Time to dump Irish

I have always hated Irish since those awful school days back in the 1960's and early 1970's when teachers tried to beat it into me, especially in Secondary School where I had a fanatical Irish teacher priest. It was hell.

I find it so ridiculous watching and listening to Sport in particular on TG4 pundits/ co commentators putting in english words particularly " you know" when commenting and repeating the same few Irish phrases multiple times.

It should be scrapped.

make it non-mandatory in second-level or at least structure it so it is more similar to how french etc, are thought, with more of an emphasis on the actual 'language' so-to-speak and less of an emphasis on 'literature' - thats an overly simplistic description but you get what i mean. it makes no sense to me that there is poetry etc takes up such a large amount of the curriculum when id imagine the general understanding of the mechanics of the language are fairly poor

I do think Irish is part of our culture and history.

But it's taught so badly with so little support for students who struggle. I think it's time to put it out if it's misery in schools. It's torture for kids.

I'd be delighted to see it made optional and less of an emphasis put on it. It should be taught more like other languages. Focus more on the fundamentals of how to speak the language rather than assuming everyone is fluent by second level and piling on poetry and prose.

I had an awful experience with Irish at school to the extent that I ended up resenting the language. In the area where I grew up the schools didn't really bother with it too much. In fact, in one year in primary school the teacher only had a couple of Irish lessons with us that entire school year. I then moved to an area where they took it much more seriously and my lack of Irish often brought me into conflict with the teacher. Then in secondary school I had an Irish teacher who spent much of the class just roaring at students, including me. So when I think of Irish now I associate it with authoritarianism and aggression.

Seen a clip recently of that Xiamoi guy who learns a language in a couple of days and goes to the country and speaks to the people.

He landed in Dublin and about all he got was a pog mo thoin and fu(k of back to America.

It needs to start being taught at a conversational level in primary school and then leave it as an optional subject for secondary school.

edit; here's the clip.

If the teachers make no effort its doomed.

I'm 70 and i'm learning Irish at the minute. I think we should keep our language and be proud of it. I struggled with it in school but the beatings then didn't help. I'm over them now and i'm learning it from my grandkids Irish school books and i'm enjoying it but find the tenses and the pronouns fairly difficult.

German is a Germanic language, like English, and you have more of a chance of picking up German if you're an English speaker. Learning Irish will do bugger all for you in that regard.

Where I went to school we had Irish first thing in the morning every xxxking day. I hated it so much that I always volunteered to do the flowers on the altar on our corridor to dodge at least half the class. When I could not find enough wild flowers in the ditches to fill the vases I used to rob the flowers from the graves in the local churchyard to do the job. Not very nice I admit, but saved my sanity!

It'll never be dumped. The government who makes it optional will be driving a sizeable nail in it's coffin and they don't want that on their CV.

Instead they'll hack away at reforming the curriculum. As long as there's literature involved it's going to be painful for students.

Good luck with this agenda OP! Two many sacred cows and vocal vested interests.

As the GAA like to tell us 'It's part of what we are' - Whether you like it or not, so suck it up!

If people want to preserve and encourage a rich part of our heritage and culture why wouldn't they be vested in that? Why is that a bad thing?

Sure they have gotten many things wrong but trying to revive a language that was wiped out by design and neglected doesn't have many handbooks.

I sorta agree.

I think a happy medium would be to at least have a mandatory introduction to it. Say up to Junior Cert, and keep it light and interesting. Try to encourage interest and a regard for it's importance.

Official status is important in this regard but interest groups nshouldn't take this as a way to force it on anyone.

Maybe it's because we have a couple of very active Gael Scoilenna here but I hear Irish being spoken quite a lot here on the Monaghan/Fermanagh border. Big Brazilian pop here too as well as several European ones working the local factories. Quite the mix of languages if you listen out for them.

I can only go on what I see but we have a 10 year old in the house and he'll happily do his maths and English spellings homework but he almost shuts down when it comes to Irish homework. He does it but it's a real chore to get through. I think he likes maths because he can relate a lot of what they learn to his life around him - saving money, sharing things, telling time etc and he can see some benefit. With Irish he sees it as something that has to be filled in and then forgotten about. He's done 1 hour of French a week after school for the last year and I've probably heard him say more French words conversationally then he ever has Irish.

Part of the problem is there's no one in the house that can help him. My wife is English but grew up in France and can speak fluent French, and I haven't spoken Irish since I did my Leaving Cert 33 years ago so I'm usually stumped when he asks me a question, Google Translate to the rescue. Also, his teacher is from Donegal and I know for a fact that some of the words he tells me are pronounced differently to the way I remember learning them.

Why the derogatory 'arr culchur'?

That is very revealing to be honest. I'll never understand why people get their backs up about pride in what is a rich and varied heritage. Fair enough, it doesn't interest you, but why demean those who are.

In broad agreement there Furze, I think one of the mistakes made is the mandatory aspect and it needs addressing.

A knowledge of Irish is a tremendous thing when it comes to music and our literary heritage.

Firstly, I never said the language was banal, I said the reason was.

And the reason is valid: people assume because it's their language that everyone else born in the same MUST feel the same way.

Well let me ask you something: did you ask everyone else? How do you know it's their language? They might feel no connection with it whatsoever. And if it is their language why aren't the learning how to speak it? Why isn't it mandatory, full stop? Even if it is their language, why does it magically stop being so when they leave school?

For that flawed logic, the reason IS banal.

intorduction in primary school and other ideas like outside promotion I'm totally for, but you can't go round arrogantly telling everyone what is and is not their anything.

EDIT - you mention easier exams: how about scrapping exams altogether? Make it enjoyable and less pressurised and people will actually WANT to learn it.