Surname gaelicised by teacher

[johnfás]

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).

Is it? Never happened to me. Only time I ever endured a gaelicised name was on a trip to the Gaeltacht on my school holidays.

[Sync]

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

It's not something you'd naturally think of telling the school all right. If I moved to Spain and sent your kid to school, it would never cross your mind, "I need to contact them to make sure they don't change his name".

It's a small issue of course on the part of one teacher. It's tiny. I'm sure they'll apologise in the morning if it's mentioned to them.

[Sailor]

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.

That's downright bad manners

[Cellach]

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.

The Fitzgeralds of Kildare saw fit to change the name to Fitzcarraldo when they entered the service of the kings of Spain. All though I suppose technically as its a Norman name this doesn't count.

[Fraxinus_]

What is the Irish for De Valera?

Sionnach

[Cellach]

What is the Irish for De Valera?

As Valera.

[Hillmanhunter1]

I'd say the teacher has always done it and did it without thinking it would cause offence. 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.

I suspect that you're probably right, I'm sure that no offence was intended, and in all likelihood I'll tear up the "both barrels" version of the letter to the Principal and send something altogether more polite to the effect that I would prefer if his name was not changed.

The fact that the teacher may not have thought twice about it is however interesting in its own right. As other posters have pointed out if we moved abroad his name would not have been translated (Citroendyanne1 in France, Fiatpanda1 in Italy!!). Why is it that in Ireland this is considered (by some) to be appropriate?

Some posters have wondered what Hillmanhunter Jnr thinks. He's bemused by it, he understands that his surname is English, and thinks its odd that his name was changed.

[sondagefaux]

Is it? Never happened to me.

Then your surname must be hard to Gaelicize. You didn't happen to go to a C of I school by any chance?

The school hasn't changed this kid's surname. His surname is still the same on his birth certificate, will still be the same in future on his passport, driving licence, the electoral register etc etc.

If his parents don't want a different version of his surname used, then just politely inform the school instead of going ballistic.

Why didn't they inform the school in advance?

If their son was lactose intolerant they'd tell the school, if their son was a vegan they'd tell the school.

I don't see this as being much different to those situations.

[John Kalahan]

Riomscaí-Corsaichobh.

Ask me another.

How about " Hyakushou, Nouka"?

[sparkey321]

My guess is your alias is "Bateman" and you're an anti-Irish troll.

Joel

No offence but this must be the 20th or 30th poster you have accused of being bateman.

Every poster you disagree with (which in fairness is a majority of posters here) is now suddenly Bateman.

And as for being anti-Irish..... Get a grip.. are you really that insecure ??

Back on topic.

My surname was good enough for my Father, My grandfather my Great Grandfather and their Fathers going back hundreds of years. That's not to mention my uncles, aunts, grand uncles, grand aunts and cousins.

Its my heritage, my history its what I am and I am proud of it.

If some one decided that my name, my forefathers name was not good enough for my child and unilaterally decided to change it then of course I would be annoyed and upset. And I would have every right to be.

If that makes me anti-Irish then good luck to you.