"Solas le fáil sa dorchadas ag Trekkies"

Oh, Irish, just when I think I might finally slip away, you find a way to pull me back in.

Solas le fáil sa dorchadas ag Trekkies
http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/treibh/solas-le-fáil-sa-dorchadas-ag-trekkies-1.1394090
le Robbi Mac Maoláin / by Robert McMillen, May 15 2013

“Ní Cumberbitseach nó Cnó Péine mé ach an tseachtain seo caite, chuaigh mé go muiníneach go háit nach ndeachaigh mé riamh roimhe, go scannán Star Trek.”

More at IrishTimes.com.

Honestly, I saw this yesterday and I’m still laughing. Cumberbitseach. Today…today you win, Irish.

Lighter fare

New Gaelic school planned for Glasgow
The Scotsman via Gaelport.com
7 Feabhra 2013

A new Gaelic school is to be created in Glasgow following an £800,000 investment from the Scottish Government.

The primary school will be part of the existing Glendale Campus in Pollokshields. Alastair Allan, the minister for learning, said:

“The continued increase in demand for Gaelic medium education in Glasgow clearly demonstrates that parents are not only recognising the impressive learning benefits that come with a bilingual education, but that we are securing a sustainable and vibrant future for the language in future generations.

“I am delighted to announce this latest funding and look forward to work beginning on the school to create an environment that will inspire pupils and school staff throughout their time there.”

More at Gaelport.com


All about my mother tongue – one man's struggle to keep the Irish language alive
Irish Independent via Gaelport.com
2 Feabhra 2013

Manchán Magan grew up in Dublin 4, lived for a while in a cowshed in the Himalayas, became a celebrity on Irish-language tv, and is now writing Irish plays for English-speaking audiences.

As befits a published travel writer, his life story has been quite a journey.I asked him to explain it. “It all goes back to one moment,” he said, “on the morning of Easter Sunday, 1916.” Magan’s great-granduncle was The O’Rahilly – a founder of the Irish Volunteers and an ardent Irish-language revivalist. That morning, as O’Rahilly kissed his wife goodbye (he would be killed in the Rising), he was watched by his niece, Sighle Humphreys – Magan’s grandmother.

More at Gaelport.com

First the bad news

Deireadh leis an nuachtán Gaelscéal
Galway Advertiser via Gaelport.com
7 Feabhra 2013

Cuirfear críoch le foilsiú an nuachtán Gaelscéal ag deireadh mhí an Mhárta.

Tháinig an scéal seo aniar aduaidh ar phobal na Gaeilge an deireadh seachtaine seo caite, nuair a fógraíodh go raibh Foras na Gaeilge ag cur deireadh leis an maoiniú a bhí á gcur ar fáil do Thorann na dTonn, an comhlacht a bhí i mbun an nuachtáin.

More at Gaelport.com


Foras na Gaeilge le críoch a chur le maoiniú Gaelscéal
Irish Times via Gaelport.com
6 Feabhra 2013

D’fhógair Foras na Gaeilge Dé hAoine go raibh siad le deireadh a chur le maoiniú an nuachtáin, Gaelscéal. Tá an foras le héirí as an chonradh a bhí acu leis an chomhlacht Torann na dTonn leis an nuachtán a fhoilsiú.

‘Luach ar airgead’

I ráiteas a d’eisigh an foras, dúradh gur “i gcomhthéacs luach ar airgead” a tógadh an cinneadh ag cruinniú dá mbord ar 25ú Eanáir.

Dúradh sa ráiteas gur léirigh cinneadh an bhoird “nach é an fhormáid chlóite an bealach is oiriúnaí le seirbhís nuachta a sholáthar do phobal léitheoireachta na Gaeilge”.

Dhéanfaí staidéar ar riachtanais agus ar mhianta phobal léitheoireachta na Gaeilge sula ndéanfaí an cinneadh sin, a dúirt sé.

More at Gaelport.com

News from deireadh na míosa, only slightly stale

Totally thought I put these up already. Huh. Plus, I totally blew past the 500th post a few back. Ah, well.

English-Irish dictionary to be completed by 2015
http://tinyurl.com/ad9n9et
25 Eanáir 2013

Cyberbullying, retweet, and cloud computing — just some of the words we can now say as Gaeilge.

It’s all thanks to the launch of www.focloir.ie — the first major English-Irish dictionary since the publication of Tomás de Bhaldraithe’s dictionary in 1959.

More (including translations of the words mentioned above) at Gaelport.com.


NW man edits first dictionary since 1959
http://www.gaelport.com/nuacht/NW-man-edits-first-dictionary-since-1959/
29 Eanáir 2013
Londnderry man Dr Pádraig Ó Mianáin has edited the first major English-Irish dictionary since Tomás de Bhaldraithe’s over 50 years ago with ‘ghost estates,’ ‘cyberbullying,’ ‘retweet,’ ‘defriend’ and ‘cloud computing’ amongst words now included in the lexicon.

More at Gaelport.com.

News items for 30 Eanáir

Céard? 17 words from modern Ireland, in Irish
http://www.thejournal.ie/17-words-modern-ireland-in-irish-770728-Jan2013/
January 26, 2013

The latest edition of the official English-Irish dictionary was formally launched this week – and was marked by the relaunch of focloir.ie, its official website run by Foras na Gaeilge.

The modern dictionary – the first update since 1959 – includes a series of new words, like a formal Irish translation for ‘tweet’ among others.

More at thejournal.ie .


VIDEO: The Hunger Games gets an Irish makeover
http://thedailyedge.thejournal.ie/video-the-hunger-games-gets-an-irish-makeover-750574-Jan2013/
January 27, 2013

The Hunger Games as Gaeilge? How would that work?

Twenty-three Sixth Class pupils at Gaelscoil Nás na Ríogh took up the challenge before Christmas and came up with some impressive results.

More at The Daily Edge.


Film-maker Éamon de Buitléar dies
http://www.rte.ie/ten/2013/0128/debuitleare.html
January 28, 2013

The death has taken place of the wildlife film-maker, conservationist and former Senator, Éamon de Buitléar.

He was 83 and died at his home in Delgany, Co Wicklow on Sunday night.

Ireland's best known independent wildlife film-maker since the 1960s, Éamon de Buitléar also promoted the Irish language and traditional music.

More at RTÉ.


VIDEO: Want to take a trip around Dublin city in 1965? Now you can…
http://www.thejournal.ie/video-want-to-take-a-trip-around-dublin-city-in-1965-now-you-can-773664-Jan2013/
January 29, 2013

If you have ever wanted to see what Dublin was like back in the 1960s, now you can.

This incredible 10-minute video of a bus driver journeying around the capital in 1965 is something very, very special.

More at thejournal.ie.

Irish documentary tells story of iconic photo

Classic Irish mystery comes to big screen
http://tinyurl.com/b7tfgbz
RTE.ie ~ 24 January 2013

The IFTA-nominated documentary Men at Lunch (Lón Sa Spéir), which tells the story of one of the most iconic photographs of the 20th century, Lunch Atop a Skyscraper, and explores its links to a Galway village, opens in cinemas next month.

Lunch Atop a Skyscraper was taken in 1932 and shows workers on their break on a girder 850ft above Manhattan during the building of the Rockefeller Centre.

In 2007, brothers Eamonn and Sean Ó Cualáin came upon a special framed copy of the photograph in Whelan's pub in the Galway village of Shanaglish and began their fascinating investigation into two local men who had emigrated from the village in the 1920s.

More at RTE.ie.

New English-Irish dictionary launched today

from the Irish Times: 

English-Irish dictionary launched
http://tinyurl.com/bczbb57
January 24, 2013

A new online English-Irish dictionary will be launched today by President Michael D Higgins.

The free dictionary, available at focloir.ie, is published by Foras na Gaeilge and has been adapted to work on desktop computers and on mobile devices.

More at IrishTimes.com.

A few news items for January 2013

Is it more sad that I post these so infrequently, or that I keep trying instead of just giving up?

Celtic Connections 2013 marks 40 years of centre for Gaelic culture Sabhal Mòr Ostaig
http://www.gaelport.com/nuacht?NewsItemID=9188
17 Eanáir 2013

This year’s 20th Celtic Connections is a double celebration, marking the 40th year of Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, the renowned centre for Gaelic culture that began as a simple farm steading.

Forty years ago, in what seemed to many at the time to be an act of madness, the merchant banker, entrepreneur and Gaelic enthusiast Sir Iain Noble established an embryonic Gaelic college in a converted 19th-century farm steading – the “Great Steading of Ostaig” – which he had bought from former MacDonald estates on the Sleat peninsula in south-west Skye.

Today Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, the striking contemporary architecture of its campus overlooking the Sound of Sleat, has become not just a college, but a nationally and internationally respected centre for Gaelic culture, catering – directly, or through distance learning – for more than 1,100 students.

More at Gaelport.com.


Labelling medicine in Irish ‘could cost jobs’
http://www.gaelport.com/nuacht/Labelling-medicine-in-Irish-could-cost-jobs/
21 Eanáir 2013

The compulsory labelling of medicines in both English and Irish would add up to 10pc to the cost for patients and lead to the withdrawal of some products, according to a new report.

More at Gaelport.com.


An Foclóir Nua Béarla-Gaeilge
http://www.gaelport.com/nuacht/An-Focloir-Nua-Bearla-Gaeilge/
22 Eanáir 2013

Seolfaidh an tUachtarán Mícheál D. Ó hUigínn An Foclóir Nua Béarla Gaeilge ar an Déardaoin beag seo, 24 Eanáir 2013.

Tá fáil saor in aisce ar an bhfoclóir nua, ina bhfuil 7,000 ceannfhocal, 40,000 frása samplach, mar aon le comhaid fuaime agus treoracha cuimsitheacha gramadaí, ó www.focloir.ie .

Cuireadh tús leis an togra, ag a bhfuil buiséad iomlán de €6.088m, sa bhliain 2000 agus tá foireann 70 duine ag forbairt an fhoclóra nua ó shin.

Tuilleadh: Gaelport.com.


Gaeltachts losing out due to poor broadband
http://www.gaelport.com/nuacht/Gaeltachts-losing-out-due-to-poor-broadband/
22 Eanáir 2013

Companies are paying exorbitant premiums to base their businesses in Gaeltacht areas.

But despite forking out, in some cases, tens of thousands of euro on telecommunications, high- speed broadband access remains a challenge in many areas. The broadband problem is inhibiting efforts to attract employers to Gaeltacht regions. The claim was made by Anna Ní Ghallachoir, the chairperson of the state development agency, Údarás na Gaeltachta.

More at Gaelport.com.


Gaeltacht firms lost more jobs than created in 2012
http://www.gaelport.com/nuacht/Gaeltacht-firms-lost-more-jobs-than-created-in-2012/
23 Eanáir 2013

Companies based in the Gaeltacht lost more jobs than they created in the last year, amid warnings that the lack of infrastructure in Irish-speaking areas was holding back investment.

More at Gaelport.com.

An Béal Bocht ar fáil mar leagan grafach

More catching-up....

An Béal Bocht ar fáil mar leagan grafach
Gaelport.com, Dec 11 2012
http://www.gaelport.com/nuacht/An-Beal-Bocht-ar-fail-mar-leagan-grafach/

Seoladh leagan grafach den mhórshaothar clasaiceach ‘An Béal Bocht’ le Myles na gCopaleen an tseachtain seo caite agus é ar fáil díreach in am don Nollaig!

Is é Colmán Ó Raghallaigh (Cló Mhaigh Eo) a chóirigh, Breandán Ó Conaire a chuir in eagar, agus John McCloskey a mhaisigh an leabhar álainn seo atá ar fáil anois ar www.leabhar.ie   ar an bpraghas íseal de €12 le haghaidh cóip bhog agus €20 do chóip chrua.

Foilsíodh An Béal Bocht den chéad uair sa bhliain 1941 agus Myles na gCopaleen a d’úsáid Flann O’Brien mar ainm cleite air. Déanann an t-úrscéal cur síos magúil agus searbhasach ar chás na nGael ag tús na haoise nua, ag tagairt do shaothair ar nós ‘ An tOileánach’ le Tomás Ó Criomhthain agus ‘Peig’ le Peig Sayers, úrscéalta a bhfuil cáil orthu de bharr na síorchainte ar dheacracht an tsaoil sa Ghaeltacht.

Samplaí anseo.

‘Cheers as Gaeilge’ may be on way

This is a slightly older article but I see the news is making the rounds again:

‘Cheers as Gaeilge’ may be on way
Irish Times via Gaelport - tinyurl.com/bww5f5v

An Irish-language edition of the popular US sitcom Cheers could be on its way to television screens.

Dublin-based company Sideline Productions has been given permission by CBS to rework a series of the critically acclaimed US show which ran for 11 seasons from 1982 to 1993. 

More at Gaelport.com.

Katie Taylor items

Here's a link to the audio clip I played in class:
http://www.rte.ie/sport/player/734/332902/

Here's the Gaelscéal article from 2010:
Seampín den scoth

And then there were the two blog posts:
An Chéad Amhrán Oilimpeach as Gaeilge: “Croílár na Féile” faoi Katie Taylor (aka KT)
How To Congratulate Someone in Irish: Comhghairdeas leat, a Katie, srl.

EDIT:
I just found another YouTube clip of the SBB audio (except this one starts from the announcement) where the poster has added an English translation below the media. I suspect if you listen and read, you may find that SBB said stuff you knew but just couldn't catch:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3IPNlm0Xpg

Gaeltacht Bill prompts Dáil walkout

Video available at the linked page.

Gaeltacht Bill prompts Dáil walkout

Irish Times, Thursday, July 19, 2012 - http://tinyurl.com/bq7qf2a

by Marie O'Halloran and Michael O'Regan

All Opposition TDs walked out of the Dail this morning in protest at the Gaeltacht Bill.

The Bill abolishes elections for Udaras na Gaeltachta, the local authority that represents Irish language speaking areas and reduces its membership from 20 to 12.

The Bill gives the Minister for the Gaeltacht power to appoint seven members to the board. It also changes the way employment schemes are funded and provides for language plans to be developed for each of 19 Irish speaking areas.

They also criticised the legislation being rushed through and for being anti-democratic with the abolition of elections for the Udaras.

Thirty four opposition TDs were in the chamber and walked out as committee stage of the Bill, scheduled to take three hours, commenced, in protest because none of its 150 amendments were accepted.

More at irishtimes.com.

Texters charged for the síneadh fada

Can anyone explain/defend the technical side of this? I'm curious to know more about how it all works. 

Texters charged for the síneadh fada

Irish Times, Thursday, July 19, 2012 - http://tinyurl.com/cn3dbq9

by Ruaidhrí Giblin

Mobile phone users who text in Irish claim they are being ripped off for using the national language.

They say it is cheaper to send a photo than it is to send a “fada”.

Vodafone confirmed yesterday users would be charged for three text messages if they include a single síneadh fada in a text of 160 characters.

Operators say texts are charged according to the data used, as opposed to the number of characters. Messages with characters in Irish or Mandarin, for instance, use more characters than a standard text in English.

O2 and Vodafone say they conform to global standards set by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute, which defines the basic list of SMS alphabet characters and symbols.