One of the hobbies I had before succumbing to my obsessive passion of blogging and political commentary was the study of Gaeilge, the language of Ireland. One of six Celtic languages, its renaissance has been slow and halting since the independence of Ireland in the 1920s. Few speak it as a first language, and only around 20% or so of the Irish population speak it conversationally, despite its status as one of the two official languages in the Republic of Ireland. However, its use in poetry and music is unbelievably beautiful, and its connection to Irish culture is unmistakable.
I live in an area where Irish language resources are in good supply. Chief among them is the non-profit group Gaeltacht Minnesota, which holds free language lessons on a weekly basis. My instructor, when I had time to attend, has started her own blog called Scátháinín Mháire for some amusement in Irish language study. Pronounced SCAW-neen WHY-ruh, it means “Mary’s mirror”, and it reflects her gentle and playful nature.
In one post, Máire points out a typo on an Irish sign in the airport, and in another, she gives a quick lesson for students. She shows a picture of a house on blocks, and lists three statements:
Trí rud:
1. Bhí cara dom ina cónaí in aice leis an teach seo. (7/7/06)
2. Thóg mé pictiúr an fhógra (inné) i 2005, sílim.
3. Lá breithe sona dhuit, a Pham! (cara eile)
The third means “Happy birthday, Pam! (another friend)”. I’ll let you guess what the other two mean. I plan to start taking it up as a hobby, so I’ll need to make sure I have the other two correct before I return to class!