Irish-Language

The Bluffer casts a quizzical eye over how to run a quiz in Irish

<em><b>VICTORIA COREN:</b> The jury is out on the Coren sense of humour but the Bluffer for one is a big fan of her quiz show, Only Connect, which really challenges his lateral thinking abilities</em>
VICTORIA COREN: The jury is out on the Coren sense of humour but the Bluffer for one is a big fan of her quiz show, Only Connect, which really challenges his lateral thinking abilities VICTORIA COREN: The jury is out on the Coren sense of humour but the Bluffer for one is a big fan of her quiz show, Only Connect, which really challenges his lateral thinking abilities

TOP OF THE MORNING to yez,  and sure isn’t it another Bluffer’s Guide to Irish.

The Bluffer is a big fan of tráthanna ceist - quizzes and watches a lot of them on television.

He is particularly fond of Only Connect and is the only person on the planet who actually likes Victoria Coren. Not all the time, though.

There are different types of quizzes of course but what if you want you run your own quiz in Irish over the Christmas period. What sort of constructions do you need.

Well, eolas ginearálta - general knowledge is what most quizzes are about and the questions can be about anything under the sun.

Na ceisteanna - the questions in some are very easy like asking about capital cities.

Cad é príomhchathair na Fraince? - What is the capital of France?)for example.

There are other geographical questions like cá bhfuil Caolas Bheiring? - where is the Bering Strait?

Cad é an fásach is mó ar domhan? What is the biggest desert in the world?

(The Bluffer likes doing on line map quizzes where you have to click on an Mholdóiv - Moldova for example on a map of Europe).

History often crops up in quizzes so cad é an bhliain inar ... in what year did ... and you can fill in the rest.

Cad é an bhliain inar thosaigh an Gorta Mór? - In what year did the Great Famine begin? for example.

Sport is another evergreen of the table quiz.

Cé a bhain Corn an Domhain sa rugbaí i mbliana? - Who won this year’s rugby World Cup?

(At least we won’t be hearing about it for the next six months!)

Or what about cé a fuair an cúl - who scored the goal (eg which robbed Kerry of a 5-in-a-row)  

And what about the music round?

This can be a tricky one because those who know everything about Engelbert Humperdink and Brotherhood of Man might know nothing about Arctic Monkey or Arcade Fire.

You could also be the first person ever to have a sean-nós music round!

Questions might be cé a cheol - who sang (eg Bohemian Rhapsody) or cé a chum - who composed (eg Für Elise)?

Na scannáin - films or movies play a big part in quizzes too.

Cé a bhain Oscar ...? - who won an Oscar (eg for their role in Gone with the Wind)

Other categories in typical table quiz can deal with current affairs, there will be a picture round with photos of everyone from Rasputin to Margaret Thatcher, television programmes – this can be particularly anoraky as you will be amazed by how much the wee guy with the beard wearing the parka knows about Thunderbirds!  

There are Irish language quiz-books including Ceist Agam Ort - I’ve a question for you which contains 1,000 questions) for 12-14 year olds, with a distinctly Irish flavour. 

Now, quizzes are meant to be spraíúil - fun but each quiz will have its resident quizaholic, you know the type, the guy who hackles the quizmaster and shouts “that’s not strictly accurate” to an answer.

Ignore them!

CÚPLA FOCAL

tráthanna na gceist(trahana kesht) - quizzes 

eolas ginearálta(awliss ginearaalta) - general knowledge

Na ceisteanna(ne keshtana) - the questions

Cad é príomhchathair na Fraince?(cadge ay preeookhaher na franka) - What is the capital of France?

Cá bhfuil Caolas Bheiring?(ca wil cayliss vering) - where is the Bering Strait?

Cad é an fásach is mó ar domhan?(cadge ay an faasakh is moe er dowan) - What is the biggest desert in the world?

an Mholdóiv(un woldawv) - Moldova

Cad é an bhliain inar thosaigh an Gorta Mór? (cadge ay un vleean inar hossee un gorta more) - In what year did the Great Famine begin? 

Cé a bhain Corn an Domhain sa rugbaí i mbliana?(cay a win corn un dowan sa rudgbee i mleeana) - Who won this year’s rugby World Cup 

Cé a fuair an cúl (cay a foor un cool) who scored the goal

Cé a cheol(cay a cyawl) - who sang 

cé a chum(cay a khum) - who composed

Cé a bhain Oscar(cay a win oscar) - who won an Oscar

Ceist Agam Ort - (kesht ugum ort) - I’ve a question for you

spraíúil(spreooil) - fun