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Frank McNally’s diaries bring back tales of Kerry speech

A reader recalls the charming quirks of Kerry speech and the variations that make Irish English unique

Letters to the Editor. Illustration: Paul Scott
The Irish Times - Letters to the Editor.
Sat Feb 28 2026 - 06:00 • 1 MIN READ

Sir, - Frank McNally’s diaries on pronunciation reminded me of Kerry long ago where I heard “sixpence” pronounced as “suckspence”.

There was also the variation of the word “awhile” as illustrated in the story of the lad going into the hardware shop saying “my mother sent me in for a file”. The shop assistant said ”yerrah, you can stay here as long as you like”. - Yours, etc,

TED O’KEEFFE,

Ranelagh,

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