Dia daoibh!

Could someone tell me how to pronounce the name Aodh?

I would also like to know how to emphasize "like" as in:
- Is maith liom madraí
- Is maith liom leabhartha
- Is maith liom mo chara
to: I love dogs, books, my friend etc. Would "Is bréa liom" do?

Le buíochas,
Michelle

Aodh can be pronounced either "Ae" or "Aí", just as "saol" can be said either "saíol" or "sael", depending on dialect.

Right: Is breá liom X = I very much like, love X.
Also: Is fíormhaith liom X.

Aodh, is commonly pronounced as "Hugh" or "Q" in Co. Cavan. This derives from the fact that the ending of Irish words with "aodh" in Cavan were/are pronounced a "u/Q" sound

I've always thought of Hugh (isn't it Anglo-Norman in origin?) as an anglicised equivalent of Aodh (like Denis is an equivalent of Donncha), not as a native Irish pronunciation. The ending -(e)adh is indeed pronounced -ú throughout the North, but according to Dónall Ó Baoill (_An Teanga Beo: Gaeilge Uladh_ lch.9), 'ao' was pronounced as 'í' in the Irish dialect once spoken in Cavan:

"Tá 'í' mar fhuaimniú ar 'ao' an-choitianta i nDeisceart an Chontae [Dún na nGall], in Árainn Mhór, i gcuid mhaith de pharóiste Ghaoth Dobhair agus i Ros Goill i dTuaisceart an Chontae. Is é a bhí i nGaeilge an Chabháin nuair a mhair sí."

That would tend to suggest that "Aodh" was said as "Í" in Cavan back when the native dialect was alive.

With regard to the long e sound as mentioned in An Teanga Beo, this refered to a small area in the most northern tip of County Cavan, Gleann Ghaibhlean. This would not be represant for the rest of the county. An example of a townland "Ballahugh" in Drumlane-Ballyconnel area refers to Bealach Aodh with a definite u sound at the end. In any instance placenames and names despite their anglacised ortography do and have retained their natural sounds. This is true to the fact that the families resident in these parts have existed there for several hundred years.

Go raibh maith agat as an fhaisnéis sin, a Bhocstaí. Tá fianaise an logainm sin, Bealach Aodh, an-suimiúil. Níl a fhios agam, áfach, cén fáth nach bhfuil "Aodh" sa ghinideach anseo. Bheinn ag súil le "Bealach Aoidh".

The pronunciation of "ao" as "ú" would seem to be an odd outlier of the general bifurcation of "ao" into either "ae" or "uío". In the chapter "Na Canúintí a Theacht Chun Solais" in _Stair na Gaeilge_ (lch. 449), we read:

"Is dócha gur guta leathard láir a bhí in 'ao' ag tús ré na Gaeilge Clasaicí. Faoi thús an 17ú haois, áfach, is léir gur mar 'ae' nó 'uío' a d'fhuaimnítí é sa chaint agus go gcuirtí ceachtar den dá fhuaim i bhfeidhm san fhilíocht de réir mar a d'fheileadh don mheadaracht. Cuireann Mac an Chaoilfhiaclaigh [ca. 1640], cuir i gcás, 'Aodh' ag comhfhuaim le 'trí' agus 'aonacht' le 'éibhir' san aon líne amháin."

Now that's a name to rejoice in: Mac an Chaoilfhiaclaigh!