Please encourage family members to sign up for Bród Club:
I think this is a wonderful initiative - let’s all show a little bród!
Ceapaim go bhfuil Bernard Dunne go hiontach. Tá mé ag déanamh iarracht níos mó Gaeilge a bheith ag caint timpeall an teach leis na buachaillí. Más é do thoil é, tabhair spreagadh do do theaghlach agus do do chairde chun iarracht a dhéanamh freisin.
Go on, use the cúpla focail!
“I BPOLL sa talamh a bhí cónaí ar hobad.” So begins the first chapter of An Hoba d, the latest incarnation of JRR Tolkien’s classic fantasy novel The Hobbit, which is due to be published in Irish later this month.
The adventures of Biolbó Baigín as he journeys to reclaim stolen treasure from Smóg an dragan have been translated by Nicholas Williams, who recently translated Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland , and T hrough the Looking-glass and What Alice Found Ther e.
An accomplished linguist, Tolkien learned over a dozen languages and invented several more, many of which feature in his tales of Middle-earth, the fictional setting of the majority of his fantasy books.
Despite his apparent love of languages, the English author and academic revealed a dislike of Irish in a selection of letters published posthumously in 1981 (he also admitted having a dislike for French and preferring Spanish to Italian).
In a letter to Deborah Webster, dated October 1958, he wrote: “I go frequently to Ireland (Éire: southern Ireland) being fond of it and of (most of) its people; but the Irish language I find wholly unattractive.”
Some years later, in “Drafts for a letter to Mrs Rang”, Tolkien considered the etymology of the word “nazg”, the Black Speech word for “ring”, which featured so prominently in The Lord of the Rings .
In his letter, Tolkien admitted a similarity to the Irish word “nasc”, but put this down to coincidence.
“I have no liking at all for Gaelic from Old Irish downwards, as a language, but it is of course of great historical and philological interest, and I have at various times studied it. (With alas! very little success.)
“It is thus probable that nazg is actually derived from it, and this short, hard and clear vocable, sticking out from what seems to me (an unloving alien) a mushy language, became lodged in some comer of my linguistic memory.”
In 1979, Prof George Sayer recounted a conversation he had with Tolkien, a devout Catholic, who described Ireland as “naturally evil”.
He could “feel”, Sayer said, “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.” An Hobad, nó Anonn agus Ar Ais Arís , is published by Evertype and will reach the bookshelves at the end of March.
Pól Ó Muirí
I always look forward to Seachtain na Gaeilge. It is the one week in the year when I never speak Irish. After all, I roll the language rock up the hill for the other 51 weeks and do not see why I should bother when the summer soldiers and Johnny-come-latelys all begin to annoy me to death and start their sentences with: “How do you say in Irish…?” I am sorry but you mistake me for someone who gives a francach’s tóin.
Yes, Seachtain na Gaeilge is like Christmas when all the turkey-and-ham Catholics turn up for their annual Mass, take up the pews from the regular, actually believing, Catholics, and leave the place feeling vaguely better about themselves. It is the perfect time for this long-suffering Gaeilgeoir to sit back and watch while the born agains try again.
That is not to say that you won’t get something out of Seachtain na Gaeilge. Far from it. The big danger is that you will get something from it – a sort of STI – Socially Transmitted Irish that, like herpes, could well be with you for the rest of your life. Irish is highly infectious and, like many infections, could lead to you having to seek medical help – though in the case of Irish, it will be psychological help that you will be wanting, so it will, for cinnte and for sure.
First, people start abusing you verbally when you say you speak Irish. They say: “no one speaks Irish and it’s a waste of time and money and pointless and we would be better spending the money on a space programme and going to Mars and taking it over and let’s see how the Troika get their money back when we are all on Mars, armed with nuclear weapons.”
And you will answer by going all metaphysical on your opponent with vague and heartfelt pleas to the “soul” of the nation, and the literature and the Gaeltacht and Gaelbabes. And they will say: “Soul, me arse. Can you sell that to the Troika? My Mars’ plan is better than your auld Irish – although you do have a point about the Gaelbabes. They are hot.”
You will make that argument for the rest of your life. Time and time and time again until, after a lifetime of Seachtain na Gaeilge, you find yourself grey beyond your years and finally deciding that the ABC1s are right – Irish culture is about buying as much as you can and a fortnight in the Algarve – golfing!
Of course, Seachtain na Gaeilge has had its big successes. The Normans were all French speaking when they invaded Ireland but they took part in Seachtain na Gaeilge back in the 14th century and decided to give up French and go with the Irish. Undoubtedly, it is a pity that the Normans did not appreciate the opportunities that bilingual education offered but there you go. In their defence, foreign travel was limited to invading other countries at that time.
Admittedly, it is unlikely that you will be riffing with the Holy Spirit at the end of the Week of Irish but languages can bring about changes in you that are both profound and subtle. You start asking yourself little questions and then you buy a dictionary from Conradh na Gaeilge and then a beginner’s language course. Those pimps will feed your habit remorselessly until you are standing in Harcourt Street screaming at the top of your lungs: “Oscail an doras! Oscail an doras! I gotta have some! Give me a grammar book before I burn the place down!”
You might discover that the language has been hiding in plain sight, that your prejudices were entirely wrong, that you were – gulp – not just as clued in as you thought. Then again, you might just decide that it’s all a bit of fun and not bother again until next year to say “Póg mo thóin”.
Whatever happens, don’t worry. The language will still be there. It is always there. Waiting for the unwary, the curious, the innocent, the ignorant, the lost, the foolhardy.
(A shorter version of this article appeared in The Irish Times, Saturday, 03 March, 2012)
TAOISEACH Enda Kenny yesterday spread the word that the Irish language is alive and well at the launch of Seachtain na Gaeilge 2012.
He showed off his hurling skills to Noinin Ni Mhurchu (5), from Scoil Bharra in Cabra, to mark the start of the two-week festival.
Running up to and including St Patrick’s Day, the festival aims to promote our national tongue at home and abroad.
Now in its 110th year, a primary objective of the festival is that those with even just a ‘cupla focal’ have the courage to speak up.
For the first time, many politicians may find themselves lost for words as an Irish language ‘La Gaeilge’ will take place today in the Houses of the Oireachtas. The Order of Business and Leader’s Questions will all be conducted through Irish.
- Mark O’Regan
Agus Máirt Inide buailte linn, féach thíos oideas simplí chun pancóga deasa milis a ullmhú.
Pancóga
Oideas bunúsach do fuidreamh
Comhábhair
4unsa (100g) plúr
½ phionta (250ml) Bainne
1 ubh
Gráinnín salann (leathspúnóg tae)
Comhábhair breise
2unsa (50g) im
Siúcra / líomóid / nó oráiste do bhlas breise
Ag déanamh na pancóga
Cuir an plúr agus an salann le chéile i mbabhla. Déan poll beag i lár an phlúir agus cur isteach an ubh. Tosaigh á mheascadh le chéile ag cur isteach aon cheathrú den bhainne de réir a chéile.
Coinnigh ort á mheascadh go dtí go mbeidh sé go deas mín agus gan aon lumpaí, agus lean ort ag cur isteach an chuid eile den bhainne. Ma bhíonn se róthiubh cur beagán uisce leis.
Cuir an fuidrimh isteach i gcrúiscín chun go mbeidh se éasca e a dhoirteadh ar an bhfriochtán
Ag cócaireacht na pancóga
Téigh an friochtán agus cur beagán ime air. Déan cinnte go mbeidh an t-im leáite go hiomlán, agus déan é a scaipeadh amach ar an bhfriochtán.
Déan cinnte go mbeidh an friochtán go deas te agus ansin doirt isteach dhá spúnóg boird den fhuidreamh ón gcrúiscín agus déan an friochtán a chlúdach go deas tanaí.
Déan an phancóg a chócaireacht go dtí go mbeidh sé go deas donn in íochtar (ní thógann se i bhfad).
Agus ansin beidh sé beagán casta, ach déan an phancóg a iompú agus an taobh eile a dhéanamh. Is féidir spúnóg plaisteach a úsáid chun cabhrú leat seo a dhéanamh, ach beidh níos mó spóirt agat má dhéanann tú iarracht é a flípeáil!!!!
Cuir do chuid pancóga chun boird le do rogha de shiúcra, shíoróip, líomóid nó oráiste ar a mbarr.
Foilsithe ar Gaelport.com 21 Feabhra 2012
TUARASCÁIL : THUG AN Roinn Ealaíon, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta deis don phobal le deireanas moltaí a roinnt leis an Stát san athbhreithniú atáthar á dhéanamh ar Acht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla 2003.
Is iondúil go gcuirtear fáilte roimh dheis athbhreithniú a dhéanamh ar fheidhmiú pholasaí agus chleachtais an Stáit i réimse freagrachta ar leith.
Is neamhghnách, áfach, sa chás seo go bhfuil athbhreithniú á iarraidh ar Acht de chuid an Stáit nach bhfuil deich mbliana slánaithe fós aige.
Ní haon údar iontais é mar sin go bhfuil imní á déanamh gur laghdú cumhachta agus feidhme atá ar na bacáin i ndáiríre san athbhreithniú seo.
Má fhéachtar le cearta na gcainteoirí Gaeilge a chúngú, mar thoradh ar an bpróiseas athbhreithnithe seo, beidh an baol ann go gcothófar an meon úd gur “caint san aer” atá in allagar an Stáit Éireannaigh faoina pholasaí teanga, go háirithe i bhfianaise na géarchéime teanga atá ag dul in ainseal sa Ghaeltacht.
©Foilsithe ar Gaelport.com 14 Feabhra 2012.
Scéal na Gaeilge (The Story of the Irish Language) Trailer (by rosgireland)
Agóid na Scoileanna Gaeltachta (by Comhdhail)
Fógra teilifíse nua Gaelscéal ar Scoil! (by Gaelsceal)
hahaha
Fáilte Gaeligeoirí, foghlaimeoirí, daltaí, agus gach daoine eile a bheith suim acu i nGaeilge! Nuacht agus rudaí eile faoin dteanga is fearr sa domhan!
Welcome speakers, learners, students, and everybody else who is interested in Irish! News and other things about the best language in the world!
*Is foghlaimeoir mé féin; féinmhúinte ar fad.
