Nollaig Fé Shean agus Athbhliain Fé Mhaise. I don't know what it is with the ordinary Irish person. From looking at past postings everybody else but the Irish want to speak the language. It seems there is more interest among Americans, South Americans,Australians, Dutch and even Hungarians in Gaeilge than Irish people themselves. A saying comes to mind,"More Irish than the Irish themselves". It seems that all you have to do is hint that you are going to speak a little Gaeilge and people grin, shy-away, or 'look at you as if you had two heads on you' as if to say, "whats that ejet[idiot]up to". It wouldn't go astray for once-in-a-while for a cashier to say 'go raibh maith agat' as you hand him/her you money or for a child to say 'Óiche Mhaith' to their parents before going to bed.
No, don't get me wrong, yes Gaeilge is on the increase in media. All you have to do is tune on to TG4 or Radió na Gaeltachta, or even RTÉ1 or NET2 to see an fógríocht, an nuacht agus programmes like 'Rí Ra', 'Pop TV' agus, 'Amu i Mericea'. You can see Gaeilge written on road signs,Bus Éireann Buses, on pub signs, at Oifig Fáilte' tourist offices etc.
But away from all this there has there been any real effort to revive Gaeilge in the workplace, in school, or especially and most importantly in the home where lifelong teaching takes place. Not the one that involves An Roinn Oideachais agus Eolaíochta but the one involving parents. It is only by emersing children from a very early that a language may be grasped. Starting from the age of 5 is no way to go.
The majority of young Irish people in Galltachts(none Irish speaking areas) are receiving only 5 hours at primary level and less than 3 hours at secondary level communicating and thinking as Gaeilge A WEEK!!. Surely it is not possible to learn a language in that time-frame.
Gaeilge: Teanga na Muintir na hÉireann nó Gach Duine eile.
Árd Mór in your studies.

Is mise le meas,
Colm.
PS. I would love to communicate to a penfriend around my own age 15 by letter anywhere in the world through both Irish and English. My e-mail is .

Irish students are not being taught to speak the Irish language, they are being taught to pass the leaving certificate Irish examination.

There are a lot of problem with how irish is approached here in Ireland Colm, you're right about that.But using this site as a means test of that is a bad idea, considering that in a context where a native irish person wants to learn irish in an outside of school context, they more than likely don't, or won't, have to go on the internet, looking for people to teach them.There are classes or trainig courses all over the country here.
Secondly this site is created in America for primarily irish americans, who don't have teachers at close hand.Most native irish who come across it, like myself, do so by accident.And for most of such people, we're here to offer our irish skills rather than to learn, albeit in a very amateur fashion.
But don't be afraid to scorn native irish who disregard irish.They're usually still just suffering from an anacronistic colonial complex.

Bhí a raibh le rá agat spéisiúil a Laighneach. Thaitin na focail a fháil chomh maith le 'Albeit'agus 'Anacronistic'sa foclóir go mór liom.Tuigim an pointe seo agus is fíor sin. Thosaigh an ionad seo i Meiriceá agus tá beagnach alán daoine Éireannach anseo. ACH, nach bhfuil comhrá oscailte againn anseo ar gach rudaí Gaeilge, ar gach Gaeilgeoirí ar fud an domhain(lúth na teanga agus tosaitheoirí), Meiriceánach AGUS Éireannach.Tugadh le fios dom é sin.
Agus cén fáth a deir tú "native Irish". Nach bhfuilimid 'Irish' in Éirinn agus 'Gael-Mheirceánach' i Meirieá etc.
..."Most native irish who come across it, like myself, do so by accident". That doesn't mean to say you can't comment on postings if you come across the site by accident, and who says Americans can't do the same with Irish peoples' postings.

Is mise le meas,
Muimhneach.

Níl rud ar bith agamsa (mar Mheiriceánach) i gcoinne an téarma 'native Irish'. Meabhraíonn sin dúinn nach Éireannaigh sinn ach Meiriceánaigh de shliocht Éireannach. Is fíor go bhfágann an tsliocht chéanna a rian orainn, uaireanta go láidir. Glacaim mar mhasla aineolach a glcuinim ó am go ham nach bhfuil ceart againn ar oidhreacht na nGael. Téann sin rófhada sa treo eile. Níor bhain mé féin leas go fóill as an cheart atá agam ar shaoránacht Éireannach ach is dócha go mbainfidh, lá éigin. Léigh mé litir insan Irish Voice ó Mheiriceánach a bhí ag gearán go tréan go mbeadh daoine as seo amach ag maíomh go bhfuil na páistí ag daoine as an Nigéir, srl. atá lonnaithe in Éirinn 'níos Éireannaigh ná daoine in South Boston'. Bhuel is fíor go meascann daoine a rugadh in Éirinn, fiú sa Ghaeltacht, go réidh le daoine in South Boston ach ní ghlacaim gurb ionann sinne a tógadh sa tír seo agus sibhse a tógadh in Éirinn féin (fiú mura bhfuil oiread is géin amháin Cheilteach iontu).