Irish Translation Forum

Some friends and I have started a traditional Celtic/sea shanty group and are searching for a name. We'd like something in Gaelic with a nautical flair, if possible. Any suggestions? Please include translations for us!

THANKS EVER SO MUCH!

How about a variation on a trad. song?
Fir an Bháta (the song is "Fear an Bháta" - the boatman)

What about iasc bréan (smelly fish)?

Hi, I hope you can find something useful in these:

Réalta na Mara - Star of the Sea
Réiltín na Mara - Little Star of the Sea

Ceol na Mara - Music of the Sea

Na Tonnta Siar - The Westward Waves
Na Tonnta Soir - The Eastward Waves

Maybe these will help you to figure out what you definitely *don't* want lol.
If you can think of more fitting ideas, please post them here.
Cheers.

How about Gleoiteog It's a type of traditional Connemara boat. The name literally means "beautiful little thing" and is pronounced:

GLOW-CHOGUE

Another type of boat is a Púcán, pronounced POOK-awn

Méabh wrote:How about a variation on a trad. song?
Fir an Bháta (the song is "Fear an Bháta" - the boatman)

Isn't that "The man with the stick"? I'm not so good at Irish, but I do play a lot of trad music (my other passion is the tin whistle), and that's how that's usually translated.

Hmmm...for name suggestions...two tune names that spring to mind when I'm thinking "boats" or "sailing" are Baidin Fheidhlimidh: "Phelim's Little Boat" -- a bouncy tune with a rather macabre chorus. (sorry...have't been able to pursuade my keyboard to do fadas yet. Picture a virtual fada over the a in "baidin") and, of course, An Ghaoth Aneas: "The South Wind" (a really lovely air). There's also a great hornpipe called, in English, "The Flowing Tide," but I don't know what that would be in Irish.

Redwolf

Oh dear, that's horrid! The difference is the fada here

bata = stick
bád = boat

on my "heart of the celts" CD it is translated as "the boatman"

with is "le", so I don't see how they got that translation

the lyrics seem to talk from the perspective of a lass who's waiting for her love to come home from sea, so the stick theory sounds a little odd

Hmmm...that is interesting. I've got it in "Ireland's Best Slow Airs," but it doesn't have words with it. The description suggests it may actually be of Scots origin, which muddies the waters even further.

Ah well...I definitely bow to your experience . I can play 'em, but I can't always read 'em (actually, that's one reason I decided to try to learn Irish. It's a real bummer when someone asks you the name of a tune you've just played and you can't pronounce it or tell them what it means! )

that very well may be that it's Scottish origin...Connie Dover tends to Scottish airs but also sings mighty fine in Irish (but I'm just generally fond of ladies singing in Gaelic )

http://www.conniedover.com/lyrics/if_ev ... tman.shtml

The words to this song of unrequited love come from the north of Ireland. “Fear an Bháta” is also widely sung throughout Scotland, where its original music and lyrics were first published in Henry Whyte’s collection, The Celtic Lyre (Edinburgh, 1898).

Thanks to everyone who responded! We are considering several options from those listed above! We TRULY appreciate the help and advice!