Website likely to become available

Dear all, I’ve struggled with learning Irish for a long term, and learnt to cope with the vindictiveness and hatred of Irish people towards English people. I do not think anyone could justifiably feel proud of being Irish, or not unless he rejected the Anglophobic culture, but I’ve long thought of Irish in my mind as Language X, and enjoyed studying it despite Irish people. I thought of deleting this website, but I think it would be unfair to do so, having received a lot of help, especially from Dr Seán Ua Súilleabháin of University College Cork, but also from people in the Muskerry Gaeltacht. But if Britain does not leave the EU on March 29th, I will have to hand over this website to someone else. I have no admiration for a culture of spiteful people, a country that carefully coaches its children in hatred, and teaches them a un-nuanced version of history that includes many factual falsehoods. I don’t think this is really what even the Irish Volunteers were thinking of in 1916, who might have been surprised that modern Ireland had taken so much from Britain and continued to bite the hand that feeds it. Ireland’s modern prosperity was not paid for by the EU – as the EU has no money of its own that it does not get from net contributors to the EU – but by Britain. I find Ireland’s political culture vomit-inducing. If anyone with a proven interest in Cork Irish would like to own this website, now would be a good time to speak up and volunteer to take over the site.

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11 Responses to Website likely to become available

  1. Liz Leary says:

    Pity. You are such a gifted and brilliant man. Rath Dé ort.

  2. Paulie says:

    Hi,
    I really hope that this website continues to be available. I’m in Denver, Colorado, studying Irish as best I can and I have a keen interest in Cork and Kerry Irish, which is not as available as other forms. This site is something I’ve come back to infrequently, knowing it was over my head, but hoping I could make better use of it as I improved.
    Your post sounds well and truly disgusted and I imagine that you’re prepared to give this up. I don’t know what to say. I trust that your feelings are measured and accurate. I know that politics can be both heartfelt and divisive. It may be impossible to separate the work that you do and have done in this subject from those politics. Perhaps it’s impossible to continue. But this is a rare and precious resource and I am horrified that it may go away.
    I hope very much that some solution can be found to keep this available for people, like me, who are in a distant Irish-language desert and greatly appreciate having something this rich and intriguing available.
    If I were in the UK, or in Ireland itself, I would bury myself in libraries, take advantage of the living history around me, absorb by osmosis tiny details about place and pronunciation that people don’t even notice that they are learning. But I am thousands of miles away in a city were I can hear gunfire but not any Irish words, or Celtic country place names.
    If it is possible, please consider some way to put this in archive, or your decision on hold, until a way may be found to preserve the work you have gathered here.
    Thank you for what you have done here. I hope that things work out where you are.
    Peace of the mountains to you,
    Paulie Rainbow

    • dj1969 says:

      Well, I deleted it for some days, and then asked WordPress if it would be possible to restore it, because so many people helped me with information here. So I’m not going to delete it. I’m trying to pass it on. I’ve offered it to Darran McManus, a Cork dialect enthusiast who has given me a lot of help in the past, but he hasn’t replied yet.

  3. Matthew Webb says:

    David, What is involved in “taking over the site?” Just paying the hosting fees, etc or do you want that someone will continue posting fresh content?

    • dj1969 says:

      Matthew, as you can see, Darran, who has good expertise in Cork Irish, has stepped in. No there are no hosting fees, as this is a free wordpress account. I think his idea of branching into Béarra Irish is very fruitful. Maybe he could consider Seanachas ó Chairbre.

      • Matthew Webb says:

        David, This is great news! I don’t know of Darran but I look forward to the continuation of this website under his leadership, and I hope that you continue to share your researches into Cork Irish.

  4. John Priest says:

    Hi David, Having only very recently discovered your amazing website, i ‘ve just now seen your post about handing over. I hope you find a new host, and certainly it would be a terrible tragedy not to preserve in archives all your brilliant work! Have you heard back yet from Darren McManus or anyone else who might take over? John.

  5. Micheal Dunne says:

    Please keep it going, it would be terrible to lose all this great work, I have ancestors from Cork and Kerry and I want to learn this to Honor Them! Micheal Dunne

  6. Moira macLellan says:

    Thank you for all your hard work. I was born in England of Irish parents and spent my early years in Ireland. I know that none of my friends in Ireland have any hatred towards the English, and I am so sorry that you ran into ignorant people. So many Irish people were glad to get jobs in England.
    I know there was some resentment about English rule in Ireland at certain times in history but the resentment was towards the Crown, not the working people. I’m so sorry that you had such a negative experience!
    Moira

  7. copper tap says:

    Thanks for posting this valuable article.

  8. Sean says:

    Go to Ireland and stop passers-by on the street. Ask them if they hate England or the English. One in a thousand might say yes. The rest will laugh and say no. DJ Webb, the internet is not real life.

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