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Irish English


Church and construction, Waterford Ireland
In Ireland, English is the main language. In centuries of British invasion, occupation, and other forms of political-military influence, the Gaelic Irish language has declined to near-extinction.

Schools teach some Irish; and much official paperwork is bi-lingual. There are some excellent television shows* in Irish (subtitled;) and any good newspaper has an article or two in the old language.

In practice, Gaelic Irish is generally disused, and its day-to-day speech is restricted to small areas mostly along the western seaboard.

The Irish, in reality, speak English — Irish English.

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Irish-English terms and expressions, from "after" to "zonks" ...

Craic, the gards, and "twig" — About all that's left of Gaelic Irish...

• Talking about the weather starts the Irish day....

I'd never noticed....

• There are only a few Gaelic-Irish words that remain in common use...

• "Didn't do a tap" — how to talk about work...

Cursing in Ireland — the congenial Irish foul mouth...

The rogue Irish comma ...

• There are some standard-English words that are used differently in Ireland....

Tirty-tree and a toord — the Irish-English "th" sound...

Tá mé ar meisce — states of drunkenness...


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* The Irish-language television station TG4 shows excellent documentaries. They're subtitled in English.

When the interviewee is speaking in English, the dialogue is never subtitled into Irish.

If there were anybody within the Gaeltacht, the Irish-speaking regions along the west coast, who did not understand English, TG4 would surely subtitle those portions in Irish.

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