I'm at a stage now where I find that I'm getting better at reading, writing and listening, and am okay enough with speaking if it's say the caighdeán pronunciation while I am also managing a bit of Conamara blas due to living here for a short while and my teacher who comes from here.

I chose Conamara Irish because it was so widely available, but I have to say there is something about the north Mayo Irish that really pulls me towards it, and before I go further into my learning, I'm wondering has anyone had any similar experiences of having to decide on a dialect? I don't want to speak with this caighdeán Irish as just for me it sounds like English.

I know that I will end up using vocabulary and turns of phrases from all the dialects and I'll be really proud when I can master that, but I would also like to now really start learning to speak with the blas and to get the pronunciation right, so that even when I read the caighdeán I'll be speaking it in my head in a dialect.

Are there any things I can make a habit that might help me do this? I know that there is a serious lack of Mayo Irish resources but do you think it is doable, or would I be better off getting the best handle on Conamara Irish that I can get and then moving to the Mayo dialect after that? I know that they are somewhat related anyway?

What ye reckon? (sorry about long-ish post)

You can try to get "The Irish of Erris, Co. Mayo: a phonemic study" by Éamonn Mhac an Fhailigh.

I find this series ("The Irish of ...) very helpful, if you are looking for the pronunciation of a certain dialect.

The system, that means which sounds exist, how to derive the spoken form from the writen form etc. are also explained, next to a large collection of words.


PS. Oh, my hundredth post already, but the road to become a cabaire is still long.

quote:

don't want to speak with this caighdeán Irish as just for me it sounds like English.
I would also like to now really start learning to speak with the blas and to get the pronunciation right, so that even when I read the caighdeán I'll be speaking it in my head in a dialect.

You live in Connemara, try and immitate the local speakers blas...

Changing dialect is not so easy but I guess it's possible, especially if you can hear a lot of stuff in that dialect.

As for me I wouldn't be able to switch to Connemara or Corca Dhuibhne Irish... - I'd need to think before every word to remember how Kerry or Connemara people would pronounce it ! :-) I've been pronouncing in the Donegal way for more than 13 years now :-)

How long will you be living in Conamara? Which part of Conamara is your teacher from? I wish I had spent more time there.

Trigger- I have a bit of the Conamara blas and I am getting better as a result of talking to people from there, at least every second day, so that isn't a problem- I'm hoping to move onto Mayo Irish so I was wondering had people advice - as in should I keep going until I'm comfortable with Conamara Irish in that I can speak with a good dallop of it, or should I change now?

I think I'll keep with Conamara for another bit though. I have a bit to go before I'm at a level I'm happy with.

(Message edited by sineadw on September 19, 2009)

Hiya Danny- Have been here for over 5 months now. Has been unbelievable experience. Have got to practice speaking everywhere, did a photography course here, speak in post-office, bank, shop you name it. And my teacher has been fantastic, she's incredibly intelligent and appreciates what she has, tells me great stuff about the folklore even, has given me books by authors from the area, gugali gug cd. She is from Inverin. I wish I had longer here as that amount of time in a place and you are just settling in but I have to move for work- sucks :(

I think that was one of the best things I did- as in you can't really ask someone you are talking to to explain everything they have said, so when I picked up something I didn't first understand, I was able to go to her and ask about it. And there's only so much you can do in one hour a week of classes, so I use online resources too. It all adds up. This site is really really helpful for learners :)