Irish Language Use by Railways pre-1922/GSR

[GSWR 90]

Hi all, 

To what extent was the Irish language used by Irish railways in their signage/tickets/etc before the creation of the Free State in 1922 and the GSR in 1924-5? Does anyone know of any railways that had a bilingual policy prior to this period? I'd be particularly interested to learn about the use of Irish on railways in what is now Northern Ireland.

 

Thanks

Edited May 12, 2024 by GSWR 90

[Mayner]

12 hours ago, GSWR 90 said:

Hi all, 

To what extent was the Irish language used by Irish railways in their signage/tickets/etc before the creation of the Free State in 1922 and the GSR in 1924-5? Does anyone know of any railways that had a bilingual policy prior to this period? I'd be particularly interested to learn about the use of Irish on railways in what is now Northern Ireland.

 

Thanks

The locally promoted Derry-Central  (Macfin to Magherafelt) had "Cead mile failte"  on the company seal, though the railway promoters and investors being primarily English, Scots and Anglo-Irish it appears unlikely that the major companies considered the use of Irish.

Whatever the Westminster governments policy of assimilation, like Daniel O'Connell's and the Catholic Church promotion of English as a spoken language may have been a major factor in the decline of Irish as a spoken language during the 19th Century.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_O'Connell

 

Edited May 13, 2024 by Mayner

[minister_for_hardship]

14 hours ago, GSWR 90 said:

Hi all, 

To what extent was the Irish language used by Irish railways in their signage/tickets/etc before the creation of the Free State in 1922 and the GSR in 1924-5? Does anyone know of any railways that had a bilingual policy prior to this period? I'd be particularly interested to learn about the use of Irish on railways in what is now Northern Ireland.

 

Thanks

The GS&WR had an Irish language examination for clerks around 1920, along with Latin, Geography and Algebra. Have a few of the exam papers.

The Tralee and Dingle had Irish in its company seal as well. Ironically, a contributory factor to the rough and tumble early years of the T&D was the fact that the rule book was in English and many of the staff could only understand Irish.

A very early use of Irish in locomotive names were a pair of well tanks supplied to the Cork & Bandon named Sighe Gaoithe and Rith Tineadh (Fairy Wind and Running Fire)

Edited May 13, 2024 by minister_for_hardship

[Gabhal Luimnigh]

2 hours ago, Mayner said:

The locally promoted Derry-Central  (Macfin to Magherafelt) had "Cead mile failte"  on the company seal, though the railway promoters and investors being primarily English, Scots and Anglo-Irish it appears unlikely that the major companies considered the use of Irish.

Whatever the Westminster governments policy of assimilation, like Daniel O'Connell's and the Catholic Church promotion of English as a spoken language may have been a major factor in the decline of Irish as a spoken language during the 19th Century.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_O'Connell

 

The decline of the Irish language was down to Peig, she haunted us!

[Galteemore]

And let’s not forget the SLNCR contractors loco. ‘Faugh-a-Ballagh’. Still the motto of the Royal Irish Regiment.

[minister_for_hardship]

On 13/5/2024 at 1:03 PM, Gabhal Luimnigh said:

The decline of the Irish language was down to Peig, she haunted us!

It was already in decline for decades, like it or not, English was seen as the language to acquire to progress oneself.

The education system did the language a huge disservice, foisting a heavily edited and sanitised "Peig" onto disinterested school children.