How to say a few things ...

Well said Ianstad !  It's great seeing all of the activity with everyone helping out !   I too visited Ireland and was blessed to be the first in my family line in over 200 years to return "Home". Ireland is a warm and inviting country with it's greatest beauty being in it's people. Not one cross word was heard or sour face did I see and will return again one day for another visit.  I am proud of my Irish roots and have been picking away at learning Irish so that when I visited I could get the full flavor of the country. True, there were signs in Irish in many places that I could read but found almost no one who spoke it in public.  An Irish man read me a sign in Irish and translated it wrong. Not wanting to hurt his feelings I gently asked him if it didn't mean something else and he looked at me and said " You're right ! You know more Irish that most of my friends".  On the filp side,  I did see a young mother and her daughter running through the numbers and days of the week. So who knows, it may be the younger Irish who are bringing back Irish.  I am teaching my grandson who is 4 and have been since he was 2 .  I find myself answering my wife and daughters in Irish and try to let them pick through it and see if they "get" what I said to them so that they can learn too. With all of us out here working I don't see Irish going away.

Le meas,

Doug 

Dia Daoibh,

If you in Ireland are sad over the way your losing your language, here in the States ours are loosing the ability to talk, and write, by email, txt etc, in and all the other civilied means of communication.  I am teaching my grandson Irish, he at 24 months recognizes me when I say "Dia Duit" and other sentences. His day care hears him talking and knows it is not English and ask me to stop, but no way, if it is rolling off his tongue and bouncing in his head than the little I say must be sinking in.  Also, in teaching him I must improve and grow, always a great way to learn a language. So 'teach our children well'---ah   'Teagasca na leanaí go breá.

Michelle,

"I think learning any language is fantastic for your brain. And there's something special about learning an endangered language. Every word you put in your head can help the language's future :)"

The best rationization I've seen for learning this language. Go raibh maith agat.

To all;

I found a few neat sites that will help you in fitting Irish words together.  The first is : http://www.scoilgaeilge.org/t_na_t/        The second is a link off this site located at the top right of the page and it will take you to:  http://www.scoilgaeilge.org/

From there look to the left and click on the "Learning tools" link then the "Online Lessons" link and look for the "University of Ulster" link in the center of the page.  This will take you to a site that is VERY helpful in putting the words together. It is interactive and enables you to move the words around and 'grades' you on your progress. I just started going through the lessons there and so far they are great. 

These two above links will take you to many other sites that may also help in our learning.

le meas,

Doug

Frankie

Are you on SKYPE? If so I may be able to help a little.

Michael

Frankie

If you are Wellington based I will be in your neck of the woods next month. If you want to practice a bit of Irish and it is convenient to meet please get in touch.

Michael Hughes

Actually, it has to be Is as Éirinn mé or Is as Éirinn dom. There is a special form of the word for Ireland - Éirinn - which is always used after prepositions.

Thus to Ireland is "go hÉirinn" and "in Éirinn" is in Ireland.

New to this site, some exclamations and soundfiles i did on this site

http://www.livemocha.com/flashcard_sets/view/1664953/Exclaimations

How do you say I love you??

"Tá grá agam duit" or "Mo ghrá thú"

Greetings i need the Irish spelling for "NO FEAR" for my little brothers headstone. Can anybody please please help engraving starts this week.

Its easy, just say it again dear.