For those who want to learn Irish, there's a Pimsleur basic course, which should give you a good start. Go to amazon.com and search for pimsleur irish, and it'll pop up.

States is right in a way; after all, look at the way the Romans wiped out thousands of cultures as their empire spread, starting with their Etruscan neighbours. The language, dance, stories, customs, herbal knowledge, lullabies, songs, paintings and all other marks of their beautiful individual culture was gone forever; all we have to remember the Etruscans by, for instance, is the statues with those beautiful smiles.

States is taking the Confucian view: if your culture is going to be raped, like back and enjoy it.