To begin to understand a culture more completely, learning the indigenous language is core. Having a shared language gives a deeper sense of belonging which is absent in the lives of many.
I believe that descendents of immigrants carry with them the ancestral sorrow and often trauma of being uprooted from their native place. Learning ancestral languages restores that sense of belonging and community. At core, belonging is what makes us human and the ability to function within community is likely expressed in our DNA
Táim ag súil le tuilleadh a léamh faoi do thuras Gaeilge
Aontaím leat! Everything you said is completely true. Furthermore, I mentioned in this post how I grew up with a sense of longing for a life I could have had if I had been born and raised somewhere like Ireland instead of in the states. Through learning the language, I feel like I developed such a deep sense of understanding of the culture and I feel like it became easier to imagine what my life could have been like. To learn a language, you learn about how people live through that language. I was able to translate my own experiences growing up in America to what they would have been like in Ireland. And I realized that in all likelihood, I wouldn't have the same appreciation for the culture that I grew to have because I was removed from it. Same goes for the language. I mentioned I never took to languages in school and by the time I was finished with the education system, I had no longing to try and go back and learn what I couldn't have when I was younger. Through this process, I learned how to appreciate my journey exactly as it has been.
It’s also worth noting that there was a heritage project carried out from 1937 – 1938 whereby schoolchildren from 5000 schools in the 26 counties of the Irish Free State were enlisted to collect folklore in their home districts. The children recorded oral history from their parents, grandparents and neighbours on folktales, legends, riddles, proverbs, games, pastimes, trades and crafts. This was called ‘Bailiúchán na Scol’ or the The Schools Collection. Extracted from Dúchas.ie (duchas.ie).
I recently found a written recording by my Grandmother’s sister interviewing her Dad (my Great Grandfather) in Co. Leitrim about picking Dandelions to use as a cure or herbal medicine. It’s great fun. You might have some luck with it. Just enter your ancestor’s names during this era into the search engine under the different tabs and see what comes up.
Key search words: Dúchas – Irish National Folklore Collection – Schools’ Folklore Scheme - The Schools’ Collection. There are four tabs; volumes, schools, stories, transcripts. Search each tab and you might yield some results!
I knew about that project, but I had never thought of seeing if any of my family were involved! Go raibh míle maith agat as an smaointe sin! A few years ago I did look at the old census reports that showed whether or not people had any Irish. Most of my family I have contact with today don't have much Irish beyond a few phrases from school, but it was fun the last time I was over because my cousin's kids were showing me their Irish homework. I would have been happy to help them, but I'm even happier to say they didn't need my help. :) Even though no one in my family currently has much Irish, I think my dad's aunt was an Irish teacher. If not his aunt, she was of some other relation to us.
Hi Briana, having seen your name in Irish I was prompted to dive deeper. I read the words “I am a native English speaker, fluent Irish speaker” in your profile and it sparked a thought in me. “What is my native language?” English is my first language but it is not my native language. Irish is my native language and my heritage but it is my second language and much to my dismay, I don’t work that muscle enough. I tried to read your newsletter in the Irish format agus bhí iontas orm ar an cuid is mó a thuiscint mé (and I was surprised by how much I understood). Like many people in Ireland and particularly those who grew up in the ‘70’s and ‘80’s, I have a love hate relationship with the language. As I get wiser, I am becoming more respectful of this beautiful speak that resonates with nature, is descriptive and very empathetic towards the human condition. Your post which demonstrates the separation of the person from the emotion is so true and Hiberno English has adopted this in several colloquialisms that people use in their everyday conversation. Three words stick out to me from secondary school, “eisimirceach, bochtanas agus dífhostaíocht”, emigration, poverty and unemployment. It was a time of prolonged economic recession in this country and the curriculum felt so heavy! We studied the life of An Blascaod Mór Islander, Peig Sayers born in the late 1800’s and she seemed to forever be “ag olagón” (lamenting) the loss of her children. Funnily I have kept just two books from school, an old copy of Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë and Peig Sayer’s autobiography complete with my handwritten, scribbled notes of explanation. Irish is still compulsory on the Irish school curriculum as my children testify. Considering our history when something is imposed we tend to rebel against it. Sometimes the accent is stronger than the language and it makes it more difficult for me to decipher the words. Hailing from Leinster, I always found the different dialects (Ulster, Connacht, Munster) to be another complexity. Sometimes, understanding the Donegal accent in English is challenge enough!
For many reasons, Irish is a reminder of tough times in history but thankfully ‘a rising tide lifts all boats.’ More than ever, there is a gradual resurgence in the language probably because we are in a place where now, we can see beyond the bad and focus on the good. By my desk I have an Irish/English dictionary, Foclóir and a copy of Molly Nic Céile’s book ‘Gaeilge i mo Chroí’ (Irish in my heart) by Hachette Books Ireland. I also see Molly is on Substack! I find it very soothing to hear Irish spoken on the radio despite understanding just a few words but I usually get the gist or part thereof. It is also helpful having school going children to ignite learned knowledge that’s just below the surface. “Ciúnas, más é do thoil é agus ná bí ag pleidhcíocht/quiet please and stop messing”! So, thank you for fuelling the fire. My interest in rekindling my Irish/Gaeilge will be resumed. I will log back onto Duolingo and continue my three month streak which commenced last January but went to sleep in March. I will read your article again in Irish and make better sense of the words. I think it would be great if you added an audio recording to your newsletters in Irish. I will continue to acquire knowledge of all the beautiful descriptive words used for flora and fauna, the seasons, Celtic traditions and rituals. A nod to the ancestors (which by coincidence, some hail from Bailieborough, Co. Cavan!) and a path to improved reciprocity to Mother Nature. It’s a bit like climate action, every little step forward makes a difference. Now that sounds like a personal manifesto. Ar aghaidh liom!
Go raibh míle maith agat, Gwyn! Your comment means a lot to me to read. As I explore in my writing, and hope to expand on in the future, learning Irish as an adult in America really gave me a way to experience it without all of the baggage and negative associations in carries in Ireland. While it may not be my lived experience and I would never claim it to be, I do feel I have a deeper understanding of what others feel in regards to the language and I have so much respect and empathy for anyone who is willing to challenge that and deconstruct all of those feelings around the language. While it may be inherently different, I also brought a lot of my own baggage to the table when it came to learning Irish. My shame, anxiety and self doubt all came from a different place than those in Ireland, but I do hope that by sharing how I was able to overcome those feelings that I can also help other see a path forward as weak.
And you are definitely right! It is a very exciting time for the Irish language! It’s funny you mentioned Molly because we are actually very close friends… and we may or may not have some upcoming content together in a few weeks. 👀
Thank you for the suggestion of including audio! I will definitely consider that as something I may add down the line. And again, go raibh míle maith agat for taking the time to share such a lovely comment and to read my work. It really truly does mean a lot to me that you're joining me on this journey. Agus tá Gaeilge agat! :)
Beautiful, thank you! It's no wonder to me that you had to discover this path outside of schooling. Language, as Rudolf Steiner described it, is a sense and it perceives the spirit as it manifests in culture.
You're a great writer and I wish I had your discipline in learning languages. Similar experience in school with learning languages - vocabulary words and conjugations to pass tests, nothing really sticks, not taught correctly to retain the information and have a conversation with a native speaker. I think in order to complete your Irishness you must take an Irish dance class with me!
Languages in school definitely work for some... but not most. I'm sure if you ever really wanted to you could do it! And dancing.... Wear steal toe boots because I will step on your toes.
“My connection to my family’s past was always there in my present” 💚 Americans’ connections to their heritage and ancestry have always fascinated me. Go raibh maith agat, dziękuję for sharing your experience. I can’t wait to read more
Go raibh míle maith agat! It's interesting to me too because I grew up in an area where it was so normalized to feel that connection to one place or another that it was only when I got older that I started to meet more American's who didn't feel that same connection.
To begin to understand a culture more completely, learning the indigenous language is core. Having a shared language gives a deeper sense of belonging which is absent in the lives of many.
I believe that descendents of immigrants carry with them the ancestral sorrow and often trauma of being uprooted from their native place. Learning ancestral languages restores that sense of belonging and community. At core, belonging is what makes us human and the ability to function within community is likely expressed in our DNA
Táim ag súil le tuilleadh a léamh faoi do thuras Gaeilge
Aontaím leat! Everything you said is completely true. Furthermore, I mentioned in this post how I grew up with a sense of longing for a life I could have had if I had been born and raised somewhere like Ireland instead of in the states. Through learning the language, I feel like I developed such a deep sense of understanding of the culture and I feel like it became easier to imagine what my life could have been like. To learn a language, you learn about how people live through that language. I was able to translate my own experiences growing up in America to what they would have been like in Ireland. And I realized that in all likelihood, I wouldn't have the same appreciation for the culture that I grew to have because I was removed from it. Same goes for the language. I mentioned I never took to languages in school and by the time I was finished with the education system, I had no longing to try and go back and learn what I couldn't have when I was younger. Through this process, I learned how to appreciate my journey exactly as it has been.
Maith Thú Briana for doing this. Sílim more Irish Americans should talk about their experiences 😃
Go raibh míle maith agat, Bill! I agree. :)
It’s also worth noting that there was a heritage project carried out from 1937 – 1938 whereby schoolchildren from 5000 schools in the 26 counties of the Irish Free State were enlisted to collect folklore in their home districts. The children recorded oral history from their parents, grandparents and neighbours on folktales, legends, riddles, proverbs, games, pastimes, trades and crafts. This was called ‘Bailiúchán na Scol’ or the The Schools Collection. Extracted from Dúchas.ie (duchas.ie).
I recently found a written recording by my Grandmother’s sister interviewing her Dad (my Great Grandfather) in Co. Leitrim about picking Dandelions to use as a cure or herbal medicine. It’s great fun. You might have some luck with it. Just enter your ancestor’s names during this era into the search engine under the different tabs and see what comes up.
See https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/volumes.
Key search words: Dúchas – Irish National Folklore Collection – Schools’ Folklore Scheme - The Schools’ Collection. There are four tabs; volumes, schools, stories, transcripts. Search each tab and you might yield some results!
I knew about that project, but I had never thought of seeing if any of my family were involved! Go raibh míle maith agat as an smaointe sin! A few years ago I did look at the old census reports that showed whether or not people had any Irish. Most of my family I have contact with today don't have much Irish beyond a few phrases from school, but it was fun the last time I was over because my cousin's kids were showing me their Irish homework. I would have been happy to help them, but I'm even happier to say they didn't need my help. :) Even though no one in my family currently has much Irish, I think my dad's aunt was an Irish teacher. If not his aunt, she was of some other relation to us.
Hi Briana, having seen your name in Irish I was prompted to dive deeper. I read the words “I am a native English speaker, fluent Irish speaker” in your profile and it sparked a thought in me. “What is my native language?” English is my first language but it is not my native language. Irish is my native language and my heritage but it is my second language and much to my dismay, I don’t work that muscle enough. I tried to read your newsletter in the Irish format agus bhí iontas orm ar an cuid is mó a thuiscint mé (and I was surprised by how much I understood). Like many people in Ireland and particularly those who grew up in the ‘70’s and ‘80’s, I have a love hate relationship with the language. As I get wiser, I am becoming more respectful of this beautiful speak that resonates with nature, is descriptive and very empathetic towards the human condition. Your post which demonstrates the separation of the person from the emotion is so true and Hiberno English has adopted this in several colloquialisms that people use in their everyday conversation. Three words stick out to me from secondary school, “eisimirceach, bochtanas agus dífhostaíocht”, emigration, poverty and unemployment. It was a time of prolonged economic recession in this country and the curriculum felt so heavy! We studied the life of An Blascaod Mór Islander, Peig Sayers born in the late 1800’s and she seemed to forever be “ag olagón” (lamenting) the loss of her children. Funnily I have kept just two books from school, an old copy of Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë and Peig Sayer’s autobiography complete with my handwritten, scribbled notes of explanation. Irish is still compulsory on the Irish school curriculum as my children testify. Considering our history when something is imposed we tend to rebel against it. Sometimes the accent is stronger than the language and it makes it more difficult for me to decipher the words. Hailing from Leinster, I always found the different dialects (Ulster, Connacht, Munster) to be another complexity. Sometimes, understanding the Donegal accent in English is challenge enough!
For many reasons, Irish is a reminder of tough times in history but thankfully ‘a rising tide lifts all boats.’ More than ever, there is a gradual resurgence in the language probably because we are in a place where now, we can see beyond the bad and focus on the good. By my desk I have an Irish/English dictionary, Foclóir and a copy of Molly Nic Céile’s book ‘Gaeilge i mo Chroí’ (Irish in my heart) by Hachette Books Ireland. I also see Molly is on Substack! I find it very soothing to hear Irish spoken on the radio despite understanding just a few words but I usually get the gist or part thereof. It is also helpful having school going children to ignite learned knowledge that’s just below the surface. “Ciúnas, más é do thoil é agus ná bí ag pleidhcíocht/quiet please and stop messing”! So, thank you for fuelling the fire. My interest in rekindling my Irish/Gaeilge will be resumed. I will log back onto Duolingo and continue my three month streak which commenced last January but went to sleep in March. I will read your article again in Irish and make better sense of the words. I think it would be great if you added an audio recording to your newsletters in Irish. I will continue to acquire knowledge of all the beautiful descriptive words used for flora and fauna, the seasons, Celtic traditions and rituals. A nod to the ancestors (which by coincidence, some hail from Bailieborough, Co. Cavan!) and a path to improved reciprocity to Mother Nature. It’s a bit like climate action, every little step forward makes a difference. Now that sounds like a personal manifesto. Ar aghaidh liom!
Go raibh míle maith agat, is mise le meas, Gwyn
Go raibh míle maith agat, Gwyn! Your comment means a lot to me to read. As I explore in my writing, and hope to expand on in the future, learning Irish as an adult in America really gave me a way to experience it without all of the baggage and negative associations in carries in Ireland. While it may not be my lived experience and I would never claim it to be, I do feel I have a deeper understanding of what others feel in regards to the language and I have so much respect and empathy for anyone who is willing to challenge that and deconstruct all of those feelings around the language. While it may be inherently different, I also brought a lot of my own baggage to the table when it came to learning Irish. My shame, anxiety and self doubt all came from a different place than those in Ireland, but I do hope that by sharing how I was able to overcome those feelings that I can also help other see a path forward as weak.
And you are definitely right! It is a very exciting time for the Irish language! It’s funny you mentioned Molly because we are actually very close friends… and we may or may not have some upcoming content together in a few weeks. 👀
Thank you for the suggestion of including audio! I will definitely consider that as something I may add down the line. And again, go raibh míle maith agat for taking the time to share such a lovely comment and to read my work. It really truly does mean a lot to me that you're joining me on this journey. Agus tá Gaeilge agat! :)
Beautiful, thank you! It's no wonder to me that you had to discover this path outside of schooling. Language, as Rudolf Steiner described it, is a sense and it perceives the spirit as it manifests in culture.
Thank you for reading! I love that quote! And it’s very true to my experience learning languages.
You're a great writer and I wish I had your discipline in learning languages. Similar experience in school with learning languages - vocabulary words and conjugations to pass tests, nothing really sticks, not taught correctly to retain the information and have a conversation with a native speaker. I think in order to complete your Irishness you must take an Irish dance class with me!
Languages in school definitely work for some... but not most. I'm sure if you ever really wanted to you could do it! And dancing.... Wear steal toe boots because I will step on your toes.
“My connection to my family’s past was always there in my present” 💚 Americans’ connections to their heritage and ancestry have always fascinated me. Go raibh maith agat, dziękuję for sharing your experience. I can’t wait to read more
Go raibh míle maith agat! It's interesting to me too because I grew up in an area where it was so normalized to feel that connection to one place or another that it was only when I got older that I started to meet more American's who didn't feel that same connection.