Hello all,

As a motivational post, I thought I would ask the question? Why does one learn Irish outside of Ireland?

To me it is part of the Irish "identity" that many people want to be part of. What do you'll think?

Swiss

_________________
Irish Gaelic Tutor
http://www.Irishgaelictutoring.com

For me, it started with a love of the music and grew into a love for the language itself.

Redwolf

Wow. I could say that it's tied up in my earliest memories of childhood, and that would be true. Or I could say that me Da, Stephen Daniel, born of two Irish parents, never spoke a word of it, so maybe I'm doing penance, but I guess mostly......why not?

_________________
Táim ag foghlaim Gaelainn na Mumhan

Tá fáilte roim nach aon cheartú!
I am a learner. Any translations offered are practice and should not be used unless confirmed.

My family background's mostly Irish, although I was born and brought up in Scotland.

I learned Scottish Gaelic first though, as it was closer to home, with more opportunities to meet native speakers and to get the language on the TV and radio.

_________________
A language belongs to its native speakers, and when you speak it, you are a guest in their homes.
If you are not a good guest, you have no right to complain about receiving poor hospitality.

I have no Irish ancestor that I know about, but I wanted to learn Irish because I love Celtic cultures and stuff and I love languages and... Irish is the most beautiful language on earth, both when it's pronounced and when it's written.

_________________
Is fearr Gaeilg na Gaeltaċta ná Gaeilg ar biṫ eile
Agus is í Gaeilg Ġaoṫ Doḃair is binne

I can't really answer the question posed as I'm Irish and living in Ireland, but I think it would make such an interesting programme - or series of programmes - to interview and follow people who have done precisely that - learn Irish outside of Ireland or when not from Ireland.

The first time an Irish person encounters someone who has done that, it comes as quite a surprise that people do it. After surprise, comes the guilt/regret about our own situation in Ireland regarding the language..... Uaireanta bíonn daoine níos Gaelaí ná na Gaeil iad féin...... I remember learning that phrase in school.

But then sometimes the determination follows to improve that situation!

(Edited at per nit pickers below!!)

_________________

I have a great deal of admiration for you raising your littles through Irish. Many people run their mouths, but you're actually DOING something about it. I respect that.

_________________
Táim ag foghlaim Gaelainn na Mumhan

Tá fáilte roim nach aon cheartú!
I am a learner. Any translations offered are practice and should not be used unless confirmed.

_________________

Same here.

In fact, by far the majority of people learning outside Ireland that I have met have actually started with either a love of Irish music or of Irish literature (where they first heard it or saw it) and it developed from there.

I've met far fewer people who claimed to have started because "it was my ancestral tongue", etc. There seems to be a lot more interest from such people in getting themselves tattooed in Irish than in learning to speak it.

_________________
Múinteoir Gaeilge - Irish Teacher
My "specialty" is Connemara Irish, particularly Cois Fhairrge dialect, but I can also speak Ulster and Munster Irish with native-level pronunciation.
Is fearr Gaeilge ḃriste ná Béarla cliste, cinnte, aċ i ḃfad níos fearr aríst í Gaeilge ḃinn ḃeo na nGaeltaċtaí.
Gaeilge Chonnacht (GC), go háraid Gaeilge Chois Fhairrge (GCF), Gaeilic Uladh (GU), Gaelainn na Mumhan (GM), agus Gaeilge an Chaighdeáin Oifigiúil (CO).

Well, there is certainly no utilitarian reason to learn Irish, since every adult Irish speaker also speaks English. The real reason to learn Irish is because you love the language.

I'm quite the book-worm myself, and hope to be reading lots of Irish folklore and poetry. I think it's Níos Gaelaí ná na Gaeil iad féin – sorry if I'm sounding nit-picky.