I agree, I wish I had paid more attention as a boy when my grandfather was still alive. However to honour this Gaelic Week the best I can do is tell a family story, in English.

My mother's family is from Cape Breton in Nova Scotia where there is still lots of Scot's Gaelic spoken, even radio broadcasts. Her maternal grandmother (a Cameron) learned Gaelic as her first language and only started speaking English when she went to school. When she reached her 70's, whether due to dementia or determination she lost, or refused to use, English. It was a major controversy in the family if she was genuinely afflicted or just being stubborn. In any case, in her last ten years she never was heard to speak a word of English.

It was a challenge to the family who had to seek medical attention and services for her only from Gaelic speakers. Fortunately in the 1950's in Cape Breton it was available.