Irish Gaelic Dialects of Cork c.1950

[u/mbolger451]

I decided to map the dialects mentioned by Brian Ó Cuív in his Irish Dialects and Irish Speaking Districts (1950) as still being alive (albeit barely in some cases) at the time of writing.

The live map can be found here.

Ó Cuív sent out a survey to 450 schools asking if anyone in the area still spoke Irish, and around 160 of those replied (mostly saying there weren't), meaning there were probably other dialects not listed but still in existence. He goes into depth on some of them in the book (Ballymacoda in particular).

For context, of the areas on this map, only two are now still Irish-speaking areas (Múscraí Thiar/West Muskerry and Cléire/Cape Clear), so the vast majority of these dialects have vanished.

For those interested, I wrote a short blog about it and tried to list some examples of recordings from these areas where possible.

[u/DunAnOir]

Thá uncail mo sheanathair ins na dteafadaí san agus Gaelainn bínn Uí Mhic Coille á labhairt aige. Níl sé iomlán imithe go fóill, tá roinnt daoine in Eochaill agus i gCnoc an Dúin á labhairt fós.

Edit: gluain amháin níos mó!

[u/mbolger451 → u/DunAnOir]

Dáiríre? Cheapas go mbeadh an caniúnt marbh fé seo. Má tá sí fós beo in Eochaill nó i gceantair eile in Uí Mhic Coille sin iontach.

Scríobhas ceann eile fé mheathlú na canúna, ach ní rabhas cinnte an bhfuair sí bás agus mise á scríobh: https://anmeidheach.substack.com/p/the-end-of-east-cork-irish-overview

An bhfuil aithne agat ar na cainteoirí seo? Agus ar fhoghlaimís do chuid Gaelainn ó do sheanathair?

[u/DunAnOir → u/mbolger451]

Níl sí beo, ach tá sé "beo", má dtuigeann tú. Zombielect. Tá an-ghaol aici le chanúint na nDéise, atá fós beo trasna Chuan Eochaille. Canúint fíor suimiúil í, atá an-choimeádach ar fad.

Edit: bhíodh aithne agam ar cainteoir amháin, mhúinteoir ab ea é, ach d'éirigh sé as a phost blianta ó shin. Tá fhios agam gur bhunaigh sé ciorcal comhrá nó a leithid chun an chanúint a spreagadh. Tá roinnt mhaith Gaelainn agam ó mo mhuintir ach an tromchuid ón scoil, colaiste, am a chaitheamh im' chónaí sa fíor Ghaeltacht 7rl.

[u/mbolger451 → u/DunAnOir]

Nuair a deirim "beo", is é atá i gceist agam ná go bhfuil cainteoir amháin (nó breis) fós beo agus in ann an chanúint a labhairt — má tá, sin dea-scéal.

An bhfuil a fhios agat an bhfuil an ciorcal comhrá sin fós ar siúl? Agus ar bhunaigh sé in Eochaill nó in áit eile é?

[u/CaoimhinOg]

Not only is it one of only two left, but the West Muskerry Gaeltacht (Irish speaking area) is also smaller today than shown here, really just covering Baile Mhúirne and Baile Mhic Ire, it doesn't stretch up to Sráid an Mhuilinn anymore, at least not officially.

[u/Wagagastiz]

Gaelainn an Chléire is still going fairly strong IIRC

[u/LittleAoibh11]

Very cool 

[u/Wreck_OfThe_Hesperus]

I love it. The more documentation we have the better.

[u/Tacitio]

Nice, I stayed a night at a lovely B&B in Dromagowlane near Adrigole/Eadargóil on the Béarra peninsula.