Is Irish still spoken, as a native language, in Uíbh Ráthach? Until recently, a Wikipedia entry stated that: "Here, the language died out in the 1950s."

While I am reluctant to assert that "Irish has died out" anywhere Uíbh Ráthach is different to Corca Dhuibhne. You won't hear Irish spoken in your presence. Even when Séamus Ó Duillearga was collecting folklore from "the" Seán Ó Conaill of Cill Rialaigh (?) the number of people who spoke Irish as their first and only language was small and diminishing.

There is an Údarás na Gaeltachta centre in the townland of An Cillín Liath and the staff there speak Irish. At least they know Irish but since English seems to be dominant everywhere people don't expect them to speak Irish.

A certain Teacher Training College sends students there to practise their spoken Irish but I think those students may be left to find their own accommodation in any of the many self-catering establishments in this popular holiday area. I doubt if there are many Irish-speaking families of the "old stock" in the area.

Sadly when I visited the Cill Rialaigh Centre there was a foreign lady in charge. When I visited another information centre the employee was from outside the area.

A lot of money has been spent there but anyone you speak to in Irish tells you they are not "from the area" --they were born and reared a few miles away.

Read the book "THIAR SA MHAINISTIR ATÁ AN GHAOLAINN BHREÁ"

I am certain that if they knew you were coming and knew you wanted to hear Irish spoken they could put on a show. There are plenty of fluent speakers living there but you will not find them unless you hire a "gilly" (giolla) to guide you around.

Now there's an idea!

Anyway, begin your search in An Cillín Liath and Máistir Gaoithe.

A Jeaicín,

Go raibh míle maith agat!! Cad faoi Baile an Sceilg agus An Gleann?

Fuair 17 teaghlach ina iomláin an deontas iomlán do Scéim Labhairt na Gaeilge i 2009/10 i nGaeltacht Uibh Ráthach. Fuair 8 teaghlach an deontas iomlán do Bhaile an Sceilg - meadú suntasach ar na blianta roimhe sin nuair nach bhfuair oiread is teaghlach amháin an deontas ann.

Is cuimhin liom gur léigh mé i nGaelscéal tamall ó shin faoi Chomhchoiste Gaeltacht Uibh Ráthach agud dúirt urlabhraí gur de thoradh sár obair a bhí á dhéanamh acu gur tháinig feabhas suntasach ar figiúirí Scéim Labhairt na Gaeilge do Uibh Ráthach.

So clearly Irish is not dead in Uibh Ráthach with some families still Irish speaking but certainly not a community wide language. I'd like to congratulate them on increasing the Irish speaking families in the area a real achievement.

Tá fáilte romhat, a Sheán Uí Chonaill. Níl a fhios agam. Níor éirigh liom cuairt a thabhairt ar an nGleann. Is deacair do strainséar mar mise a rá an bhfuil mórán Gaeilge ar eolas ag daoine in aon áit.

An té ab fhearr eolas ar an gceist sin ná Cigire na nDeontas i Roinn na Gaeltachta, deontas na dtithe agus deontas na Gaeilge.

Tugann seisean nó sise cuairt ar gach teach agus cuireann sé agallamh ar mhuintir an tí - nó ar dhuine díobh ar chaoi ar bith.

Is é an fhadhb le hUíbh Ráthach go bhfuil an daonra ag dul i laghad agus gurb iad na teaghlaigh ag a mbíodh an Ghaeilge á labhairt acu is túisce atá ag dul ar imirce.

Tá sean-daoine go leor ann a bhhfuil Gaeilge acu ach mura bhfuil leanaí á dtógáil le Gaeilge ón gcliabhán is deacair a rá go bhfuil an teanga beo san áit.

Cén fáth a mbíonn siad de shíor ag rá "I'm not from here. I don't know Irish!" Deirimse leo gur Jeaicín mise agus féach go bhfuil Gaeilge agam. Ar ndóigh mura gcastar orthu ach cuairteoirí le Béarla is beag seans atá acu an tseoid is luachmhaire dá bhfuil acu, an Ghaolainn, a chothú. Measaim gur gearr go mbeidh sé ró-dhéanach.

Fós féin d'fhéadfaí a mhór a dhéanamh de na daoine a bhfuil an teanga acu, agus foghlaimeoirí ón taobh amuigh a thabhairt isteach rud a chuirfeadh le rathúnas na háite.

Tá an leabhar "SAVING LANGUAGES An introduction to language revitalisation" le Lenore A. Grenoble agus Lindsay J. Whaley faoi mo láimh agam anseo agus dá mbeadh airgead ar fáil ní hamháin go bhféadfaí staidéar a dhéanamh ar an méid den teanga traidisiúnta atá fágtha ag daoine in Uíbh Ráthach ach d'fhéadfaí tús a chur le tionscadail a spreagfadh foghlaim agus úsáid na teanga i measc na ndaoine atá ina gcónaí ansin go buan. Cén fáth nach n-iarrfaí ar na stake-holders sin an teanga a fhoghlaim agus clú na háite a ardú arís.

Cén fáth a bhfuil suim agat féin san áit, a Sheáin Uí Chonaill.

Dea-scéal é sin agat, Guevara. Cá bhfios nach bhfuil cor nua tagtha in úsáid na teanga san áit.

Go raibh míle maith agat, aris, a Jeaicín.

Mar spéis a bheith agam i Gaelainn Chiarraí agus an stair mo chlann Uí Chonaill. Fosta, tá an chlann Uí Chonaill (mar shampla: Eibhlín Dubh Ní Chonaill, Dónall Ó Conaill, Seán Ó Conaill, srl.) baint fhada le Uíbh Ráthach. Thug mé cuairt ar an gceantar i 2005 ach ní dheachaigh mé go dtí An Cillín Liath ná Máistir Gaoithe. Cinnte beidh mé an chéad uair eile.

(Message edited by seanoconaill on April 07, 2011)