Appendix A

A Primer of the Irish Language

IRISH PRONUNCIATION

Irish has three main dialects, Connacht, Munster, and Ulster; each of these has its own pronunciation quirks. Schools teach a standardized form of Irish that combines features of these three dialects.

Vowels

Irish marks long vowels with an accent; short vowels have no accent. Here are the main vowel sounds:

a as in “bat”

í as in “fee”

á as “aw”

o as in “son”

e as in “pet”

ó as in “glow”

é as in “grey”

u as in “took”

i as in “hit”

ú as in “rule”

Consonants

Irish has many clusters of consonants that have their own idiosyncratic pronunciations:

• bh as “v”

• bhf as “w”

• c as “k”

• ch as a guttural sound, like the “ch” in “Loch Ness”

• d as “d” when followed by a broad vowel, and as “j” when followed by a slender vowel

• dh as “g” when followed by a broad vowel, as “y” when followed by a slender vowel

• mh as “w”

• s as “s” before a broad vowel, as “sh” before a slender vowel or at the end of the word

• t as “t” before a broad vowel, as “ch” before a slender vowel

• th as the “h” in “house”; at the end of a word, either silent or pronounced as the “t” in “hat”

Basic Words and Phrases

Here are a few common greetings and pleasantries:

Please: Le do thoil (le do hall)
Thank you: Go raibh maith agat (go rev mut agut)
You’re welcome: Tá fáilte romhat (taw foil-cha row-ath) or just faílte
Hello (to one person): Dia duit (dee-a gwit)
Hello (to several people): Dia daoibh (dee-a gweev)
Hello (in response to greeting): Dia’s Muire duit (dee-as mwir-a gwit)
Goodbye (to a person leaving): Slán leat (slawn lath)
Goodbye (to a person staying behind): Slán agat (slawn agut)
Goodnight: Oíche mhaith (ee-ha ho)
Cheers (literally “health”): Sláinte (slan-chuh)