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Ancient Celtic language -- Decline -- Revival -- Dialects -- The
Standard Language
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| A Celtic language of great antiquity Irish or An
Ghaeilge is the ancestral language of most Irish people and is held
in such esteem that it is declared "first official language" in
the Constitution of the Irish Republic and is an essential subject in Primary
and Secondary schools. Most Irish people profess a love for the language
and many know it quite well. |
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| DECLINE |
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| Irish
was once spoken as the first and only language throughout Ireland from coast
to coast and beyond, in Scotland and the North of England. Successive waves
of invasion by Vikings, Normans, and English brought new languages into
the island but the native population were still predominantly Irish-speaking
in the 17th Century. |
| Conquest and Colonisation |
| In that century the power of their Gaelic rulers
was broken and a long period of English conquest; colonisation; ethnic cleansing
( "to Hell or to Connaught" and deportation to "the colonies");
apartheid, known in Ireland as the Penal Laws; famine; and emigration ensued.
The agonising story is well known and one hopes in its final throes with
the current "Peace Process". |
| The Irish-speaking Community |
| This sad history had a devastating effect on the
traditional Irish-speaking community which was gradually forced to abandon
the speaking of Irish until today the use of Irish as a first language or
mothertongue has been almost totally replaced by English except in
the Gaeltacht areas, where Irish is still the public community language
and the preferred language of many homes. Almost but not completely! |
| Bilinguals |
| Outside the Gaeltacht there are bilingual families
in many areas throughout the country who use Irish in their homes as much
as they can and their number is increasing as the spread of Irish medium
schools shows. In addition to those who actually use Irish there are numerous
individuals who could if the opportunity arose speak Irish fluently having
been reared in the Gaeltacht or having learnt it well at school. These days
they delight in surprising their neighbours and friends by appearing on
Teilifís na Gaeilge and displaying their unsuspected fluency. |
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| REVIVAL |
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| 19th/20th Century |
| The late 19th and 20th Centuries saw a determined
effort at the preservation and revival of the Irish language with considerable
success. It would be difficult to mention all that has been achieved in
politics, in education, in lexicography, in the media, and, recently in
commerce. |
| The Irish Constitution Bunreacht na hÉireann |
| In politics the Irish language has been accorded
the status of "first official language" in the constitution of
the Irish Republic and all political parties support its promotion and preservation
as a living language. |
| Education |
| In education Irish is an essential subject in all
schools up to Leaving Certificate and it is studied at third level in University
Colleges not only in Ireland but throughout the world. |
| Dictionaries |
| In lexicography both the older language of the
manuscripts and the folklore and the modern language of the Gaeltacht has
been recorded and published in dictionaries. In addition there is a Coiste
Téarmaíochta coining new terms for new concepts (Ríomhaire
for computer for example) and keeping the language up to date. |
| Radio, Television, Newspapers. |
| In the media Raidio na Gaeltachta, Raidio na
Life, and Teilifís na Gaeilge broadcast entirely in Irish
and RTÉ includes many programs in Irish in its schedule. FOINSE
is a weekly Irish language newspaper and SAOL is a monthly chronicle
of Irish language related activities. |
| Commerce |
| In commerce shops have begun using bilingual signage
and this is surely to be welcomed. |
| Gaelscoileanna |
| The most encouraging phenomenon for Irish speakers
today is the popularity of Irish-medium schools where children are taught
all subjects through Irish and aquire fluency in the language very easily.
These schools are springing up in cities, towns and villages all over the
country in response to parental requests. |
| Bilingualism |
| Independence has brought self-confidence and a
more positive attitude to the Irish language. The young celtic tigers are
bilingual and few are ashamed of it! |
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| DIALECTS |
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| Listening to people speaking Irish you can tell
what part of the country they come from because of their accent, the words
they use, and their grammar. From place to place there are small variations
in each of these. Geographically the main divisions in Irish dialects are
Munster, Connaught, and Ulster Irish although within those there are slight
variations from place to place. Speakers from any of these areas can readily
understand good speakers from the other areas especially since 1970 when
Raidió na Gaeltachta came on the air and introduced the
speakers of the various dialects to each other. |
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| THE STANDARD
LANGUAGE |
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| In order to avoid constant bickering as to what
constitutes the "best" Irish the Irish Government selected standardised
forms in vocabulary and grammar for its own use in official documents and
for school texts. This standardised Irish is readily understood by all native
speakers and is the only form of Irish known by most learners of the language.
It was never intended however that good speakers of traditional Irish abandon
forms which distinguish their dialect from others and it should be realised
that forms of grammar or idioms or vocabulary which are correct in any dialect
are most acceptable in Irish examination scripts. They instantly reveal
a closer contact with the modern living spoken language than essays written
solely in the official standard language. Nevertheless the grammar and vocabulary
taught in this Website is that of the standard language which is now acceptable
to all speakers and readers of Irish supplemented by colourful idioms and
phrases from the many dialects both spoken and written with which the author
is acquainted. |
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