The story goes...When my family was over, we spent a lot of time in the South of Ireland. In the South, Irish is technically the first language of the country. While the majority of Irish people would consider English their first and primary language, all of the road sign are bilingual. Pretty much, whenever you pass a road sign you think to yourself (or out loud if you're the Rices) "What? That's the Irish? Really? How would you say that?!?"Seeing all these signs inspired me to learn Irish, because as my brother and I determined, our trip would have been much more fun if we could have read the signs in our Irish accents.
And so that's how it happened. My friend Kevin (yes, the same Kevin that gives Black Cab Tours) agreed to give me lessons for FREE! Awesome. It was my summer project. Paige had left for Boston and the summer was painstakingly slow at the retreat centre, so I had lots of time on my hands. As a result I made really fast progress. Unfortunately, since September things have been busy and my Irish has paid the price. While I haven't been able to practice as much as I would like, even in a few short months I have fallen in love with the language. I even have an entire youtube playlist of traditional songs sung in the Irish language!
What I've discovered is that learning Irish is different than learning most other "popular" languages. I don't mean in the methodology of learning, but rather in the motivation to study the language. People often study languages like French, Spanish, German, even Arabic and Chinese either because they have too or because it will benefit their career or ability to travel. For example I studied German and Latin, not because I wanted too, but because if I had a basic understanding of the languages it would make me a better candidate for the theology programs I was applying to.
Its very different for Irish. You don't need to learn Irish to get around Ireland and, unless you want to be a Sinn Féin politician, there are very few jobs that you'd be required to speak Irish. Yet, there is a huge revival and interest in the Irish language among all ages. In my experience, people don't learn Irish because it's going to get them ahead in life, but out of a love for the Irish culture and a realization that without the native tongue the culture is incomplete.
A language connects its people to its culture in very intimate way. The English translations of Irish are never as lyrical as the actual Irish or even of a more strict translation. That's because Irish is a poetic language and native Irish speakers simple speak in poetry. The best Irish is its stories and prayers. Now, that says something about the culture. And while the Irish may look harsh on the page, it is simply music to the ears.
While I have mostly just taken private lessons, I have spent some time in a few Irish culture centres and I have even gone on an Irish Intensive Weekend Course! Sure, you learn in the class room, but you also learn through stories and songs. One of the West Belfast Irish centres host, what Americans would call, monthly Irish open mic nights. Irish is spoken exclusively and people come from as far as Donegal to sing and recite poetry and stories. And, I will always remember learning the song "Oró Sé do Bheatha 'Bhaile" at my weekend course. One afternoon the head teacher, Seamus, brought everyone into one room (beginners to fluent speakers) and we all learned and sang that song. Seamus believed that people can't just learn the Irish words; the only way to truly master the language is through song.
Even as an American, its been such a joy studying Irish. I enjoyed it so much that I went out to the Gaeltacht for a long weekend just to be in an Irish speaking area! I know that my connection to Ireland has been greatly strengthen because of the time I've spent with the language. I feel that because of my interest in the language I've been able to get a really authentic and intimate experience of Ireland and its people. I hope that I can end up living near an Irish culture center so that I can continue to study the language and experience the culture!
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