Why does the Republic of Ireland have so many billingual "Drive on Left" signs?

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bothar
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Re: Why does the Republic of Ireland have so many billingual "Drive on Left" signs?

Post by bothar »

exiled wrote: Thu Jun 03, 2021 15:37 Why is it not in Irish, or in Gaelic in Scotland? As the Irish sign advice about them says.
Since Sign W 169 is intended for foreign drivers
whose primary language is not English, there is no
need for an Irish version, even in Gaeltacht areas.
Many nationalities will be using English to navigate in Ireland. Other than people from Nova Scotia there aren't many Gaelic speakers with an inclination to drive on the right. That said, the person charged with Irish language matters in south Kerry is from Moscow.

I'm not sure of the value of these signs, but a few well positioned arrows at popular sights could help. Such roads often have good markings and repainting arrows when the centre line is being done is not much extra work.
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Chris Bertram
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Re: Why does the Republic of Ireland have so many billingual "Drive on Left" signs?

Post by Chris Bertram »

There are an estimated 2,000 Scottish Gaelic speakers in NS. Even if they all arrived in Ireland at once, it would still be a small fraction of the number of tourists present. And they'll all speak English as well anyway.
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exiled
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Re: Why does the Republic of Ireland have so many billingual "Drive on Left" signs?

Post by exiled »

Chris Bertram wrote: Fri Jun 04, 2021 21:52 There are an estimated 2,000 Scottish Gaelic speakers in NS. Even if they all arrived in Ireland at once, it would still be a small fraction of the number of tourists present. And they'll all speak English as well anyway.
A large number of them are likely to be L2/3 after English and French. Argentina probably has the most L1 speakers of Celtic languages outside Europe and those will be small in number. Apart from this group in Canada, Gaelic is also taught in PEI and NB, all Q Celtic speakers live in drive on left countries. P Celtic are split, Wales, Cornwall, Brittany, and Chubut.

It is interesting that at Confederation in 1867 and for a few decades after there were enough speakers of Gaelic in Canada to make a case that it join English and French as working languages of Canada.
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Cian
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Re: Why does the Republic of Ireland have so many billingual "Drive on Left" signs?

Post by Cian »

FosseWay wrote: Thu Jun 03, 2021 16:54
Cian wrote: Sun May 23, 2021 18:25 There was an mp/h sign on Arranmore Island in Donegal for many, many years after the changeover. The Streetview is Summer 2010 but it was there after that. Can't confirm its still there.
It was there in the summer of 2011. Unfortunately haven't been back to Ireland, with the exception of a flying visit to Dublin, since then (more of a pain to get there from here than from the UK).
Still there this morning!
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Re: Why does the Republic of Ireland have so many billingual "Drive on Left" signs?

Post by M50Jct15 »

Cian wrote: Sun Jun 27, 2021 20:41
FosseWay wrote: Thu Jun 03, 2021 16:54
Cian wrote: Sun May 23, 2021 18:25 There was an mp/h sign on Arranmore Island in Donegal for many, many years after the changeover. The Streetview is Summer 2010 but it was there after that. Can't confirm its still there.
It was there in the summer of 2011. Unfortunately haven't been back to Ireland, with the exception of a flying visit to Dublin, since then (more of a pain to get there from here than from the UK).
Still there this morning!
Looks like it was on the side of a road that has now been replaced by the existing road. It's clearly not online...so maybe they just leave it there for nostalgia?!
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Re: Why does the Republic of Ireland have so many billingual "Drive on Left" signs?

Post by Cian »

M50Jct15 wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 00:38
Cian wrote: Sun Jun 27, 2021 20:41
FosseWay wrote: Thu Jun 03, 2021 16:54

It was there in the summer of 2011. Unfortunately haven't been back to Ireland, with the exception of a flying visit to Dublin, since then (more of a pain to get there from here than from the UK).
Still there this morning!
Looks like it was on the side of a road that has now been replaced by the existing road. It's clearly not online...so maybe they just leave it there for nostalgia?!
That's been the line of that road since the pier walls were built in the 1970s. The sign was not erected until the 1990s, in that location.
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Re: Why does the Republic of Ireland have so many billingual "Drive on Left" signs?

Post by spacetweek »

Cian wrote: Wed Aug 04, 2021 10:32 That's been the line of that road since the pier walls were built in the 1970s. The sign was not erected until the 1990s, in that location.
I have to ask.... how do you know that?
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Mark Hewitt
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Re: Why does the Republic of Ireland have so many billingual "Drive on Left" signs?

Post by Mark Hewitt »

Side of the road arrows are very common on the West Coast of Scotland. Even just on junctions. This example probably because it's leading from a single track road. https://goo.gl/maps/MJ8MXVKgnnVDmxCC9
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Re: Why does the Republic of Ireland have so many billingual "Drive on Left" signs?

Post by James1 »

Having a cuppa wrote: Wed May 19, 2021 03:31
RJDG14 wrote: Mon May 17, 2021 17:12 I saw a couple of old pre-metrification mph speed limit signs on minor roads in Co. Mayo back in 2017.
Do you have any street view links of these remaining signs or at least remember the area?
Here are a few weird ones that I know of if you're still interested. The first ones private property and has "mph" added and the second is a housing estate built a few years before metrication and was probably missed
https://www.google.com/maps/@51.9160864 ... 384!8i8192
https://www.google.com/maps/@51.9019735 ... 384!8i8192
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Re: Why does the Republic of Ireland have so many billingual "Drive on Left" signs?

Post by Glen »

There's a gallery with a selection of various drive on the left signs here:
Gallery:Drive_on_the_left
Cian
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Re: Why does the Republic of Ireland have so many billingual "Drive on Left" signs?

Post by Cian »

spacetweek wrote: Thu Sep 16, 2021 16:04
Cian wrote: Wed Aug 04, 2021 10:32 That's been the line of that road since the pier walls were built in the 1970s. The sign was not erected until the 1990s, in that location.
I have to ask.... how do you know that?
Local. Ish.
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Owain
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Re: Why does the Republic of Ireland have so many billingual "Drive on Left" signs?

Post by Owain »

bothar wrote: Fri Jun 04, 2021 21:39 I'm not sure of the value of these signs, but a few well positioned arrows at popular sights could help. Such roads often have good markings and repainting arrows when the centre line is being done is not much extra work.
Who knows if they make any difference?

I can see why they are there though. I've driven all over the Continent and never had any trouble driving on the right. The only place where I've ever mixed up which side I'm supposed to be on is .... Scotland!

I put it down to Scotland being sufficiently different from England for me to enter a 'holiday' mindset. And I've done it twice. In both cases it was on a rural road with no markings and no traffic; when there are markings and traffic it is very hard to get it wrong, irrespective of whether the car you're driving is LHD or RHD.

I've never got it wrong in Ireland, you'll be relieved to hear!
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