Boisterously Beckoning Beginners

By James McGinty

I began Irish lessons at P.J. McIntyres around five years ago, when I was in the eighth grade. My primary reasons for joining were that I am a devout Irishman; I love to learn about cultures, especially one that I hail from, and my grandfather came from Ireland in the 50s, so I’m only second generation on my dad’s side.

All of these reasons, mixed with my boredom of not participating in any sports, led me to try out the class. Let me recount my first meeting to give you all a glimpse into my experience:

“Dia Duit! Cén chaoi a bhfuil tú?” a woman exclaimed from across the room,

“Sorry, I didn’t catch that,” I swiftly responded.

“It means ‘how are you,’ in the Connaught dialect, but that’s for later, welcome to the class, I’m Eileen!” She eagerly replied,

“Thanks, I’m delighted to be here, but how should I respond next week to ‘Dia Duit?” I asked excitedly, this being my first class,

“Just say ‘Dia’s Muire Duit,’ which means ‘God and Mary with you,’” Eileen responded.

This initial friendly atmosphere sank into my mind and reeled me into the proverbial boat of Irish language learning. Along the way, I have learned how to hold conversations from basic introductions, to discussing what I want to order at a restaurant, Ireland’s rich culture, and many more life-lasting lessons that I believe fit more or less into four categories. 

Social Benefits

Is e an seanfhocal a chuireann an t-ádh ar an óg: The old word brings luck to the young. Throughout these classes, I have gained new social benefits from talking to people who are much older than I am. This opportunity has allowed me to get wisdom from someone who has lived longer and who might have gone through the same scenario and offer guidance.

The social benefits don’t end there. For five years, I have been forging friendships and intergenerational bonds with the older members of the class. These bonds, which I will elaborate more in friendship, have shaped how I interact with people and secretly formed me to be more courteous, attentive, and respectful. 

Friendships

Cara mo chléibh: My close friend. Friendships have played a major part in my continued learning of Irish. Apart from the allure of language learning and culture, I also look forward to seeing the friendly faces of Kay & Brendan, reading the interesting short stories of Brendan Delay, and catching up with Katie and Eileen.

These friendships and many more are different then my friendships with my peers. I have always been respectful and used my please and thank yous, even with my regular friends, but when I am with everyone at Irish Gaelic lessons, I feel as if there is a heightened importance.

I wouldn’t want to let Shannon, Karen, or Kevin down by not being polite to the server or forgetting myself with my language. Through this elevated sense of awareness, I have been formed into a better person who now incorporates these lessons I learned from my multitude of friendships into my daily life.

These skills: talking, relating to, and forming bonds with superiors, are incredibly important because who will be the person interviewing you for a job? Who will most likely be your first boss? Knowing how to be respectful but also able to form a bond with someone who isn’t in your same age bracket will serve you well.

Public Speaking

Is fearr Gaeilge briste ná Béarla cliste: Broken Irish is better than clever English. Public speaking, especially in Irish, is a difficult thing to be brave in. However, in my experience, joining these Irish lessons has helped tremendously in giving me the self-confidence and bravery to speak to a room.

I got to this point because in every class, we read through the textbook, and some people are chosen to read a chapter and guide the class through pronunciation. This practice requires that you can read English loud enough, but most importantly, that you can speak Irish well enough.

By going through these experiences, I now hold the confidence to eloquently speak in small conversations, asking how someone is and what their name is without hesitation. Furthermore, these lessons, as with many of the things I have learned in the class, are not solely applicable to it. The maturation of your public speaking skills will aid you well in the professional world.

Speaking clearly and confidently and being able to lead an exercise will help you in your work life when you need to lead a team of people to a set goal. Nevertheless, as the initial quote suggests, even speaking broken Irish will be better than speaking perfect English.

Don’t let the fear of failure and screwing up the pronunciation scare you. Everyone in the class has been there, and because of that, we are all willing and able to guide you through the language.

Brain Exercise

Cleachtadh a dhéanann maistreacht: Practice makes mastery. Learning a language is one of the best things you can do with your mind.

Why? Well, there are so many pros, like it boosts your memory and executive functions, allowing you to retain more information and switch between mental tasks, ignoring distractions. It improves your attention span, which, in an era of rapidly declining ones, is needed.

Furthermore, it allows you to develop stronger problem-solving skills and makes your brain more flexible. The problem-solving skills come about because you are trying to navigate new vocabulary and grammar, which I can guarantee you will develop while taking these lessons. Besides immediate advantages, learning a new language may postpone dementia and Alzheimer’s for several years. In my experience, learning Irish has given me a space to relax after a hard day at school, pick up a few Irish words, and enjoy a meal with friends. 

James McGinty is a senior at Saint Ignatius High School in Cleveland, Ohio. He has been a Speak Irish Cleveland student for more than five years. He loves and studies European cultures, enthralled by history. has taken part in three exchange trips and went to Peru and France. He hopes to attend Yale University in Connecticut, and hopes to become the governor of the great state of Ohio. He thanks you for reading his first-ever column written for iIrish.