Irish accent

[Dready]

I find it so hard to understand Irish English. Irishmen speak so fast and sometimes indistinctly that I struggle to follow them. Is it just me or it's a fact that their speech is a little bit harder to understand? What are you thoughts on that? Thank you.

[bhaisahab]

I find it so hard to understand Irish English. Irishmen speak so fast and sometimes indistinctly that I struggle to follow them. Is it just me or it's a fact that their speech is a little bit harder to understand? What are you thoughts on that? Thank you.

There isn't a universal Irish accent. People from the west, east, south and north have different accents. They are no more difficult to understand than English speakers from other regions, parts of Scotland, England and Wales, for example.

[Dready]

Well, I can understand the British quite well, but when it comes to Irishmen, for example, from Dublin, something comes in the way of comprehending. What might that be? For instance, the other day I watched an interview with an Irish band Jetward and I had to play some parts over and over to make clear what they were saying.

[5jj]

Well, I can understand the British quite well, but when it comes to Irishmen, for example, from Dublin, something comes in the way of comprehending. What might that be?

Accent, intonation, vocabulary and speed of delivery can all make some dialects dificult to understand, even for native speakers of other dialects of English. You say that you understand the British quite well. Have you ever heard people from Glasow or North-East England? I find these two dialects difficult.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zwx0-oewjsM

[Dready]

Accent, intonation, vocabulary and speed of delivery can all make some dialects dificult to understand, even for native speakers of other dialects of English. You say that you understand the British quite well. Have you ever heard people from Glasow or North-East England? I find these two dialects difficult.

YouTube - ‪Funny Geordie Monologue by Gary Hogg‬‏

Well, at the beginning it didn't sound like English at all for me, but then as I went on, I was able to make out some familiar words. What a lovely accent I must say.
It always sort of amazed me how many there are English accents in the world. It's hard for me to comprehend it, because the Russian language is pretty much the same everywhere. Though there are still differences from region to region. But not as in English.

[konungursvia]

I find the Irish easy to understand.

[bhaisahab]

I find the Irish easy to understand.

So do I, but my French wife still finds the west of Ireland accent difficult; even though we lived there for twelve years.

[konungursvia]

Maybe it's the strong Gaelic accent we find out there (I hear the Irish language is still in use where Cromwell feared to tread).

[bhaisahab]

Maybe it's the strong Gaelic accent we find out there (I hear the Irish language is still in use where Cromwell feared to tread).

Yes, we lived in the Gaelteacht (Irish speaking area). We both took classes and learned to speak Irish (enough to have simple conversations with our neighbours and local shopkeepers). Almost everybody speaks English as well as Irish, although there may be some old people in remote areas who speak very little English.

[konungursvia]

Yes, we lived in the Gaeleacht (Irish speaking area). We both took classes and learned to speak Irish (enough to have simple conversations with our neighbours and local shopkeepers). Almost everybody speaks English as well as Irish, although there may be some old people in remote areas who speak very little English.

That's good to hear, from a philological standpoint. I hope the Irish make use of some inspiration from the Israelis and are able to revive their ancient language, and bring it back into everyday use. It's always a shame for a language to go dead.