I’m in the process of writing a story set in Ireland.
I was wondering on certain details that I hope local irish folks may be able to help me out with.
1) Right now, in 2011 do you think there are still kids who are brought up solely in small irish villages with old values and traditions? You know, they wake up, go to the national school and when they come home they help their parents out in the farm or something…
2) Do you think there are kids who, being brought up in the countryside/villages from family who dont have a lot of money, have never been to the city?
3) Are there still families who hold on to Irish tradition as it is, speaking Gaelic and all? I know the language is mostly affiliated with culture and tradition but it is still the official language is it right? So are there families who still speak Gaelic on a daily basis?
4) What county will you say have the most villages and countryside and still practise old Irish traditions? I heard it is Co. Galway but I may be wrong..
I’m not asking these questions to sort of undermine the Irish but I am really curious. I am very impressed that the Irish have mostly been able to stay true to their roots while at the same time keep up with the urbanisation.
So I was just wondering if there are still parts of Ireland that are the same as they was or at least haven’t changed much in terms of tradition and culture..
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A Little Question On Ireland, The Irish Practises. Hope Someone Could Help.?
Posted on March 3, 2011.
Chad Kroeger
1. Yes there will always be children in ireland and not only ireland that get up go to school, come home and help on the farm, more so wee boy’s beause they love being around trators and quads etc. little girls will also go out and help on the farm with the animals like horses etc. cause its what little girls love, summer months when bales of hay are being brought in usually all members of the family will go into the fields and help, wives children neighbours the lot….
2. Please elaborate on the ‘don’t have a lot of money’?? Its very very unlikely that kids haven’t been to a city, most area’s aren’t that rural anymore, theres towns probably within 10-15miles of every wee village, and cities not that much further…
3. The irish language is dying off, i know there is one small town that still holds onto it and everyone there speaks it, but i cant quite remember the name, i know its definately not galway i think its much more south, maybe near cork, many people in galway cant speak irish fluently…
4. I wouldn’t be sure on this one, but i’d say maybe in the area’s around wicklow, Galway is quite a big tourist spot….
Anything else i can help with just let me know
1) The Irish population is still about 50% rural, however most people do not work on the land, or even if they do, they also have another job, its simply not possible to support a family on the money from farming for most. Most kids go home and get on the Xbox or Wii.
2) Most kids have been to a city, they will have relatives living in cities, go there on school trips etc.
3)Yes, Irish is still spoken as the first language by some of the population. However, the number now is approximately only about 70,000. There are Gaeltacht regions in Counties Galway, Donegal, Kerry, Mayo, Meath, Waterford and Cork. Galway would be the largest. Although Irish is compulsory in school for all children born in the country or coming to live there before the age of 11, most of the 1.6 million others who say they have some Irish have very little knowledge of it.
4) Most Irish counties have small villages and countryside. The prevalence of old traditions is very low now, realistically you would be hard pressed to tell where you were if not for the accent, we have huge exposure to US culture.