Comments on: The Irish Language

By: Mike (owner)

Mike (owner) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 16:49:14 +0000

If you have RealPlayer, check out this news clip; Eithne O’Brien is a reporter for RTÉ. http://dynamic.rte.ie/av/230-2708505-512-288.smil

By: Mike (owner)

Mike (owner) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 16:40:04 +0000

The girl that I knew pronounced it Etna – but I am by no means an expert on the subject.

By: Majella

Majella — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 19:42:42 +0000

Are you sure about the pronunciation of Eithne? Is it not pronounced Enya?

By: Mike (owner)

Mike (owner) — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 15:44:48 +0000

Easiest would be to pronounce it like “lock” as in the Scottish Loch Ness. It’s actually a guttural sound but (speaking from personal experience) English speakers can sound a bit silly trying to pronounce it.

The Irish (and Scots Gaelic) loch means lake, so the castle would have been on an island in Lough Key.

By: Rebecca McDermott

Rebecca McDermott — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 14:51:14 +0000

I’m trying to come up with a name for my Irish Band in America. My family. the MacDermotts, once had a stronghold on the island of Lough Key. I don’t know the pronunciation of “lough” however. Can you help me?

By: Cass Flower

Cass Flower — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 10:25:29 +0000

I love your blog on Irish – I would like to see some phonetics for letter combinations – ai ei etc.
We have just started an Irish discussion forum here – and it would be great if you would drop in.

http://www.hostingphpbb.com/forum/index.php?mforum=tok

By: Dani

Dani — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 13:49:59 +0000

LOL I love it. I am desperately trying to learn Irish since I’ve crazily chosen to send my daughter to an all Irish school. Thanks for the tips. I also had a good laugh when I read the rest of your page. My Irish partner always likes to tease me about how I originally pronounced Mikado (as in the biscuits) and Kilmacanogue (the junction on the M50- not even sure if that is spelled correctly.) My family always says I sound Irish when I come home but I am conviced it is not a real accent but the use of all their strange phrases. My sister particularly likes, “My mot doesn’t do a tap in the gaff,” or “It’s a piece of piss.” They don’t make much sense until you’ve lived around it and then somehow you just get it! LOl

By: Rúdí

Rúdí — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 19:34:09 +0000

Dia dhuit Michael Rice, Your word “Fraschana” is made up of two elements:
1. “Frais” (pronounced “Frash”), meaning shower or spray, and
2. “Canna” , meaning a can.

When they are put together the C of the second word is softened becoming Ch, which is pronounced as in Loch etc

So then you get “Fraischanna” pronounced “Frash-channa”.

By: Mike

Mike — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 22:05:41 +0000

dia dhuit Mike.
cén chaoi a bhfuil tú? Is maith liom an blog seo atá agat!
tá conaí ormsa anseo in Eirinn.

Mícheál

By: Mike

Mike — Sat, 23 May 2009 03:39:32 +0000

The word looks like a compound from fras and canna, literally "shower can." From my limited knowledge, I think you'd be best pronouncing it like "frashCANa."

By: Michael Rice

Michael Rice — Mon, 18 May 2009 18:11:19 +0000

We’ve named our garden (!) fraschana (watering can), but have no definite idea how to pronounce the word “frashana”. Can you help with the pronunciation ? Thanks……our family’s from Kerry, with most of our cousins and other relatives still there………….Michael