Monday, January 26, 2009

Craobh Curtin, Conradh na Gaeilge.

Bím gnóthach liomsa inniu. Mar sin, ní scríobhfaidh go leor anois. Ach, léigh mé dhá nóta le Dónal ó Milwaukee. D'inis sé ormsa faoi suíomh ar an idírlion go raibh go cruinnithe leis féin.

Tá sé anseo: Craobh Curtin, Conradh na Gaeilge ó Milwaukee. Foghlaimeidh tú faoi focail na geimhreadh, imeachtaí Croibhe, nuacht, stair, agus naisc. Go críochaítear ar ais go dtí Blogtrotter, mar sin féin.

Cén fáth? Chuir Dónal nasc leis mo phost faoi Séamas Ó Broine. Chuala Dónal agus mé an fidléir cáiliúl, trocaire air, nuair ag fanta i Gleann Cholm Cille. Bhuail muid linn ag freastail ar chéile go Oideas Gael.

Is cuimhne liomsa i mo rhanga cailín níos óg Cáit ann. Bhí mac leinn ar an Ollscoil Wisconsin ina gcathair Milwaukee ann. Bhi gruaig mageanta uirthi. Téann foghlameoiri fásta go rialta go Milwaukee go dtí Dún na nGall.

Fillfaidh Dónal agus duine eile ann an samhraidh seo chugainn. Smaoiním faoi an Gleann go minic. Níl mé ábalta a fágáil mo chathair. Níl dóthain airgead agamsa anois! Ach, gheobhaidh mé amach faoi cuairt is gaire go Wisconsin go dtí an Gleann airsean féin go luath.

Curtin Branch, Gaelic League.

I'm busy myself today. Therefore, I will not write a lot now. But, I read two notes from Dan of Milwaukee. He told me about a site on the internet that he designed himself.

Here it is: Curtin Branch, Gaelic League of Milwaukee. You will learn about words for winter, Branch events, news, history, and links. One may go back to Blogtrotter, however.

Why? Dan put a link with my post about James Byrne. Dan and I heard the famous late (literally= "mercy on him") fiddler when we stayed at Glencolmcille. We met attending together at Oideas Gael.

"There comes to a memory of me" (=I remember") a younger girl Cáit in my class there. She had magenta hair on her. She was a student at the University of Wisconsin in the city of Milwaukee. Adult learners come regularly from Milwaukee to Donegal.

Dan and other people will return there this next summer. I think about the Glen often. I am unable to leave my city. There is not enough money for me now! But, I will find out about the next visit from Wisconsin to the Glen from himself soon.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dear Blogtrotter,

Congratulations on your Irish language learnings ! For someone who finds the language a challenge, you appear to have a significant grasp of it.

My Irish lessons took place many years ago, However, I find your Blog an encouragement to call the telephone number advertising lessons for me locally, where I now live in St. Albans, in England. I am from Derry.

It’s sad for me, coming from a city 40 miles from a Gaeltacht, that I speak a few European languages, but not the one which means most to me.

I will keep an eye on your progress.

Slán agus saol agat.

John

Email: seanobrolchain@gmail.com

Unknown said...

PS Having just re-read your Profile, we may have more in common than I thought. I have 10 unread books waiting by my bedside. Not to mention those in my study ! John

John L. Murphy / "Fionnchú" said...

A Sheáin:

Níl mórán Gaeilge agamsa, ach caithim go bhfuil ag iarraidh mír dhá uair gach seachtaine a scríobh anseo as Gaeilge.

I don't have a lot of Irish, but I must be trying a bit two times every week to write here in Irish.

Is maith liomsa Doire; chuir mé dhá cuairt ansuid deich mbliana go ham seo beagnach. An mhaith leat St Albans?

I like Derry myself; I paid two visits over there nearly ten years ago. Do you like St Albans?

Go raibh maith agatsa aríst! Ag súil le scéala uait go luath, is mise...

Thanks again! Hoping to hear from you soon, I am...Fionnchú

Anonymous said...

A BhFionnchú,

Forgive the grammatical mistakes, especially in relation to the vocative case, in this lamentable attempt at Irish. I have only 30 years of poor memory to offer as an excuse.

Ba mhaith liom a bheith abailte Gaeilge a labhairt.

I would very much like to be able to converse in Irish. Giving the time to do so will now be my challenge ! I am impressed by your facility with Irish - and your modesty.

Is maith liomsa St Albans agus is maith liomsa Doire.

I like Derry and of course, I like St Albans. Both similarly ancient cities, one built by the Romans, one not. Both featuring ancient buildings, bloody wars, important geographical locations and history-changing events.

Given that war and history are in my genes, it will not surprise that my brothers and I are travelling to the First World War battlefields in France and Belgium to re-trace the steps of many Irish-born soldiers, particularly those of our Grandfather, an infantryman in the Canadian Army from April 1915 to June 1918.

I will end "as bearla." There is an excellent Irish Language website produced by the BBC in Belfast. It would be interesting to see what you think of it, Fionnchu: http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/irish/blas/index.shtml

Slán agus saol agat, a bhFionnchú.

Is mise Sean P.G . O' Brolcháin

John L. Murphy / "Fionnchú" said...

A Sheáin a chara:

Go raibh maith agat faoi focail dheas ortsa féin. Is maith liom "Gíota Beag" ar an BBC-NI go leor. Scríobh mé faoi anseo ar an blog seo go luath. D'eist mé ar clar go minic sula ag freastail Oideas Gael i Dún na nGall ar feadh an samraidh 2007. Chuir mé gach roinnt ar mo iPhod agus chuala mé glór shona ar thuiscint Fhearghal go rialta. Tá blas Uladh as Gaeilge anois mar sin "Blas." Ádh mor ort, Sheáin ó Doire agus Naomh Alban.

P.S. Feic mo leirmheas faoi deireanach de reir an leabhar "Death's Men: Soldiers in the Great War" anseo freisin.

Thanks to you for the kind words from yourself. I like "Gíota Beag" on the BBC-NI a lot. I wrote about it here on my blog earlier. I listened to the program often before attending Oideas Gael in Donegal during the summer of 2007. I put every section on my iPod and I heard the happy voice from the North of Fearghal regularly. I have a slight Ulster accent in Irish now because of "Blas"! Good luck to you, Seán from Derry and St Albans.

P.S. See my review recently concerning the book "Death's Men: Soldiers in the Great War" here also.