[Magdalen] Irish Eyes.

[Cantor03 at aol.com]

In a message dated 8/29/2015 2:07:26 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
michaudme at gmail.com writes:

If you  lived in Boston, you'd be amazed at the number of Irish
people who live  here part-time or for part of their lives. Some
of this has to do with  higher education, some with economic
opportunity. But it's not uncommon for  people to stay a few
years and then go back, or to go back when they  retire.
Several friends and colleagues have done this.

May explain  why they start sounding like North Americans.

Then there's  television.>>>>>>>
 
 
 
Yes, I've encountered this return situation in Pennsylvania, too.
 
A puzzling phenomenon about the Irish in Boston is that Boston is
strongly non-rhotic, so if the Irish immigrants are sounding like
North Americans, you'd think it would be the Boston Accent where
"r's" (terminal and internal) are not pronounced.
 
There was a fair amount of this vacillating by earlier  immigrants
from Europe, too.  The Scandinavians returned to the Old Country
with great frequency.  There was also the business of going back
to find a suitable bride.
 
Although television shows enhance Irish understanding of North
American English, I don't think there is much influence (other
than slang) on the Irish Accent.  An example of this is the USA
Southern accent which seems unfazed by national broadcasts
which are overwhelmingly with more general North American speech.
 
 
 
David Strang.