British accents: northern and southern

[Mars_Rover]

Is there a big difference between the Northern Irish accents and those from the Republic of Ireland?

Yes, but as someone else said there's a lot of variation within those areas as well. Here's a very young Feargal Sharkey from the Undertones and other folks from Northern Ireland:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Y-KDb1IS_Ms

Dubliner Sinead O'Connor (the interviewer is also from the Republic of Ireland):
http://youtube.com/watch?v=xP-F2GkHxMA&mode=related&search=

 

[TLOTFamousIP]

Is there a big difference between the Northern Irish accents and those from the Republic of Ireland? Can you find a clip as an example?

One's British and one's not

There is a big difference, in the same way there's a big difference between the North and South of England. Let's face it, Ireland is just one country really if you strip away the politics.

 

[nightandday]

Here's an interesting website I've just discovered:

http://www.bl.uk/learning/langlit/sounds/index.html

 

[HIM]

[...] Let's face it, Ireland is just one country really if you strip away the politics.

that's not really true, sir.

 

[Mars_Rover]

BUt,sadly,most Scottish people do hate themselves,their country and the rest of the world:it's pretty deeply ingrained stemming from,i believe, a complete lack of confidence and self worth.

Really? That is sad. Would you say that's an issue with the English as well? They seem to put themselves down a lot too -- or at least it seems that way sometimes from an American perspective. I read on some British news sites today that Gordon Brown wants to come up with a British national motto. You can imagine what readers sent in as suggestions, some of it was funny but most of it was negative.

On the other hand, one could argue that America as a nation can sometimes take the notion of self-esteem to an obnoxious extreme Our national motto could be "We're number one! Wooh!" Bloody awful...

 

[snapyou]

Really? That is sad. Would you say that's an issue with the English as well? They seem to put themselves down a lot too -- or at least it seems that way sometimes from an American perspective. I read on some British news sites today that Gordon Brown wants to come up with a British national motto. You can imagine what readers sent in as suggestions, some of it was funny but most of it was negative.

On the other hand, one could argue that America as a nation can sometimes take the notion of self-esteem to an obnoxious extreme Our national motto could be "We're number one! Wooh!" Bloody awful...

I think the English suffer from it to a much lesser extent.
Yes,the Americans are,in general, a much more optimistic,confident people:not a bad thing. EXCEPT,when it leads to nationalism/jingoism as seems to be the case in their recent foreign policy

 

[nightandday]

Yes, but as someone else said there's a lot of variation within those areas as well. Here's a very young Feargal Sharkey from the Undertones and other folks from Northern Ireland:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Y-KDb1IS_Ms

Dubliner Sinead O'Connor (the interviewer is also from the Republic of Ireland):
http://youtube.com/watch?v=xP-F2GkHxMA&mode=related&search=

Thanks. I think that most Irish people I've had a chance to hear speaking must have been from Northern Ireland. Is it just me or does the Irish accent Sinead speaks sound a tiny bit like American? While Northen Irish sounds a bit like Scottish....

yeah, there can be quite a noticeable difference. there are quite a few variations even within Nortnern Ireland, depending on specific location. the dialect, there, is a kind of hybrid of the Irish and Scottish dialects because of historical migration and stuff.

Maybe that's why?

 

[TLOTFamousIP]

that's not really true, sir.

I didn't word that well, on reflection. It WAS one country rather.

 

[HIM]

I didn't word that well, on reflection. It WAS one country rather.

well, that depends really on how nationhood is constructed, but i get what you mean.

 

[the more you explore me!]

Renton's (Ewan McGregor) speech in this clip is spot on:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0nPXOAREU0&feature=PlayList&p=B272D4F254F8F63C&index=9

Is that you being 'subtle', i don't call myself 'english' but British as my parents weren't born in England.

anyway: london (north. where i live)

 

[snapyou]

Thanks. I think that most Irish people I've had a chance to hear speaking must have been from Northern Ireland. Is it just me or does the Irish accent Sinead speaks sound a tiny bit like American? While Northen Irish sounds a bit like Scottish....


Maybe that's why?

Yes,she does sometimes sound a bit American.I haven't notced any other Irish with that slight twang

 

[snapyou]

Nightandday,do you really have an obsession on Night and Day the tv soap?

I've never heard of it:any good?

 

[nightandday]

Nightandday,do you really have an obsession on Night and Day the tv soap?

I've never heard of it:any good?

Not many people have, unfortunately... It's very underrated, it never had much exposure, shown in very bad timeslots, on the wrong channel (ITV)... It has a very small, but very dedicated fan base. N&D fans from UK complain about ITV's treatment of the show.

I think it was brilliant, far too weird, original and surreal for that channel. Its creators wanted to do with the format of British soap something similar to what Twin Peaks did to American small town soaps. They used lots of background music all the time, there were lots of flashbacks and fantasy scenes, and the cinematography and editing contributed to a surreal feeling. When it started, it looked almost like a regular teenage soap. But the main character disappeared after the first week of the show, and then for most of the series she was only in flashbacks and fantasy scenes - the other characters kept seeing her in visions. The show was basically a very dark drama, but it also had a lot of weird humour. The storylines were deliberately bizarre, but unlike many shows where the writers make it up as they go along, the central mystery was obviously well planned and it came to a really great conclusion. The characters were all very well rounded, and the acting was strong. They mixed more realistic elements with camp and irony. All in all, it was a unique show, and very unusual.

I happen to have quite a few episodes on VHS, and since I've bought a TV card, I've uploaded lots of videos to Youtube. You can take a look at some of them:

the show's opening scene...great use of music. You'd never guess from this clip how dark and weird the show would become.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=siU76e0mPi4

another scene from one of the early episodes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgMCANb80_M

this is one of my favourite scenes: http://youtube.com/watch?v=xB-AcXdMoGU

another 'vision', quite spooky: http://youtube.com/watch?v=3yHF4hn7AXs

a character having a blackout and flashbacks:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPzKCWl0jZQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYP7ADe6A9U

another character talking to an 'imaginary friend': http://youtube.com/watch?v=5WmzxgCXg8Y

an example of the use of flashbacks: http://youtube.com/watch?v=5YCsmn6JWzk

a few examples of the show's weird humour:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=5Vnq7SWREkI

http://youtube.com/watch?v=3K6V6mrmas4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_0pqr8U-dU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDCwJV3coEI

And this is from an entire episode devoted to alternate reality, imagined by one of the characters. I had to upload it in two parts at the time because the file was too big. Don't miss the 2nd part, where it all gets really crazy:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=uJvPpnZiq1c

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFiRk85qFnk

 

[Please]

In my view there is a huge difference between the North and South of London let alone Britain

 

[Not Right in the Head]

Thanks. I think that most Irish people I've had a chance to hear speaking must have been from Northern Ireland. Is it just me or does the Irish accent Sinead speaks sound a tiny bit like American? While Northen Irish sounds a bit like Scottish....

Because we both pronounce our "r"s as "arr," not "ah." Irish & Scottish have had more of an influence on the American accent than the various English accents did. But when I watched the vid of the guy demonstrating the various accents, the West Midlands one sounded closest to what we speak.

 

[the more you explore me!]

some nice welsh boys.

I am surprised nobody has picked up on what and who they are talking about!

 

[the judge]

I am surprised nobody has picked up on what and who they are talking about!

I did, but I didn't write it.
It's MOOOOOZ

 

[snapyou]

I am surprised nobody has picked up on what and who they are talking about!

Oh,wee Richie had a great grasp on politics,eh?
"I've studied history all my life...it's the most horrific event in world history."
What a loss to us all

 

[Morrissey the 23rd]

The Wedding Present - I`m From Further North Than You

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TB88GGGYtIw

 

[the more you explore me!]

Adam & Joe - Vinyl Justice, with Cerys Matthews



Cerys Matthews, singer (Cardiff, Wales)

Adam Buxton & Joe Cornish, writers, comedians (london)