That's actually not a bad way to learn, you know. But it takes a lot of effort and isn't for everyone.

I think WFM (<= this always reminds me of WTF ) is on to a good thing.

You get out what you put in. But it is also important to find a level of input that you can maintain for extended periods, otherwise it can become a burden and you'll hit a wall.

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WARNING: Intermediate speaker - await further opinions, corrections and adjustments before acting on my advice.
My "specialty" is Connemara Irish, particularly Cois Fhairrge dialect.
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), agus Gaeilge an Chaighdeáin Oifigiúil (CO).

It's working pretty well for me so far, I think. I just finished Caibideal a Dó to-day and I can now read and understand EVERYTHING in both chapters.

Only 32 chapters left to go!

That's incredible commitment







Imagine all the words and proper idioms you'll have then! How do you find everything in a dictionary. much of Ua Laoghaire's idioms and vocabulary can't be found in dictionaries.

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Please wait for corrections/ more input from other forum members before acting on advice

Fortunately, Aislingeach hasn't said, "WTF, a WFM!" to me yet.



Before starting "Séadna", I printed out the dictionary from the Cork Irish web-site and had it bound into a hardcover book – the local print shop only charged $27 and made a very fancy dictionary for me. This was especially nice because I prefer to read this sort of thing on paper.

From the Cork Irish the web-site:

"The dictionary covers all the vocabulary in Mo Sgéal Féin; the first twenty-three chapters of Séadna; the whole of Niamh; the first three chapters of Aithris ar Chríost; the whole of St. Matthew’s Gospel; the whole of Sliabh na mBan bhFionn; the whole of Aesop; the first 22 passages in Catilína; and the whole of An Cleasaidhe–and has 7,600 headwords. It also contains every vocabulary item in Myles Dillon’s Teach Yourself Irish and Aidan Doyle’s Polish-language textbook of Munster Irish, An Ghaeilge."

I've been able to find every word and idiom from "Séadna" in this dictionary so far, so it's been a huge help!

I would never!

I didn’t mean that your methodology sounded depressing. It’s the long “list” that I have issues with. I have the same problem with vocabulary lists. I don’t learn well from lists. It may be the logical way to approach a large volume of material, but it doesn’t work for me. If you gave me a vocabulary list of 25 words to learn, I would learn the words, but my retention would be very sketchy, about 50%. If you gave me a chapter in a book, containing the same 25 words, I would also learn the words, but my retention factor shoots up to around 98%. I have never understood why that is. But I go with it, because it works for me. The same goes for the grammar points. I tackle them as I come across them, instead of en masse, and I retain what I learn much better.


I agree, this dictionary is a indispensable for this! Although I use the .pdf on a flash drive because it's easier to tote to work, and a bonus is that I find many more usage examples searching the .pdf then I would if I just looked up the word in question.

With any luck, I should be starting Caibideal a trí, in all its "flowery" glory, this weekend.

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Táim ag foghlaim Gaelainn na Mumhan

Tá fáilte roim nach aon cheartú!
I am a learner. Any translations offered are practice and should not be used unless confirmed.

Wow, 98% – that's great! Just keep on doing what you're doing


"Flowery glory" – heh, heh

I think my retention rate would be about 50% either way. If I learn the words in context, I'll remember them in that context, but when I encounter the same word a chapter or two later in a different context, I'll have forgotten it again.

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But the next time you encounter it, you will be more likely than 50% and the following time, more likely again. Eventually, you will forget that you didn't always know it!

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I completely forgot the Cork Irish site's dictionary! Since you guys have that dictionary would
it be better for me to make purely grammatical notes?

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The dialect I use is Cork Irish.
Ar sgáth a chéile a mhairid na daoine, lag agus láidir, uasal is íseal

If that would be easier for you, that's fine with me, a chara. I appreciate anything your willing to do. You've been a huge help with this!

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Táim ag foghlaim Gaelainn na Mumhan

Tá fáilte roim nach aon cheartú!
I am a learner. Any translations offered are practice and should not be used unless confirmed.