Galway city's new mayor Niall Ó Brolcháin wants to make as priority Galway officially as a bilingual capital of Ireland. I think that it's just to get extra money just for maybe putting up bilingual signs or such. Galway is or will be the bilingual capital of Ireland no more than Australia will win the soccer world cup. This championing is foolhardy considering Belfast(specifically West Belfast) is the only truly bilingual city in the sense that it has an area where Irish is a spoken language. In West Belfast you have 2 bilingual cafes Ceathrú Póilí and An Cupán Caife, one bilingual restaurant Goodfellas Pizeria ,one solely Irish speaking pub Cumann Cluain Ard,afterschool club through Irish, an Irish language radio station Raidió Fáilte, An Irish speaking housing estate called Shaws Road or Bóthar Seoige and indeed Irelands daily Irish language national newspaper .Galway has um The National Irish language Theatre An Taibhdhearc and that's about it. I would encourage all Irish speaking English,American, Canadian etc to visit Belfast for the Irish language rather than Galway City to appreciate one of the only Galltacht areas to become bilingual. I know this maddens the GALWAY and Dublin crowd because Irish basically grew organicaly cause the people wanted it as a badge of identity and were proud to speak it.No amount of money will do the same for those cities.No-one in those irish language organisations in those cities appreciates quite what has happened in Belfast in my opinion. What do ye think of Galway wanting bilingual status??

Wow, it sounds like Belfast ought to be Ireland's bilingual capital. Me and my family are going to Ireland next year and thanks to you, we will now make it a point to come to West Belfast.
Go raibh míle maith agat, a Liam! We'll be seeing ya at An Cupán Caife

Well, I say we should take all we can get. If they want to go bilingual, even if it's solely for monjey, then good for them.

Also, Galway is very close to the gaeltacht, and was once considered an Irish speaking city way back in the days of British occupation. Also the National University of Galway legally has to appiont an Irish speaking dean? Im not sure on that, but there is some legal requirment there.

I've heard from a couple gaeilgeoirí about how great Galway is for learning Irish, and that's it's quite bilingual as far as Irish cities go. I'd definitely like to hear other opinions … you sound somewhat biased towards Belfast. ;-) That's interesting to hear though; thank you for sharing. I'll certainly make it a point to come to Belfast if I'm ever in Ireland. Sounds like a great place!

>> I've heard from a couple gaeilgeoirí about how great Galway is for learning Irish, and that's it's quite bilingual as far as Irish cities go. I'd definitely like to hear other opinions …

-- Níl gar ná gaobhar ag baile mór ar bith in Éirinn ar Ghaillimh maidir le labhairt na Gaeilge. Ní Gaillimheach mé féin, ar eagla na míthuisceana.
Labhraím dhá oiread Gaeilge le daoine i nGaillimh ná Béarla. Tá údar agam le haithne mhaith a bheith agam ar mhuintir an Bhéarla san áit, ach fós féin is í an Ghaeilg a bhrúfas chun tosaigh thart orm san áit.

Caithfead admháil nach bhfuil cur amach agam ar Bhéal Feirste, ach tharla nach bhfuil i gceist ach cuid den chathair, is féidir go gceapfadh an duine isteach go bhfuil dalladh Gaeilge sa chathair. Is éard atá ann i ndáiríre, dlús na Gaeilge, rud atá an-mhaith don am atá le teacht, creidim. De réir gach tuairisce, táid ag tógáíl ar a bhfuil acu cheana féin.

Is féidir linn dréim le dhá chathair a bheith luite le labhairt na Gaeilge in achar 20 bl. nó níos lú.

Don't write Gailleamh off. The news I heard is that TG4 has a tremendous impact on the whole area. Ros na Rún although quite banal and trivial has made Irish trendy and "cool" again. So may artists, performers other people of culture flock to Gailleamh as a new haven from American-dripped fast-holliwood. I don't know how sincere mayor is - but there are stats that 10% of Gailleamh population do speak DAILY Irish. I see no reason not to believe this - there are tons of people who came from Conamara for career, studies or else. Of course - everything depends on policies. If he is proposing all-Irish children playgrounds/kindergartens, gaeilscoileanna, preferential treatment of gaeilgeoiri on employment - I will give him benefit of doubt.

If any city in Éire is to go bilingual - Gailleamh must be it, in my opinion.

(Message edited by Róman on June 26, 2006)

"Galway city’s population is 63,503 (in 2002), and 137,064 in the county. According to the 2002 census, 31,440 people in Galway city speak Irish, with 14.7% of the city’s population speak it on a daily basis. 71,089 people in Galway county said in 2002 that they can speak Irish, and 29.4% of the total county population speak Irish every day."

thats not too shabby!

Sayitain'tso's data is really interesting, GRMA for that a chara. By the data, it does sound that Galway has the best chance of succeding in actual bilingualism as a city, though I'd not discount what has happened in Bellfast, being as that wasn't an Irish-speaking area before and it has become so due to hard work by residents who care about the language. An amazing acomplishment that deserves lots of attention and agknowledgement. I hope the mayor will be really serious about this. It would be neat if all schools in Galway, or at least all primary schools, could be turned into Irish-medium schools, it could be like the pilot program for the rest of the country because everyone would see how grand it is for the kids to get educated through Irish and ... OK, this is becomming a wishful thinking fest. You get the idea though.

Beir bua agus beannacht.

It is interesting what seems to be happening.

Irish can be heared in Galway city now whereas when I first went to the Gaeltacht in Conamara, way back in 1967, I was conscious of a certain antipathy to Irish from the city and a shame about speaking it there by the people of the Gaeltacht - very well illustrated in Joe Steve's "Lamh Láidir" - which was quite distressing.

Now while the attitude has not completely disappeared one can hear Irish being spoken on the streets - though not as much as Polish or other Slav languages.

People from the Gaeltacht are no longer ashamed to open their mouths and speak Irish though of course there is still the servile attitude of speaking English first with the stranger rather that the more mature attitude in most European countries of trying ones own language before resorting to another language.

Please God the positive trend will continue..

E (4689)

Eoin,

There are many Poles, aren't they? But did anyone think that they might be the first to ship their kids to gaelscoil given a chance? It is a sociological fact that immigrants want their children to become "sainter than the Pope" and sometimes immigrants do much better at local history, culture and heritage. Give them chance and you will surprised by the effects! And this will make "natives" to a real shame!

Beir bó

I don't agree.. I know Iarthar Bhéal Feirste is legendary and i would not have a bad word to say against it.... BUT...

Gaillimh is the ONLY county in Eire where MORE than 50% people have Gaeilge - that's from C.S.O.

Gaillimh has a strong Gaeltacht, with it's own unique heritage and traditions.

There is an Irish language pub and café in the city

It is the only place i've been where the ATM's ask you to use the machine in English or Gaeilge?

It's also safe to waffle as Gaeilge in Gaillimh, the considerable Unionist minority of Belfast don't exactly all flock to ranganna Gaeilge.

I'm An Cathaoirleach of An Cumann Gaelach in my university and i brought the cumann to Gaillimh, Béal Feirste legendary as it is just isn't dátheangach enough.

And btw competition to see who's most bilingual can only be benefical ;)

quote:

And btw competition to see who's most bilingual can only be benefical

Is fíor duit! Mar a deir an duine aosta, Tnúth a dhéananns treabhadh = Rivalry gets the plowing done.

Tá leagan Albanach den nath seo ann chomh maith:

Is e farmad a nì treabhadh; 's e còmhstri a nì buain.

farmad = formad
còmhstri = iomaíocht
buain = baint an fhómhair

Buain=baint an fhómhair sa Ghaelainn na hAlban, an ea?

Ana-shuimiúil! Tá an focal so díreach sa chanúint Mhuman leis - "buain"!

Pé scéal é, níl focal "bain" ann i n-aon chor!. Nílid ach focail "buin" (mar sa "buinim sult as") agus "buain" (mar sa "buainim arbhair") ann.

Tá Gaeilge ag inneall Banc na hÉireann anseo i Mullach Íde.

Bhí botún ann: "Tóg do chuid cárta" seachas "Tóg do chárta"

Chuir mé ar súile don foireann é, agus leasaíodh é!

Faoi na h-ATM's seo (Cén Gaeilge atá ar ATM? Céard is brí le hATM i mBéarla fiú).

Nuair a stop Banc na hÉireann ag teacht amach chuig Gaeltacht Chonamara chuireadar ATMs istig sna siopaí. Go bhfios dom táid i mBéarla amháin - i Siopa an Phoball ar an Cnoch.

Istigh i nGaillimh táid ann le Gaeilge.

Eoin 5245

http://www.focal.ie/Search.aspx?term=UMB&lang=2
uathmheaisín bainc

Mar a deir an té a dúirt "de réir eileamh...."

gheobhaidh sibh an rud i mBéarla ar dtús, agus má thógann sibh raic sách mór....

quote:

Cén Gaeilge atá ar ATM?

Tá "poll sa bhalla" cloiste agam!

poll sa bhfalla - ana-ghreannmhar :-))

quote:

Buain=baint an fhómhair sa Ghaelainn na hAlban, an ea?

Ana-shuimiúil! Tá an focal so díreach sa chanúint Mhuman leis - "buain"!

Bhíodh dhá bhriathar éagsúla sa tSean-Ghaeilge a raibh cuid mhaith "semantic overlap" acu:

boingid (= break, cut, reap, pluck, gather) leis an ainm briathartha búain

benaid (= strike, beat, cut, wound, reap) leis an ainm briathartha béim ar dtús, agus ansin béin, bain, etc. ina dhiaidh sin.

ATM = UBL agus léacht airgeadais ar siúl.

Eoin tá UBL de chuid BnahE ar an gceathrú rua in aice leis an spar agus an ghaeilge mar chéad teanga aige.

Sa Rinn, is dóigh liom nach bhfuil ach UBL amháin sa ghaeltacht ar fad agus Béarla an t-aon teanga aige. Banc Uladh atá i gceist.

Sílim gur ceart dúinn scríobh chuig na bancanna faoi seo nuair a thagann muid ar UBL "Béarlach"

...Bainfidh mé trial as an ceann ar an Ceathrú Rua i rith na seachtaine..

E (5360)

(I think we should write to the banks when we find these monoglot machines - I'll try the one in Ceathrú Rua during the week..!)

Tá cónaí ormsa i mBleá Cliath, agus is féidir na hUBLanna a seo a úsáid trí roinnt teangacha -- Gaeilge san áireamh; ach déarfainn go mbainfí níos mó úsáide as an bPolainnis!

Cá háit i mBAC go baileach? Níor tháinig mé ar cheann riamh sa chathair..