After being in An Cheathrú Rua for about a week, it has been interesting noticing the differences compared to being in Gaoth Dobhair. One such difference is the change in dialects. I have found it much easier to understand the Connemara dialect here compared to the Ulster dialect in Gaoth Dobhair since my professor at Notre Dame uses the Connemara dialect. I have also noticed that I am hearing more English here and seeing more tourists in comparison to Gaoth Dobhair, however, this might also just be because it is easier to travel around here and go out more. But the presence of English in the Gaeltacht does pose a threat to the language as I have learned since being here.
Just yesterday I was told that some Irish-speakers here are weary of only English-speaking families moving into the area because it will lead to more children using English only in schools to accommodate those who do not know Irish. Our teacher in this region has also told us a bit about the lack of services in Irish such as medical services even though the language has official status in the country and it is even required to be learned in schools. Issues like these certainly do not help in protecting the language.
But despite these issues, there are still many people coming to the Gaeltacht to learn the language. During this past week, there was a large group of young students here learning Irish, so there is still hope in the language growing more each day.
