Inktober 2019 prompt list - as Gaeilge!

I'm keen to learn Calligraphy. There is something beautiful about the flow of the lines, and I've been introduced recently to the exciting possibilities opened up by introducing bleach to ink. 

Official Inktober Logo

I'm hoping to combine this with a little bit of Irish language learning that has, alas, fallen by the wayside of late.

To do this, I'm going to participate in Inktober. The idea is to create a design in ink and to share it. There are 31 prompts, one for each day of October. They have been translated into different languages.

If you'd like to join me, a friend of my cousin has been kind enough to translate the official Inktober 2019 prompts into Irish. They are as follows:

1. Ring Fáinne (a ring) / glaoch (to ring/to call)     17. Ornament Ornáid

2. Mindless Neamhaireach / Faillíoch                    18. Misfit Aonarán / Duine corr

3. Bait Baoite                                                            19. Sling Guailleán  

4. Freeze Reo                                                            20. Tread Satailt   
                                                                                    (satailt bróg –  the tread of shoes)

5. Build Tóg                                                        
(teach a thógáil – to build a house)                           21. Treasure Taisce

6. Husky Huscaí (dog) / Piachánach (of voice)      22. Ghost Taibhse

7. Enchanted Siabhartha                                          23. Ancient Ársa

8. Frail Lag / Leochaileach                                      24. Dizzy                                                                                                        Meadhránach

9. Swing Luascán (a swing)/ Luascadh (to swing)  25. Tasty Blasta  

10. Pattern Patrún                                                      26. Dark Dorcha

11. Snow Sneachta                                                     27. Coat Cóta

12. Dragon Dragún                                                    28. Ride  Síob (lift) 
                                                                                    / Marcaíocht (horse/fairground)

13. Ash Fuinseog (tree) / Luaith (ash/dust)               29. Injured Gonta 

14. Overgrown Mothrach                                       30. Catch Beir ar... 
                                                                                       (beir ar an liathróid –                                                                                        catch the ball)

15. Legend Finscéal                                                     31. Ripe Áibí

16. Wild Fiáin

@Inktober   #inktober   #inktober2019   #Gaelige #CúplaFocal

Silent Sunday / Dé Domhnaigh Ciúin

Na Blascaodaí

Nice to meet you. To meet you.... Deas?

OK, here's another post about Irish but how it has made me think about the English language. Is this something that you have experienced while learning a new language?

Image credit: Jeltovski

I hadn't thought about how much emphasis is placed on the tone of voice while speaking English. If you're feeling quite formal, for example, and say It's nice to meet you quite often the response can be It's nice to meet you, with an emphasis on the last word.

Some would respond with It's nice to meet you too, you too or just grunt but this is simply to add an additional word to the end of the greeting.

In Irish the greeting can be tá sé go deas bualadh leat, and the response can be tá sé go deas bualadh leatsa 

 - with the bonus sé go deas bualadh leatsa chomh maith! if you want to show off ;-)

So the surprise to me was the addition of the sa sound for emphasis, rather than simply adding an additional word to the end. It's another example to me of how the Irish language is formed differently to English.

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Image sourced from Morguefile, a free photo archive

Goodbye Saint and Scholar

It looks likely that the St Patrick's day parade will continue after this year's success, and for that I am glad. We've managed to build up a lot of momentum and contacts, and on the day there was a great feeling of community for everyone who joined in. I would love for this to continue, and for more people to join in. This parade has great potential to become one of Medway's biggest festivals.

Would you like to join in? The AGM is this Tuesday, 01 July at the St Mary's social club in Gillingham. It starts at 7pm. The committee will be discussing the ways forward for the upcoming parade for 2015.

However I will be taking this opportunity to step down from the committee. As much as I loved being part of the project during its first year, it really has taken over my life and I have a lot of other things I'd like to do. Spending some time on my writing is one of them!

There is also the matter of exploring Irish culture and history. As I've often been told, it is the Oileán na Naomh agus na nOllamh (Island of saints and scholars) and there is a lot to learn...

Irish tutor needed - can you help?

As part of our funding from the big lottery, the Medway St Patrick parade agreed to showcase and encourage Irish culture. Part of this culture was the Irish language, so we planned to have two Irish lessons after the parade. One for absolute beginners to introduce them to the language, and the other aimed at intermediate students. This lesson was to encourage people with rusty Irish or people who had been learning a while and wanted to advance.

Image credit: Cohdra

The tutors that we booked have let us down. We need a recommendation from someone for a reliable Irish tutor who can deliver a lesson for beginners. (Edit: we would welcome someone who can also provide a lesson for intermediate learners, but this isn't compulsory)

We've tried the adult learning services for Medway and Kent, but turned up nothing. Can you recommend someone?

Thank you

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Image sourced through morguefile.com

Translations - Brien Friel 2014

The naming of things, the definition of boundaries, can be so soothing - to know where you are. Like this most beguiling of plays, that starts off so soft and quiet. you would not notice someone calling you a different name, why bother when Roland sounds so similar to Owen. Or Eoin. How important is it, really?

"It's an eviction of sorts"
 Translations is one of the most disturbing pieces I have seen for years. The story involves the redistribution of boundaries. The old Irish place names don't really match up with each other and and are beholden to old and forgotten stories. It's best we move on, with clearer and crisper boundaries. Right?

But with the new names the new boundaries are drawn up for... whose benefit? When a boundary is defined for the national purpose, there are usually for the nebulous "greater good". It never seems to reach the local people, whatever it is. This seems a gentle piece at first, until a seemingly random piece of violence (never confirmed) propels the second half into something deeper, darker.

I won't give you a spoiler if you have not seen the piece. But if you are dual nationality/ Dual language/ dual identity you may find yourself troubled by this. Or reassured by it's recognition of the forces that could tug at someone. As I am I can see the need for modernity. for shaping and measuring names. How can we talk except with a common and agreed language. As a second generation Irish,  British citizen I can see the damage done by the legacy of twisted history. But on the other hand, I am also aware of the damage wrought by ignorance designed to "protect" future generations. Who is it that  decides, imposes, new names? And what history, whose stories, do you erase for the arbitrary ease of your children?


The ambiguity of the piece was not softened with the violence, implied and otherwise of the final act. When someone else defines your world, why be surprised when they take it over?Language, words shape our worlds. If you do not tell your story, someone else will tell it for you. And always there is the shadow of the potato blight hanging over any potential future of the piece. It is set in 1833, years before the blight of 1845. The sweet smell never felt so ominous, especially for thopse who are aware pf what happened next

I was hoping to give you a proper or otherwise review of a play. I am too disturbed for that. This play provokes questions, and for you. I have no answers. Maybe that is the point.

Translations runs until the 03 May at the Rose Theatre, Kingston upon Thames. I would recommend that you see this rare treat.  Details here: http://www.rosetheatrekingston.org/rose-productions/translations

Spring equinox 2014 - Mindfully

Today is the astronomical vernal equinox. The hours of day and night are perfectly balanced, half and half. For some people, the early spring is the time that they clear out the clutter and assess what they want from the coming year. The question being, is my life fully balanced? So I have time for everything in my life? What do I want to do this coming year? How will I know what it when I see it?

Image credit: P Dell

The answer of course, is to pay attention. Look at the flowers, and smell the earth beneath them defrost and come to life. Yes, I know that there has been all sort of movement and growth beneath the surface, but today I want to see it. And the only way to do that is to be mindful.

Sometimes, the only way to do that is by "doing" mindfulness, such as taking or making a picture. Having an end goal in sight sometimes helps me to focus, gives me a reason to pay attention. An excellent blog post to look at is Mindfully Drawing, from Paula Kuitenbrower: Mindfully drawing for beginners

And for the Irish speakers out there, Feicfidh mé na Bláthanna an Earraigh (I will see the spring flowers)

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Image sourced from www.morguefile.com

Seachtain na Gaeilge 2014 - An Ghaeilge Abú

Seachtain na Gaeilge, Irish language week, is an international celebration of the Irish language. Events to promote and celebrate the Irish language have been happening all over the world.

Banner designed by Candy Worf of Pinup Payback
Picture credit: SM Jenkin

The Seachtain na Gaeilge festival for this year runs from 1 – 17 March. We are celebrating this festival as part of the St Patrick's day parade celebrations in Medway, as recognition of how important the Irish language is. There will be Irish language banners,  and after the parade the cultural showcase at the St Mary's Social club includes Irish language classes for all levels.


Please note that entry to the post-parade event is by ticket only, to comply with fire safety regulations. To get your ticket, please contact the St Mary's social club.

An Ghaeilge Abú! - The Irish language forever!

Beatha teanga í ag labhairt - the life of a language is in it's use

One week to go - St Patrick's Day here we come!

Well, exactly one week to go today. Next Sunday our parade will be striding out from Smiths' square in Gillingham high street.

Image Credit: Kevin Rosseel

 I'm putting the final touches to our parade line-up. The leaflets are being distributed. After a year of planning, it is finally happening. I'm so excited - hope you are too

Please join us - details are available on Visit Medway

Why the parade? (St Patrick's day parade)

So we are coming up to 4 weeks before the St Patrick's parade in Medway, and I have started to think more closely about why I am doing this. What exactly, do I hope to achieve? A part of this is finding and celebrating an Irish identity beyond the stereotype. There are smart Irish people (Louis Brennan), no we are not all drunks, there is a beautiful and ancient language and a culture to celebrate too. 

Image credit: J Durham
(From http://www.morguefile.com/)

It has dominated my life outside of work for the last year, and I have lost count of the other activities that have by necessity had to be dropped or let slide. For next month or so, there will be nothing else.

Don't get me wrong, this has been an excellent opportunity to learn, to grow and to develop. The friends I have made along the way, the way that my relationships with my friends has shifted and changed has all been a part of it. When the parade happens, it will be an additional pleasure, and a tactile demonstration of the goodwill and raised awareness we are hoping to achieve. Both for the Irish community in Medway and for the St Mary's social club.

So what is it that we want to do? Firstly, to raise awareness about the Irish community in Medway. There has been no definitive history written about them, but they have been active in working in the area notably in construction and at the hospital. There are about 1% Irish born in the local area, but estimates for those of Irish descent leap up to 10%. Quite a big demographic, don't you think? The St Mary's social club was formed back in 1973, but still many people don't know about it. Part of what we are doing is to raise awareness about forgotten Irish people of note, including the genius Louis Brennan. My personal interest in him goes beyond his Irish identity, as he is from the same county my family are from.

The second of course is to have a good time! Of all the festivals and parades I've attended, the one that many people seem to enjoy the most is the St Patrick's day parade. It's an inclusive and friendly occasion. Unfortunately, in recent years there are a number of places where the connection to some breweries has taken over the event. I like a pint as much as the next person, but why is it that the likes of Guinness (and other breweries and companies) have been able to colonise the day? Is is because of their sponsorship, or because it ties into ideas about what it means, what other people think it means, to be Irish? How much has the stereotype of the drunken Irish played into that?

And while we're asking questions, I ask myself these while I am inviting groups to take part in our parade. By including some groups and not others, what does it say about being Irish in Medway and the Irish identity? What does it mean to be Irish, second generation Irish in England? Am I celebrating an Irish identity, or creating it? Does it have to be a choice, can't identity be shaped and change over time as well?

The Bear - is sleeping?

The Bear is often associated in stories with King Arthur. The recent solstice is associated by modern pagans with King Arthur and his rebirth, along with the sun. I can understand why, the return of both is associated with hope and brighter evenings.

But for the moment, the nights are still long. And the bear, though s/he doesn't hibernate, very sensibly finds somewhere to rest...

Tá an béar ina chodladh.

Image: Getty Images

"The bear is in his sleeping" as opposed to "the bear is sleeping". The more I think about it, the stranger the English language seems to me. Is the bear the concept of sleep? I don't know. Then the feeling passes, and I have a little lie down. 

It seems more sensible to me that the Bear is in a sleep, the sleep that will pass and the Bear will still be there. But then, what do I know....? Is it all splitting hairs? But the idea of keeping your energy conserved until the light returns strikes me as a sensible one. You need your energy until the light returns, so lay off any ideas about changing your diet until then.....!

Do you want to know how to say it in Irish? Try here for one way... http://talkirish.com/blogs/wordaday/archive/2013/12/20/irish-word-a-day-b-233-ar-bear.aspx


For an alternative way of speaking try saying chodladh ("sleeping") with a western / Connacht twist try here http://www.forvo.com/word/ina_chodladh/#ga

Phew!

What a relief.

I've seen my piece added to the other worlds, other voices exhibition being shown in Rochester. It's in keeping with the theme, and in context not nearly as flamboyant as I worried about.

Re-reading the piece, yes, the Irish is simple. But it states everything I need to say, and I don't need to say anything more. That will come later, with practice - for now, this is enough. I have little Irish, but what little I have I own. I can be patient enough to go through the baby steps, and I have faith that one day I will look back and wonder why I worried so much. Learning a language, like any skill including poetry, is an apprenticeship after all.

Which brings the question, why was I so worried? If someone judges the piece, they are only engaging with my thoughts, with my words, not me. Aren't they? Isn't that how it always works? (Well, no, not really. Not always)

How do you feel before you release a piece of art or poetry into the public realm? Are you happy? Excited? Worried? Is it only the work itself you worry about?Why such a barrier when letting a piece go public, after all? For some artists, of course, through bitter experience they find that they are the news not their art.

But sometimes, like for someone invisible like me, the thrill is in releasing something new. It's new to me. Artists are pioneers, after all. Even the baby steps - what new place did you visit this week?

Other worlds, other voices - ach dhá dhomhain difriúil?

Disaster!

I wanted to write something about the feel of the languages, the world that Irish evokes. How the feeling... feels. And compare it to English. Because of I have learned anything (and sometimes it feels like I haven't) at all it's that the words describe two different worlds....

.... and the feelings I have cannot be described in the Irish I have. Yes, the words can be found but it's the life behind them, the idioms, the feeling that I cannot understand, never mind convey.

I am beginning to wonder at what I have written. But it's too late, I'm bringing it in tomorrow. I don't know.

RIP Seamus Heaney

But I've no spade to follow men like them.
Between my finger and my thumb
The squat pen rests.
I'll dig with it.

"Digging" by Seamus Heaney. Hear (and see!) Seamus read it on youtube here

Seamus Heaney passed away. A sad loss to his family and to the people who admired his work.

I count myself as one of them - I've reading started to read his work, not expecting to find much to interest me. It surprised me, how the beauty of the poems touched me. That someone finds Ireland, the bogs of Ireland beautiful still feels like a strange thing. Why is this, I wonder?

Heaney's work is heavily rooted in the soil, especially his poems about the people found in the bog (Bog Queen springs to mind). But it wasn't just that, his poems examine his connection to, his love for his family. There's almost a guilt about not following in his fathers footsteps, but surely that's what we as human beings must do. Find our own way to own our traditions, sometimes that means stepping away from what our parents made us. Times change, and our lives need to change with them. but that doesn't mean we don't love our roots - does it?

And in honour of the man, please enjoy this reading of "the rain stick"
 

Botanic gardens

Baile an Fheirtéaraigh Iúil 2013

Welcome to the gaeltacht!
Image credit: SM Jenkin

So, I visited the Irish speaking area in Dingle last month. I attended the one week (post beginners) course run by Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne. It was a most interesting experience overall, as it dealt with more than the words, they were placed in context. Their audience is clearly international, so there was a series of cultural events. A céilí, a quiz, a baking class in Irish at the excellent museum, other visits too including one to the Blasket islands.

However, the teaching. The teacher was lovely, approachable, personable but ... there was more evidence of teaching than of learning. I appreciate that teaching a class of post beginners must be awkward, but the purpose of learning is to practise rather than to listen. It took several days before this was addressed and for me this tarnished the experience. Eventually we were able to practise some dialogue with the other students in the class, but it was a hard slog getting there and then it was time to leave.

This isn't the first time I have experienced this style of teaching either - do you think this may be contributing to the overall malaise about language learning? It's hard enough for adults to put aside the time (and money) to learn. What other barriers do you think contribute? After all, isn't it easier to listen to a CD and practice by yourself?

However, despite the problems I've mentioned I would recommended, as the course overall covered far more than the language, it was all about the context. And the sun shone on us all, so it wasn't all bad....

The sun... is doing what?

The sun is shining....? Bull!

 

Tá an ghrian ag taitneamh

The sun is.... pleasuring. Or do I mean enjoy? Enjoying? Taitneamh certainly doesn't mean shining

I love translations, they're always so... flexible. What a strange way of phrasing it. Do I mean strange, or very forward? This is why I choose to learn Irish, it has a constant capacity to surprise me. Especially when I think, I should know this. Frequently I should, frequently I don't.

But there's more to a language than the words. Are you keeping count of how often I say that? ;-)

For those trying to practice their Irish, there's a fun weather game to try, you match the Irish phrase with the picture. It's online here It's part of a website called http://www.jcspraoi.com/, put together by two students. It's fun!

Irish language weekend - arrrggghhh!!!

So, my first (and last?) Immersion in the Irish language, was the annual gathering of Colaiste na nGael (Irish college) at Aylesford priory

Some days you're the bear...

The tutors were excellent, but as expected the tutoring was all in Irish. For someone who is barely making headway into verbs (being able to translate "Dúirt sí póg mo thóin" into English or vice versa was one of my proudest moments) being confronted by teaching in Irish blew my mind. I was lucky if I got one in four words.

But this is the question, how do you expand your limits and understanding without stepping beyond them? And have I actually learned anything useful in my ignorance, or simply wasted my time surrounded by people whose language I don't speak yet....

How do you feel when you try something new... and how do you find the right balance when learning between exposure to the new and plain exposure?

Ar an Luan - On the Monday

Today is Monday, so a little about how to say Monday in Irish

Ar an Luan - on the Monday

Dé Luan - the day of Monday


Oíche dé Luain / Oíche Luain - the night of Monday

Dé Luain comes from the Latin "luna" for Moon. So Dé Luain means  Moon Day

Sweeps Festival 2013 - 6 Bealtaine

Three brave Morris dancers and "Jack in the Green"
Image credit: SM Jenkin

Happy Beltane! The festival to mark the spring time leading into summer felt like a breath of fresh air this year. The winter has overstayed it's welcome, and I was beginning to think that the better weather was never going to come.

I love the sweeps festival, as it's a celebration of new life, dancing, good music and good beer. In the closing ceremony, it was mentioned that this festival has the largest grouping of morris sides in Europe (and therefore probably the world).

Back to Beltane - Bealtaine. Bealtaine is the irish word for May. To get the pronunciation right though, check out the guide on Forvo, it has a selection of dialects all spoken by native Irish speakers here

I hope the spring stays sunny and may the sun shine on you today and every day!

Should I go back? Back where?

Where's my pot of gold, then?

I haven't been back home back to Ireland since 1998. And here the difficulty begins. How long ago was it, really? I count back through the weddings I didn't attend. Was it really 1998, or am I remembering someone else's trip? It was my first (and only so far) visit to Galway, and I loved it. The more I think about it, the nice the place gets and was there really music around every street corner, or am I adding that retrospectively?

Do I call Ireland home, now? I used to, when I went back with my family. When are you going home to visit, my cousins asked? My mum easily said it, but I can't. Quite. Even thinking about how long it's been is strange, like a reconstruction. Am I remembering things that really happened or reimagining it? Is it all becoming a Robert Flaherty documentary in my head? I haven't quite got to remebering the time I went fishing for basking sharks, but give it time...

When I go back of course, things will be different. Buildings, families, even the road signs.

Ireland becomes Éire
Dublin becomes Baile Átha Cliath
County Galway becomes Contae na Gaillimhe

It will be a different country altogether. Or will it be me?