When is an urú necessary?
For instance

árd na ngleann

An féidir le héinne é a mhiniú ó thaobh an uimhir uatha agus iolra sa ghinideach agus úsáid urú.

Táim saghas caillte chun é sin a thuiscint.

If it were a "regular" noun, it would works as follows:

null singular: an gleann
null plural: na glinn

genitive singular: an ghlinn
genitive plural: na ngleann

In the genitive plural, for both masculine and feminine, "an" is followed by an urú.

However, "gleann" works as follows:
an gleann
na gleannta
an ghleanna
na ngleannta

Sorry but I'm at a loss to explain "ard na ngleann" unless "gleann" is an alternative form for the genitive plural.

Could be a generalisation of the rule, just treating the gen pl as null singular regardless of declension, or an extension of the dialectical rule of dropping the final bit fo the strong plural, or could just be wrong

I wouldn't say such generalisation takes place. I always see:

de réir na scéalta, de bharr na soilse

and never see:

de réir na scéal, de bharr na solas

I mean, someone themselves generalised it, not any group of people or dialect

It would probably raise an eyebrow, just as if an English speaker were to day "I saw the childs playing in the park."

Bhuel tóg an logainm seo Cloch na Coillte le g nó gan g? Tá sé cloiste agam le "g" go minic agus tá sé mítreorach!

(Message edited by podsers on June 16, 2007)

quote:

However, "gleann" works as follows:
an gleann
na gleannta
an ghleanna
na ngleannta

I found this in Ó Dónáill's Foclóir Gaeilge Béarla:

gleann, m gs. ~a, pl. ~ta

Note the absence of a "t" in the genitive singular. "gleanna" is also the form shown at Foclóir Beag, http://www.csis.ul.ie/focloir

Then at the bottom of the same entry in Ó Dónaill:

Var: f, gs. glinne, pl. glinnte

Tá ceist agam: Is the "variation" indicated by Ó Dónáill actually from one or more of the dialects, and if so, which one(s)? I also noticed that the "variation's" gender is feminine, where as the main entry's gender is masculine.

A Fhear na Mbróg,

I just realized that your posting also omitted the t in the genitive singular, so please, a chairde, disregard my remark about the absence of the "t" in the genitive singular.