Since I can't respond to the original topic at IGTF, I'll start a parallel thread here in the hope that one day the OP at IGTF may find it:


As Gumbi says, when pronounced carefully the á in tá is the same as in other words, that is, AW /ɑ:/ in Munster and Connacht (it's different up North).

However, in rapid speech tá sé TAW SHEH /tɑ: s´e:/ is shortened to TAw sheh /tɑ s´e/ (and again it's different in the North.)

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Múinteoir Gaeilge - Irish Teacher
My "specialty" is Connemara Irish, particularly Cois Fhairrge dialect, but I can also speak Ulster and Munster Irish with native-level pronunciation.
Is fearr Gaeilge ḃriste ná Béarla cliste, cinnte, aċ i ḃfad níos fearr aríst í Gaeilge ḃinn ḃeo na nGaeltaċtaí.
Gaeilge Chonnacht (GC), go háraid Gaeilge Chois Fhairrge (GCF), Gaeilic Uladh (GU), Gaelainn na Mumhan (GM), agus Gaeilge an Chaighdeáin Oifigiúil (CO).

Yeah, in Donegal, it's a plain "ah"-sound, and in the far north, Gweedore/Cloghaneely it becomes a sound between ah and eh, when it is stressed.

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Is fearr Gaeilg na Gaeltaċta ná Gaeilg ar biṫ eile
Agus is í Gaeilg Ġaoṫ Doḃair is binne