There is a surefire way for the English to correctly pronounce Irish names. Just ask us
Last year, the lead singer of The 1975, Matt Healy, managed to offend a whole lot of Gaelgoirí(Irish speakers) when he appeared to mock a fan’s name – Dervla – at a meet-andgreet.
Healy isn’t alone, though, when it comes to anglophone bafflement at Irish names. A recent study based on an analysis of Google searches revealed the words that British people have the most difficulty pronouncing. The names Aoife, Saoirse, Niamh and Siobhán occupy places in the top 10.
And it’s not exclusively a British problem: I always cringe watching US talkshows where the host quizzes their Irish guest (usually Saoirse Ronan) on the pronunciation of their and other Irish names.
I’ve heard every possible variation of my own name from non-Irish people. It’s not uncommon in Ireland; in secondary school, there were four Niamhs in my class. But I rarely come across an English person who is familiar with it, despite the proximity of our two countries.
In case you don’t know, it’s pronounced “Neev” or “Nee-av”, either is perfectly acceptable. The prefix Ní means “daughter of”. My surname is trickier, and has even tripped up a few Irish people; it can be translated as Herbert, and is pronounced “her-a-vard”.
When I was living in London, I quickly learned that saying Niamh at the counter in a coffee shop or over the phone to make a booking simply wouldn’t fly. This led to the invention of what I call my “Starbucks name”.
Anything easily pronounceable with a simple spelling would do. Mia, Sophie and Rose were among my common aliases.
Speaking to others reveals a litany of similar experiences. Aoibhe Ní Shúilleabháin, a designer and teacher, spent two years at college in England having her name mispronounced and disrespected. (Her first name is pronounced “Ay-vah”.) More than one lecturer resorted to calling her “blondie”.
She tells me: “I was asked to say, ‘Three hundred and thirty three trees’” – a tongue-twister that does the rounds on TikTok – “more often than I was asked to repeat my name.” She recalls the lack of interest when she attempted to explain that Irish and English are different languages with different pronunciation rules.
Clearly, the sensitivities at play here are rooted in history: Ireland was colonised by the English and our national language was all but wiped out. A language revival began in earnest in the 19th century, but it’s never quite recovered. Ireland’s most recent census
shows that about 40% of Ireland’s population can speak Irish. The English destroyed our language once before, so every little throwaway comment and scoff at our names hurts a little bit more – and ultimately becomes just tiresome. A handful of people even remark, “Oh! I didn’t know Ireland had its own language,” when I tell them about my name.
Writer Darach Ó Séaghdha is all too familiar with these difficulties. (The “rach” in Darach is pronounced like “Bach”, he says.)He hosted a podcast called Motherfoclóir, a podcast about the Irish language and culture, and whenever there were guests on with Irish names, “inevitably the episode would turn into group therapy”. There was one bad experience, he recalls, when he was told that his surname “looked like a wifi password”. But he decided to give his children Irish names, too. It’s a common trend, he says, “because parents with Irish names have been battle-hardened”.
Like the others I spoke to for this piece, writer and director Rioghnach (think “Ree-nock”)Ní Ghrioghair believes that a sense of superiority among English speakers is to blame for the constant mistreatment of Irish names. But she’s defiant. “We are going to scrutinise the British for any transgression regarding the pronunciation of our names,” and other things, she tells me, like British media claiming Irish actors as their own during awards seasons.
There is no easy crash-course I can give to you on the pronunciation of Irish names, but you can always try out “how to pronounce”-style websites (which themselves can be contested). But the simplest and most reliable solution is perhaps just to politely ask an Irish person – and listen attentively to what they say. I may have accepted that English people are very rarely going to get my name right on the first go, but I appreciate a well-intentioned effort. Just don’t laugh at it, please.
• Niamh Ní Hoireabhaird is a disability activist and journalist
When I lived in London, I quickly learned saying Niamh at the counter in a coffee shop wouldn’t fly
mental health support or treatment for an eating disorder. Drastic weight loss can have unpredictable effects on mental health: one study found that almost one in five people who receive bariatric surgery later experience depression.
Some people living with obesity have used food as a coping mechanism to deal with stress, or underlying mental health issues – they will need support once that coping mechanism is removed. Weight-loss treatments should be implemented as part of a much wider support programme that includes advice on nutrition and eating behaviour, psychological support and supported physical activity.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has released draft guidance recommending that Wegovy become available on the NHS for those with a BMI over 35, but for now the drug will only be sold through chemists such as Asda, Superdrug and Boots. You’ll still need a prescription, but these chemists won’t necessarily be able to ensure that the drug is used as part of a programme of wider support.
Obesity is complex, and is becoming widely recognised as a lifelong, chronic, relapsing disease. We can get better at management, but we haven’t found a cure, Wegovy included.
Healthcare practitioners need training in obesity management, access to a range of clinical tools and options to work with, and an evidence base to help inform treatment plans to meet individuals’ need. We also require considerable investment in specialised weight management services within the communities which need them most.
And while most people appropriately prescribed the drug will experience some benefits, Wegovy will not work for everyone. The drivers of obesity are diverse, and no drug addresses situational and psychology factors. Structural health inequalities, poverty, mental health issues and the impact of trauma – all shown to drive weight gain – will never be fixed by a jab.
Jason Halford is a professor of biological psychology and health behaviours at the University of Leeds and president of the European Association for the Study of Obesity
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