Jean's Journal: Our native Irish language
by Jean Farrell
You won’t be surprised to learn that I took this photo of Christmas paraphernalia in early October. That’s when the shops first started displaying them.
“It’s going to be a long Christmas,” I thought to myself! However, on a positive note, I found it uplifting to see our lovely national language now in common use!
I was on The Dart in Dublin recently. Fellow passengers, from all over the world, were conversing in their native languages. It dawned on me then that I was talking to my friend in the language of a foreign country, in English. How sad that we were not speaking our own lovely native language, Irish!
In the early decades of our lives there was a very bad attitude towards Irish amongst many. This was mainly because lots of adults felt that it was ‘beaten’ into them in National School. And, none of us ever heard this language spoken anywhere else, except in the classroom.
It didn’t help our attitude to it that we had to pass Irish in our Leaving Cert in order to officially pass this very important examination. Even if we got top marks in science, maths and more, if we failed Irish we failed our Leaving Cert. No wonder there was a negative attitude towards our native language!
Two things altered this, I think. These were the setting up of TG4 and the gaelscoileanna in the 1990s. I have to confess that when I first heard of both of these I thought that they would never catch on. How wrong I was, and how delighted I am to have been proven wrong.
As a result of TG4, we all hear Irish spoken daily, as we watch their very interesting programmes. Many watch all the sport shown too, on TG4, with commentaries in Irish.
As a result of the gaelscoilenna, thousands of pupils and past-pupils have great Irish and a great attitude towards it now.
Hector O hEochagain wrote recently, “The Irish language is so successful at the moment. There’s NO embarrassment about speaking it anymore. Our language is thriving.”
The fact that Dunnes Stores is selling mugs and cushions with Irish written on them, bears this out.
I was minding my grandniece recently. She’s four years old and is in junior infants in Scoil na gCeithre Máistrí, here in Athlone. The child drew a picture and showed it to me.
“Oh, tá sin go hálainn,” I said. “Go raibh maith agat,” she replied, without batting an eyelid and she only a wet week in the gaelscoil! I was very impressed.
Indeed, I heard our new British ambassador Kara Owen talking on the radio recently. She spoke about her determination to improve her fluency in Irish.
You may have read in this paper recently about ‘Gaeltacht Átha Luain.’ This is Athlone’s Pop-Up Gaeltacht community.
They meet regularly, which provides an opportunity for people to speak Irish together. My New Year’s resolution will be to attend their informal chats. I’ll let you know how I get on,
One aspect of our native language that I was always interested in was the seanfhocail. I have mentioned these here previously. The truth of them regularly comes to mind.
Only last week I undertook a long car journey that I hate. I usually drive alone and find the long distance harrowing. Last Tuesday, a good friend came with me. We chatted all the time and I couldn’t believe how short that same journey seemed. The seanfhocal ‘Giorraíonn beirt bóthar’ immediately came to mind. Two shorten a road.
Here are more you may remember. Even if you don’t recall them, take note of their very solid sound advice!
Níl aon tinteán mar do thinteán féin: There's no hearth like your own hearth (There's no place like home).
Ní neart go cur le chéile: There's strength in unity.
Tús maith leath na hoibre: A good start is half the work.
Mol an óige agus tiocfaidh sí: Praise the youth and they will prosper.
Is maith an t-anlann an t-ocras: Hunger is the best sauce.
Níor bhris focal maith fiacail riamh: A good word never broke a tooth (it doesn't hurt to be kind).
Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine: People live in each other's shadows
Filleann an feall ar an bhfeallaire: The treachery returns to the betrayer. (What comes around goes around.)
Aithníonn ciaróg ciaróg eile: One beetle recognizes another. (We recognise our own.)
A seanfhocal I hadn’t heard before is Anáil na beatha an t-athrú. The breath of life is change.
At our age we have coped with many changes indeed. However, one change I DO NOT like are the changes made on RTE Radio 1. I miss Ryan Turbridy, Claire Byrne, Joe Duffy, Ray D’Arcy and I still miss Ronan Collins!
Now for an English seanfhocal, known as a proverb. ‘A good memory is not so good as a little ink.’ This means that it is better to write down your memories. And this leads me nicely onto my second book!
Jean’s Journal 2 is on sale in Athlone Book Shop, under Burgesses. It is full of old photographs of our town, as well as people and situations from the 1950s and 1960s. It would make a nice Christmas gift, maybe!
I can also post it to you, or to a relation (on your behalf) who lives abroad. I have done this many times, to many countries.It will help you remember the past that has created your present.
jeanfarrell@live.ie