Some remarks on the Irish language by visitors

[Gobadán]

Fadó......


I got these from the réamhrá of Cín Lae Amhlaoibh.

Thomas Reid, Travels in Ireland in the year 1822:

"Conversation appears to be carried on principally in the Irish language and it is invariably used whenever they have to express emotion or passion".

Pigot, City of Dublin and Hibernian Provincial Directory, 1824.

"... the attachment of the people to their ancient language which exists in Ireland to a degree of enthusiasm, and perhaps is as strong a feeling in their minds as any other prejudice they possess."


Thomas Cromwell, Excursions Thro' Ireland, 1820

"This language is spoken by 3,000,000 of the people; and like the Welch and the Highlanders is loved and venerated by all those 'to whose infant minds it first conveyed the tender and endearing accents of maternal affection' to a romantic extreme."

Another writer on amhráin ghrá na Gaeilge (Irish love songs):

Hardiman, Irish Minstrelsy, 1831.

"These combinations of sweet melting sounds, refined sentiments and ordering of expression, were irresistable. They seldom failed to reward the happy swain with the heart and hand of his beloved. To the fascinating influence of these songs have been attributed many of the early marriages and much of the superabundant population if the country.

[Del]

A lot different from now

[starchaser]

interestingly enough, all the dates of those quotes are pre-famine.
very sad, reading quotes like that - imagine all the accents and variations just completely lost to history , as most of it wasnt studied or written down.

(sorry for speaking bearla - my gaelige isnt very good at all)

[Gobadán]

Well, no amount of force-feeding in the schools will make it "loved and venerated" again, except for a few weirdbeard freaks.

[starchaser]

Originally Posted by Gobadán

Well, no amount of force-feeding in the schools will make it "loved and venerated" again, except for a few weirdbeard freaks.

the success of gaelschols prooves that...
force feeding just doesnt work if you want kids to learn a language.

[An Béal Bocht]

in my opinion, there needs to be more irish in peoples everyday lives. how that happens i'm not sure but as it stands there's no reason for the majority of people to use irish (unless they make a conscious effort to). like you say, forcing people to learn it certainly doesn't help.

what i find encouraging though, is the more i use irish, the more people around me use irish, even if it's just words here and there, it all helps.

[Gobadán]

Originally Posted by starchaser

the success of gaelschols prooves that...
force feeding just doesnt work if you want kids to learn a language.

Success me hole.

[JamusN]

Bainigí triail as an nGaeilge anseo, le bhur dtoil.

Is weirdbeard mise, is dócha, ach ní raibh mé ar scoil in Éirinn riamh.

Seo daoibh an fhadhb: Is fearr le daoine bheith ag caint faoin nGaeilge as Béarla ná bheith ag caint faoi rud ar bith as Gaeilge.

[Polo]

A JamesN a chara

Is dócha gur weirdbeard mé féin chomh maith leatsa féin - agus idir tú féin agus mé féin tá neart eile atá sa mbád céanna. Táim nua ar an bhfóram seo ach bhí orm freagra a thabhairt, déanach agus atá sé, agus bliain nua faoi mhaise a ghuí ort. Ní dóigh gur fhoghlaim tú do chuid Gaeilge ar scoil - ach ní dhéantar dearmad go deo ar theanga an tí - na hargóintí, na troideanna, na gáirí, an chraic.... srl!
Caint faoin nGaeilge í féin i mBéarla??... bhuel, b'fhéidir am eicint!!!....??

Slán agus beannacht

Polo

[JSmith13]

Ba mhaith liom an Ghaeilge a bheith i mo shaol gach lá, ach tá mé i mo chónaí ina Stáit Aontaithe go mífhortúnach.