Regional Accents

[SouthOfThe Bann]

I (with my quintessential mucksavage Ros accent) clocked in a good few summers back in the day TEFL teaching in UCG (it'll always be UCG to me, no matter how many iterations it goes through).
Spaniards in particular used to always be amazed at the range of accents, across the different teachers, the staff, taxi drivers and bus drivers, and so on, even if we didn't particularly notice ourselves.  One of them one time, very woebegone, reckoned we speak 100 different Englishes in this country.
Based on that, I used to always tell them the clearest pronunciation they would here in English would be in Conamara.  Something about the way they clip certain syllables,  it always sounded very precise,  and not the typical weshtern sthicks and sthones stereotype.
I'm a long time in Offaly now- was very surprised day one that everyone doesn't speak Pure Mule.  In fact, in the younger generations it's hard to find a pure Offaly accent- could be that it's in danger of dying out!!

In my University days I found the Tullamore accent to be one of the most recognisable accents out there.

Maybe it's dying out since that.

[Silver hill]

Massive accent variance within south Derry never mind north and south Derry or city. Take Kilrea for example, very broad Antrim influence compared to 5 miles up the road in Swatragh which would definitely be a lot softer.

[bennydorano]

The Mourne accent and Bangor accent would be quite different, although a few mile down the road from Bangor, around Portavogie, their accent would be more similar to the Mourne accent although it's probably 40+ mile away.

Down is one county I can't pick out of the ulster counties.

Id know a Tyrone Donegal Derry South Armagh Belfast or North Antrim accent if I heard it and it was strong enough but can never pick out a Down accent.

I agree about the mourne area accent, I once worked with someone from Leitrim (Co down) area I think, before I found out where they were from I was assuming that's up around the top of Lough Neagh sort of accent.

[Orior]

Accents are fascinating. My village is a melting pot of 16th century Scots planation (west county Down), 17th century English plantation (east county Armagh) and indiginous Irish.

[rodney trotter]

Interesting topic though... Which county has the greatest contrast in accents?

Armagh Louth and Meath contenders id reckon. Dublin also

Accents in cavan can sound  different. Swanlinbar has a bit of a fermanagh twang. Cootehill/drumgoon bit of Monaghan. Kingsourt like Nobber in Meath. Where Counties border the accent is a bit different.

[Tony Baloney]

The Mourne accent and Bangor accent would be quite different, although a few mile down the road from Bangor, around Portavogie, their accent would be more similar to the Mourne accent although it's probably 40+ mile away.

Down is one county I can't pick out of the ulster counties.

Id know a Tyrone Donegal Derry South Armagh Belfast or North Antrim accent if I heard it and it was strong enough but can never pick out a Down accent.

I agree about the mourne area accent, I once worked with someone from Leitrim (Co down) area I think, before I found out where they were from I was assuming that's up around the top of Lough Neagh sort of accent.

Kilkeel and areas on the Ards peninsula could easily be mistaken for N. and E. Antrim.

[johnnycool]

The Mourne accent and Bangor accent would be quite different, although a few mile down the road from Bangor, around Portavogie, their accent would be more similar to the Mourne accent although it's probably 40+ mile away.

Down is one county I can't pick out of the ulster counties.

Id know a Tyrone Donegal Derry South Armagh Belfast or North Antrim accent if I heard it and it was strong enough but can never pick out a Down accent.

I agree about the mourne area accent, I once worked with someone from Leitrim (Co down) area I think, before I found out where they were from I was assuming that's up around the top of Lough Neagh sort of accent.

Kilkeel and areas on the Ards peninsula could easily be mistaken for N. and E. Antrim.

Feck aff ye bollox ye!

We're proficient in Ulster Scats being only a few miles away from Portavogie, but there are discernable differences.

[Tony Baloney]

The Mourne accent and Bangor accent would be quite different, although a few mile down the road from Bangor, around Portavogie, their accent would be more similar to the Mourne accent although it's probably 40+ mile away.

Down is one county I can't pick out of the ulster counties.

Id know a Tyrone Donegal Derry South Armagh Belfast or North Antrim accent if I heard it and it was strong enough but can never pick out a Down accent.

I agree about the mourne area accent, I once worked with someone from Leitrim (Co down) area I think, before I found out where they were from I was assuming that's up around the top of Lough Neagh sort of accent.

Kilkeel and areas on the Ards peninsula could easily be mistaken for N. and E. Antrim.

Feck aff ye bollox ye!

We're proficient in Ulster Scats being only a few miles away from Portavogie, but there are discernable differences.

Plenty of wee dafties down those parts 

[johnnycool]

The Mourne accent and Bangor accent would be quite different, although a few mile down the road from Bangor, around Portavogie, their accent would be more similar to the Mourne accent although it's probably 40+ mile away.

Down is one county I can't pick out of the ulster counties.

Id know a Tyrone Donegal Derry South Armagh Belfast or North Antrim accent if I heard it and it was strong enough but can never pick out a Down accent.

I agree about the mourne area accent, I once worked with someone from Leitrim (Co down) area I think, before I found out where they were from I was assuming that's up around the top of Lough Neagh sort of accent.

Kilkeel and areas on the Ards peninsula could easily be mistaken for N. and E. Antrim.

Feck aff ye bollox ye!

We're proficient in Ulster Scats being only a few miles away from Portavogie, but there are discernable differences.

Plenty of wee dafties down those parts 

As one of our wise old sages said to one of the Tullaroan mentors when they were visiting us 5 or 6 years ago, "why didn't you leave your dafties at home? we've plenty of our own already".

[bennydorano]

How does Aidan O'brien manage to look and sound like the Viper