The Irish Language from the Experiences of Two Travelers
 

Prior to taking our recent four-week trip it was my goal to learn some basic words and phrases in the Irish language in keeping with our belief that it is a sign of respect and interest to do so. We have, over the years, learned some rudimentary phrases in a variety of languages ranging from Mandarin to Hungarian to Tagalog to Russian. We can greet people and order food, drink, and lodging in French, Spanish, German, Italian, and Portugese. But, doggone it, Irish is not something I added to my linguistic toolkit. Although we were in a number of Irish-speaking regions (An Gaeltacht) we just about never heard anyone even speaking Gaelic. We were never greeted, thanked, or asked a thing in Irish. I’ve no doubt that we would have received warm greetings had we done so, but it just was so very difficult for me to even get my tongue around a good many of the phrases which I had in my little Irish phrase books and sources (I had three including one from Appletree Press).

Actually, I had more use for my Tagalog as we ran into Filipino employees in our hotels in Cashel and Dublin to name just two and for Russian with the receptionist at Kilruddery. At Powerscourt Gardens I said, “Gesundheit” to a young man who sneezed as he was passing me and, without missing a beat, he said, “Danke,” to which I replied, “Bitte” and moved on.

The gaeltacht areas are, for the most part, heavily-touristed. The local people that you encounter will most likely recognise immediately that you are "strangers". Even if Irish is their first language, they default to English for visitors. Every Gaelic speaker, except perhaps for a few pre-school children, is bilingual.

I'm Irish, and speak Gaelic fairly well as a second language. When I visit Gaeltacht areas people address me in English. If I take the initiative and speak first in Gaelic, then we interact in Gaelic.

When we were in Wicklow, there were some schoolgirls in uniform speaking Gaelic. We were quite thrilled to hear them.

My grandparents were Irish, and apparently they spoke Gaelic when they didn't want my father to understand them.

I can say something vulgar about King James in Gaelic, but that's about it.

I am not an expert on this subject but I will just post my experience, having visiting Ireland in many trips, and having often take a few 3-4 weeks' trips there.
I spend a few nights in Inishmor (Aran islands) some years ago, and I could hear Gaelic everywhere. Of course people talked to me in English . I may be wrong but I understand that areas such as Dingle peninsula, Galway, Connemara, parts of Mayo and Donegal are supposed to be Gaeltach, but I was mostly hearing English in the largest cities/towns and I often heard only older people speaking Gaelic even on smaller places. I happened to watch a small group -maybe 10-12 kids- of 7-8 years olds in Killary harbour once, and I noticed that when an adult was present, they were using Gaelic, when they walked a bit further away, they started using a mix of English/Gaelic phrases, mostly English though... Up to today I wander if it was a small school excursion or a mother leading her children and their friends to a gathering or what... Woman start to chat with someone quite away from me to hear what language she used, but kids seemed to walk in sort of discipline in 2 rows while they "broke free" when they skipped her attention.
I have not explore Mayo or Donegal extensively and I am sure that smaller towns/villages might be different, but in the cities I rarely heard Gaelic. This is the case for Galway too. I was impressed some years ago when I was standing by the Abbey Hotel in Donegal where a bus stop is, and a local stocky tall woman wearing a head scarf approached and ask me about bus timetables in English. I got the impression she thought I was Irish, and she seemed to come from the countryside, but she talked to me in English, no Gaelic. So...
Note that I always travel off/low season, so people are more relaxed and I do not visit extremely touristy restaurants/bars etc. All my trips happened from end to November till end of March, usually sometime February to early March.
Here in Greece we have a wonderful language originating from very ancient times, many beautiful words to describe this and that, still many English expressions and words are used to describe what Greek could describe perfectly. Gaelic is an interesting language with long tradition and would be a petty not to pass it over to future generations. It is sad for younger people to learn it as one more lesson in school but not to feel it as "theirs", something as it happens here for ancient Greek...

"An Gaeltacht" means "we get a grant from the EU".

We've been in many small towns in Wales where locals talked to each other in Welsh, switching to English when they addressed us. I think the language they use toward outsiders isn't a good indication of the language used among locals.

My previous comment was based on observations on how locals interact among them rather than with me. For example I was sitting on what seems a local cafe/pub near the fire place enjoying my sandwich and a beer on Kilronan on Inishmore, I was the only foreigner in this pub at the time, and people were talking in Gaelic among them. Ditto for my two hosts ladies in my hotel there when I was simply coming down the stairs and I think they haven't even gear my approaching. I heard Gaelic when I was walking around Kilronan from neighbor ladies having a quick chat or locals doing some grossery shopping in a small shop uphill.
This was not the case in other places I've been even though on similar occasions.

The Celtic-language enclaves of the British Isles all share two characteristics:
- Everyone in them over about 4 is fluent in English, and has grown up in a world where English is the language most interaction with the outside world happens in. Getting upset about that fact of life is as pointless as the second caracteristic:
- It rains frequently.

Scottish Gaelic, Welsh and Irish have all now stopped losing speakers. Though they all have an impressive historical literature, and a literary tradition that is to some extent still developing, they are really now smallish communities' private languages. Scotland, Wales and Ireland punch way, way above their weight in their ability over the past century to produce great literature. But it's practically all in English.

In Wales and Ireland the gaeltacht areas do play a role in the regional legislatures' programmes for education in the language throughout those legislatures' domain. But the gaeltacht populations don't need or expect visitors to speak the language: I've encountered just one person - in the 1970s, a woman in her 80s on Barra - who spoke a Celtic language to me.

Whereas it IS polite to know enough Catalan to say in a Barcelona restaurant "do you mind if I order in Castilian/English" the issue is quite different in the British Isles. Unless you ARE a Welsh speaker, saying much more than "Bore da" in a North Wales pub is verging on the patronising. They never let me even get that far in an Irish gaeltacht.

Irish people are friendly and welcoming, so I am sure that if you asked them to tell you a few words in Irish, they would happily do so! You might have a better chance to practise your Irish next time ;)! Did you enjoy your time in Ireland? Perhaps you can give us some highlights of your favourite part?

Last week a man in South Uist apologised for addressing me in Gaelic. He was in pursuit of an errant cow and so his attention was not really on me, he just wanted whoever I was to stop the cow.
In the Hebrides you hear Gaelic often, but nobody will ever speak to you in Gaelic and any attempt to use it will result in a double-take.

Padraig or anyone who might know:

Are all Irish children still required to reach a level of proficiency in Irish? When I lived in Galway (early 1990s) I think it was a required subject on the equivalent of UK GCSEs.

A co-worker, Dubliner, used to talk about going to summer camp in the west to learn Irish. It didn't stick although I think he understood and spoke more than he let on. We were based in Galway, I lived in Barna out toward the Gaeltacht but never heard it spoken.

Tourismireland, if you will look for my other recent postings you will find we enjoyed our trip very much and have reported on various aspects of it on this board.

Irish was taught to us as if we spoke it fluently, not like any European languages we learned in school, it put me off embracing my national language.

I recently read a new book called "The Revival of Irish - Failed Project of a Political Elite" and wrote a blog review.

You may be interested in it

http://wp.me/p1MbTJ-fj

Sorry Cath, I was away and missed your question.

Yes, Irish is still a compulsory school subject right through first and second level except for a small minority of students under special conditions. Sadly, many students do not achieve basic proficiency; there are a number of reasons why this is so.

Students who do not achieve a pass grade in their final school examinations are constrained in the range of opportunities for further education because some colleges require a pass in Irish as an entry qualification.

Barna is actually in the Gaeltacht as it is officially designated but, as you observed, it does not function as one.

I don't really want to get into a debate here on the preservation or revival of the language, but I will say that I am happy that I have some command of the language, and enjoy the extra window on the world that it gives me.