It’s All Gaelic to Me
A lot of people think of Ireland as a strictly English speaking nation. While it is true that English is the first language for the majority of Irish people and virtually all Irish people speak it, it is not the country’s only language. Far before the English arrived in Ireland, bringing their language with them, the Irish people already existed, speaking their own language. This language is often referred to by non-Irish as Gaelic, but the Irish generally refer to it simply as Irish. While English has long surpassed Irish as the dominant language in the country, thanks in large part to English-only schools that were established by the British, Irish still remains an official language. All official signage is required to be written in both Irish and English, and all students are required to pass exams in Irish in order to graduate from secondary school. Many students learn Irish only in a classroom setting and rarely if ever use it outside of school. However, for many people the Irish language is an important part of their culture, a connection to their past and a way of distinguishing their culture from that of the British. The Irish language movement has been gaining strength, and there are now considerably more people who speak Irish in their everyday life today than there were a few decades ago. There are several Gaeltachts, or Irish speaking regions, throughout the nation. In these towns, children are often raised speaking Irish as their first language and attending Irish language schools, learning English only in the classroom.
Because Ireland is predominantly English speaking, I haven’t had any issues with a language barrier. I’ve found Irish accents pleasing to listen to and easy to understand. I’ve spent most of my time in Dublin, where English is the dominant language and most people have minimal knowledge of Irish. However, I also spent a week in a parish called Ring, which is a Gaeltacht. Here, I stayed at Coláiste na Rinne, an Irish-language boarding school where kids aged 10-12 are sent to become fluent in Irish. The instructors there are all fluent in both English and Irish. The kids often come with very little knowledge of Irish, but they are permitted to speak only in Irish, and this immersive environment means that they are typically fluent within just a few short months. While we stayed there, we had daily Irish lessons with one of the teachers from the school. None of us had any knowledge of the Irish language prior to beginning, but by the end of the week we had learned several common Irish words and phrases and even started to get an idea of the language’s complex grammatical structure. I am now able to introduce myself and make a little small talk, a feat which I am quite proud of. I’ve found Irish to be a very interesting language. Ireland’s heavily religious past is evident in many of its phrases. For example, the common greeting is “Dia duit,” which literally means “God to you.” The common response, “Dia is Muire duit,” literally means “God and Mary to you.” This system of greeting can even turn into a bit of a competition, in which people start adding in other saints as well (e.g. “God and Mary and Patrick to you, etc.) Another interesting aspect of the language is that there are no direct words for “yes” or “no.” Instead, you always have to respond with the verb. According to one of the Irish speakers that I spoke with, this is because the Irish recognize life’s complexity and do not believe things are generally so black and white as a simple “yes” or “no.” By the end of my time at Coláiste na Rinne, I had begun to acquire a real appreciation for the Irish language, and I hope I’ll be able to continue practicing it when I can and avoid forgetting all that I’ve learned.
