I created this game to help me learn grammar and I think it has great potential as a future learning source. I have been trying to send it to the address given for new game ideas here, but it keeps coming back to me undelivered. So I hope the people can see it here and take it or leave it. Also I would love to hear people's thoughts on it. Suggestions welcome...

I was thinking of calling it "Irish Dice" in Irish, but I can't find the word for "dice." All I can find is "dísle" but I don't think that is correct. If it is correct then I give you "Dísle Éireannach." My back up title was the more wordy "Focail na hÉireann."

I have 1000 common nouns and over 500 common verbs that I have randomly shuffled using a program on my computer that make the perfect lists for this game, but obviously the list would take up too much space for a single post.

What is needed:

1+ player
paper for writing your answers
writing utensil
method of keeping time
two dice
a list of 55 random Irish nouns and verbs, or list of 55 random nouns and verbs for each player.

General information about game:

Goal of game: Whether you are one person just doing this for a review, or if playing a game with more than one player then the goal is to have the highest number of points in desired number of rounds. There is a minimum of 10 rounds.

Time limit: 3 minutes per person. A round is finished when each person has been An Cainteoir in a clockwise motion from the first person. The other team acts as the time keeper

Each person rolls one die, highest number goes first.

55 words will randomly be placed on a list. All 55 words will be numbered on each list starting from 11 to 66. For example (11 máthair) (12 airgead)......(66 abair).

The grammar guide looks like this:

Noun:

1- nominative singular
2- nominative plural
3- genitive singular
4- genitive plural
5- dative singular
6- dative plural

Verb:

1- 1st person sg (I...) ----- 1- present tense (They take...)
2- 1st person pl (We...) ----- 2- past tense (They took...)
3- 2nd person sg (You...) ----- 3- future tense (They will take...)
4- 2nd person pl (Ye...) ----- 4- imperative (Take)
5- 3rd person sg (He/She...) ----- 5- conditional (I would take...)
6- 3rd person pl (They...) ----- 6- present participle (taking)

How to play: (four people)

Two people will be on a team. One teammate is the Speaker (An Cainteoir) and one teammate is this the Writer (An Scríbhneoir). An Cainteoir will have their list of words, the grammar guide, and two dice, and tells the An Scríbhneoir what to write. An Scríbhneoir has to write down the correct form of what An Cainteoir said.

Before time starts, An Cainteoir rolls two dice and locates the word on the list. An Cainteoir then rolls one die for a noun, or two dice for a verb, and locates the grammar needed to tell "An Scríbhneoir." See examples turns below for both noun and verb. Everyone can see the dice being rolled, but they cannot see the list of An Cainteoir. Once An Cainteoir is ready with the first word, they will then let the timer know to start the time by saying ready (réidh).

When time starts, they may say the word out loud to the other person. They then have to quickly roll the dice to find the word, the grammar, and tell the Writer what to write for 3 minutes.

Sample for noun and verb:

11 máthair 12 ól 13 méar 14 féach ... 31 tabhair 32 croí

Noun:

1) An Cainteoir rolls (1 and 3). This can either be number 13 or 31 on the list. It is up to the An Cainteoir. However, a word can only be used six times, once with each grammar point.

2) An Cainteoir chooses 13 méar (noun).

3) An Cainteoir then roles one die for a noun and gets a 5.

4) 5 for a noun is "dative singular." .

5) An Cainteoir then has to tell An Scríbhneoir the correct form with the article (an méar).

6) An Scríbhneoir has to hear, understand, and write the correct form down.

7) At the end of 3 minutes everyone gets to check the work of An Scríbhneoir. One point for each correct word.

Verb:

1) An Cainteoir roles (1 and 2).

2) An Cainteoir chooses 12 ól. (verb)

3) An Cainteoir then roles 2 dice for a verb and gets (2 and 1).

4) The first die tells the person and the second die tells the tense or mood. "2" = 1st person plural (We...) and "1" = present tense on the grammar guide.

5) An Cainteoir then has to say the correct form of the verb "ólaim."

6) An Scríbhneoir has to hear, understand, and write the correct form down.

7) At the end of 3 minutes everyone gets to check the work of An Scríbhneoir. One point for each correct word.

An Cainteoir and An Scríbhneoir can both pass on a word if they do not know it, however, this will cost valuable time to earn more points, so it is recommended that an attempt be made for each word.

Sounds interesting, DC -I'd like to try it (might not be able to get so many cainteoirí here tho...)

It is systematic and logical which is useful for the following; it requires focus and generation of sentences with gives it a powerful groundedness

GRMA a BRN

Well...

I originally created it to just help me learn the spellings of the nominative vs genitive...but as I started playing with it, I found it worked with verbs, nouns, and I am still trying include adjectives in some form.

I have sent this to the people at Oideas Gael, and I am still waiting for their response.

I would like to send this to Irish medium schools as a possible classroom activity.

I have written a few teachers that I know personally, and some of them actually really like the idea, and said they might include it from time to time.

Dísle is correct, but if you mean the language, Dísle Gaelach would be a better title.

GRMA Aonghus

Well then...let it be known as Dísle Gaelach ;0)