Some of the last few Native Irish speakers in North Clare.

[@yizhou5903]

It's beautiful. Hope more Irish people will speak Irish in the future.

[@joeanonymous1834]

Yeah, sure they will. That's been the line since the 1940s. What's happened to the prevalence of the language since? Not only is the Irish language all but dead, so is Ireland. Maybe learn Arabic or Chinese.

[@danielgiovanniello7217]

@@joeanonymous1834 I hate people like you, genuinely. Language is not _just_ about utility. It's about heritage and culture. England has tried for nearly a millennia to wipe out the Irish and Welsh languages, and yet they're still here. So kindly, shut the hell up.

[@pretzelearthsociety9975]

​@@joeanonymous1834 Seems like your first language is waffle.

[@joeanonymous1834]

@@pretzelearthsociety9975 Not a clue what you mean to say.

[@theresamekhel5870]

I'm trying now as Mum was from Co. Clare 🤗

[@bagzhansadvakassov1093]

In Kazakhstan we almost lost our native lang. Please keep yours or bring it back. It sounds magnificent.

[@Gaeilgeoir]

❤

[@virginiaconnor8350]

Do they not have the Gaeltach in Ireland to keep the language alive? I hope they do.

[@deaganachomarunacathasaigh4344]

​​@@virginiaconnor8350We do. But Na Ghaeltachtaí are located in such isolated places cut off from society. In the video the Woman said she had never been to Galway city. And she lived in North Clare. The Gaeltacht areas experience constant outward migration of youth as theres nothing in the areas for them to live off. And across all the Gaeltacht areas, theres only 150,000 native Irish speakers in 14 areas in 9 different counties. 7 are offcial Gaeltacht counties, Donegal, Mayo, Galway, Kerry, Waterford, Cork and Meath. The kther two with sizable populations are Antrim and Clare

[@connorsharpless3997]

A few years ago (2018) I worked on a building site in Galway with 6 native Irish speakers. They did nothing but lean on their shovels and chat all day because the foreman were too embarrassed about their lack of gaeilge to tell them to get back to work lol. Three of them were in their early 20s from Lettermore, and while they were completely bilingual, they seemed just a bit less comfortable speaking English than Irish, and one lad in particular had an accent almost like an eastern European when he spoke English. The way that the oldest Irish speaker spoke (probably in his late 50s) was quite similar in my memory to these Clare speakers

[@imperatorscotorum6334]

That’s amazing to think that in 2018 you encountered 6 native Irish speakers chatting away in Irish on a building site, these days I’d tend to think that the only place you’d find 6 people speaking Irish with each other is a club set up specifically for Irish speakers

[@brianboru7684]

@@imperatorscotorum6334 I often hear Irish spoken by native speakers in Galway city when I go up there. When I was sick nine years ago in University Hospital Galway in the bed the next to me was a native Irish speaker and his visitors trying to tune into Raidio na Gaeltachta on a transistor radio.

[@deaganachomarunacathasaigh4344]

@@imperatorscotorum6334 Ó sea, casadh mé le daoine a labhairt Gaedhilge go minic san Cósta Iarthar. Ach níor casadh mé le Gaeilgeoirí as Contae An Chláir. Is scéal brónach é

[@Hun_Uinaq]

I guess the solution to that would be to learn how to say “get back to work” in Irish. The other phrase would be “clear out of here. You’re fired.” I do think it’s amazing that the workers were that proficient in Irish though.

[@Hun_Uinaq]

@@deaganachomarunacathasaigh4344 were there any peculiarities with regard to the way they spoke they’re Irish in County Clare in this video? Any interesting regionalisms that caught your notice?

[@limmeh7881]

The first guy basically reminiscences about his past. I suspect he mentions Baile Uí Fhiacháin (Newport Mayo). He had a large enough family (10 children), then he speaks about how himself and a few people from his locality would fish in the water in the background. Good views and people, talked about the types of people that’d come from Conamara…then they mention drinking (one type that’d come from Conamara are the ones looking for fights…cause of drunkenness)🍻 There seems to have been a lot of boring manual labour (gathering peat), and he sympathised with them. It goes on to travelling, but the man prefers boats to airplanes. He had to leave after that, he had spuds on the stove that we’re getting cold… It’s about as Irish as you can get unironically. Fishing in his currach, large family, drink, peat, spuds… Not my dialect so I may have missed stuff.

[@michaelroche6181]

Baile Uí Bheacháin (Ballyvaughan).they are talking about. Newport Mayo might as well be on another planet for this man.

[@tsk3392]

Yes Ballyvaughan is the one.

[@solar0wind]

This sounds so different from young people speaking Irish. Young people's Irish sounds like English honestly. This sounds like its own language.

[@wesselstienstra7020]

If it sounds like English, it probably is (with an Irish accent of course). These people speak Gaeilge, which is a Celtic language and sounds nothing like English. They call it Irish because it is the original language of Ireland, before English

[@solar0wind]

@@wesselstienstra7020 I know what Gaeilge spoken by younger people sounds like. And they pronounce it like English. That's what I'm talking about.

[@serenissimarespublicavenet3945]

Especially because they can't roll the "r", and so they speak Gaelic with the English "r" which just sounds terrible.

[@deaganachomarunacathasaigh4344]

​@@serenissimarespublicavenet3945 Yes your right. The 'rr' like carraig, 'ar' 'ur' 'or' and words beginning or ending with hard r should be rolled like Perro in spanish and 'tr' 'dr' 'gr' agus 'fr' should sound like Très in french. ir then or R caol has a different pronunciation per county. In Mayo its irj, irz in Conamara, urs in most of Munster agus irs in Ulster

[@imperatorscotorum6334]

@@serenissimarespublicavenet3945 also they don’t pronounce the ch sound which is like a khhh sound in Irish, they say it like ck

[@legonlavia]

this sounds so much softer, without any thick English accent

[@johng5261]

making irish stress timed in the engilsh sense makes it a completely diffferent language.

[@cigh7445]

​@@johng5261Less glottal stops between words also, different system of stress, not to mention 40% more consonant sounds than exist in the English language.

[@johng5261]

@@cigh7445 yes well all the native speakers are pretty much gone. Irish is spoken like its english by most now. With extreme use the language would develop its own new accent which would sound less like english but it seems like most of these people use English as their primary. Almost looks painful how some newer irish speakers use the language, sounds difficult and really exhausting

[@AndyB1286]

Chan eil Gaeilge agam ach 's e neach-ionnsachaidh Gàidhlig na h-Alba a th' annam, 's mi a' fuireach ann an Glaschu. Is tric a bhios mise ag èisteachd ri seann chlàraidhean cuideachd, feuch gun tog mi Gàidhlig a tha nàdarra gun cus Bheurlachasan. Mar eisimpleir, cha chleachd mi "dì-dhaoineachadh" gu bràth, air sgàth 's gu bheil "crìonadh an t-sluaigh" fada nas nàdarraiche sa Ghàidhlig. I don't speak Irish but I'm a Scottish Gaelic learner, living in Glasgow. I often listen to old recordings too, in an attempt to pick up Gaelic that's natural and free from too many Anglicisms. For instance, I never say "dì-dhaoineachadh" ("depopulation"), as "crìonadh an t-sluaigh" ("shrinking [of the] population") sounds much more natural in Gaelic.

[@legonlavia]

@@AndyB1286 Tá sé go breá! Níl Gaeilge na hAlban agam, ach foghlaimím an Ghaeilge :) (b'fhearr liom a rá go mbím ag triail í a fhoghlaim) agus déanaim iarracht béarlachais a sheachaint freisin. De réir do shampla agus mo thaithí, cuireann na teangacha seo rudaí in iúl sa tslí níos dírí níos minice ná an Béarla .i. úsáideann siad gnáthfhocail in ionad focal speisialta chun cur síos a dhéanamh ar rudaí. Tháinig mé ar leabhar as Gaeilge "Lorg an Bhéarla" faoi bhéarlachais agus an chaoi iad a sheachaint. Cé go bhfuil difríocht idir na teangacha, b'fhéidir go mbainfeá úsáid as. Tá sé ar fáil ar acmhainn ie (athchló), ach ba cheart archive org a úsáid mar ní léirítear na gutaí fada ar chúis éigin anois. That's cool! I don't speak Scottish Gaelic, but I am an Irish learner :) (or more like I am trying to learn it) and I also try to avoid anglicisms. Considering your example and my experience, these languages express things in a more "straightforward" way, that is, they don't use specialised terminology, but rather just describe things as they are using common words more often than English does. I came across a book in Irish "Lorg an Bhéarla" about anglicisms and how to avoid them. Though the languages are different, maybe it can be of use to you. It's available on acmhainn ie (athchló), but it's better to use archive org because the current version of the site doesn't display vowels with fadas for some reason.

[@autumngalix4616]

I am learning Irish Gaelic at the moment. There are few apps and websites that I can learn from, and honestly none of them sound like this. I wish I could learn directly from native Irish speakers. My family is a few generations removed from Ireland. I want to get back in touch with those roots.

[@theeaskey]

You better hurry up.otherwis you better learn arabic

[@Ariapeithes_]

​@@theeaskey😂😂😂

[@amherst88]

Have a look at poetry readings by Nuala Ni Dhomhnaill (several are on YT) -- she writes poems in Irish that are translated by other people & when she reads them she reads both the English & the Irish. There are also Irish speaking radio programs & podcasts on RTE that allow you to have the native speaking in your ears -- some of it will rub off :)

[@professorminstrels6460]

It's just called Irish, not called Irish Gaelic

[@Bl_jkkll]

Check Transatlantic Sessions Or na cloiche (an ancient song in Gaelic), sorry if I mispelled It, Italian T9 and my fault

[@sarahculley4358]

Keep speaking. You have a right to preserve your culture!

[@JoeDueterte]

Unless you’re White, says the black and the Jew.

[@StillAliveAndKicking_]

Most have no desire to.

[@bastait]

im learning gaelic its only dead if you let it die. ask poland it wasnt a country for almost 200 years. @@StillAliveAndKicking_

[@geraldjoyce7400]

My parents were both Irish speakers from the Connemara Gaeltacht. This sounds like Connemara Irish to me. It makes sense, it's just across the water from Clare. I asked my dad once if he heard Clare Irish speakers when he was a kid and he said that he had and their Irish was very close to Connemara Irish.

[@SiobhanCurran]

Mine too and it sounds very similar

[@imperatorscotorum6334]

Ar labhair do thuismitheoirí Gaeilge leat?

[@geraldjoyce7400]

In the house, my parents spoke Irish to each other every day. I understood a lot of it, but only have small talk proficiency. I can follow most conversations when I go back to Connemara to visit.

[@geraldjoyce7400]

@@imperatorscotorum6334 Sorry for replying in English. I read basic Irish well enough, but am not very good at writing it.

[@deaganachomarunacathasaigh4344]

Well you see. Back hundreds of years ago Clare was apart of Connacht. Then it was changed to Munster. So the Muintir na Chlár actually speak a mixture of Connacht Irish and Munster Irish. You can see where the seanfhear understood the word fataí (the Connacht Irish word for a ripe edible Potatoe) whereas the seanbhean didn't. This shows how there's a bit of a mix throughout. The fear spoke a more Conamara like Clare dialect whereas the bean spoke a more Munstery dialect of Clare Irish

[@Islandicus]

This documentary was obviously filmed in the 1970's and that makes it already fifty years old. The elderly people interviewed knew Irish as their first language since they don't stutter or resort to English words. In other words, they are completely fluent and this is evident in the natural way they speak. Unfortunately, that is rarely the case today and the majority of Irish speakers are speaking it as a second language or use English as their dominant language. I know people who have mastered a second language but their first language is always their dominant language, especially if it's English which is so widespead. However, if native speakers die out then the language loses its soul and is basically moribund as a living language. The revival of Cornish and Manx are two cases in point.

[@COM70]

Would guess 80’s

[@willslingwood]

He clearly uses several English words, including “yeah”, which has no Irish equivalent. I’m a native Irish speaker, it’s my first language, please stop gatekeeping and guarding it like this, snobbiness is one quick way to ensure the death of the tongue.

[@COM70]

@@willslingwood he is saying shea (is a) not (yeah)which is (canúnach) as they say in academia. As for gatekeeping you are wilfully choosing to misinterpret @islandicus. I agree learners should not be shamed for bad grammar (especially) but bad pronunciation and béarlachas should always be corrected. I would also posit that the gatekeeping should be aggressively carried out on teachers of the language especially when it comes to oral Irish (not so much grammar) and that the lack of enforcement of a standard, and the pollution of dialects is single handedly responsible for the decline over the last 70 years. I am also a native speaker but I’m guessing his dialect is closer to mine from your comment.

[@PatsyConnaughton]

​@@willslingwoodI found native speakers so kind to people like me who were learning. But it was the snobby , very critical element amongst fluent speakers that made me give up. So you are right.

[@RobHealy1]

Way it goes. Ever said patio, voila, or snack in English? Same thing. World smaller and smaller

[@lujotu1280]

It makes me so happy to hear this.

[@heathermcdougall8023]

My husband is a fluent Irish speaker, and so are 2 of his sisters, one of whom sings in Irish a lot. Although Scots Gaelic is different and an older version, my husband can understand most of it. He's just listened to this and is translating into English for me. He understands this perfectly.

[@tsk3392]

@@heathermcdougall8023 Yes, there very close much more than Welsh or Cornish.

[@EVO6-]

Scotsgaelic isn't 'older'. That's not how languages work.

[@vixen878]

there are lots of native irish speakers who learn english second actually, we're not dying out.

[@YurManDavid]

Speak English in the home if you can. It's the language that fits our accent and character, and expressed our unique emotions more than other ever could

[@vixen878]

@@YurManDavid even though our native language is irish and its literally where our accent and character you speak of came from?

[@crack_regiment3444]

Yeah nah get fucked, they should be preserving their unique and beautiful culture as much as they can.

[@DieFlabbergast]

@@YurManDavid So, what you're saying is -- all those people in Ireland who speak only English are not really Irish, eh? They can't express themselves properly? Their language doesn't match their "emotions"? They'll be glad to know that (sarcasm alert)! You probably think the same about the eighty percent of Welsh people who can't speak Welsh. Diolch yn fawr! :)

[@Dude-iz2dw]

@@DieFlabbergast Those people will be the people who lost their language. They will always have this burden till they exist as a nation. The loss of the language is the greatest loss of a nation. We in Ukraine look at the Irish example as at something not to do, something that can lead to a disaster. In Ukraine it's only half of the population speak Ukrainian, so some politicians raise a question to make Russian a second official language, so we are very attentive and very sensitive and shut their mouthes as fast as possible.

[@Hallow1]

i speak "irish" fluently, yet i cant understand him, his accent is so strong XD, i was taught the more "englishy" version of irish, with the English r and a standard dialect, it took me looking into it to find out that what i was taught isnt really the irish spoken by natives at all, now im learning ulster irish, the form of irish spoken around my area

[@cigh7445]

Yeah Irish people get taught a McDonald's version of Irish. Quantity over quality, many teachers in many schools and 99% of them nowhere near a native level and not even aware of it.

[@cygnusmir1627]

Maith fear, tá’n fadhb céanna a’msa. Tá mé ag déanamh iarracht Gaeilge Chonnacht a foghlaim. Buíochas le Dia gur dalta mé fós, níl sé ródhéanach domsa

[@faramund9865]

Good luck on your journey!

[@paddyo3841]

a nation that forgets its Go given language…is doomed

[@COM70]

I speak Irish fluently too I missed about 2-3 small phrases/words/colloquialisms so far 3:58 but I can follow perfectly. You are missing an absolute treat.

[@HarrySmith-hr2iv]

Incredible to listen to this.

[@GuruishMike]

Wonderful. We've got a few new native speakers of Gàidhlig here in Nova Scotia. Hopefully it continues.

[@changolini]

Record their conversations and pronunciation of words story tellings bring up a movement to teach the language with the native speakers pronunciations

[@imperatorscotorum6334]

Gaelic in Nova Scotia has been extinct since the early 20th century

[@trepidatious_murphy]

@@imperatorscotorum6334 That’s just not true, they’re still there and actively work to promote the language. Cape Breton has bilingual road signs with Gaelic. I can even personally attest as I have a friend whose family has always spoken Gaelic as the first language, and thousands of others report that in our census as well. Not to mention all that Nova Scotian music from the 90s which is in, again, Gaelic.

[@imperatorscotorum6334]

Well maybe they are new learners, but from what information I can find the nova Scotian dialect of Gaelic is extinct. If you are telling the truth could you post a video of them speaking Gaelic please

[@cnuasachanbharraigh]

​@@imperatorscotorum6334 kzbin.info/www/bejne/j5KvgoJ9j9aor68 No, the Nova Scotia "dialect" has not died out. There are about 300 7-8th generation Gaelic speakers left in Nova Scotia. There are about 2000 1st-3rd generation "new" speakers across varying levels of fluency.

[@Occident.]

I'm a Gael on Tyneside England. Descended from Irish and Scots. Fellow Gaels, please keep this beautiful language alive.

[@garthhunt7238]

So this is what it’s like listening to the real deal!! Priceless!!❤️👍

[@Hun_Uinaq]

Love the sound of it. I don’t know why but these people sound more authentic than other Irish speakers I have heard. If you told me that that old guy didn’t speak any English and that nobody around him did, I would believe you just by hearing him talk.

[@Ajia_No_Envy]

Most Irish speakers whose native language is English use English phonetics to simulate the sounds of Irish, without learning Irish pronounciation. Only real linguists of the language bother with trying to learn native pronounciation.

[@RadkeMaiden]

Which is completely ridiculous. The first thing that you do when you learn a new language is you learn the sounds.

[@onlinemusiclessonsadamphil4677]

As a Scot I can make out words like Ciamir which is Scots gaelic for how and agus for and and 'can I have' I could make this out too. Tigh I think too. Years back when I was reporter, I researched an article re the last Gaelic speaker in Aberdeenshire in the North -East of Scotland. Thankfully we have incomers including the English learning which is great. Look up BBC Alba and test if you can the differences. The interviewer I think speaks very clearly and his lilt is similar some Scottish Gaelic dialects. Scots Gaelic: Mar Albannach ’s urrainn dhomh faclan mar Ciamir a tha ann an Gàidhlig na h-Alba a thoirt a-mach airson ciamar agus agus airson agus agus ‘Am faod mi bhith’ b’ urrainn dhomh seo a dhèanamh a-mach cuideachd. Tigh tha mi smaoineachadh cuideachd. Bliadhnaichean air ais nuair a bha mi nam neach-aithris, rinn mi rannsachadh air artaigil mun neach-labhairt mu dheireadh ann an Siorrachd Obar Dheathain ann an Ear-thuath na h-Alba. Gu fortanach tha coigrich againn a’ gabhail a-steach ionnsachadh Beurla a tha air leth math. Coimhead suas BBC Alba agus feuch an urrainn dhut na diofaran a dhèanamh. Tha an neach-agallaimh tha mi a’ smaoineachadh a’ bruidhinn gu math soilleir agus tha an lilt aige coltach ri cuid de dhualchainntean Gàidhlig na h-Alba. Irish: Mar Albanach is féidir liom focail cosúil le Ciamir, a bhfuil Gaeilge na hAlban air, a dhéanamh amach maidir le conas agus conas agus agus agus 'an féidir liom a bheith' d'fhéadfainn é seo a dhéanamh amach freisin. Tigh sílim freisin. Blianta ar ais nuair a bhí mé i mo thuairisceoir, rinne mé taighde ar alt faoin gcainteoir deireanach Gàidhlig in Obar Dheathain in Oirthuaisceart na hAlban. Buíochas le Dia tá daoine isteach againn lena n-áirítear foghlaim an Bhéarla, rud atá iontach. Féach ar BBC Alba agus féach an bhfuil na difríochtaí agat. I mo thuairimse, labhraíonn an t-agallóir go han-soiléir agus tá a lilt cosúil le roinnt canúintí Gaeilge na hAlban.

[@AndyB1286]

Not to bust anyone's bubble, but the Gaelic translation above has (in part, at least) been put through a search engine translator. I give credit where credit's due for posting a trilingual comment, but be careful when it comes to Google Translate and the like. They don't spit everything out correctly in the target language, especially not when it comes to minority languages like our beloved Gàidhlig and Gaeilge.

[@howzegoinlad1336]

The trick with any language is to speak it daily, I did 12 years of 40 minutes of Irish in school but it never really fastened,it was a chore that had to be done and was then forgotten,almost. I moved to Sweden and was speaking it fluently in a year. Because I had to use it daily. I was surrounded by it. I still have my Buntus Cainte books!

[@hollunderjohn]

For an English speaker both Swedish or Spanish are easier to learn than Irish.

[@donnastenson8491]

That’s my grandad 💙

[@yarnednomady5535]

It’s my Great Grandad 💙

[@user-td4do3op2d]

Does your family still speak Irish?

[@paddyo3841]

❤

[@Hauntedsissy]

That’s my granddad too ❤

[@José-u9d9s]

lovely moment

[@changolini]

I think the last recordings of the monolinguals of each province should be studied and mix it with the young to slowly bring it back

[@mihanich]

As a Russian i can see similarities in phonetics. They seem to have lots of palatalized (soft) consonants. It actually sounds very unique especially without English influence

[@cufflink44]

Interesting you should notice that. Russian and Irish both have sets of palatalized vs. non-palatalized consonants. In Irish, these are traditionally referred to as "broad" (non-palatalized or velarized) vs. "slender" (palatalized). Both languages are faced with the conundrum that there aren't enough consonant letters to account for these differences in writing. Russian solves the problem by adding vowel letters, some of which serve to palatalize the preceding consonant (A vs. я, for example). Irish solves the problem with sequences of vowels, some of which are silent (as in naoi 'nine,' pronounced "nee" but with a velarized n).

[@conormirgan8917]

I’m not a linguist by any means but one phenomenon is known as linition where sounds are softened very much and sort of blended. That can be heard in the english spoken by Gaelic people in modern day Dublin and Glasgow

[@kensears5099]

You are absolutely right. I learned Irish fairly well, though since then I've forgotten much of it from non-use, and after learning Irish I entered a situation in which I had to learn Russian,and indeed become fluent in it (as I am now). Irish was my first exposure to the whole concept of palatalized and non-palatalized consonants (more than simply non-palatalized, really, but distinctly more "dental' than their English equivalents, for example the "hard" Irish "t" verging on a "th"). When I took up Russian I was pleasantly startled to discover virtually the same system, so that was one hurdle at least easily mastered. In Irish what we call "hard" and "soft" in Russian are called "broad" and "slender." I have always preferred the Irish nomenclature, as the Russian terms would almost seem to connote volume more than palatalization or its absence. A key difference, and one that took rather some time for me to get used to, is that in Russian it's only the vowel after the consonant that determines its hardness/softness. In Irish it's the correspondance of the vowels before and after a consonant or consonant cluster--the vowels on both sides of a consonant or consonant cluster MUST be from the same category, either the "broad" category (a, o, u) or the "slender" one (e, i). A word in Irish with a letter progression like, say, -adi- or -ebu- or -ote- is an impossibility. The contradicting kinds of vowels on either side of those consonants produce an unpronounceable syllable. It makes no sense. Because I was hard-wired to think this way, I would make mistakes early on in my Russian where I might say, for example, "kit" (whale) with a slender/soft "t" since it is preceded by the slender-making (in Irish) vowel "i."

[@kensears5099]

No idea on earth why a few lines got crossed out, but at least they're still legible.

[@adamkozma6962]

Sorry bro bot it's nothing to do with russian. It's more like swedish by tonals with a little bit finnish spice.

[@franc9111]

Would it be possible for you to provide a transcription ? It would be very useful.

[@patrickmoloney6001]

Absolutely lovely to hear

[@AlanHovell]

May be too late, but learn from Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 where the younger generation are reviving it the language. Irish is such a beautiful language, so sad to see its last remnants I'm a London Welshman with a late grandfather who didn't speak English until he was 5 years old going to anglophone school 🚸

[@Ajia_No_Envy]

The younger generation are in no means reviving this language. It's not taught properly in schools firstly and it's also mandatory, which makes almost everyone hate it.

[@MusicalRadiation]

​@@Ajia_No_Envy well, you could wonder why it being compulsory makes people hate it? English is also compulsory, but noone sees any trouble in speaking English. It's just that the English people decided that English is the prestige language, and regional languages are seen as less.

[@cigh7445]

Welsh speaking areas are still being anglicised and numbers of native and first language Welsh speakers are still being lost each decade to native English speakers. I'm sorry, but not amount of English speakers who learned Welsh as a second language in school and can makeup the numbers on a census questionnaire can make up for that. If Welsh speaking regions cannot survive, then there is no revival. Welsh started from a stronger position than all of the Celtic Languages and the vast majority of minority languages in the world because of the existence of strong Welsh speaking regions. If analysis show the weakening of these regions each decade then you can't paper over the cracks with propaganda about census numbers and revivals. You want a future where Welsh is the language passed from parent to child, not a future where it is an institutional language taught to English speakers and spoken only by those ideologically motivated to do so, be it for reasons of nationalism or anything else.

[@Savingsnchocolate]

​@cigh7445 Absolutely. It's the same in Wales as in Ireland. We're just not as far along the process as they are. Long term it will be the same outcome in both unfortunately.

[@faramund9865]

@@Ajia_No_EnvyIt’s not about schools. PARENTS have to speak to their children only in their native tongue. That’s ALL it takes.

[@noname-by3qz]

My family came from county clare. .. amazing to think I'm listening to them speak until 1860 when they left.

[@beast4661]

My grandparents lived in ardnicrusha county Clare Ireland for a while. I wonder if they’re near there. We have such a very limited exposure to Gaelic Irish. I remember my grandfather teaching me the different words for brother, mother, and such. I wish I could remember what he taught me. Very cool interview. Thanks for sharing.

[@pitashelford5926]

I'm a Maori/ Polish from New Zealand 🇳🇿 and speak Maori( Polynesian language) and English. I really respect all languages. The old couple and the interviewer speaking are so awesome to listen, too. I can see why I love the Irish accent( first time I've heard Irish...) when They speak English. it comes from the beautiful Irish sounding language!❤ Like any language...Maori have slightly different dialects, accents. Also, our language is quite similar to: Cook Islands Maori, Tahitian, Rapanui Island, Hawaiian, Tuamotu, Marquesas. Also, many similar words to: Samoan, Tongan, Niuean, Tokelau, Tuvalu and other Polynesian, South Pacific languages. Also, a few very similar words in Malaysian, Indonesian.... Amazing really languages- connects People over hundreds, thousands of years...

[@ratdog6317]

​@@pitashelford5926 maori is interesting and i wish there were more videos of people speaking tahitian also

[@matityahubenavraham2970]

Beautiful sounds I want to learn ❤️❤️

[@trollgegael]

dont

[@seangrogan6541]

Love the shot of the brogues at 0.48. Got a pair like those meself.

[@tonynordlander9626]

beutiful langues! greetz from sweden keep it strong

[@joegee6434]

I wish I could understand what the old lady was saying. I bet she has accumulated a long life's worth of knowledge

[@Hun_Uinaq]

She sounded quitefeisty and sharp as a tack.

[@cianoc8211]

She’s just talking about where she went to school. She says her health is all good but she takes a bottle of Maalox for when she has “bad-heart”…she also is asked was she every in Galway (a relatively close by city) and she says she’s never been there in her life! Haha

[@chuckghaly]

It would be nice to have some subtitles. I understand a bit of irish but not enough yet to follow.

[@changolini]

If ireland decided to teach nothing but irish and the saved recordings of the last speakers for a couple of years ill would like to see the results

[@Rustsamurai1]

Linguistic Jurassic Park.

[@faramund9865]

It's note about teaching or recordings. The best thing is to put this man in a group of people and they try to talk to him in his language, that's the only way to continue the legacy.

[@changolini]

@@faramund9865 well said

[@michaelroche6181]

@@changolini How many parents would be in favour of that? Roughly 25% of households would like their children to receive their education through Irish. The state only provides for roughly 12% and that isnt increasing. The state or civil service is blocking the democratic wishes of those parents.

[@changolini]

@@Rustsamurai1 and your some smarty pants

[@dntskdnttll]

Thank you for sharing this invaluable video. Do you plan on posting any more to this channel?

[@KibyNykraft]

So this is where the throaty sound in standard dutch comes from :) Probably used in most celtic tribes in the distant past. Also found in the Middle East more or less

[@krle7970]

Same with France

[@markflynn6449]

It’s just their accent. Munster Irish v Connaught v Ulster or Leinster sound very different. But so do the people in those areas speaking English. As a Waterford man I find it hard to understand some Cork people speaking English (no offence lads) and they’re Waterford’s neighbours. But give it a day and you get it on your ear. Listening to these people, I understand most of it on first listen. Two or three times hearing it, I wouldn’t drop a beat. It’s not some lost language we’re hearing these people speak, it just has a great variety of accents that make it even better!

[@oglachnaheireann752]

An-suimiúil. An-deas. 🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪☘️☘️☘️👍👍👍

[@conorwhite2066]

My grandmother spoke Irish and heard her speaking it a number of times to older people... but when she spoke to my mother (when my mother was young) and to me.. she always spoke English

[@ZadenZane]

Sounds much more like Scottish Gàidhlig than the Irish you hear reading the RTE Radio news that's for sure!

[@johncourtneidge]

Thank-you!

[@josemama428]

Stop Irish genocide 2023❤☘️

[@EminencePhront]

I want to hear this guy speaking English. I would love to know what an Irish Irish accent sounds like as opposed to an Irish Anglophone accent.

[@IvanSam1]

He would sound just like Irish Anglophone accent... Irish accent is product of Irish people speaking English. Just like Jamaican sounds African.

[@SeanCollins-x3d]

Had a wonderfell irish teachèr sean o bairead from dingle at listowel nationel school i love to speak irish dingle irish is very easy easy to follow if spoken slowly maigh go leor slan

[@Vanya27100]

During the time period when these interviews were conducted (1980's), would these people have most likely been monolingual Irish speakers or also fluent in English?

[@grimble4564]

There's a chance they would've been monolingual but it's small

[@brianboru7684]

The old lady uses some English words. She spells "Howard" out.

[@TheLastAngryMan01]

The last monoglot Irish speaker is said to have died in the 1970s. You have to study English in school.

[@Chloe-yv6xu]

​@@TheLastAngryMan01 apparently the last one was Seán Ó hEinirí who died in 98

[@paulJkiely]

This so valuable for learners of Irish ☘️ ‘An dtuigeann tú mé’ ... the elderly lady asks the interviewer “do you understand me?” If I’m correct that is 😊

[@RuairiOTuathail]

@Jamison Kendall in Irish?

[@Tomas-ml9nv]

@@RuairiOTuathail they're bots . Probably a scam site

[@imperatorscotorum6334]

More accurately she says “nach dtuigeann tú mé” which means “don’t you understand me”?” a somewhat more impatient tone

[@paulJkiely]

@@imperatorscotorum6334 much appreciated! Thanks…

[@serenahm]

I’d love to see more clips posted on this channel. The comments are very helpful, too, for this American non-gaeilgeoir, with the history, background and context they add. Go raibh maith agat!

[@erikeparsels]

All the TV shows and kids cartoons should be dubbed into Gaelge. The goal should be universal Irish as first language and steady increase until all public discourse is in Irish. The Jewish people revived Hebrew into a modern language, and the Irish people can revive gaelge to become the daily language too. But it requires stronger policies to force the issue than merely requiring kids to study Irish in school.

[@noahjohnson5312]

correct; i also favor english speakers losing voting rights in order that government policy that favors irish speakers have zero negative political consequences

[@Tamir-Barkahan]

The Irish hate us too blindly to learn from our experience. A shame really, because this language did not deserve to disappear.

[@Athiarnadeantrocaire]

If you put him on .75 speed he's much more comprehensible to anyone who only learnt irish at school.

[@bretagnejean2410]

Yma o hyd ! Like wales song say. Greeting for brittany. These old people look like my grand parents.

[@barryhilliard909]

Tá an físeán seo go hiontach!

[@TheSmokeyDawn]

I know at 1:58 he's not actually saying Dick Fart, but damn did I giggle.

[@gafaproductions2978]

As a non-native speaker from Dublin who has made an effort to expose myself to the language it makes me happy that I am able to follow nearly everything from such an elderly native speaker. There are a lot of comments about the pronunciation of Irish by a lot of young people and I have to say I very much agree, there are obviously so many bad exanples though this varies and can be overstated by some commenters. A real issue is also the general ignorance to the differences in pronunciation between Irish and English, especially in the education system, which from my experience isn't great. I think pronunciation is something that should be paid attention to by any second language speaker of Irish and know from experience that, with even a small bit of effort, it can be improved upon in a way that would be quite easy for the average Irish person

[@user-td4do3op2d]

What year was this filmed and who filmed it?

[@cnuasachanbharraigh]

This was filmed in 1980 for 'Súil Thart' on RTÉ. The presenter is Liam Ó Muirthile.

[@user-td4do3op2d]

@@cnuasachanbharraigh Thank you so much!

[@PumpkinMozie]

Modern young Irish speakers tend to sound different, more “English” but think about it. It’s not their fault that the generations before them had their culture stolen. It’s not their fault that many Irish people in the past have up their language out of shame. They are doing their best. The revival is amazing if you ask me, and extremely inspiring. I support the Irish language in all its forms!

[@DersKanal-w1f]

All cultures are beautiful. Because our cultures make us different. When everything is the same it will be boring and simple. Language means culture and history. I hope they don't forget who they are

[@willslingwood]

Nach bhfuil Gaeileann againne fós mar theangain dúchasach?

[@noahjohnson5312]

because of evil persicution; ireland must speak irish only

[@mikekavanagh8952]

Excellent,

[@stlouisix3]

I'm glad that Irish Gaelic is growing!

[@michaelroche6181]

Nor really. There are more occasional speakers with a limited vocabulary but less really fluent people that can express themselves fully.

[@pb51-d8f]

I not sure, but the cadence of older native speakers is more rhythmic.

[@MikeMcCall-d9w]

I've got both Irish and highland Scottish ancestry , so regardless whether it's Irish or the Scottish Gaelic , it's my heritage! There should be more done , to increase the numbers spoken! Maybe increase child allowance for native speaker's and encourage larger than average size families! 🤔🇮🇪🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Posted by Michael McCall.

[@kingofcelts]

Yes,my friend, there's plenty these days about positive action. But little is being done to incentivise through tax breaks or setting up Gaeilge/ Gaelic business...

[@jamesmooney8933]

The Irish used to travel back and forth between the highlands and Ireland. One of my ancestors names is McMillan, which is Scotch or Irish. Kennedy is another name that is either Scotch or Irish. So the Highlanders have more in common with the Irish then anyone else. Trump is a McLeod which is Highlanders.

[@sully8317]

the highlanders are Irish gaels who conquered Scotland and gave it its name from who the Romans named Scoti, Ireland was Scoti major and "Scotland referred to as Scoti minor.

[@U100Maciek]

All gone.... Sic transit gloria mundi... Once mighty Gaels reduced all over Ireland to speaking the language of their former English overlords. Now they learn at schools their own language. As foreign to them as koine Greek...Great pity for Gaelic is a stunning language.

[@Morgan-kn6xb]

@GaelForce 88 ✝️🇻🇦

[@deaganachomarunacathasaigh4344]

@GaelForce 88 Blame the English

[@erasedfromgenepool.4845]

Not too long ago speaking Irish on Irish soil was a death sentence. God bless the Irish..

[@U100Maciek]

@@deaganachomarunacathasaigh4344 One can blame the English, the famine, the Church and the emigration for the 19th century decline, for sure. However, Ireland started as independent state with some 200 k native speakers. Now there are less then 30 k. No way one can blame the English for that. The Irish are/have been abandoning Gaelic as their first language en masse. That is the reality and summer courses and compulsory Gaelic at schools will not change that. The Irish have no intention whatsoever to go back to Gaelic in their everyday life/commerce/education etc. etc.. I have great respect for both narive speakers and fluent speakers who speak it. The tide has turned in favour of English, unfortunately.

[@Hun_Uinaq]

It’s a damn shame.

[@Enno9]

Can somebody translate the interview?

[@fordtruxdad5155]

Very interesting, although I didn't understand one word except "Maalox". The conversation with the dear old lady seemed somewhat contentious- 'though it may only seem that way since she seems very hard-of-hearing.

[@loganchase8137]

"nach tuigeann tú mé?" Sheesh lady

[@Rockydoglover]

The interviewer seems to have the more northern accent which is hard to understand which probably added to it

[@boru1982]

@@Rockydoglover pretty sure interviewer is Munster Irish. The old lady was clearly hard of hearing though. Try speaking in English to an old woman with no teeth. Not that easy. ;)

[@faelan1950]

@@loganchase8137 She said "An dtuigeann tú mé"? Often this is said as an interjection, like "y'know?" but here I think she was worried if the interviewer didn't understand what she said

[@cianoc8211]

@@Rockydoglover nah it’s the other direction. Interviewer sounds Munster Irish. All the gutteral sounds - northern is much softer, almost no ‘ack’ sounds, they become ‘ah’ in the north

[@kalicokathy1944]

My family came from County Clare Ireland went there in 2014 I rented a car instead of a tour because I wanted to meet the local people. I wished I could’ve stayed longer. Such friendly people. Western Ireland is different culture than Eastern area like Dublin they have the old traditions and values

[@Lomhow]

I wish this had subtitles

[@44birdie44]

Would anyone have the transcript of this trí Gaeilge? I would be forever grateful. I attended a Gaelscoil and did my junior cert through Irish. Have alright Irish but I really struggled to understand them. The old woman was easier understood. But could only catch a few words from the first man.

[@conormirgan8917]

The thing I like about this lad is he says no english words. He’s more likely to say a Latin word or French word but not a sasanach word

[@radishpineapple74]

If you didn't know any better, you'd think you were looking at something happening in the 1600s, especially with the old lady.

[@dubmait]

The video is quite old now, but that part of the country wouldve been a bit stagnated because their was no investment. Its very different now, even though not too much time has past. Clothing would be very different now. If you went to Peru or Bolivia, you would see people like this all over the place;

[@silverkitty2503]

Yeah ....that was part of the struggle for the language too ....lack of an economy in those areas .....

[@jontycornes5528]

Beutiful language

[@McConnachy]

Brilliant to listen to. This sounds really like Scottish Gaelic, its more sing song and expressive than other Irish I've heard

[@cooldaddy2877]

True, this is more like Scots Gaelic which has preserved the language much better than in Ireland where the various Governments have modernised the language far too much.

[@neildevlin2464]

Scottish Gaelic wtf

[@liambyrne591]

Would subtitles in Irish be any good

[@loganchase8137]

Nach aisteach a rud é. Cheap mé go mbeadh an canúint níos gaire dho ghaeilge Chonamara, mar gheall go raibh an-bhaint go deo idir an Clár agus Conamara dhe bharr na mbád. Tá cosúlachtaí ann ar ndóigh, ach sí Gaeilge na Mumhan í gan amhras

[@suegee6386]

What? 😊 good on ya 🍀

[@anbealbocht2192]

Sea, nach greannmhar? Níor mhoithigh ariamh Gaeilge an Chláir dá labhairt ach tá sí ar an leathbhealach eadar an dá chanúint. Tá deis a labhartha go fóill ag an tseanduine agus Gaeilge chruinn ghalánta aige ach bhí corrfhocal ag an tseanbhean nár thuig mé. Slán leis na "haoisigh?" Na daoine nach maireann?

[@brianocallaghan486]

@@anbealbocht2192 Céad míle slán leis an uair sin...

[@anbealbocht2192]

@@brianocallaghan486 go raibh maith agat, a Bhríain. Bulaí fir!

[@joemacdonnagh6750]

Is tuíse a bhfeadh tuiscint ag mhuintir Chiarraí ar chanúint an fhír sin, ná mbeadh againne anseo i gConnamara , agus cheapfá go a mhalairt a bhfeadh fíor. Nuair a bhí mise ag eirí suas , bhí daoine de shíor ag dul go Co Chlair.

[@adamhawkins3036]

I could listen to this man talk all day and i dont have a clue what he's sayin

[@dottiebaker6623]

This is the language of my ancestors. I understand almost none of the words, but the rhythm is very familiar.

[@tsk3392]

The lady at the end said she hadn't been to Galway but had been to Ennis( Co.Clare's capital) but not beyond that!

[@jimmybellend8914]

Respect and R I P

[@andaimhineach4131]

An dheas. Cén bhliain a raibh seo taifidithe?

[@shanedealmeida5316]

Sílim féin thart ar na 1970's

[@QueenDynamo]

1980

[@DonalLeader]

Nach breá líofa an Ghaeilge atá ag an sean-lead seo.

[@Epiph5]

Is breá liom éisteacht leo! Google "translates" your comment to mean the opposite... it translates the "Isn't it..." to "It is not...". 😣

[@Epiph5]

Lean ar aghaidh ag scríobh as Gaeilge! Sin atá uaim léabh... ba mhaith liom mo chuid Gaeilge a chlachtadh.

[@Epiph5]

*Ghaeilge (?)

[@gratefulkm]

Never forget he is basically speaking the native lounge of all these isles I'm typing in a language known as the Roman Slave langauge

[@Alasdair_Brodie]

Native language of this isles is Pictish 😂 But it went extinct, so now its Welsh.

[@lujotu1280]

No, you're typing in a German dialect with a lot of borrowed French words.

[@expo1706]

It sounds like Norwegian to me.

[@adude9882]

Yes it is different from Irish learned at school. The people are different to.

[@godislove8740]

similarity of cadence with the middle east. History?

[@maranathasos3381]

le do thoil - first of all - go raibh maith agaibh - secondly, we need subtitles and lastly, in ainm Dé, please change the title - we even have a Gaeltacht in Canada!! We are strong!! Thug Dia Gaeilge dúinn agus ní féidir ach le Dia é a thógáil amach

[@TheWizardOfTheFens]

Accents evolve over time. Language is and always has been, fluid. The English don’t speak English like the old folk did. Look at the accent of London now. It’s not a known accent of these shores and like it or not, it’s the way it is. To berate todays Irish speakers because of their accent will discourage the youth and condemn the language to the dustbin of history. Be proud that they WANT to speak their native tongue - accented or not.

[@laurae7777]

Ba mhaith liom... Gaeilge a labhairt, ach táim neirbhíseach mar tá mo gramadach go dona!

[@bigmanmccheez5342]

Mise freisin, ach má tá tú in an é a labhairt sin an rud is tábhachtach.

[@caitrionaweafer2993]

Cé go bhfuil sé álainn, níl an Last Native Speakers seo ceart mar thideal. Tá Gaeilge go leor sa tír fós.

[@stonedape2406]

The video is talking about native speakers in north Clare, a certain region, and not the whole of Ireland.

[@bigmanmccheez5342]

ceapaim go bhfuil sé ag caint faoin Gaelige a bheith mar príomhtheanga acu

[@firsargentum5920]

Tá sé ag caint faoin lucht gaelgoiri a bhí ina gconai fós i gContae an Chláir agus tá an ceart aige mar sin. Is as an gclár mise agus is féidir lion a rá leat, is iad na cinn deiridh cinnte.

[@xotan]

D'fhoghlaim mise an Ghaeilge nuair nach raibh mé ach sé bhliana d'aois. Anois tá mé i mo hochtóidí. Ach fós tá sí go fliúrse agam. Is trua, áfach, nach bhfuil mórán féidireachtai úsáid a bhaint aisti mar anois tá mé i mo chónaí i ndeisceart na Fraince.

[@seancoleman5021]

Just listeing again, carefully, to the first man and his Gaelic is beautiful. Close to Connemara Irish. Pronounces the word moin for turf a little different, says ait for fine excellent like Mairtin Tom Sheainin in Lettermullen. Never heard the word meillteach? which he uses to describe the Connemara men after drinking. Does not have the eee sound at the end of plurals unlike Connemara. The interviewer is talented and has no difficulty understanding this dialect.

[@deemae5868]

Be great to know what they're saying.

[@KimPhilby203]

Beautiful Language.. Without the influence of English..

[@AnnetteMurphyger]

Is this Doolin?

[@paddyo3841]

When the native language so does its nation

[@garylafferty9300]

It would be better with Close Caption.

[@77agape]

BUT... there are still some thousands of native Irish speakers. It continues.

[@trollgegael]

tens of thousands of

[@frodev728]

it sounds very nordic, very much like Norwegian or Swedish a lot of the time

[@Lomhow]

I remember learning about the Irish rebellions. How they tried to bring the language back. The English Army killed the teachers and burned the books. And they wonder why the Troubles happened.

[@Tele-fk4cu]

Bha mi a' tuigsinn mu leth-phairt dhe. Gu h-ionntach, tha a' chailleach nas fhasa a thuigsinn na tha an duine a tha a' cur na ceistean!

[@stevenecoson8378]

is ana ghreannmhar é seo. labhraíonn sé i gcanúint na mumhan. tá an chanúint sin an difriúil leis an ghaeilge na halban.

[@FionnCr]

Anyone fancy translating the script?

[@OlenaSheibak]

Dia dhuit from Ukraine ❤