What is your favorite thing about the language? My favorite phrase is probably from the song Maidin Fhómhair which I’ve been trying to learn: It feels like what it means and it’s fun to say. I think my favorite word is ‘Fuinneamh’ - Energy/ Vigour. What is your favorite Irish language word or phrase and why?

My aim is to set up some form of session or pop up Gaeltacht that will take place in the town once every few months. In Holywood, there isn’t really a community for Irish speakers or Trad musicians. Tell us a little about the Irish language community in your area? Being a traditional singer I’m also very fortunate to have a good few friends who are Irish speakers, so they help me out here and there. I’m fortunate that there are a few speakers in my place of work that I can practice with. They say talking to yourself is the first sign of madness, but when you want to learn another language and there are no speakers around, it’s essential. I feel I need to do an intensive immersive experience and take part in classes. What would have made your learning experience better?

As a traditional singer, I’ve also learned a lot from singing songs as Gaeilge. BBC Gaeilge programs and archive recordings. The Irish language community on Twitter is brilliant, Duolingo, Now You’re Talking. What was the best resource you came across to help you learn? Because I’m not in a setting where I’m immersed in pure Gaeilge, I can sometimes slack off on both my learning and speaking of the language. What has been the greatest difficulty?Įffort. I also wanted to learn Irish because I wanted to prove to myself and others, that this was a language for people from both Nationalist and Unionist backgrounds. I wanted to reconnect with a Gaelic identity that I originally felt denied, but that I was getting closer and closer to. What motivated you to learn Irish and why? I taught myself everything from old recordings and research. The traditional music community really is so encouraging and welcoming. I sing old songs and write new ones, and there are people who not only appreciate them but share them and send messages of support. I also finished recording my own album with the help of funding from the Northern Ireland Arts Council. I’m so fortunate to do what I do. I was the senior singing champion at the Tyrone and Ulster Fleadh, I recorded with and sang with the folk band, Malinky, at Celtic Connections in Glasgow I've sung on BBC Radio Ulster. In earlier recordings of myself, I can hear I’m still figuring my own style out.Īt the moment I have songs in my repertoire which are Ulster English, Scots, Irish and Scots Gàidhlig. It was like falling into a wonderland that I knew I wanted to be part of. People singing songs about places I knew better yet, people singing songs in my accent. Then the more I learned and researched the more songs I found closer to home.

I started off learning wee folk songs, and then Scots Gàidhlig songs. I started singing traditional songs at the age of 17. Can you tell me a little bit about how you got involved in this? So I see myself as both a native speaker and a learner. I feel like any person from the island of Ireland who speaks any Irish (whether they have cúpla focal or are líofa ) can be called a native speaker.Īlthough I’m not fluent, I’m a native to this island speaking the native language of this island. I have difficulty with the phrase 'native speaker '. If everyone spoke Irish the same it would be very boring.Īre you a native Irish speaker or a learner? It definitely is important to get the pronunciation right, but you shouldn’t completely change the way you naturally would speak. Listening to speakers from my own county helps me reflect on how I pronounce certain words.

I enjoy listening to old archive recordings of Irish speakers from Tyrone. I’ve learned Irish through the Ulster Dialect. I’m originally from outside Cookstown in Co Tyrone, but I now live in Holywood Co Down. At (System.String virtualPath, System.String baseVirtualDir, System.Boolean allowCrossAppMapping) in :0Īt (System.String virtualPath) in :0Īt .MapPath (System.String virtualPath) in :0Īt .DirectoryExists (System.String virtualDir) in :0Īt .FindWebConfig (System.String path, System.Boolean& inAnotherApp) in :0Īt .OpenWebConfiguration (System.String path, System.String site, System.String locationSubPath, System.String server, System.String userName, System.String password, System.Boolean fweb) in :0Īt .GetSection (System.String sectionName, System.String path, context) in :0Īt .GetSection (System.String sectionName) in :0Īt () in :0Īt (System.Object x) in :0Īt. ( context) in :0Īt ( req) in :0Īt (System.Object o) in :0Īt ( wr) in :0Īt do you live now? Do you use your Irish often?

Im tyrone music video