It’s not just the Irish who have good crack | Letter

Sean Boyle suspects that the Gaelicised spelling of craic' may be a more recent ploy to attract tourists

Andrew Poole (Letters, 26 August) is of course correct that crack" has a long history in Scots and north-eastern English. But it also existed in Ireland well before its late 20th-century emergence as craic". Growing up in south Ulster, it was in regular use by young and old - Sure, he's great crack"; Was there any crack in town last night?"; She'd go anywhere for a bit of crack". We seldom had recourse to spelling it out, but wouldn't have considered any spelling other than crack".

I agree that the adoption of the Gaelicised craic" is of fairly recent origin. I have no recollection of its use among Gaelic speakers and I suspect that it's a tourism marketing man's invention, circa 1980. Gaelicising it suggests that there's something unique about Irish fun and distances it from other meanings of the word. Otherwise, a slogan such as Come to Ireland for the crack" might well attract the wrong sort of tourist.
Sean Boyle
London