gig 13 March 2008
I was at a most unusual comedy gig tonight and it was great. Basically, over the last few years, Des Bishop (stand-up comedian extraordinaire) has taken to making tv programmes during which he takes on a task – he once spent time working in various jobs earning the minimum Irish wage and trying to survive on it, another time he went to disadvantaged areas and did comedy workshops and some of the people he worked with are now full time comedians. This time out he spent a year learning the Irish language and tonight he did his one and only major gig IN GAELIC. It was magical. Coincidentally, the tv show began airing this evening too. Catch it if you can. I know this is torture for those of you who live elsewhere in the world – sorry. What is interesting though, wherever you live, is his idea that to understand a community, in a meaningful way, you must immerse yourself in its language and this is all the more poignant as Irish/Gaelic is only really spoken fluently in pockets of Ireland. However, as he pointed out also, they don’t really give a shit (especially in the west of the country where he was) it’s just what they do, no big deal, a way of life. I learned Irish at school and was very lucky to have a brilliant teacher, Miss Dore, so I loved the language – most school kids here are at the mercy of a stupid syllabus and a system that just wants them to pass exams rather than love what they’re studying, and it is a truly beautiful and cussed language – difficult and cranky to learn but a total joy when mastered (I never got that far but I do love it still)
