Hello. I'm a big Tolkien fan but am also Irish and an Irish (Gaelic) speaker. I was a wee bit saddened then to read Tolkien say the following :-
First hand-
" I have spent a good deal of time in Ireland, and am since last July actually a D. Litt. of University College Dublin; but be it noted I first set foot in 'Eire' in 1949 after The Lord of the Rings was finished, and find both Gaelic and the air of Ireland wholly alien – though the latter (not the language) is attractive." [JRRT to HM Co., June 1955; LETTERS p. 219)]
"I go frequently to Ireland (Eire: Southern Ireland) being fond of it and of (most of) its people; but the Irish language I find wholly unattractive. I hope that is enough to go on with." [JRRT to Rhona Beare, draft of October 1958; LETTERS p. 289]
Third hand -
"In a 1979 transcription of a discussion
on J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis,
George Sayer tells a remarkable story
about Tolkien describing Ireland as
'naturally evil.' He could 'feel,' Sayer relates,
'evil coming up from the earth,
from the peat bogs, from the clumps of trees,
even from the cliffs, and this evil
was only held in check by the great
devotion of the southern Irish
to their religion.' "
--Burns, PERILOUS REALMS, page 19*
And yet it seems he loves Wales. I do not think Tolkien loved Irish myth and yet the early version of the battle of Moytura (writtin in Irish) is very like the Silmarillion. Ho hum - his loss.......... The flying ships of the Gaels and the battle with Balor are amazing stories and have inspired many.
I'm currently studying for an MA in writing. One of the first things taught was that we should not always believe what authors tell us are their influence, as individuals are influenced both consciously and unconsciously.
It should be noted despite Tolkien finding Gaelic unattractive, he tried to learn it several times.......... ho hum... ;)
