Interview with Julius

With Irish grand parents, Julius is a native of Buenos Aires City, Argentina. 10th October 2006.

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Joined forum: 28th October 2005

Who is Julius?

My name is Rubén Julius Coffey, I’m 43 years old and I’m Argentinian. I lived in Buenos Aires City the most of my life and, at the moment, I moved to Banfield, a beutiful quiet town uptown Bs.As. I was married for over ten years and I’m divorced since not long ago, I got no children. I’m a marketing licenciated and work in the marketing dept. of a discographic company since the last 16 years.

So, what’s your connection to the Irish language? Are you involved with other Irish language groups, apart from IrishGaelicTranslator.com?

Well, my connection with the Irish language is related to my grandparents, they were Irish, from Co. Cork, and settled here in the late 1920s. My grandpa was very proud to be an Irishman and he always talked to my brothers and me about Ireland, stories about people and places he knew there, and so begun my love for all of that. I’m not involved with other groups simply cuz there’re not a single one here, sad to say.

What has been your path of learning Irish?

I became to study Irish in a serious way around one year ago, at the same time I joined IGTF (IrishGaelicTranslator.com Forum). Before that, I barely had a chance to start studying, but when I met the spirit of this site I got encouraged to get on the track. My development is slower than I’d like cuz of the lack of resources here, no studying groups, no teachers.

My first resource was a Collins dictionary I bought two years ago when in Europe (that kinda stuff is not available here). Other than that, I got lots of grammar and exercise notes downloaded from internet, and many hours of an everyday reading so much posts as I can in the forum. I’d say I’m at a beginner level nowadays, I can understand, I reckon, a 50/60% of a text, but the spoken word is a wee hard to me yet.

Do you see your Irish skills improving in the future?

Yes, of course. I heartfully hope that my everyday effort, and your help and guidance take me to an improvement with my Irish skills, notwithstanding the scarcity of study methods around here. It’s hard to do alone, but not impossible.

I want to start learning Irish. Where do I begin??

I’d suggest to get a teacher is the best way to start learning, if it’s not possible, good method books and tapes to exercise the hearing and pronounciation would be grand.

Do you have any tips for people interested in learning Irish?

Hard work, first of all, more hard work in second place, nevermind if sometimes you feel down cuz of a slow progress or if you feel stucked at one point, you must keep on the track. I’d like to mention a wee "naive" tip that helps me: I put stickers, with the Irish word, on almost everything in my flat, table, chairs, TV set, computer, stove, whatever... it’s gobsmucking how words get fixed in my mind!

Apart from Irish, what other hobbies or interests do you like?

I’m a volunteer worker in Manos x hermanos (Hands for brothers), it’s a foundation involved with the caring of helpless and unprotected children, children suffering of extreme poverty, lack of family bonds, education, love. We do our best to give them a safe place to stay, food, education, and affection above all. The government aid is inexsistent, you know, politicians are more concerned on change their brand new cars for the newest model every year than in the poor childhood needs, so we’re on our own, but I feel happy with this duty. Apart that, I got simple hobbies, like music, I love the West Coast jazz!, and lots of books, from Byron and Wilde to Ecco and Salinger, reading is a passion to me.