Tá ceist agam. Given the choice between the following, which would y'all consider the better option for a student who can make sense of intermediate Irish so long as he has dictionary in hand?

Focloir Gaeilge-Bearla/Irish-English Dictionary (Paperback)
by Niall O'Donaill (Author)

English-Irish Dictionary With Terminological Additions and Corrections (Paperback)
by Tomas De Bhaldraithe (Author)

Both!

Neither one is bidirectional: Ó Dónaill is only Irish-English, and De Bhaldraithe is only English-Irish.

One is English-Irish only, other is Irish-English only - so have come you are making choice between them? Still, if you want a practical advice (e.g. forced to choose only one) - then Ó Domhnaill's is a must, as you can't read serious texts without it. Comprehensive English-Irish dictionary on the other hand is something you can do without. Small pocket dictionary (Oxford, Collins Gem, Foclóir Póca) will be enough unless you are a professional translator. In an unlikely even that you don't find a a particular English word there - you can always "reformulate", restate your sentence. The same cannot be said when you read an Irish text and find a word there which is absent from small pocket Irish-English dictionary.

In my own experience (with German) - I needed the big dictionary (75 000 words) only twice or thrice, whereas a small one (10 000) was always enough to express yourself.

so have (sic) come you are making choice between them?

Because I was blissfully unaware that Neither one is bidirectional and besides, this seemed like an excellent opportunity to make an international target of my ignorance. Sheesh!

Actually, I've been spending some time on another site more learner friendly and more tolerant. Ba mo bhotún an cheist.

PS: Thanks for the help.

(Message edited by pádraig on August 26, 2007)

This site is more user friendly as people give their time and you know the question will be considered -on other sites you have a la carte culture tasters who have no irish so cant respond but give 'moral support' and nothing else. Some people like that sort of thing. I find it dishonest and creepy.

As far as lay-out goes this site is definitely more user friendly, i mo thuairim, than the other I can think of right off the bat, Irishgaelictranslator. However I am slightly envious of the comradery and friendship that the members there seem to display. Still I do enjoy being here, even though I'm not one of the clever ones. I think it would be a riot to sneak up behind BRN at night and give him a good fright since he seems to be creeped out by such mundain things. :)

Beir bua agus beannacht

Ya, on IGT they can tell jokes -if we could do that here, I'd get less of a fright :)

A Bhearn a chara,

You are just so teasable, perhaps I should stop but it is so easy and fun. :)

Beir bua agus beannacht

Jokes? Oddly I stumbled across one just today! Hopefully this won't get me executed here....

-----

Bhí Bono le U2 os comhair lucht féachana ag ceolchoirm lá amháin, agus sheas sé ar an stáitse agus thosnaigh sé ag bualadh - bos go mall réidh.

Ansin, i nghuth íseal, tromchúiseach labhair sé: "Gach uair a bhualaim mo bhosa, faigheann naíonán san Afraic bás."

Arsa duine den lucht féachana cóngarach don stáitse: "Bhuel, mar sin, stad leis an bualadh - bos, a chladhaire!"

-----

Bono of U2 was before an audience at a concert one day, and he stood on the stage and began to clap his hands slowly and deliberately.

Then in a low, serious voice he spoke: "Every time I clap my hands, a baby dies in Africa."

Then a person in the audience close to the stage said: "Well then, stop clapping, you fool!"

Ceann deas.