New laws to ensure that all road signs in Ireland are written in Gaelic have caused confusion among tourists.
According to The Daily Telegraph, hundreds of foreign visitors have reported getting lost – with some straying as far as 60 miles off-course – since the new law was introduced. The law is intended to make sure the country preserves its culture but the newspaper states that it is already proving a matter of concern for the tourist industry.
Just 90,000 of the country’s inhabitants are fluent in Gaelic.
The Telegraph’s reporter Thomas Harding describes how two Parisian travellers, with “much shrugging”, complained: “We are lost.We have just gone through a village but we did not know its name.This change is not very good for us tourists.”
However Rachel Hendry, 29, from Edinburgh, reportedly said: “I don’t mind if we get lost because it makes it more interesting. We took a wrong turn and now we have found something beautiful.”
A spokesman for the tourist ministry is quoted as saying: “Obviously we accept that this is an issue for tourists but the reason why a lot of people go there is because they are Irish speakers.”
Report by Tim Gillett,
News From Abroad Ltd www.newsfromabroad.com
