I wandered into Daltaí some time in the mid nineties, and I've stuck around ever since.

At the time I was living in Berlin. I knew a few Irish speakers there, but opportunities to practice were few and far between.

So Daltaí met a need of mine.

I came back to Ireland in 2000, and occasions to use Irish, while still needing to be sought after in Dublin, are more frequent.

But I've stuck around.

There are a couple of reasons for this, but they boil down to one: answering interesting questions is fun.

Padráig's questions drawn from An Bíobla Naofa, for example, border on exegesis sometimes. (So do questions from people struggling with Ó Cadhain!).

I've learnt from the questions and the discussions that arise out of them - honing my Irish and my debating skills.

As long as this is fun, and, as a spinoff, helpful to other people, I'll stick around.

But at the risk of sounding rude, I'd like to point out that I don't feel I owe anybody anything. I sometimes get taken to task for posting in Irish only. I post in Irish only when that is how the thought formed, and it feels right.

It takes me about twice as long to re-formulate that thought in English. Mostly, I don't care to spend that time, and I don't feel under any obligation to do so.

Long discussions about the future of the Gaeltacht/Irish/TG Fóir etc in English frankly bore me. I'll throw in a point I feel has been overlooked from time to time. But usually I avoid those discussions. They've being going on for over a century - and the discussion in English, here and elsewhere, usually lags the discussion in Irish by a couple of decades.

I enjoy the people aspect here - and I'm particularly glad to have been able to meet several interesting people here in the real world - turning ríomhaithne into fíor aithne is always good fun.

And, for me, thats what its about - fun.

In terms of what I personally have done for Irish (since somebody asked that facile question of Seosamh recently):
I don't owe anyone an accounting for it. If you're interested, I'd say my contribution is that I'm raising three kids speaking it.

Beatha teanga a labhairt - leis an gcéad glúin eile.

Sin é mo racht go n-uige seo....

Maith thú, a Aonghuis

I joined Daltaí about two years. My interest initially was to help improve my very rusty Gaeilge (Tá meirg uirthí fós!) . I found an uncritical warmth and generosity here, as well as a lot of craic and humour on everything from weather reports to riddles).

I attended a course with Oidhreacht Corca Dhuibhne in August and was again amazed at the warmth and generosity of the staff, the guest speakers and my fellow students. Everybody on the course was just so pleased to be speaking the language they love, in a beautiful place with a deep rich heritage.

Many of our friends here, like Aonghus, contribute not because they feel they owe anything, but because they enjoy it. When they stop enjoying it, we who strive to improve, will be all the poorer for it

"my contribution is that I'm raising three kids speaking it. "

Bualaí fír! Is réisiún órach é!

But at the risk of sounding rude, I'd like to point out that I don't feel I owe anybody anything.

Of course you don't. I'm just glad that you seem to feel you owe it to yourself and your heritage to continue posting here and entertaining our dumbass questions!

But at the risk of sounding rude, I'd like to point out that I don't feel I owe anybody anything.

Well I feel like I owe you. I have learnt a lot from you here. Go raibh maith agat, a Aonghus!!

Níl a bhuíochas oraibh - ar mhaithe leis fhéin a dhéanann an gael crónán!

I seldom take part in the discussions going around in this forum , but I read the threads practically everyday, and I must say , Aonghus, that you point out so many precisions we wouldn't be able to find in any books whatever. You also give us adresses of sites where we can go and discover Ireland in many peculiar ways ; So much interesting for any of us (I think). So, thanks a lot and please do keep on "having fun" with this forum !

Mise freisin. I seldom take part in the discussions, but I read them every chance I get. Many participants of Daltaí (here in the northeast U.S.) who attend immersion activities do not post here either, even though many of them are fluent when it comes to using Irish. I hesitate to post in Irish until I have mastered more. I want to use the language more, and the only way to do it is to do it, though I do enjoy reading in English about all the concepts related to languages.

Gan labhairt i mBéarla:

Bím ag foghlaim Progress In Irish gach lá. Rinne mé ceachtanna 1 - 36 sa samhradh seo. Is maith liom Rosetta Stone chomh maith. Anois téim go mo mheánrang gach seachtain. Úsáidimid Turas Teanga. Bhí an lón agam le daoine eile inniu. Bhíomar ag caint i nGaeilge. Bhí craic againn. Áfach, bhí sé deacair ach bhí an cleachtadh maith. Ní féidir a foghlaim ach amháin le cleachtadh, creidim. Sin sin go fóill.

Slán agus go raibh míle maith agaibh.

Maidhc

FRC

"n terms of what I personally have done for Irish (since somebody asked that facile question of Seosamh recently)"

I feel that this is another breed of modern BS 'what have you done for the world?' as if somehow we can rate and judge ourselves better or worse depending on whether we have built a church in Africa or planted some trees etc. The fact is we all contribute to global problems.

Now, for situations pertinent to this board such questions come up time and time again. As I see it, languages require community, so the solution must be group-based, and direct attacks on one person are not helpful

I've come across Daltaí just recently.

I've been living in Germany for over a quarter of a century... agus níl a lán Gaeilgeoirí anseo.

When I started learning and cultivating the German language I noticed that the most important activities in the process were speaking, reading and writing the LANGUAGE, and the continuing ENJOYMENT I started getting out of that language sphere once a certain threshold had been surmounted. Now how would I translate "I am stating the obvious"..? Dá fhoilse é soiléirim é. (?)

Daltaí offers the chance to do the reading and writing parts in a stimulating environment, de réir dealraimh. So two out of three wouldn't be bad.

Ní mhaireann teanga ach i mbéal na ndaoine.


As the famous German author Erich Kästner once said:

"Es gibt nichts Gutes, außer: man tut es."


Now how would I translate that...?

Ní hí an mhaith atá i gceist muna ndéantar í.

A Bhearn, tá ceart agat!

Deirimid i Fhionlainn: Tugann gach duine bata leo i charn.

(Now this may be an awkward and non-grammatical translation, but I think everyone gets my meaning. And I'm really nobody to judge anyone, for I'm currently much on the taking side.)

(Message edited by curiousfinn on September 27, 2008)

quote:

"I am stating the obvious"..? Dá fhoilse é soiléirim é. (?)

Céard faoi:

Mar atá a fhios ag madraí an bhaile.
Mar atá a fhios ag an saol mór (agus a mháthair).

Ní ag scaoileadh rúin atá mé.
Ní rún a bhfuil á rá agam.

?

GRMA

Is é "Ní ag scaoileadh rúin atá mé." an ceann is fearr liom.


"Cad é ceann scríbe ná an bealach anonn?" Confucius

quote:

"Cad é ceann scríbe ná an bealach anonn?"

Caminante, son tus huellas
el camino y nada más;
caminante, no hay camino,
se hace camino al andar.

-Antonio Machado

Rinne Joan Manuel Serrat amhrán den dán. Tig leat éisteacht le cúpla leagan de ar YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBdCLizaSiw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5ZEce_4fJs&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFH6c3qQnP8

Ar mhaith leat Gaeilge a chur air?

A thaistealaí, ní bhealach atá ann

A thaistealaí, is iad do riain coise
atá sa bhealach ann, is faic eile;
a thaistealaí, níl aon bhealach
ach an bealach ag eascairt faoi bhoinn na gcos.
Agus boinn na gcos ag eascairt an bhealaigh,
is ag féachaint siar go díreach
feictear an chonair go deo
nach gcuirfear coiscéim uirthi.
A thaistealaí, ní bhealach atá ann
ach iomaire ag síothlú sa mhuir.

(Message edited by ormondo on September 28, 2008)

(Message edited by ormondo on September 28, 2008)

(Message edited by ormondo on September 28, 2008)

quote:

As the famous German author Erich Kästner once said:

"Es gibt nichts Gutes, außer: man tut es."

Is breá liom Kästner.

Ní ann don mhaith nach deántar, seans.