I am an Italian lad who is EAGER to learn the Irish language.

I start from knowing nothing of the Irish, so I would like to start from the beginning.

You can contact me using my MSN Messenger contact address "" or sending me an @mail at ""

I will be pleased for any of your helps, advises and so on...

- Thanks, Paolo -

Well I can't recommend any books, but I definitely would say start off with the past tense. There's a grammar section on this website, go to the past tense in it.


-Phil

I am an American who would also love to learn the Irish language. A friend of mine printed out some online lessons but not exactly sure where they can be found at. Doesn't look like anyone's been replying lately. But I would appreciate some help. Maybe even thinking of going to Ireland on a foreign exchange program. Would like to at least know the basics of the language before I go over there.

Mise,
Patrick

PS: I am of Irish decent and am facinated with Irish history. Can you suggest any sites? Go raibh maith agat...

Close = Dún
the = an
door = doras

Close the door = Dún an doras
pronounced "Doon on duris"

I closed the door = Dhún mé an doras
"Goon me on duris"


The 'h' after the D turns it into a "G" sound. That's how the past tense works in Irish: just stick a 'h' after the first letter and put a person with it:

Bris an doras "Break the door"
Bhris mé an doras

Deisigh an doras "Fix the door"
Dheisigh mé an doras

The 'h' has a different effect on every consonant, for example a D becomes a G but a B becomes a V.

Ones with vowels:

Ól an deoch "Drink the drink"
D'ól mé an deoch "I drank the drink"

Oscaill an doras "Open the door"
D'oscail mé an doras "I opened the door"


Ones that begin with an F:


Fág an cailín "Leave the girl"
D'fhág mé an cailín "I left the girl"

The F sound has been turned into a D sound.

Fiafraigh den chailín "Ask the girl"
D'fhiafraigh mé den chailín "I asked the girl"


The pronouns:

Dhún mé ( I )
Dhún tú ( you )
Dhún sé ( he )
Dhún sí ( she )
Dhún sinn ( we )
Dhún sibh ( yous )
Dhún siad ( they )

-Fear na mBróg

Patrick, A Chara:

Two books that are essential, in my humble opinion: Learing Irish by Micheál Ó Síadhal and then Irish Grammar: A Basic Handbook by Noel McGonagle. You'll need McGonagle to make sense out of Ó Síadhal's sometimes less than complete grammar examples. But, you'll have a hard time finding a more complete and thorough resource on An Gaeilge, The Irish Language.

If you're considering some immersion work, I'd suggest a week or weekend with this group just to get a taste of the language. I've not been myself, but I've heard very good things about the experience. If you're going to Ireland for your immersion, there are a number of courses taught in the west (which is where the largest Gaeltacht is) and I'm pretty sure you can find something in the way of a summer course at Trinity or Galway Universities.

Adh mór ort! (Good luck!)

I am just beginning to learn the Irish language myself and I have a excellent teacher who teaches at the university of Liverpool. The thing which makes it easy for me is to write down the way you actually pronounce the word or sentence etc. For example cad is ainm duit? means what is your name but I would start by writing it out by the way it sounds first and check the correct spelling later. For example I write that sentence as 'cod ist anum dutch'? because thats they way its pronouced. Another example of this method is 'Ta me ag gol' which means i am crying but it is pronouced taw may egg gull. Good luck, martin.

Martin...I did the same thing

James...I've found that Learning Irish and Irish Grammar are essential, but as reference only...

I"ve found this to be the (affordable) essential reference set: Irish Grammar, McGonagle. Focl—ir Scoile, An Gœm. Briathra na Gaeilge, Folens. (then Learning Irish if you have the cash...and there's always the DeBhaldraithe/An Gœm "Focl—ir" combination if you're okay with spending about $200 for a set of one-way dictionaries!)

As for lessons I think it depends on what you want to do. Buntœs Cainte+tapes is fantastic for picking up conversational stuff. Maybe start with that and then progress to Irish (Teach Yourself series which I understand now has a vol. 2)