Accent

Yeah! I did the washing up, cleaned the kitchen and then made a lovely dinner. Now I have to do the washing up and clean the kitchen. Didn’t think that one out very well, did I?

          I was reading through some of the things I have written over the last two years or so, and realised that I write with a Donegal accent. Well at least when I read everything back, it reads in a Donegal accent. This is strange, because I don’t speak with a Donegal accent. That is of course, unless I am reading what I wrote. Even when I’m writing, I am doing it with a Donegal accent.

          I cant really say what my accent is as it is a mixture of  English, Donegal, Dublin and god only knows what else. When I was wee, I lived in Coventry which is in the west midlands of England. I would have had an accent not unlike Frank Skinner or Neil Morrissey. I remember when I was 9, we first came back to live in Donegal and I really didn’t like the Donegal accent at all. So I held onto my English accent which wouldn’t have been best considering our history. Now I love the Donegal accent. In fact, I love most Ulster accents and when I’m speaking to some one with an Ulster accent I seem to slip back into a Donegal accent. Funny thing is, most people are confused by my accent. On different occasions, I have been asked “what part of America am I from”  “Oh your from the west country” (The West Country is part of England that I have never been to) “How long did you live in the posh end of Liverpool” (never been to Liverpool either) and of course “What part of the world are you from?”  I even did a job interview and the girl that interviewed me (she was from Holland) was amazed that I was from Ireland and said that she thought I may have been European, but was not sure.

 I really should have a Dublin accent as I have lived here most of my life now. I remember when I first came to Dublin as a young lad to start my cabinet making apprenticeship. I found the hardest thing to get used to was the fact that Dublin people don’t or can’t pronounce there TH’s. For example  the word THREE is pronounced TREE and THINK is pronounced TINK. I think this is due the way people used to speak the old Gaelic or Irish language .  I now love the way Dublin people speak and find it really endearing. The only thing I don’t like is when people speak with a lazy accent. This sounds really rough and common. This goes for all accents through out the world I guess. Oh god! I am starting to sound like a real snob. Mind you! I think most people feel the same as one of the first things you are judged on is the way you speak.

Anyways, talking shite again. Think I better go and do them dishes and clean the kitchen.