She was also taught English at school by brutal school-masters. The children were beaten until they learned the English words – and this was by Irish teachers. As far as I am aware, Irish is a spoken language that was first written down in Ogham (lines pressed into the edges of clay tablets before firing – or engraved along the edges of standing stones – and known as the tree alphabet). Later, the sounds of Irish were transliterated into the received Greco-Roman alphabet – but this development was a contrivance – so that the invading English could understand what the Irish were saying. It would seem that the modern Irish learn to speak their language as normal – but now write it down using a foreign alphabet (English). Not only is this the case, but it would seem that a “French-like” accent (termed a “fada”) is used in modern Irish literature – such as over an “á” and other letters. Adding this mark – or taking it away – alters the sound of words and therefore the meaning of words. I suppose it amounts to “context” – but regarding literature (that is – the written word of modern Irish). As I cannot speak, read, or write “Irish” – I’m busking at the moment. My claim to fame is that my paternal grandmother (Gladys Kilmurray) could speak Irish – and that when her family members came to the UK to attend her funeral – they spoke Gaelic to one another and English to us. They seemed surprised that we could not speak Irish – but Nana was always reluctant to speak it in England due to the racism she used to receive for being “Irish”. Now, the racists would have believe the Irish have been “White” all along.
