ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines some of the more saliently non-standard grammatical characteristics of English usage in Ireland. 1 The term non-standard here is not meant to carry any implications of linguistic inferiority. It simply refers to the fact that the features in question don't correspond to institutionalized norms. For example, they aren't codified in dictionaries and grammar books in the way that standard norms are. Contrary to a widely held belief, such lack of official sanction doesn't reflect random or ‘careless’ deviation from the standard. Non-standard speech is no less systematic or rule-governed than standard speech.
