101 Comments

• Mousemess | Feb 20, 2013, 12:55 AM EST

  Stropaire, This household will continue to use Irish regardless of how even Irish people in Eirinn feel about it. The Chinese and other non-Gaels will come. I will continue to use Irish even if they fill up Eire from end to end. Tir gan teanga, tir gan anam.

• DanOLoingsigh | Apr 07, 2012, 03:56 AM EDT

  Jacers - Thanks...Never noticed the 'ALT GR' key before...so what about 'SYSRQ', 'INS' and all those odd symbols on the Effin 'F' keys???

• Curitiba | Apr 06, 2012, 07:04 PM EDT

  ha,ha!

• ciaradexy | Apr 05, 2012, 03:30 PM EDT

  I want it in notes please.€20 notes will do me just fine. If you pay with a card, I'll have to pay a bank charge. Those banks are crippling me with their fees already.

• Curitiba | Apr 04, 2012, 06:30 PM EDT

  I DO have an irish place of birth-Kilburn, you can't get more Irish than that (only Hoboken NJ would come close!)

• Curitiba | Apr 04, 2012, 06:14 PM EDT

  Ciara, seeing as you are giving the passports away for next to nothing, could I have 5 please? Do you take platinum cards, or will €500 notes do? Ta.

• Curitiba | Apr 04, 2012, 06:10 PM EDT

  Thanks Jacers, now i am one step ahead of the bunch!

• jacersagain | Apr 04, 2012, 05:44 PM EDT

  JACERS TYPING SECRETS FROM HIS 150-KEY KEYBOARD. In typing Irish words, to place the fada over a vowel, hold down the Alt Gr button and tap the vowel to get á, é, í, ó and ú. To get the Saxon inflexions or to type words from any other language, just copy and paste from some other eejit’s web page and adjust for font and font size. This secret knowledge gives you δύναμις over a keyboard.

• jacersagain | Apr 04, 2012, 05:43 PM EDT

  It would be easy to kinda agree with Stropaire but if he was in Ireland he would know that Irish is spoken regularly in Gaeltacht areas, is taught in schools and there are many Gaelic-speaking clubs around the country. Many foreign people come to Ireland’s summer schools to learn Irish or to improve on what they already might have. However, I do believe Irish will eventually be classified a classical language like Latin, but hey – to follow Stropaire’s point – Latin is the main communication language between all Catholic priests all round the globe, one they have to learn in the same way as English is the main communication language of aviation. I doubt Irish will remain in third place as a spoken language in Ireland for much longer... There’s a place somewhere around Athlone already earmarked to build a Chinese business hub. The Chinese will soon be coming to Ireland in droves and their language will take over in 2nd place from Polish! 你意识到??

• ciaradexy | Apr 04, 2012, 02:17 PM EDT

  Stropaire, a language is only dead when no one wants to learn it or speak it and there are plenty who still love Irish and incorporate it into their everyday lives. Just because a small population speaks it doesnt mean its not important or obsolete. Id love to see all primary schools as gaelscoileanna in the same way that all primary schools on Wales are Welsh speaking but I doubt its gonna happen.

• Stropaire | Apr 04, 2012, 01:50 PM EDT

  Isn't it about time we faced facts; whether we like it or not, Irish is a dead language. It is not the number of people that are able to speak a language that defines whether it is alive or not, it's the number of people who think in that language. Unless a critical mass of people think in the language it cannot develop and evolve other than by assimilating words from other languages to deal with the progress of the world. Unless sufficient people across the spectrum of world society think in any language, it does not carry it's own weight by adding to the words in existence but just absorbing words from others without returning anything. Eventually the language will be incapable of communicating anything of the newer developements other than by use of another language randomly inserted within itself. Remember the first duty of a language is to enable communication. If an other language enables this in a more efficient manner, is there not the danger of miscommunication if one insists on using a dead one for anything other than cultural gretification

• ciaradexy | Apr 04, 2012, 12:27 PM EDT

  By the way Dildo, Dexter is my fav tv show so cheers for reminding me the new series should be starting soon!

• ciaradexy | Apr 04, 2012, 12:27 PM EDT

  Is that why you left Georgie? Did a smarter foreigner take your job? Jacers, Ive just heard that the donations to all those organisations have shot up in the past 24 hours! thanks a mill you little dote ye!

• GeorgeDillon | Apr 04, 2012, 10:51 AM EDT

  curitiba: "-looks like ciara IS the arbiter of irishness. We must send her our passport applications and let her decide whether we can have one or not". Luckily I already have my Irish passport, tho I wouldn't let that fool caradexter make any decision concerning me. She's a loudmouth imbecile. I'm hoping she'll emigrate from Ireland and let a smart Bosnian or Burundi take her place.

• CitizenWhy | Apr 04, 2012, 10:00 AM EDT

  My mother was one of those who could speak Irish but didso seldom, only with certain relatives, with much laughing, and what they were talking about they did not want the children to understand. Apparently it was easier to talk about earthy things and respectful things in a disrespectful way in Irish than in English. Her great grandparents preserved speaking and writing Irish, as well as English, in the home after Catholic Emancipation, when Irish was abandoned in their area. The family continued to pass it down until the generation after independence. Now relatives learn Irish in school, but never speak it except for certain phrases.

• ciaradexy | Apr 04, 2012, 06:04 AM EDT

  'Tribe'?? Sure thats as good and parochial as saying someone is 'good breedin' stock'!! Gerrup the yard lads! Curitiba, I'm charging you €1800 for your passport. Its cheaper for those who have who have an Irish place of birth on theirs.

• Curitiba | Apr 03, 2012, 06:45 PM EDT

  Good on you, Gaelphoncan. If I had as many buttons on my computer as Jacers, I'd be able to put the fada over the a in your name!

• Curitiba | Apr 03, 2012, 06:43 PM EDT

  That's very interesting, Jacers. How on earth did you manage to include all those symbols in your post? Does your keyboard have 150 buttons or something?

• jacersagain | Apr 03, 2012, 04:56 PM EDT

  @ Gaelphoncán, it was only because it was April Fool’s Day that I had the culchie/jackeen slagging banter going w/ ciaradexy. No harm or ill will in it. And lighten up... it’s not your fault that you’re a true redneck culchie anymore than it’s mine to be a true blue Dub. Tá fhios agam go bhfuil bealaí trí Con na Mara mar bfhuil daoine in ann a chosa a choimeád glan de’n drochbholadh... bhí me ann go minic go leor. (Pardon me rusty Irish). Is álainn an áit é, Con na Mara.

• jacersagain | Apr 03, 2012, 04:54 PM EDT

  Pardon me.. NE England is Viking language based!

• jacersagain | Apr 03, 2012, 04:53 PM EDT

  Curitiba – you’re right of course about the Picts and the Saxons but the former were a Celtic tribe and ‘Englishers’ appropriately belongs to Saxons. I believe the spoken language in some parts of the North East of England today is similar to Old Saxon. Certainly the quaint old names of towns and villages in that part of the UK are reminiscent of their occupation – Essex (East Saxons) Wessex, Sussex (South Saxons) all trace back to Saxon times. Funny how Irish history has it that the Normans were invited to Ireland by King Diarmuid MacMurrough to help him gain control over the Irish outside Leinster/Dublin (the culchies)... The Saxons were invited to England to keep out the Scots and the Irish! The name England comes from Angle-lande, a Saxon name. Not many may know this but all the days of week from Monday through to Sunday are named after Saxon Gods viz. Monandæg - the day of the moon; Tiwesdæg is Tiw's-day - the day of the Scandinavian sky god Tiw or Tiu; Wodnesdæg - Woden's day - the day of the god Woden; Dunresdæg - Thor's Day, the day of the god Ðunor or Thunor; Frigedæg - Freyja's day - the day of the goddess Frigg; Sæternesdæg - Saturn's day - the day of the Roman god Saturn and Sunnandæg is the day of the sun. I know someone will say the weekdays come from Roman Gods but stuff it. I prefer Dé Luain, Dé Máirt, Dé Céadaoin, Dé Déardaoin, De h-Aoine, De Sathairn, Dé Domhnaigh ... but then (heh-heh) I’m biased. Of course, we know there was no such thing as the seven-day week back in real old Ireland: time was measured in periods – three day, five day, ten-day and even fifteen day periods but damn if I know why. I don’t believe time exists at all. There isn’t 365 days in a year... they got the measure of ‘time’ so wrong we’ve to add another day into a year every four years! I think it was just invented by mankind to give some order to the world we live in.

• jacersagain | Apr 03, 2012, 04:50 PM EDT

  Ah sure ciara dearie any band that has just a couple of top twenty hits like Dexys did will always have forlorn fans like you. They broke up and made up time and again and I did hear they were making another attempt to sell an album these days. Kevin R and his mates must be hard up for cash in their oul age and will expect ciara and her likes to cough it up for them. Me hats off to ya for your charity work – I just knew only of the Connemara run through newspaper stuff with its emphasis on mental health and the See Change slogan. Thanks for the names of the charities you’re with; now I know which ones to not turn up for in the future... I wouldn’t want to be within a barge pole length of ya! :-)))

• Gaelphoncán | Apr 02, 2012, 10:11 PM EDT

  Téan' ort, 'Chiairín, dar an leabhar seo, mionnaím - (sorry, the rhyme only works in Munster Irish). A Chiara, a stór, Curitiba is an ethnic Irishman whose parents emigrated to Britain; get over it! (as you're fond of saying yourself. Japers, a chailín, you're more American than the Americans themselves!). I'm a Padddy who spent my childhood years sna Stáit Aontaithe and have no connection to Britain (apart from having lived in London for 2 years as an adult) and I, for my part, consider Kevin Rowland to be 'one of ours' (as does a friend of mine from the Bog' in Derry who's a fan of Dexy's Midnight Runners, for what that's worth) I also consider The Smiths and the Gallagher boys from Oasis to be fellow members of 'the tribe', which is not to say that I approve of everything they say and do. (What? Do you consider the word 'tribe' to be suitable only to refer to Native American or African ethnic groups?) - Deir tú go bhfuil Gaeilic Thír Chonall agat mar sin, a Chiara? D'fhéadfá a ráít go bhfuil mé fhéin breá 'cleartaí' leis an chanúint sin, a ghiorsach. Jacers, I'm from solid culchie (mostly west of Ireland) stock myself – no Jackeens in my lineage, as far as I know. Dála an scéil, ní bhionn drochbholadh as do chosa má théann tú thart cosnochta (mar a dhéananns 'chuile thuathánach ceart, nach bhfuil a fhios a'd. ;-) ). Tuathánaigh, an Ghaeilge, agus clann an diaspóra go deo!!!

• Curitiba | Apr 02, 2012, 05:56 PM EDT

  No such thing as the English until the Anglo Saxons arrived, jacers, about the 500's AD I think. And the people in what is known know as Scotland were Picts in Roman times. There's no evidence to suggests they were Celts, nobody actually knows who they were, they may have predated the Celts (Ancient Britons) who lived in the rest of the island. I tried to find some evidence about the German language being the language of science, but I couldn't find it. I just know it anecdotally, rather than being able to prove it.

• Curitiba | Apr 02, 2012, 05:50 PM EDT

  ancavker-looks like ciara IS the arbiter of irishness. We must send her our passport applications and let her decide whether we can have one or not! But you're not getting €80 odd out of me for processing Ciara. If you've got them all piled up in your living room, I'll bet you'll be glad to get rid of the for €40. Hurry up now, I've got my holiday booked!

• ciaradexy | Apr 02, 2012, 04:26 PM EDT

  Jacers, Dexys were not one hit wonders! They have a new album out soon and a tour confirmed!!! 'Searching for the Young Soul rebels' in the best album of all time! Full of beautiful soulful tunes!

• jacersagain | Apr 02, 2012, 04:21 PM EDT

  @ Curitiba – yes, funny how attempts were made to make certain sciences exclusive to certain language. As far as I know, the English/French language vote in those early days of aviation was a relatively low-key affair since there were not that many people involved in the business at the time of the vote. I don’t know how German was the original language of science but I do know that ancient Greek was the original language of medicine (Hippocratic Oath), later translated into Latin where it became the norm in later centuries and still today. It always beats me how scientific names (and most medical terms) persist in Latin even today. I mean we say today ‘human being’... right? Why then persist with ‘Homo sapiens’?? And God help any person with the Irish name Brady – it’s also used in the scientific name Bradypus pygmaeus; it means a ‘pygmy three-toed sloth’... and btw, it was Scottish Celts who painted their faces with blue woad and fought both the Romans and the Englishers. They were so feared that Hadrian had a wall built across the nth of England to stop them raiding across the ‘border’.

• ciaradexy | Apr 02, 2012, 04:21 PM EDT

  Dear Jacers, Im a long time volunteer with Focus, Barretstown, Chernobyl childrens project, Big Brother Big Sister,Friends of the Elderly, DRCC and a few more. The Connemarathon wasnt for mental health services, it was for whatever charity the participants wanted to collect for so you should do your research a tad better! My dads family farm is still going! It was the first deer farm in the country and there are still no cars on concrete blocks in the garden. I'm sure there's a few in your garden which were de-wheeled by the local skanger Dubs though! I hope my taxes arent paying your welfare too.

• jacersagain | Apr 02, 2012, 04:18 PM EDT

  Again @ ciara (& Curitiba) - so Dexy’s Midnight Runner’s yr fave band? You know they were one-hit wonders? You’ll be one too. Kevin Rowland was not Irish – he was British-born of Irish parents.

• jacersagain | Apr 02, 2012, 04:10 PM EDT

  @ ciaradexy - Congratulations and a big ‘Well Done!’ for taking part in the Connemara marathon yesterday (yes, I know there was a mini marathon, a real one and super one of 62kms), for the very worthy cause of See Change in Mental Health. I hope it improves your mental health too... it would help lessen our suffering of you. But sadly, as getting smelly feet in the Connemara bog as comes natural to you, you’ll be disqualified from getting a Jackeen permit. Ciara dearie (never sexy!) you’ll just hafta stay in the bog where culchies like you belong. I wonder how many cars you had in your Monaghan culchie Daddy’s back garden sitting on concrete blocks?

• jacersagain | Apr 02, 2012, 04:07 PM EDT

  @SeanMor – Nuair a deireann tú “ar an dtaobh seo den aigeán”, glacaim go bhfuil sé an taobh de Na Stáit Aontatha atá i gceist agat? Is féidir leat éisteach le cúig theanga sna séipeail i mBaile Átha Cliath ar na laethanta seo freisin! When you say “on this side of the ocean”, I assume it is the United States of America that you mean? It’s possible for you to hear five languages in the churches in Dublin these days too! ... (such is the extent of immigration). It’s a nice thought to have people say the Lord’s Prayer in their own language. It’s the most perfect prayer of all in any language.

• ciaradexy | Apr 02, 2012, 03:37 PM EDT

  I did and you MUST fit my criteria. Get a grip for feck sake, the last few posts were banter between Curitiba and I, nothing more.

• ancavker | Apr 02, 2012, 03:30 PM EDT

  ciara: For the love of God give it a rest already! Who exactly appointed you the arbiter of who is and is not Irish, and what are the requirements.

• ciaradexy | Apr 02, 2012, 02:48 PM EDT

  Well, I thought it was a good programme! All those tears made for a very convincing story!

• Curitiba | Apr 02, 2012, 02:38 PM EDT

  British people are those folk from antiquity who painted their faces in woad and fought the Romans. You're quoting a piece of propaganda to make your point.

• ciaradexy | Apr 02, 2012, 02:25 PM EDT

  A British person is anyone from Britain as you know! Have you watched 'Make Bradford British'? They are all Brits!! Regardless of their religion, colour or place of their parents birth!

• Curitiba | Apr 02, 2012, 02:03 PM EDT

  A Brit, Ciara?! I didn't know he was an Anglo-Saxon C of E member whose ancestry goes back to King Harold? I'm sure Wikipedia said his parents hailed from Crossmolina? Guess wikipedia isn't always right then. I'll write to them to correct this terrible error...

• Seanmor | Apr 02, 2012, 11:30 AM EDT

  Coistear teanga na nGael ar an dtaobh seo den aigéan freisin. About 5 years ago I attended Good Friday ecumenical services with my wife in her local Methodist church. When it came to "The Lord's Prayer",the pastor announced that if anyone wished to say it in another language, he or she was welcome to do so. My version was as follows: "Ár nAthar, atá ar neamh, go naomhfar d'ainm, go dtaga do ríocht....". On Pentecost Sunday last year, five foreign languages were spoken in that church, including an Ghaeilge anus is mise an té a labhair an teanga álainn cheolmhar sin. (Go maire an Ghaeilge go deo.)

• ciaradexy | Apr 02, 2012, 11:12 AM EDT

  Curitiba, he's a Brit dear and only Brits with Irish links consider people like Rowland as Irish! Met the man once. Hes a genius!

• IrelandNorth | Apr 02, 2012, 08:15 AM EDT

  Listening to Rádio na Gaeltacht/Telifís na Gaeilge is a good start to reclaiming your mother tongue. Equally, reading Nuachtainach/Newspapers as Gaeilge is constructive. Children hear words before they understand them. Rosetta Stone uses a similar logic. Just listern first whether or not you understand what's being said.

• Searlit | Apr 01, 2012, 10:24 PM EDT

  Thanks jacers. The accents make the Irish more authentic, even if my grammer isn't always correct.

• seanomelb | Apr 01, 2012, 08:32 PM EDT

  Jacer a funny piece I hope you don't upset anybodies sensibilities, Maith an fear leath.

• Curitiba | Apr 01, 2012, 07:05 PM EDT

  Dexys midnight Runners! Fronted by one of the all time great second-gen Irishmen, Kevin Rowland! A near townie of mine, parents from Crossmolina! See, Ciara, i knew you endorsed my point all along. You can't beat the Plastic Paddy's artistic and intellectual genius!

• ciaradexy | Apr 01, 2012, 05:59 PM EDT

  Now Jacers, I did mean 'Tools'! Tools have their uses, fools however dont! And thank you for thinking I could potentially be Ciarasexy! Im Dexy because Dexys Mignight Runners are my favourite band but you can call me Sexy any time! Right now I have smelly feet from hiking around Connemara during the Marathon today. Would this grant me a work permit?

• Curitiba | Apr 01, 2012, 05:45 PM EDT

  Up to 1933, Germany was the centre of world science, so if you wanted your research to be recognised, you had to speak German. But English is the language now. Latin is used to classify things, rather than as a medium of communication.

• jacersagain | Apr 01, 2012, 05:33 PM EDT

  I’m not supposed to let the cat out of the bag but we Dubliners are taking the invasion of our city and county by culchies very seriously now and have taken steps to limit culchies living in Dublin. An Application to Live within the City or County of Dublin has now been drawn up (leagan Gaeilge ar fáil freisin) which must now be filled in by culchies with all questions answered. Among the questions you must give an answer to are: your name, nickname and father’s name (if you don’t know it, you must give the three likely suspects); your neck shade (light, medium or dark red), which car you drive (Ford Escort, Cortina, Morris Minor etc), number of pairs of wellies you own, favourite singer (Brendan Shine, Margo, Daniel O’Donnell, Big Tom, Garth Brooks, Tammy Wynette etc), number of dependents (those legal, those claimed for and the number of welfare cheques cashed each week), favourite recreation (line dancing, dole signing, farm subsidy grabbing), whether a member of ICA, IFA, Macra and/or Fine Gael and if you’ve suffered from any of the following in your medical history - head lice, sheep lice, BO, Bovine TB, Bad Breath, Smelly Feet). Applications must be submitted within 3 weeks of arriving in Dublin to The Culchie Section, City Hall, Wood Quay, Dublin 2 and you will be let known within one week if ewe can stay.

• jacersagain | Apr 01, 2012, 05:29 PM EDT

  I see ciaradexy is mistyping again - ‘tools’ where she means ‘fools’ – in the same way she made a mistake when first signing in to IrishCentral: she meant to type ‘s’ where ‘d’ appears in her name, poor girl. Who’s the ‘tool’ now?

• jacersagain | Apr 01, 2012, 05:29 PM EDT

  Oops! see what happens when you type correctly but get underlines on ICentral! Ok, trying again: On yr keyboard, press and hold down the Alt Gr button while typing the letter you want a fada over. Thus holding Alt Gr down while typing the letter u will give you ú. Alt Gr followed by a will give you á.

• jacersagain | Apr 01, 2012, 05:24 PM EDT

  Searlit - to put the fada on any letter needing it in Irish, just hold down and type the letter. Thus will give you ú and will give you á. Failte romhat! Btw Searlit, ciara and I are just sharing an April Fool's bit of culchie/jackeen slagging...

• Searlit | Apr 01, 2012, 04:25 PM EDT

  Tóg é bog é a gach uile dhuine. Is Gaeilge go leor duinn uile ann. @ jacersagin, would you please post the lower case u with the fada? Somehow I lost it. Go raibh an-mhaith agat!

• ciaradexy | Apr 01, 2012, 03:54 PM EDT

  I dont know about german being the language of science because latin still seems to be the relevant language there. I work in cancer diagnosis in a maternity hospital and latin is still a massive part of science and histopathology but youre right, English IS the language of business used all over the world and always will be.

• Curitiba | Apr 01, 2012, 03:26 PM EDT

  Interesting, though, about French nearly being the language of aviation and so on. It's still the language of the international postal system, hence "par avion" being on all the airmail stickers. German used to be the language of science, until it was supplanted by English after WW1. French just narrowly missed being the language of the Midwest USA, due to France going bankrupt and having to sell the Louisiana Purchase to the USA, The French arrived at Sydney Cove and in New Zealand before the British, but arrived without an army and had to sail back to raise one from France, during which time, the British gazumped them and the rest is history. It looks like English will be the dominant language in the world for all time now. Mandarin may have more speakers, but they're nearly all in China. English is spoken all over the world.

• MCCOLGAN1492 | Apr 01, 2012, 03:20 PM EDT

  Georgie, I would come to your trailer park any time.... where are you parked now?

• ciaradexy | Apr 01, 2012, 03:20 PM EDT

  Theres always gonna be a few tools, especially in the city who think of themselves as city slickers. Being from Dublin myself, they are mortifying! Luckily most of them emigrate!

• Curitiba | Apr 01, 2012, 03:16 PM EDT

  I see regionalism is alive and well in Ireland, just as it is everywhere else! Ciara, you told me otherwise!

• MCCOLGAN1492 | Apr 01, 2012, 02:54 PM EDT

  @georgie-or whoever you are you coward--i know what you would like to lick... you wanker

• pilib04 | Apr 01, 2012, 01:10 PM EDT

  Eiriamach, although I can't write in Gaelic, I can usually read or figure out what a sentence says. None of my great grandparents could read or write so we only learned to speak Gaelic. Your brief comments help me practice and are much appreciated. Go raibh maith agat. Slan go foill, mo chara.

• pilib04 | Apr 01, 2012, 12:48 PM EDT

  jaceragain, not sure i agree with everything you have to say, but you certainly have the gift.

• ciaradexy | Apr 01, 2012, 12:28 PM EDT

  Eh my dad lives in Dublin since 1968 and my mam is from Sallynoggin! So you hate culchies, is that what we should take from your posts? Born in Holles St love and raised in Dublin 24! Working in Dublin 4 and 12 plus Galway and Connemara da'ling! So only people from either the beaches of Sandymount or the veg sellers of Moore St are ok in your eyes then yeah? I bet you're a knacker Dub who sits on the boardwalk drinking cans every single day, you know, the ones that are an embarrassment to the entire country. The welfare class. You dont find too many of them outside Dublin either fortunately. I'm probably paying your dole and your housing benefit too, probably delivering your families skanger babies in my hospital too! Real Dubs? Get up the yard!

• jacersagain | Apr 01, 2012, 12:04 PM EDT

  You know why we jackeens call culchies like ciaradexy “Rednecks”? Because their parents down the country can’t wait to be rid of them, they slap them across the back of the neck saying “Gerrup ta Dublin, g’wan now, off wi’ ye and get up ta Dublin and send us back some money”. That’s how the culchies get their red necks, being beaten by their own parents. Now me dear Dirty Oul’ Town is swamped and run by culchies like that other redneck, Inda Kinny (West of Ireland people can’t even rightly pronounce his name, Enda Kenny). ciara calls herself a culchie jackeen. The bluddy cheek of her to put the hallowed name of jackeen alongside culchie.. wellll I neverrrr!! Bluddy cheek... You can’t call yourself a Jackeen unless there were at least three generations of Dubliners before you in the family. I have five on one side, four on the other, so ciara dearie, go home to where you belong in the sticks and stay home, ya miserable culchie redneck, de bluddy cheek o’ yeh, sneaking into Dublin and stealing jobs from real Dubs!

• ciaradexy | Apr 01, 2012, 09:53 AM EDT

  So Jacers, youre a bit of a Georgie character too! You have an issue with people from outside Dublin now and yet you studied in Spiddal where I also have family? Did you call the locals redneck culchies? No, I bet you didnt. I bet you kept tat to yourself you two faced knack. You should remember who still lives and works in Dublin pal. Do you walk around the streets of Dublin calling people names? Probably by the sound of you.

• ciaradexy | Apr 01, 2012, 09:43 AM EDT

  George, you strike me as the local village idiot. The one who sits in pubs all day and mutters to themselves in the corner and eventually has to be forcibly removed from the pub by a few of the younger lads who can old their drink. Then as you stumble home kicking bins over and falling into peoples gardens, the neighbours grab their kids in off the street because everyone feels sorry for you but is disgusted with you all at the same time. You mumble and shout racist comments at people and get all annoyed and p1ssed off that no one thinks of you as Irish so you conform to the old stereotype and get locked cos you think it helps your cause. Stay at home yank, youre making a show of yourself. At least people like Curitiba can hold his own and have proper debate and can argue his points unlike you bleating in front of your laptop covered in puke. Sad sad sad lunatic.

• ciaradexy | Apr 01, 2012, 09:31 AM EDT

  Oh Georgie, if only it was April fools day every day, then at least your posts would make sense! Everyday is Fools day in the Dillon household. Only a fool like yourself tries to deflect from your own hatred of everyone other than youself. Get out of your own arse.

• jacersagain | Apr 01, 2012, 09:31 AM EDT

  (...more) This aviation decision developed further into the business world and so we have English as the dominant world-business language today. It did not matter that Spanish, Portuguese or Arabic languages were more widely spoken throughout the world... they just weren’t in there when flight was taking off. If French had won the vote that time, we would all (in USA, Europe and elsewhere) be learning French as the business language of today. This all partly explains why immigrants to the US, Canada, Australia, Ireland and UK chose to come to these countries because they already have a basic ability to speak the English language learned in school in their own countries. Alas, I fear Irish will become just like Latin - a classical language. Now, if only the pioneers of aviation had been Irish speakers...

• jacersagain | Apr 01, 2012, 09:29 AM EDT

  (...more) It is a fact of life that English has become the dominant language for business communication in the world, which is why so many countries teach it in their schools not just in Europe but throughout the non-English speaking world as well. Not many people would know this but the dominant business language almost became French, not English. Back in the days of early aviation, when flights became international, English-speaking and French-speaking aircraft makers and pilots were to the fore in the development of flight. When it eventually came to pilots speaking to aircraft controllers on the ground in different countries, it became necessary that all speak the same language to avoid any confusion. An international meeting was held about this and a vote was taken between using English or French as the common language. English was very narrowly voted for as the language for all pilots and air traffic controllers to learn and use between each other throughout the world. Even Chinese, Russian, African and South American pilots and air traffic controllers must learn English and have a minimum standard phraseology for aviation exchanges. It could all so easily have been voted French (more...)

• jacersagain | Apr 01, 2012, 09:27 AM EDT

  I don’t have much to share with ciaradexy apart from my beloved native city of Dublin which she, a redneck culchie, has the temerity to claim her own, but I do agree with her on Irish Language. I admire eiriamach, Searlit, Georgieboy, kinvara and others for their interest and practice of our native language and seanomelb for hanging on to what is left of what he remembers of An Gaeilge after years in Oz, far away from his own native home (nach blas an Gaeilge a phóstaigh Gaelphoncán! – thuig mé é go h-éasca). I learned Irish in school, not from my Dublin parents who only had a smattering of Irish words but I spoke it fluently throughout my school years, inside and outside of school, on the Gaelic football and hurling fields and handball alleys, later going to Gael-Linn Irish-speaking clubs in Dublin, spending time in the Gaeltacht in Spiddal, Co. Galway and so on. My wife was also a fluent Irish speaker (though that’s not how we met!) and we had fun speaking Irish between us in France, Spain and Italy and evn in the US and UK etc when, erm, “confidential discussion” was needed in front of the natives! We taught some Irish to our kids before they started school. However, all that went down the drain as time passed. Why? (More...)

• eiriamach | Apr 01, 2012, 09:09 AM EDT

  A Sheoirse, nach dtugann tú an chéad lá den mhí seo agus do shaol ar fad ag gabháil d'amaidí?

• GeorgeDillon | Apr 01, 2012, 08:17 AM EDT

  ciaradexty: Admit it. All your postings have been just an Aprils Fool stunt. You can stop now.

• GeorgeDillon | Apr 01, 2012, 08:13 AM EDT

  The poster MCCOLGAN is not just an abusive racist, he's an utter fool. He got my place of residence wrong by maybe 4000 miles. He said I'm based in the NorthWest, when as anyone who reads my posts will know, I am in the SouthEast! In fact just a few weeks back I said that the nearest St Patrick's Day parade to me was in Savannah GA. Does that give you a clue, madcolgan? Take out your map of the USA, you clown. Actually I think the reason madcolgan hates Seattle is because he got beaten up in a bar there some time. Can't say I blame the other drinkers for throwing him out of the bar--I'd have given that racist garbage a few kicks myself!

• GeorgeDillon | Apr 01, 2012, 08:09 AM EDT

  "ciradexy bored old fat primary school teacher". I'd agree with that, except I'd say she's "boring", not bored.

• ciaradexy | Apr 01, 2012, 06:33 AM EDT

  Eiri & Searlit, its about the effort you make not attention to detail. Its about communication not 'owning' the language as G.Dope seems to think. Mc-Eddie Travers eh? I must look him up. Maybe he has a facebook page, afterall G.Dope somehow knows my surname! Stalker alert! Angry-Primary school teacher? Really? medical scientist da'hling. Of course I'll comment on a topic in regards to my country which I live in! Why shouldnt I? It affects me so why shouldnt I comment?

• AMWilson | Apr 01, 2012, 01:10 AM EDT

  Seattle is the armpit of the US? Really? Ever been there? I've lived all over the US, and Seattle is POSH compared to most places I've lived. Property taxes in King Co are rough, but with a soft-spoken progressive ethic, no income tax, and a moderate Pacific climate, Seattle has a lot to offer. Between Boeing and Microsoft, it also has a lot to offer Irish immigrants, and it has a thriving Irish cultural community and a decent GAA club. And Martin Hayes. And even Catholic Mass as Gaeilge at St Patrick's Church. So bash whoever you want, McColgan, but leave Seattle out of it.

• Mousemess | Apr 01, 2012, 12:52 AM EDT

  There are some people from Ireland who speak Irish fluently and who are teaching Irish in some of the major cities of the USA, like Washington, DC, New York City, Boston, etc. Ronan Connolly who taught Irish in schools in Ireland is one teacher I heard about. He is teaching Irish to university students at Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. And is also teaching Irish to private student as well. Is maith an rud e sin.

• Searlit | Mar 31, 2012, 10:50 PM EDT

  Thanks everyone for your comments. I like being able to test out the Irish here. It's helpful to get feedback. Although grumpy George could be a little nicer about it. Eh!

• MCCOLGAN1492 | Mar 31, 2012, 09:02 PM EDT

  ciardexy, georgie the wanker is actually eddie"the wanker" travers from Seatle Wash., which by the way is the armpit of the US. Why be such a coward and use names like Wounded Knee and Georgie Dillion.... Catholic School Boy who thinks he is important, little coward in a stinky little pond!!! EFTravers from Seatle Washington, he is the dildo behind the dildo....

• eiriamach | Mar 31, 2012, 08:24 PM EDT

  Déanfaidh mé iarracht air, a chara, go raibh maith agat!

• ciaradexy | Mar 31, 2012, 07:59 PM EDT

  Eiriamach-Is fearr Gaeilge briste, na Bearla cliste. Broken Irish is better than clever English. It was people like George who made Irish a chore for people to learn and it was people like him who made people sneer at the language and think, if that moron is speaking it and I wouldnt have a conversation with him then why bother learning it? Throw in a couple of words everyday. It makes the language more inclusive and makes more people interested in it.

• ciaradexy | Mar 31, 2012, 07:28 PM EDT

  Sean, I never said the Pale was Ireland. I said there was a resurgence of the Irish language in Dublin over the past few years which is brilliant but surprising. 150 years is acurate Sean. Last week I watched a programme on TG4 called Sceal Na Gaeilge. Irish became a minority language here in 1850, the year after the famine so 150 years is a fact.

• ciaradexy | Mar 31, 2012, 07:11 PM EDT

  Sean, I never even suggested that the Pale was Ireland. I said Dublin was leading a revival in the language which is surprising as for many years Irish was only spoken in tiny pockets of the city. As a city which is home to many migrants this is also a welcome and surprising situation.150 years is very accurate. I watched a programme on TG4 just last week called Sceal Na Gaeilge and Irish became the minority language for the first time in 1850, the year after the famine. That is a fact.

• eiriamach | Mar 31, 2012, 07:10 PM EDT

  No GeorgeD, you don't get it. Trying to learn the language, I had to put up with the intolerance of some students and teachers. Most students were decent people, but timid, unassertive and inclined to let the intolerant exert control. The intolerant use Irish language events to escape the equality of multi-cultural "others" in the multi-cultural society we Americans live in. They made it very clear, in their self-deluded way, that they and their think-alikes own the turf of Gaeilge and would (and did) mock, censor and email-harass us libs, anything to shut us up so they could pretend we didn't exist and the USA was a conservative, authoritarian Irish Catholic paradise where they could with impunity trash blacks, gays, women, and other uppity types who didn't understand that they were really in charge. Does this portrait sound familiar to you, Georgie? Look in a mirror to get a clearer idea. Is mór an trua é sin! Seanomelb gives the spirit of Irish as it should be.

• seanomelb | Mar 31, 2012, 06:53 PM EDT

  Gael your Irish is great unfortunately I have forgotten most of my Irish(ta gaeilge briste agam agus taid Seoirse cheann bhioran).The revival of the language adds to national pride and respect. It beggars belief that any Irish or people of Irish descent would demean or make fun of the efforts to instill The language as the first language of Ireland. I can only conclude that they do not understand that language is as much a part of the Irish soul ar ceol agus rinnce and its survival is paramount.Ciara the pail is not Ireland and your 150 years is way off the mark. WoundedKnee is an avid poster of anti Irish rhetoric on this site.

• ciaradexy | Mar 31, 2012, 06:02 PM EDT

  Dildo, Irish is a minority language over 150 years now so stop blaming modern day Irish people for the demise of the language.

• ciaradexy | Mar 31, 2012, 06:01 PM EDT

  Gael, I think its brilliant that youre learning Mandarin. Ive heard its one of the most difficult languages to learn. Fair play to you. Im not looking down on anyone. If someone wants to learn a language of any description then good for them. Ar chuala tú riamh an leagan cainte 'Is fearr Gaeilge briste, na Bearla cliste'? As for your point on accents, there are many accents and dialects in Ireland. I learned the Donegal dialect which is quite difficult to pick up in comparison to lets say Connaught dialects. George, you have no idea about how Irish is taught here so keep your gob shut on issues you havent experienced or have any knowledge of. English is the inclusive language on this site so dont exclude the vast majority because they dont speak Irish. Your written Irish is gorgeous by the way.

• WoundedKnee | Mar 31, 2012, 04:44 PM EDT

  The Irish Central article is off the wall. It is obvious that Irish is not the third most spoken language in Ireland. I wouldn't put it in the top six. Chinese, Portugese and Romanian are well ahead, plus probably Lingala or some other African language, Tagalog and Romanian. The Irish live in a fantasy world.

• Gaelphoncán | Mar 31, 2012, 04:14 PM EDT

  Tá Gaeilge agam agus tá mé ag foghlaim na Mandairínise (meas tú cad chuige?). Tá tú ag caitheamh anuas ar an mblas Meiriceánach, a Chiara? Bhoil, tá aithne agam ar go leor cainteoiri dúchais ón nGaeltacht a bhionn ag magadh faoi bhlas Bhaile Átha Cliath (sa Ghaeilge). Ar chuala tú riamh an leagan cainte 'an óinseach ag aoir ar an amadán', a stór? A chairde Gael, maidir le 'good news', is é 'dea-scéal' an Ghaeilge a chuirfinn féin air (Chuirfinnse 'seafóid' nó 'ráiméis' ar 'baloney', a Sheoirse). D'fhéadfaí a rá go bhfuil beagáinín eolais agamsa ar an tSín agus ar na Sínigh. Cothrom na Féinne do Bhernard Dunne agus rath Dé ar an tionscadal s'aige – nár lagaí Dia go deo é!

• GeorgeDillon | Mar 31, 2012, 04:11 PM EDT

  eiriamach: So, you had a bad experience in some Irish language class. You didn't like the teacher, or more likely, s/he didn't like you. And you blame it on those of us who speak Irish? Get over it, you lunatic. You should see a psychiatrist--we can't help you.

• GeorgeDillon | Mar 31, 2012, 04:02 PM EDT

  Bythebay: Take a moment to consider the madness represented by ciaradexter. She berates an American (me) for learning Irish, and for asking that the language be given the respect of being learned correctly. She mounts no such attack on the millions of her countrymen who have not bothered to learn or speak Irish, despite having far more opportunities than me. This moron then calls me a nazi for asking that the Irish language be accorded the respect of learning it properly. Obviously she has no respect for the language, despite her garrulous garbage. She can't speak it, after a dozen or more years "learning" it in school. Then she claims (it's a stupid lie) that lots of Irish people speak Irish. Those of us who know Ireland know that this is a stupid lie. This woman ciaradexter is just drooling slop, there really is no limit to her imbecility.

• Murph46 | Mar 31, 2012, 02:49 PM EDT

  ciaradexy you just go along in your little medicated world , jealous-I think not China owns a lot of US paper,I;m just trying to be helpful.I called on machine shops and have seen crates of cheap Chinese tools that broke long b4 their American counterparts-but they were 40-70% cheaper!I'm just saying beware ,but you seem to relish your future!

• ciaradexy | Mar 31, 2012, 02:30 PM EDT

  Murph, would you rather the US bought us out? Why would that be any better than the Chinese? They have invested. they havent bought any of our state assets. they are the next big economy in the world not the US. Jealously is an affliction. You should seek help.

• ciaradexy | Mar 31, 2012, 02:23 PM EDT

  Murph, the American accent just spells cultural void to most of the world, at least the Chinese have some sort of culture of their own. Im not saying theyre perfect but show me a country and a nation who is perfect. It doesnt exist. Eiriamach, well said! Georgie has what we call 'Trinity College Irish' or typically 'Foreigner learning irish abroad' knowledge of the language. he has almost perfect written language but his conversational skills whether in English or Irish are brutal! Maybe because no one wants to talk with him in any language! If any of you lot visit Ireland, I'll take you out with my Irish speaking mates and we'll go to Irish language and cultural events that tourists don't usually hear about or get to go to.

• peterson | Mar 31, 2012, 02:03 PM EDT

  The "Irish" language is part of it's history and heritage !!

• Murph46 | Mar 31, 2012, 01:53 PM EDT

  ciaradexy if you truly believe that having to speak Mandarin Vs.an American twang is preferable,you are an eejit.Kenny might have just sold Ireland out to the Chinese.Your new cottage industries will be in Huangchow,and Beijing.Good luck with your new Masters!

• eiriamach | Mar 31, 2012, 01:47 PM EDT

  GeorgieD, those people in Dublin, Cork and Galway must have seen you coming. Why would they speak Irish to you? Their Irish language is not the same as yours; 'culturally speaking,' it's a world apart from yours. Ciaradexy hit the nail on the head when she wrote of Irish language Nazis in the USA. With or without the Irish language, we have Nazis and near-Nazis galore.

• ciaradexy | Mar 31, 2012, 01:23 PM EDT

  Murph, thats much more desirable than speaking with an American twang.Searlit, fair play to you! I dont know where you are in the world but if you can access An Bród Club then have a look. Bernard Dunne, a boxer from Dublin is learning Irish and is trying to get Irish people to use even a couple of words or phrases everyday. I also suggest you google ''Concubhar O Liathain: Irish is spreading like a sexually transmitted disease'' which talks about the current rise in the number of people speaking the language plus it makes a mockery of people like Georgie Dillon who ruin spoken Irish for people who use it every day. We refer to people like him here as 'irish language nazis'. Irish was taught to kids in school here for generations the same way Georgie learnt it and it made irish people detest the language which is another reason it nearly died out. Nowadays though, the language has adapted, evolved and progressed just like the people in this country and now people are loving it and using it every day. Dont let tools like GD tell you how it should be. If George was in charge of it, the language would be dead because people would just utterly hate it.

• Murph46 | Mar 31, 2012, 12:51 PM EDT

  Next year it will be fourth after you all have to learn Mandarin according to your new masters (China)instructions!

• GeorgeDillon | Mar 31, 2012, 12:18 PM EDT

  Given the census findings, how come Polish is not given recognition in the Irish constitution? Irish is, and, as a day in Dublin, Cork or Galway will show, no one speaks Irish. There can be no justification for discriminating against Polish in this fashion.

• GeorgeDillon | Mar 31, 2012, 12:16 PM EDT

  That's very bad Irish. One of the fundamentals of Irish grammar is the copula. Your sentence needs the copula. "Is nuacht mhaith don Ghaeilge é."

• Searlit | Mar 31, 2012, 12:05 PM EDT

  Tá sé nuacht mhaith do Gaeilge é. It's good news for the Irish language.

• GeorgeDillon | Mar 31, 2012, 12:03 PM EDT

  The Irish census is nonsense. It notoriously undercounts the numbers of foreigners in the country, and it overcounts the numbers of Irish speakers. One and a three quarter million say they speak Irish? So how come it's years since I heard people speaking Irish on the street or in the stores? This figure is bailiúine, which is a word I just made up for "baloney". Why, I bet if you tracked down ciaradexty's return you'd find that even she claimed she could speak Irish, and we all know she doesn't have two words to rub together!

• ciaradexy | Mar 31, 2012, 10:12 AM EDT

  Curitiba, learn it so and stop talking about it!

• Curitiba | Mar 31, 2012, 08:38 AM EDT

  Perhaps the way forward is to introduce Irish Saturday schools amongst the Diaspora to at least keep Irish language and culture alive somewhere in the world, as it is likely, due to the emigration of native Irish and the influx of non-Irish, that both will just be a memory in the next few decades, just as German language and culture is just a footnote in history in Kaliningrad (formerly East Prussia). Worldwide Chinese communities do this, they have saturday schools where Chinese parents can send their offspring to become infused in their native language and customs.