Jesus Christ, my fiancée really does neglect to tell me things, not only does half her family live in the Kerry Gaeltacht, her uncle was married to a woman from the Aran islands (conneely) unfortunately she died a few years ago but they had a house there and he just keeps the house as a holiday home now, so I will definitely be pushing for it's use and take a trip there soon

Anyone any ideas how to get somebody into Gaeilge? It would be awesome if she had my interest, she has every opportunity to learn it

Make her listen to beautiful songs in Irish...

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Is fearr Gaeilg na Gaeltaċta ná Gaeilg ar biṫ eile
Agus is í Gaeilg Ġaoṫ Doḃair is binne

Good luck and when you find out let us know. Been married to a woman from Donegal for 55 years and still have not succeeded in making a Gaeilgeoir out of her ! Dála an scéil when you get to Innismór make sure you speak Irish and not be one of those "blow-ins" in the Gaeltacht that we bitch about who speak english only

So, how would we go about renting this house off your uncle-in-law for a few months?




The trick here is to introduce it to her subtly, a Shomhairle.

Start from the music she likes and then try to find bands that bridge between the two genres, like Chieftains collaborations or Kila or Enya clones, depending on your starting point. With Clannad you can start with Enya and then work back gradually towards their old stuff and it the degree of Irish increases as you go.

But you can't just sit her down and "make her listen", you have to kind of ease in to it by surreptitiously inserting it into the CD collection (or is it iTunes nowadays) or nonchalantly asking to play your CD in the car on the next long trip, etc.


Congratulations on lasting the distance then.

Myself, I got a second chance and made sure the second one was interested in Irish music from the get go. I should have realised my mistake with the first one early on when she asked me "which do you love more, me or Irish music" and she didn't like the answer.

I remember visiting a dating site once and the only Irish woman on it had pronounced boldly in her profile "I love any kind of music except diddly-dee" and thinking "what other kind of music is there?"

My new wife agrees with me on all these points, had a collection of Irish trad albums that complemented my own collection perfectly, the kids have Irish names and hum Irish melodies all day, and I have promised to take the family on an extended trip to Ireland one day, which is why I was asking about renting the house.


Are yez all familiar with this song? :

Amhrán an Ghaeilgeora Mhóir

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Múinteoir Gaeilge - Irish Teacher
My "specialty" is Connemara Irish, particularly Cois Fhairrge dialect, but I can also speak Ulster and Munster Irish with native-level pronunciation.
Is fearr Gaeilge ḃriste ná Béarla cliste, cinnte, aċ i ḃfad níos fearr aríst í Gaeilge ḃinn ḃeo na nGaeltaċtaí.
Gaeilge Chonnacht (GC), go háraid Gaeilge Chois Fhairrge (GCF), Gaeilic Uladh (GU), Gaelainn na Mumhan (GM), agus Gaeilge an Chaighdeáin Oifigiúil (CO).

No hope for me then is there Séamus!? though Ive had a few texts from her in Irish this week while shes down in the Kerry, I think a combo of her nan not having any English and my interest sa Gaeilge may be giving her some incentive, who knows! we already use the cúpla focal day to day, if I can get her over my weird accent (she has trouble with anything not Munster) I might just make a Gaelgeoir out of her yet! I have to be careful though, when ever I speak too much or look like Im forcing it on her she curls up into one big anti-Irish ball and won't come out, I guess so many years of having it forced on her by nuns has left its marks

@ Breandán níl suim ar bith agam ar an gceol i ndáirire, she would think it very strange if I started introducing Irish music. I suppose I could just buy one of the Ceol albums with modern music in Irish, add that Rubberbandits tune and Im away I do like Clannad though, its my relaxing music

It is such a pity the Irish don't appreciate what they've got.

Something more up-tempo perhaps:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBd4-en- ... ure=relmfu

(The pronunciation isn't great but fair play to them for trying.)

Rubberbandits are cool too.

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Múinteoir Gaeilge - Irish Teacher
My "specialty" is Connemara Irish, particularly Cois Fhairrge dialect, but I can also speak Ulster and Munster Irish with native-level pronunciation.
Is fearr Gaeilge ḃriste ná Béarla cliste, cinnte, aċ i ḃfad níos fearr aríst í Gaeilge ḃinn ḃeo na nGaeltaċtaí.
Gaeilge Chonnacht (GC), go háraid Gaeilge Chois Fhairrge (GCF), Gaeilic Uladh (GU), Gaelainn na Mumhan (GM), agus Gaeilge an Chaighdeáin Oifigiúil (CO).

Thats a good tune, I have the Ceol 10 album actually might break it out in the car mar a dúirt tú. Speaking of the coronoas i saw danny o'reilly last week just shopping in north dublin.

Dont get me wrong I do love an old sing song, the irish tunes are great at the end of a party down in the country, I just wouldnt be buying them and go out running to them

Get so immersed in it that you speak it in your sleep...she'll get so irritated, she'll learn the language just so she can tell what you're saying!

Redwolf

Make sure the dogs only answer to Irish.

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It is recommended that you always wait for three to agree on a translation.
I speak Connemara Irish, and my input will often reflect that.
I will do an mp3 file on request for short translations.
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