Irish-Language

Are you the type of person who’d spill your whole life story to a stranger?

<b style="font-family: 'ITC Franklin Gothic'; ">LORD BYRON:</b><span style="font-family: 'ITC Franklin Gothic'; "> According to the eccentric poet (above), the world is divided into two tribes, the Bores and the Bored and you have to be on your guard not to be captured by one of them as you go for a quiet pint&nbsp;</span>&nbsp;
LORD BYRON: According to the eccentric poet (above), the world is divided into two tribes, the Bores and the Bored and you have to be on your guard not LORD BYRON: According to the eccentric poet (above), the world is divided into two tribes, the Bores and the Bored and you have to be on your guard not to be captured by one of them as you go for a quiet pint  

Go mbeannaí Dia daoibh, hiyaz all and sundry and welcome to another exciting edition of the Bluffer’s Guide to Irish.

Sometimes when you go into a bar or any other social occasion, you could end up in inescapably trapped by someone who wants to tell you their whole life story.

Or maybe you yourself - don’t be afraid to admit it - are someone who will go through the drámaí - the dramas of your whole existence to any stranger who strays into your path.

The good news is, this is the column for you - how to tell your life story.

Everything starts with a birth so you could say either rugadh mé or tháinig mé ar an saol - both meaning I was born.

Whether you are a pretty little girl or not, rugadh mé ar an Ómaigh means I was born in Omagh or tháinig mé ar an saol i 1990 - I was born in 1990 are two good examples.

Then you have to say where you were brought up. It’s most

likely to be your home town but here you would say tógadh mé i mBéal Feirste - i was brought up in Belfast or d’fhás mé aníos ar an Iúr - I grew up in Newry.

You could join these up by using the little word ach - but as in rugadh mé i nDoire ach d’fhás mé aníos i Nua Eabhrac - I was born in Derry but I grew up in New York.

That combination might not be so uncommon as it is estimated that since 1700 between 9 and 10 million people born in Ireland have emigrated.

That’s an extraordinary amount of people, each with their own story to tell.

The Bluffer is in Bordeaux as he writes this doing a little bit of research into the Irish  who came her in the 18th and 19th centuries and made their name in the wine trade, as merchants and as winemakers.

The Irish connection has been diluted over the centuries but it is still in the DNA of many of Bordeaux’s finest wines.

But one digresses.

You’ve got your victim/new best friend engrossed in your autobiography. You could now tell them where you went to school.

D’fhreastail mé ar Bhunscoil Phobal Feirste - I went to Bunscoil Phobal Feirste for example and given the great benefits that Irish-medium education gives, you probably went to university so rinne mé staidéar ar an Ghaeilge in Ollscoil na Ríona - I studied Irish at Queen’s University.

Of course, not everyone is inclined to head to third level education. You might have ended up working in a factory or given the way the economy is in these times of enforced austerity, you might be dífhostaithe - unemployed.

Thus far you have kept your imaginary friend from going all glassy-eyed as to your efforts.

To be honest, Bill Gates was probably a terrible bore as he went on and on about something called a PC to non-technical people – and look where it got him!

The Bluffer wouldn’t agree with Lord Byron who said “society is now one polished horde, formed by two mighty tribes, the Bores and the Bored.” 

Luckily he has too many friends and acquaintances who prove him wrong.  

CÚPLA FOCAL

na drámaí(na draamee) - the dramas 

rugadh mé(rugoo may) - I was born

tháinig mé ar an tsaol(haneek may er un teel) -  I was born

rugadh mé ar an Ómaigh(rugoo may er un o-my) - I was born in Omagh 

tháinig mé ar an tsaol i 1990(haneek may er un teel i nee jayg nawha) - I was born in 1990

tógadh mé i mBéal Feirste(tawgoo may i mel farshta) - I was brought up in Belfast 

d’fhás mé aníos ar an Iúr(dass may aneess er un yoor) - I grew up in Newry

ach(akh) - but 

rugadh mé i nDoire ach d’fhás mé aníos i Nua Eabhrac(rugoo may i nirra ach dass may aneess i nooa aowrakh ) - I was born in Derry but I grew up in New York

D’fhreastail mé ar Bhunscoil Phobal Feirste(drastal may er wunskull fubble farshta) - I went to Bunscoil Phobal Feirste

rinne mé staidéar ar an Ghaeilge in Ollscoil na Ríona(rin may staadger er un gaylick in ulskull na reeana) - I studied Irish at Queen’s University

dífhostaithe (jee-awsteeha) - unemployed