Ulster Irish


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who have the ability to speak Irish.
Ulster Irish is the variety of Irish spoken in the province of Ulster. It "occupies a central position in the Gaelic world made up of Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man". Ulster Irish thus has more in common with Scottish Gaelic and Manx. Within Ulster there have historically been two main sub-dialects: West Ulster and East Ulster. The Western dialect is spoken in County Donegal and once was in parts of neighbouring counties, hence the name Donegal Irish. The Eastern dialect was spoken in most of the rest of Ulster and northern parts of counties Louth and Meath.

History

Ulster Irish was the main language spoken in Ulster from the earliest recorded times even before Ireland became a jurisdiction in the 1300s. Since the Plantation, Ulster Irish was steadily replaced by English. The Eastern dialect died out in the 20th century, but the Western lives on in the Gaeltacht region of County Donegal. In 1808, County Down natives William Neilson and Patrick Lynch published a detailed study on Ulster Irish. Both Neilson and his father were Ulster-speaking Presbyterian ministers. When the recommendations of the first Comisiún na Gaeltachta were drawn up in 1926, there were regions qualifying for Gaeltacht recognition in the Sperrins and the northern Glens of Antrim and Rathlin Island. The report also makes note of small pockets of Irish speakers in northwest County Cavan, southeast County Monaghan, and the far south of County Armagh. However, these small pockets vanished early in the 20th century while Ulster Irish in the Sperrins survived until the 1950s and in the Glens of Antrim until the 1970s. The last native speaker of Rathlin Irish died in 1985.

Lexicon

The Ulster dialect contains many words not used in other dialects—of which the main ones are Connacht Irish and Munster Irish—or used otherwise only in northeast Connacht. The standard form of Irish is An Caighdeán Oifigiúil. In other cases, a semantic shift has resulted in quite different meanings attaching to the same word in Ulster Irish and in other dialects. Some of these words include:
Words generally associated with the now dead East Ulster Irish include:
In other cases, a semantic shift has resulted in quite different meanings attaching to the same word in Ulster Irish and in other dialects. Some of these words include:
The phonemic inventory of Ulster 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 consonants are neither broad nor slender.
The vowels of Ulster 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.
The long vowels have short allophones in unstressed syllables and before.
In addition, Ulster has the diphthongs.
Some characteristics of the phonology of Ulster Irish that distinguish it from the other dialects are:
Differences between the Western and Eastern sub-dialects of Ulster include the following:

Initial mutations

Ulster Irish has the same two initial mutations, lenition and eclipsis, as the other two dialects and the standard language, and mostly uses them the same way. There is, however, one exception: in Ulster, a dative singular noun after the definite article is lenited , whereas in Connacht and Munster, it is eclipsed, except in the case of den, don and insan, where lenition occurs in literary language. Both possibilities are allowed for in the standard language.

Verbs

are characterized by having a mixture of analytic forms and synthetic forms in their conjugation. In Ulster and North Connacht the analytic forms are used in a variety of forms where the standard language has synthetic forms, e.g. molann muid "we praise" or mholfadh siad "they would praise". The synthetic forms, including those no longer emphasised in the standard language, may be used in short answers to questions.
The 2nd conjugation future stem suffix in Ulster is -óch- rather than -ó-, e.g. beannóchaidh mé "I will bless".
Some irregular verbs have different forms in Ulster from those in the standard language. For example:
In Ulster the negative particle cha is sometimes used where other dialects use ní and níor. The form is more common in the north of the Donegal Gaeltacht. Cha cannot be followed by the future tense: where it has a future meaning, it is followed by the habitual present. It triggers a "mixed mutation": and are eclipsed, while other consonants are lenited. In some dialects however, cha eclipses all consonants, except b- in the forms of the verb "to be", and sometimes f- :
UlsterStandardEnglish
Cha dtuigimNí thuigim"I don't understand"
Chan fhuil sé/Cha bhfuil séNíl sé "He isn't"
Cha bhíonn séNí bheidh sé"He will not be"
Cha phógann muid/Cha bpógann muidNí phógaimid"We do not kiss"
Chan ólfadh siad éNí ólfaidís é"They wouldn't drink it"
Char thuig mé thúNíor thuig mé thú"I didn't understand you"

In the Past Tense, some irregular verbs are lenited/eclipsed in the Interrogative/Negative that differ from the standard, due to the various particles that may be preferred :-
InterrogativeNegativeEnglish
An raibh tú?Cha raibh mé"I was not"
An dtearn tú?Cha dtearn mé"I did not do, make"
An dteachaigh tú?Cha dteachaigh mé"I did not go"
An dtáinig tú?Cha dtáinig mé"I did not come"
An dtug tú?Cha dtug mé"I did not give"
Ar chuala tú?Char chuala mé"I did not hear"
Ar dhúirt tú?Char dhúirt mé"I did not say"
An bhfuair tú?Chan fhuair mé"I did not get"
Ar rug tú?Char rug mé"I did not catch, bear"
Ar ith tú?Char ith mé"I did not eat"
Ar chígh tú/An bhfaca tú?Chan fhaca mé"I did not see"

Syntax

The Ulster dialect uses the present tense of the subjunctive mood in certain cases where other dialects prefer to use the future indicative:
The verbal noun can be used in subordinate clauses with a subject different from that of the main clause:

Music

Some notable Irish singers who sing songs in the Ulster Irish dialect include Kneecap, Lillis Ó Laoire, Maighread Ní Dhomhnaill, Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh and Pádraigín Ní Uallacháin.

Literature

Notable Ulster Irish writers include Micí Mac Gabhann, Seosamh Mac Grianna, Peadar Toner Mac Fhionnlaoich, Cosslett Ó Cuinn, Niall Ó Dónaill, Séamus Ó Grianna, Brian Ó Nualláin, Colette Ní Ghallchóir and Cathal Ó Searcaigh.

Published literature

- Slán Leat, a Mhaicín. Úrscéal do Dhaoine Óga. An Gúm, Baile Átha Cliath 1998 Na Rosa
- Gura Slán le m’Óige. Oifig an tSoláthair, Baile Átha Cliath 1974 Na Rosa
- Pádraic Ó Conaire agus Aistí Eile. An Gúm, Baile Átha Cliath 1986 Na Rosa
- Dá mBíodh Ruball ar an Éan. An Gúm, Baile Átha Cliath 1992 Na Rosa
- Mo Bhealach Féin. An Gúm, Baile Átha Cliath 1997 Na Rosa
- An Dara Mám. Coiscéim, Baile Átha Cliath 1991 Lár Thír Chonaill
- An Tríú Mám. Coiscéim, Baile Átha Cliath 1992 Lár Thír Chonaill
- Cnuasach Céad Conlach. Coiscéim, Baile Átha Cliath 1989 Lár Thír Chonaill
- Óglach na Rosann. Coiscéim, Baile Átha Cliath 1994 Na Rosa
- Cuimhní ar Dhochartaigh Ghleann Fhinne. Coiscéim, Baile Átha Cliath 1994 Na Rosa
- Nally as Maigh Eo. Coiscéim, Baile Átha Cliath 1998 Na Rosa
- Gaeltacht Thír Chonaill - Ó Ghleann go Fánaid. Coiscéim, Baile Átha Cliath 2000 Na Rosa
- Srathóg Feamnaí agus Scéalta Eile. Coiscéim, Baile Átha Cliath 2001 Na Rosa
- Ceann Tìre/Earraghàidheal. Ár gComharsanaigh Ghaelacha. Coiscéim, Baile Átha Cliath 2003
- Amhráin Hiúdaí Fheidhlimí agus Laoithe Fiannaíochta as Rann na Feirste. Pádraig Ó Baoighill a chuir in eagar, Mánus Ó Baoill a chóirigh an ceol. Preas Uladh, Muineachán 2001
- Gasúr Beag Bhaile na gCreach. Coiscéim, Baile Átha Cliath 2004
- Faoi Scáth na Mucaise. Béaloideas Ghaeltachtaí Imeallacha Thír Chonaill. Coiscéim, Baile Átha Cliath 2005
- …Imleabhar 2. Cumann Staire agus Seanchais Ghaoth Dobhair i gcomhar le Comharchumann Forbartha Gh. D. Gaoth Dobhair 1996 Gaoth Dobhair
- Seanchas na Féinne. An Gúm, Baile Átha Cliath 1998 Na Rosa
- Castar na Daoine ar a Chéile. Scríbhinní Mháire 1. Eagarthóir: Nollaig Mac Congáil. Coiscéim, Baile Átha Cliath 2002 Na Rosa
- Cith is Dealán. Cló Mercier, Baile Átha Cliath agus Corcaigh 1994 Na Rosa
- Cora Cinniúna 1-2. An Gúm, Baile Átha Cliath 1993 Na Rosa
- Cúl le Muir agus scéalta eile. Oifig an tSoláthair, Baile Átha Cliath 1961 Na Rosa
- Na Blianta Corracha. Scríbhinní Mháire 2. Eagarthóir: Nollaig Mac Congáil. Coiscéim, Baile Átha Cliath 2003 Na Rosa
- Nuair a Bhí Mé Óg. Cló Mercier, Baile Átha Cliath agus Corcaigh 1986 Na Rosa
- An Sean-Teach. Oifig an tSoláthair, Baile Átha Cliath 1968 Na Rosa
- Tairngreacht Mhiseoige. An Gúm, Baile Átha Cliath 1995 Na Rosa
- Laochas - Scéalta as an tSeanlitríocht. An Gúm, Baile Átha Cliath 1945/1984/1996 Na Rosa