I see so many people here both registered and unregistered who speak brilliant Irish. And I've been wondering for so long, what kind of jobs do you have? My guess is that there are a couple of teachers here? Do all the fluent speakers here use their Irish at work?

Is innealtóir bogearraí mise, agus ní bhíonn gaeilge in úsáid agam or obair (faraor).

I am a software engineer, and don't, alas, use Irish at work.

I used to work in a job where Irish was in common use, both in terms of written and oral communications. All matters in Irish were mirrored in English and vice versa. Meetings also were held in Irish, with simultaneous translation provided for those whose Irish was not quite up to par. Reporting of of these meetings was fully bilingual. In the course of work I travelled extensively in the Gaeltachtaí. Social intercourse with colleagues, even in Dublin, tended to be in Irish as well. Interestingly, those who came to work among us, although their knowledge of Irish might have been minimal, soon came to grips with the situation and made amazing leaps of learning and gaining confidence in the language. No need for compulsion. It was a natural process.

However now I live in France.


Bhíodh mise ag obair i job a mbíodh an Ghaeilge á úsáid go coitianta ann, idir cumarsáid scríofa agus labhartha. Feidmhíodh riarachán gach ábhair i nGaeilge agus i mBéarla. Agus sna cruinnithe a tionóladh, bhíodh aistriúchán comhuaineach ar fáil dóibh siúd gan Ghaeilge sách líofa acu. Rinneadh tuarascáil dhá-theangach ar na cruinnithe go hiomlán. Le linn na h-oibre, thaistil mé go fairsing sna Gaeiltachtaí. Bhíodh cumarsáid go ginereálta idir chomhghleacaithe trí mheán na Gaeilge, fiú amháin i mBÁC. Agus is simiúil a thabhairt faoi deara an dul chun cinn i muinín agus eolas ar an nGaeilge a rinne iad siúd a tháinig, gan mórán Gaeilge acu, chun oibrithe in ár measc. Ní raibh foréigean riamh sa chás. Ba dhóigh nádúrtha í.

Anois, áfach, tá cónaí orm sa bhFrainc.

Tá cónaí orm <- Does it have any special meaning as compared to "Táim im chomhnaí"?

No. Is ionann iad.

http://www.googlefight.com/index.php?lang=en_GB&word1=%22t%E1+cona%ED+orm%22&word2=%22T%E1im+i+mo+chona%ED%22

(Message edited by aonghus on May 12, 2006)

Faoi na leaganacha 'cónaí orm' agus 'i mo chónaí', is coitianta i bhfad an dara ceann a chairde. Bhí eagla orm go gclaonfadh an 'táim v. tá mé' an scéal orainn:

http://www.googlefight.com/index.php?lang=en_GB&word1=%22c%F3na%ED+orm%22&word2= %22m%E9+i+mo+ch%F3na%ED%22

Is diabhalta na cleasanna ríomhaireachta atá agat a Aonghuis. Is an-áis an Trodaí Gúgail sin.

Píosa spraoi. Bheinn cúramach faoi. Agus ná dearmad frása seachas focal a lorg, nó cuirfear as riocht an rud.

I am a student.

Is dalta me. I'm a student as well, of the collegic persuasion, and my school hasn't got any Irish studies so I don't get to use what very little Irish I know, except when I sneak it in while talking to my friends and people I'm aquainted with, who don't understand unless I tell them what it means.

Same.

Thanks for all the answers.
I was hoping that Lughaidh would answer too.

A Lughaidh, ó mhuirnín! Cá bhfuil tú?

Sa Bhriotáin, ar an ollscoil!

Cool! What does he study?
(How do I say that in Irish?)

"Cúl! Céard a d'fhoghlaim sé?"

"cad a d'fhólaim sé" rather

As far as I know Lughaidh is a linguist, makes since because he knows so many technical stuff. Thats what everyone around here says he is. Agus tu fein a norwegiandame, what do you do for a living, since you asked the all of us. Its a good idea for a thread because it is odd to try and imagine the all of you at some job or other.

Beir bua agus beannacht.

Is dalta ardscoil mé … =)

Is dalta mé.

Céard atá sé a fhoghlaim?

--->Scríobh Peter: Céard atá sé a fhoghlaim?

Cinnte?

--->Scríobh Riona: As far as I know Lughaidh is a linguist..

Cool! I always wanted to marry a linguist! (How do I say that in Irish?)

Myself? I graduated from upper second level last year and am going to the NUI of Maynooth in September to study Arts(Medieval Irish & Celtic Studies being of my choices!). I don't have a job at present, but I'm focusing on becoming a lecturer, possibly set up my own business and write. :-)

Does anybody happen to know any students of Irish at the Uni of Maynooth?

"Céard atá sé a fhoghlaim?"

thats why I corrected it! When you are not fluent I find I float or is it that one has a more abstract relation to the language. As soon as I had it posted I realised it was the wrong word

To answer to Norwegian Dame:

I'm a student on Breton language in a university in Brittany. I'm doing a PhD about the grammar & pronounciation of a specific Breton dialect.

I'm so sorry, Norwegian Dame, I've already a girlfriend :-) . But we can become friends if you wish ;-)

--->Scríobh Peter: Céard atá sé a fhoghlaim?

Cinnte?

céad faoin gcéad

No problems, Lughaidh. I'm very excited to know you're doing a PhD on Breton! Hope that goes well for you! Have heard some Breton myself and it's a lovely, crazy mixture of Celtic and French. :-)

I consider everyone here my friend anyway so we are friends. ;-)

Peter, I'm very grateful! Now that I've checked the grammar, that makes perfect sense. Smooches to Peter.

I was born in Belfast, but apparently that's not in Ireland and no Irish is taught at school.
Because I feel Irish I am now learning the language and I am trying to persuade everyone I know to learn Irish. We should not be speaking the language of the oppressor. Irish people should be proud of their language and Celtic heritage!

I almost feel like saying "Tiochfaidh ar lá!", Seán! :-)

It's great that you're interested! The Irish language IS indeed a part of Northern Ireland's heritage and it's a great shame that it isn't taught in schools there. Actually, I did not know that!

Seán, could I by any chance have your e-mail address? Or maybe you could write to me?

(Message edited by norwegiandame on May 17, 2006)

I didn't mean it the way it sounds, sometimes I get carried away :-) Tá brón orm.

Actually I wasn't really born in Belfast, but I have lived there pretty much my whole life. I'm originally from Dundalk. But even though I have lived under British oppression almost all my life, tiocfaidh ár lá is definitely not my slogan. Violence is never the answer. But I guess you should have been there to understand the situation. Because no matter what they want to make you believe: there is still a lot of violence going on in the north of Ireland. Only this week a 15 year old Catholic schoolboy was killed in a sectarian attack.

But let's not turn this into a political discussion, for this is not the place for it.

Oh, and by the way, I am not a student. I am the owner of an international transport company in Belfast.
Tá mé i mo chónaí san Ísiltír faoi láthair. Agus tá mé ag foghlaim Gaeilge le bliain anois, tá suim mhór agam sa teanga.

Scríobhfaidh mé ríomhphost duit.

Slán.

-Seán-

hmm ...

"Tiocfaidh ár lá" sounds like a good slogan. I don't see anything violent about saying that. I must admit though, I know almost nothing about politics in Ireland so there might be something to that saying(?) that I'm not aware of.

Tiocfaidh ár lá is the slogan of the IRA.

I know it is, Seán. And I know a lot about the situation in N-I. I read news about it every day. It's quite apparent that you're not a proponent of violence, Seán. Your avatar says enough. ;-)

You'll all probably think I'm teriibly ignorant to say this.. but what does, "Tiocfaidh ár lá" mean?

For Odwyer

It means :"Our day will come".

(This is a simple translation and should not be construed to carry a political affiliation in any direction!)

"Our day will come"... and a guy with an AK74 on the Fianna's banner.


There's a yearly parade on St Patrick's day here in Moscow, this time the Minister for Culture of the Irish Republic visited it. The thing is the organisers don't seem to be familiar with the developments in Ireland, and so they let everyone take part in the show, even the Russian IRA suppoters including bands singing almost facsist things, waving banners "Tiocfaidh ár lá" and others, wearing military uniforms and stuff. How did Monsieur le Ministre react to it, I wonder...

Ooops. Thought I'd be the first with the answer.

quote:

But let's not turn this into a political discussion, for this is not the place for it.

Go direach.

Caoimhín

I'm sorry, Caoimhín.