John Carolan explains how he happens to be a native speaker of Irish.
B'é John Carolan an cainteoir ba líofa Gaeilge a bhí fágtha sa cheantar seo sna Spéiríní i gCo Thír Eoghain thart ar Ghleann Choll in aice leis An Chaisleán Glas, ag tús na gcaogadaí. Míníonn sé gur tógadh é lena mhamaí mhór agus nár labhair sise ach Gaeilge. Ní raibh mórán seanchais ná scéalta ag John i gcomparáid le cuid de na cainteoirí eile. Bhain Gaeilge Thír Eoghain leis an chanúint sin a bhí á labhairt in Oir-Dheisceart Uladh i gContaetha Lú, deisceart Ard Mhacha, tuaisceart Cho na Mí agus Oileán Mhanainn agus chomh fada ó thuaidh le hInis Eoghain i nDún na nGall cé go raibh focail agus eile sna Spéiríní acu a bhain leis an cheantar sin amháin.
John Carolan was the most fluent of all the Irish speakers remaining in this area around Glenhull near Greencastle in the Sperrin Mountains, Co. Tyrone. His grandmother who reared him spoke only Irish. Other speakers had more folklore, stories and local history. The Irish in the Sperrins was part of a dialect spoken in South East Ulster including south Armagh, north Co Louth, north Co Meath the Isle of Man and as far north as Inishowen in Donegal.
Dúirt An Dr Heinrich Wagner ar Radio Éireann sa bhliain 1951 "tá siad níos Gaelaí ina spiorad ná tá muintir na nGaeltachtaí sna sé chontae is fiche". B'as an Eilvéis don Dr Wagner agus bhí sé ina Ollamh le Ceiltis in Ollscoil na Banríona i mBéal Feirste ina dhiaidh sin agus ina údar ar "The Linguistic atlas and survey of Irish Dialects" (1958-1964 Institiúid Ard-Léinn Bhaile Átha Cliath). Is léir go ndeachaigh na cainteoirí seo i gCo Thír Eoghain go mór i bhfeidhm air. I dtús an naoú aoise déag bhí suas le leath na ndaoine i gCo Thír Eoghain ina gcaointeoirí dúchasacha Gaeilge agus thit sin go dtí an líon beag a bhí fágtha ag tús na gcaogadaí.
The quotation in translation from Irish "they are more Irish in their spirit than Gaeltacht people in the South of Ireland" is from Swiss born Dr Heinrich Wagner, who was later Professor of Celtic Studies in Queen's University Belfast and author of 'The Linguistic Atlas and Survey of Irish Dialects'. Wagner surveyed the last native speakers of Tyrone Irish and was very taken with their enthusiasm and spirit. Around the beginning of the 19th century about half the inhabitants in Co Tyrone were thought to be Irish speakers and that reduced dramatically to the twenty or so left in 1951.
