irish-medium education should remain the only kind of education.
If you are interested in learning Irish, I recommend this program given by NUI, Galway. There is a class for beginners, which is perfect if you have never studied the language before. Here is a link to the website: http://www.nuigalway.ie/international_summer_school/irish_language.html
In response to the first comment: It is absolutely not a waste of time. The Irish language is an important part of the culture, and to let it die out would be tragic. Furthermore, there are no actual “curse words” in Irish. You may have heard that it’s descriptive because the lack of curse words requires using words that do exist to make creative insults. At least, that’s what I was taught. :)
I would love to learn Irish. I only know a few phrases I learned from my parents.
The Dept of Education did morethan anyone in killing the language – Peig Sayers was a blight on the lives of school children.
Now that I’m almost 20 years out of school, I think I’ll pick up the language again.
Brian, you’re probably right about Peig, but at least they don’t generally teach it anymore. That being said, the language teaching methods applied are just not good enough.
It saddens me to hear those that say it’s a dead language or has no use today. That attitude will surely see the demise of the culturally rich language. It needs to be enforced in schools. Look at the Poles and the Lithuanians etc. They maintained their language through communist era and the poles kept their language throughout both Hitler and Stalin era’s. The welsh kept their Brythonic/gaelic language so why can’t we. Lets not subscribe to the facist reason of why we speak english but relish in the opportunity the internet gives us to reestablish this bruised but not beaten language.
Dia duit, Gaeilge go deo. It’s still alive here in Americay. It will never die as long as we keep speaking. I have spoken gaelic with a fine lady in Dublin and a good friend from Belfast so…tog e bog e.
Folks, you should promote your language. It is your soul. It is your past and your future. Teach it to EVERYBODY in your country and export it. Irish history written in Gaelic is the key to the history of the West and to the European civilization.
Why don’t you ADVERTIZE in Gaelic?
Doing that you not only advertize the product, but also your language.
Here is my Gaelic ad:
An t-aon Deis Iompair ar féidir leis a dhul in aon áit
Eitlíonn an árthach foluaineach “Hov Pod” ar cúisín aeir; ag sleamhnú trasna an fharraige, locha, aibhneacha, talamh féarach, eanach, gaineamh, sneachta agus oighear. Ná bíodh imní ort faoi amanna taoidí ná *fánáin …Cas an eochair agus ar aghaidh leat! [Redwolf/An tOileánach]
Is féidir é a úsáid do spórtanna uisce, spórtanna 4×4, rásaíocht ar chnocáin ghainimh, nó taisteal ins an ghaineamhlach, taiscéalaíocht aibhneacha,srutháin nó oileáin; cúrsaí tarrthála, nó mar bealach taistil in n-áiteanna ina bhfuil an dúlra i gcontúirt, ní chuireadh sé as don dromchla ná ní dhéanann sé dochar d’uibheacha, ná plandaí.
Breathnaigh ar ár suíomh-idirlíone website://hovercraftforafrica.bravehost.com (i mBéarla). Gabh i dteangbháil linn ag úsáid an foirm éasca “Contact-Us” atá le fáil ar an suíomh-idirlíone. Cuir ceist faoin bpraghas. (ceisteanna i mBéarla amháin, más é do thoil é.)
Is iontach an rudín é seo! Ceannaigh ceann.
Why don’t YOU advertize in your own language? If people don’t understand ads, they realize they are losing out. Devise means how people lose out when they don’t know the language, reward them for learning it.
Come on, folks! Stand up for what is your own.
Wn back the soul of your nation.
Promote Gaelic!
Henry H. Pinkham
A Boer in
South Africa
A people who have lost their language have lost their culture. The Irish should preserve their Irish language at all costs, else they become part of the Anglo-American culture. When the Native American Lakota started speaking English, their culture became a shadow of its former self.
In response to Comment #1. Curse words in a dominant language of a people are often common words of the people they conquered. When the Norman-French conquered the Anglo-Saxons in 1066, common words for sex and bodily functions in Anglo-Saxon became vulgar words in the Anglo-French mix that became modern English. The word ‘vulgar’ orignally meant ‘common’ or ‘native.’
I am from the states and I’m traveling to Ireland with my Fiance in September for our honeymoon. I am looking to learn to speak Irish before we go there. I think it would be wonderful to learn the language and to be able to engage in small conversation in Irish with some people while we are there. Anyone have any suggestions?
@Cassy: I’m sure you’ll have a great time next year. I would say be realistic about what you can learn if you don’t have a one-to-one teacher. Maybe you’d be interested in the audio phrases Gold Membership at http://www.irish-sayings.com (our sister site). I suggest you take a look.
I think every nation has a Peig Sayers of their own, an author whose works packed with misery everybody hates, but unfortunately everybody has to read and learn about! I can’t wait to learn enough Irish to be able to read her books in Irish. It might sound a bit conservative or even extremist, but that’s where the spirit of the language lives – in the works of Peig Sayers and the likes.
Saying Irish is a dead language because it isn’t currently spoken by everyone in the country is like saying no one in Ireland uses electricity, so the last remaining power plants should be shut down because not everyone understands it thoroughly…there are levels of understanding,levels of usage, levels of relevance…but if you choose to give up on your language altogether, you are not moving forward, but back into the dark.
I can strongly recommend the Rosetta Stone Irish lessons. I bought them recently and I think they are a great way to learn the langauge. I am going slowly but I am really enjoying it!