This site uses cookies to improve your experience and to provide services and advertising.
By continuing to browse, you agree to the use of cookies described in our Cookies Policy.
You may change your settings at any time but this may impact on the functionality of the site.
To learn more see our
Cookies Policy.
Download our app
Anyone with a fada in their name will relate to this Irish girl's struggles with Three
AS ANYONE WITH lots of vowels or a fada in their name will tell you, it’s not easy having an Irish name.
Earlier today, Caoimhe Ní Chathail was using Three’s website when she encountered a problem: the website refused to accept her name on account of it being Irish.
She outlined her frustration in a series of tweets to Three.
Three’s suggestion? Translate your name into English.
Three Ireland / Twitter Three Ireland / Twitter / Twitter
Oh dear.
Needless to say, Three’s suggestion did not go over well.
“The fact that translation into English seems to be the answer here is ridiculous,” she wrote. “I have every right to use my name in Irish.”
The interaction subsequently went viral with many criticising Three’s initial response, as well as their site’s inability to deal with Irish language names.
Three later apologised for the “embarrassing slip up” and promised they were “working on a solution”.
So what did Ní Chathail make of the fuss? She told DailyEdge.ie that she was “quite overwhelmed by the extent to which it blew up,” but wasn’t that surprised on account of how active the Irish language community are on social media.
She explained that companies not recognising Irish language names is a common occurrence, hence her frustration.
“The reason I decided to highlight it is because so many people have to deal with the exact same situation every day,” she stated. “Whether it’s a lack of respect for wanting your name in Irish or software not being able to handle a fada, it’s a daily occurrence.”
While she was “infuriated” by Three’s response, she stated that she has since accepted the company’s apology and intends to follow up.
DailyEdge is on Snapchat! Tap the button below to add!
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
As Gaeilge Craic In the name of the Fada