Ireland is taking in Ukrainian refugees.

This is all very well, but there is a housing crisis here with over 10,000 [Irish] families homeless.   But the Ukrainians still pour in with nowhere to put them.

Basically, they are being placed anywhere that has a roof.  Calls have gone out to the public to host families in the spare room.  Hotels, hostels and guest houses are all being used.  They are talking about resorting to tents again.

Naturally the refugees find themselves in strange and in some cases rather remote places.  Quite a few have landed in a Gaeltacht [one of the areas in Ireland where Gaeilge – the Irish language – is predominant].  So kids in school are naturally taught Irish as the main language.

I feel very sorry for those Ukranian kids.  They are flown to the far edge of a continent into a strange country where few speak Ukrainian and in the middle of this strangeness they have to learn a new language.

So the kids happily head off ag caint Gaelge [talking Irish] amongst themselves.

And very few will understand them…..