ócé so tá sé déanta anois—an t-agallamh ag Raidió na Gaeltachta i mBaile na nGall. Dara Ó Cinnéide a bhí an t-agallóir--sarimreóir peile is ea é arbh as an cheantar seo dó.
níos déanaí--
amárach atá ann—bhíos insan phub le mo chairde nua-Feargal, Pat agus Elaine—tá an-ghean agam ar mo chairde nua. níos luaithe bhí ceolchoirm ar siúl ag ionad na Blascaoid, agus do chas mé an bodhrán le dream ann. roimhe sin, bhí dinnéar agam le Tomás Ó Muircheartaigh. Sin é anois.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Monday, February 25, 2008
16 Lúnasa--Lá an Agallaimh!
The morning—like any other so far—was begun with a lovely big breakfast complete with rashers, eggs, sausage, pudding and cereal. Then, it was off to school to get whisked away to--
THE INTERVIEW!
dum dum DUUUUMMMM!
I got basically crammed into a tiny car with 4 other people and driven to Baile na nGall (Ballydavid) to the local Raidió na Gaeltachta station, to be introduced quickly to the secretary at the radio office, sign a few release forms, pushed into the studio to meet the presenter, Dara Ó Cinnéide—yes--the famous Gaelic Footballer—along with the other three. It happened pretty quickly. I make it sound like it we were treated like cattle, but really we weren't. It was just so damned efficient. Almost like they did that sort of thing every day or something. ;)
So there were the 5 of us, Dara included, sitting around a smallish round table with mics bristling from its center, and the room itself was fairly spacious. I presume they have bands and such in there from time to time. I expected to be in a pretty confined space, but that was just nerves, probably. We waited about 5 minutes in silence, waiting for the engineer to give us the ok after the news and weather would be over. It was weird listening to the news, as i've done so many times on Raidió na Gaeltachta, knowing that it was me and my friends that were going to be on NEXT! i was quite nervous, but it was over quicker than you can imagine, and, being the least fluent one there, i was spared a longer interview by the gracious Dara, gentleman that he is.
It was quite exhilerating even considering my nervousness and the gibberish that must have issued from my mouth. Everyone was quite happy at the end of it all, and the two women with us were GUSHING over that handsome Dara all the way back to the school.
After all the pats on the back from my classmates, we got back to work. On what specifically i do not remember. In the afternoon a series of visits to various sites of archeological significance had been arranged, and that is what i spent part of the afternoon doing. We visited the Gallarus Castle site, and a “cathair,” called "Cathair Déargáin," which is like a stone-walled fort, and we visited another fort with earthen walls called a “dún.” Not much was left to see of the dún, as the walls have worn down to a low earthen ring covered in tufty grass. This is what is often called a “fairy fort” and they appear all over the place in Ireland. There's a lot of superstition built up around them, and people often avoid them, especially at night, when the border between this world and the other blurs. in actuality they were the locations of stone huts surrounded by the earthen wall, and were where a farming family would have lived centuries ago. Likewise with the stone-walled “cathair,” but that would have been a landowner with slightly more means. I visited quite a few of the earthen-walled sites on my own, and had no bad luck, except that i had to wait 11 hours at JFK on my return trip—but that's a later story.
the Gallarus castle, it was explained to us, was not so much a castle as a tower house. It was an example of a typical rich landowner's house of the time period (15th century in this case) and its style was derived from styles popular in Europe at the time. It was indeed a very well fortified fortress of sorts, and had one or two interesting features that impressed me greatly. One was the outward slope of the bottom portion of the outer walls. this was arranged so that any bodies falling from above might bounce off the slope and into the attackers below, thus throwing them off balance, i guess. It's just the idea that someone thought of that that really delights me. The other feature that impressed me was the Murder Hole. This was a hole in the ceiling above a small (3 x 3-ish foot) room. The intruding enemy could be trapped within the room, then boiling oil could be poured down upon him. Crispy fried soldier! It was pretty interesting.
I had dinner with Tom Moriarty, as happened pretty often once i discovered that Café na Cille had the best food in town and the most reasonable prices. In fact, if it weren't for that place, i would have had to double my Guinness intake just to stay regular.
Later all of us students went to the Blaskett Visitors Center, where we were entertained by loads of local talent. The M.C. was another local Ráidió na Gaeltachta presenter, Pádraig Ó Sé. I didn't understand everything he said, but i did get to play my bodhrán at the end with a bunch of other volunteers, who came up to finish the night with a song or two all at once. From there it was off to the pub, where i spent a lovely evening with Fergal, Patricia, and Elaine.
THE INTERVIEW!
dum dum DUUUUMMMM!
I got basically crammed into a tiny car with 4 other people and driven to Baile na nGall (Ballydavid) to the local Raidió na Gaeltachta station, to be introduced quickly to the secretary at the radio office, sign a few release forms, pushed into the studio to meet the presenter, Dara Ó Cinnéide—yes--the famous Gaelic Footballer—along with the other three. It happened pretty quickly. I make it sound like it we were treated like cattle, but really we weren't. It was just so damned efficient. Almost like they did that sort of thing every day or something. ;)
So there were the 5 of us, Dara included, sitting around a smallish round table with mics bristling from its center, and the room itself was fairly spacious. I presume they have bands and such in there from time to time. I expected to be in a pretty confined space, but that was just nerves, probably. We waited about 5 minutes in silence, waiting for the engineer to give us the ok after the news and weather would be over. It was weird listening to the news, as i've done so many times on Raidió na Gaeltachta, knowing that it was me and my friends that were going to be on NEXT! i was quite nervous, but it was over quicker than you can imagine, and, being the least fluent one there, i was spared a longer interview by the gracious Dara, gentleman that he is.
It was quite exhilerating even considering my nervousness and the gibberish that must have issued from my mouth. Everyone was quite happy at the end of it all, and the two women with us were GUSHING over that handsome Dara all the way back to the school.
After all the pats on the back from my classmates, we got back to work. On what specifically i do not remember. In the afternoon a series of visits to various sites of archeological significance had been arranged, and that is what i spent part of the afternoon doing. We visited the Gallarus Castle site, and a “cathair,” called "Cathair Déargáin," which is like a stone-walled fort, and we visited another fort with earthen walls called a “dún.” Not much was left to see of the dún, as the walls have worn down to a low earthen ring covered in tufty grass. This is what is often called a “fairy fort” and they appear all over the place in Ireland. There's a lot of superstition built up around them, and people often avoid them, especially at night, when the border between this world and the other blurs. in actuality they were the locations of stone huts surrounded by the earthen wall, and were where a farming family would have lived centuries ago. Likewise with the stone-walled “cathair,” but that would have been a landowner with slightly more means. I visited quite a few of the earthen-walled sites on my own, and had no bad luck, except that i had to wait 11 hours at JFK on my return trip—but that's a later story.
the Gallarus castle, it was explained to us, was not so much a castle as a tower house. It was an example of a typical rich landowner's house of the time period (15th century in this case) and its style was derived from styles popular in Europe at the time. It was indeed a very well fortified fortress of sorts, and had one or two interesting features that impressed me greatly. One was the outward slope of the bottom portion of the outer walls. this was arranged so that any bodies falling from above might bounce off the slope and into the attackers below, thus throwing them off balance, i guess. It's just the idea that someone thought of that that really delights me. The other feature that impressed me was the Murder Hole. This was a hole in the ceiling above a small (3 x 3-ish foot) room. The intruding enemy could be trapped within the room, then boiling oil could be poured down upon him. Crispy fried soldier! It was pretty interesting.
I had dinner with Tom Moriarty, as happened pretty often once i discovered that Café na Cille had the best food in town and the most reasonable prices. In fact, if it weren't for that place, i would have had to double my Guinness intake just to stay regular.
Later all of us students went to the Blaskett Visitors Center, where we were entertained by loads of local talent. The M.C. was another local Ráidió na Gaeltachta presenter, Pádraig Ó Sé. I didn't understand everything he said, but i did get to play my bodhrán at the end with a bunch of other volunteers, who came up to finish the night with a song or two all at once. From there it was off to the pub, where i spent a lovely evening with Fergal, Patricia, and Elaine.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
as mo dhialann Gaeilge--15 Lúnasa, 2007
R.N.
A dhialainn, a chara...
tá agallamh ag teastáil ó Raidió na Gaeltachta agus ní fheadar an inniu atá sé nó amárach. nó an Aoine. ach pé scéal é, caithfidh mé a rá go mbraithim mar pháiste óg ó thaobh na Gaeilge de, tar éis an líofacht chomh láidir atá le cloisint sa cheantar so agus ar an gcúrsa seo.
muinín, a Mharcais, muinín. bíodh muinín agat.
I.N.
do chuas go dtí Dún an Óir—níl mórán le feiscint ach amháin an radharc (atá ana-dheas ar fad!) agus tá “leac cuimhne” (???) ann leis. is cosúil gurbh insan séú aois déag rinneadh ár uafásach ar slua mór saighdiúirí ag airm Cromwell. Gearradh na cinn den gach duine acu, is dóigh.
Bhí madra ann ar mo bhealach go dtí na háite, agus chonacthas domsa go raibh sé ag iarraidh greim bia a dhéanamh de mo chois! faoi dhó a rith sé chugam—ar an mbealach sall agus an bealach anall. (ó scríobhadh an píosa seo, rith sé liom gurbh ag smaoineamh gur caora mé a bhí sé, agus bhí sé ag iarraidh mé a bhuachailleacht!)
cad eile—ó sea, amárach—bhuel ar dtús caithfidh mé insint duit, a dhialainn, gur bhuaileas le Maidhc Ó Cealaigh, an fear a mbuaileas leis ar an idirlíon roimhe seo! B'ionadh mór é sin, gan dabht! Mar sin, amárach, tar éis an sois, beidh agallamh á dhéanamh orm agus ar Mhaidhc, agus beirt eile. ag an stáisiún raidió de chuid R na G.
YIKES!!!
A dhialainn, a chara...
tá agallamh ag teastáil ó Raidió na Gaeltachta agus ní fheadar an inniu atá sé nó amárach. nó an Aoine. ach pé scéal é, caithfidh mé a rá go mbraithim mar pháiste óg ó thaobh na Gaeilge de, tar éis an líofacht chomh láidir atá le cloisint sa cheantar so agus ar an gcúrsa seo.
muinín, a Mharcais, muinín. bíodh muinín agat.
I.N.
do chuas go dtí Dún an Óir—níl mórán le feiscint ach amháin an radharc (atá ana-dheas ar fad!) agus tá “leac cuimhne” (???) ann leis. is cosúil gurbh insan séú aois déag rinneadh ár uafásach ar slua mór saighdiúirí ag airm Cromwell. Gearradh na cinn den gach duine acu, is dóigh.
Bhí madra ann ar mo bhealach go dtí na háite, agus chonacthas domsa go raibh sé ag iarraidh greim bia a dhéanamh de mo chois! faoi dhó a rith sé chugam—ar an mbealach sall agus an bealach anall. (ó scríobhadh an píosa seo, rith sé liom gurbh ag smaoineamh gur caora mé a bhí sé, agus bhí sé ag iarraidh mé a bhuachailleacht!)
cad eile—ó sea, amárach—bhuel ar dtús caithfidh mé insint duit, a dhialainn, gur bhuaileas le Maidhc Ó Cealaigh, an fear a mbuaileas leis ar an idirlíon roimhe seo! B'ionadh mór é sin, gan dabht! Mar sin, amárach, tar éis an sois, beidh agallamh á dhéanamh orm agus ar Mhaidhc, agus beirt eile. ag an stáisiún raidió de chuid R na G.
YIKES!!!
Monday, December 17, 2007
15 Lúnasa, 2007--an tríú lá den chúrsa
Ok, what happened today? I was feeling pretty inept as far as my Irish was concerned. I was finding out how NOT fluent i was, especially after talking to some of the locals. Of course they had really thick accents so i guess i should give myself the benefit of the doubt there.
Classes as usual. I found out it was the following day that the interview would be done on Radió na Gaeltachta in Baile na nGall (Ballydavid.) That was nerve wracking, but it was nice to find out that another guy, Mike Kelly, whom i had been speaking Irish with online for some time, and who lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, was also going to be undergoing the grilling. He saw my name on the whiteboard in the assembly room, recognized my name and went a'looking for me. It was nice to meet him face to face! He's an amazing old fellow, in his 70's but still traveling and kayaking and all that.
I also went over to a “ruin” or whatever you want to call it, called “Dún an Óir,” The Fort of Gold, i suppose in English. there's really not much there—it's more of a memorial or monument to the lives lost when Cromwell's men attacked a group of Irish, Spanish and Italian forces who were holed up there in the 17th century, i believe. After surrendering, all but the Italian commander were slaughtered. Here's a picture of the monument that stands at the parking area.
I remember that on the way, a sheepdog tried to herd me. at first i thought it was trying to make a meal of me. I realized my mistake later. Also on the way i saw a brilliant rainbow. Tried to get a picture of it but it's pretty hard to do—they tend to go away.
Classes as usual. I found out it was the following day that the interview would be done on Radió na Gaeltachta in Baile na nGall (Ballydavid.) That was nerve wracking, but it was nice to find out that another guy, Mike Kelly, whom i had been speaking Irish with online for some time, and who lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, was also going to be undergoing the grilling. He saw my name on the whiteboard in the assembly room, recognized my name and went a'looking for me. It was nice to meet him face to face! He's an amazing old fellow, in his 70's but still traveling and kayaking and all that.
I also went over to a “ruin” or whatever you want to call it, called “Dún an Óir,” The Fort of Gold, i suppose in English. there's really not much there—it's more of a memorial or monument to the lives lost when Cromwell's men attacked a group of Irish, Spanish and Italian forces who were holed up there in the 17th century, i believe. After surrendering, all but the Italian commander were slaughtered. Here's a picture of the monument that stands at the parking area.
I remember that on the way, a sheepdog tried to herd me. at first i thought it was trying to make a meal of me. I realized my mistake later. Also on the way i saw a brilliant rainbow. Tried to get a picture of it but it's pretty hard to do—they tend to go away.
I also saw this old chapel on the way to Dún an Óir—Dún Úrlann. A 15th century structure that was unearthed in about 1991. a lot of the architectural elements were to be found there, like the stones carved as rain gutters, a nice window sill carved from rock, and the holy water font, also stone-carved. 
that's about it. i think we can all assume that i ended the night with Guinness. Let's just leave it at that.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
More to Come
I've been busy with the holidays, a side job translating Irish for a software company, teaching and other things, but I haven't forgotten about this here blog.
A new post is in the works! I have to get on it or i'll forget the whole trip. Ah--ain't old-age great?
A new post is in the works! I have to get on it or i'll forget the whole trip. Ah--ain't old-age great?
Friday, October 19, 2007
As mo dhialann Gaeilge--14 Lúnasa, 2007
Right, so táim i gCaife na Cille ag ól cupán caife agus bhí Tomás Ó M. i m'aice le haghaidh an dinnéir. Níl mórán le rá agam inniu. fuaireas síob go dtí an Daingean chun airgid a fháil, agus stampaí...chuireas cúpla carta poist sa bosca agus sin a bhfuil. ach amháin gur usáideas ríomhaire ag an caife idirlíon.
anois a sé a chloig. níl faic le déanamh agam go dtí go bhfuil a hocht ann.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
14 Lúnasa, 2007—an dara lá den chúrsa
Well, today I went to my first session of this trip, but i'll tell of that later....
I wish I could remember what we studied in class or what have you, maybe i can go look through my notes and figure that out. But for now let's just say that day 2 of the course was a lot like day 1, only less unfamiliar. I did forget to mention the activities that were planned for the evenings--the reason we had a “break” from half three to eight is because it wouldn't be a break without something required to do on either side of it! At eight each evening there were various activities planned—lectures, trivia games, performances, that sort of thing. On the first day of the course, i forgot to mention, there was a trivia game called “Tráth na gCeist” in Irish, meaning “The Question Period.” It was sort of a contest to see who knew the most about various pop culture things, only most of the references were to Irish TV and politicians and sports figures and such, so i was at a distinct disadvantage. I wish I could remember what the activity was the second night. I believe it was a lecture by a man named Ferriter from the area, obviously, who introduced us to some of the features of the peninsula using stories and maps and the like. It was all done in Irish as well, as was everything having to do with the course at all.
The notable events of the day—hmmm, let's see—I got a ride with Fergal into town to get some more cash. (where did i spend what i had before???) and i put a couple postcards in the mail. I may have mentioned that the Ballyferriter Oifig an Phoist was closed due to the death of the poor postman! Small town excitement. I used the computer at the internet café as well.
I was approached by Máire Uí Shíthigh at some point during the day about whether or not i would mind being interviewed on the local radio station. She said that Raidió na Gaeltachta usually did this sort of thing when the course was runing, and were especially interested in speaking to people who are living in other countries and learning Irish. The program is called “An saol ó Dheas” (life in the south.) I said yes, naturally.
I finally managed to spend a little time with my friend Tom Moriarty, who lives in the next town over from me here in America, and who is a retired professor of history. I was surprised that it took me a couple days to track him down in such a small town! But i ran into him in a place called Caife na Cille, which in my opinion had the best food in Ballyferriter and the cheapest to boot. Nice wraps and salads and tasty tasty good stuff. And good coffee as well. I highly recommend the place if you find yourself in Ballyferriter.
Tom and i had dinner and then he went off to take a nap before the evening's events. I wrote in my journal and was generally bored. I don't think i did more than ride back to the B+B to hang out, maybe i didn't. But after the lecture at 8 we all went to Tigh Ó Murchú for a session. It was an open session, but the guests of honor were “Na Fraincigh”--a group of French musicians who go to Ballyferriter annually and play for a couple of nights at Murphy's pub there in the village. They were great. Some people who were taking the course got up and sang songs as well. I like that in Ireland it's ok to just get up and tell a story or sing a song if you want to. Seems that's what pubs are for. The craic, they call it. No it's not a drug. Craic means fun. Simple as that.
This is the group "an Francaigh" playing at th pub, along with other local musicians. It was beyond loud in there!
This is the same pub. I thought i'd be funny and take video of my friends on the down-low. brilliant stuff, really. move over, Geraldo.
I didn't write much in my diary today, and I only took about 4 pictures and as many videos. I must have been too busy! I did see these cute old ladies dancing together as the band played a waltz.
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