I'm new to Gaelic and to this website. Anyone know where I should start?

Nobody knows. I think you have to create your own materials and over a span of many years.

But, Oh! wont it be grand!

Get the book Learning Irish, it's the best one. Oh, and remember to call the language 'Irish' or 'Irish Gaelic'. :-)

Anyone know where I should start?

Get a teacher. Many are listed here on this site; if you don't find one, let us know where you are and perhaps one of us will know someone.

If you can find a teacher, ask him/her what book(s) they use/recommend.

Get the book Learning Irish

Erin, LI is a good book, but some find it difficult.

In order that you don't buy things you mightn't use, consider visiting a library and checking out their Irish materials in person. If your local hasn't a good selection (or any!), then plan a trip to a larger town/city and make part of your trip a visit to their library. Spend a couple of hours trying out what they've got and see if anything strikes your fancy.

By doing so, you'll find something good without spending too much money.

>> slapping Jonas <<

"Learning Irish" sucks! Get a grammar and start working through Progress in Irish. :)

(This is a bit of a joke - it's an eternal argument as to which learning text is the best/worst. One man's meat is another man's poison. There's no help for it but to look around and see what works best for you. Good luck and stick around here.)

Thanks guys! I'll try some of that. I got this computer program called 'Learn Irish Now!' haven't checked it out to much though. Is that any good?

Thanks guys! I'll try some of that. I got this computer program called 'Learn Irish Now!' haven't checked it out to much though. Is that any good?

I was quite disappointed by it. They approached me in 1997 to write the grammar comments for it, with grand & glorious descriptions of what the final product would be like (I hadn't yet seen any of their products). I'm now a bit ashamed to admit any involvement with it.

On the bright side -- it's somewhat entertaining. You will learn some Irish words and phrases from it. It's not worth the $80 or so they charge for it, so I hope you got it at a discount somewhere.

By no means should you expect to learn a lot of Irish with it, but you may enjoy it now & then.

Wow, you seem quite accomplished in the language!The program doesn't seem to be for beginners at all. The indroductory says that it's for people of all levels, but it seems to start right in the middle, as if they left out chapters of information. It did, however, answer some questions I had.

Wow, you seem quite accomplished in the language!

Many more here better deserve the adjective "accomplished" than do I.

I'd been teaching a number of years in Nashua, NH at the time, and Transparent Language (who makes that software) was in Hollis, NH. I assume they asked me because I was an Irish teacher and located nearby.

A Chionaodh, on Irish Now there are three voices, as I recall... an older woman, a man, and a younger woman.

Do you recall which dialects they speak? The young woman has what to my ears sounds like a very strong, thick accent. Am I hearing rightly?

I don't currently have it installed, but I'll dig it out tonight and install it and have a listen. If there's any obvious dialect, I'll let you know.

The texts on the programme are written to the Caighdeán, so it'll be standard Irish, but the readers may have regional accents. It's been so long now, I won't know until I re-listen.