72 Comments

• jacersagain | Jun 06, 2011, 04:04 PM EDT

  I have to offer apologies to irishphotograph whom I wrongly mixed up with another IC poster. It's irishwriter who's known to Niall. Maybe irishphotograph is too but I post this to correct that mix-up.

• jacersagain | Jun 06, 2011, 03:39 PM EDT

  FY of GeorgeD - thanks for calling me haterjacers which is so far from reality that I might adopt it as a screen name, its got a nice ring to it! Of ten exam subjects I did when leaving school, I scored highest in Irish, in both written and oral tests and obtained Honours level (the highest grade) in both, along with Physics, Chemistry, History and Geography. I merely passed English!

• jacersagain | Jun 06, 2011, 03:28 PM EDT

  Well done to eiriamach for eliciting a response from N’OD. I think an Irish language section ought to be a part of Irish Central but I would have to agree w/ Niall that such a venture may not be greatly successful – there have been numerous attempts by Irish speakers around the world to create Irish language blog sites on the internet and keep it going, with little success. What I would suggest to Niall is that he includes an Irish translation tool on this site through which some or all of ICentral articles could be translated into Irish and commented on in Irish by those who would like to do so.

• eiriamach | Jun 05, 2011, 05:49 PM EDT

  Niall O'Dowd answered and said that when IC tried Irish blogs early on, there was no response, but he seems pleased to hear there's interest in doing it now: "great idea and love to get it organized." More news soon, I hope.

• eiriamach | Jun 05, 2011, 07:08 AM EDT

  Go n-éiri do bhóthar leat, a Eamonn agus mise. Bail ó Dhia obair é. --> Go n-éiri an bóthar leat, a Eamonn. Bail ó Dhia ar an obair. ??

• eiriamach | Jun 05, 2011, 06:54 AM EDT

  GeorgeDillon, I was able to read your Irish post and also kinvara7's with no difficulty. In general, I can read most Irish. (Academic Irish, such as Ó Conchubhair's "Fin de Siécle na Gaeilge," is still slow-going for me.) It is a literary language for me, rather than a spoken language. I write it with difficulty and I have no one with whom to speak it. The way to keep it alive, of course, is to speak it and write it. In speaking and writing, the complex rules of prefixation, suffixes, lenition, etc., become second nature. Considering the difficulties for English speakers in learning the differently-structured Irish language, we should expect multiple errors in just a paragraph of written Irish. It would be good to have an Irish section on IC where we could gently supply corrections for each other-- not for obvious typos, but for example, "Is bean mé" to replace "Tá mé bean." Mamaginnty writes very lively Irish, and so I said she was a good Irish speaker because Irish is such a rich language and can generate great humorous moments. There are many ways of being a good Irish speaker. You and kinvara7 could be of great use to learners because of your command of the intricacies of the language and the flow of sentences. Jacers has, it seems to me, a great sense of the colloquial uses of Irish--"le mot juste." And so on. I don't need to be a great Irish speaker to know good Irish when I see it. BTW: none of the people you mention is a hater. If you are disappointed that no one defended you when someone else called you a hater, well I'll keep that in mind and try to be there if it happens again because too often the discussion just deteriorates if we don't stop the insults when they begin.

• GeorgeDillon | Jun 05, 2011, 02:52 AM EDT

  eiriamach: Just as an addendum, haterjacer has what in our country might be called Irish 101. And probably with a grade of C minus!

• GeorgeDillon | Jun 05, 2011, 02:51 AM EDT

  eiriamach: I will take your apology with the courtesy with which it was intended. I'll cross you off the list of haters. Now we're just down to a hard core of haters--jacers, kinvara, momma ginnty. But let me ask you a question, because I dislike lack of logic. You say that certain posters--haterjacer is one of them--have good Irish. Yet you yourself don't know any Irish. You're not the only person here with no Irish to make judgments about the Irish proficiency of others. Just how do you do that? Clairvoyance?

• Sheilah | Jun 04, 2011, 09:02 PM EDT

  Go n-éiri do bhóthar leat, a Eamonn agus mise. Bail ó Dhia obair é.

• jacersagain | Jun 04, 2011, 09:01 PM EDT

  Flip!!! Flip, flip flippit! Why didn't I see it before??... A light bulb just went off in me head! Why not invite an t-Uasal Shevlin to be Eagarthóir??? As a Sanitation Expert he might help clean up GeorgeDillon’s mind, as Gaeilge.

• jacersagain | Jun 04, 2011, 08:50 PM EDT

  mamaginnty – Yes, you do have a total right to sleep well tonight. Oíche ciúin leat, a mháithre ginnty, a bhean álainn. @ eiriamach, I think it’s amazing that ICentral started up w/o an Irish Language section within its ‘Irish Roots’ section. But, nah, I’m not that into Irish as to want to be as involved as you’ve kindly suggested. Kinvara7 has offered to be an editor though... b’fhéider, lá éigin, it might happen on Lárnach na hÉireann.

• eiriamach | Jun 04, 2011, 08:09 PM EDT

  I sent a little email to Niall O'Dowd and tried to summarize kilvara7's suggestion and willingness to edit. I'd like to see it happen. Mamaginnty, I can put up with a lot of blustering by IC posters because at least here, where I can write out an answer and just click the 'comment' button, no one (so far!) has censored or silenced or blocked me. I don't consider it a psychiatric problem, but I admit I need that freedom! And posters like you, Jacers, Searlit and others I should name but the list will get too long, make it enjoyable. And why do you say "useless at Irish"? You are one of the best of the Irish speakers! Jacers too! Ah, but he seems to be able to play with almost any language; maybe he's James Joyce re-incarnated. (Ooops, there I go again, speculating! I have to stop that.)

• mamaginnty | Jun 04, 2011, 07:41 PM EDT

  Eireiamach, I am useless at irish myself but I will send e-mail. I think it is a great idea for all you irish speakers, and I'm sure more will join... just had an awful thought, I will be left sitting here twiddlin me thumps while you lot will be nattering away in irish.

• mamaginnty | Jun 04, 2011, 07:29 PM EDT

  I just want to say that for the last few weeks I thought.... Is it me, am I wrong, am I becoming a nasty ould woman, am I letting me temper get the better of me. Now I feel a weight has been lifted from my shoulders in that other posters have seen " yer man " for what he is. I will sleep well tonight and not be worrying about what the ould codger will be saying tomorrow.

• eiriamach | Jun 04, 2011, 06:33 PM EDT

  Jacers, I think the suggestion of an Irish language forum on Irish Central is a good idea, and if you would not mind helping with it, I'll nominate you, or anyone willing to do what's needed. Is anyone else interested in seeing this happen? Email the suggestion to niall@irishcentral.com . Maybe we'll get an answer.

• jacersagain | Jun 04, 2011, 06:12 PM EDT

  (..more corrections of Georgieboy posts) In relation to someone writing to ICentral to be an Editor for an Irish language section on this site, Georgie wrote at 08.39am yesterday that I, jacers “compound that imbecility (of my (jacers) poor Irish) by claiming I (GD) said I "wouldn't be able" to handle a site in Irish. More garbage. I never said that.” – Well, erm - Yes you did say that Georgie – you wrote in Irish “Ní fhéadfainn-se a leithéid a dhéanamh—tá an iomarca naimhde agam anseo cheana féin.” – That translates to “I would not be able to do such a thing myself – I have enough enemies here already”. (I had mis-read ‘naimhde’ for a bad spelling of ‘naire’, meaning ‘shame’ thus throwing the meaning that George intended out of line, for which I apologised earlier; given my mis-reading, I understood George to say “I wouldn’t be able to do such a thing myself - I have enough shame already"). This clearly tells me that Georgie doesn’t quite understand what he posted in Irish and must have used a translator (no wonder then, like kinvara7, I saw but ignored the errors in that Irish post!) GeeDee therefore cannot possess the fluency of Irish that he claims to have. I'd suggest that shows that George is an imposter. A final correction of George’s assertions - my buttocks are quite firm and trim and far from constituting a fat arse.

• jacersagain | Jun 04, 2011, 05:59 PM EDT

  A few corrections to Georgie’s assertions in recent posts: My Irish is far from rudimentary; I admitted that it is rusty from lack of practice but quite adequate for understanding both written and spoken Irish (I often watch TG4, the Irish language TV station). eiriamach is a lady, a scholar of religion, a fighter for equality with a smattering understanding of Irish language, an excellent writer and certainly not a racist; she and I don’t always agree between us in IC posts but we at least have huge respect for each other. mamaginnty is a lovely lady who looks after her bed-ridden sick husband all her days & nights who escapes to computer only when she can while he sleeps and is great with good oul’ Irish no-harm banter; I love her (sometimes bitchy!) posts. The poster Irishphotograph was quite correct to call you a ‘hater’ given the proof in yr own posts throughout various ICentral topics; incidentally, Irishphotograph is, I think, as far as I can remember, an Irish Central writer who knows Niall O’Dowd personally. He might therefore be in a position to personally report George’s abusive posts. (More...)

• eiriamach | Jun 04, 2011, 05:52 PM EDT

  GeorgeDillon, I've re-read Searlit's comment, and she started me thinking. I should apologize to you for speculating about your name--sorry! It's just a coincidence with that other, 19th century, George Dillon. Now calm down, OK? Be your nicer self.

• jacersagain | Jun 04, 2011, 05:51 PM EDT

  Whoo bejaysus! (that's Irish for the French ‘Mown Joo!) - Georgieboy now tells us he has appointed himself to wear the mantle of Jesus Christ on the pages of Irish Central and throw out all of us bad, foolish, imbecilic, hateful clown posters out of its ‘temple’. Careful Georgie, you’ll be trampling on the feet of Jesus next, saying that He was a clown not to have done a good enough job of it that day at the Temple...

• eiriamach | Jun 04, 2011, 05:41 PM EDT

  GeorgeDillon, you write, "Christ threw the frauds and hypocrites out of the Temple. That's the equivalent of what I have to do here." You miscalculate. Didn't you get it? I've already been thrown out by the Gaeilgeoiri. That's why I'm here and why you will not succeed in throwing me out. So give up trying. I love the Irish language, and I hate seeing it used by anyone who is here to throw others out.

• GeorgeDillon | Jun 04, 2011, 02:17 PM EDT

  eiriamach: Please don't trry to use this site in lieu of psychoanalysis. We can't help you. Whatever happened in your earlier life to make you hate the Irish language, that's your problem, not ours. Keep it for your weekly couch appointments. Anyway, there are countless other Irish bigots who hate the Irish language, several on this site (viz. kinvara) maybe y'all should form a club. Call it the Ku Klux Klan (oops, sorry, that name has been taken by other crazies!).

• GeorgeDillon | Jun 04, 2011, 02:12 PM EDT

  searlit: "Eiriamach seems to me, a sensitive, transcendent scholar". You're joking, aren't you? What's scholarly about him/her? S/he is a rabid bigot and racist.

• GeorgeDillon | Jun 04, 2011, 02:11 PM EDT

  jacersagain: You obviously have never read the New Testament. If you had you'd know how Christ threw the frauds and hypocrites out of the Temple. That's the equivalent of what I have to do here. Go study religion if you want to try and dialog with me on it, you nitwit, otherwise you're wasting my time. You, for example, are a fraud and a hypocrite. This thread was derailed in its early stages by some clown calling himself Irishphotograph, who called me a "hater". You kept silent then, didn't you? You didn't call on him to withdraw that hate speech, did you? You hypocritical fool. Christ would have kicked your big fat ass out of the Temple with all the other vermin.

• Searlit | Jun 04, 2011, 01:06 PM EDT

  George Dillon, where is the man who once commented that he was a lot more pleasant, in reality than his posts would imply. I am paraphrasing you, of course. Eiriamach seems to me, a sensitive, transcendent scholar who doesn't deserve your insults. Can't you just make your comments without calling other posters names?

• eiriamach | Jun 04, 2011, 11:17 AM EDT

  GeorgeDillon, Msgr. Dillon was an anti-Fenian as well as a xenophobe, anti-Semite, and radical-Catholic conservative. GD, Anyone who Googles the name "George Dillon" knows that the history I alluded to is, unfortunately, no fevered fantasy and does warrant questions since your xenophobia and anti-Irish fervor are obvious to all. Thanks for your suggestion, but what I need is not a psychiatrist; I need to deal with fewer Irish speakers of your ilk on IC. I probably met you at some point. I spent two years in various Irish language groups in this area of the US trying not only to learn the language, but also to find just one ally who 1) was not a far-right ideologue and 2) had the moral courage not to stand for the silencing of people whose politics are to the left and who call bigotry by its name when it asserts itself. I was silenced too often in those groups by homophobes, xenophobes, racists, misogynists, anti-abortion fanatics, Obama-haters, Hillary-haters, and such. I despise bigotry and sexist arrogance, so I am not any more impressed with your considerable skills in the Irish language than I was by those groups' "love of Gaeilge": I'd rather not see a fine language travestied by the male ego-tripping, narrow-mindedness and insults you and they indulge in, which others on this site are right to criticize. When Gaeilge is a kind of "turf" with signs posted about who may enter and who must leave, it's better off dead, at least in the US, where such bigotry thrives at present (faraor!). Show me your tolerance, your openness to ideas and attitudes that you do not share; show me your humane treatment of those you disagree with-- rather than insults calculated to drive them away. If YOU can set yourself up as a paradigm of Gaeilge speakers, WHO would want to speak Gaeilge? Not many decent people, for sure.

• jacersagain | Jun 04, 2011, 11:09 AM EDT

  I agree George - this thread should have remained congratulatory for Mr. Shelvin – but you have only yourself to blame for it appearing fraught with insults. A re-reading of the thread shows the vast majority of insults have been posted by you. Compared to banter by others (not hatred by mamaginnty, eiriamach, kinvara7 etc) your inflammatory remarks and accusations are disgusting and, for one who proclaims himself to be a practising Catholic, your remarks are wholly un-Christian of you. Shame on YOU!

• GeorgeDillon | Jun 04, 2011, 09:47 AM EDT

  It's a shame that what should have been a joyous and celebratory thread, to congratulate this gentleman on his proficiency in Irish, has been subverted by haters such as the posters mamaginnty, kinvara7 and sham1977 (I am assuming these are not one and the same person, though I could be wrong). Shame on you three (or is that one?) for abusing this thread in order to further your bigotry. Let's the rest of us unite with a a big Maith Thu and Go n-eiri go geal leat to Mr Shevlin.

• GeorgeDillon | Jun 04, 2011, 09:40 AM EDT

  eiriamach: I appreciate your interest in me, though your speculations are naive and juvenile. If you are so fascinated by my politics, I can state that I never voted for warmongers such as Bush or Clinton. I supported Pat Buchanan in both his White House bids, largely because I agree with his pro-peace and isolationist views. I voted for Ron Paul in the Republican primary last time, and will do so again. I am a registered Republican, but of the radical non-interventionist & states rights wing. I nearly voted for Obama in the general election, but at the last minute my stomach turned at the thought of voting for a pro-abortion candidate, so I stayed home. I post here because I enjoy correcting fools, but principally because I want to explain and describe modern Ireland to my fellow Americans, who in many cases do not know the sad reality of that country. I know more about Ireland, past & present, than do most Americans, and indeed more than most Irish, who spend their time swilling ale and watching English soccer on TV. I speak Irish better than anyone on this site--the standard I have to beat is very low. As to your wild and crazy speculations, I have never heard of my cleric namesake that you mention. The feverish fantasy you exhibit in your post suggests there is something wrong with you. I'd say you might need to seek psychiatric care. The poster kinvara7 could probably recommend someone, though he appears to have benefited little from attending the various specialists he has seen.

• mamaginnty | Jun 04, 2011, 09:02 AM EDT

  Strange indeed eiramach.

• eiriamach | Jun 03, 2011, 06:36 PM EDT

  Well, that's an interesting discussion, Jacers, mamaginnty, kinvara, of GeorgeDillon's politics and facility with the Irish language! I also wondered about GD: that surely cannot be the name that some foolish parents baptized him with, can it? And if he chose it as a screen name, why would he choose the name of a notorious Anti-Semite Catholic priest conspiracy-theorist who thought the Jews were in cahoots with the Masons to destroy the Catholic Church? Msgr. George Dillon is now one of the heroes of far-right extremist schismatic sects. That would be like an American using CharlesCoughlin as a screen name! Is GD a SSPX or Opus Dei operative? Is he one of those who hang out here just to keep watch and swoop in whenever anyone posts a comment that is not ultra-orthodox by their standards? Aisteach go leor é sin!

• jacersagain | Jun 03, 2011, 04:48 PM EDT

  Ah ha hah haargh! A happy fool is better than a sad fool like you, a Horse’yeh GeeDee. Bown nut and bunny’s noches git. (Pardon my foolish French and Spanish!) Oíche mhaith do Ceann Mhara a sheacht.

• GeorgeDillon | Jun 03, 2011, 04:07 PM EDT

  jacers: Since you don't know Irish, or at least only have a rudimentary knowledge of it, by what craziness do you presume to claim there are "errors" in my Irish? If I write in French or Spanish will you also have the stupidity to claim to be able to detect "errors" in these other languages that you don't know? What a numbskull you are, jacers. You're an utter fool.

• jacersagain | Jun 03, 2011, 03:19 PM EDT

  While mamaginnty and many others might feel there is little point in debating with George, I have to say that while I wouldn’t stoop so low as to be as derogatory as George, I do find he often speaks the truth, however unpalatable it may be. And anyway, isn’t it Irish Central’s policy to be controversial enough to provoke debate?

• jacersagain | Jun 03, 2011, 03:08 PM EDT

  Apologies to Georgieboy for misreading the word ‘naimhde’ in his Irish post. I really should go to Specsavers because I read the word as a bad spelling of ‘naire’ (the letter ‘m’ looked like two ‘r’s to me). In fact, there are a few mistakes in his post that I ignored but was able to get the gist of what he was saying through Irish. The Irish he used was so different from what I once knew that I thought it might have been Ulster Irish, maybe Scots Irish in some words. In contrast, kinvara7’s post was much more fluent and I understood it pretty well compared to Geogieboy’s. I would also agree w/ kinvara7’s figures for Irish speakers – the Central Statistics Office (2002) says over 1.5 million people in Ireland have the ability to speak Irish while 2.2m don’t. The statistics also show that the number of people able to speak Irish has consistently and steadily grown since the foundation of the Irish State. Nach iontach sin!

• GeorgeDillon | Jun 03, 2011, 02:07 PM EDT

  kinvara: There's nothing to be ashamed about if your Irish is less than perfect. Is fearr Gaeilge bhriste na Bearla cliste. If you're just learning the language that's fine, kinvara. We all had to start somewhere. But by what stupidity do you claim to correct me? Where is my Irish incorrect, kinvara? Apparently you spotted mistakes; well why don't you point them out and discuss what is incorrect so that everyone here can see what a hopeless liar and idiot you are.

• kinvara7 | Jun 03, 2011, 11:22 AM EDT

  Where is my Irish incorrect George? Apparently you spotted mistakes; well why don't you point them out and discuss what is incorrect so that everyone here can see what a hopeless liar you are. I had to laugh when you said ‘expressed in his incorrect Irish, but we'll let it pass’. George, when do you ever leave anything pass? The only reason you are doing so here is because you have been caught out. You’re entertaining though, so keep up the posts. Deireadh seachtaine deas agat!

• mamaginnty | Jun 03, 2011, 10:49 AM EDT

  Kinvara7, push for the job as interpretor yourself, a lot of us would love to learn more.

• mamaginnty | Jun 03, 2011, 10:43 AM EDT

  Aw Jacersagain, kitchen sinks and smoking, a nono. Yes I get into a bad mood with GoergieD, he is such a liar. I mentioned unemployment only ONCE. I DO NOT back importing foreign labour. Tis himself who mentions foreiners in Ireland again and again. I am, as well as most of the people who joined I.C. fed up with HIS HATRED OF FOREIGNERS. Every comment he makes has at least one line added about foreigners. He just can't help himself, it's a sickness to carry so much hatred, plus his attacks on everyone else who make a comment. I am going to ignore him as others have done, he is just not worth the effort.

• GeorgeDillon | Jun 03, 2011, 10:34 AM EDT

  Among the nonsense Kinvara offers us in his pidgin Irish is the lunatic suggestion that "at least a million Irish" (expressed in his incorrect Irish, but we'll let it pass) are able to communicate in Irish. What do you mean by "communicate", Kinvara? Use Google translator like you do? But that only produces gibberish--such as you are offering here. What you are able to write, kinvara, is Pig English, it's not Irish. You disrespect the ancient language by abusing it as you do. Obama, who learned three Irish words, now knows three more words than most Irish people, and that probably includes you, kinvara. Anyone who knows Ireland and doesn't live in Leprechaunland as kinvara does realizes that the proposition that at least a million Irish can communicate in Irish is stupidity to the nth degree. If you live outside Ireland and therefore don't know what's going on there, aren't you even capable of reading and understanding the various reports that have come out on Irish language proficiency, you dope kinvara? If anyone is interested I can offer a bibliography, though I would be wasting my time with an amadan such as kinvara. You may try to get your nonsense past the rest of the American readers, kinvara, but you won't get it by me.

• kinvara7 | Jun 03, 2011, 09:43 AM EDT

  Just to expand on my comment below for those not familiar with Irish: George it is nice that you make an attempt to write in Irish; naturally I ignored the spelling mistakes and the type of grammatical mistakes that Google Translator generates (but sure don’t I ignore your spelling mistakes in English too). Finally, you talk about having ‘enemies’ on this site, (perhaps you’re being a little bit vain) if you do, all you need to do is look back over your previous posts. You need to calm down a small bit, and display a little bit more courtesy and a great deal more common sense. Is mise le meas, Kinvara7.

• kinvara7 | Jun 03, 2011, 09:24 AM EDT

  Bheinn sásta feidhmiú mar eagarthóir ar rannóg Theanga na Gaeilge; Thabharfainn cuireadh duit píosa a scríobh ach bheadh ort do líofacht sa teanga a fheabhsú. Tá sé go hiontach a fheiceáil, áfach, go bhfuil tú ábalta “Google Translator” a úsáid (creidim gur rud maith é, ar a laghad, go bhfuil tú ag déanamh iarracht). Is dóigh liom gur féidir linn go léir aontú gur ábhar díomá é nach bhfuil focal Gaeilge le feiceáil ar leathanach baile shuíomh “Irish Central”. Tá do chuid alt, go ginearálta, amaideach agus is léir é gur cheart duit smaoineamh sula scríobhann tú focal. Deir tú gur fíric é nach bhfuil focal Gaeilge ag Éireannaigh – is seafóid é sin. Chomh maith leis an 130,000 cáinteoir dúchais, tá suas le milliún duine, ar a laghad, atá ábalta cumarsáid a dhéanamh trí mheán na Gaeilge. Tá tuiscint níos fearr ag an gcuid eile den dhaonra ná mar a cheapann siad. Mar chríoch, is mian liom a rá gurb é an éagsúlacht is mó atá eadrainn nó go n-úsáidim loighic agus ciall agus mé ag freagairt ar ailt de chuid IC. Bhéarfaidh tú faoi deara go gcuirimse smaointe úsáideacha ar aghaidh maidir le cur chun cinn na teanga, iompar atá i gcodarsnacht go mór le ton agus ábhar do chuid ailt.

• GeorgeDillon | Jun 03, 2011, 08:39 AM EDT

  momma Ginnty is a hater. She hates me because I have pointed out her stupidity and hypocrisy--she whines about unemployment in Ireland, but she backs the Irish capitalists' project of importing unlimited foreign labor. As to Jacersagain, I really wish he wouldn't take it on himself to offer a translation of my post. If I want an English version I am the only person able to provide it. In this case, Jacersagain's effort at translation contains several "howlers", as my old Latin teacher used to put it. I won't bore readers by correcting every mistranslation perpetrated by this poster. Let me just mention one, however, because it changes the entire tone of my note. "He (i.e me, GD) finishes by saying that he wouldn’t be able to do such a thing and that he is ashamed for that." What stupid nonsense, jacers. I wouldn't give you even a C- in Irish translation. The phrase you made an utter mess of is "tá an iomarca naimhde agam anseo cheana féin." This was an ironic comment, to the effect that "I have enough enemies already". Your "translation" is a pile of caca. And you compound that imbecility by claiming I said I "wouldn't be able" to handle a site in Irish. More garbage. I never said that, because it's not true. I have better things to do than correct Ginnty's gibberish, however. Please, jacers, your heart is in the right place, but you have to realize that your Irish is much weaker than you had thought. It's certainly not up to translating my prose.

• jacersagain | Jun 02, 2011, 07:17 PM EDT

  Typical response from mamaginnty, an otherwise lovely kind woman, in a bitchy mood. An' she thinks Irish wimmen shud be totally free of the kitchen sink?? What? What what what? (FYI of others, the quivalent SAM expression is simplified to "huh", a sound usually expressed by heavy smokers, followed by a polite ghuf.. followed by ghuff, ghurrghff guff, followed by aharrrrgh ghoof" and then silence, as cough spits are swallowed). Urrrgh!

• mamaginnty | Jun 02, 2011, 06:53 PM EDT

  His one and only friend did it for him, huh.

• jacersagain | Jun 02, 2011, 05:49 PM EDT

  Is deas é a léamh cad a scríobhaigh GeorgeDillon (that is, assuming he didn’t get a translator to write it for him *heh heh*). Folks, for once, GeorgeDillon, who, erstwhile would have been George de Leon (ex-blood of the Normans in Ireland who became more Irish than the Irish themselves) has written something nice and good in response to kinvara7 (despite, typical of George, his unique insulting digs thrown in) at 02.45pm and I can understand his heartbreak over the fall-off of Irish language in everyday life in Ireland. Inter alia (oops! That’s Latin!), George asks why Irish Central doesn’t have an Irish/Gaeilge section where people can use the language to debat or comment between themselves. That’s good question, by George! (oops! That’s an English expression! Sorry! Mo bhróin) >> I don’t know what he means in referring to SAM (is that an Irish learning course in the USA or does it mean Stáit Aontaithe Mhéirica - as in Uncle Sam? - George would probably call me an imbecile for asking that question!) Anyways, I would not likely take part in such an Irish language discussion board on Irish Central, though I’d probably read comments on it; my Irish is too rusty now to be an-fhluirseach. Worst of all, there are no Irish scripts available to easily write and post in the Irish language. George also asks why don’t we posters write to ICentral’s owner and say that one of us would be willing to be editor of such section. He finishes by saying that he wouldn’t be able to do such a thing and that he is ashamed for that. George should not be ashamed. His post, written fully in Irish, is a great one. Maith a’ fear tú féin, a Sheoirse! (I love the English sound of that – a Horse’yeh!)

• sham1977 | Jun 02, 2011, 04:44 PM EDT

  @GeorgeDillon. So you can speak Irish, so what - you are still a creep. What a sad, angry old man you are! You are really just letting yourself down. Thankfully people like you are in the minority. I have never encountered a more obnoxious person. By the way, how eloquent of you to address me as an expletive, that must be a byproduct of your superior intellect. Every member of IC is entitled to their opinion regardless of what you think.

• GeorgeDillon | Jun 02, 2011, 02:45 PM EDT

  A Khinvara7: Tréaslaím duit as an teachtaireacht dheas. Mo léan nar scríobh tú an rud go léir trí Ghaeilge. Measaim go bhfuil do chuid figiuirí cruinn go leor. Ach smaoinigh orthu. Má deireann tú nach bhfuil ach 30 mhíle cainteoir dúchais fágtha, is ionann sin agus a rá nach bhfuil fiú 1% den daonra ina gcainteoirí dúchais. Agus má’s ea go bhfuil céad mhíle eile gur cainteorí cumasacha iad, ní hé sin ach tuairim 2% de phobal na hEireann. Sin a rud a bhí á rá agam anseo, nuair a ionsaíodh mé—sé sin gur beag Gaeilge atá ag na hEireannaigh óga atá ag triall ar SAM faoi láthair. Tá sean-thaithí agam orthu go pearsanta. Maidir leis an suíomh seo, cén fáth nach scríobhann tu chuig uinéir an tsuímh agus a rá leis go mbeadh tú toilteanach feidhmiú mar eagarthóir ar leathnach Gaeilge? Ní fhéadfainn-se a leithéid a dhéanamh—tá an iomarca naimhde agam anseo cheana féin.

• GeorgeDillon | Jun 02, 2011, 02:27 PM EDT

  jamielm: "Btw: My name is Jamie and I'm female, married, and a mother of 4 (2 boys and identical twin girls)." What do you want, congratulations? None of those attributes qualifies you as a judge of proficiency in a language you don't know. Have some sense and you'll see the absurdity of what you claimed. And I very much doubt your claims of proficiency in Spanish. Who said you were proficient in that language? Someone who doesn't know any Spanish?

• sham1977 | Jun 02, 2011, 01:07 PM EDT

  Everyone - we need to just ignore George Dillon.He will never change. He obviously makes these inflammatory remarks to stir up trouble - like I said, he just wants attention!!! I'm a 34yr old female and he made a remark that I was a convict and crazy (well he says that to everyone anyway!)It's really quite immature on his part. I'm done with him - no more responses to his comments as I think it's a complete waste of time!

• jamieLM | Jun 02, 2011, 11:44 AM EDT

  GeorgeDillon, I can't speak Irish, but I've seen what happens when my Irish friends speak with others who can. One example: My husband and I went with our Irish friends to a conference in March where they conversed fluently with people from Ireland who were here as guest-speakers through a university-sponsored Irish-English language cultural exchange. The Irish guests and our Irish friends had no difficulty understanding each other when we all got together socially after the meeting was over. My Irish friends were glad to have the opportunity to speak Irish. The Irish guests were serious, mature, professional adults whose concern was in promoting and sustaining the beautiful Irish language. They weren't here on the comedy circuit or to get their jollies from playing games via the language, and they wouldn't have been fooled by any non-Irish speaker. They had a good sense of humor, but their overall demeanor was serious when it came to the language. We talked, in English and in Irish, about the Irish language and how it contrasted with English in syntax, regional accents, phonetics, slang, etc., and they and our Irish friends would translate for us when necessary. We believe our Irish friends to be as proficient in the language as they say they are and have demonstrated, over the years, many times and in many ways. When people are your friends, you should be able to believe they are sincere and trustworthy. Btw: My name is Jamie and I'm female, married, and a mother of 4 (2 boys and identical twin girls).

• mamaginnty | Jun 02, 2011, 11:24 AM EDT

  DickheadGoergeD, you did one word in irish and spelt it wrong, you can't read irish, you know nothing about Ireland so I think it is about time you dry up and blow away. You are the insult to anything irish.

• kinvara7 | Jun 02, 2011, 08:23 AM EDT

  An Teanga inniu: Tá 30,000 cainteoir dúchais Gaeilge ann inniu le 100,000 eile a labhrann an teanga go rialta. The old saying ‘Tir gan teanga, tir gan anam – A country without a language, is a country without a soul’ reminds us just how lucky we are to have such a beautiful and ancient language. Irish is among the oldest living languages in Europe; it was the first of the vernacular European languages to be written. Thus the Irish language produced the oldest written literature north of the Alps, and has an unbroken literary tradition of over 14 centuries. After Greek and Latin the third largest corpus of early European literature is in Irish. The protection and promotion of the Irish language will not be brought about by any one initiative, but by a thousand small victories; victories like the establishment of TG4; Irish being made an official working language of the EU; the success of the Gaelscoileanna; the increased use of Irish in Belfast and Dublin etc. We need to encourage mothers to speak Irish to their children; simple things like using an Irish word instead of an English word. Greater emphasis needs to be placed on speaking the language in schools; for instance subjects like PE could be carried out through Irish. The language needs to be given a space to exist in the lives Irish people once they leave school; for instance players of Gaelic sports should communicate to each other in Irish rather than English. Certain occasions or functions should be conducted in Irish, such as weddings. Irish language film festivals should be promoted; with categories designed to encourage young people to express themselves through the language. Certain professions could use more Irish in their everyday business. Finally I think it is disappointing that there is no Irish to be seen on the homepage of Irish Central. Cén Fáth?

• GeorgeDillon | Jun 02, 2011, 03:16 AM EDT

  Momma Ginnty--what gibberish do you post at the end of your notes? It certainly isn't Irish. You may hope to fool people like jamieLM who know no Irish, but you won't fool Irish speakers such as me. By writing such nonsense words you are actually insulting Irish.

• GeorgeDillon | Jun 02, 2011, 03:14 AM EDT

  eddie1st: Don't be such a hater. You're too old to be filled with hate and venom.

• GeorgeDillon | Jun 02, 2011, 03:13 AM EDT

  jamieLM: ". The Irish I know that have come over ... can speak Irish fluently." But JamieLM doesn't speak any Irish! So a guy who knows no Irish is now pontificating about the Irish language proficiency of others! On what basis do you assess the ability of people to speak a language that you don't know a word of, jamie? What a lot of crazies post here. Is there even poster left who thinks logically?

• mcdolan | Jun 01, 2011, 11:45 PM EDT

  Go raibh maith agat, a Ciaran1433. The language is IRISH,and it has always surprised me that Irish Central refers to it as Gaelic (shame on you!).

• mcdolan | Jun 01, 2011, 11:40 PM EDT

  An mhaith!

• jamieLM | Jun 01, 2011, 10:41 PM EDT

  Good for Shevy. It sounds like he's very appreciative for this wonderful opportunity. The Irish I know that have come over are NOT clowns and they can speak Irish fluently. I can speak Spanish fluently, but I don't unless I have some reason to do so. I'm sure there are Irish who can speak Irish and choose not to do so. As an American, whether they can or can't speak Irish is none of my business.

• eddies1st | Jun 01, 2011, 08:05 PM EDT

  Mr.Dillon, you must be a very unhappy person and I really feel sorry for you. I would be delighted if I could go to Ireland to learn how to speak irish. I'm 74 so it's too late for me. I am very happy for the New York sanitation worker. Their job is not easy at all.

• mamaginnty | Jun 01, 2011, 07:57 PM EDT

  woodkern, Shevy should be very proud himself too, on what he has achieved.

• mamaginnty | Jun 01, 2011, 05:38 PM EDT

  Jasus GoergieD, when anyone mantions something nice about Ireland or the irish people, you always have to dig the knife in. You act like such a know all (Quote).. most irish people dont know two words of irish...GoergieD, most irish people do know two words of irish. The Gaeltachta summer courses are always full, most people studied the irish language but do not use it. It differs from not knowing the language. As always it is a waste of space commenting on GoergieD, as we irish would say....he is as thick as they come. Den sórt sin a thicko. A dram haíl iomlán de spás.

• sham1977 | Jun 01, 2011, 04:53 PM EDT

  I think Georgie just needs some attention. Classic case of the bully, or, maybe he was the one who got his head shoved in the locker at school too much! Am I getting warmer Georgie Porgie?????

• sham1977 | Jun 01, 2011, 04:49 PM EDT

  Georgie Porgie - are you at it again? Tut tut......

• GeorgeDillon | Jun 01, 2011, 04:03 PM EDT

  kerryman, kittymurphy: You expect me to ignore someone who called me a "hater" and who then proceeded, by his own words, to show that my comment was correct? What kind of clowns are you? You think it normal dialog to call someone a "hater" merely because he points out the fact that most Irish people don't know two words of Irish? And then you think it normal that the person who made the dirty charge of "hater" in this case admitted he didn't know any Irish? You're two crazies, that's for sure. Maybe you're just Irishphotograph posting under other names?

• kerryman201 | Jun 01, 2011, 01:57 PM EDT

  George Dillon, you're unreal. The eternal pessimist. I often wonder why you bother sticking around here when all you seem to do is criticize???

• KittyMurphy | Jun 01, 2011, 01:31 PM EDT

  @Dillion - what is the matter with you. If you can't say anything nice stop reading for all the other reader's sakes.

• GeorgeDillon | Jun 01, 2011, 12:44 PM EDT

  irishphotograph: "I had studied the language at school many years ago and was quite proficient in it but as you leave school and embrace living in Irish society it falls away." SO you don't speak any Irish, after a dozen years "studying" it in school. You just made my point for me, you clown.

• Woodkern | Jun 01, 2011, 11:34 AM EDT

  Ar ais arist i Nua Eabhrac, scolairí den luch oibre! Comhgháirdeas mór leat, Shevy. Bail ó Dhia ar an obair! Biodh fhios agat go bhfuil lucht na Gaeilge sa chathair seo an-bhrodúil asat!

• Searlit | Jun 01, 2011, 11:10 AM EDT

  I'm happy for this guy! He's obviously a hard working person. Being able to work, and go to college at the same time, while becoming a proficient Irish speaker, is no easy task. Sibh an lá!

• ciaran1433 | Jun 01, 2011, 11:03 AM EDT

  I really wish Irish Central would STOP referring to the Irish language as Gaelic! Would you say to a person who speaks Spanish that its really Latin that they speak? No! They speak Spanish but the Spanish language is in the Latin family of languages. If you pick up a book called Teach Yourself Gaelic, you will learn the Scottish Gaelic language not the Irish language! They are different languages but both are members of the Gaelic family of languages. This is a mistake I hear all the time in the U.S.A. even from people in academia. So, its not Gaelic that Edward (Shevy) Shevlin is travelling to study in Ireland its the Irish language. Irish is the correct term for the language. Oh and by the way there is a book called Teach Yourself Irish and guess what its the Irish language that you'll learn not Scottish Gaelic.

• Irishphotograph | Jun 01, 2011, 10:30 AM EDT

  Ignore the hater below..he does not know Ireland and no wonder with a name like George! Well done a chara! I had studied the language at school many years ago and was quite proficient in it but as you leave school and embrace living in Irish society it falls away.

• GeorgeDillon | Jun 01, 2011, 08:56 AM EDT

  Maith Thu to this gentleman. But he'd better get his bag packed fast, because the remaining Gaeltachtai in Ireland are dying fast. As to him saying Dia Dhuit to people he hears speaking English with an Irish accent, I'd say he's wasting his time. Most of the clowns coming over from Ireland now don't have two words of Irish Gaelic to rub together, even though they have "studied!" the language for more than ten years in most cases. I'd say they were clowns, but clowns are usually very smart people.