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Ireland
Languages
Gaelic
Ireland has a rich literary history that reaches back more than
two thousand years. Poets and storytellers composed the first
works in Gaelic, one of the two official languages of Ireland.
The Irish kept these works alive by passing them down orally
from generation to generation.
In the fifth century, Christian missionaries arrived on the
island and introduced the Roman alphabet. Gaelic-speaking authors
adapted this alphabet to their language and began writing down
old tales as well as new pieces of literature.
The use of Gaelic declined after British conquest in the 1600s.
Written manuscripts lay forgotten, but Gaelic ballads, poems,
and legends were still sung or spoken in the homes of peasants.
The Great Famine threatened to silence their voices through
death and emigration. Yet Gaelic—a triumph of Irish culture—survived
the destruction.
Gaelic became the language of independence in the late 1800s
and early 1900s. A new school of writers deeply rooted in the
Irish soil emerged, giving Gaelic traditions renewed life. One
of the pivotal figures in reviving these traditions was poet
William Butler Yeats. Yeats, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature
in 1923, wrote mainly in English but also composed poems steeped
in Gaelic culture. James Joyce, one of the great literary geniuses
of all time, captured the soul of Eire by freely using both
Gaelic and Irish English. Still other writers followed, including
Mary Lavin, Frank O'Connor, Patrick Kavanagh, Seamus Heaney,
and many more.
Here are some well-known Gaelic sayings, with pronunciations
in parentheses and translations after each one. What do they
mean to you?
Eireann go brach!
(erin guh brawk)
Ireland forever!
Cead mile failte romhat!
(cade meelah foyle-ta row-ott)
A hundred thousand welcomes to you!
Ni he la na baisti la na baisti.
(nee hay law na bawshtee law na bawshtee)
A rainy day isn't a day for the children.
Rath De ort!
(rah jay urt)
May the grace of God be with you!
Slan agus beannacht leat!
(slawn ogg-us ban-ocked lyat)
Goodbye and blessings with you!
English
English may be Ireland's second official language, but that
does not mean you will be able to understand every word. See
if you can figure out the meanings of these words or phrases
in Irish English. As you will discover, Irish English is a bit
different than American English. Click on each word or phrase
for the answer.
1. fairly
lively
2. dodder
3. Pull your socks up!
4. chinwag
5. What about ye?
6. jammy
7. crisps
8. gravy ring
9. Fair play to you!
10. handy with
the feet
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