BlueRanger

In about a month I will be taking a 10 day tour of Ireland. A few of the days take me in or near the Gaeltacht regions I see on my map. I know English is the primary language in Ireland and just about everyone will speak it, but I usually try to learn some basic of a nation's native language before I visit. There are not many programs out there to learn Gaelic. I found one for the PC but it costs about $70. Half of my mind says I should get this and learn what I can in a month, the other half says it may not be as useful or as valuable as I think. The $70 could be applied to my trip expenses very easily, too.

Is it worth the money and effort of trying to learn in a month of will I be okay just letting it go and using English the whole time? With only a few days in or near those Gaeltacht regions, do I need to spend this much money, time, and energy trying to learn Gaelic before I go?

Thank you, in advance, for your suggestions.

PatrickLondon

There was an article about this in my paper recently:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,,1983434,00.html

flanneruk

No-one in any Gaelatcht is monolingual in Irish, and English is the first language of 99% of the Irish population. So in sheer practical utility, there's no immediate benefit in learning Irish.

There's a terrific amount of Irish-language output on radio and television, but you're unlikely learn enough to make any sense of it in a month. It IS gratifying, though, to feel you understand what's written, both in the Gaelachts and on most government signs throughout the Republic: practically all officialese is produced in two languages

There are quite a lot of Irish grammars and Irish phrase books on sale throughout the British Isles, for a lot less than $70, and it's probably easier to pick up a smattering by following them as you're passing bilingual roadsigns and seeing lavatories where the ladies' is flagged as Mna.

Warning, by the way: my attempts at a bit of Irish have always been met by mild amusement and instant replies in proper English. The Greeks might be slightly gratified you've taken the trouble to learn a bit of their language - but the main language of Ireland is English.

GeoffHamer

All Irish schoolchildren have to learn Irish, but I think most forget it and continue using English. The British newspaper The Guardian recently had a feature in which an Irish-speaker tried to get by in Dublin without speaking English and got very poor responses. Even on the Aran islands, you're far more likely to hear English spoken than Irish, and the vast majority of Irish visitors will speak English, not Irish. I cannot see why a visitor would need to learn Irish. I'm all in favour of learning local languages when visiting other countries, but the reality is that the language used in Ireland is overwhelmingly English.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,,1983434,00.html

historytraveler

Gaelic is not an easy language to learn especially in a month. Pick up a phrase book as flanner suggested and aim for just a few words...Thank you, Good morning etc.

SiobhanP

It is not worth 70 dollars when you will not be able to speak enough in a short time. Irish is a d8ifficult language at the best of times. No one will address you in Irish as they will always speak English first to someone they do not know as local. People I am sure would atlk to you in irish if you ask them in the Gaeltacht but you will not have enough knowledge after a 1 month programme. Just enjoy!

CowboyCraic

Dia Duit - Hello (D-ah Dwit)

Though a month is hardly enough time to learn much of Irish, I would suggest that you pick up Pimsleur Quick & Simple Irish($19.95), a set of 4 compact discs which will walk you through the basics.

Irish is not the easiest language to learn. However, those for whom Irish is part of their daily speech are always appreciative of the effort. Yes, they may chuckle and grin, but they are very willing to help you. Just be careful in repeating what you are taught by the van drivers on Inis Mor, they are quite mischievious! Unlike Geoff, I heard Irish on the Arans quite often, between islanders.

Slan Go Foill - Good Bye For Now (slawn guh Foil),

Bit Devine
Cowboy Craic

BlueRanger

Thank you for the great replies so far. This is very helpful. I actually do own an English - Irish dictionary and two phrase books... it is learning the pronounciation of those words and phrases that is tough. I read it and just keep thinking how it seems like a language you really need to hear to learn best.

In that regard, thank you for putting the pronounciations in with your message, CowboyCraic!

PatrickLondon

If you are going to Inis Mor, it might be as well to steer clear of the current local controversy:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/internatio...999849,00.html

I think I know what Father Jack would have said - as someone wrote into The Guardian to say, he was hardly "feckless".

flanneruk

Well, if it's pronunciation you want (and it doesn't sound at all like it's written) try listening to Raidió na Gaeltachta on the web.

Podcasts at: www.rte.ie/rnag/sceala_eng.html

Padraig

I don't know if anybody else who posts here can speak Irish Gaelic, but that is one of my few talents.

I appreciate Bit Devine's respect for the language, and her use of Gaelic salutations, but I don't think that her suggestions on pronunciation stand up very well. Sorry, Bit: I was going to say nothing, but it looks as if BlueRanger was going to follow them.

As to flanneruk's suggestion that it doesn't sound like it's written, I say "bo*****s". Give me any text in Gaelic, and I will know how it sounds, even words I have never encountered before. You can't say that for English. The point is that it doesn't sound at all like English; it has a completely different phonic system, but a very consistent one.

BlueRanger: don't burden yourself. It's not expected and, perhaps surprisingly, not greatly appreciated. There are so many pitfalls that you would probably get things wrong, and that would be noticed more than the fact that you tried at all.

IrishEyes

This website might be fun: http://www.irishgaelictranslator.com/ You can listen to Irish phrases. Padriag, was the pronounciation any good?

Padraig

I listened to a couple of clips, and they seem to have been made by native speakers.

The site seems a bit clunky, and my computer crashed when I was looking at it -- perhaps coincidence, but I'm not going back there.

GreenDragon

I did what you plan on doing, BlueRanger. I studied some basic Gaelic online, and practiced the pronunciation. Had the basic greetings, colors, numbers, and some other vocabulary, as well as basic grammar and conjugation of a few key verbs. I found it fascinating!

However, when I got to Ireland, there was very little opportunity to practice my knowledge. Sure, I could read store names and translate them; "Tir na Ri" is land of the kings, etc.

However, no one spoke it to me. On the Aran Islands, our tour guide mentioned (at my question) that he hadn't known English until he was 16, and I heard several locals talking to eachother in Irish, but when I greeted them, they just nodded and continued their conversation. Ah, well!

I think it's a beautiful spoken language, with a wonderful music to it. And yes, the pronunciation rules are consistent, though different from English.

If you feel you would enjoy the study, go ahead... but don't expect much use from it

Celiaanne

I've heard conversations in Irish in the Spiddal area of Galway, but the most interesting and to me "real" conversation I heard was among a group of boys on one of the Aran islands using it while playing on their bikes, etc.

Maybe it won't die out!

PegMcNeill

I learned Irish many years ago as a school girl at alexandra college in Dublin. I don't remember much but I can still say please and thank you and good day. what I mostly remember is the poetry which is wonderful, so romantic. I'd say you would use your Irish mostly in the west either in the gaeltachts of Dingle or Connemara or up in Donegal. In the smaller towns there you can say hello or goodbye or thank you in Irish and you get a big smile.

SiobhanP

My Mother was fluent as a child but now can only read but not really understand the words. The main things I was taught from her were bad words and kiss My Ar*e! So much for her convent boarding school education. This is from a woman who never swears as well!

I think padraig is right that people in general won't go out of their way to speak it to you unless they think you are fluent. Say hi and bye etc if you are in an area that speaks Irish, but study it if you want to have a conversation and that will take time.

zippo

Good advice is - forget it. The language in Ireland is English.

NEDSIRELAND

Once, in Carraroe, an elderly man (80-ish) approached me on the street and spoke to me in Gaelic (Irish). Prayers in Gaelic were among the first things our parents taught us as 1st Generation Americans; so it nearly brought tears to my eyes to reply in English: "Sorry, I don't speak Irish." He turned and walked away.

It never hurts to know a few words of the language of the country you are visiting; speaking them could even be taken as a symbol of respect for their culture.

minto

Thank you for trying to put some of yourself into yr trip BlueRanger- I think it's commendable to want to try to learn Irish.
Learn some basics and try it out in the Gaeltacht pubs- I'd be surprised if you didn't get a lovely reaction.