Who here has family members who speak fluent Gaeilge (Irish)?

Mise an ea? (My favorite phrase)

I come from a major Irish area in Northeaster Pennsylvania in the states so I've always had an interest in the language because my grandfather knew a small bit mostly insults. For a long while I had taken to studying it on my own (slow goings). Recently I started working summers in my other grandfather's town on Long Island in NY which also has large Irish population and his local Hibernian hall has free classes so I have been taking full advantage. I don't know how it is elsewhere in the states but in the Northeast a lot of Hibernian halls have taken up the cause hopefully something comes of it.

I speak it fluently myself as I went to an all Irish primary school but the attitude amongst the youth is very lethargic. I was on a train from Dublin to Clare yesterday and overheard two girls pondering why the rail service bother to make the announcements in Gailge then English as 'who would bother with the Irish one?' I think it's something that exists culturally rather than practically as god knows we have so little culture left except for the loose application made by Michael Flatley and co. I don't agree with it being mandatory in schools but at the moment it seems to be the only thing keeping it on the cultural map.

Awe Skinny you got blood all over my trousers! Jeez I'm real sorry sorry Frank