Anyone here speak Irish?

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Because I'm trying to start learning.
I don't anticipate much success until I can take lessons(next year, most likely -_-).

In any case, I'm expressing more an more interest in the culture of my forefathers.

― Lukewarm Watery G. Tornado Is Sicker Than You (The GZeus), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 22:14 (eighteen years ago)

I tried to learn some of it on my own and it is reasonably difficult. Good luck.

― The Redd And The Blecch (Ken L), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 22:22 (eighteen years ago)

It took me 7 years to learn Japanese... That was non-easy.
Now I'm working on Chinese, and that's slightly harder than I remember Japanese.
Irish is hard mainly because I have nothing to practice with other than semi-lame CDs and stuff.

― Lukewarm Watery G. Tornado Is Sicker Than You (The GZeus), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 22:28 (eighteen years ago)

I'm drunk. Does that count?

― John Justen waitin to get his W2s back so he can file his tax and ball out (john, Wednesday, 31 January 2007 23:15 (eighteen years ago)

Sláinte!

― The Redd And The Blecch (Ken L), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 23:23 (eighteen years ago)

RONAN ; MAN OF OATS

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 23:24 (eighteen years ago)

John...yes.

― Lukewarm Watery G. Tornado Is Sicker Than You (The GZeus), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 23:28 (eighteen years ago)

yeah I speak it...pretty well. I do my radio show in Irish...what do you want to know....if you want to mail me use my full name at gmail.com, no spaces

― Ronan (Ronan), Thursday, 1 February 2007 01:40 (eighteen years ago)

i've always wanted to learn oirish, too. i had fun trying to pronounce the names of shit in Dublin.

Baile atha cliath! Garda!

― grbchv! (skowly), Thursday, 1 February 2007 01:52 (eighteen years ago)

i speak irish enough to have passed the compulsory matriculation exam at the lower level eight years ago.

clearly, this counts on no meaningful level.

― darragh.mac (darragh.mac), Thursday, 1 February 2007 01:57 (eighteen years ago)

matriculation is now the coolest sounding word ever.

But more on topic, I'll probably take you up on that Ronan, but not until I get done with this little project I have. IE curing this pneumonia.

― Lukewarm Watery G. Tornado Is Sicker Than You (The GZeus), Thursday, 1 February 2007 02:45 (eighteen years ago)

lol, i took a class in irish after college. what a difficult language. i couldn't even say "hello" (may god and mary be with you).

i pretty much only remember how to say close the door/open the door

― bobby bedelia (van dover), Thursday, 1 February 2007 03:56 (eighteen years ago)

Ronan,
Dia duit or Dhia duit?

― The Redd And The Blecch (Ken L), Thursday, 1 February 2007 04:46 (eighteen years ago)

Dia Dhuit

― Ronan (Ronan), Thursday, 1 February 2007 04:51 (eighteen years ago)

Dia is Muire Dhuit

― The Redd And The Blecch (Ken L), Thursday, 1 February 2007 04:53 (eighteen years ago)

This guy has a pretty good web page, especially the links.

― The Redd And The Blecch (Ken L), Thursday, 1 February 2007 06:00 (eighteen years ago)

Never learned as grew up outside of Ireland. I got the exemption for the Leaving, only student to take Danish that year, go me! Bit of a dud when every relative knew your exact mark in the papers in the average results tables later in the year!

― Kv_nol (Kv_nol), Thursday, 1 February 2007 09:01 (eighteen years ago)

I'm a translator for the European parliament and I was interested to see that Irish has just become an official working language in Parliament. It looks awesome on paper - loads of out-there consonant clusters and a flurry of acute accents!

From a speech by Liam Aylward in the EP a couple of weeks ago (the only speech I've found so far in Irish):

Ba chóir d’iarthar an domhain a bheith ag iarraidh easportáil armlóin a laghdú seachas a bheith á méadú. Sin é an fáth go gcaithfear An Cód Iompair um Easpórtáil Armlóin a chur i bhfeidhm níos déine.

― Daniel Giraffe (Daniel Giraffe), Thursday, 1 February 2007 10:38 (eighteen years ago)

It's about Cod probably! That or looking for more money for our roads :)

― Kv_nol (Kv_nol), Thursday, 1 February 2007 10:43 (eighteen years ago)

Growing up a Scottish Catholic the only Irish I learned was "tiocfaidh ár lá" :(

― onimo (onimo), Thursday, 1 February 2007 10:51 (eighteen years ago)

Oooooh dear. Even I know that one!

― Kv_nol (Kv_nol), Thursday, 1 February 2007 11:06 (eighteen years ago)

I was taught some phonetic Irish - perhaps someone could translate?

Fecky may arish hu
Lay du hell
morshay do hellay
Crassnee ploshad

― === temporary username === (Mark C), Thursday, 1 February 2007 11:14 (eighteen years ago)

There are 1.5 million Irish speakers in this country, so you should have no trouble finding some people here to help you learn.

Crucial phrases:

A chara, na caith tabac.

As Gaeilge, mas é do thoil.

Níl aon Bearla agam.

An bhfuil aon gneas agat?

etc.

― The Real Dirty Vicar (dirtyvicar), Thursday, 1 February 2007 11:18 (eighteen years ago)

i remember visiting connemara with an irish bf who didn't speak irish some years ago. we stopped out of town somewhere to ask directions and the person we asked kept answering the questions my bf asked him in english, in irish. he got really quite stroppy when my bf told him he couldn't speak irish. my bf was mortified. i think he went straight home and read his little sister's irish text.

― gem (trisk), Thursday, 1 February 2007 11:22 (eighteen years ago)

morshay do hellay

Thank you?

― Kv_nol (Kv_nol), Thursday, 1 February 2007 11:23 (eighteen years ago)

You're welcome!

― === temporary username === (Mark C), Thursday, 1 February 2007 11:26 (eighteen years ago)

I'm not even sure how accurate the phonetic versions are, it's 12 years since I learned them :(

― === temporary username === (Mark C), Thursday, 1 February 2007 11:26 (eighteen years ago)

No, I think it means "thank you" (in case you were not joking!)

― Kv_nol (Kv_nol), Thursday, 1 February 2007 11:29 (eighteen years ago)

No, I was joking, but thanks - so how would you spell it in Irish? And does the fecky may one means something to do with welcomes? I think I saw it in a shopping mall (feicidh something maybe? My memory is so crappy)

― === temporary username === (Mark C), Thursday, 1 February 2007 11:42 (eighteen years ago)

Fecky may arish hu = Feicfidh mé arís thú = I'll see you again
Lay du hell = le do thoil = please
morshay do hellay = más é do thoil é = please (slightly more formal)
Crassnee ploshad = ? (is this even Irish?)

Thank you = go raibh maith agat (pronounced "gurra mah agut")

― rener (rener), Thursday, 1 February 2007 11:47 (eighteen years ago)

Oops, go raibh maith agat Rener

― Kv_nol (Kv_nol), Thursday, 1 February 2007 11:51 (eighteen years ago)

Thanks Rener! The 4th one was a red herring - it's pretty much the only Russian I can remember (Красная площадь/Krasnaya ploshchad).

― === temporary username === (Mark C), Thursday, 1 February 2007 12:14 (eighteen years ago)

Ah, I thought it sounded sort of Slavic. Or Slavonic. Or whatevah.

― rener (rener), Thursday, 1 February 2007 12:43 (eighteen years ago)

There are alot more irish speakers in MN than I originally thought.
There's a lesson/conversation group in St Paul, but first lessons are booked solid, so it's likely to be a year before I'm getting in.
In any case, I'd be in Japan during the first lessons anyway..

― Lukewarm Watery G. Tornado; Spraying Bacteria All Over You...AGAIN!! (The GZeus), Thursday, 1 February 2007 13:16 (eighteen years ago)

I visited the west coast of Ireland once, and thought the Irish language sounded vaguely Slavic. Supposedly it's not related to Slavic at all though.

― Maltodextrin (Maltodextrin), Thursday, 1 February 2007 22:07 (eighteen years ago)

Growing up a Scottish Catholic the only Irish I learned was "tiocfaidh ár lá" :(

Me too. And Pogue Mahone.

― ailsa (ailsa), Thursday, 1 February 2007 22:36 (eighteen years ago)

gaelic must be the most UN-phonetic language ever. how the HELL do you pronounce anything based on how it's spelled?!?

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Thursday, 1 February 2007 23:41 (eighteen years ago)

irish is ok, but all the hipsters speak manx nowadays
Brythonic vs. Goidelic throwdown, yo

― bobby bedelia (van dover), Thursday, 1 February 2007 23:45 (eighteen years ago)

"gaelic must be the most UN-phonetic language ever. how the HELL do you pronounce anything based on how it's spelled?!?"
Well, it's kind of just a different system.
After dealing with Kanji in japanese, and the strange dipthongish things in Chinese(I suck at chinese), and dealing with Umlauts....

Also, the fact that that statement was written in English is humourous in and of itself.
"I before E except after C and when it sounds like A as in Neighbour(NOTHING in that word makes any sense except N and r) and Weigh(W alone, there)...and Leizure and Seizure... Oh fuck it, just memorise how words are spelled!"
I think English is at least as hard as Chinese.

― Lukewarm Watery G. Tornado; Spraying Bacteria All Over You...AGAIN!! (The GZeus), Thursday, 1 February 2007 23:52 (eighteen years ago)

Ar on airgead.

― Penelope_111 (Penelope_111), Friday, 2 February 2007 00:11 (eighteen years ago)

Ar an airgead freisin.

― Penelope_111 (Penelope_111), Friday, 2 February 2007 00:11 (eighteen years ago)

i dremt that IRELAND -- populous modern nation, celtic tiger, green jewel of the atlantic ect ect -- had been revealed as a VAST SCAM, being in fact a tiny little island, pop.500

naturally the scam was being run by RONAN MAN OF OATS

(ps i also dremt i went to work wearing DAVE BOYLE'S LOAFERS and we had to exchange them in the car park)

― mark s (mark s), Friday, 2 February 2007 09:22 (eighteen years ago)

gaelic must be the most UN-phonetic language ever.

FACIST. Irish is certainly not entirely phonetic, but it does have its own pronunciation rules, and their being different to the ones with which you are familiar does not make the language the most un-phonetic ever (that honour is taken by French).

― A Chara... (dirtyvicar), Friday, 2 February 2007 12:27 (eighteen years ago)

irish is ok, but all the hipsters speak manx nowadays
Brythonic vs. Goidelic throwdown, yo

Manx is Goidelic tho. And pretty Irish anyway, when you get right down to it.

― Tom D. (Dada), Friday, 2 February 2007 12:30 (eighteen years ago)

The Celtic languages split into two streams - Irish & Scots Gaelic on one side, Welsh, Cornish, & Breton on the other. Which way does Manx jump?

― The Real Dirty Vicar (dirtyvicar), Friday, 2 February 2007 12:54 (eighteen years ago)

See preceding post!

― Tom D. (Dada), Friday, 2 February 2007 12:55 (eighteen years ago)

you decide:
http://www.iomguide.com/images/manxflag.gif

― mark s (mark s), Friday, 2 February 2007 12:55 (eighteen years ago)

air an airgead

ar an t-airgid

genitive case

eg bhí mé ar an t-airgid anois nuair a dúirt mé "ar an t-airgid".

― Ronan (Ronan), Friday, 2 February 2007 13:28 (eighteen years ago)

this one's a bit tricky...

I'm going to have a guess, without a dictionary, that it's "the leaders of the world should be trying to diminish easportáil armlóin rather than aiding them. (is it armed terrorists or something). that's the reason why the code of conduct for Easportáil Armlóin must be more strictly implemented"

― Ronan (Ronan), Friday, 2 February 2007 13:33 (eighteen years ago)

There's a code of conduct for armed terrorists?

― === temporary username === (Mark C), Friday, 2 February 2007 17:08 (eighteen years ago)

"The exits are here... here and here... but you will not be using them! ALLAH AKBAR!"

― Kv_nol (Kv_nol), Friday, 2 February 2007 18:34 (eighteen years ago)

Oh how I laffed @ "crassnee ploshad"

― aaron d.g. (aaron d.g.), Friday, 2 February 2007 19:40 (eighteen years ago)

eight years pass...

I'm sitting with na gaelgeoirí at work and they're less militant and morally superior than my previous experience with such (no doubt aided by a lessening chip on my own shoulder regarding an teanga) and its giving me a wistful grá for to try to get conversational if I get a half chance.

― The difficult earlier reichs (darraghmac), Saturday, 2 January 2016 01:33 (ten years ago)

three years pass...

i really should and i even might

― godfellaz (darraghmac), Sunday, 23 June 2019 23:22 (six years ago)

Go for it

― don't mock my smock or i'll clean your clock (silby), Sunday, 23 June 2019 23:39 (six years ago)

Tried to learn some from the Green Owl but didn’t get very far.

― If I were a POLL I’d be Zinging (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 24 June 2019 00:12 (six years ago)

three years pass...

Actively working on Welsh and Scottish Gaelic, still never really got any traction with this particular language.

― Farewell to Evening in Paradise (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 7 January 2023 17:30 (three years ago)

Feel like Glossika would be the best approach

― Farewell to Evening in Paradise (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 7 January 2023 17:34 (three years ago)

You're not trying to tell me Welsh is easier than Irish?

― Aw naw, no' an Antonioni wan oan noo an' aw (Tom D.), Saturday, 7 January 2023 19:42 (three years ago)

Dunno about that, but I found some better resources for Welsh, at least for me.

― Farewell to Evening in Paradise (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 7 January 2023 19:50 (three years ago)

I’ve been working on Welsh more consistently for a lot longer so I have a lot of passive ability to recognize vocabulary along with being able to say some simple stuff so it just seems easier if nothing else.

― Farewell to Evening in Paradise (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 8 January 2023 13:35 (three years ago)

Irish is much closer to Scottish Gaelic. I got confused yesterday between the two actually, thought I was doing one on Duolingo but I was actually doing the other. The spelling of those two is a little more challenging than Welsh, “lots of extra vowels and aitches” as a fellow Welsh learner who lives in Wales put it.

― Farewell to Evening in Paradise (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 8 January 2023 13:53 (three years ago)

Well, Scottish Gaelic is an offshoot of Irish, right? When you go back to English from Welsh I expect you have to refamiliarize yourself with vowels? But, hey, if it wasn't for the Germans we'd all be speaking Welsh now.

― Aw naw, no' an Antonioni wan oan noo an' aw (Tom D.), Sunday, 8 January 2023 13:58 (three years ago)

Welsh is related to Old Irish too, I think. Have to take a look at the family tree.

― Farewell to Evening in Paradise (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 8 January 2023 14:08 (three years ago)

Much much less closely. It's P-Celtic. Irish/Scottish Gaelic is Q-Celtic.

― Aw naw, no' an Antonioni wan oan noo an' aw (Tom D.), Sunday, 8 January 2023 14:17 (three years ago)

Of course.

― Farewell to Evening in Paradise (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 8 January 2023 14:25 (three years ago)

I guess the common ancestor of the two branches of Celtic languages is not clearly understood. There also can be a borrowing of vocabulary later on. In any case, I have been thinking of starting a Scottish Gaelic thread, not sure if it’s worth it. Was looking to see if such a thread might already exist and this thread was the closest I could find.

― Farewell to Evening in Paradise (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 8 January 2023 14:31 (three years ago)

I may still start such a thread.

― Farewell to Evening in Paradise (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 8 January 2023 15:02 (three years ago)

Good luck with that, you might be a bit lonely in there!

― A Drunk Man Looks At Partick Thistle (Tom D.), Sunday, 8 January 2023 15:08 (three years ago)

Thanks, Maybe I will include some other Celtic languages, but not sure if anyone is studying any of them either.

― Farewell to Evening in Paradise (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 8 January 2023 15:16 (three years ago)

Well, looks like there is a shiny new Colloquial Irish that just came out, mainly written here in NYC at CUNY and Lehman College, so I will try again if the Scottish Gaelic thing doesn’t work out.

― Farewell to Evening in Paradise (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 9 January 2023 01:23 (three years ago)

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