I am planning on an Irish vacation this April any ideas? I have a week planned, any feedback would be great. But will betraveling with people who dont care about Irish

I say, dump 'em in the Gaeltacht and run away to Inisheer

"nolite dare sanctum canibus neque mittatis margaritas vestras ante porcos ne forte conculcent eas pedibus suis et conversi disrumpant vos"

and, no, that's 'canibus' not 'cannibis', nor does it have anything to do with margaritas... =D

Can you get margaritas on Inis Oírr?

A chairde,
I'd never thought of cannabis or margueritas before when reading Matthew 7:6.
Le meas,
Chris

'cannibis', tá a leithéid i ngach baile is dóigh:

'Cnáib' nó 'raithneach'.
Glac cnáibe;
blas raithní.

Dingle might offer you the best of both worlds. It's a beautiful seaside town. Right off of a postcard AND it's part of a gaeltacht. If you really want to get immersed, just drive out the penninsula to Ballyferriter!

The "Ring Of Kerry" is a short drive away and the Connor Pass is beautiful at sunrise.

The good thing about Ireland is that it's hard to find a bad place to visit!

By the way, if you travel there after easter, you will no longer find (offical) road signs to places in the Gaeltacht with the english transliterations on them.

As of Easter Monday, all signposts to places in the Gaeltacht must have the Irish version of the name, which will be the only legal version.

So look for "An Daingean" and "Baile an Fheirtéaraigh", "An Conaire",

The local name for the village in Baile an Fheirtéaraigh is "An Bhualtín."

http://www.corca-dhuibhne.com/

Aonghus,

When you say that "all signposts to places in the Gaeltacht must have the Irish version of the name, which will be the only legal version," do you mean that any signs which had both will be removed or that all new signs will be posted? I know that in some places there only had been signs in Irish.

Is what is happening after Easter due to a new law or policy? Or is it wrapped up in the overall protection of the Gaeltachts? Since the Irish Constitution states that Irish is the first official language and English is the second official language, have any concerns been raised by non-Irish speakers? (This topic sounds very similar to the French speaking areas of Canada.)

Any thoughts you express are always greatly appreciated since I enjoy reading your posts and looking at websites you recommend.

By the way, I have yet to hear from Louise Ryan at the Irish Film Board, but thanks for sending me the contact information. We all would love to get a copy of the DVD!

Mícheál

Signs in the Gaeltacht have been in Irish only since the 1970s. As part of the new language act, a Ministerial order was issued which specifies that only the Irish form of Gaeltacht names has any legal standing.

The immediate effect of that is that roadsigns must be in Irish only for Gaeltacht areas. I'm not sure of the technical details. Ordance Survey large scale maps will be changed first, and then it will be phased in for all maps. Up to now the use of Irish names was haphazard on maps.

This is the order: http://www.pobail.ie/ie/AnGhaeilge/AnBrainseLogainmneacha/OrdaitheLogainmneacha/ file,4347,ie.pdf

When I get a chance, I'll read it!

It's the Law
From The Official Languages Act, 2003:-

---

33.(1) Focal nó focail a mbeidh dearbhaithe ag an Aire in ordú logainmneacha gurb é an leagan Gaeilge é, nó gurb iad an leagan
Gaeilge iad, de logainm a bheidh sonraithe san ordú , forléireofar i ndoiciméad dlíthiúil, mura léir a mhalairt d’intinn, é nó iad a bheith
ag tagairt don áit chéanna agus a bheith ar chomhfheidhm agus ar chomhéifeacht leis an leagan Béarla den logainm a bheidh sonraithe amhlaidh.
(2) I gcás ina ndéanfaidh an tAire dearbhú faoi alt 32 i leith logainm i limistéar Gaeltachta, ní bheidh aon fheidhm ná é ifeacht a
thuilleadh leis an leagan Béarla den logainm amhail ar an agus ón dáta feidhme ach sin gan dochar d’aon ní arna dhéanamh roimh an
dáta sin nó dá éis lena n-áirítear úsáid an leagain sin seachas a úsáid
(a) in aon Acht den Oireachtas a rithfear tar éis an dáta feidhme nó in aon ionstraim reachtúil a dhéanfar tar éis an dáta sin faoi aon Acht,
(b) i cibé léarscáileanna, arna n-ullmhú agus arna bhfoilsiú ag Suirbhéireacht Ordanáis Éireann nó le cead uaithi, a
bheidh forordaithe, nó
c) ar chomhartha bóthair nó sráide arna chur suas ag údarás áitiúil nó thar a cheann.



33.(1) A word or words, declared by the Minister in a placenames order to be the Irish language version of a placename specified
in the order, shall be construed in a legal document as referring to the same place and as having the same force and effect as the English
language version of the placename so specified unless the contrary intention appears.

(2) Where the Minister makes a declaration under section 32 in respect of a placename in a Gaeltacht area, the English language
version of the placename shall no longer have any force and effect as on and from the operative date but without prejudice to anything
done before or after that date including the use of that version other than its use
(a) in any Act of the Oireachtas passed after the operative date or any statutory instrument made after that date under any Act,
(b) in such maps prepared and published by or with the permission of Ordnance Survey Ireland as may be prescribed,
or
(c) on a road or street sign erected by or on behalf of a local authority.

A hAonghus,

Go raibh míle maith agat!

Mícheál