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Irish in America

The question of why Des is undertaking this challenge is incessant and confronting. Bottom line is that it’s hard to get answers sometimes in Ireland. Gaeltacht people just speak it as it is their language. Irish people have to learn it at school, so their opinion of the language is largely impacted by that experience. For some respite and reflection, Des returns to New York and Boston where Irish is the 66th most spoken language. He meets Irish speakers, students and teachers, many of whom share his motivations—to tap into an Irish identity that is so important to the diaspora. He meets up with the extension of the Connemara Gaeltacht in Boston where he is inspired by the motivation of people who have never been to Ireland but continue to work hard to learn and teach the language—not for money—but for the sheer love of it.

English
  • Originally Aired April 10, 2008
  • Runtime 30 minutes
  • Network RTÉ One
  • Created November 22, 2015 by
    Administrator admin
  • Modified November 22, 2015 by
    Administrator admin