The English dialect spoken in Ireland is called Hiberno-English. It is strongly influenced by the Irish language known as Gaelic. There are definite rules of pronunciation, some of which include: pronouncing the [th] phoneme with a [t] or [d] sound. For example, the number “three thirty three” would be said “tree tirty tree” when spoken in Hiberno-English.
The rules applied to this dialect are confusing to understand. Once the philologist has a slight grasp on the Gaelic language, it is easy to see how the idioms originated. The following are some of the rules that are easiest to comprehend. Instead of saying “yes” or “no,” the Irish usually say “aye” or repeat the negative or affirmative form of the verb. For example: “Is your homework done?” “It isn’t.” One of the most familiar rules of Hiberno-English is the use of the words “’tis” and “tisn’t” in the place of “it is” and “it isn’t.”
Contrary to popular belief, swearing is not a large part of the Hiberno-English vocabulary. The Irish term “fecking” is thought to be synonymous with the American term that is spelled in a very similar way. In all actuality, the word was originally used to mean “steal” or “throw.” Now it is synonymous with “bloody” or “darned.” The term “fecker” is confrontational, but not offensive. The best-known example of this dialect can be found in Finnegan’s Wake by James Joyce.
Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiberno-English
Finnegan's Wake: the traditional Irish street ballad, upon which Joyce based his novel.
Tim Finnegan lived in Watling Street, A gentle Irishman - Mighty Odd - He'd a beautiful brogue So rich and sweet, to rise in the world He carried a hod, You see He'd sort of a Trippling way: with love for a liquor Poor Tim was born, to help him on with His work each day, He'd a drop of the Craythor every morn'
One morning Tim was rather full, his head felt Heavy, which made him shake, fell from the Ladder and broke his skull, so they carried Him home, his corpse to wake, rolled Him up in a nice clean sheet, and laided Him upon the bed, A gallon of Whiskey At his feet, and a bottle of Porter At his head
chorus: And whack Fol-De-Dah now dance to your Partner, welt the floor, your trotters shake Wasn't it the truth I told Ye Lots of fun at Finnegan's Wake
His friends assembled at his wake And Missus Finnegan called for lunch First they brought in tea and cake Then pipes, tobacco and Whiskey Punch Biddy O'Brien begged to cry, such a Nice clean corpse did you see Arrah hold your gob see Paddy Magee
chorus:
Then O'Connor took up the job "Arrah!" Biddy says she Ye're wrong I'm Sure, Biddy then gave her a belt on The gob and left her sprawling on the Floor, there the war did soon engage Woman to Woman and Man to Man Shillelah-law was all the rage, an A Row and a Ruction soon began Mickey Maloney raised his head when a bottle Of Whiskey flew at him, it missed him falling on The Bed, the liquor scattered over Tim, Tim Revives, see how he rises, Timothy rising from the bed Whirl your Whisky around like blazes Tonamondeal, do ye think I'm dead
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