Hey guys -
I want to learn Irish. But in doing my research I have found that there are several different dialects. I’m told there are three main ones: Munster, Connacht and Ulster.
What are the differences? Which is the ‘best’ one to learn? I have been looking into a language course in Co. Donegal, that would be Ulster, right?
Thanks all,
Beth
There are a few Gaeilge speakers on the whistle board - you’ll probably have better results posting your question over there.
Since we “speak” music here…
Some links that might help until someone on the whistle board gets to your question:
http://www.daltai.com/
http://www.smo.uhi.ac.uk/
http://www.ceantar.org/
http://www.ibiblio.org/gaelic/
Teri
Actually I posted to both boards. 
Thanks for the links, Teri!
Sorry, Beth - shows how much attention I pay to the whistle board. Hope they can help.
Teri
150 years ago (when all of Ireland outside of the Dublin Pale) was still Gaelic speaking, a walking tour from Cork in the South to Donegal in the far north would have gradually brought out the shifts in pronunciation, and the regional colloquialisms, to anyone making such a trip. (Very much like a trip from Georgia to Maine would illustrate the differences in American English dialects.)
From the standpoint of beginning to learn how to speak Irish, then, it would make good sense to begin right in the middle – wouldn’t it, now? Learn the Connemara (western Galway & Mayo) dialect first, since you will have a lesser “jump” to make, should you want to learn either the northern or southern dialect later on. Connemara is by far the largest Gaeltacht (native Irish-speaking) area left in Ireland, anyway. My wife, a native speaker, was born there, and she never had any trouble reading & writing the Munster and Donegal versions of Irish, although she of course always recognized the minor differences.
'luck now,
brian_k