Surname gaelicised by teacher

[Johnny]

What gets me is when they're announcing the time of news bulletins on RTE.
In English, they say "Nuacht will be at 12:30"

That's beacuase it's the actual name of the programme. You would also hear "Dúirt sé ar an Late Late Show...." etc on TG4, RnaG, et al.

[stewiegriffin]

It would have been polite to let the school know in advance that you didn't want your son's surname Gaelicized for any reason.

It would have been polite of the school just to call the child by his given name .Too much too ask ?

[johnfás]

I always thought it peculiar why this is done. If your name isn't Gaelic in origin or you're not from a family with an Anglo-Irish name that Gaelicised its surname why change the name at all. If I go to Italy, and my name was Paul Murphy, they wouldn't change it to Paulo Di Murphio. If I went to Spain my name wouldn't change from James Hennessy to Jaime Hennessez, in Holland it wouldn't change from Joe Kelly to Jo Van der Kellyklamp etc etc. Why is it done here. Its ridiculous.

+1!!!

And beyond that, if people wish to fiddle with their names that is their own perogative, it shouldn't be forced upon anyone.

[QuizMaster]

That's beacuase it's the actual name of the programme. You would also hear "Dúirt sé ar an Late Late Show...." etc on TG4, RnaG, et al.

Fair enough so.

[joel]

I always thought it peculiar why this is done. If your name isn't Gaelic in origin or you're not from a family with an Anglo-Irish name that Gaelicised its surname why change the name at all. If I go to Italy, and my name was Paul Murphy, they wouldn't change it to Paulo Di Murphio. If I went to Spain my name wouldn't change from James Hennessy to Jaime Hennessez, in Holland it wouldn't change from Joe Kelly to Jo Van der Kellyklamp etc etc. Why is it done here. Its ridiculous.

It isn't! - stop jumping to the Trolls bait. THINK!

[buachailrua]

I have an English surname, my family name has been in Ireland since the Elizabethan plantation. The vast majority of my forebears were of Irish stock but, as is normal, I have the surname of my patrilineal ancestors. I'm proud of my name, like everyone else's it is part of my identity and my heritage.

Hillmanhunter1 Jnr came home from primary school yesterday with an attendance certificate in a name that is a gaelicised version of our surname. There is no Irish version of my surname (unlike perhaps names that were previously anglicised e.g. Murphy/Ó Murchú etc.). The name was made up by someone who, I guess, thought this was appropriate. I don't know if this treatment is reserved for those with an English surname or if the person concerned is also wrestling with the challenges of gaelicising the names of his Polish and Nigerian classmates!

My view is that this is extremely high-handed, and I'm going to let go with both barrels in a letter to the Principal. I'm interested in hearing if others have had this experience and/or if you agree/disagree with me.

Spare a thought for the Anglicised names in Ireland thanks to your ilk you big crybaby.

[sondagefaux]

It would have been polite of the school just to call the child by his given name .Too much too ask ?

It's standard practice for national schools in Ireland to call children by the Irish version of their surnames in roll calls (assuming there is an Irish version).

Clearly the teacher in this case followed that standard practice and did manage to come up with an Irish version of the surname.

If you want your child to be exempted from standard school practice, it's polite to inform the school in advance.

[QuizMaster]

Spare a thought for the Anglicised names in Ireland thanks to your ilk you big crybaby.

Yes, make him pay for the sins of his fathers why don't you.

[readytogo]

I always thought it peculiar why this is done. If your name isn't Gaelic in origin or you're not from a family with an Anglo-Irish name that Gaelicised its surname why change the name at all. If I go to Italy, and my name was Paul Murphy, they wouldn't change it to Paulo Di Murphio. If I went to Spain my name wouldn't change from James Hennessy to Jaime Hennessez, in Holland it wouldn't change from Joe Kelly to Jo Van der Kellyklamp etc etc. Why is it done here. Its ridiculous.

Traditionally that was actually quite common. I once met a Spaniard with a surname that was a weird spelling of O'Neill (cant remember it exactly but it was something like Onyell).

[John Kalahan]

It is. Nail on the head dear boy. If your surname was non-British, like "De Valera", the teacher wouldn't bother.

What is the Irish for De Valera?