Ah I think I see. In the phrase "a oiread grá", grá is in the genitive and the second grá is still tied, as it were, to "a oiread" and you would not use the article here because it's also in the genitive - (a oiread) an ghrá.
Wait.... I just thought of something, it might be complete nonsense but I'll float it anyway for your opinion.
If the first grá is in the genitive, then would "de" be used to denote the "partitive" genitive or something because a genitive noun cannot stand alone?

" Tá a oiread deifre ormsa agus atá (a oiread) de dheifir ortsa féin."???

Do you think that theory might have any substance or am I, more than likely, whistling dixie?

How about...."Gráim thú mar a ghráim mo chlann féin"....?

Thanks again for the input.

Are there significant differences in meaning/usage between pháistí, páistí, and chlann, which have each appeared in people's suggestions? It's 'children' I need rather than any looser version of family, which I think (or rather I'm guessing) chlann might be.

"Clann" in Irish doesn't have the same meaning as "clan" in English. "Clann" refers to the collective children of the family, or to one's children in general. For example, when you want to ask someone if he has children, you might say "an bhfuil clann agat?"

That said, since "clann" CAN be used to refer to one's siblings, or to descendants of a common ancestor, "páistí" might be clearer.

As far as the difference between "pháistí" and "páistí" goes, it's a matter of inflection. You have to add an "h" after the consonant (or, in the older script, a dot over it) in certain grammatical circumstances (when a word follows "mo" (my), for example).

Redwolf

I don't think you've read the entire thread, Rossaí. He wants a much longer sentence, for one, but the specific part about the children is supposed to be "I love you MORE than I love my children."

Redwolf

Ah, okay, thank you.

I did actually ask further down the thread from my initial request, for a translation for "I love you as much as I love my children" as an alternative to my original request for "more than".

In that case, would "Gráim thú mar a ghráim mo chlann féin" work if I changed it to ""Gráim thú mar a ghráim mo pháistí féin"?

Quoting myself to add that "Gráim thú mar a ghráim mo chlann féin" was Rossaí's suggestion.

hi empathist...ya that would be fine. "Clann" specifically means the children of one mother, although in modern Irish it can be made to have a wider meaning. That's what i would say but "páistí" is also more than adequate as it also means "children". Glad to be of help...interesting thread to read.

The OP quietly modified the original request at the end of page 1:

_________________
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).

Now Redwolf consider yourself chastised by the boss!!!Enjoy the hols