Irish English and Variational Pragmatics

The present chapter deals with pragmatic variation in relation to Irish English within the framework of variational pragmatics. It focuses specifically on pragmatic conventions in Irish English as they compare to other varieties of English, and on pragmatic variation within the variety of Irish English according to macro-social factors, such as region, gender, age, socio-economic status, and ethnic identity. An empirical cross-varietal study of request consents across Irish English and Canadian English, focusing also on gender variation within and across both varieties, is described with the aim of illustrating some of the methods, trends, and issues arising in the analysis of pragmatic variation in Irish English.