The Irish Language and Beauty | Dónall Ó Héalaí | TEDxBerkeley

Language represents an essential component of humanity, revealing so much about culture, heritage, literature, and nearly every human endeavor. In his TEDxBerkeley 2018 talk titled “The Irish Language and Beauty,” Dónall Ó Héalaí shares his personal relationship with the endangered Gaelic language. Recounting ancient legends, singing a traditional Gaelic song and discussing the colonial induced displacement of indigenous culture and practices, Dónall ultimately encourages the audience to consider our own inner selves--aspects of ourselves that we fail to celebrate and hide from the rest of the world. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community.
Dónall Ó Héalaí is an Irish actor and the founder of Celtic Consciousness, an initiative that aims to share the insights and beauty of the Gaelic language with a wider audience and use ancient Irish stories and songs as a medium for self-reflection. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx

[@LWWM]

I'm from Kenya. I am of the Gikuyu people. My forefathers fought to the death so that I may maintain my identity and I am so grateful and humbled by their sacrifice for me to be who I really am.

[@emmetor]

I know some Kikuyu people living in Ireland, very kind, but very industrious and independent people with a very strong culture. The pride of Kenya!

[@Mendelmandela]

@@emmetor not the pride of kenya, the curse of Kenya

[@Investigate_Mermaids]

@@Mendelmandela why?

[@Fortyball]

@@Mendelmandela Ah here now man, be kind.

[@Fortyball]

Ardbean

[@sarah-hz2ws]

Being from Northern Ireland I’m sad I never got the opportunity to learn the language in school because of politics … I’m trying to learn it now…it’s beautiful

[@katinss9983]

It's so sad to think , Wales and Scotland learn their gaelic language at school but the people of Northern Ireland were denied, and why? To continue to suppress the Irish Indigenous People of northern Ireland.

[@DomhnallOSuileabhainPrin-tm1fw]

I hope the day will soon arrive when protestants will no longer think that they are more connected to Nigel in Kent than Sean in Donegal.

[@katinss9983]

@@DomhnallOSuileabhainPrin-tm1fw Sean in Donegal doesn't understand why they are still celebrating the 4th of July in Rossnowlagh.

[@hazerdxhd4373]

@@liamb5546 Me too :(

[@zulkiflijamil4033]

@sarah Yes you are right. I too have just started to learn Gaelic. By the way my native language is Bahasa Melayu.

[@tk2300]

When a language disappears, the identity and future of a culture are in jeopardy. Never let Irish disappear.

[@akhoneybee9076]

Never never ❤

[@ricejuice8982]

The biggest problem is that Irish schools teach it for the exam not to speak and the students find it extremely tedious

[@bigyokes4747]

Absolutely, education needs an overhaul. The focus needs to move away from exams, especially in language related subjects. Schools don’t adequately prepare people for life. There needs to be more PE in schools, we’re creating generations of weakly, unhappy bookworms. Weakly in the moral sense too. Only encouraging obedience.

[@AngryKettle]

Absolutely but in defence of teachers if you can learn how to pass an Irish exam without learning that level of passable Irish, the problem was with the exam. It's a systematic problem that isn't easy to fix.

[@ciaranspiddal]

Look at other bilingual areas where the second language isn't widely spoken and they also blame the educational system. Tá neart Gaeilge agamsa ach níl aon deis agam í a labhairt. Níl áiseanna agus níl aon forbairt á dhéanamh ar na ceantair Gaeltachta. There needs to be development in Gaeltacht areas and there needs to be facilities provided where the language is relevant in the community. Non-speakers love to send their children to Gaeltacht areas but are they happy to fund the development of these areas where the language still remains. That is what is needed. Gaeilge exists in the margins at the moment and with no practical policies to make it possible for Gaelgóirí to stay and work and live in their own hometowns the language in its current form is dying out. Look at the Gaeltacht areas you visit- they are not thriving. You might see the biggest problem to be in schools but I assure you the language needs to be made relevant in the community and the communities that do speak Irish need to be supported with jobs and opportunities for the next generation to put roots in their áit dúchais.

[@jamesdonalfaulkner]

@@bigyokes4747 Ta me ar an aon ramh leat/ I could not agree more. If one had the same "acid test" for school leavers in mathematics, geography , chemistry - you name it - the same woeful level would generally be observed. It's not the teachers' fault or even the internal workings of the educational establishment. It is just that the whole system is not fit for purpose. All kids speak their mother tongue when they start school with no formal training at all. Many already speak two or more languages. Non-schooling for that works extraordinarily well.

[@jamesdonalfaulkner]

@@ciaranspiddal Ta an fhirinn agat.

[@adamhaughton561]

The speaker is 100% correct. Tá ár dteanga go hálainn. I'm on a journey as a 33yr old Dublin man to become as fluent in our native language.

[@soulsurfer639]

Iontacht! There are great pop-up gaeltachts in Dublin, loads of fun. Obair mhaith!!! 💚

[@elizabethwallace-donnelly.2356]

Iam on a journey ,from today to learn to speak my beautiful native Irish language at the age of 74 , going on 75 a month from today is mise Eilis De Bhailis ❤😊

[@soulsurfer639]

@@elizabethwallace-donnelly.2356 🙂❤🇮🇪

[@liz-mm9qq]

⁠@@elizabethwallace-donnelly.2356that’s wonderful! Such a beautiful language

[@NiChionnaithB]

Fair play duit.

[@johnjslatteryherbalist]

"Sometimes you have to leave home to come home." so true. Beautiful language...such an immensely rich heritage.

[@michelleflood8220]

John Slattery hence me learning it Ireland is my ancestral homeland so puts me in touch with my roots . I have links to three counties - tiobraid arrain ( Tipperary ) agus an cabhan ( Cavan ) agus contae corcaigh ( cork ) the last is through dads maternal grandmother she’s from there the rest is both parents families though Cavan only my mums maternal grandmother who was an O’Brien they are the Cavan family and there’s some Scots Irish / Ulster Scots amongst that lot plus others in both mum and dads families have either married Scots or those of Scottish heritage so the affinity is strong there ! So I’ve been learning both gaeilge and also gaidhlig the Scottish Gaelic language bit of cymraeg ( welsh ) as I potentially have welsh ancestry as well someone told me to look at the plantation of Munster to explain this possibility as mums maiden name is welsh in origin but my grandfathers family are from lorrha in Tipperary but when I did look it up welsh have been in Ireland since 1582 so it’s quite plausible it is how the Walsh and welsh and other variant surnames came to exist in Ireland ! All of these are beautiful poetic languages that I hope and pray don’t die but given the promotion through RTE , the Gaeltachts the fact it’s taught in schools and given the president Michael Higgins is endorsing and promoting its use I doubt it will any time soon do you ? ! It just needs more promotion in the north and use as a school subject and making it part of the Ni school curriculum and not just as a voluntary part of schooling even if it’s only as a dialectic level it’s something !

[@AB-kc9qv]

@Thicc Boi That's not true at all. Either you've never been to Ireland, or you've just met a couple of assholes over here, as you would in every country.

[@AB-kc9qv]

@Thicc Boi I'm glad I have American friends that prefer living over here

[@MyIreallydontcare]

@Thicc Boi Bellend

[@patrickmcnicholl5927]

Thicc Boi your leader is an orange, shut up

[@sarajundi8946]

Tá grá ollmhór agam don Gaeilge. Níl sí ag mo tuismitheoirí, níl sí ag mo seantuismitheoirí, ach deanfaidh mé cinnte go bheidh mo páistí féin líonta sa teanga.🍀❤️ Translation : I have a huge love for irish. My parents can't speak it, my grandparents can't speak it, but I will make sure that my children will be fluent.

[@tainahollo8567]

[@curtisunit]

Lîonta - filled with the language. Is é sin álainn.

[@Aushul]

💙💛❤

[@Meggobro]

Mé féin freisin!

[@Meggobro]

@@PatAudreyK bualadh bos! Well done! Best of luck an your language learning journey!

[@Investigate_Mermaids]

This man has singlehandedly convinced me to learn Irish

[@jamburga321]

Cool and how good are you on it?

[@Investigate_Mermaids]

@@jamburga321 Absolutely shite :)

[@jamburga321]

@@Investigate_Mermaids Are you joking?

[@Investigate_Mermaids]

@@jamburga321 No. My pronunciation is terrible lol

[@jamburga321]

@@Investigate_Mermaids you will get better at it though

[@adamender9092]

I remember I was in Drogheda when I was around 10 and the shopkeeper asked me a question, "Ar mhaith leat mála?" And I couldn't understand him, he said it in English "Would you like a bag?" And I felt ashamed I couldn't speak Irish from that day on, that man changed my attitude towards it and now I can happily say Tá Gaeilig agam (I can speak Irish) :)

[@chickhicks6208]

I live in Drogheda, do you remember what shop it was :)

[@ptskater]

I'm from Portugal, and despite my language being so different, ever since i heard Irish i felt a strong bond and connection as if in a past life i knew how to speak this language... It's a strange but warm feeling. Peace from Portugal!

[@EdinSaonensis1]

Amen brathar. Cheers by an Italian lad who lives in Scotland and feels the same thing with Scotland and Gahilig.

[@realitywins9020]

The Portuguese are related to the Celts. Gaelic legends claim that the Scots and Irish migrated from Galicia in NW Spain in ancient times! The Lusitanian language of ancient Pre-Roman Portugal seems to have been related to Celtic languages like Irish. I've read that even today, many Portuguese words are derived from Celtic and are similar to words in Irish!

[@realitywins9020]

@@EdinSaonensis1 I'm half Scottish and half Maltese! You know, Gaelic and Italian are distantly related and have some similar words such as òr for gold, muir/mara for sea, and so on. Northern Italy was Celtic in ancient times, and Latin and Celtic were related

[@e_8842]

Irish people share similar Basque DNA with people in Spain/Portugal

[@ModderRhu87]

as a native english speaker, portuguese and irish sound sort of similar to me!

[@hamedmohamed8594]

Dia dhuit! From Egypt

[@thisguy976]

Hamed Mohamed ce chaoi bhfuil tu? From Benin.

[@hamedmohamed8594]

@@thisguy976 i'm fine, go raibh maith agat! What about you!?, wow Benin! I'm from Alexandria

[@adaptablesmile9201]

An mhaith mo chara, an bhfuil tú ag foghlaim Gaeilge?

[@user-hm8wf2jf1h]

Hamed Mohamed 👏👏👏✌️❤️

[@user-hm8wf2jf1h]

Hamed Mohamed go h-an mhaith Hamed, Conan atá tú?

[@norahlally3457]

My grandparents were from Cork and Limerick, then came to the Bronx in the 1940s. I grew up in NY in the 1970s & 80s listening to my grandmother's lovely accent, but I never knew much about the Irish language (although my grandfather from Cork did speak it as a child). Now my daughter and I are taking an Irish language class at the Celtic Arts Center in Los Angeles. To hear people speaking Irish is such a beautiful sound to my ears. I loved this Ted Talk and the precious song Donall sang at the end. Thank you.

[@ctmjr2012]

Beautiful song!

[@liamdoes8580]

Norah Lally how dear is an Irish language course in America I can't imagine it being cheap since its so obscure

[@Ciaradexy]

@@chloemilton7367 Gaelic isn't a language.

[@colinobrien7784]

My ancestry also traces to County Cork and Limerick! How cool! O'Brien here, pleasure to make your acquaintance

[@emmacbarry1236]

Hey Norah! So nice to read your comment. I'm from Cork! Do you know where in Cork your grandparents were from?

[@petercurrin8413]

What a regal, beautiful Irishman, gentle and enchanting.

[@katinss9983]

I was thinking the same thing.

[@gigigigi1159]

Please save this amazingly beautiful magical language

[@aoifek9709]

The Irish for jellyfish is smugairle róin which means seal snot lol

[@mairead354]

Close - it's smugairle róin 😊 It means seal's spit, not snot.

[@ruth540]

I swore it was spit :/

[@garethdavies7488]

@@mairead354 mhaith thú, is ceart

[@aoifek9709]

Andre Knowledge357 and you're just an Asian with slightly different features. Your claim can be made about anything and anyone lol. Ireland is full of deep rooted heritage and history, rich culture, language and landscape and we are most certainly not "just" anything.

[@emantsal7354]

@Andre Knowledge357 Hebrew was a completely extinct language, but is now the spoken by almost the entirety of israel. This could happen here too, even ignoring the fact that there are still areas where it is the primary language. This aside have you ever been here, or do you have any evidence to prove in the slightest that we are the same as Wales, England or Scotland, (the UK being a political construct)

[@khaleesibell]

This video touched deeply my heart. To Know that Irish Gaelic is endangered really hurts me... I'm Brazilian, but I've been in love with Irish Gaelic since the first time I heard it in a CD with Irish folk songs bought by my mom when I was 13 year old... now I'm 23 and still hope to be able to learn this beautiful language one day❤️

[@darlenearciga7888]

I am Mexican, yet even as a young girl I have always been strangely drawn to Ireland🇮🇪💚. I used to sit and watch Celtic Women on PBS just soaking in the beautiful songs. I fell in love with Danny Boy as a little girl, that song just touched my soul in such a way. and just recently read the lyrics of it playing it as a lullaby for my 9 mo old son and was even more in love with its story. It is such a beautiful song… I play Celtic lullabies to my baby and we both fall asleep so peacefully. If I ever had the opportunity to visit any place of my choice it would be Ireland in a heartbeat. I don’t know, but I have a sense I have some Irish in me. I could never explain this strange pull to Ireland but it’s there and hasn’t left. Recently bought myself a Claddagh ring for myself and my husband Bc of what they represent. Love, loyalty, and friendship. And now this awesome video has me wanting to learn Gaelic, another added love of Ireland in my book! That language is so unique and just poetry spilled. “God’s little cow” ☺️ Thank you for this Ted talk 💚

[@alisonuibhroin3109]

You must do a dna test to see if you any celtic dna, some Irish would have ended up in Mexico through slavery. A lot ended up in the Caribbean & parts of South America.

[@hai6089]

Are you serious? I am the same way, I am Mexican. I was so drawn it was the first country besides Mexico I went to. It’s like a magnet to me.

[@garlandthompson5970]

Irish also we're allowed to come to America on the condition that they fight against the Mexican government. As it was the Irish abandoned their obligations to fight the Mexican people and turned out that they became the first Europeans to fight with the Mexican people against America and joined their people instead

[@prof.reuniclus21]

New Mexican here! And same lol.

[@declanmurphy8957]

In Dublin we don't say " I love you", instead we say "Your aul wons a geebag" and I think that's beautiful.

[@fionagallagher1084]

declan murphy haha brilliant.. And yer da's a poxy bollix 😁

[@thetwoboyos8366]

Oh brought a tear to me eye... And a pain to me side... stitches🐙

[@aaronrowe4735]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@liberalirishman1425]

Up yizers gickers yis cunts yis... Gets me everytime.

[@retardedamericans1]

Dublin muppet

[@iberius9937]

This style of acapella singing he does is called SEAN NOS. It brings a tear to one's eye.....the celtic melody and singing from the soul.

[@StonesAndSand]

If there ever were a soul who had a firm grasp on language, and the art of telling a story, it would definitely be this gentleman. I am in awe.

[@dmtdisco3467]

Ladybug word in Russian translates "God's little cow" too. Indoeuropean..

Russian has a concept of broad/slender consonants just like Irish. As a result I think Russians actually find it easier to learn Irish then most English speakers would. I was listening to a Russian speaker on RnaG, he basically said learning "Munster Irish" was the easiest as the phonetics were the most like Russian.

[@gursur15]

I thought I'm the only one who noticed it. I was kinda shocked

[@popkinbobkin]

It translates EXACTLY the same. That’s really striking, wasn’t expecting that at all.

[@ruremerjerpullche2150]

+Artemij Brem in German it's usually (our Lady) Mary's bug, but in my dialect it's "our lord god's little animal"

[@mouija1450]

The same in Polish. biedronka.

[@zlaire1]

I'm French and learning Irish really gives me another way to look at the world, there is so much beauty in it and fun also, I understand now that loosing a language means loosing an access to a different way of living and thinking this world. I hope on day I'll be able to translate it beautifully... The song was stunning, thank you.

[@Charlz1980tv]

Every language is a world in its own.

[@ailfimacneacail8855]

Tapadh leibh, from your brothers in Scotland. Alba agus Eire gu Bràth 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 🇨🇮

[@precision2190]

Personally I think it’s really cool how we have such similar languages. The only real difference between Irish and Scots Gaelic is the little stroke above the vowels. In Ireland we call them fadas, what do ye call them in Scotland?

[@emmetor]

Go raibh maith agat! Alba go bráth!

[@geroutathat]

@@precision2190 There are way more differences.

[@precision2190]

@@geroutathat not really

[@dcaimbeul8306]

@@precision2190 fadachadh

[@kelsiecakes100]

I went to an all Irish primary and secondary school here in Dublin. I learned a lot but the language was pushed on us so harshly that if we spoke English we would get suspended. Myself and most of the kids were embarrassed to speak Irish and we had a very negative view of it. The way it was thought to us was confusing. We didn't learn the history of the language, its origins or anything fun, we learned mostly words, grammar and how to pass our exams. Even though I spent 12 or 13 years speaking Irish I still can't say that I'm fluent because I'm really not and it's quite sad. I'm diving back in a reclaiming it with pride and joy. Wonderful video.

[@LilyGazou]

That’s interesting, how the method was not helpful. I went to a class in NY for six months and seemed to learn mostly that it would be forever beyond me. After studying Navajo for a year, I think I’m ready to try Irish again. It’s sad that my grandparents didn’t pas on the language to us.

[@kevincastro6673]

"When a language dies the divine things, stars, sun and moon; the human things, thinking and feeling, are no longer reflected in that mirror. When a language dies all that there is in the world, seas and rivers, animals and plants, are not thought of, nor pronounced with traces and sounds that no longer exist. When a language dies it then closes to all the peoples of the world a window, a door, a different way of looking out at how much on earth is being and life. When a language dies, its words of love, intonations of pain and wanting, maybe old songs, tales, speeches, prayers, no one whatsoever will get to repeat. When a language dies, already many have died and many can die. Mirrors forever broken, shadows of voices forever silenced: humanity impoverishes itself." -Miguel Leon Portilla It's worth noting that this poem was originally written in Nahuatl.

[@yarahissen9444]

iam egyption and i adore the irish people and their lovely culture

[@riverdonoghue9992]

Irish is my soul's language. Love it

[@helenrogers1400]

“Sometimes you have to leave home to come home.” How very true. Thank you. 💚☘️🇮🇪

[@thebomb78]

God Bless Ireland and The Irish 🇮🇪

[@OSTARAEB4]

He very eloquently delivers the beauty of a language of the soul of the Irish people dealing with the horrors of colonialism.

[@Katiedora122]

I'm currently trying to learn Irish as a 33 year-old whose family has been in America for a good few generations, so this is a lovely video for the algorithm to present me.

[@Ogma3bandcamp]

Yorkshireman with Irish blood and Irish son here, 30 year resident, also still learning the beautiful tongue.

[@billycaspersghost7528]

The language will not die out but it certainly needs nurturing in the right way. Looking at the comments they seem to vary between "compulsory irish" and "It was dreary at school". THe worst thing you can do in teaching a language is to hammer it into kids against any will or interest. Later people realise it`s value and regret they did not try harder. A basic appreciation of the language,history and culture would work but do not hang the weight of a National cause on very young shoulders.THey will resent it and look on it as onerous and a chore when it should a source of pride and acheivment.

[@mesofius]

It needs to be made mandatory for some official purpose, all countries protect their languages this way, except for Ireland

[@ricejuice8982]

@@mesofius cause it's not fun to be forced to learn

[@mesofius]

@@ricejuice8982 that's a pathetic excuse, lol. Boy did the English do a number on you!

[@ricejuice8982]

@@mesofius well as I live in a poor town and attend a school with a low budget the teachers don't exactly try very hard to make us want to learn it

[@ricejuice8982]

It's not a pathetic excuse it's exactly why Irish is failing nothing more nothing less

[@broncalnan5586]

Sometimes when I serve welsh speakers in work, its nice to speak back to them in my Native Tongue🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 I love speaking the language its a big part of who I am especially durinv rugby season 🌻

[@precision2190]

Not gonna lie I don’t know how the English haven’t completely knocked the welsh language out yet. We got it a lot worse off here where the English made our language illegal to speak

[@danieldeburgh8437]

@@precision2190 Welsh was restricted too.

[@basketballfan5763]

Well I wasn't expecting that... Absolutely loved the singing🎙️🎹🎸🎚️🎺🎧🎶🎵🎼🎻

[@owengordon8165]

I live in Birmingham both sides of grandparents are Irish my dads dad is the only Irish speaking man in the family I feel strongly connected to Ireland and have just started my Irish language journey this was eye opening to my own life why I feel so weirdly guided to learn the language

[@underground_man]

Gaelic is an incredible language! My "unclaimed language" is Spanish. My parents divorced and I only saw my father (who is from Puerto Rico) on weekends, and he never taught me. In Spanish classes, they always said my pronunciation was like a native speaker, yet I never really learned to speak Spanish. Though it feels inauthentic, I should learn it someday. I hope that those who speak Gaelic continue to do so from the heart.

[@Ahmed-ob6ec]

Spanish is not the language of Puerto Rico (or anywhere in the Americas for that matter). Spanish is the language of the colonial rulers who oppressed the natives and forced them to speak Spanish instead of their own languages. Your "unclaimed language" is Taino. Spanish to Puerto Rico is what English is to an Irish person.

[@Ciaradexy]

Gaelic isn't a language.

[@shsnecarroll7087]

@@Ciaradexy As someone who is also Irish I share the cringe whenever somebody calls it Gaelic. But come on, the guy is being supportive rather than anything else and I really struggle to see the use in rudely correcting him on something he'd have no reason to know regardless

[@Ahmed-ob6ec]

@@shsnecarroll7087 Well to be fair he didn't even know what his own language was let alone the language of a different ethnic group.

[@krissee6961]

Underground Man I learnt only a little from my grandmother but when I did classes, straight away the teacher, Scots Gaelic was his first language, said my pronunciation was perfect. Sometimes we take in more than we realise as children. The languages of our souls..💗

[@1papester]

I'm learning a few words in Irish but I'm from the US. If I lived in Ireland, I'd learn more than just a few words. Embrace your heritage. It's beautiful.

[@george-n-com]

The importance of the message behind this speech cannot be underestimated. Brilliant.

[@mkduffy8804]

Him singing at the end is so haunting and mystical. I watch it all the time now.

[@florafauna5883]

Inspirational speech, especially for me being sardinian, I can relate very much to the fact that our language faces extinction as well, and when I was young I felt a sort of embarrassment when talking my mother tongue with other sardinians that spoke italian instead. I now live in Dublin for the last nine months, and I'm getting to know the irish, and I am falling in love with what I find to be 'The Irish Soul'. Reminds me of my island, Sardinia, and our relationship with Italy. My wish? To be able to speak irish one day.

[@angiem3068]

Gosh, this resonates so strongly. As an American who has been learning Irish for the past 3 years (and majored in Celtic Studies in college), I have experienced *the things Dónall speaks of here as gradual realizations. Only a few weeks ago I told my Irish tutor that I had realized that Irish is more like spoken poetry, or even singing. There is a cadence to it, and a natural propensity for poetic phrasing and imagery - like Mac Tíre (which is what I called my dear old wolf dog, now gone from me these past two years - rip best friend) Coincidentally, one of the first things I did with my teacher, mo mhúinteoir, was to translate an old 17th Century Irish poem BACK into Irish. It is called Táim Sinté ar do Thuama (I am Stretched on Your Grave). I have heard it sung in English but never in Irish. Some here might be happy to hear that I will be recording this translated Irish version next week. This language is a gateway to deep beauty and creativity, as I have experienced first hand. Even though no one around me speaks Irish, every day I hear it singing and feel it growing inside of my heart, mo chroí, like an glowing, emerald ember.(*It is also important that the wise person in Dónall's story is Oghma - who is the Celtic God/dess of wisdom. Irish stories are always full of such gorgeous embellishment.)

[@rahenyman]

It would indeed be the death of beauty. Irish is so beautiful and so poetic and descriptive. There is not more expressive language in the world

[@christopheriwanowski4630]

Most sensitive TED talk ever. Beautifully executed. Well done!

[@MrRiccardo1965]

my mother was from Monaghan , i'm Italian/Irish , I go to Ireland often for vacation , such a great country , so beauty , nice and unique people , one day I wish to spent the rest of my life in donegal

[@wellrideuponanomnibus2536]

What a language, what a country, what a spirit 💘💘💘 I think that the Irish as a people have something which most of other folks don't have , something very profound towards their land ☘☘☘🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪

[@user-yu2ok8ek9u]

Mo choil thu, go n-eiri leat. My keyboard and predictive text won't do the Irish but thank you for this. You give me hope and courage that Gaelige is not dead, and that seibhreas na teanga will survive

[@dmtdisco3467]

Irish language is the most beautifull sounding in the world to me. Surpasing Frensh and Arabic. Its great that original phonology got preserved.

[@eananrahy4725]

Dmt Disco i know this comment is old haha, so excuse me for saying ; but i think it has a different type of beauty. at least to me, french and arabic are very sophisticated and almost aristocratic sounding languages. while gaeilge has always been reminiscent of a very wild and very warm sounding language. just a different beauty like

[@jennah7724]

Dmt Disco maybe all languages are beautiful

[@iberius9937]

I am actually in the process of learning all three and I love them all.

[@regandonohue3899]

@@eananrahy4725 Aye I actually get that. Irish has a very is appealing in a very folk way, much like its people.

[@jamesestrella5911]

Not quite. But close enough

[@fergalhughes165]

Sounds like he had a fairly normal and normalised teenagehood. My sons are doing second-level through Irish and when school's done, the last thing they want to hear for the rest of the day is Irish; the marvel heroes don't speak Irish, popstars don't sing in Irish. But I'm sure it'll all come full circle as it always does .. in a couple of decades, they too will wish they could speak the language of their ancestors better.

[@Vaa0162]

Dia dhuit, conas tá tú? I am an Indonesian, I grew up in my mother tongue of Javanese language, but we have national language called Bahasa Indonesia. Feel so weird to speak Javanese but I am proud of it. Sending frindship hug from Indonesia

[@karenramstedt4614]

This is one very beautiful man. Thank you for your talk 💝. I have Irish ancestry from my Mother's sad and enjoy learning more about Ireland and Irish people.

[@mariahrock3335]

This was actually the best TED talk I have ever watched. Finding it by my own questions and inquiries, just makes the mystery that much greater ❤️

[@bleumarin1968]

the Irish accent is so beautiful !

[@solytix1854]

Yeah, I love the Irish accents too ;-)

[@cmac7562]

Shaw you could swim in it (-;

[@johnkelly1787]

Which one,? Lol, we have at least 15 different regional accents, slainte, Agus NA H Eireann go DEO.

[@bleumarin1968]

well, i don't know all of them, so it's hard for me to say, but having lived for a wee while in Ireland and having met people from different areas, i think i love them all !

[@thebomb78]

Thank you 😊

[@meganhasreturnedtorome4971]

"I have never heard grief sound so beautiful" is the exact relationship I have had with seán-nós singing and learning the Irish language. Go raibh maith agat.

[@ptheorist4670]

"A comfortable space to sit down while your soul catches up" a truly wonderful message. I've started learning Irish on Duolingo, and even though it won't be as close as living in Ireland and communicating as Gaeilge every day, I still feel happy I get to have the chance to learn what little I can. I hope more people celebrate this beautiful language in the future. Go raibh maith agat!

[@supermarkmoo]

Is duolingo good? I want to learn irish myself and I'm struggling to find any language grinds tutors nearby where I live would you recommend it at all?

[@iMacxXuserXx485]

I was never prouder of my culture in America until I lived in Paris. In NYC you want to be special by having a cool ethnic background, so it was cool that I was Filipino. When I went to France, though, I realized my childhood was unique in the world, growing up with superbowl parties, family football games, NY pizza, bowling alley birthday parties. I took it for granted, but it was special among other cultures.

[@dennisrowan1704]

Beautiful speech. Celtic consciousness...Brilliantly articulating the need for indigenous cultures to prevail against the continuing destructive forces of colonialism.

[@Ruairoquai]

Dennis R Colonialism isn't a thing anymore bro

[@realitywins9020]

@@Ruairoquai agreed. Globalism is the threat now!

[@craigriley6263]

@@Ruairoquai the effects of colonialism still affect the present day

[@adamgillespie3393]

@@realitywins9020 globalism is a good thing bro

[@mjc01]

@@adamgillespie3393 Globalism on whose terms? To whose benefit?

[@callummackay4282]

I hope Scotland never loses Gaelic either.

[@TampaZeke]

Hear, hear!

[@thenextshenanigantownandth4393]

Scottish Gaidhlig seems to be doing better than irish Gaelic atm. Honestly Irish and scottish will inevitably go extinct but not lost. Just look at Latin for example.

[@michelleflood8220]

Callum MacKay hopefully not with bbc Alba using it and recent education reforms providing access to resources and staff to students wishing to learn it and the Gaeltachts should help to .

[@realitywins9020]

Suas leis a' Gaidhlig agus a' Gaeilge!

[@jimmckay2337]

Agreed

[@barbara1904]

The trouble with Irish is, the Irish are English speakers who teach Irish to their children in school. But they don’t teach it in the same way we teach a foreign language. They teach it as though it’s not a new language, as though you should know it. They don’t concentrate on the spoken language and then work on the spelling. And to make matters worse there are different dialects, so your different teachers over the years could be teaching whatever dialect they know instead of the dialect of the area you live in.

[@cigh7445]

And the teachers often don't leave university with the right phonetics. So the language taught to the people sounds like English with funny words instead of anything like the native language or it's dialects which have a completely different phonetic system and set of phonemes (sounds) to English

[@bens6n168]

We should have Irish as our first language and then a choice of a modern foreign language for education

[@jamesdonalfaulkner]

Of course all languages have different dialects...

[@geroutathat]

There is also no standard pronounciation. Although there is a standard writing, spelling etc. When it comes to pronounciation you can do whatever you want. They are afraid to pick sides in the dialects so just step back. And yes this means leinster people end up with a jumble of words. Maybe raibh as rev, maybe as row, its a mess. They should just bite the bullet and come out with a broad with broad, slender with slender strict pronounciation guide.

[@jamesdonalfaulkner]

@@geroutathat Very similar in UK English actually.

[@imperatorscotorum6334]

Tír gan teanga, tír gan anam.

[@tommykennedy4329]

tír gan teanga,tír gan teanga

[@alexconnolly459]

Aontaíom go mór

[@imperatorscotorum6334]

Cathal O Neill no, anam (soul)

[@shanemcnaoimhin233]

@@imperatorscotorum6334 always a gombeen who can spell the best

[@michelleflood8220]

The Ó'Maolalaidh I know what that means and totally agree with the sentiment . Doesn’t this mean a country without a language is a country without a soul

[@gardenerkatecarter5911]

Good looking men and that romantic accent have always been able to find a prosperous pathway in America,they are our ancestors! Love this guy!

[@anniedavis4569]

You speak so beautifully and yes Irish ☘️ language is beautiful. I’m from Donegal and I always went to the Gaeltacht to practice my Irish ☘️ in Gweedore Carraroe and Ballyferriter. The craic was mighty at the ceiles. Slan agus beannacht anois

[@catherinelavernedickinson3620]

I am so very proud of my Irish heritage. My mother was a Fitzgerald. The Irish language is so very musical and beautiful! I wish so much I could talk in the Irish Tongue!! It was enjoyable watching this young man speak.

[@Southpaw128]

As beautiful as the civilizations that span Europe are, very few indigenous cultures remain on the continent that stress the spiritual connection to the earth like the Gaelic speaking Irish. To hear this language spoken is like a window to the heart. So many of us have colonized hearts. A distaste for our past, a disconnect to our ancestors and from the land they lived in harmony with. Being born and raised in New York with split ancestry between all my grandparents, one of which came from Cork, hearing the language spoken and sang gives me a feeling of connection to my ancestors even if I’ll never know their names or hear their stories. I intend to do the same with my other ancestral cultures while honoring and treasuring indigenous cultures around the world that are threatened by “progress” and globalization. Thanks for sharing your language and culture!

[@GerryBolger]

The Irish for whiskey is "uisce beatha" or "blessed water" in English.

[@CatholicWeeb]

Why do you think the Irish drink it?

[@BeefGeneral]

the word whiskey itself is a corruption of the word uisce

[@gerryjtierney]

"water of life". Maybe don't go to Google Translate next time.

[@Dabhach1]

@@gerryjtierney Maybe respond without reference to the Encyclopedia of Sarcasm next time.

[@gerryjtierney]

@@Dabhach1 Cringe-tier simping

[@karangurtu]

Greetings from India! Been a few days since I started my Gaeilge learning course, shall also give Gaidhlig a try and understand the distinction. Best wishes to my Celtic friends and to the future of their wonderful Celtic fairyland. Erin go Bragh!

[@bobsmith5441]

Wow I'm impressed

[@bensy1704]

I'm trying to learn Gaeilge And i come here anytime i need help with motivation and it never fails to help

[@richarddunne9802]

I learned Irish for 13 years in school, passed the exam and can now barely remember a few sentences. I don't know why that is. I can remember so much more of the German I learned in school, probably because I visited there once or twice and was excited to use it. Somehow Irish seems to exist only in schools, road signs and a few specific areas in the West, where it's a living language. I've been to Wales many times and have heard so many people speaking the language, even on the streets of Cardiff. Wherever they're doing to keep their language alive, we need to do the same.

[@MarleneSTaylor]

"Sometimes you have to leave home to come home" for me that statement was so true. However, after traveling so much and not feeling anywhere but where I lay my head was home, it was in Ireland, being mistaken openly as full blooded local Irish, finding my Irish family, and being welcomed back at any point in the future ... I swore to my soul to return to Ireland, being fully able to speak my Irish, and to keep my soul happy by staying, living on, and dying in Ireland. America has left my family with so much space to move around, between and rarely seeing us having settled all over (the north, the west, the east, and the south) so much mistranslated between, and so far apart, that I only feel like if my soul ends in Ireland will everything be good again.

[@margaretnesbeth593]

I must get back to learning my native language again, thank you for your amazing lecture,

[@knotyboy11]

"Thanks for Gracing the World with your words" ......

[@vanfernandes292]

I'm crying and i'm brazilian! Beautiful speech!

[@slhurtt]

So very soulful in the telling. Rarely heard gaelic spoken or even sung, and yet it is my ancestors language. How rich it is. Grateful to you for the lesson.

[@LearnIrish]

S. Truth it is a beautiful tongue 😊

[@OSTARAEB4]

We cry, and we smile young fellow man.

[@Ciaradexy]

Gaelic isnt a language.

[@trabo1783]

ciara murphy Well Gailic Irish is obviously implied. Blame the scots for speaking “Gaelic Scottish” instead of Scottish, hahaha

[@karimasota2992]

He’s speaking Irish not Gaelic

[@Alagueesia]

Currently learning Gaelic for the sake of my own pleasure and interest in Irish culture, thank you.

[@carola-lifeinparis]

the language is called Irish, not Gaelic :)

[@Alagueesia]

@@carola-lifeinparis "Irish (Gaeilge in Standard Irish), sometimes referred to as Gaelic". I can see it's a misuse to say only "gaelic", but it can work as long as I put "Irish" before, right ? Or do we say only "Irish" and not "Irish gaelic" anymore ?

[@janejohnstone5795]

It's an ancient language, goes back thousands of years...please keep it going....be proud of it,...more.

[@kathleensmith8365]

Beautiful. It was just a few years ago through my DNA of the maternal line we finally found my maternal great grandmother was from Connemara. From my mother I grew up with my great grandmother's love, Irish religion, recipes and sayings even though she died when my mother was 10 yrs old. Ellen Folan of Connemara is loved even though I never met her.

[@radharcanna]

There now needs to be a campaign to encourage Irish-speakers in the Gaeltacht not to abandon the language. Many people are now raising their children as English-speakers, due to a post-colonial shame about their own language. It’s ironic that the Irish is so popular with urban learners and people from outside the country while the well-spring of the language is fast disappearing.

[@teaganreads]

After watching this i am definitely learning irish now. Almost all my ancestors are from Ireland so i hope i can go there one day and learn more of my family history❤️. Thank you for the video.

[@june049]

Beautiful Song. Very reminiscent of the sound old gospel music.

[@ldawn1540]

So beautiful a language... you can hear it blend east & west. This is why we can't lose this language! It is a page torn out of our history, if done. God Bless everyone.

[@privateperson8289]

Soothing voice, this man should read audiobooks

[@jessejames1424]

Well I smiled, I cried...And I understood! Gaelic is such a beautiful language, it would be the world's loss if we ever let it fade away!!!! One of my favorite Ted Talks by far!! Loved every minute of it, and even every tear it caused.. Don't let this language die out!!!

[@ivtch51]

Beautiful Dónall. When your voice wavered I knew you meant it with all your heart.

[@rahenyman]

It is one of the most beautiful languages in the world. Living abroad for over 30 years and I have never fallen out of love with my own language Irish or Gaeilge as we call it. Is deas an teanga an Gaeilge. It was be extremely sad to see it disappear. The method for teaching it needs to change. It must not die, it would be a very sad thing. Listening to you speaking Irish makes me feel proud and it is nice to hear a really native explaining it.

[@Ukitsu2]

Charlemagne, about 1300 years ago, used to say something like "Learning a new language is like having another head/mind". I was born in Argentina and my ancestors were French, Irish, Spanish and Italian. I speak Spanish/Castilian, English and French, I can also understand Italian most of the time. I'm missing Irish, but I'd like to have a bit of that fifth head someday.

[@ahmethikmet8213]

Very good bro

[@Elocinization]

That last question he ended with hit me harder than I thought it would. I've been learning Spanish off and on all my life, and it's a part of my heritage, but it just always seemed so boring and uninteresting compared to the other languages I want to learn. I'm still not fluent in it. I've never thought of it as something I really wanted to claim or celebrate, but for the first time, I'm starting to wonder what I'm missing out on.

[@logos513]

I grew up in Wales and been living in Oz for 20 yrs! I fully relate to this mans talk! well said...and sung!

[@threeicys]

Why does my heart swell and yearn when I hear this song?

[@Eochaidh32]

Go raibh mile maith agat, a Dhonall. I am a 64 year old, first generation Irish American, who, by the time I was a child, my family only had pleasantries and directives in Irish. Luckily, I spent time on the Dingle Peninsula with my friend's uncle, Tomas O'Cinneide, who was a wonderful speaker of Munster Irish. Donall, may you succeed in every way. Le gah dea-ghui, Meidhligh MacEochadha O'Dochartaigh

[@coffeerevival7812]

I’m 89% African decent and 5% Irish. I’m so interested and n learning about Irish/Celtic Culture. Its so fascinating to me. This TedTalk is AMAZING in sharing the culture.

[@mlblja]

I don't understand Irish. I felt that song deep in my soul and my eyes welled up at the beauty and sorrow conveyed in the harmony.

[@Euphoristikum]

I like TED talks and Ireland. But never could I have imagined that one of the best TED talks would be about the Irish language. Go raibh maith agat, this was great!

[@randallgrubbs9286]

Irish (Gaelic) makes my soul weep.

[@folksurvival]

Gaelic is Scottish.

[@oog2370]

Gaeilge

[@randallgrubbs9286]

I say that as an American trying to learn Irish. It's so beautiful

[@oog2370]

@@randallgrubbs9286 fair play

[@fergalhughes165]

@@folksurvival There's Irish Gaelic and Scottish Gaelic ... it's all down to the fact the Celtic language of these isles broke into two, Gaelic and Brythonic. 3 surviving languages are Gaelic (Irish, Scottish and Manx) and 3 are Brythonic (Welsh, Cornish and Breton).

[@brienmaybe.4415]

I want to go home now.

[@pennyadair8732]

You gave me chills, I wasn't ready for the song to end.❤

[@katherinemorelle7115]

“I had never hear grief be so beautiful” There’s a song, Crucan na bPaiste, which is a lament from a mother about the death of her daughter, laid to rest in a children’s cemetery (during the time of the potato blight, I believe). It too, is a beautiful grief. I can’t sing it, for I cry every time I try.

[@dgor79]

It is curious that Ladybug translates from Irish as "The God's little cow" and the same is in Russian language! "Божья коровка" translates the same way! Wonderful coincidence :)

[@GordonGarvey]

It's possible that's from indo European and they're the only two languages that kept that name.

[@alexanderschestag3247]

WOW! Your singing made me cry! This and the message of your talk was really beautiful!

[@essuede]

damn. as having half korean and half irish heritage. really makes me want to discover my roots.

[@dukiemac]

Shane McGuire do it brother, you won’t regret it.

[@earthenergyevolutions1175]

Do it!!!!

[@CRH-391]

This is kind of late but both languages are really beautiful

[@Sarah-cd1mj]

Never to late to go home

[@englishteacherguarulhos6870]

Gosh!! Good luck!

[@michaelcaza6766]

Brought tears to my eyes I’m a Canadian and have Scottish and Irish roots.