Exam Diary: Irish a thorn in my side, but I love it
June 13, 2012
I may not be a history student, but I do know the Irish language has changed utterly since the days of oppressive British intruders and fiery Irish rebels.
These days, Irish is suffering an entirely different kind of onslaught, not from contemptuous English nobility but from resentful Leaving Certificate students.
Nothing destroys a perfectly good mood like a 40- minute Irish class.
While Irish never has been – and I can safely say, never will be – my favourite subject, as a spoken language, few surpass it in my eyes.
I’ve abandoned civilisation on many an occasion to immerse myself in Irish, detox myself from my mobile phone and willingly engage in activities that, outside the walls of Connemara, would be considered absolutely mortifying.
If the Gaeltacht isn’t valuable life preparation, I don’t know what is.
But, as we are all aware, the influence of the Irish language doesn’t extend much further than our Emerald Isle.
It may not be a particularly significant language on an international level but who among us hasn’t taken pleasure in the bemused faces of French and Spanish onlookers as “ciúnas bóthar cailín bainne” is delivered with the gravity of a death sentence?
The Irish language gives us back some of the charm that pale faces and a propensity for pints distract from.
So why then has it been turned from a widely spoken language into a subject dependent on rote- learning? Irish Paper 2 is centred around Irish literature, filíocht, prós, litríocht breise, and is a thorn in my side!
But whatever differences I have had with Maidhc Dainín or the mind- boggling story of ‘ Dís’ ( still not entirely sure what’s going on there …) were forgotten in the wake of a paper that can only be described as “sound out”.
Of course Lísín in all her self- adoring conceit would make an appearance and noone could begrudge Mártín Ó Díreáin a slot considering his poem was the only relatively enjoyable one on the course.
Day Five of Leaving Cert 2012 over. The joys of French grammar await.
India McGirr is a pupil at Gorey Community School, Co Wexford
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