I was discussing English intonation on another forum, so I took interest in Irish intonation. There are apparently 7 Russian intonation patterns. Let's see how many we get in Irish.

1. Questions.

These have a gradual fall in pitch until the main stressed syllable is reached. If that is the final syllable, it has a small rising tone to it:

Ar mhaith leat misleáin? If you take 5 as being top pitch and 1 being the lowest, and 1-2 means a rising tone from the lowest to the second lowest, we have: Ar 5 mhaith 4 leat 3 mis- 2 leáin 1-2. Falling steadily until it reaches the stress, and because - leáin is final, a small rise.
Expressed using Unicode pitch marks this is: ꜒꜓꜔꜕↗︎

Where the main stress is not final, it is a low level tone (1-1) followed by rises thereafter:

Cár fhágais í? Cár 5 fhá- 1 gais 2 í 3 ꜒꜖꜕꜔

And there can be two main stresses, in which case they are both level tones, with rises thereafter;

Ar airís Seán a bheith pósta? Ar 5 a- 4 rís 3 Seán 1-1 a 2 bheith 3 pós- 1-1 ta 3 ꜒꜓꜔꜖꜕꜔꜖꜔

This is from IWM. I'll post intonation patterns for command, requests and statements later or tomorrow.

I think this is quite different from English intonation. Maybe the English spoken in Co. Cork is influenced by Irish intonation??? In English "do you like sweets?", "sweets" has the highest pitch. In "where did you leave it?" "leave" has the highest pitch. In "have you heard that Seán is married?", Seán and married both have a higher pitch.

2. Commands and requests
These have an overall falling intonation.
The first stressed syllable has a high level tone. (5-5)
A later stressed syllable has a falling tone (3-1, falling from 3 to 1)
An unstressed syllable after a stressed one normally has the same pitch.

Dún an doras, a Mháire: dún 5-5, an 5 dor- 3-1 as 1 a 1 mhái- 1 -re 1

Oscail an fhinneóg: os- 5-5 cail 5 an 5 fhi- 5 nneóg 3-1

Syllables before the main stress may rise towards it:

Bígís go maith anocht: bí 1 gís 2 go 3 maith 5-5 a- 5 nocht 3-1

Bailígís na ba ar an mbóthar: bai- 1 lí 5-5 gís 5 na 5 ba 4-4 ar 4 an 4 mbó- 3-1 thar 1

Ná is often the main stress (although not necessarily):

ná loit orm é: ná 5-5 loit 3-1 o- 1 -rm 1 é 1

Special emphasis can be shown by lengthening the fall in the stressed vowel (e.g 5-1):

ná creid in aon chor é: ná 1 creid 3 i- 4 n-aon 5-1 chor 1 é 1

Note: it is not necessarily so that all Irish dialects have the same intonation pattern. Does Conamara have a different pattern?

3. Statements Tune 1.

Tune 1 is effectively the same as the intonation for commands and requests.

Siúd chun an tsagairt é: siúd 5-5 chun 5 an 5 tsa 3-1 gairt 1 é 1

Do deineadh an pósadh: do 1 dei 5-5 neadh 5 an 5 pó 3-1 sadh 1

Dhein sé ana-shioc aréir: dhein 1 sé 2 an 3 -a 4 shioc 5-5 a- 5 réir 3-1

Níl: níl 3-1 (níl is in this tune as a reply to a question with emphasis)

Special emphasis by lengthening the falling tone:

Ní dhéanfad: ní 2 dhéan- 5-1 fad 1

With multiple main stresses (level stresses, and a falling tone in the final main stress):

Ní raibh sé ró-chruínn ar fad ann féin: ní 1 raibh 4-4 sé 4 ró 3 chruínn 5-5 ar 5 fad 3-1 ann 1 féin 1 [This unstressed "ann" can be pronounced /un/]

4. Statements Tune 2

This is used for less emphatic statements. The main stressed syllables are low level tones, or low rising tones if final. Unstressed syllables that follow are higher in pitch. Preceding unstressed syllables are higher, but may form a descending pattern as they move down towards the low-level stressed syllable. This produces a wavy or sing-song effect.

Dhíol Diarmuid an bhó bhán: dhíol 3 Diar- 1-1 muid 3 an 2 bhó1 bhán 1-2

Dhíol Séamus an capall agus cheannaigh Tadhg asal dubh: dhíol 3 Séa- 1-1 mus 3 an 2 cap- 1-1 all 5 ag- 4 us 3 cheann- 2 aigh 1 Tadhg 1-1 as- 3 al 2 dubh 1-2

Tá an méid seo dhuitse: tán 3 méid 1-1 seo 2 dhuit- 1-1 se 2

Monosyllables have this tune (a rising tone, given that the main syllable in monosyllabic sentences is final):

'Sea: 'sea (1-3)

Níl: níl (1-3)

5. Blended Tune 1 and Tune 2

used in longer sentences. In the following bhíodh sé i gcónaí is in Tune 2, and the rest in Tune 1:

bhíodh sé i gcónaí ag cuímhneamh ar phósadh ach níorbh aon chabhair do é, mar ná pósfadh éinne é:
bhíodh 5 sé 4 i 3 gcó- 2 naí 1-3 ag 5 cuímh- 4 neamh 3 ar 2 phó- 1-1 sadh 2 ach 5 níorbh 3 aon 2 chabhair 1-1 do 2 é 3 mar 2 ná 1 pós- 5-5 fadh 5 éinn' 4-4 é 3-1

6. Expressing doubt and surprise - Tune 2

Often with increased stress:

ní raibh: ní 5 raibh 1-3 (strongly saying "I don't believe there was")

An raibh?: an 5 raibh 1-3

Cad chuige? cad 4 chuig- 1-1 e 2

Ní chreidfinn go ndéanfadh: ní 5 chreid- 1-1 finn 2 go 3 ndéan- 4 fadh 5

That is everything in IWM on this subject.