Munster Irish


Munster Irish is the dialect of the Irish language spoken in the province of Munster. Gaeltacht regions in Munster are found in the Gaeltachtaí of the Dingle Peninsula in west County Kerry, in the Iveragh Peninsula in south Kerry, in Cape Clear Island off the coast of west County Cork, in Muskerry West; Cúil Aodha, Ballingeary, Ballyvourney, Kilnamartyra, and Renaree of central County Cork; and in an Rinn and an Sean Phobal in Gaeltacht na nDéise in west County Waterford.

History

The north and west of Dingle Peninsula are today the only place in Munster where Irish has survived as the daily spoken language of most of the community although the language is spoken on a daily basis by a minority in other official Gaeltachtaí in Munster.
Historically, the Irish language was spoken throughout Munster and Munster Irish had some influence on those parts of Connacht and Leinster bordering it such as Kilkenny, Wexford and south Galway and the Aran Islands.
Munster Irish played an important role in the Gaelic revival of the early 20th century. The noted author Peadar Ua Laoghaire wrote in Munster dialect and stated that he wrote his novel to show younger people what he viewed as good Irish:
Peig Sayers was illiterate, but her autobiography, Peig, is also in Munster dialect and rapidly became a key text. Other influential Munster works are the autobiographies Fiche Blian ag Fás by Muiris Ó Súilleabháin and An tOileánach by Tomás Ó Criomhthain.

Lexicon

Munster Irish differs from Ulster and Connacht Irish in a number of respects. Some words and phrases used in Munster Irish are not used in the other varieties, such as:
The phonemic inventory of Munster Irish is as shown in the following chart. Symbols appearing in the upper half of each row are velarized while those in the bottom half are palatalized. The consonant is neither broad or slender.
The vowels of Munster Irish are as shown on the following chart. These positions are only approximate, as vowels are strongly influenced by the palatalization and velarization of surrounding consonants.
In addition, Munster has the diphthongs.
Some characteristics of Munster that distinguish it from the other dialects are:
are characterized by having a mixture of analytic forms and synthetic forms in their conjugation. Munster Irish has preserved nearly all of the synthetic forms, except for the second-person plural forms in the present and future:
Some irregular verbs have different forms in Munster than in the standard :
Munster independentMunster dependentStandard independentStandard dependentGloss
chímní fheicimfeicimní fheicim"I see, I do not see"
chonacní fheacachonaic méní fhaca mé"I saw, I did not see"
deinimní dheinimdéanaimní dhéanaim"I do, I do not"
dheineasníor dheineasrinne méní dhearna mé"I did, I did not"
chuasní dheaghas/níor chuaschuaigh méní dheachaigh mé"I went, I did not go"
gheibhimní bhfaighimfaighimní bhfaighim"I get, I do not get"

Past tense verbs can take the particle do in Munster Irish, even when they begin with consonants. In the standard language, the particle is used only before vowels. For example, Munster do bhris sé or bhris sé "he broke".
The initial mutations of Munster Irish are generally the same as in the standard language and the other dialects. Some Munster speakers, however, use as the lenition equivalent of in at least some cases, as in a rí "O king!", do rug "gave birth", ní raghaid "they will not go".

Syntax

One significant syntactic difference between Munster and other dialects is that in Munster, go is used instead of a as the indirect relative particle:
Another difference is seen in the copula. Fear is ea mé is used in addition to Is fear mé.

Music

Some notable Irish singers who sing songs in the Munster Irish dialect include Nioclás Tóibín, Elizabeth Cronin, Labhrás Ó Cadhla, Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh, Seán de hÓra, Diarmuid Ó Súilleabháin, Seosaimhín Ní Bheaglaoich and Máire Ní Chéilleachair.

Published literature

- An Gealas i Lár na Léithe. Coiscéim, Baile Átha Cliath 1992 Ciarraí/Corca Dhuibhne
- An Grá faoi Cheilt. Coiscéim, Baile Átha Cliath 1992 Ciarraí/Corca Dhuibhne
- Desiderius a Dó. Coiscéim, Baile Átha Cliath 1995 Ciarraí/Corca Dhuibhne
- Ar Gach Maoilinn Tá Síocháin. Coiscéim, Baile Átha Cliath 1998 Ciarraí/Corca Dhuibhne
- Tá Solas ná hÉagann Choíche. Coiscéim, Baile Átha Cliath 1999 Ciarraí/Corca Dhuibhne
- …agus Tomás: Cleití Gé ón mBlascaod Mór. In eagar ag Pádraig Ó Fiannachta. An Sagart, An Daingean 1997. Ciarraí/Na Blascaoidí
- An tOileánach. Pádraig Ua Maoileoin a chuir in eagar. Helicon Teoranta/An Comhlacht Oideachais, Baile Átha Cliath 1980 Ciarraí/Na Blascaoidí
- Bloghanna ón mBlascaod. Coiscéim, Baile Átha Cliath 1997Ciarraí/Na Blascaoidí
- An Cleasaí. Leagan Caighdeánaithe. Longmans, Brún agus Ó Nualláin Teoranta, Baile Átha Cliath, gan dáta. Muscraí/Cúl Aodha
- Mo Scéal Féin. Sraith na gClasaiceach, Cló Thalbóid, Baile Átha Cliath 1999 Muscraí/Cúl Aodha
- : Séadna. Liam Mac Mathúna a chuir in eagar, Brian Ó Cuív a scríobh an brollach. Carbad, Baile Átha Cliath 1987/1995 Muscraí/Cúil Aodha
- A Thig Ná Tit orm. Eagrán Nua. C.J. Fallon, Baile Átha Cliath 1995 Ciarraí
- Corcán na dTrí gCos. Coiscéim, Baile Átha Cliath 1988 Ciarraí
- Dochtúir na bPiast. Coiscéim, Baile Átha Cliath 1993/2000 Ciarraí
- Lilí Frainc. Coiscéim, Baile Átha Cliath 2001 Ciarraí
- Madraí na nOcht gCos. Coiscéim, Baile Átha Cliath 1998
- Mair, a Chapaill. Coiscéim, Baile Átha Cliath 1999
- Mura mBuafam - Suathfam. Coiscéim, Baile Átha Cliath 2003 Ciarraí
- Tae le Tae. Coiscéim, Baile Átha Cliath 1990 Ciarraí
- Idir Dhá Lios. Coiscém, Baile Átha Cliath 2005 Ciarraí
- Ó Oileán go Cuilleán Eagarthóir: Nuala Uí Aimhirgín. Coiscéim, Baile Átha Cliath 2000 Ciarraí/Na Blascaoidí
- Peig. Tuairisc a thug Peig Sayers ar imeachtaí a beatha féin. Comhlacht Oideachais na hÉireann, Baile Átha Cliath, gan dáta Ciarraí/Na Blascaoidí
- Malairt Beatha. Inné Teoranta, Dún Chaoin 1992 Ciarraí
- An tAthair Tadhg. An Sagart, an Daingean 2000 Ciarraí
- Abair Leat Joe Daly. An Sagart, an Daingean 1999 Ciarraí
- Sliabh gCua m’Óige. An Sagart, an Daingean 2003
- Ríocht na dTonn. Coiscéim, Baile Átha Cliath 1989 Ciarraí
- Guth ón Sceilg. Coiscéim, Baile Átha Cliath 2000 Ciarraí
- An Gabhar sa Teampall. Coiscéim, Baile Átha Cliath 1986 Ciarraí
- Bríd Bhán. Sairséal agus Dill, Baile Átha Cliath 1968/1972 Ciarraí/Corca Dhuibhne
- De Réir Uimhreacha. Muintir an Dúna, Baile Átha Cliath 1969 Ciarraí/Corca Dhuibhne
- Na hAird ó Thuaidh. Sáirséal agus Dill, Baile Átha Cliath 1960 Ciarraí/Corca Dhuibhne
- Ó Thuaidh! Sáirséal Ó Marcaigh, Baile Átha Cliath 1983 Ciarraí/Corca Dhuibhne
- An Stát versus Dugdale. Coiscéim, Baile Átha Cliath 2001 Ciarraí/Corca Dhuibhne