djwebb2021 wrote:
Maolra wrote:
djwebb2021 wrote:
You will notice the area names in the Category A B and C division are hard to understand. They're not the village names or townland names, but I think, the electoral division names. I think Múscraí falls under Gort na Tiobratan in that list. The strongest Kerry Gaeltacht is Cill Chuain, at 79.8% Irish-speaking. I don't know what village that would be.
I'm not sure myself which village that would be. Possibly, Feohanagh, Murreagh.
I was in Ceantar na nOileán in Connemara a few days ago and it was almost 100% Irish everywhere I turned (shops, bars, cafes, on the street etc.) which was lovely and was not confined to older speakers.
I was also in Ballyferriter in Corca Dhuibhne two or three weeks ago and didn't hear much Irish on the street, though there were very few people on the street to be heard! The hotel was closed (out of season), and the pub only had three or four people in it at the time I was there, but they were using English sadly.
Most Gaeltacht areas are villages and hamlets. I'm not aware of any actual "towns" or proper urban settings. So hoping to hear "Irish on the street" may be a bit forlorn, and it will often come down to whether tourists are in. If you want to hear Irish, you really need to speak to people in the area in their homes. It's the families and the family networks that maintain the Irish there, not the shops, cafés and "the street". Maybe if you went into the Údarás na Gaeltachta office in the areas you mentioned, you could speak Irish to them there, and they could tell you more about the survival of Irish in those areas.
That is not entirely true. I spend a lot of time in the Gaeltacht 'villages' and whilst they are villages, they are (in some cases) significant in size enough and the streets can be bustling.
Take Carraroe (An Cheathrú Rua): in the centre of the village, there is a pub, two restaurants, pizza take away, bus stops, people out walking (as in keeping fit), a supermarket where Irish is used as the means of communication.
Take Leitir Móir, there is a village centre, a school, a centra (shop and deli), pub, sports fields etc.
Down the road from Leitir Móir, on the next island, there is a nice café etc.
Take An Spidéal: there is a pharmacy, a hairdressers, pubs, small shop, petrol station, church, cafés, book shop, restaurant, an AIB bank branch
Take Ballyferriter: (albeit it's very quiet outside of the tourist season, unlike Connemara IMO), there are two (or three?) pubs, a hotel with a restaurant.
The point of my post was saying that there was indeed a lot of Irish on the street when I was there a few days ago. That is: I was at the pub, there were about 8 people in the pub using Irish. The next morning, I was hungover, I went to the deli - there was lots of Irish being spoken in the shop itself and I was in a queue for a breakfast roll (don't judge me!
![Grin :D](./images/smilies/0biggrin.gif)
) with plenty Irish being spoken (by workers in the shop and customers alike).
Google maps link to An Spidéal, as an example. Yes, it's not downtown Manhattan but to say Irish there is contained to 'homes and families' is not accurate. I can't comment regarding other Gaeltacht areas. Ballyvourney and Ballingeary are relatively close to me and I would agree with your comment in relation to them. With that said, there is still a 'main street' in each of them. I have not heard much Irish 'on the street' though, to your point.
https://www.google.com/maps/@53.2440699,-9.3058727,3a,75y,3.88h,89.79t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s3jnx74_1QHXy1dZXVpO2Hw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?entry=ttu