How is 'um' used in a sentence? I am aware that 'um' means 'at', but so does 'ag'. What is the preference of 'um' over 'ag'?

um [réamhfhocal]
faoi, timpeall (um thráthnóna, um Cháisc); ar (do chuid éadaigh a chur umat).

Nuair is féidir leat "around" a chuir san abairt gan an chiall a athrú, is féidir "um" a úsáid.

Ceart go leor.

Yes, "u(i)m" means "around" so it can be used for time but not with the same meaning as "ag".

Um a trí a chlog = about/around 3 o'clock
Ag a trí a chlog = ar a trí a chlog = at 3 o'clock (precisely).

However "u(i)m" seems to be unknown in Connacht and Ulster (except maybe in a few set phrases and in old songs), and in Kerry it is only known (in the form "uim") in the following set phrases: uim Cháisc, uim Nollaig, uim thráthnóna.

It's one of these prepositions/words that are used in the standard but (almost) not in the Gaeltacht anymore... (so I wonder why it is taught...)

Samplaí eile:

Tá sé ag labhairt léi um an dtaca seo - He is speaking to her at this moment

Beidh mé ag dul abhaile um thráthnóna - I'll be going home in the evening

Beidh mé ag dul abhaile ag leathuair tar éis a seacht um thráthnóna - I'll be goin home at half past seven in the evening

An tseanfhocail "Bia agus deoch um Nollaig,is éadaí nua um Cháisc" - "Food and drink at Xmas,and new clothes at Easter"

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It's one of these prepositions/words that are used in the standard but (almost) not in the Gaeltacht anymore... (so I wonder why it is taught...)

Perhaps you wonder also why Irish itself is taught? There are many parts of the "Gaeltacht" where Irish has been totally replaced by English. If your reasoning were to be followed the teaching of Irish itself should also be discontinued.

Thankfully we do not confine our learning to any one dialect nor to the spoken Irish of today. As well as Gaeilge na Gaeltachta we have Gaeilge na bhfoghlaimeoirí, Gaelscoilis, Gaeilge na litríochta agus na n-aistriúchán and www.focal.ie and we value it all. What our children's children do with Irish in time to come will not trouble you or me nor can we decide for them who should speak it or how. All we need do is pass on the Irish that we know and enjoy the process. It is a valuable cultural asset that should not be discarded nor neglected.

Bímis ag ceiliúradh athbheochan na Gaeilge.

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Perhaps you wonder also why Irish itself is taught? There are many parts of the "Gaeltacht" where Irish has been totally replaced by English. If your reasoning were to be followed the teaching of Irish itself should also be discontinued.

that's completely different.

The same arguments as always, anyway.

Seanfhocal: Mol an la um thrathnona - praise the day in the evening.
Fuaireas an cheann sin as 'Kerry Gems'.

I don't wish to argue in a contentious way for the sake of argument but ...

Those of us outside the Gaeltacht who use Irish every day, speak it in our families, write it, listen to it, read it and devote a lot of our spare time to promoting it -- by voluntarily painting classrooms in the Gaelscoil for example -- have a right to be heard and our views respected. We may not speak with the accent of any particular dialect -- or rather we may echo many dialects -- and our choice of vocabulary may puzzle those unfamiliar with the dictionary and our grammar may leave a lot to be desired nevertheless we have one huge advantage over many perfectionists who are rarely heard speaking the language: we use it all the time. Are we entitled to? Who has authority over who should speak Irish? Should we? Who does Irish belong to? Who has the last word?

To those learning the language abroad I would say by all means search out the last remaining near-monoglot native-speakers of your chosen dialect but do not forget that there are 1.25 million others with varying degrees of competence in the language all around you in every town in Ireland. You may fail to see the wood for the trees. Obviously it is better that you study the authentic Gaeltacht classics of Irish literature but some of the newer publications are easier to understand. (I am thinking of the late lamented Risteard de Paor's "Úll i mBarr an Ghéagáin")

Those of us outside the Gaeltacht who use Irish every day are insatiable in the pursuit of words, phrases, structures no matter where in the country they have been coined. We may recognise that leoga, fosta, siosmaid and saoithiúil etc originated in Leath Choinn but we understand them and use them unless we can think of alternatives.

Regarding "um" it is proving remarkably useful in the titles of official committees and with third-level courses being taught in science and finance etc many such "archaic" words are guaranteed a bright future.

In all my travels to the Gaeltacht I have never heard the word "ionsar" used and yet it is also taught. Who knows where on the Linguistic Atlas of Irish that preposition or prepositional pronoun is or was to be found?

Let the word go on trial in the public sphere. If there's no use for it, it will fail and be let in dusty books.

I've only been to Ireland once, where I spent a couple of weeks in Corca Dhuibhne and Múscraí - When I was there, I'm pretty sure I heard um thráthnóna a few times and I've run across "um" a few times in books. I'm not an expert on this sort of thing, but I don't get the impression that the word "um" is rare or archaic or whatever.

An mbíonn an téarma "Litir Um Thoghcháin" scríofa ar litreacha pholaitiúil áirithe fós?

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In all my travels to the Gaeltacht I have never heard the word "ionsar" used and yet it is also taught. Who knows where on the Linguistic Atlas of Irish that preposition or prepositional pronoun is or was to be found?

I think it is used, at least, in southwestern Donegal.

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When I was there, I'm pretty sure I heard um thráthnóna a few times and I've run across "um" a few times in books.

that's what I said

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I'm not an expert on this sort of thing, but I don't get the impression that the word "um" is rare or archaic or whatever.

If it's only used in set phrases in (native) speech and in books, it means it's rare and archaic (since it was more common in the earlier language). The written language is always more archaic than the spoken one.
By the way nowadays most books are written in standard Irish, which is full of things that native speakers don't say.

Bíonn.

Ní fada uainn cith eile acu, sílim.

Agus is um an dtaca sin a bhéas olagón agus meilt fiacail i measc ár lucht ceannais...

Sea.Mar gheall ar an seafóid coitianta,is dócha.

Fóill! Fóill a Aonghuis. Ní bheidh sé chomh dona sin go mbeadh fiacla á meilt. Olagón agus gíoscán fiacal a bheidh ann cheapfainn. Iadsúd gan fiacail ina bpluic cloisfear gliogar mhungailt na ndrandal uathu is dócha!

quote:

gíoscán

Go raibh maith agat! B'shin an focal a bhí uaim, ach d'éalaigh sé uaim.