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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
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Niamh Ní Hoireabhaird

There is a surefire way for the English to correctly pronounce Irish names. Just ask us

The actor Saoirse Ronan on US TV show Late Night with Seth Meyers
The actor Saoirse Ronan on US TV show Late Night with Seth Meyers Photograph: NBC/NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Images

Last year, the lead singer of The 1975, Matt Healy, managed to offend a whole lot of Gaelgeoirí (Irish speakers) when he appeared to mock a fan’s name – Dervla – at a meet-and-greet.

Healy isn’t alone, though, when it comes to anglophone bafflement at Irish names. A recent study based on an analysis of Google searches revealed the words that British people have the most difficulty pronouncing. The names Aoife, Saoirse, Niamh and Siobhán occupy places in the top 10.

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