Irish Translation Forum

Aibigéal

Well, tá cúpla mí ann ó bhí mé i gCathair na Mart i gcomhair an Oireachtais, agus tá mé ar gor le teacht go hÉirinn arís! An uair seo ba bhreá liom a dhul níos faide siar, amach go Conamara féin. (Tá mé ag foghlaim Gaeilge le trí bliana anuas agus gan cos liom a leagan i gceantar Gaeltachta riamh!)

Nílim lánchinnte fós céard a dhéanfas mé nó cén áit a ngabhfaidh mé, ach tá mé ag cuimhneamh go ngabhfaidh mé chuig cathair na Gaillimhe ar dtús, cúpla uair a chaitheamh ag spaisteoireacht thart sa gcathair, agus bus a fháil le dul siar ina dhiaidh sin. Ní bheidh carr agam.

Más ea, beidh dhá nó trí lá agam le caitheamh i nGaeltacht Chonamara. Cén áit a mholfá dom a dhul? Níor mhaith liom an áit a bheith ró-phlódaithe le turasóirí eile, ach b'ionadh liom dá mb'amhlaidh in áit ar bith agus a luaithe atá sé sa séasúr. Teastaíonn uaim cuid den tír a fheiceáil, breathnú amach ar an bhfarraige (nó dul amach féin uirthi dá bhfaighinn an deis sin), feoil an chuimhne a chur ar lomchreatlaigh na mapaí, agus an Béarla a chur díom ar feadh tamaillín. Dá gcasfaí isteach i seisiún amhránaíochta san oíche mar mhullach air, cheapfainn gur sna Flaithis a bhí mé!

An Spidéal? An Cheathrú Rua? Siar go Carna féin, amach ar na hoileáin? Tá mé ag smaoineamh ar a dhul chuig Ceantar na nOileán - toisc go bhfuil aithne agam ar bhean as an áit, is dócha. Fíor-áit atá ann i m'intinn, ar bhealach, seachas logainm lom a d'aithneoinn ó mhapaí is amhráin. Ach caithfidh mé a rá nach bhfuil mórán eolais agam faoin áit ar chor ar bith - ach amháin gur Gaeltacht sách láidir atá inti, agus go n-airíonn mo chara uaithi í.

It's been a couple of months since the Oireachtas, and I'm getting itchy feet for another trip to Ireland. This time I want to go further west, out to Connemara. (All this time and I still haven't set foot in a Gaeltacht!)

I'm not too sure exactly what my plans are, but I'm thinking take the early bus from Dublin to Galway, look around in Galway for a few hours, and then catch another bus bound for "points west."

I'll have three days to spend out there before heading back to Dublin. Any recommendations? Spiddal, Carraroe? Carna? The Aran Islands? I'm considering Ceantar na nOileán (Lettermore, Gorumna, Lettermullen) - mostly because I actually know someone who's from there, so that's a little more "real" to me, whereas the others are still names on a map. I don't really know much about the area itself though.

I'd rather it weren't flooded with other tourists (but I doubt that'll be such an issue this time of year, will it?) While I'm there I'd like to see a bit of the country, get a good look at the sea (or even go out in a boat if I got the chance), meet some people, see some of these places I've only read about, and lay my English aside for a few days. If on top of that I managed to catch a bit of sean-nós singing in the evenings, I'd think I was in heaven!

So, any recommendations? Very Happy

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Fáilte roimh cheartúcháin. / I'm still a learner!

Nach í an chuid súl í!

PJ

Níl mé cinnte ceard atá ar siuil i gConamara sa nGeimhreadh.

Tá fhios agam go bhfuil oiche cheoil sa Spideal gach Deardaoin i dTígh Hughes, (in aice an áit go ndeanann siad "Ros na Rún" ).

Cur ceist ag Pat Folan..beidh fhios aige ar na "sean nós hot spots"

Is maith liom fanacht in An Cheathrú Rua mar tá an teanga an laidir ann agus tá sé in aice le Ceantar na n-Oileán..ach níl mé cinnte go bhfuil sé easca a dhul siar go dti na n-oileám gan gluaisteán.
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Trí ghalar gan náire: Grá, tochas agus tart

Danny2007

If I had your Irish skills, I'd want to go to the very strongest Irish speaking areas and use it as much as possible. (I'll be going there anyway in the Spring but that's not the point...) Razz

Garmna (Leitir Mealláin, Leitir Móir), Ros Muc, Cill Chiaráin. Perhaps Inis Meáin? And as you mentioned, An Cheathrú Rua and Spidéal are good choices too.

Hope you'll tell us about your trip afterwards!

Aibigéal

Oops - rinne mé dearmad ar na dátaí atá i gceist agam a lua. Brón orm faoi sin... An chéad seachtain d'Aibreán a bheidh mé ann: 2ú-6ú Aibreáin. Seans go bhféadfainn oíche Deardaoine a chaitheamh sa Spidéal ceart go leor. An mbíodh mórán Gaeilge le cloisteáil ansin nuair a bhí tú ann?

Is fíor dhuit, deir mo chara nach mbíonn ach bus amháin sa ló ag dul chuig Leitir Mealláin.

When are you going in the spring, Danny? Maybe we'll run into each other! I'll be there the first week of April.
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Fáilte roimh cheartúcháin. / I'm still a learner!

Nach í an chuid súl í!

Danny2007

I'll be arriving on April 15 but not sure when I'll head to Conamara again.

I'll be in Ireland at least 15 months though!

PJ

Aibigéal

Oh, well that's settled then - I'll see you at the Oireachtas in Cork! Smile

Seriously, you can't imagine how envious I am. Smile

Are you going for work, or school, or just to concentrate on the language, or...?
(Hope I'm not being too nosy!)

GRMA, a Pháraic. Má fhéadaim gan focal Béarla a ligint thar mo bhéal ón am a bhfágfaidh mé Gaillimh, is mé a bheidh sásta. Very Happy

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Fáilte roimh cheartúcháin. / I'm still a learner!

Nach í an chuid súl í!

Danny2007

Hehe not at all. It's a Working Holiday Visa so it'll be a mixture of travel and work. Hopefully I'll be able to land a Work Permit (2 years...and renewable....allowing me to stay long term) but it will be tough since I'm non-EU.

Just kicking myself that I didn't start learning Irish a few years ago so I could actually use it in a natural setting. I'll definitely be attending a course or two while I'm there.

Aibigéal

Here's another question: how important is it that I arrange lodging in advance? I know the first of April is a bit early for the main tourist season, so I assume most B&Bs won't be completely full - but on the other hand, is it so early that they won't even be open?
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Fáilte roimh cheartúcháin. / I'm still a learner!

Nach í an chuid súl í!

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