Setting up an Irish Keyboard

Here's some instructions on how to set up a keyboard in Windows XP. If you Windows Vista, Windows 7, the way to get to this will be slightly different, although the end part (selecting the keyboard) will most likely be the same.
If you use a mac, I'm sorry I can't help you, as I don't know anything about how a Mac works.

In WINDOWS XP
Go to 'Start' ==> 'Control Panel' ==> 'Regional and Language Options' ==> 'Languages' ==>Details

Below 'Installed Services' you'll see the list of languages your computer is already set up for.
If you see 'IR' and 'Irish(Ireland)' there - you're set up. Close everything down and go to below for detailed instructions on 'Using this keyboard'.

If you don't see 'IR' and 'Irish(Ireland)' - you're going to have to install it. Don't worry - it's really not scary.
Click 'Add' button ==> click on 'input language' dropdown and scroll down until you find 'Irish' ==> click on it to highlight it and move to keyboard layout IME
This will probably have 'Irish' in it. You can leave this, OR select 'Gaelic' from this dropdown. As far as I can see, you get the same output from both.
CLICK apply - OK - OK and close down to leave your control panel.
Now you're ready to start - almost.

Using this keyboard

Now you'll notice most likely on the bottom right of your screen that an EN has appeared. Click on it!
And you'll get a wee panel popping up. You'll see all the languages you have selected in the languages section of Control Panel.
So if you only had English and Irish selected, that's all there will be here. You can add Cantonese and Russian later, if you want.
For now - to select the Irish keyboard - just click to get the popup and click on 'Irish'. You'll see 'IR' is now displayed. If not (ie you still have EN), try again.
If you want to change this using your keyboard, rather than all this mouse clicking - to change your keyboard language - go back to 'Regional and Language Options' ==> 'Details' and set it up in Key Settings.

To create the à ì è ò ù - you just hit the ¬` button (just above 'tab') on your keyboard, then a e i o or u and you get the vowel with the accent over it. Peasy!

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